The Soul Pill!

After sending away the pigeon, Li Tang's brow furrowed, his expression heavy. He wasn't a direct descendant of the Li family, but rather a cousin of the family head. However, over the years, he had surpassed the weak and timid direct descendant in terms of cultivation, strategy, and tactics.

"What's wrong?" Lan Suoya asked softly, noticing his unusual expression as she sat on the embroidered bed.

Li Tang sighed and said, "It's a letter from my mother, Jia Yi. She said... the Soul Pill has been purchased by someone using infinite merit points."

"Oh?" Lan Suoya's brow furrowed, "It sounds like fate. Maybe thid person is indeed one of heavenly mandate, who has come to retrieve the pill to rectify the heavenly way."

"You don't understand..." Li Tang's voice was low, his fists clenched, "The Soul Pill is the foundation of the Li family's standing among the hundred clans. It is the key to my ascension to the position of family head!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his eyes flashing with uncertainty.

"Do you know?" he said, "I had planned to have someone pretend to attack the Li family, create chaos, and then I would 'save' the Soul Pill, making it legitimate for me to succeed as the family head. Now it's all ruined!"

Lan Suoya remained silent for a long time, her head bowed.

She was originally from a good background but after great grandfather and grandfather died they returned to the poor village in the south. Her mother was ill, and her younger brother was young. She had attached herself to Li Tang only to seek a way out. If Li Tang couldn't take power, their future would be uncertain for sure.

She slowly raised her head, looking at his pale profile, her heart was now filled with mixed emotions. Li Tang wasn't the person she loved, but she had nowhere else to go and no one else to run to.

"Will you still go to the Sect to teach?" she asked softly.

Li Tang waved his hand, "Tomorrow I'll go to the Li family mansion to personally investigate the family's attitude towards the purchase of the Soul Pill. I'll ask the sect master for a leave of absence."

Lan Suoya gently took his arm, trying to comfort him, but he gently pulled it back.

"I'm not sleepy," he whispered.

She said nothing more, just looked at his still-open eyes. His gaze was calm, like a dry well at night without any ripples.

Finally, Lan Suoya fell asleep, leaving Li Tang sitting alone on the bed, staring out the window at the sky, his heart filled with turmoil; the Soul Pill was gone, so what would he do now?

Early in the morning, the sound of the sect's bell echoed through the valley.

Pi Guang had already woken up, quickly tidied his clothes, slung his small bag over his shoulder, grasped his bamboo staff, and wore straw sandals. Today, he had an important task to complete - returning the token that had been troubling him.

He quickly sought out Instructor Hu and requested a leave of absence.

Instructor Hu looked him up and down and said, "Leaving the sect for a day will deduct 10 points from your inner sect merit."

Fortunately, Pi Guang had done some chores in Elder Jin's alchemy room the previous day and earned three merit points. Adding those to his existing eight points, he exchanged them without hesitation.

Instructor Hu saw that Pi Guang was fully prepared and asked, "Where are you going?"

Pi Guang hesitated for a moment, smiled, and didn't answer. He couldn't say he was going to return the token to the Li family. He mumbled a few words, "Down to the village for a small task."

Instructor Hu didn't ask further, nodding and allowing him to leave.

He descended the mountain path, passed through the village, and by the time the sun reached its peak, he finally arrived at the Li family's main residence.

For some reason, the main gate of the Li family was not closed, although there were no idle people coming and going. However, several servants in uniform were walking back and forth. Pi Guang carefully entered the residence, and no one stopped him, which made him feel surprised.

The Li family's mansion was as vast as a palace, with deep corridors. He couldn't find the location of the Token Room. So, he stopped a servant and bowed, saying, "I'm Pi Guang, from Guanzhaozong Sect. I've come to deliver something only to the Token Chamber."

The servant returned the bow and said, "Pi Guang?" His eyes suddenly lit up. "Aren't you... 'Golden Butt' Pi Gu?"

Pi Guang froze. That was what his mother used to call him over a hundred years ago. Pi Gu.

Before he could speak, the servant bowed deeply, despite Pi Guang's ragged appearance. Pi Guang was surprised but hid it well. Perhaps mentioning the Guanzhaozong Sect made them take him seriously.

The servant rushed inside, shouting, "The Golden Butt has arrived, the Golden Butt is here!"

Everyone in the alchemy hall froze. So soon?

Li Quzhi, the head of the Li Clan himself, stepped out of his chamber and personally came to greet Pi Guang, leading him not to the Token Room but instead to the alchemy hall, where the Soul Pill was.

"You're... Golden Butt?" Li Qu Zhi asked with a warm smile, inviting him into the hall. Inside the hall, a jade box emitting a faint glow was placed. Li Qu Zhi personally opened the box, revealing its contents.

Why was he being shown this? Was yesterday real?

Pi Guang's eyes widened. The Soul Pill! It was as black as ink jade, with golden lightning patterns flowing on its surface, resembling dragon scales. Its energy was surging, and just looking at it made one's mind and spirit tremble.

Li Qu Zhi turned to him and asked, "Do you have the Li family's token?"

Pi Guang quickly took it out, handed it over with both hands and bowed slightly.

Li Quzhi was both thrilled and astonished. It was good he had warned his staff not to underestimate the Golden Butt, regardless of how he looked. And with Pi Guang claiming to be from the Guanzhaozong Sect, it made the identity even more believable.

The Soul Pill had already recognized its master, and the master was right in front of him.

Pi Guang couldn't believe he was going to own this, not just hold it or store it, but truly own it. Like the azure dragon that kept one in its belly.

Thank heavens he hadn't used the token to start a fire.

Suddenly, someone outside the hall bowed and said, "Qu Zhi, my uncle."

Li Qu Zhi looked to the side and nodded, saying, "Jia Yi's son."

Pi Guang recognized the voice but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

He entered, smiling, and said, "I heard that the Soul Pill was purchased by a Golden Butt divine person with infinite merit points, and I came to witness this grand event, and maybe to meet him someday, if fate allows."

Li Quzhi smiled and nodded. "You heard correctly."

Pi Guang, hidden behind the others, simply stared at the Soul Pill, unable to tear his eyes away, as if he were worshipping it with his gaze.