‘A member of the demon race from the dragon race, who then fled to the human race?’
Yun Heng suddenly felt a prick in his heart.
He had already guessed who this person was.
What he couldn’t understand, however, was why these two remaining “sprouts” of the flood dragon race were both running straight into him.
Moreover, wasn’t this person a fugitive within the dragon race? Why had they come to the human race?
Even for Yun Heng, the development of the situation was impossible to see through for the moment. He had expected the butterfly effect to be significant, but he never dreamed it would be this large.
“…According to what you’re saying, if the Young Master helps and protects the Valley Master of Liuli Valley, won’t he be in danger?”
Fortunately, some people didn’t need to consider as much as Yun Heng. She only saw the surface, and she only needed to see the surface.
“Furthermore, harboring the demon race is already a grave crime. I don’t understand why the Valley Master of Liuli Valley would take such a risk.”
Jiang Keke stared at Master Rong Yu, asking her question with extreme seriousness.
Master Rong Yu chose to remain silent.
“If it’s a long story, then don’t say it.”
However, thanks to Jiang Keke, Yun Heng steadied his mind slightly, pulled his thoughts away from the distance, and refocused on the present.
“Thank you.”
Master Rong Yu bowed slightly to Yun Heng, offering his thanks.
“Young Master, you aren’t thinking of getting involved in this muddy water, are you?!”
Jiang Keke looked at Yun Heng, her small face filled with shock and worry.
If Yun Heng truly made a private connection with the demon race, it would likely be difficult for him to be protected even with the Changsheng Yun family’s support.
That was a major matter involving opposition to the entire human race!
Not to mention, this matter clearly involved high-level members of the dragon race… Jiang Keke felt that with Yun Heng’s leisurely temperament, there should be no reason for him to get himself involved.
“It’s precisely because it involves both the human and dragon races that there is room for maneuver. If it were a common demon race homicide, it would be an immovable wall instead.”
In a flash, various memories from his past life that he had tried his best to suppress and forget flickered through his mind.
He remembered many things, especially the “Destiny” he had perceived when deducing cause and effect in his past life.
‘Is this other flood dragon the key to unlocking my destiny, or a trap that will push me further into the abyss?’
Yun Heng did not know.
But regardless, standing by and doing nothing was not his way, nor was it the way to break the deadlock.
If he retreated today, his heart would be clouded, and his future path would forever be blocked by obstacles. These were all internal pressures.
As for the external pressure — Yun Heng had already experienced it. Now that he was living a second life, he would never repeat the same mistakes again.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
At this thought, Yun Heng took a deep breath and rubbed Jiang Keke’s head to reassure her. He then held up two fingers. “I can help, but I need you to agree to two conditions.”
Such empty comfort was something Jiang Keke was experiencing from her Young Master for the first time. It was as if even he couldn’t evaluate the risks of his decision.
But according to the Young Master’s personality, if he couldn’t evaluate the risk, shouldn’t he stay out of it and continue being a carefree wanderer?
Jiang Keke didn’t understand. She truly didn’t understand at all.
Jiang Keke opened her mouth, wanting to ask, but she keenly noticed the Young Master’s slightly cold fingertips. After hesitating repeatedly, she chose to swallow the words at the tip of her tongue.
She believed in the Young Master. Because the Young Master had always been omnipotent.
“I will agree even if there are ten conditions, let alone two.”
“If I really said ten, you might not necessarily agree.”
Yun Heng smiled and took a list from his storage bag. After a moment of thought, he swapped it for a different list.
“Within three days, gather the herbs on this list for me. And help me refine two Marrow Cleansing Pills. It would be best if they are 5-patterned or higher.”
Yun Heng’s alchemy skills were actually quite good, but he was currently only at the Qi Refining Stage. His control over spiritual qi was far inferior to before. Even in peak condition, he could at most refine Rank 1 zero-patterned pills.
Jiang Keke was soon going to reach Foundation Establishment. If she could obtain marrow cleansing pills refined by a Rank 7 Alchemist, her Foundation Establishment results and the quality of her future Golden Core would be significantly improved.
“Leave it to me.”
Master Rong Yu didn’t even look at the list before placing it into his storage ring in front of Yun Heng. This was a small matter for him.
The marrow cleansing pill was not a difficult pill to refine; let alone 5-patterned, Master Rong Yu was confident in refining even 7-patterned ones for Yun Heng.
“Secondly.”
Yun Heng smiled and took a Yun family token from his storage bag. “I hope you will return to the Yun family, Master Rong Yu. Become a Guest Elder of the Yun family and refine pills only for our family from now on.”
As soon as he spoke, the secret room fell into silence.
Jiang Keke’s silence stemmed from the fact that the number of guest elder positions in the Changsheng Yun family was limited.
Not only did they enjoy the rights of the Yun family’s upper management, but their salary was also very high.
Usually, only those ten thousand-year-old monsters who could truly bring great benefits to the Yun family could hold the position.
As the eldest young master of the Changsheng Yun family, Yun Heng was indeed qualified to “directly hire” someone. However, his quota was limited after all, and Jiang Keke felt it was unnecessary to spend it on Rong Yu.
Master Rong Yu’s silence, however, was because he had been driven out of the Yun family.
A Rank 7 Alchemist was indeed rare in the Middle Three Continents, but in the Upper Three Provinces, they were commoners found everywhere.
Both Master Rong Yu’s cultivation and his alchemy skills had been stalled for over a thousand years. For the rising Changsheng Yun family, he was purely a burden.
Yun Heng’s father had once shown much care for the sake of Master Rong Yu’s thousand years of service, but resources were limited and the Great Dao was ruthless. In the end, they could only negotiate Master Rong Yu’s departure.
After that, he left the Upper Three Provinces and came to Yunmeng Prefecture to serve as the branch president of the Alchemist Association.
Actually, this wasn’t really Master Rong Yu’s personal problem. For the majority of Alchemists, Rank 7 was already the limit.
There were many reasons, the most simple and direct being “energy.” An Alchemist needed to spend a vast amount of time studying the Dao of Alchemy, while cultivation also required time.
Most people found it difficult to balance the two, leading to “strong alchemy but weak cultivation, or strong cultivation but neglected alchemy.”
Only those with truly exceptional talent could successfully comprehend the Dao and break through to Rank 8, and with a bit of luck, even ascend to Rank 9 to refine world-renowned 9-turn Celestial Pills.
Master Rong Yu remained silent for a long while. Just as he was about to say something, Yun Heng waved him off.
“Time is limited. What if Xuan Sun finds the Valley Master of Liuli Valley while you are thinking?”
Yun Heng smiled. “As for the family, you don’t need to worry. I will communicate with my father using a transmission tool.”
If they could bring a top-tier Alchemist who was known to definitely become Rank 9 in the future under their wing, the Changsheng Yun family’s future status would predictably soar.
Furthermore, Yun Heng had been Rank 9 in his past life. He knew very well what difficulties an Alchemist faced when advancing.
Moreover, Master Rong Yu was no fool. As long as Yun Heng took the time to offer a slight reminder when the timing was right, this bottleneck that had stalled for a thousand years would naturally break through.
Yun Heng conservatively estimated that with his help, Master Rong Yu should be able to reach Rank 8 in a hundred years at most.
This was simply the most profitable bargain possible.
Master Rong Yu looked at Yun Heng’s clear and lazy eyes. Gritting his teeth, he took the token and bowed in gratitude.
“Then I shall accept the Young Master’s favor. Rong Yu will go through fire and water for the Yun family, no matter the cost!”
***
Liuli Valley, Sect Master’s Manor.
Yan Qingli, dressed in a moon-white dress, stood by the water pavilion, her fingertips lightly touching the warm glass patterns on the corridor pillar.
Through the shadows of the trees, she looked at the girl of the demon race curled up under the shade of the flowers, her brow tightly furrowed even in her sleep.
A very faint trace of daze flickered in the depths of Yan Qingli’s eyes, as if she were looking at her past self across the dust of years.
‘…So similar.’
Yan Qingli sighed softly, her voice blending into the wind passing through the hall.
‘She’s so similar that if I were to stand by and do nothing now, I would be betraying the past version of myself who was once protected like this.’
The surrounding area was covered by a barrier and formation she had personally reinforced.
As long as it wasn’t someone stronger than her Integration Stage peak strength deliberately destroying it, no one could see this pitiful demon girl.
Just then, the voice of her personal disciple came from outside the manor.
“Sect Master, Yun Heng of the Changsheng Yun family requests an audience.”