After more than a month, Shen He finally could spend time alone with Xie Linlang.
When he saw Xie Linlang, he was like a fledgling that had just left the nest and encountered an old bird in the wild—his joy nearly overflowed onto his face.
There was no one else in Shen He’s Pill Room besides him, so naturally, no one noticed anything amiss.
The black-haired ponytail boy excitedly said, “I heard from Senior Brother Hong that a Grand Pill Competition is coming up soon. Senior Brother Pang has been busy acquiring all sorts of materials, saying he wants to make a good profit.”
Shen He unhesitatingly told Xie Linlang everything that had happened to him recently.
“Senior Brother Hong said he has an internal recommendation spot and told me that with my skills, I should be able to make it to the third round of selection. Shizun, have you heard about this?”
Xie Linlang nodded. “I’ve heard a little.”
Several high-ranking cultivators in Silent Night Palace had died overnight, and there were even cultivators who tried to assassinate the Silent Night Palace Lord. To quell the matter, the Grand Pill Competition that Senior Brother Fang had mentioned was likely to be advanced.
Xie Linlang originally had no interest in such a competition.
Participating would be like bullying children. Right now, he wanted to figure out Silent Night Palace’s debt system, credit, and arrears. Why did the palace’s True Transmission Disciples turn into Black-Armored Cultivators? And Shen He…
“Are you considered a True Transmission Disciple of Silent Night Palace now?”
“Nominally, yes, but I’m still missing a proper apprenticeship ceremony. I haven’t been officially entered into the sect’s roster yet.”
Shen He didn’t understand the reason for the question but still shared what he knew with Xie Linlang.
“Senior Brother said that disciples like us, who joined midway without the founding ceremony, can only register together with the next formal batch of entrants.”
After all, most cultivators who joined Silent Night Palace halfway, like Xie Linlang, were those who brought their own skills and threw in their lot with a master—they weren’t worth holding a grand apprenticeship ceremony just for one or two to formalize their status.
Xie Linlang felt slightly relieved after hearing this. He cautioned Shen He, “True Transmission Disciples of Silent Night Palace inevitably have obligations and responsibilities to the sect, especially not owing sect debts. I remember last time you exchanged for a Magic Artifact, you owed Senior Brother Zheng some debt?”
Shen He touched his nose and said softly, “I paid it all back. We looted quite a few materials at Purple Radiance Mountain. I originally planned to keep them for pill refining, but then Senior Sister Le got targeted by some immortal dao disciples. She asked for my help, and after we escaped together, she actually used intelligence on those immortal dao disciples and some secrets to waive all her debts and arrears. She even turned her credit positive.”
Shen He had watched with his own eyes as Le Qingping haggled with Senior Brother Zheng. For some reason, she handed over all the resources she had looted to the sect, which wiped out her debts.
Xie Linlang looked at Shen He with some surprise.
Shen He said sheepishly, “Senior Sister Le never takes a loss. She balanced her accounts, so I learned from her.”
Xie Linlang praised Shen He. “You did the right thing. Le Qingping is a smart one.”
He quietly sized up the boy in front of him, who looked to be only in his teens. Shen He had just stepped through the gates of cultivation and was learning all sorts of novel things. Perhaps the boy’s greatest dream was to raise his cultivation so his grandfather could live out ten thousand peaceful years.
Various thoughts swirled in Xie Linlang’s mind, but in the end, he said nothing.
Silent Night Palace did have many internal issues, but they didn’t implicate a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had been in the sect for less than half a year.
Shen He had talent in pill refining, but talent needed time and diligent practice to mature. There were many other pill refiners in the Pill Room, and ultimately, Shen He should reach a level where he was talented, performed outstandingly, but didn’t draw excessive attention.
That would be enough. If Silent Night Palace truly faced major problems in the future, he could still recommend Shen He to Li Pinghu.
With Li Pinghu’s generosity and boldness, he wouldn’t mind looking after a sincere child like Shen He.
“Shizun, are you participating in this Grand Pill Competition?”
Shen He was still unaware of Xie Linlang’s thoughts. He looked at Xie Linlang with slight excitement. “If Shizun competes, you could surely take the championship!”
Xie Linlang smiled faintly. “I’ll pass. You just do your best.”
He answered some of Shen He’s questions on pill refining and cultivation. They chatted for about two hours until noon, when Pang Sanxian ran back. Only then did Xie Linlang bid farewell to Shen He.
Pang Sanxian curiously watched Xie Linlang. Since Xie Linlang was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and Pang Sanxian was still at Qi Refining, he observed carefully. It wasn’t until Xie Linlang left that Pang Sanxian lowered his voice and asked Shen He.
“Who’s that senior brother? Never seen him before.”
“Senior Brother Hong introduced him. Seems he just joined Silent Night Palace.”
Shen He vaguely brushed it off and shifted the topic to material gathering. “How much have you collected? The most basic materials are already rising in price. We’ll lose profit if we buy more…”
“We can still sell a favor…”
…
Xie Linlang casually took two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills from Shen He and left for the Rune House.
Just like pill refining, drawing runes required talent. Xie Linlang’s aptitude for runes was average, but as a high-ranking cultivator, his discernment was sharp.
The Rune House was spacious, with a massive desk divided by countless partitions. Many cultivators hunched over, drawing runes.
