When Lin Yaoyao opened her eyes again, she gazed at the beams on the ceiling and rubbed her head with her jade-like hands.
"Why does my head feel so dizzy?" Lin Yaoyao patted her head and closed her eyes to ponder.
Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to find her Master to inquire about the Tao Mountain Array.
But then...
She had smelled an odd odor and passed out.
It must be that Master drugged me!
The thought made Lin Yaoyao suddenly feel uneasy.
I've conquered countless battles in my life, yet I've fallen victim to this incompetent Master.
By drugging me, Master must be thinking of...
Before Lin Yaoyao could finish her thought, she checked her body.
Hmm? Nothing happened?
Master didn't do anything to me?
That's not right. I'm incredibly beautiful, and Master drugged me, surely with intentions to...
Eh?
What am I thinking?
Master only used the sedative in his own courtyard, not intending to drug me. It was me who went to him.
I...
Realizing she had overthought it, Lin Yaoyao blushed and buried her head.
Wait, what am I thinking?
Snapping back to reality, Lin Yaoyao murmured in a daze, "Could it be that Master used the sedative to drug Uncle Shi and do something embarrassing?"
Lin Yaoyao got out of bed and saw a bottle of Concentration Pills on the table.
These Concentration Pills were first-grade elixirs, common in the sect, with the effect of clearing the mind and focusing the spirit.
"This cheap Master is actually quite decent to me."
Lin Yaoyao picked up a pill from the table and swallowed it. It dissolved instantly in her mouth.
Immediately, Lin Yaoyao felt refreshed, and her previous headache vanished, leaving her full of energy.
"How can a mere first-grade elixir have such a miraculous effect?!" Lin Yaoyao exclaimed, astonished that the ordinary first-grade elixir rivaled a third-grade one in efficacy.
Seeing there were still four or five pills left in the bottle, Lin Yaoyao felt a warmth in her heart.
This cheap Master must have spent a lot of money to buy these for me.
Alas, this will only make Master, who's already not wealthy, even more destitute.
Well, I'm not someone who forgets favors. I'll go guide Master in his cultivation today!
Thinking this, Lin Yaoyao stepped out of the room and walked to the Bitter Sea, where she saw Ye Kong still fishing.
"Master, Master," she called out.
Ye Kong glanced back at Lin Yaoyao and casually said, "You're awake."
"Yes, thanks to Master's precious elixir, I'm fully awake now," Lin Yaoyao nodded.
"I just casually made it," Ye Kong said indifferently.
The Concentration Pills were indeed made by Ye Kong from a few herbs he picked at random.
Although he couldn't refine elixirs, he could easily extract the essences from the herbs and condense them into pills with his powerful spiritual energy.
Lin Yaoyao sighed inwardly. To save face, Master could really come up with anything.
Those Concentration Pills, though first-grade, possessed the potency of third-grade elixirs, which even ordinary third-grade elixir refiners might not be able to achieve.
And Master, with only Qi Refining cultivation, wasn't even a first-grade elixir refiner, let alone crafting first-grade elixirs with third-grade effects.
"Master, would you like to test your disciple?" Lin Yaoyao looked up at him.
To spare Master's pride, Lin Yaoyao always said that Master was testing her when, in fact, she was sharing her cultivation insights and understanding to help Master comprehend.
Alas, for the sake of this cheap Master, I've really racked my brains.
Upon hearing Lin Yaoyao's request for a test, Ye Kong frowned.
A test?
Just ask me directly if you don't know something. I'm your Master; there's no need to be shy.
Your disciple's still too shy.
Well, since you've asked, I'll properly guide you.
"Alright, how much have you comprehended so far?" Ye Kong inquired.
"Disciple has comprehended the second volume of the Starry River Recurring Sword, 'Setting Sun,' embodying myriad sword intents," Lin Yaoyao said, explaining her understanding of the 'Setting Sun' sword intent.
Ye Kong listened quietly as Lin Yaoyao elaborated in detail.
...
At the Beast Taming Peak, Peak Master Qin Wuyi sat angrily on his throne, slapping the armrest into pieces.
He was furious!
Not only did he fail to drug Ye Kong, but he ended up getting drugged himself.
And to top it off, he spent the night lying on the ground at Xiaoyao Peak, chilled by the cold and bitten by mosquitoes.
The insult was far greater than the harm!
He lay right behind his disciples, yet none of them noticed him!
He would've lain there indefinitely if not for the mosquitoes waking him up the next day.
Thinking about it, Qin Wuyi growled, "A bunch of useless fools!"
Qin Shou and the others, supporting each other, stood at the bottom of the stairs, too afraid to speak, their legs numb from squatting all night.
Are we useless?
It's you who failed to drug Ye Kong and got drugged yourself; it's not our fault.
Qin Shou grumbled silently, not daring to voice his thoughts.
Silence was the only safe option now.
"Master, it's all that cunning Ye Kong's fault for drugging you and throwing you out!" One disciple spoke up indignantly.
Qin Wuyi glared at him, and the disciple, sensing the chill, immediately shut up.
What he just said was a slap in Qin Wuyi's face.
The sedative was Qin Wuyi's own creation, yet he got drugged instead of Ye Kong.
What did that say? It meant he was inferior!
And to be thrown out of Xiaoyao Peak and left lying on the ground all night—if others found out, what face would Qin Wuyi have left?
He'd become a laughingstock.
"No one is to speak of this matter!"
"And you, go guard the Beast Garden," Qin Wuyi said grimly.
The disciple's face paled at the mention of the Beast Garden, a terrifying place filled with man-eating beasts.
Once inside, one might never come out if not strong enough.
"Master, I know I was wrong!"
"Do as I say!" Qin Wuyi barked.
No one dared plead for him; he was the one who lacked discernment.
Seeing the tension ease slightly, Qin Shou stepped forward and bowed, "Master, we can't let this go."
Qin Wuyi looked at Qin Shou, remembering Ye Kong's question about their relationship.
Qin Shou wasn't Qin Wuyi's son but his nephew.
The Xinghe Sect prohibited nepotism!
So, Qin Wuyi had always concealed his relationship with Qin Shou.
Only the Peak Masters knew, and they turned a blind eye since everyone had relatives in the sect.
"What's your plan?" Qin Wuyi asked sternly.
Qin Shou smiled cunningly, placing one hand behind his back and slowly said, "Master, isn't it time for the annual tribute from the Da Yan Kingdom? Each year, a Peak disciple is sent to receive the envoys. This year, it should be Xiaoyao Peak's turn."
Qin Wuyi immediately understood and smiled slyly.
"Indeed, the Da Yan Kingdom pays tribute to our sect annually. This year, let's see who can protect him once he leaves Xiaoyao Peak."