All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 111: Meeting Again

“I didn’t expect you to experience so much during your year away,” Cheng Lingxin looked at her granddaughter with love and relief. “But some things aren’t as simple as you think. That boy called Zhanyue said he has a way to solve your predicament? How could a boy without background, who isn’t even a Profound Realm cultivator, come up with any solution?”

Baizhi lowered her head. Actually, she didn’t know what solution Zhanyue might have, but she believed in him completely.

“Ah…” Cheng Lingxin stood up and took the bedsheet off her bed. She wrote on paper: “The ‘Sun illumination Scripture’ is written on this bedsheet. Just soak it in boiling water, and the text will appear. I’m giving it to you now.”

Baizhi put it away carefully, then looked at her grandmother with concern.

“No matter what, I won’t let that old man’s plan succeed,” Cheng Lingxin thought it was better to trust herself than to place hope in Zhanyue, a younger generation.

“Grandmother… you… please don’t do anything foolish. You’re my only family now,” Baizhi seemed to sense something.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Tonight, sleep with me,” Cheng Lingxin said.

Soon after, she lulled Baizhi to sleep as she did when Baizhi was a child. Then she took a pill and started meditating. “Give me a little more time, and I can forcefully break through to the Spirit God Realm with a secret technique. Whether it’s Bai Yulou or the Golden Pill Cultivator, they’re just Alchemists, not cultivators of both pill and martial arts. Their actual combat power isn’t strong. With my methods, I should be able to fight them both and forcefully take Baizhi back to Qinghe Valley. I’m a criminal, and although I’ll certainly die, Master should not harm her considering our past relationship.”

Cheng Lingxin recalled her youth, when she secretly left the valley to travel and met the flourishing Bai Yucheng. They fell in love at first sight and secretly pledged to marry. She was hunted by her sect for violating Qinghe Valley’s rules. Her master, who always loved her, couldn’t protect her then. In the end, her master sealed her heart meridians and expelled her from Qinghe Valley, finally ending the matter. But from then on, she was left with a chronic illness. Although she was a Profound Realm cultivator and could continue cultivating, she couldn’t fight or use any Qinghe Valley techniques, or her heart meridians would rupture and she would die. Moreover, her heart meridians constantly tormented her, only suppressed by pills.

But she never regretted it. At least Bai Yucheng never betrayed her, even going to such a dangerous secret realm to find medicine for her.

“Back then, the information about that secret realm and spirit herbs was all told to Yucheng by Bai Yulou. To this day, I don’t know if Bai Yulou deliberately set up his own brother, or if he truly didn’t know the dangers of that secret realm,” Cheng Lingxin felt weary. Baizhi’s mother died early, and Baizhi was raised by her. She treasured Baizhi like a jewel. Her husband and son were still missing after searching for medicine for her, and she could do nothing with her ill body.

“Yucheng… I believe you’re not dead, right? We’re being bullied like this now, why haven’t you returned?” Cheng Lingxin hoped every day that Bai Yucheng would suddenly return, but was disappointed day after day.

Sunlight shone through the gauze window, and Baizhi woke up. Only in her grandmother’s arms could she sleep so peacefully.

Her grandmother was cooking porridge in the kitchen, and Baizhi took a broom to sweep the courtyard for her. After they had breakfast together, Cheng Lingxin asked, “What are your plans for this period?”

Baizhi shook her head, “This time, Second Granduncle is watching closely. I’m afraid I can’t escape. But I don’t know when that Golden Pill Cultivator will return. However, as long as I’m in the Bai family compound, I can still move freely.”

After saying goodbye to her grandmother, Baizhi said to Bai Jinhua, “Grandmother said the family ranking competition has begun? Take me to the Pill Fire Courtyard, I want to see.”

Bai Jinhua asked, “Are you going to refine pills too?”

Baizhi said coldly, “I’m the Bai family’s young miss and a fifth-grade Alchemist. How could I stand by when it concerns the Bai family?”

Bai Jinhua was momentarily speechless. This stunningly beautiful young woman was already a fifth-grade Alchemist at such a young age. Bai Jinhua had wondered more than once whether the family head’s decision to give away this precious gem to gain the Golden Pill Cultivator’s help was really a good deal, but she didn’t dare question Bai Yulou’s decision.

Soon, Bai Jinhua brought Baizhi to the Pill Fire Courtyard.

For a moment, the busy Pill Fire Courtyard fell silent. Baizhi rarely went out, and outsiders had only heard that the Bai family’s young miss was not only extremely talented in pill dao but also incredibly beautiful. However, very few had actually seen her.

Now, in the Bai family, Baizhi naturally didn’t hide her true appearance. Dressed in white, she walked among these people like an otherworldly white crane descending to the mortal world. Her hair was tied up in a butterfly bun, with the rest flowing over her shoulders. Her small face was adorned with perfect features, bright eyes, and cherry-red lips.

“So the legend is true. They say the Bai family’s young miss is Alchemy Capital’s number one beauty. Seeing her today, it’s indeed true.”

“There really are fairies in this world. We really came to the right place in the Bai family.”

People whispered, but were scared off by Bai Jinhua’s glare and returned to their busy work.

“Young Miss, as a fifth-grade Alchemist, according to the rules, you can choose from these pills to refine,” a manager of the Pill Fire Courtyard brought a paper listing the fifth-grade pill formulas that hadn’t been assigned yet.

“I’ll take the Water Avoidance Pill. It’s the most difficult to refine and corresponds to the highest points,” Baizhi pointed at the Water Avoidance Pill on the list.

“Alright, Young Miss. But the Water Avoidance Pill is quite troublesome to refine. I suggest you choose a few Alchemists as assistants,” the manager suggested, his words exciting the surrounding Alchemists. Being an assistant to such a beauty and genius would be a great honor.

Baizhi frowned, about to say she didn’t need any assistants.

At this moment, the fifth-grade Alchemist Bai Qiu brought Zhanyue to report. He had finished refining the first batch of fifth-grade pills with Zhanyue’s assistance and came to get the next task. He arrived with a happy face, chatting and laughing with Zhanyue. He wanted to hear Zhanyue’s opinion on which fifth-grade pill to refine next, so he brought him along.

When Zhanyue’s gaze met those familiar eyes, he was stunned. He didn’t expect to see Baizhi so soon.

Baizhi’s face changed when she saw Zhanyue, but she quickly composed herself, pretending not to know him. Inwardly, she was shocked. How could he be here? What was going on?

Of course, no one was puzzled by Zhanyue’s expression. Who wouldn’t be stunned seeing Baizhi?

“Grandfather Bai Qiu, what grade of Alchemist is he?” Baizhi asked the Bai family elder.

“Young Miss?” Bai Qiu was surprised, then explained, “Although he’s registered as a third-grade Alchemist, he’s actually already a fourth-grade Alchemist.”

“A fourth-grade Alchemist? Perfect, I’ll take him. After all, the Water Avoidance Pill isn’t easy to refine. I need a capable assistant,” Baizhi pointed at Zhanyue, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

“Uh…” Bai Qiu smiled bitterly, not expecting to be ‘robbed’ so quickly. “Alright, since the Young Miss wants him, I can’t refuse. Boy, work hard with the Young Miss, don’t be lazy.”

Bai Qiu secretly whispered in Zhanyue’s ear, “This is our Bai family’s young miss. If you get along well with her, with just a word from her, it’ll be much easier for you to see that little lover of yours.”

Zhanyue nodded, thinking to himself that old Bai Qiu still remembered that. But he was overthinking it – his little lover was right in front of him.