I’m going to prepare a gift worthy of the occasion!

Ling Yun rose after a while and walked over to each of the alchemy disciples. He didn't say a word to them but carefully observed their breathing, the flow of their energy, and how they mixed their ingredients.

The disciples, however, found it hard to concentrate with Ling Yun looming over them. They made far more mistakes than usual. But before anything serious could happen, Ling Yun noticed and left the hall.

No one understood why he behaved that way. Not that day, nor in the days that followed. Every time he visited, he repeated the same routine—examining herbs, jotting notes on paper, sitting in his chair, and then pacing behind them.

His strange behavior puzzled everyone.

Then, one day, as the disciples were heading to the hall to refine pills as usual, they found Ling Yun collapsed in front of one of the furnaces.

They immediately called for a physician and carried him back to his manor. Soon after, word of the incident spread like wildfire through the Feng family estate.

"The young master of the Ling family fainted because he couldn't focus during alchemy?"

"Hahaha! Did he think alchemy was like butchering people? Alchemy is an art—an art of life!"

The news reached Feng Shan. Seated in the grand hall, he burst into laughter.

"I never thought watching that Ling brat struggle would be this entertaining. Steward, do you know what brought him to this point?"

The steward bowed slightly and shook his head.

Feng Shan smirked. "Betrayal, steward. Betrayal is what reduced the Ling family to this state. Power can put you at a disadvantage, but it's betrayal that delivers the final blow."

He let out a sigh and murmured, "If only that boy had been born into our family..."

Ling Yun remained unconscious for a full day and night. When he finally awoke, members of the Ling family had gathered around him. Some wept, others expressed their concerns, and many knelt before him in reverence.

Seated on his mat, he looked pale and exhausted. His long white robe was drenched in sweat, his face drained of color.

"Young Master! Please, don't do this to yourself!"

"Yes, Young Master! We understand your pain, but there's no way out of this situation!"

Ling Yun forced a faint smile at their worried faces.

"The Feng Patriarch will be coming out of seclusion soon. I don't have much time."

"I need to act before that happens. I spoke with Feng Shan. That man is as cunning as a fox. They're planning to use me as the sacrificial lamb for the Patriarch's return celebration."

His eyes darkened as he whispered, "I need to be ready to walk out of that slaughterhouse alive."

The members of the Ling family burst into tears. Ling Yun, his eyes glistening, looked at them all.

"Rest assured, I won't let any harm come to you!"

The next day, Ling Yun returned to the alchemy hall. One of the spies stationed within the Ling family, tasked with monitoring him, quickly reported the news.

The spy met with the Feng family steward in secret.

"Sir! Ling Yun has truly lost all hope. He's getting worse by the day. He was the one we all expected to rise above, yet yesterday, he broke down crying right in front of us."

Hearing this, the steward's lips curled into a pleased smile.

"Good. You've done well. Here's the bag of coins I promised you."

The young man's name was Huli.

Meanwhile, back at the alchemy hall, everyone was stunned to see Ling Yun return. The man who had collapsed in front of the furnace, disgracing himself, was now stepping back into the very place that had humiliated him.

This time, they couldn't ignore him.

"Young Master Ling, please return to your manor."

Ling Yun looked slightly displeased but responded with a gentle smile. "Brothers, I'm not here to cause trouble."

One of the alchemists scoffed. "But you've already ruined several spirit herbs! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find them?"

Another added, "Young Master, you were born into wealth and luxury. You don't know what it's like to suffer! Have you ever spent sleepless nights, dreading that you might not find a single spirit herb? Do you know how many of us have been attacked by demonic beasts in the wilderness just to gather these plants?"

A third voice joined in. "You've already caused enough trouble for us by destroying those herbs!"

At that moment, the steward entered the hall. "What's going on here?"

The alchemists quickly explained the situation. The steward pondered for a moment before speaking.

"It's true that spirit herbs are obtained through great hardship and effort. But someone with such a passion for knowledge shouldn't be cast out over a single mistake."

He turned to Ling Yun and continued, "Young Master, as the steward of the Feng family, I can grant you access to the hall and the furnaces. However, spirit herbs are not mine to give."

Ling Yun gave a faint smile.

The steward went on, "But that doesn't mean there's no way, does it? Young Master, you need spirit herbs, correct? Then as long as you can gather them yourself, there shouldn't be a problem."

"However, spirit herbs are extremely expensive, and I doubt you have the means to purchase them at the moment. That leaves only one option. You can travel to the mountains near Feng Ming City and gather the herbs yourself."

"This way, you'll have a chance to apply all that knowledge you've been absorbing from the public library in a real, hands-on experience."

Ling Yun burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the hall. "Hahaha! Yes, yes! That's exactly right, Steward! In fact, I can even gather extra spirit herbs to make up for the ones I ruined!"

The steward chuckled inwardly at Ling Yun's naivety. To him, the young master was nothing more than a broken man, desperately clinging to whatever scraps of hope he could find after falling from grace.

"Very well, Young Master. I'll make the necessary arrangements."

With a polite smile, the steward turned and walked away.

Ling Yun, still grinning, made his way back to his manor.

From a distance, Feng Lan watched him carefully.

"Is he insane? He's about to be killed, yet here he is, whistling and strolling around as if nothing's wrong?"

She shook her head in disbelief, her fiery red hair swaying with the movement.

"Let's go."

"Yes, my lady!"

Back at the Ling family manor, Ling Yun gathered his clan members and shared his plan. At first, they strongly opposed the idea. But as he laid out his reasoning, their resistance gradually softened.

One of the elders stepped forward, concern deep in his voice. "Young Master, gathering spirit herbs is an incredibly dangerous task! It's not just wicked spirits or demonic cultivators roaming those abandoned lands and mountains. There are also fierce demonic beasts and even sacred guardians! That's why so few ever dare to pursue alchemy."

Ling Yun slowly shook his head. "You're right. But what choice do we have? We must prepare for the day when the Feng Patriarch emerges from seclusion."

In the corner of the room, Huli, the spy, scratched his head awkwardly and stammered, "Y-Young Master! H-How exactly do you plan to… prepare?"

Ling Yun turned to him, locking eyes with an unsettling calm. Then, with a knowing smile, he replied,

"I'm going to prepare a gift worthy of the occasion!"