Su Lan Yi had strategically priced her remedies to be accessible to common citizens while offering premium services to wealthy patrons—a business model that simultaneously undermined the Wei Clan's monopoly and generated substantial profit.
"Fourteen gold, thirty-seven silver, and ninety-two copper coins," Su Lan Yi counted, tallying the day's earnings after closing time. "Not bad for a dead woman."
[FINANCIAL ANALYSIS: WEEKLY PROFIT ALREADY EXCEEDS DIVINE HEALING SECT'S LOWEST BRANCH LOCATION. YOUR VILLAIN ENTERPRISE IS FINANCIALLY VIABLE. CONGRATULATIONS!]
She smiled at the System's commentary as she locked the coins in a small chest beneath the counter. "Profitability was never in question. The challenge is sustainability in the face of inevitable retaliation, and making enough to be able to put up a fight against them."
[PROBABILITY OF RETALIATION: 99.8%. METHODS LIKELY TO INCLUDE: SABOTAGE, SLANDER, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS, BUREAUCRATIC HARASSMENT, TAX AUDITS.]
"Such optimism," Su Lan Yi murmured, extinguishing the shop's lanterns. "I counted on all of those, which is why I took certain precautions."
Those precautions included bribing city officials, establishing a network of informants among servants and street vendors, and cultivating relationships with several influential merchants who benefited from her affordable remedies. The imperial merchant license—obtained through her "tea session" with the scribe—provided additional protection against official harassment.
As Su Lan Yi prepared to retire to her living quarters above the shop, a soft tapping came from the back door. Her hand moved instinctively to a concealed pocket containing several "emergency powders" before she recognized the distinctive rhythm—three quick taps followed by two slow ones.
"Right on schedule," she murmured, moving to unlock the door.
Hei Wuya slipped inside, bringing with him the chill of the evening air. In his arms, he carried a wooden box marked with preservation talismans.
"You were right," he said without preamble, setting the box on the preparation table. "They've scheduled another harvesting expedition for the new moon. Twenty cultivators, including two Golden Core elders."
"Twenty?" Su Lan Yi raised an eyebrow. "That's double their usual number. They must be getting desperate to win."
She opened the box, revealing several carefully packed Ghost Frost Orchids—ethereal flowers that seemed to shimmer between visibility and transparency, their petals radiating a subtle blue-white glow.
[RARE INGREDIENT ACQUIRED! PURITY LEVEL: EXCEPTIONAL! COMMERCIAL VALUE: APPROXIMATELY 350 GOLD PER FLOWER. HOST, LET’S SELL THEM AND RUN OFF. THEFT IS VILLAINOUS!]
"These are from our cultivation caverns," Hei Wuya explained, watching her examine the flowers. "The clan elders agreed to provide samples after I reported your... theory... about the Heaven's Ascension Elixir."
"And they believed you?" Su Lan Yi carefully lifted one of the orchids, studying its luminescent veins.
"Not at first," Hei Wuya admitted. "But when I showed them some of Su Ruolan's research notes, even the most skeptical couldn't ignore the evidence. If the Cerulean Abode has been using our orchids to create addictive, cultivation-damaging elixirs while framing us for demonic activities..."
"It confirms suspicions your clan has harbored for decades," Su Lan Yi finished for him. "Tell your elders these specimens are perfect. I can begin analysis immediately."
Hei Wuya nodded, then hesitated, his crimson eyes scanning the shop's interior. "You've created quite an establishment in a short time. It's... impressive."
"Thank you," Su Lan Yi replied, carefully returning the orchid to its container. "Though I suspect you didn't come all this way just to compliment my business acumen."
"The Blood Moon Clan Council has a proposition," Hei Wuya said, his tone shifting to something more formal. "After considering the information you've provided, they propose a more structured alliance."
[ALLIANCE PROPOSAL! WITH DEMONIC CULTIVATORS! UPGRADING RELATIONSHIP STATUS FROM "AWKWARD ACQUAINTANCES" TO "POTENTIAL CO-CONSPIRATORS"!]
Su Lan Yi looked up from the orchids, her expression curious. "I'm listening."
"In exchange for our continued cooperation and access to our Ghost Frost Orchid cultivation techniques, the Council requests your assistance with a... different matter."
"How intriguingly vague," Su Lan Yi remarked dryly. "What kind of 'different matter' are we discussing?"
Hei Wuya glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, then lowered his voice. "There have been unexplained deaths among our junior disciples. No physical wounds, no poison we can detect—they simply... stop living."
"And you suspect the Wei Clan?" Su Lan Yi frowned.
"Initially, yes. But our investigations found no evidence of their involvement. This is something else—something that leaves a distinctive energy residue our elders can't identify."
Su Lan Yi's eyes narrowed. "Show me."
Hei Wuya reached into his robes and produced a small jade bottle. Inside was a minuscule amount of black powder. "This was collected from around the eyes and mouth of the most recent victim."
Su Lan Yi took the bottle, holding it up to the light. After a moment's examination, she uncorked it and wafted a tiny amount toward her nose, inhaling carefully.
[WARNING: UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE DETECTED. RECOMMEND CAUTION.]
The fires burnt bright around a little girl as she wept, trying to push past the circle of people surrounding her house. Her tiny body, however, couldn’t break through. All she knew was that something bad had happened. Her parents were nowhere to be seen.
As she finally reached the front, eyes watering with unshed tears and heart palpitating, someone caught hold of her. A boy in cultivation robes.
“You can’t go past. This is the site of a murder.”
Her blood ran cold at his words, as she crumpled to the floor, unable to hold herself steady anymore. Her breathing came in gasps and wheezes, as she finally broke down.
"I… I recognize this," she said quietly, her expression unreadable. "It's called Void Ash. I encountered it once, about five hundred years ago during the War of Five Temples."
Had Su Ruolan lost her parents to murder? Whose memories were those?
"What is it?" Hei Wuya’s voice brought Su Lan Yi out of her thoughts. She shook her head softly, trying to get those horrid thoughts out of her head.
"A byproduct of a very specific type of soul cultivation technique—one that harvests life force from victims to fuel the cultivator's advancement." She recorked the bottle, her movements precise. "Unlike demonic cultivation, which feeds on the resentment of the dead, this harms the living. It was forbidden even in my time, the knowledge supposedly purged from all records."
Hei Wuya's face darkened. "Soul cultivation? That's..."
"Abhorrent, yes. And extremely dangerous for the practitioner as well as the victims." Su Lan Yi handed the bottle back to him. "Whoever is doing this is either desperate or insane."
"Can you help us identify them?"
"I can do better than that," Su Lan Yi replied. "I can create a detection talisman that will react in the presence of someone who has performed this technique. The residue clings to their spiritual energy for months after use."
Hei Wuya's relief was visible. "The Council will be grateful."
"I'm not doing it for their gratitude," Su Lan Yi said, moving to her herb storage area. "Soul cultivation creates ripples in the natural order. Left unchecked, it can damage the spiritual environment of an entire region. That affects everyone, regardless of sect or faction."
[YOUR CONCERN FOR COSMIC BALANCE IS NOTED. ALSO DETECTING TRACES OF ACTUAL HEROISM? VERY CONFUSING FOR YOUR VILLAIN NARRATIVE. I DON’T RECOMMEND IT.]
"I'm not being heroic," Su Lan Yi muttered in response to the System's comment. "I simply prefer my apocalypses to be on my schedule, not someone else's."
"What?" Hei Wuya looked confused.
"Nothing." Su Lan Yi waved dismissively. "Talking to System. It says hello."
She began gathering materials for the detection talisman, moving with practiced efficiency between her various storage cabinets.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
"Hello, System." Hei Wuya said, with the most deadpan look known to mankind.
Then, he prompted after a moment, "The alliance proposal. Do you accept it?"
Su Lan Yi paused in her work, considering. "A formal alliance with the Blood Moon Clan would make certain aspects of my plan simpler. However, it would also make me a more visible target."
"The Council anticipated that concern. They're prepared to offer protection—discreet, of course."
"How discreet can the Blood Moon Sect possibly be?" Su Lan Yi asked skeptically. "Your formal robes have more theatrical flair than a Heavenly tribulation."
Hei Wuya actually looked somewhat embarrassed. "We can be subtle when necessary."
[DOUBTFUL. HIS IDEA OF SUBTLETY PROBABLY INVOLVES MERELY ONE SKULL ORNAMENT ON HIS BED STAND INSTEAD OF SEVEN.]
Su Lan Yi suppressed a smile at the System's commentary. "Very well. Tell your Council I accept their proposal, with one condition: I maintain complete autonomy in my operations against the Cerulean Abode."
"They expected as much," Hei Wuya nodded. "But they request regular updates on your progress."
"Through you, I assume?" Su Lan Yi measured ingredients into a small mortar, beginning to grind them with a stone pestle.
"I've been... assigned as the official liaison," he confirmed, a touch of resignation in his voice.
"How unfortunate for you," Su Lan Yi remarked, amusement evident in her tone. "Forced to regularly visit a humble apothecary shop. Your fearsome reputation will never recover."
Hei Wuya's lips twitched in what might have been the beginning of a smile. "The Council believes my involvement is already too extensive to assign someone else."
"In other words, you're already compromised, so they might as well make use of it." Su Lan Yi added a drop of luminescent liquid to her mixture, which briefly flashed blue before settling into a deep purple. "Politics truly is the same everywhere."
As she worked on the talisman, crafting precise patterns with the ground materials on a special parchment, Hei Wuya watched with undisguised interest.
"Your techniques are unusual," he observed. "The sequence doesn't follow any method I recognize."
"It predates most modern systems," Su Lan Yi explained. "What's now taught as separate disciplines—alchemy, talismanic arts, medicine—was once a unified practice. The distinctions came later, as knowledge expanded and specialization became necessary. Su Ruolan may have all the knowledge on what to use, but the how-to comes from my own education."
"You truly are from another era, huh," Hei Wuya murmured, more to himself than to her.
[HE'S FINALLY FULLY ACCEPTING YOUR IDENTITY. PROGRESS! NEXT CHALLENGE: GETTING HIM TO STOP CALLING YOU "INSANE" IN PUBLIC.]
"If you're going to continue watching, make yourself useful," Su Lan Yi said, ignoring the System's commentary. "Hand me that silver container on the third shelf."
To her mild surprise, Hei Wuya complied without objection, carefully retrieving the indicated item. As he handed it to her, their fingers brushed briefly, and Su Lan Yi noticed something unexpected—his spiritual energy resonated with the mixture she was creating, causing it to pulse with increased luminosity.
"Interesting," she murmured.
"What is?"
"Your demonic core—it has an unusual composition. Primarily fire-aligned, as is common for Blood Moon cultivators, but with significant yin elements that should be incompatible." She studied him with renewed interest. "No wonder you were having balance issues."
Hei Wuya stiffened. "How can you tell that from a momentary contact?"
"Experience," Su Lan Yi replied simply. "And when you've lived as long as I have, certain patterns become obvious." She paused in her work, looking at him directly. "Your dual nature isn't from the Blood Moon cultivation technique, is it? It's innate."
The tension in Hei Wuya's posture confirmed her suspicion. "That information isn’t widely known."
His implication was clear. "Your secret is safe," Su Lan Yi assured him, returning to her work. "Though it explains why you were assigned as liaison. You're uniquely qualified to detect deception, particularly from someone like me with unusual energy patterns due to an imbalance in soul-body power."
"The Council has its reasons," Hei Wuya acknowledged carefully.
"Of course they do," Su Lan Yi finished applying the mixture to the talisman paper, then activated it with a precise flow of spiritual energy. The patterns glowed briefly before settling into a dormant state. "It's ready. This will react strongly in the presence of anyone who has performed soul cultivation within the past three months. Find the devil, and purge them."
She handed the completed talisman to Hei Wuya, who accepted it with a formal bow. "The Blood Moon Sect is in your debt."
"Consider it a down payment on our alliance," Su Lan Yi replied. "Now, about those Ghost Frost Orchids—I'll need at least three days to complete my analysis. In the meantime, I suggest your clan increase security around your cultivation caverns. If the Divine Healing Sect is sending twenty cultivators, they're planning something beyond their usual harvest."
Hei Wuya nodded, carefully securing the talisman inside his robes. "Already done. But there's something else you should know." His expression grew more serious. "Wei Chenglin has returned from his night hunting expedition much earlier than expected. He was seen at the Wei Clan's main hall this morning."
[PROTAGONIST ALERT LEVEL: ELEVATED. TIMING SUSPICIOUS AND PROBABLY PLOT-RELEVANT.]
"How convenient," Su Lan Yi mused. "Just as we begin moving against his benefactors."
"The Divine Healing Sect has also increased patrols in the city. They claim it's in response to 'growing demonic influences.'"
"A transparent pretext," Su Lan Yi scoffed. "They're looking for me."
"For you specifically, or for the medicine vendor who embarrassed them in public?" Hei Wuya asked, though the corner of his lips curved upwards in remembrance.
"At this point, I'm not sure they know the difference." Su Lan Yi closed the box of Ghost Frost Orchids and applied her own preservation talisman to supplement the existing protections. "The narratives are beginning to merge."
[CONVERGENCE DETECTED! PRIMARY PLOTLINE AND PERSONAL VENGEANCE QUEST SYNCHRONIZING NICELY!]
"We should accelerate our timeline," Hei Wuya suggested. "If they're already mobilizing—"
"No," Su Lan Yi interrupted firmly. "Rushing plays into their hands. We proceed as planned. The Imperial Alchemical Examinations are still six weeks away, giving us ample time to complete our preparations while they waste resources on increased patrols and searches."
Hei Wuya didn't look convinced. "The risk to you increases the longer we wait."
"Concern, from the Terror of Blood Moon?" Su Lan Yi raised an eyebrow. "How unexpected."
"Strategic assessment," he corrected stiffly. "You're currently our most valuable asset in this conflict."
"Ah, much better. For a moment, I thought you might be developing human emotions." Su Lan Yi's tone was teasing, but her expression remained thoughtful. "Still, your concern is noted. I'll take additional precautions."
When Hei Wuya departed an hour later, Su Lan Yi returned to her work area to examine the Ghost Frost Orchids more thoroughly. The flowers were truly remarkable specimens—far superior to the ones she'd encountered in her original world during the height of her cultivation journey.
[COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS COMPLETE: THESE SPECIMENS CONTAIN 37% MORE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE THAN THOSE IN YOUR ORIGINAL MEMORY DATABASE. EITHER YOUR MEMORIES ARE FADING, OR THIS WORLD'S GHOST FROST ORCHIDS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY POTENT.]
"Both can be true," Su Lan Yi murmured, carefully extracting pollen from one of the blooms. "A thousand years is a long time, even for immortal memory, and this world is abundant in Qi."
She worked late into the night, meticulously documenting the properties of the orchids and comparing them to Su Ruolan's notes on the Heaven's Ascension Elixir. The pattern that emerged confirmed her suspicions—the Divine Healing Sect had deliberately altered the traditional processing method to create temporary effects rather than lasting benefits.
"Clever," she admitted grudgingly. "They're using a partial extraction process that isolates the stimulating properties while discarding the stabilizing components."
[THEIR MODIFIED FORMULA CREATES ADDICTION DEPENDENCY IN 92% OF USERS. EXTREMELY EFFICIENT FOR PROFIT GENERATION, EXTREMELY UNETHICAL FOR ACTUAL MEDICINE. HOST, CAN WE REALLY NOT STEAL THEIR METHODS?]
As dawn approached, Su Lan Yi finally retired to her sleeping quarters, her mind still turning over possibilities and plans. The alliance with Blood Moon complicated matters slightly—adding another faction's interests to balance—but also provided resources she couldn't easily access otherwise.
"The board is set," she murmured as she drifted toward sleep. "Now to see how the pieces move."
Three days later, just as Su Lan Yi was completing her analysis of the Ghost Frost Orchids, her shop received an unexpected visitor. It was mid-afternoon, and several customers were browsing the shelves when the door opened to admit a slender woman in the white robes of the Saintess.
The conversations in the shop died immediately as everyone recognized Bai Lianhua, the ruling sect's premier female disciple and rumored new fiancée of Wei Chenglin. She moved with ethereal grace, her beauty causing several customers to stare openly.
[FEMALE PROTAGONIST DETECTED ON PREMISES! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!]
Su Lan Yi, who had been assisting an elderly customer with arthritis medicine, straightened slowly. "Welcome to Immortal Remedies," she said calmly, her face concealed as always behind her veil. "How may we assist you today?"
Bai Lianhua stopped before the counter, her serene gaze taking in the shop's unusual design. "I've heard much about this establishment," she said, her voice melodious. "Your remedies have gained quite a reputation in a short time."
"Word travels quickly when results are evident," Su Lan Yi replied, maintaining her professional demeanor despite the tension crackling in the air. "Is there a specific ailment you seek treatment for?"
The other customers watched the exchange with poorly concealed interest, clearly sensing the underlying currents.
"I suffer occasional headaches during intense cultivation sessions," Bai Lianhua said after a moment. "The Divine Healing Sect's remedies provide only temporary relief."
"A common complaint among high-level cultivators," Su Lan Yi nodded, moving to her herb drawers. "Often caused by spiritual energy pressing against meridian boundaries during breakthrough attempts."
Bai Lianhua's eyes widened slightly, betraying her surprise at the accurate assessment.
[SHE DIDN'T EXPECT ACTUAL MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE! POINT TO YOU FOR SUBVERTING EXPECTATIONS!]
Su Lan Yi selected several ingredients, measuring them with practiced precision. "This blend will help relax the meridian pathways while strengthening their structural integrity. Two pinches steeped in hot water before cultivation sessions should prevent the headaches entirely."
She packaged the herbs in a small, elegant pouch and placed it on the counter. "Would you like me to demonstrate the proper preparation method?"
Bai Lianhua hesitated, clearly caught between suspicion and genuine interest. "That won't be necessary," she finally said, reaching for the pouch.
As she picked it up, Su Lan Yi noted the calluses on her otherwise perfect hands—the distinctive marks of someone who practiced sword techniques daily for hours.
"Your Pure Heart Sword Form is causing tension in your right shoulder meridian," Su Lan Yi observed casually. "It's contributing to the headaches. The traditional form teaches a forty-five-degree angle for the finishing strike, but your body structure would benefit from adjusting to forty-two degrees."
Bai Lianhua froze, her eyes snapping up to meet Su Lan Yi's veiled gaze. "How could you possibly know which sword form I practice?"
"The same way I know you're here partly to assess me and partly because you genuinely need help that the Wei Clan can't provide," Su Lan Yi replied calmly. "Observation and experience."
Preservation Talismans (保存符箓 – Bǎocún Fú Lù)
Magical papers that maintain ingredients in perfect condition. Essential for transporting items without them fading into transparency.
Golden Core Elders (金丹长老 – Jīn Dān Zhǎnglǎo)
High-level cultivators who have reached advanced stages.
Ghost Frost Orchids (鬼霜兰 – Guǐ Shuāng Lán)
Ethereal flowers that shimmer between visibility and transparency. Worth approximately 350 gold per flower, making theft temptingly villainous.
Void Ash (虚空灰 – Xū Kōng Huī)
A black powder found around the eyes and mouths of victims. The byproduct of a forbidden soul cultivation technique that harvests life force.
War of Five Temples (五寺之战 – Wǔ Sì Zhī Zhàn)
A historical conflict from five hundred years ago. The last time Su Lan Yi encountered the abhorrent practice of soul cultivation.
Soul Cultivation (灵魂修炼 – Línghún Xiūliàn)
A forbidden technique that harms the living to fuel advancement. Unlike demonic cultivation, which feeds on resentment, this technique was supposedly purged from all records even in Su Lan Yi's time.
Detection Talisman (检测符箓 – Jiǎncè Fú Lù)
A magical paper that reacts to specific energies. Su Lan Yi's version will identify anyone who has performed soul cultivation within three months.
Demonic Core (魔丹 – Mó Dān)
The cultivation center of demonic practitioners. Hei Wuya's has an unusual composition with fire alignment and incompatible yin elements.
Night Hunting (夜猎 – Yè Liè)
Expeditions to eliminate monsters or gather resources. Wei Chenglin returns from one much earlier than expected, raising suspicions.
Imperial Alchemical Examinations (皇家丹药考试 – Huángjiā Dān Yào Kǎoshì)
A prestigious competition still six weeks away. Gives Su Lan Yi and Hei Wuya ample time to complete preparations while their enemies waste resources.
Meridian Boundaries (经脉界限 – Jīngmài Jièxiàn)
The structural limits of energy pathways. Can cause headaches when spiritual energy presses against them during breakthrough attempts.
Pure Heart Sword Form (清心剑法 – Qīng Xīn Jiàn Fǎ)
A sword technique practiced by Bai Lianhua. The traditional forty-five-degree finishing strike should be adjusted to forty-two degrees for her body structure.
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this story, please consider:
- ? Rating the novel - Your ratings help other readers find this story!
- ?? Bookmarking - Never miss an update
- ?? Commenting - I'd love to hear your thoughts on Su Lan Yi's adventures
- ?? Following - Get notified when the next chapter drops
Chapter release schedule: New chapters every single day. Yes, you read that right!