31: Chapter 31 Suspicion of an Insider and a Short Break in the Alchemy Room

In the side council hall of the Li Family in Luoxia County.

Elder Li, the Elder of External Affairs who always wore a business-like expression, had his brows knitted together, and his fingers were unconsciously tapping on the yellow pear wood table, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound.

Below, several Cultivators with strong auras were seated; they were all Clan Chiefs or representatives of the Qi Refinement Stage families under the Li Family's banner, with Clan Leader notably among them. However, at this moment, none of them looked good, and the atmosphere in the hall was oppressive.

"We missed again!" Elder Li's voice carried a hint of undisguised exhaustion and annoyance. "This is the third time! The traps we carefully laid based on confirmed intelligence—that bunch of demonic brats seem to have received wind of it in advance, slipping through our fingers every time! Once is a coincidence, twice is luck, but this third time... everyone, what do you think?"

What else could they think? Things don't happen three times without reason; this clearly meant there was a problem!

A Zhao Family Elder stroked his beard and pondered, "Elder Li, could it be that among those demonic Cultivators, there is someone skilled in divination and deduction?" Even as he said this, he felt his own lack of confidence. The Cultivation Techniques of demonic Cultivators were overbearing and treacherous, and they were skilled at killing and seizing treasures, but it was rare for them to be proficient in such profound and mysterious arts as celestial calculation.

Another Qian Family Clan Chief said cautiously, "Perhaps our operational patterns have been figured out?"

Elder Li shook his head, resolute, "Impossible! The location, time, participating personnel, and even the routes for these three ambushes were completely different; there is absolutely no pattern to speak of!"

The hall fell silent again. An atmosphere called "suspicion" began to spread silently. If the demonic Cultivators weren't just too clever, then there seemed to be only one answer left—there was a mole among their own.

Clan Leader sat upright, his expression calm, but inwardly, turbulent waves were surging. He thought of the sinister Wei Family head in Qingshi Town, Wei Wuya, and recalled some previous clues. But he had no evidence; if he brought it up rashly now, not only would he fail to convince anyone, but he might alert the enemy and even invite unnecessary trouble.

"Regarding this matter, my Li Family will investigate it secretly," Elder Li finally broke the silence, his gaze sweeping sharply over everyone present. "Before the truth is uncovered, subsequent clearing plans are suspended. All patrol teams must strengthen their vigilance and prioritize stability. After you return, please restrain your Clan Members and stay alert."

He did not explicitly state what he was investigating, but everyone present was shrewd; how could they not understand? This "secret investigation" was targeting the Qi Refinement Stage families that relied on the Li Family, and it was investigating the potential existence of those colluding with demonic Cultivators!

The meeting ended in a heavy atmosphere of tacit understanding.

Leaving the council hall, Clan Leader met up with the accompanying Lin Lingfeng and Lin Lingyan.

"Grandfather, is the situation not good?" Lin Lingfeng keenly detected a hint of gloom between Clan Leader's brows.

Clan Leader nodded slightly and briefly recounted the situation in the hall, finally whispering, "The Li Family suspects there is a mole. From now on, we must act more cautiously, especially with the Wei Family; keep your distance, do not provoke conflict, but also keep a secret watch."

Lin Lingfeng and Lin Lingyan's expressions tightened, and they nodded solemnly. Having a worm inside was harder to deal with than demonic Cultivators fighting with open blades and spears.

Meanwhile, at the Lin Clan Territory, in the Pill Refining Room.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the heavy atmosphere of the market council hall; it was... a bit smoky, in the literal sense.

"Bang!" A muffled sound followed, accompanied by a burnt smell that spread once again.

Great Elder Lin Yaoshan, with hair somewhat curled by the Alchemy fire, looked gloomily at another black, unrecognizable mass in the Pill Furnace and sighed, "Why is the 'Liquid Condensation' step for this qi recovery pill so much harder than for the qi gathering pill! The firepower is fleeting; a fraction too slow and the medicinal power dissipates, a fraction too fast and the medicinal properties burn... Difficult, it's so difficult!"

Beside him, Lin Cangchen skillfully picked up a cattail fan and diligently fanned the Great Elder to disperse the burnt smell, comforting him, "Great Elder Grandfather, don't be discouraged; failure is the mother of success. I saw on this Jade Slip that it says, 'Liquid condensation is like pulling silk; the heart moves with the intent.' Could it be that it has extremely high requirements for the micro-control of Divine Sense... er, I mean, Mental Energy? Were you perhaps a tiny bit... impatient just now?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yaoshan froze as if hit by a pressure point strike. He carefully recalled the process, and after a long while, suddenly slapped his forehead, "That's right! Pulling silk, pulling silk! I was too focused on controlling the fire, but my Divine Sense failed to fully integrate into the rhythm of the medicinal liquid's changes. I had the force, but lacked the delicacy! Cangchen, how is your brain wired? You always see the point of the problem!"

Lin Cangchen revealed a shy yet slightly smug smile, "Maybe it's just... the bystander sees clearly?" Inner thoughts: 'With the complete Legacy understanding directly imparted by the System, how could I not see the point? It seems my persona as a "theoretical Genius" is firmly established.'

With Lin Cangchen's "casual" guidance, Lin Yaoshan reorganized his efforts. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes to focus for a moment, adjusted his state to the best, and then began a new round of attempts.

This time, he slowed his movements, and his Divine Sense, like the gentlest of tentacles, cautiously probed into the Pill Furnace, feeling every tiny flow of energy within the medicinal liquid. His control of the heat also became increasingly exquisite.

Lin Cangchen watched from the side and nodded inwardly. The Great Elder's talent for Alchemy was actually quite good; it was just that his vision had been limited by the incomplete Legacy in the past. Now, with complete guidance and his own "human cheat" assistance, the speed of progress could be called rapid.

A few hours later, the Pill Furnace was opened again. This time, there was no burning, no strange smell, only five round and plump Medicinal Pills emitting a faint blue light lying quietly at the bottom of the furnace.

qi recovery pill, five pills formed, Low Grade quality! The success rate was nearly forty percent!

"Success! Hahaha! I have finally succeeded in refining this qi recovery pill!" Lin Yaoshan's old face flushed red with excitement. Holding those five pills, he looked at them again and again, smelled them again and again, as if holding some peerless treasure.

This meant that from now on, the Lin Family could not only produce their own qi gathering pill, but could also refine the qi recovery pill for rapidly restoring Spiritual Qi! For Cultivators who frequently needed to go out on missions and fight others, the importance was self-evident. The qi recovery pills in the Family treasury that had to be used sparingly could finally look forward to achieving "pill freedom"!

"Cangchen, you deserve the credit! You shall be credited with a great merit!" The Great Elder patted Lin Cangchen's shoulder with enough force to make Lin Cangchen wince.

"Great Elder Grandfather is too kind; I just moved my lips, the main thing is your superb skill." Lin Cangchen said modestly, taking a plate of still-warm spirit rice cakes from the food box beside him, "You've worked hard for half a day; eat something to pad your stomach, and rest a while before studying that yellow dragon pill?"

These spirit rice cakes were made with first-rank middle-grade spirit rice supplemented with a small amount of honey; they had a soft and glutinous texture, and the contained Spiritual Qi had a good nourishing effect for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators. It was the "Pill Room Special Snack" that Lin Cangchen had specifically asked the Family kitchen to prepare.

Lin Yaoshan did not stand on ceremony, taking the pastry and eating it in big bites; the Mental Energy and Spiritual Qi consumed by continuous Alchemy really needed to be replenished. The old and the young were just like this in the Pill Room filled with medicinal fragrance, having spirit tea and eating pastries; it was a rare moment of comfort.

"I wonder how things are on the front lines..." After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Yaoshan sighed, a trace of worry appearing on his face, "The Clan Leader and the others are out there rushing about, dealing with the demonic Cultivators, while we are in the rear... sigh."

"Great Elder Grandfather, rest assured; Clan Leader Grandfather has profound cultivation, and Uncle Lingfeng and Uncle Ling Yan are both skilled hands; they will definitely be fine." Lin Cangchen comforted him, "Us mastering the refining of these Medicinal Pills as quickly as possible is the greatest support for them. When they return and see that we can mass-produce qi recovery pill and yellow dragon pill, they will definitely be happy!"

"You are right!" Lin Yaoshan cheered up again, "Come, Cangchen, let us look at the Pill Formula for this yellow dragon pill again..."

Just as Lin Cangchen was accompanying the Great Elder in the Pill Room to "tackle difficult problems," in the breeding pen behind the Clan Territory, an old "pack beast" that had been responsible for breeding for many years and had now exhausted its Lifespan, breathed its last. The Mortal Clan Member responsible for taking care of it shook his head in pity, preparing to drag it away for burial according to custom.

Lin Cangchen, who happened to be passing by, saw it "unintentionally." Adhering to the principle of not wasting any "resources" (mainly because his Golden Finger was crying out to be fed), he stepped forward, saying that although the pack beast was old, it had lived by the Spiritual Vein for many years, and its fur and bones might still have a trace of Spiritual Qi. He offered to handle it and see if it could be recycled.

The Clan Member naturally agreed without hesitation.

Thus, in a corner where no one was paying attention, Lin Cangchen silently activated the "spirit clan relic card system" on the carcass of the old pack beast.

In his line of sight, a card shimmering with a faint white light slowly condensed.

【Strength Attribute Card (Negligible)】 Effect: Permanently increases the user's strength by a negligible amount.

Lin Cangchen's mouth twitched slightly; well, better than nothing. Mosquito legs are still meat, and many a little makes a mickle. He silently put the card away, preparing to use it during his cultivation at night.

The front lines were shrouded in suspicion, while the Alchemy fires in the rear never ceased. In this interweaving of undercurrents and smoke, the Lin Family was quietly accumulating its own strength. And a certain youth who appeared to be doing odd jobs in the Pill Room was, while "lighting up" the Family's technology tree, silently stacking "attribute" buffs for himself.