Chapter 24: Mother Wang, the Youth-Preserving Pill Is Complete

A day later, in the small village.

Wreaths of smoke curled into the distance, framed by verdant green hills. If one were to ignore the corpulent, ostentatiously dressed middle-aged woman standing before them, this place would truly be an ideal spot for cultivating one’s character.

It seemed that Lord Luo was not as heartless toward his daughter as one might have imagined.

As Luo Qianfan stepped through the door, a rolling pin came flying toward her. The force behind it would have been enough to cripple an able-bodied man, but to someone like Luo Yi, who had practiced martial arts for years, it was nothing more than a light tickle.

Even so, Luo Yi was filled with murderous intent. Back in the valley, everyone greeted the Young Master with smiling faces, as docile as could be. She hadn't expected that the moment they left the valley, one person after another would jump out, either playing tricks or causing trouble—it was utterly detestable.

Luo Yi was just looking for someone to vent her frustrations on when she heard a string of unbearable, ear-piercing insults.

The hoarse, booming voice screeched incessantly, "You dead girl! I told you to go find some firewood, and you go and pull a disappearing act, not coming back for years, leaving me to worry myself sick. What is it? If you had the ability, you shouldn't have come back at all! I told you to leave, I told you to leave..."

As the woman spoke, she reached out to strike Luo Qianfan with the object in her hand. Perhaps due to her agitation, she failed to notice the significant changes in Luo Qianfan since she had last seen her.

Today, Luo Qianfan was not only more beautiful in appearance, but her entire demeanor had undergone a striking transformation.

Hearing this tirade, Luo Qianfan curled her lips in a cold sneer. Did this Mother Wang really think she was worried about her safety? It would be a miracle if she didn't rub salt into her wounds while she was suffering. This display was nothing more than fear that the main household would hold her accountable later.

She was old enough to know better; she certainly knew how to put on a show.

Without waiting for Mother Wang to finish, Luo Yi flashed forward like lightning and tapped two points on the woman's body. Mother Wang froze instantly, the object in her hand clattering to the ground.

Mother Wang was sharp; realizing something was wrong, she calmed down and began to size Luo Qianfan up. Why had this dead girl's eyes become so sharp after a trip out? And that person behind her... where did she come from? She looked fierce and malicious, clearly not someone to be trifled with. What was going on? And that martial arts skill—there was definitely something fishy here.

As she had returned to the countryside, Luo Qianfan had not dressed in men's clothing. Dressed in women's attire, her raven-black hair was held up by a single pin, with the rest cascading over her shoulders. She wore a pale green robe, and the white sash at her waist accentuated her slender, graceful figure. She looked composed and elegant.

If one had to find a difference in her temperament compared to other noble young ladies, it was a sense of ease and relaxation, with a faint, underlying edge of ruthlessness.

Looking at Luo Yi beside her, still dressed in black martial attire with a bloodthirsty gleam radiating from the star-shaped dagger at her waist, it was finally quiet.

Luo Qianfan didn't waste time. She took two steps forward, stopped, and looked at the snobbish woman, her eyes growing cold at the edges.

"Listen to me. I don't care how the previous Luo Qianfan was bullied by you, but from today on, I am Luo Qianfan. Don't worry about whether I've been possessed by demons or reborn from the furnace; the point is, from now on, I am not someone you can bully. Do you understand?"

Luo Qianfan delivered her words in one breath, laying everything out clearly.

Mother Wang was so terrified that her legs turned to jelly and she trembled uncontrollably. Sweat dripped onto the ground, and though Luo Qianfan’s words echoed in her ears, her mind was actually racing with thoughts of the future; she barely took any of it in.

"Hey, did you hear me? Your head has been looking at the ground the whole time—what’s on the ground? Look at me. Stand up straight. And one more thing: if you're going to live, live like a human being. You can be poor, but don't be spineless. I... oh, forget it, you wouldn't understand."

Seeing Mother Wang staring at the floor and shivering, Luo Qianfan felt an urge to lecture her, but realized it would likely be futile. She sighed—as a stranger, this was all she could do. Some things had to be realized on one's own.

As the saying goes, the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to the individual.

Luo Yi, standing to the side, looked at the sky in silence. Shouldn't this Mother Wang have been given a good beating? Seeing the Young Master take this approach, she wondered why it had turned into an educational session. Indeed, the Young Master's thoughts were impossible to fathom.

In truth, no one could ever predict what the mischievous Luo Qianfan would do next; one certainly could not use the logic of a normal person to understand her, as it would never be accurate.

Luo Qianfan narrowed her eyes and looked at Mother Wang with a threatening gaze. "The Luo family will be here soon. I believe you know what should and should not be said."

Following that, Luo Qianfan gave a faint, innocent smile, as if she weren't the same devilish person who had just been speaking so coldly. This calm demeanor exerted an even greater, invisible pressure. Mother Wang had no choice but to suppress her dissatisfaction and confusion, looking up with a forced smile.

"Third Miss, rest assured. You have been living very well here. It was my ignorance before, it won't happen again..."

Mother Wang darted glances at Luo Qianfan, not daring to lift her head too high. Seeing that Luo Qianfan had no further intentions, she felt the heavy stone in her heart finally drop.

"Then, Third Miss, please continue with your business. This old servant will take her leave."

Luo Qianfan didn't respond, merely signaling with her eyes. Mother Wang bowed respectfully and retreated, though she nearly tripped on her way out.

"Young Master, she..." Luo Yi walked over, feeling indignant.

"I know. Don't worry, Mother Wang is not worth the concern. Her backers are nothing more than my incompetent sisters. Besides, even if she says something she shouldn't later, they have no proof. Don't worry."

"Furthermore, do you think your Young Master is someone who can be bullied so easily? If it still doesn't work, don't I still have you, Luo Yi?" Luo Qianfan smiled affectionately. She always trusted her own people.

Hearing this, Luo Yi felt a surge of pride. For people like them, protecting their master was their life's mission, especially a Young Master who treated them like family. Hearing Luo Qianfan’s affirmation made her heart swell with emotion.

Luo Qianfan knew Luo Yi was worried about her, so she would do her utmost to put their minds at ease.

Afterward, Luo Qianfan and Luo Yi each chose a room to stay in. Due to the circumstances, they were not particularly close, separated by several rooms. They cleaned the place up simply and acquired some daily necessities before retiring to their respective rooms to rest.

For seven days, apart from designated mealtimes, Luo Yi would pace around outside Luo Qianfan’s room, yet those tightly closed doors never opened once.

Seven days later.

Luo Qianfan emerged from the room looking disheveled, her expensive dress now unrecognizable.

Luo Yi, having kept watch since they parted seven days ago, ran over the moment she heard a sound. "Young Master, are you alright?"

Seeing her Young Master in such a disheveled state, she didn't need to guess; she was undoubtedly experimenting again.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Hey, never mind that. Luo Yi, let me tell you, I succeeded! Do you know? I did it! Look!" Luo Qianfan took a box from her pocket.

Upon opening it, two pills, glistening and transparent like dewdrops, appeared before Luo Yi’s eyes. They were a seductive shade of pink.

Luo Yi’s mind reeled. She looked at Luo Qianfan in disbelief, a terrifying conjecture forming in her head: "Young Master, this... could this be..."

She knew she shouldn't think that way, but upon seeing the elixir, her mind couldn't help but drift there.

Seeing Luo Yi’s incredulous expression, Luo Qianfan’s beautiful eyes crinkled with joy. "It's exactly what you're thinking. This is the Youth-Preserving Pill. I wanted to try making it back at the Medical Underworld Valley, but I always failed. I never expected to succeed here."

"And I’ve clearly noticed that my alchemy skills have become much more proficient. Perhaps my medical skills have improved as well," Luo Qianfan said, tilting her head proudly.

Back at the Medical Underworld Valley, Luo Qianfan had once declared she would create a pill that could restore one's youth. At the time, everyone thought it was impossible. While the Young Master’s medical skills were excellent and she could occasionally refine rare elixirs, the Youth-Preserving Pill was a high-level medicine. Women across the world coveted it, and even the top contemporary alchemists couldn't produce it. Could someone of the Young Master's standing really do it?

In the Nine Continents, the Fengyue Kingdom was merely a small country in a lower-tier realm. Any random passerby from the higher realms could easily wipe out their entire nation, and the disparity in alchemy was just as vast.

However, the grading for elixirs was consistent: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced, Semi-Imperial, Imperial, Semi-Divine, and Divine. Each grade was divided into three stages and was extremely difficult to master. Certification was even harder to obtain, with each grade requiring a separate certificate. Reaching the Divine grade was considered the pinnacle, and according to records, only one person had achieved it, and they were notoriously arrogant.

A high-level elixir like the Youth-Preserving Pill, while not top-tier in the Nine Continents, was still far beyond the reach of an ordinary high-level alchemist. Its requirements for materials, fire control, energy, and final refinement were extremely stringent. Furthermore, with the loss of historical records, the secret recipe for the Youth-Preserving Pill had been lost.

Therefore, even as an advanced elixir, it was extremely precious in the Nine Continents, let alone in a small country like Fengyue—it was practically a national treasure!

So, it wasn't that everyone didn't believe in Luo Qianfan's ability; it was that they dared not believe. After all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Rather than letting Luo Qianfan doubt herself after a failure, it was better to never start.

But they had misjudged Luo Qianfan’s mindset and underestimated her psychological resilience. Not to mention such a small problem, even if she had ended up with nothing, it wouldn't have mattered to her. At the very least, she would have had a clear conscience. As for doubting herself, that simply didn't exist.

Failure is the mother of success! As a soul from another world, if Luo Qianfan couldn't see through such things, how could she hope to survive in the world of martial arts?