"Su Ruolan was thorough in her investigations," Su Lan Yi explained, moving to a small stove to heat water as if she hadn't just revealed a conspiracy board that would make paranoid hermits jealous. "Much of this comes from her memories, supplemented by my own observations and what I've gleaned."
"You've accomplished all this in less than two days?"
"When you've spent centuries perfecting memory techniques, information organization becomes rather automatic," she replied with a casual shrug that belied the impressiveness of the feat. "Besides, what else was I supposed to do? Take up knitting?"
[HUMILITY LEVEL: NONEXISTENT. BUT THEN AGAIN, WHEN YOU'VE LIVED A MILLENNIUM, WHY PRETEND YOU'RE NOT AWESOME? ALSO, YOU WOULD MAKE TERRIFYING SWEATERS.]
Hei Wuya approached a map of what appeared to be the mountains bordering Blood Moon territory. Red markings indicated several locations, with notes about guard rotations and access points. His fingers traced the marks, expression darkening with each touch.
"These are..." he began, then stopped, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously. "These are the Ghost Frost Orchid harvesting sites. The ones the Wei Clan has been illegally accessing."
"Correct," Su Lan Yi confirmed, preparing tea with the practiced ease of someone who had performed the ritual countless times across centuries. "According to Su Ruolan's information, they send teams in during the new moon, when Blood Moon Sect's defensive formations are at their weakest."
Hei Wuya's hands clenched at his sides until his knuckles whitened. "I've lost twelve disciples in the past year to 'training accidents' in those regions. I assumed they'd encountered natural dangers."
"Nothing natural about a Divine Healing Sect harvesting team eliminating witnesses," Su Lan Yi said quietly. "I'm sorry."
[DETECTING GENUINE SYMPATHY. IS THIS CHARACTER GROWTH I'M SENSING? HOW INCONVENIENT FOR YOUR VILLAINOUS IMAGE. NEXT YOU'LL BE RESCUING SMALL ANIMALS AND SMILING AT CHILDREN.]
The emotion in her voice seemed to catch him off guard. He turned to look at her, his crimson eyes searching her face as if trying to detect a trick. "If this information is accurate..."
"It is," she assured him. "Su Ruolan verified it personally, which is ultimately what got her killed. She was planning to present evidence to the Imperial Cultivation Regulators when she was suddenly accused of attempting to poison Wei Chenglin. That very same day."
This much was certain. While what the System had told her of this world was true, it was also slightly inaccurate in the information it had initially provided. It had no clue of the specifics of the Wei Clan’s misdeeds, or about Su Ruolan’s evidence collection. Maybe because these parts never featured in the main storyline after Su Ruolna died?
"Convenient timing," Hei Wuya observed darkly.
"Isn't it just?" Su Lan Yi agreed, pouring some tea into two simple cups to make up for their interrupted oolong. "Almost as if someone discovered her investigation and needed a quick way to discredit her." She offered one to Hei Wuya, who accepted it automatically, his attention still fixed on the maps and diagrams.
"The next harvesting expedition will be in ten days," she continued, sitting at the small table. "New moon. Perfect opportunity to catch them in the act."
Hei Wuya's gaze snapped to her. "That's your plan? Ambush them during a harvesting expedition?"
"Oh, that's merely a small part of phase two," Su Lan Yi replied with a dismissive wave. "Catching them red-handed is satisfying but insufficient for our purposes. We need to dismantle their entire operation. Preferably while making them look ridiculous in the process."
"Our purposes," Hei Wuya repeated skeptically. "You keep using that plural."
[HE KEEPS RESISTING RECRUITMENT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DIVING DEEPER INTO YOUR PLANS. HUMANS ARE SO DELIGHTFULLY CONTRADICTORY. IT'S LIKE WATCHING SOMEONE INSIST THEY'RE NOT HUNGRY WHILE CLEARING THEIR PLATE.]
Su Lan Yi sipped her tea calmly. "Haven't you agreed to join me?"
"I've agreed to nothing."
"And yet, you're standing in MY secret hideout, drinking MY tea, and studying MY intelligence on your clan's enemies," she pointed out reasonably. "Actions speak louder than words. Also, you're evidently enjoying the tea."
Hei Wuya opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again, seeming to come to a decision. He set down his teacup with a decisive click and fixed Su Lan Yi with an intense stare that probably worked wonders on intimidating junior disciples.
"One question," he said firmly. "Answer truthfully, and I'll consider your proposal."
"Just one? How restrained of you. Most interrogators at least ask for name, age, and favorite method of torture."
"Why are you complicating this?" he asked, ignoring her quip. "Even if I accept your claim, and I do, about being a displaced immortal soul seeking fragments, why this particular approach? There must be simpler ways to 'fix the narrative' than engaging in a complex plot against major powers. You could just have gone on that Cultivation trip, far, far away from all of this, and still ensured a good end for Su Ruolan."
[ANALYZING QUESTION... THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE PERCEPTIVE. HE'S SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE DEMONIC CULTIVATOR! MOST JUST ASK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY GET TO KILL OR WHETHER THEIR OUTFIT MAKES THEM LOOK BADASS ENOUGH.]
Su Lan Yi's expression grew serious. She was silent for a long moment, considering her answer as she traced the rim of her teacup with one finger.
"When you've lived as long as I have," she finally replied, her voice softer than before, "you develop a strong sense of karmic balance. Su Ruolan was wronged—not just killed, but her reputation destroyed, her work discredited, her discoveries buried. She deserves justice."
"That sounds like you care about her fate," Hei Wuya observed. "Strange, for someone who's merely borrowing her body."
"Perhaps I see something of myself in her," Su Lan Yi admitted. "A cultivator who valued truth over politics, who was punished for refusing to ignore corruption." She gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Or perhaps a millennium of living has left me with an overdeveloped sense of cosmic justice. That, and I really, really dislike people who think they can get away with murder because they wear nice robes."
[EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY DETECTED. WARNING: APPROACHING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO HEARTWARMING CONVERSATIONS. SUGGESTION: SAY SOMETHING SARCASTIC IMMEDIATELY.]
"And it has nothing to do with personal vengeance against those who executed you? Or rather, her?"
Su Lan Yi's eyes glinted with mischief. "I prefer to think of it as appropriate consequence distribution."
"Most people would call it revenge," Hei Wuya said dryly.
"Most people lack imagination," she countered. "Also, vocabulary. Now, have I satisfied your curiosity, or shall we continue this philosophical debate while the Cerulean Abode intensifies their search for the mysteriously resurrected villainess?"
Hei Wuya regarded her thoughtfully, then moved to examine more of the documents on the walls. "You mentioned Ghost Frost Orchids being central to phase three. What exactlywill you do?"
Su Lan Yi smiled, recognizing the subtle acceptance in his question. "The orchids are the key ingredient in the Cerulean Abode's most famous concoction—the Heaven's Ascension Elixir. It's what they always present at the Imperial Alchemical Examinations."
"And you intend to... what? Create a competing elixir? You specifically said you didn't want to join the examinations."
"Nothing so pedestrian," Su Lan Yi replied, rising to retrieve a small journal from beneath the sleeping mat. "I intend to expose the fact that their elixir doesn't do what they claim. In fact, it does something far worse."
"Explain," Hei Wuya demanded, his interest clearly piqued despite his attempts to appear merely professionally curious.
[DRAMATIC REVEAL 2.0... CUING TENSION MUSIC...]
Su Lan Yi handed him the journal. "These are Su Ruolan's research notes on the Heaven's Ascension Elixir. She discovered something fascinating—it doesn't actually enhance cultivation permanently. It creates a temporary power surge that fades within months, ultimately leaving the user's cultivation base weaker than before."
Hei Wuya flipped through the journal, his expression growing darker with each page. "This suggests they're deliberately addicting cultivators to a harmful substance."
"Precisely," Su Lan Yi confirmed. "Users experience impressive short-term gains, become dependent, and must continue purchasing increasingly expensive 'maintenance' doses to prevent deterioration. It's quite the profitable business model. Step one: create the problem. Step two: sell the solution. Step three: make the solution create more problems."
"And the Divine Healing Sect's involvement?"
"Wei Chenglin and several key elders of the Wei Clan serve as living testimonials to the elixir's effectiveness," Su Lan Yi explained. "They publicly attribute their rapid advancement to diligent cultivation and pure spiritual roots, when in fact, they're the Divine Healingh Sect's most privileged experiments. Think of them as particularly well-dressed addicts with excellent marketing skills."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS: CREATE PROBLEM, SELL SOLUTION, MAKE SOLUTION ADDICTIVE. MORALLY QUESTIONABLE BUT FINANCIALLY BRILLIANT. WE SHOULD DO IT TOO. IT'S ABSOLUTELY VILLAIN-CODED! MAYBE WITH COOKIES INSTEAD OF ELIXIRS?]
"If this is true," Hei Wuya said, closing the journal with a snap, "it's not just fraud. It's a threat to the entire cultivation world. Weakened cultivators means weakened defenses against dangerous incursions and malevolent beings."
"How convenient that would be for certain parties," Su Lan Yi noted. "A cultivation world increasingly dependent on artificial enhancements, gradually declining in true power, while the sources of those enhancements amass wealth and influence. Almost as if someone planned it that way."
Hei Wuya closed the journal, his decision apparently made. "What do you need from Blood Moon Clan?"
Su Lan Yi smiled, satisfaction evident in her expression. "First, confirmation of the harvesting sites and schedules. Second, access to your Sect's legitimate Ghost Frost Orchid cultivation methods."
"And what do we get in return?"
"Besides the elimination of those who have been killing your disciples and stealing your resources?" Su Lan Yi asked with raised eyebrows. "How about exclusive rights to legitimate Ghost Frost Orchid cultivation, imperial recognition of Blood Moon territory boundaries, and the disgrace of your most persistent enemies? I could throw in a lifetime supply of tea, but that might be excessive."
Hei Wuya's eyes narrowed. "You can't promise imperial recognition. You're a supposed dead woman selling discount medicine from a cart."
"Not for long," Su Lan Yi replied, her eyes gleaming with the light of a schemer who had planned ten steps ahead. "Which brings me to phase two of my plan. It's time to establish a more... permanent presence in Bai City."
[BUSINESS EXPANSION INITIATIVE DETECTED! UPGRADING FROM "CART VENDOR" TO "LEGITIMATE THREAT"! CAN WE OPEN UP A FRANCHISE NEAR THE BEACH, TOO?]
Hei Wuya raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you planning?"
"A proper shop," Su Lan Yi said simply. "The cart was merely to gather capital and test the market. Now it's time to create something more substantial—a base of operations that will serve multiple purposes."
"In the middle of a city where the ruling factions want you dead," Hei Wuya observed dryly. "Brilliant strategy. Why not just hang a sign that says 'Formerly Executed Ex Immortal, Now Open For Business and Death Threats'?"
"The profits from my first day of sales are sufficient to secure a very small storefront in the western district," Su Lan Yi continued, ignoring his sarcasm. "By the end of the week, 'Immortal Remedies' will be a legitimate business. With actual walls and a roof, unlike my current mobile enterprise."
"And how exactly does opening a shop help expose the Wei Clan's corruption?"
Su Lan Yi's smile was knowing. "Legitimacy, young one. People trust established businesses. A wandering medicine vendor is easily dismissed—a proper apothecary with imperial certification becomes harder to ignore. Plus, it's much easier to plot the downfall of powerful people when you have somewhere comfortable to sit."
"You seem very confident for someone who's been in this world for two days," Hei Wuya noted.
Su Lan Yi looked up from examining the maps on her wall. "In my experience—and I have quite a lot—the best business model is to make a lot of money while your enemies are still trying to figure out how you survived your execution."
"Profound," Hei Wuya commented sarcastically.
"Mock if you wish," Su Lan Yi replied calmly, "but wealth is power in any world. The enemy understands this, which is why they've maintained their monopoly so aggressively. Also, it's significantly harder to assassinate someone who has paying customers asking inconvenient questions about their sudden disappearance."
Three days later, Su Lan Yi stood before her newly acquired storefront in the western district of Bai City. It was a modest two-story building with a shop space below and living quarters above, nestled between a fabric merchant and a calligraphy supplies store. The previous owner had apparently left in a hurry, leaving behind cobwebs substantial enough to house minor spirits.
[PROPERTY ACQUISITION COMPLETE! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST VILLAIN LAIR! IT'S A BIT SMALL AND DUSTY, BUT WE ALL START SOMEWHERE. POTENTIAL SPIDER INFESTATION MAY ACTUALLY ENHANCE THE VILLAINOUS ATMOSPHERE. WE CAN EVEN USE IT FOR ABDUCTIONS, TORTURE, BLACKMAIL-]
"It needs work," she murmured, examining the dusty windows and faded signboard that still advertised "Uncle Feng's Questionable Curios."
[AESTHETICS RATING: 3/10. DEFINITELY NOT PRETTY ENOUGH FOR A PROPER ESTABLISHMENT. UNLESS YOUR GOAL IS TO TERRIFY PEOPLE WITH POOR INTERIOR DESIGN, WHICH, IN OUR CASE, MIGHT JUST WORK!]
Over the next week, Su Lan Yi transformed the space with methodical efficiency. The exterior was repainted in subtle shades of green and gold, with a new sign depicting a stylized ginseng root intertwined with a celestial cloud pattern—a design that hadn't been fashionable for at least three centuries but that Su Lan Yi insisted had "classic appeal."
The interior underwent an even more dramatic renovation. Su Lan Yi incorporated elements from various cultivation eras—shelving designs from the Vermilion Dynasty, counter arrangements from the Cloud Harmony period, and lighting fixtures inspired by the Celestial Ascension temples. The overall effect was a strange temporal mishmash that confused younger visitors but subtly hinted at her true age to more experienced cultivators and clients.
Glass jars filled with herbs and minerals lined the walls, each labeled in calligraphy styles spanning different historical periods. Display cabinets showcased ready-made remedies, arranged not by type or purpose but according to an esoteric system of elemental correspondences.
[DESIGN CHOICE ANALYSIS: CONFUSING YET ODDLY IMPRESSIVE AND PRETTY. CUSTOMERS WILL BE TOO INTIMIDATED BY THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY TO QUESTION YOUR CREDENTIALS. IT'S LIKE YOU'VE CREATED A MUSEUM WHERE PEOPLE CAN ALSO BUY THINGS FOR THEIR RASH.]
On the morning of the grand opening, Su Lan Yi stood behind the counter, surveying her work with satisfaction. The shop was immaculate, the products perfectly arranged, and a subtle incense blend of her own creation wafted through the air, simultaneously calming and focus-enhancing.
"Impressive," came a familiar voice from the doorway. "For a business that shouldn't exist."
Su Lan Yi looked up to see Hei Wuya standing there, his imposing frame nearly filling the entrance. Unlike his previous visits, he appeared to have made some concession to discretion—his robes were still black, but the more ostentatious demonic emblems and blood-red embroidery had been replaced with subtler silver accents. He looked almost respectable, if one ignored the crimson eyes and general aura of impending doom.
"Welcome to Immortal Remedies," she greeted him with a slight bow. "Our first customer of the day receives a complimentary health assessment. Though in your case, I might need to charge extra—assessing your bad fashion choices requires specialized expertise."
"I'm not here to shop," Hei Wuya stated, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. His expression was serious, his crimson eyes intense as he approached the counter with the stiff-legged gait of someone who had rehearsed this entrance multiple times.
"No?" Su Lan Yi asked innocently. "Then perhaps you're here for the guided tour? I'm particularly proud of the dispensary area in the back—the mortars and pestles are authentic Verdant era pieces. The previous owner had no idea what treasures he was storing alongside his collection of questionable taxidermy."
Hei Wuya stopped before the counter, drawing himself up to his full height. There was something different about his demeanor—more formal, almost rehearsed, as if he were performing in a particularly poorly written opera.
[DETECTING UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. HE APPEARS TO HAVE PRACTICED THIS ENCOUNTER. HOW ADORABLE. HE PROBABLY SPENT HOURS IN FRONT OF A MIRROR GETTING THAT GLOWER JUST RIGHT.]
"I've come on official Blood Moon Clan business," he declared, his voice taking on a ceremonial tone that suggested he'd memorized a script. "After consultation with our elders and divination texts, I must verify your true nature."
Su Lan Yi raised an eyebrow, waiting for whatever ridiculous ritual was about to unfold.
Hei Wuya lifted one hand, fingers forming an ancient gesture of exorcism that hadn't been effective since the Dawn Dynasty. "Evil spirit, leave her body and perish!" he intoned dramatically, his voice dropping an octave for maximum theatrical effect.
Before he could continue what was clearly a prepared speech, Su Lan Yi calmly reached beneath the counter and produced a steaming cup of tea, which she placed before him with the ease of someone who had anticipated this exact moment.
"Your demonic core has a slight imbalance," she remarked conversationally. "This blend should help. I've seen this issue in younger cultivators for centuries. The way your left eyebrow twitches when you try to look imposing or pull a face is a dead giveaway."
Hei Wuya's hand remained frozen in its exorcism gesture, his prepared speech dying on his lips. "What?"
"The tea," Su Lan Yi explained patiently, gesturing to the cup. "Black lotus with star anise and a touch of spirit moss. It will help stabilize the fluctuations in your fire-aligned core. The imbalance is subtle, but if left untreated, will eventually cause cultivation bottlenecks around the Golden Core stage. Also, it tastes better than that terrible speech you were about to finish."
[INTERRUPTION EFFECTIVENESS: 100%. TARGET COMPLETELY DERAILED FROM INTIMIDATION PROTOCOL. THIS IS WHY I ENJOY WORKING WITH YOU—YOUR ABILITY TO TRANSFORM DRAMATIC CONFRONTATIONS INTO AWKWARD TEATIME IS UNPARALLELED.]
"How did you..." Hei Wuya lowered his hand slowly, confusion replacing his solemn expression. "I didn't say anything about—"
"I can see Qi patterns," Su Lan Yi shrugged. "After a millennium of cultivation, certain things become obvious. Your demonic energy pulses with a slight arrhythmic pattern when you breathe in. Classic sign of early-stage imbalance. Also, you're gripping your left hand too tightly, which disrupts the flow through your meridians."
Completely thrown off his rehearsed confrontation, Hei Wuya stared at the tea, then at Su Lan Yi, then back at the tea. With a defeated sigh, he picked up the cup and slumped slightly, the fearsome demonic cultivator posture giving way to something more human.
"The Blood Moon elders spent three days performing divination rituals to determine if you were truly a remnant immortal soul or some form of possession," he muttered. "I was supposed to perform an ancient exorcism technique to test your reaction. There was going to be smoke. And chanting. Possibly some wind effects."
"And instead, you're getting free medical advice," Su Lan Yi noted with amusement. "A much better use of your time, I'd say. Smoke inhalation is terrible for your meridians."
Hei Wuya sipped the tea, his eyes widening slightly at the taste. "This is..."
"Effective?" Su Lan Yi suggested. "I should hope so. I've been refining that formula since before your great-grandparents were born. Helped me out a lot, personally, considering my own former fire root, and this body's skills make it top tier stuff. If you'd gone through with that exorcism ritual, you'd have just embarrassed yourself and wasted good incense."
As Hei Wuya continued drinking, Su Lan Yi reached out and gently corrected his hand position on the cup. "Hold it like this. Better for the Qi flow. After a few hundred years, you'll develop better habits. Unless you enjoy the sensation of your meridians tangling like cheap silk thread."
The absurdity of the situation—the Terror of Blood Moon receiving etiquette lessons on tea-drinking from a supposedly dead villain—was not lost on either of them. A reluctant smile tugged at Hei Wuya's lips.
"The elders will be disappointed," he said. "They were hoping for a more dramatic confirmation of their theories. Preferably involving writhing, demonic confessions, and me looking heroic."
"Tell them I growled demonically and spat black blood before your superior exorcism technique forced me to reveal my true nature," Su Lan Yi suggested. "Much more satisfying than 'she gave me tea and advice on my posture.'"
Hei Wuya's smile widened slightly. "They'd never believe that I successfully exorcised anything. The last time I lied to them, they had me run laps of the Sect grounds while my students watched."
"Ah, politics," Su Lan Yi nodded knowingly. "Some things are universal across all realms. Including the need to impress superiors with exaggerated tales of competence, and punish juniors for lying."
Ghost Frost Orchid (鬼霜兰 – Guǐ Shuāng Lán)
Rare flowers illegally harvested from Blood Moon territory. The key ingredient in the Wei Clan's fraudulent Heaven's Ascension Elixir.
Defensive Formations (防御阵法 – Fángyù Zhènfǎ)
Magical barriers protecting sect territories. Blood Moon's are weakest during the new moon, when Wei Clan sends harvesting teams.
Imperial Cultivation Regulators (皇家修真监管者 – Huángjiā Xiūzhēn Jiānguǎn Zhě)
Officials who enforce cultivation laws. Su Ruolan was planning to present them evidence before she was conveniently accused of attempted poisoning.
Heaven's Ascension Elixir (天升丹 – Tiān Shēng Dān)
The Wei Clan's famous concoction presented at Imperial Examinations. Creates a temporary power surge that ultimately weakens users and makes them dependent.
Cultivation Base (修为基础 – Xiūwéi Jīchǔ)
A cultivator's foundation of power. The Heaven's Ascension Elixir eventually leaves users with weaker foundations than before they started taking it.
Pure Spiritual Roots (纯净灵根 – Chúnjìng Línggēn)
High-quality innate cultivation talent. Wei Chenglin claims to have these when he's actually just Divine Healing Sect's privileged experiment.
Qi Patterns (气机模式 – Qì Jī Móshì)
The visible flow of energy in a cultivator's body. Su Lan Yi can see Hei Wuya's imbalanced demonic energy pulsing arrhythmically.
Fire-Aligned Core (火属性丹田 – Huǒ Shǔxìng Dāntián)
A cultivation center attuned to fire energy. Hei Wuya's has subtle fluctuations that will cause problems at the Golden Core stage.
Golden Core Stage (金丹期 – Jīn Dān Qī)
An advanced level of cultivation. Imbalances in earlier stages will create cultivation bottlenecks if left untreated.
Meridians (经脉 – Jīng Mài)
The pathways through which spiritual energy flows. Hei Wuya's poor posture causes his to tangle like cheap silk thread.
Black Lotus Tea (黑莲茶 – Hēi Lián Chá)
A medicinal brew with star anise and spirit moss. Helps stabilize fluctuations in fire-aligned cores and tastes better than rehearsed speeches.
Fire Root (火灵根 – Huǒ Línggēn)
An innate affinity for fire-based cultivation. Su Lan Yi mentions having one in her original body, making her particularly knowledgeable about fixing Hei Wuya's imbalance.
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