Supreme Sword Exalt

Numerous buildings with rather unique layouts were scattered throughout Marquis Song’s mansion. Although there were quite a few, they were orderly divided and didn’t seem chaotic.

Within a hall southeast of the mansion, several tens of pill furnaces were arranged in rows. In front of each pill furnace, an alchemist sat cross-legged, carefully tending to the pills.

The temperature inside the hall was much higher than outside. Over a dozen strands of pill vapor coiled together, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance that gradually blurred the features of the assembled alchemists.

They were the alchemists recruited by Marquis Song. There were also those stationed with the border army, but compared to the overwhelming demand for pills, their numbers were far from sufficient. Left with no choice, various families and armies could only offer high bounties, recruiting some rogue alchemists to be sent to the front lines.

Suddenly, an elderly alchemist turned pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, dyeing the pill furnace a bloody red.

“Fellow Daoist Xue, what’s wrong?!”

“Aiya! Why are you pushing yourself so hard?!”

Instantly, several alchemists who were familiar with him gathered around.

Divine Physician Xue’s complexion was somber, his gaze dull. He was clearly at the end of his tether, but he struggled to get up. “I’m fine.”

He glanced at the pill furnace. Strands of black smoke continuously drifted out. It was obviously already ruined. He sighed softly with heartache.

A middle-aged alchemist frowned deeply. “Fellow Daoist Xue, to be honest, you’ve overexerted yourself and suffered internal injuries. Your life could be in danger at any moment. Even if you earn more resources, what use is it if you lose your life?”

He had long witnessed Divine Physician Xue’s madness. Within two months, he had refined a full ten thousand Return Essence Pills, five or six times their efficiency. Although part of this was due to Divine Physician Xue’s exceptional alchemy skills, a greater reason was that he was practically risking his life, with no regard for his own injuries.

Divine Physician Xue remained silent. Having unexpectedly learned that Xue Yu was still alive, he no longer valued his own life. Song Jian’s words still echoed in his ears. If it meant saving Xue Yu, he wouldn’t complain even if he were reduced to ash.

Suddenly, the hall’s door flew open. Three young men with arrogant expressions walked in, catching a whiff of the burnt smell.

“Who ruined the pills?!”

“Hmph, the wasted materials will all be deducted from your compensation!”

“A bunch of trash, can’t even refine pills properly!”

“Heh, isn’t this what rogue alchemists are like? Self-taught amateurs. If the war weren’t so intense, we wouldn’t have taken in such trash!”

The three had mocking expressions as their words were dripping venoms.

An alchemist couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re alchemists too, you should know that there’s no such thing as a sure thing in pill refining. An occasional ruined furnace is normal—”

The man in the middle had a very gloomy face. “Shut up! Your compensation this month is forfeited!”

The alchemist was about to retort, but was pulled back by the people beside him. “Just endure it. We’re rogue cultivators by birth, we can’t compete with them.”

The man then turned to Divine Physician Xue, sneering. “Xue Mao, I knew it was you! You ruined this furnace of pills, didn’t you?! You old waste! In three days, you only refined five hundred Return Essence Pills. Useless!”

Divine Physician Xue said nothing. At the sight of the three, a flash of immense hatred flickered in his eyes.

The middle-aged alchemist beside him couldn’t stand by and watch. “Three days, five hundred pills, that’s already very fast. Besides, Fellow Daoist Xue is injured from his efforts and needs rest—”

The man’s face twisted ferociously. “You bitch! What the hell are you, daring to plead for him?!”

The middle-aged alchemist grew angrier. “Since you bully people like this, we won’t refine these pills anymore! You can keep your compensation!”

The man said slowly, “Leave? Go, tell the young marquis, these rogue alchemists dare to rebel. Send people quickly to teach them a lesson!”

***

Meanwhile, in a room filled with boundless spring scenery, a female cultivator was nestled in Song Jian’s embrace. With only a sheer layer of green gauze draped over her, her exquisite figure was nearly fully revealed. She was born with softness seeping into her bones.

The jealousy in her eyes was undisguised. “Young Marquis, if Xue Yu still refuses to submit this time, what then?”

Like Xue Yu, she was also at the Xian Ya Pavilion. The only difference was she was on the eleventh floor, while Xue Yu was on the twelfth floor.

A single floor apart, yet the treatment was vastly different. She made her living charming men with her looks, while Xue Yu could enchant countless men with just a melody.

She thought it deeply unfair, so much so that she spent every waking moment longing to destroy Xue Yu.

Like a snake, she writhed in Song Jian’s embrace, clearly well-versed in the art of pleasing men. “If you ask me, that bitch just doesn’t know what’s good for her. You have taken a liking to her, isn’t that her blessing?”

Seeing the female cultivator’s seductiveness, Song Jian only felt a fire raging in his heart, his hands roaming incessantly. “She has no choice. Whether she agrees or not, she will be mine.”

The fire burned hotter and hotter. He could no longer restrain himself and was about to take the female cultivator right there.

Just then, a voice came from outside. “Young Marquis, those rogue alchemists are gathering to make trouble, it seems to be caused by Xue Mao.”

Having his fun interrupted, a trace of killing intent flashed in Song Jian’s eyes. “Damned old thing! It seems like you really are tired of living.”

***

Inside the hall, the overbearing man swept his cold gaze over all the alchemists. “You want to leave? Dream on! Until the war ends, no one can step foot out of here! From today onwards, your every move will be monitored.”

The crowd was filled with grief and indignation. As alchemists—especially rogue ones—their combat power was far inferior to cultivators of the same realm. How could they resist?

The overbearing man spat, then looked at Divine Physician Xue again, a trace of mockery in his eyes. “Asking for a beating! Xue Mao, if you’re not dead, get up quickly and refine pills! Don’t forget what you promised the young marquis. Even if you die, you have to refine those pills!”

Divine Physician Xue didn’t speak. Hatred was useless too. Aside from risking his life to refine pills, hoping Song Jian would keep his promise, he could do absolutely nothing.

One of the three men was full of disdain. “I don’t know why Master doesn’t just kill him.”

The other man smiled. “You don’t understand. Master said to make the best use of everything. Since Xue Mao is an alchemist, letting him die while refining pills is also a pretty good ending. Besides, he’s already lived an extra twenty years. Letting him live a few more days doesn’t matter!”

The last man sighed with emotion. “Someone like me is far from reaching Master’s state of mind!”

Suddenly, an ice-cold voice sounded. “Is that so? Saying something like that, your master really is shameless enough.”

The three’s expressions darkened. Who???

They saw four people walking over from not too far away. Two men and two women. Who else could it be but Gu Han that was leading them? No need to bring out Feng Xi, with Yun Fan present, entering the Marquis Song’s mansion was like a walk in the park. Who would dare stop the War Prince’s son, the little prince of the Great Flame Empire?

A steward quickly hurried over. “Little Prince, I’ll go report to the young marquis right away—”

Gu Han pointed at the hall. “No. I’m very interested in this place.”

Just moments ago, they had already learned that all of the Marquis Song mansion’s alchemists were inside here.

The steward had a troubled expression. “But... This is...”

Before he finished speaking, Yun Fan had already sent him flying.

Yun Fan once again displayed his true lackey colors, his expression extremely arrogant. “Bastard! Wherever my Brother Gu wants to go, he goes. Even if he wants to sit in my uncle’s seat, no one would dare stop him! You actually dare to stand in his way, you dogs?!”

Gu Han was silent for a moment. “I don’t want to sit on your uncle’s seat.”

Yun Fan was full of grievances. “Brother Gu, it’s just an analogy! Besides, with my sister here, it’d be fine even if you did sit there. My uncle isn’t a petty person!”

As they spoke, the group had already arrived at the hall entrance. Gu Han spotted the severely injured Divine Physician Xue right away. His expression blurred for a moment as memories of the past instantly resurfaced. They had two meetings. The first time, he saved Ah Sha’s life. The second time, he gave Ah Sha a storage ring full of precious pills. This kindness would never be forgotten.

He solemnly bowed. “Senior, we meet again.”

Divine Physician Xue was startled. “Kid? How could you be...?”

Before he finished speaking, Xue Yu was already running into the hall, covered in tears. “Grandfather!”

Divine Physician Xue was instantly stunned on the spot. Even though twenty years had passed, he could not forget even a bit of Xue Yu’s appearance.

He recognized her at a glance. “Are you... Xiao Yu?”

All the concern, love, and longing in his heart were contained within those few words. Then, he lost control, tears running down his weathered face. The scene moved all the alchemists in the hall. Even Zhao Mengyou, who was skilled in scheming, couldn’t help but sigh at this moment.

Not disturbing their reunion, Gu Han’s gaze shifted and landed on those three young men. “How did Senior Xue get injured?”

Seeing Gu Han’s graying hair and aged appearance, the leader couldn’t help but frown. “Who are you?”

Yun Fan was furious. “Bastard, you don’t even know Brother Gu? Are you blind?”

Upon hearing this, their expressions turned extremely ugly. Brother Gu? What Brother Gu! Who the hell knows where this surnamed Gu came from?!

Still, knowing Yun Fan’s identity, they didn’t dare refute at all and stiffly bowed.

“Greetings, Little Prince.”

Yun Fan ignored them completely. “Brother Gu, kill them or cripple them? You decide!”

Zhao Mengyou was speechless. Yun Fan’s performance could be said to have perfected the meaning of the word “lackey.”

After hearing this, their expressions turned even uglier.

The leader forced down his anger. “Little Prince, we are from the Yudan Sect!”

Yun Fan pretended not to hear. Yudan Sect? You think that’s very impressive? Bullshit! Isn’t that still just a vassal of the Great Flame Empire?

Gu Han shook his head. “Don’t kill them. That’s too cruel.”

Yun Fan was flabbergasted. Brother Gu, you actually know the word “cruel”!

Zhao Mengyou also widened her eyes, secretly wondering if Gu Han had changed.

Gu Han thought for a moment before saying, “First cripple their cultivation, then break their limbs and leave them breathing. These few seem a bit problematic, I still have questions to ask.”

Yun the lackey was instantly relieved. Now this is the Brother Gu’s I know!