My Years as a Menace in the Sect

The afternoon he received the new alchemy furnace from the storeroom, Wei Ping'an locked himself in the alchemy room.

Two brand-new cauldrons sat on the alchemy platform, their condition truly impeccable. The cauldrons were perfectly formed, the bases sturdy, and the fire-ignition array patterns were neatly engraved. He tapped the cauldron's surface with his finger; the sound was dull yet crisp, confirming they were new. He examined the other cauldron several times, but couldn't find any fault with it.

"I refuse to believe it." He sat cross-legged and mentally reviewed the key points Old Man Zheng had taught him. Alchemy is not just about burning medicine, but also about cultivating one's character. It's about simultaneously refining the alchemical fire and harmonizing the medicinal properties, using the medicine to lock in the fire and using one's character to solidify the elixir. He had pondered this for several days, and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. The previous furnace explosions all stemmed from the elixir-condensing stage, precisely because the conflicting medicinal properties hadn't been properly harmonized, and the chaotic spiritual energy caused the furnace to collapse.

He prepared a new formula for the Qi Gathering Pill according to the new method. The five ingredients—Qi Gathering Grass, Spirit Root Flower, Ginkgo Kernel, Green Leaf Grass, and Xuanming Powder—were weighed one by one, and the proportions were strictly in accordance with the jade slip.

He also prepared two extra doses of auxiliary medicine: a small pinch of Bletilla striata root powder used in the Qi-stabilizing powder, and the prepared Angelica sinensis rootlets that Shen Qingyao had given him last time. These two medicines are mild in nature and can play a harmonizing and buffering role.

Before lighting the fire, he first took the Xuanwen pot off his back and placed it on his lap. He then placed his hands on the rim of the pot and circulated his spiritual energy, allowing the warm sensation to flow through his palms and throughout his meridians. Once his mind was completely calm, he put the pot back on his back, took a deep breath, and a faint blue flame appeared at his fingertips.

It took him half an incense stick longer than usual to warm the furnace. He wasn't in a hurry, letting the heat slowly penetrate the cauldron's walls until the entire furnace was thoroughly heated before lifting the lid and adding the first ingredient, the Qi-gathering herb. The herb melted instantly upon entering the cauldron, and the dark green liquid slowly spread at the bottom. The heat was kept to a minimum, maintaining a gentle simmer without boiling.

The second ingredient was a spiritual root flower. Remembering Old Man Zheng's words, he didn't simply toss it into the cauldron and consider it done. Instead, he used his spiritual energy to gently guide the petals, bit by bit, into the medicinal liquid, simultaneously sensing the points where the two medicinal properties collided with each other using his divine sense. The petals were cold in nature, and when they touched the warm medicinal liquid, the cauldron's temperature dropped sharply for a moment. He didn't rush to add more fire; instead, he reduced the flame further, making the cooling process more gradual. Once the two medicinal properties had completely merged, the cauldron's temperature naturally rose again.

The third ingredient was ginkgo kernels. The powdered kernels dispersed immediately upon entering the cauldron, their medicinal properties mild and causing little disturbance. The fourth ingredient, green leaf grass, formed a slight fibrous mass when added. He immediately separated a wisp of extremely fine spiritual energy to entwine the fibrous mass and slowly stir it, while simultaneously sprinkling in a small pinch of prepared white atractylodes root powder. The moment the powder dissolved into the medicinal liquid, the fibrous mass disintegrated.

"It really works!" Wei Ping'an thought with delight, but his hands remained steady.

The final ingredient, Glauber's salt. This is the most dangerous step, as Glauber's salt is dry and too quickly added to the cauldron can cause a clash of medicinal properties. He dipped his fingertip in the powder and flicked it in little by little, pausing after each flick to observe the reaction of the liquid. After five breaths, the powder was completely integrated, and fine, fish-eye-like bubbles appeared on the surface of the liquid, a sign that the medicinal properties had been evenly combined.

"It's done!" Wei Ping'an suppressed his excitement and began the final step of condensing the pill. Following the method taught by Old Man Zheng, he separated a wisp of spiritual energy to envelop the entire ball of medicinal liquid, and reduced the pill fire to its minimum, using the residual heat to slowly bake it. The medicinal liquid slowly rotated and concentrated, dividing into seven or eight small droplets, which gradually solidified under the guidance of the spiritual energy.

The moment the lid of the cauldron was lifted, a rich aroma of medicine wafted out. At the bottom lay seven Qi-gathering pills, all uniform in size and with smooth surfaces. Although two of them had a faint yellowish-brown tinge and weren't of the highest quality, they were undeniably formed pills. There had been no explosion, no burning at the bottom, and no pills failing to solidify.

Wei Ping'an held the seven pills, turning them over and over for a long time, his lips curling into a wide grin. "See? This is what you call talent." He muttered to the Xuanwen pot on his back, carefully putting the seven pills into a small porcelain bottle, and attaching a note to the bottle: First batch, refined using the new method, seven pills made, two of which are of medium grade and five of low grade.

Seizing the opportunity, he decided to refine another batch. The same ingredients, the same proportions, the same techniques. Warming the furnace, adding the medicine, melting the liquid—each step was performed in the same rhythm as before. When it came to the condensation stage, he confidently reduced the flame to its minimum, and separated a wisp of spiritual energy to wrap around the medicinal liquid, slowly rotating it.

Then a "sizzle" sound came from inside the cauldron.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely piercing. Wei Ping'an's expression changed; it was too late to turn off the fire. The lid of the cauldron bounced twice, and the furnace glowed red-hot at a visible speed, with hot steam carrying the smell of burning spewing out from the cracks in the lid. He grabbed the scorching furnace and turned to throw it over the courtyard wall.

"Get out of here—!"

With a deafening roar, another explosion occurred outside the courtyard wall. Shards of broken cauldrons mixed with black medicinal residue flew everywhere, and dust billowed high into the sky. A few outer sect disciples passing by, accustomed to this, shrank back and walked around it, not even bothering to glance at it.

Wei Ping'an squatted at the entrance of the alchemy room, his face covered in black ash, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

No, that's not right. This time, the medicinal herbs were a new batch sent by Shen Qingyao, and their medicinal properties were absolutely fine. The proportions were also strictly in accordance with the jade slip; I didn't use those cheap herbs from the warehouse. The method was exactly what Old Man Zheng taught me: using medicine to lock the fire and using the nature of the herbs to solidify the elixir. The first batch was clearly successful, so why did the second batch explode?

He examined the remaining medicinal herbs. The leaves of the Qi-gathering Grass were emerald green, the petals of the Spirit Root were plump, the ginkgo kernels were a perfect color, the Green Leaf Grass had no yellow spots, and the Mysterious Bright Powder was dry and without clumps. Everything was fine; the problem wasn't with the herbs. He then checked the fire-igniting array patterns; the lines were clear and undamaged, and the spirit stones hadn't been depleted. The control of the alchemical fire was also fine. The fact that the first batch was successful meant that the method was correct; the same technique couldn't possibly result in one batch succeeding and another failing.

What's the problem?

He sat on the ground and moved the two newly acquired furnaces in front of him. The first one had just been used for the first batch of furnaces and was still intact. The second one had exploded, its fragments scattered all over the ground, impossible to put back together. He examined the first furnace several times over; its body was intact, its inner wall smooth, and the fire-ignition array patterns regular—it didn't seem to have any problems at all.

But the more he looked at it, the more awkward it felt. An indescribable awkwardness, not something he could see with his eyes, but something he felt. He held the cauldron to his nose and smelled it; only a lingering medicinal fragrance remained. He tapped the cauldron's side; the sound was dull and crisp, not much different from the cauldrons he had used before.

"Could it be a problem with my technique?" he muttered, though he wasn't entirely convinced. The first batch had succeeded, which meant his technique was fine. Besides, he had taken each step very steadily this time, more meticulously than ever before; there was no reason why the second batch would explode.

He moved the first cauldron to the alchemy platform again, deciding to try once more. The same herbs, the same techniques—he meticulously followed each step. Warming the furnace, adding the herbs, and melting the liquid all went smoothly. By the time he reached the condensation stage, sweat had beaded on his forehead. He reduced the alchemical fire to its lowest setting, allowing the spiritual energy to envelop the medicinal liquid and slowly rotate.

"Sizzle—"

Here we go again. The cauldron instantly glowed red, its lid bobbing as if it were about to fly off. Wei Ping'an reacted swiftly, grabbing the cauldron and throwing it over the courtyard wall. With a deafening roar, it shattered even more violently than the second one.

He stood at the courtyard gate, looking at the shattered fragments of the cauldron scattered on the ground, his doubts growing ever stronger. The first attempt at refining the cauldron succeeded, but the second and third attempts both failed, and each time the explosions occurred precisely at the condensation stage. The pattern was too obvious. The furnace temperature is highest, the medicinal properties are most active, and the spiritual energy is densest during condensation, putting the greatest pressure on the cauldron. If there's a problem with the cauldron itself, it will definitely explode at this time. But the first batch also condensed the cauldron; why didn't it explode?

He picked up a few pieces of the broken cauldron, wrapped them in cloth, and put them in his pocket. He also made a copy of the rubbing of the fire-ignition pattern on paper and took it with him. After closing the courtyard gate, he went to the storeroom first.

The warehouse manager's face immediately lit up with a smile when he saw him enter: "Here to collect the furnace cauldrons again? Have you used up the two you got last time?"

"No, I'm here to ask about something." Wei Ping'an took out the application record book and placed it on the table. "These two furnace cauldrons I received three days ago, from which kiln did they come from? Were there any problems found during the inspection?"

The steward picked up the record and flipped through it: "These are from Old Zhou Kiln. This batch includes twenty, all standard alchemy furnaces. They were inspected one by one upon arrival at the warehouse. The ignition array patterns are normal, the furnace walls are of uniform thickness, and no flaws were found." He paused, then cautiously looked at Wei Ping'an, "Senior Brother Wei, did it explode again?"

"Two of them exploded," Wei Ping'an said. "Same method, same recipe. The first batch turned out fine, but the next two exploded. I can't figure it out, so I came to ask you."

"This..." The steward scratched his head. "Not to be rude, but the kilns from Old Zhou Kiln have been used in the sect for over ten years, and their quality has always been very stable. There have never been any batch problems. Moreover, of the twenty kilns that went into storage this time, apart from the two you received, no one reported any kiln explosions in the other eighteen. Do you think it might be that... our technique isn't quite consistent enough?"

"The first batch is complete," Wei Ping'an said.

The manager hesitated for a moment, then shrugged: "I don't know about that. The kiln's inspection records are in the archives; I can retrieve them for you if you want to see them."

"Show me how to adjust it."

The steward closed the storeroom door and led him to the archives room next door. The room was filled with books and ledgers. The steward rummaged through the shelves for a while and found the receiving slips for Old Zhou Kiln's batch. Wei Ping'an took them and read them from beginning to end. The inspection records for the twenty furnaces were exactly the same, with a checkmark and the name of the inspecting disciple signed after each one.

I can't see any problems.

"Thanks." He returned the record, and as he walked out of the warehouse, his doubts deepened.

The warehouse records were in order, meaning the batch of tripods had passed inspection upon arrival. Yet, two batches exploded in his hands; he couldn't simply blame it all on luck. He squatted on the steps by the warehouse entrance, taking the broken pieces of the tripods out of his cloth bag and laying them out one by one on the stone slab. The inner walls of the fragments were smooth, without any visible cracks or bubbles. Sunlight shone on the cross-sections, revealing a uniform material without any foreign matter.

and many more.

He picked up a fragment near the bottom of the cauldron and examined it closely. On the cross-section was an extremely fine line, not a crack, but more like the subtle layering caused by uneven internal structure during the firing process, hidden within the cauldron's walls, almost invisible to the naked eye. He examined another fragment; in the same spot, there was another line.

His face slowly darkened.

These hidden structural flaws, concealed within the cauldron's walls, are invisible on the surface and sound normal when tapped. Normally, adding medicine to the furnace is fine, but once the process reaches the condensation stage—when the furnace temperature is highest, the medicinal properties are most active, and the spiritual energy is densest—the cauldron walls can't withstand the internal pressure and will instantly explode. Why did the first batch succeed? Because it was the first time the new cauldron was used; the hidden flaws hadn't yet been impacted by the high temperature and pressure, and it barely held on. When refining the second batch, the hidden flaws were already loosened by the high temperature of the first batch, and with further pressure, they exploded instantly.

This is not a typical quality issue.

These hidden flaws didn't occur naturally during firing. Even if there were air bubbles in a naturally fired cauldron, they wouldn't be so regularly hidden in the middle of the cauldron wall. Someone deliberately tampered with the cauldron wall.

Wei Ping'an carefully wrapped the broken pieces of the cauldron back in the cloth, stood up, and dusted off his trousers. He only had one suspect in mind.

Steward Sun.

This time, they've gone even further, tampering with the furnace itself. And the tampering is extremely subtle, hidden inside the furnace wall, with the surface perfectly intact. Even the initial inspection won't detect it; it will only explode when he reaches the condensation stage of the pill. If he's even a fraction of a second too slow to react when it explodes, the backlash from the pill's fire could cripple his meridians. This isn't just a minor prank to embarrass him or cause the furnace to explode; it's an attempt to cripple him.

Wei Ping'an stood at the warehouse door, the wind making his clothes flutter. He looked at the cloth bundle in his hand, his anger rising in layers, but his face remained expressionless.

His previous strategy was to retreat. If Deacon Sun made things difficult for him, he would move on. If Deacon Sun adulterated the medicinal herbs, he would report it to the Enforcement Hall and make him clean up the mess. But this time was different. This person was determined to cripple him, and if one attempt failed, he would try again, with increasingly insidious methods and vicious tactics. If he retreated again, where would he go? Would he retreat to the Medicine Testing Hall to become a menial servant for life? Or would he retreat to the bottom of Broken Soul Cliff to keep the Old Man of Xuan Cliff company?

It's impossible to get a refund now. He doesn't want to get a refund either.

He strode towards the medicine testing hall, his steps slow but steady. When he reached the courtyard entrance, Old Zheng was squatting there, turning over dried medicinal residue, his pipe tucked into his waistband, a wisp of smoke rising from it. Seeing him enter, Old Zheng paused, his rake still in his hand: "You didn't explode again, did you?"

"Two of them exploded." Wei Ping'an squatted down in front of him, spread out the cloth bag, and picked out the broken pieces of the cauldron one by one and placed them on the ground. "These are newly issued cauldrons, made with the same method and the same recipe. The first batch was successfully refined, but the next two exploded. I checked the inventory records in the warehouse, and there were no problems. Eighteen of the twenty cauldrons in this batch were sent out, and no one else reported any explosions. Only my two cauldrons had problems."

Old Zheng didn't speak, but picked up a fragment of the cauldron and examined it closely. After a while, he picked up another fragment, turned it over, and held it up to the sunlight. Once he finished, he put the fragment down, took his pipe from his waist, tapped the ash on a stone, and asked in a tone as calm as if he were remarking on the nice weather: "Where did you get these cauldrons?"

"The warehouse. Goods from the Old Zhou Kiln, standard-style alchemy furnaces. The warehousing inspection records are all complete, I've seen them," Wei Ping'an said.

"The inspection records can only reveal surface problems." Old Zheng pointed to the cross-section of the broken cauldron fragments with his pipe. "Look here, there's a dark line in the middle of the cauldron wall. It wasn't formed naturally during firing. Naturally fired alchemy furnaces, even if they have bubbles, will have round ones, not this kind of thin, elongated crack. Someone used spiritual energy to vibrate the cauldron wall while the clay was still wet, creating tiny cracks inside, and then smoothed them out on the surface."

He picked up another fragment. "This one too. The dark patterns are in the exact same position, and the technique is the same. It was made by the same person."

Although Wei Ping'an had already guessed it, hearing Old Man Zheng confirm it himself still made his anger rise. He gritted his teeth, puffing out his cheeks several times before finally speaking: "Can you be sure it was intentional?"

"If it wasn't intentional, could it be fate?" Old Zheng sneered. "It was shaken in before the cauldron blank was completely dry, and the surface was smoothed out. After firing, the hidden patterns are concealed in the middle. This kind of technique is impossible for the Zhou Kiln, which has been firing cauldrons for more than ten years. Even if a defective product were produced by chance, it would be detected during inspection. The only way it could have gotten into the sect's warehouse is if it was switched after entering the warehouse, or if it was replaced with a tampered product before entering the warehouse."

"It's unlikely that the items were switched after they were put into storage," Wei Ping'an said. "With so many people coming and going from the warehouse every day, switching two furnace cauldrons would be too conspicuous. It's more likely that something was tampered with during the period between the initial inspection and my application for receipt."

"That makes it even simpler." Old Zheng handed the broken pieces of the cauldron back to him. "The only people who could have come into contact with these cauldrons during this period are the warehouse manager and the people from the Danfeng Hall of Affairs. The warehouse manager has no grudge against you, so there's no need for him to take this risk."

The answer is obvious.

Wei Ping'an squatted in the courtyard, staring at the shattered pieces of the cauldron before him, his anger barely contained. Deacon Sun. It was Deacon Sun again. He was the one who adulterated the medicinal herbs, he was the one who hired the Black Wind Forest assassins, and now he'd even tampered with the furnace. Did this guy get restless if he didn't target him every day?

He stood up and paced back and forth in the yard, growing angrier with each step. He kicked a pebble at his feet, sending it flying. The pebble whizzed past, hit the yard wall, bounced back, and rolled twice on the ground.

"I just want to refine a pill honestly, why is it so difficult?" He stopped, turned back to look at Old Man Zheng, and said with an unusual seriousness in his voice, "Uncle Zheng, I've been retreating. From the medicine testing hall to the drying room, from the drying room to the Pill Peak courtyard, from refining pills openly to secretly refining them in the Black Wind Forest. But this person just won't let me go. I haven't provoked him, I haven't offended him, he's determined to cripple me before he's satisfied."

Old Zheng, with his pipe dangling from his mouth, didn't light it. He stared at him with his cloudy eyes and said nothing.

"I'm not backing down this time," Wei Ping'an said. "Since he's so eager to play, I'll play along to the end. I refuse to believe that someone like me, who climbed up from the bottom of Broken Soul Cliff, can be killed by a mere deacon."

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind."

Old Zheng took his pipe out of his mouth, tapped it on a stone, and slowly began, "I've been in Danfeng for so many years, I know Sun Yongchang better than you do. He's narrow-minded, vindictive, and cowardly, only daring to scheme behind people's backs. The more you back down, the more he thinks you're easy to bully; if you confront him head-on, he'll back down. But there's one thing... he has power. He has people in the medicine storehouse, the warehouse, and the administration hall. If you directly oppose him, he has a hundred ways to make things difficult for you."

"So we can't do it openly." Wei Ping'an squatted down, picked up a broken piece of the cauldron and twirled it in his hand. "If he tries to do it openly, he has a hundred ways to mess with me, so I'll do it secretly. If he tampers with the cauldron, I'll do something he can't even imagine."

"What method?"

"I haven't decided yet." Wei Ping'an stood up and dusted off his pants. "But it'll be soon. I may not be good at much else, but I'm never short of disgusting ideas."

Old Zheng glanced at him, said nothing more, and simply lit the pipe at his waist, taking a couple of puffs. The smoke slowly dissipated in the setting sun, revealing the old man's face behind the smoke; his wrinkles were deep and etched, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Wei Ping'an left the medicine testing hall but didn't return to his courtyard. He was seething with anger and frustrated by his inability to come up with a plan, so he wandered aimlessly around the sect. He walked from the medicine testing hall to the medicinal cuisine room, from the medicinal cuisine room to the planting square, and from the planting square he circled around to the stone path on the west side of Dan Peak.

Night had fallen, and the evening breeze blew in from the other side of the mountain, carrying the scents of pine resin and medicinal herbs. He walked with his head down, his mind racing, trying to come up with a foolproof plan to inflict a heavy loss on Deacon Sun, but he couldn't come up with a solution. Poisoning? Too obvious, and it would be a serious crime if discovered. Framing him? Deacon Sun was a member of the Deacon's Hall; framing him would be much more difficult than framing an ordinary disciple. Hiring someone to beat him up? Even if he could win, fighting in the sect would still be punished.

Just then, he heard two junior disciples whispering to each other from the edge of the bamboo grove ahead. He subconsciously slowed his pace, stopped close to the stone wall at the edge of the bamboo grove, and listened intently.

"...Really? Is a top-grade turkey that powerful?" a disciple who sounded young exclaimed in surprise.

"Why would I lie to you? I saw it with my own eyes when I went with my senior brother to deliver medicine to Headmaster Xie last time." Another slightly older disciple lowered his voice, with a hint of boasting. "They're kept in the spirit plant garden behind the Headmaster's alchemy room. They have a separate area for them, and there are only about ten of them. Those turkeys are fiery red all over, and the feathers on their tails are like fiery clouds. They look very majestic."

"It's just a chicken, what's so special about it?"

"What do you know! That's a top-grade spirit bird, raised from a young age on spirit grains, with pure bloodlines. It's nothing like those ordinary turkeys down the mountain." The older disciple clicked his tongue. "I heard from the alchemy apprentice beside the sect leader that those turkeys eat top-grade spirit grains mixed with spirit ginseng every day and drink mountain spring water. One turkey is more nourishing than ten Qi Gathering Pills. After eating it, your cultivation speed will increase significantly, and the meat is especially fragrant. It's said that just smelling it can make you circulate your spiritual energy for an extra cycle."

"Really?! Just smelling it increases your cultivation level?"

"I'd be a dog if I lied to you. Dan Tong said that last year when the headmaster entertained the sect leader, he killed one, and the aroma wafted across half of Dan Peak. The disciples in the neighboring courtyard smelled it and even did an extra cycle of their cultivation techniques during their meditation that night."

"In that case... it would be great if I could steal one and try it."

"Shh! Are you trying to get yourself killed? That's the leader's treasure; whoever touches it will die."

"I was just saying..." The two disciples said as they slowly walked away, their voices disappearing into the bamboo forest.

Wei Ping'an leaned against the stone wall without moving, his eyes darting around before suddenly brightening.

Turkey. Top-grade turkeys raised by Master Xie. Eating one can increase one's cultivation level, and even the smell of it can make the people in the next courtyard turn their cultivation techniques a few more times. If he could get two of these, not only could he heal his previous injuries, but he could also satisfy his cravings. He had been eating coarse food in the Medicine Testing Hall for several months, and since coming to Danfeng, he hadn't really had any meat. His mouth was practically parched.

More importantly, a wicked idea suddenly popped into his head. Wasn't Deacon Sun fond of scheming behind people's backs? Then he'd give Deacon Sun an even harsher blow. He'd steal the Sect Leader's turkey, pin the blame on Deacon Sun, and let the Sect Leader deal with him personally. The thought alone made his heart race. The risk was immense, extremely high. If he were caught stealing the Sect Leader's spirit bird, the best he'd face was being sent to the mines to dig stones; the worst would be expulsion from the sect. But he was seething with anger, and Deacon Sun was pressing him relentlessly. If he didn't retaliate soon, the next incident wouldn't be as simple as a furnace explosion.

It's done!

That night, the moon was mostly obscured by thick clouds, and the mountain was shrouded in darkness. Wei Ping'an was dressed in a dark-colored short-sleeved shirt and had changed into soft-soled cloth shoes, making almost no sound as he walked. He wrapped the Xuanwen pot in black cloth and carried it on his back to prevent the rim from reflecting light. He went around the small path on the side of Danfeng Peak, and crept along the stone wall to the low wall behind the Spirit Plant Garden.

The Spirit Plant Garden is Headmaster Xie's private herb garden, usually managed by only two alchemists, and unattended at night. The turkey coop is located at the very back of the Spirit Plant Garden, a row of chicken coops built against the mountain wall, surrounded by a low fence with several animal-proof talismans pasted on it, keeping out wild animals but not people.

Wei Ping'an crouched behind the low wall and observed for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. A dozen or so turkeys huddled together sleeping in the coop, occasionally one or two clucking softly, their heads buried under their wings, fast asleep. Two alchemists patrolled the fence, each carrying a lantern, their steps leisurely, discussing what to have for breakfast the next day. When the two men circled around to the front gate of the spirit plant garden, Wei Ping'an crouched low and climbed over the low wall, his feet landing silently on a patch of soft grass.

He walked quickly and lightly, hugging the shadow of the mountain wall. When he passed several rows of medicinal fields, he almost stepped on a silver leaf grass. He quickly pulled his foot back and went around it, thinking to himself: This grass looks pretty good. I'll tell Shen Qingyao to come and collect it later.

Reaching the chicken coop, he squatted down to examine the animal-repelling talisman. It was an ordinary talisman, effective against wolves and foxes, but useless against humans. He gently unlatched the gate and squeezed inside.

The turkey was a size larger than a regular chicken, its feathers a deep red like burning coals, gleaming faintly with a dark red glow in the night. The sleeping turkey was curled up in a ball, looking like a large, red, fluffy ball, and it looked incredibly plump. He swallowed hard, looked around, picked out the two fattest ones, grabbed them by the neck with one hand, and lifted them up. The turkeys didn't even have time to squawk before they were choked unconscious, their wings flapping twice before going limp.

He put the two chickens into a cloth bag he had prepared beforehand, tied the bag tightly, and returned the way he came. He climbed over the low wall, jogged along the shadows of the hillside, and when he returned to his small yard, his heart was pounding. He locked the gate, opened the bag, and found the two turkeys lying on the ground, completely unconscious.

"I'm sorry, you two." He bowed to the two chickens. "You were destined to be eaten anyway, sooner or later. I'm just doing this on behalf of Heaven. May you be reborn into a better life and not be chickens."

After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and quickly boiled water, killed the chickens, plucked their feathers, and gutted them. He had grown up in Daliu Village and had done this kind of thing many times before. In no time, he had cleaned the two chickens. He wrapped the feathers and internal organs in oiled paper, buried them three feet deep under the medicinal herb garden in the backyard, covered them with soil, and planted the Qi-gathering grass back on top. There was no trace of them at all.

Then he took out the stew pot from the kitchen and placed it on the stove. Xuanwen Pot hadn't been used to stew properly since it came with him, but today it was finally back to its old ways. He chopped two chickens into pieces, added ginger slices, ginseng rootlets, a few red dates, and a small handful of angelica rootlets given to him by Shen Qingyao. He covered the chicken pieces with water about three fingers deep, put the lid on, and started a slow simmer.

Before long, a fragrant aroma wafted from the pot. It wasn't just any ordinary meaty smell; it was a rich, sweet aroma with a hint of medicinal notes, enough to invigorate anyone who smelled it. Wei Ping'an took a deep breath, and the spiritual energy in his dantian actually stirred slightly.

Half an hour later, the chicken was stewed until tender, the broth was golden and glossy, with a thin layer of oil floating on the surface. He first ladled out a bowl of soup and tasted it. The taste was so delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue. A warm current slid down his throat and into his stomach, instantly spreading to his limbs and bones, and the Xuanwen pot on his back also became slightly warm. His Qi Induction Level 5 cultivation remained unchanged, but the circulation of spiritual energy in his meridians was noticeably faster.

"Goodness, this really does make you gain weight!" He quickly turned off the fire, scooped out half the chicken and broth into a large earthenware pot, and wrapped it with a thick cloth to keep it warm. Then he sat down by the stove and started eating right from the pot. He hadn't had any meat in so long, and his eyes almost welled up with tears after just one bite of chicken. The stewed chicken leg meat was so tender that it fell off the bone with a gentle tear; the skin was smooth, the meat was tender, and the broth was rich. The sweetness of the ginseng and angelica root seeped into the meat, making it more and more fragrant with each chew. He buried his head and ate almost half the pot, so full that he leaned against the stove, burping. His stomach felt warm, and his whole body was slightly warm.

After resting for a while, he collected the leftover chicken bones, wrapped them up, and buried them three feet deep in the herb garden. He cleaned the stove thoroughly and washed the pot three times, so there wasn't a trace of meat smell in the room. Then, carrying a clay pot full of chicken, he slipped away to the medicine testing hall before dawn.

Old Zheng had just gotten up to light the fire and make breakfast when he saw him carrying a jar and paused for a moment: "What are you doing carrying a jar before dawn?"

"This is to help you recover." Wei Ping'an placed the jar on the table, lifted the lid, and a rich aroma instantly filled the entire room.

Old Zheng sniffed the broth, his expression changed, and he put down the firewood he was holding, peering into the pot. Golden chicken broth, tender chicken meat, and red dates and ginseng roots floating on the surface. He looked up at Wei Ping'an, his lips trembling: "This is... a top-grade turkey?"

"You have a sharp eye."

"Those top-quality turkeys that Master Xie raised?" Old Zheng's voice rose half an octave.

"yes"

Old Zheng stared at him without saying a word. After a long while, he slowly sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of chicken in his mouth. After chewing twice, his eyes narrowed, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out. After chewing twice more, he sighed and picked up a second piece.

"You little brat," Old Man Zheng mumbled, but his mouth didn't stop, "You even dare to steal the headmaster's chicken, you really aren't afraid of death."

"That old bastard, Steward Sun, is driving me crazy. I need to replenish my energy first." Wei Ping'an, sitting opposite him, also picked up a piece. "Besides, it would be too much of a hassle for me to eat alone. I thought you've always been kind to me, so I specially brought this for you. Pretty generous, right?"

"Don't give me that. I think you're just trying to drag me down with you."

"How could I? You are a highly respected elder, how could I dare to drag you into this?" Wei Ping'an chuckled as he ladled out a bowl of soup for him. "Just eat in peace, I've already arranged everything, I guarantee it won't affect us."

Old Zheng didn't say anything more and focused on eating the chicken. The two of them took turns eating, and in no time, half a can of chicken was gone. Old Zheng burped contentedly, leaned back in his chair, rubbed his belly, and his expression was hard to tell whether it was satisfaction or helplessness.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the main peak of Danfeng.

Xie Yunzhou made his routine morning patrol of the spirit plant garden. He glanced inside the chicken coop as usual, then stopped. The fence gate was ajar, and two chickens were missing. Not the kind that ran away, but the kind that vanished into thin air. He circled the coop twice, finding only half a faint footprint in the mud near the fence; there were no other traces. No feathers, no blood, no signs of struggle.

"Someone come here!" Xie Yunzhou's voice wasn't loud, but Dan Tong, who was watering the plants nearby, was so startled that he dropped the water ladle.

"The...the head of the household?"

"Investigate! Find out who entered the plant garden last night."

The news spread faster than the wind. In less than half an hour, the entire Pill Peak knew that two of Headmaster Xie's top-grade turkeys had been stolen. Those were top-grade spirit birds, raised from chicks on spirit ginseng from the Spirit Valley; each one was more nourishing than ten Qi Gathering Pills. The Headmaster had treasured them for years and had never been willing to kill them. Normally, if a disciple glanced at the henhouse while passing by, the Headmaster would frown. Now, two were gone overnight. The thief must have had a death wish.

The entire sect was abuzz with discussion. The servants of the miscellaneous quarters, the disciples of each peak, and even the members of the Enforcement Hall began to discuss the matter privately. Some said it must have been an inside job, as outsiders had no idea where the turkeys were kept. Others said the thief must have wanted to eat them to increase their cultivation; otherwise, who would risk such a great deal to steal two chickens? Still others speculated whether it was a remnant of the Qi family, deliberately trying to disgust Sect Leader Xie.

Xie Yunzhou stood by the chicken coop, his face ashen, speechless for a long time. Dan Tong, standing nearby, dared not breathe, only hearing the sect leader squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "Find out who it is, and I will deal with them personally!"

These words alarmed even the Enforcement Hall. Ouyang Jie personally ordered Su Yin to lead a thorough investigation. Su Yin accepted the order and, with two enforcement disciples, headed straight for the Spirit Plant Garden. She circled the chicken coop twice, her gaze sweeping over the fence, the muddy ground, and the beast-proof talisman, finally settling on a half-faded footprint in the mud. The footprint wasn't large, made by soft-soled cloth shoes with shallow treads, not standard disciple boots. Judging from the depth of the footprint, the person was rather thin, weighing no more than 120 pounds. Judging from the stride length, the person was of medium height and moved quickly, someone who habitually walked in the dark at night.

She crouched down and compared the length of the footprints with her fingers. Then she looked at a small patch of trampled moss next to the footprints. It was clear that the person had climbed over the low wall and slipped half a step on the moss when landing. The person's wall-climbing movements were very practiced; it wasn't the first time they'd done something like this.

Su Yin stood up and glanced around at the disciples watching the commotion. Wei Ping'an wasn't among them. Her lips twitched, but she suppressed them and expressionlessly ordered the disciples behind her, "Make a rubbing of the footprints, take the beast-proof talisman back for inspection, and summon the alchemist who was on night duty last night for questioning."

"Yes."

She glanced at the footprint again, and already knew what was going on. She'd only ever seen these soft-soled cloth shoes with someone else. This troublemaker dared to steal even the headmaster's turkey; his audacity was growing. But then again, the person's method of stealing the chicken was quite efficient; they left nothing but half a footprint. If she hadn't recognized the footprint, someone else might not have been able to find it.

She turned and walked away. As she passed the low wall, she subtly rubbed the sole of her boot against the mud at the base of the wall, where there was a clearer footprint that she had smudged.

"Senior Sister Su, have you found anything here?" A disciple caught up and asked.

"No." Su Yin said without turning her head. "Go check over there."

The enforcement officers had been busy all morning, but the clues were pitifully few. The ground around the turkey coop was a mess, with almost no useful traces except for a half-faded footprint. The beast-repelling talisman was intact, showing no signs of damage, indicating that the chicken thief's cultivation was at least at the third level of Qi Refining, and therefore impervious to the talisman. The bolt on the fence gate also showed no signs of being pried open, as if someone had reached in from the outside and pulled it open. The Dan Tong on night duty knew nothing, only saying that everything was normal during the patrol last night, all the chickens in the coop were there, and two were missing when he woke up this morning.

After searching everywhere, the only clue was half a footprint in the mud. But trying to find the chicken thief in the entire sect with just half a footprint was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The disciples were all guessing that this matter would probably remain a cold case.

Su Yin didn't tell anyone her judgment, using the excuse that she had other cases to handle, and sent her disciples back first. She herself took a detour and headed towards the foot of Danfeng Peak.

In the courtyard, Wei Ping'an was dozing off by the stove. He'd been up most of the night, then eaten half a pot of chicken, his stomach was bulging, and sleepiness was overwhelming. Just as he was drifting off, the courtyard gate was pushed open. He sat up abruptly, glancing instinctively towards the stove. The pot was clean, the chicken bones were buried, and there was no smell of meat in the house. Safe.

Then he saw who had come in.

Su Yin. Dressed in a black law enforcement robe, with a bronze token at her waist, her long hair tied up high, she stood neatly at the courtyard gate. Her face was expressionless as her gaze swept around the courtyard before finally settling on his face.

"Senior Sister Su?" Wei Ping'an stood up, his face instantly breaking into a smile. "What brings you here? I'm still recovering from my injuries; my internal wounds haven't fully healed, and I get dizzy if I stand for too long."

Su Yin didn't respond to him, but walked straight into the courtyard and sat down at the stone table. She tapped her fingers lightly on the surface, her tone as indifferent as if she were commenting on the weather: "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I'm alright, alright, it's just that the wound still hurts a bit, and I haven't been sleeping very soundly, tossing and turning." Wei Ping'an poured her a cup of tea, his hands not even trembling as he brought it over. "Did Senior Sister Su need something from me?"

"It's nothing. I was just passing by and thought I'd check on your injury." Su Yin picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked at him over the rim. "You look great, much better than a few days ago. What did you eat to nourish yourself?"

"It's just... the jujube cake that Senior Sister Shen gave me, and the ginseng dew that Uncle Zheng gave me." Wei Ping'an said without changing his expression, "They're just ordinary tonics."

"Oh? Is that so?" Su Yin put down her teacup, took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve, placed it on the stone table, and opened it. Inside was a rubbing of a shoe print on the muddy ground. She didn't speak, just looked at Wei Ping'an, and lightly touched the rubbing with her finger. Wei Ping'an looked down at it, and the smile on his face froze for half a second.

His shoe prints. He'd stepped in them last night near the chicken coop. He'd walked away in a hurry and hadn't looked back, leaving these marks. His heart pounded, but he remained calm: "What's this? Mud?"

"It was taken from the edge of the turkey coop," Su Yin said. "Left by a chicken thief."

"Oh—" Wei Ping'an drawled, "Then Senior Sister Su should have used the rubbing to catch the thief, why did she show it to me? I'm not from the Enforcement Hall."

"Does this shoe print look familiar?" Su Yin asked.

"They don't look familiar." Wei Ping'an shook his head decisively. "There are plenty of people in the sect who wear these kinds of cloth shoes. Everyone in the servants' quarters has a pair. The sole patterns are all pretty much the same. How can you tell whose they are?"

"Really?" Su Yin stood up, walked behind him, and looked down at his feet. "Then how come the patterns on your shoes are exactly the same as those on the rubbing?"

Wei Ping'an glanced down at his shoes, mentally cursing himself a hundred times over for last night. He'd been so focused on wrapping the pot when he left that he'd forgotten to change his shoes. He coughed, then looked up without batting an eye: "Senior Sister Su, these shoes were issued by the servants' quarters, so of course the pattern is the same. You can't suspect me of stealing chickens just because the shoe print is the same as mine, can you? There are over three hundred people in the servants' quarters; everyone's a suspect. Are you going to check them all?"

"What about the size of the shoe print?" Su Yin asked. "The shoe print on the rubbing matches the length and depth of your shoe. Out of the three hundred-plus people in the servants' quarters, it's hard to say if even half wear the same shoe size as you. Add to that your build—the chicken thief scaled the wall nimbly, only leaving half a footprint, indicating he's not heavy. A skinny person under 120 pounds, of medium height, who usually walks at night. Tell me, how many people in the servants' quarters fit these criteria?"

Wei Ping'an opened his mouth, unsure how to respond. He wondered if this woman was there to investigate the case or to shut him up, her words leaving him no room for rebuttal. He decided to drop the pretense, sat down on the stone bench, and looked up at her: "Senior Sister Su, look at you, so beautiful, everyone loves you, flowers bloom for you, how can you really bear to take me back?"

Su Yin didn't speak, she just looked at him. Sunlight fell on her face, her eyebrows and eyes still had that cool and aloof look, but there was a very subtle curve at the corner of her mouth, which could not be noticed unless you looked closely.

"Don't worry, we're not here to arrest you." She put the rubbing back into her sleeve, sat down again, and picked up her teacup. Her tone was casual, as if she were talking about something trivial. "I only made one rubbing of that shoe print. There was another, clearer footprint next to the chicken coop, which I accidentally stepped on."

Wei Pingan was stunned.

"The footprints on the mud were shallow to begin with, and they disappeared once they were stepped on. Only this blurry one remains on the rubbing, so we can't find anything about it." Su Yin took a sip of tea. "But next time you do something like this, remember to change your shoes. Cloth shoes in the servants' quarters are too common, but your steps are lighter than others, you land on your forefoot first, and the wear on the soles of your shoes is different from ordinary people. If someone with a sharp eye sees you, they'll recognize it at a glance."

Wei Ping'an stared at her for a long while, a mix of emotions churning within him. His friendship with Su Yin began during the life-or-death battle in Luoxia Valley; she owed him a life, and he had always found her cold and unapproachable. Yet today, despite having clearly traced his involvement, she came to help him erase footprints, hide evidence, and even taught him how to do it more cleanly. This wasn't the behavior of a disciple of the Enforcement Hall; it was clearly treating him as one of her own.

"Senior Sister Su," he scratched the back of his head, "since you've said it like that, I won't hide it from you anymore. I did steal the chicken."

"I know," Su Yin said.

"Aren't you curious why I stole it?"

"Of course I'm curious." She put down her teacup, looked at him, and said, "Tell me. Why did you steal Master Xie's turkey? Don't tell me you were just greedy. Although you like to cause trouble, you never do anything without a reason."

Wei Ping'an took a deep breath and recounted the entire story: the tampering with the furnace, the explosion of the furnace himself, the fruitless search of the warehouse records, and the conclusion reached by Old Man Zheng after examining the furnace. When he spoke of Steward Sun, his voice turned cold: "I didn't hold it against him last time for adulterating the medicinal herbs, but this time he tampered with my furnace, trying to cripple me. If I back down again, next time he'll probably take my life."

Su Yin fell silent after hearing this. She twirled her teacup in her hand, her eyes icy cold. "So you stole the turkey to frame Steward Sun?"

"That's right." Wei Ping'an nodded. "The headmaster's turkey is his precious treasure; anyone who touches it will die. As long as the headmaster thinks that Steward Sun stole it, that old bastard will be severely injured, if not killed. He definitely won't have time to bother me for a while."

"The idea is good, but the execution is too rough." Su Yin put down her teacup. "With just half a footprint, even if we can't find you, we can't find him either. You're missing crucial evidence, something that directly points to Deacon Sun."

"I know I lack evidence." Wei Ping'an scratched his head. "So I'm still thinking about it. I haven't figured out how to pin it on him yet, and you've already come knocking on my door."

Su Yin suddenly smiled. It wasn't a polite smile, but a sharp one, like a hunter smelling the scent of its prey. She took out a small jade bottle from her sleeve and placed it on the stone table. The jade bottle was only the size of a thumb, with the character "Sun" engraved on it. Inside, there was a wisp of extremely faint gray spiritual energy, the mark of a cultivator.

"I extracted this from the receipt document from Steward Sun when I interrogated the pharmacy manager last time," Su Yin said. "I was thinking of keeping it as evidence, but I never used it. Now it comes in handy."

Wei Ping'an picked up the jade bottle and looked at it, his eyes lighting up: "Having this makes things much easier. Placing this wisp of energy near the chicken coop is equivalent to leaving a trace of Deacon Sun's spiritual energy at the scene. Add one or two pieces of physical evidence pointing to him, and the matter will be confirmed."

"We're still missing physical evidence." Su Yin stood up, brushing off imaginary dust from her robes. "I'll get some. Deacon Sun is currently dealing with the Enforcement Hall's inspection of the pharmacy, so he's often not in the courtyard. I can go in under the guise of an inspection and get something out of there; it won't be difficult."

"Senior Sister Su," Wei Ping'an also stood up, "you...aren't you from the Enforcement Hall? Why are you helping me with this kind of thing?"

Su Yin glanced at him, her tone indifferent: "The Enforcement Hall's duty is to investigate cases, that's true. But some people can't be brought down by just serious investigations. He's been in the sect for so many years, he's long since covered up all his flaws. It's not shameful for me to team up with you." She paused, then added, "Besides, I owe you my life for what happened at Sunset Valley. When you almost died at the bottom of Broken Soul Cliff, I thought that if you came back alive, I would always stand by your side no matter what."

Wei Ping'an was stunned. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt blocked. After a long while, he managed to stammer, "Then I won't be polite."

Su Yin nodded and turned to walk out. She stopped at the courtyard gate, glanced back at him, and asked, "By the way, was your turkey... good?"

Wei Ping'an was taken aback for a moment, then grinned: "Delicious! It smells so good! I should have saved half for you."

"Let's talk about it next time." Su Yin pushed open the courtyard gate and walked out, her back straight, her black robes fluttering in the wind. Wei Ping'an watched her figure disappear around the corner, scratched the back of his head, and felt a warm glow in his heart.

Su Yin was efficient; after leaving Wei Ping'an's courtyard, she went directly to the Danfeng Deacon's Hall. Deacon Sun was indeed not there. Recently, the Law Enforcement Hall had been keeping a close eye on the medicine storehouse, and he had to deal with inspections every day. The courtyard was empty, without even a servant left.

She pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in, glancing around. The courtyard wasn't large, with three main rooms: a study on the left and a bedroom on the right. She went straight into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and saw a row of steward robes hanging inside, all dark gray, made of a better material than those of ordinary disciples. She picked out an old robe folded at the bottom, cutting a small piece of fabric from the cuff, the edges roughened as if scraped off by a twig. Then she picked up a small scrap of cloth from the corner of the wardrobe, worn from a previous washing process; it looked inconspicuous, but the material and color were exactly the same as the steward robe.

After carefully collecting the two pieces of cloth, she swept the room again. Several approved official documents lay on the desk, next to a small wooden box containing Steward Sun's frequently used seal and a few loose spirit stones. She didn't touch the seal; too obvious a touch would seem suspicious. She simply ran her finger lightly along the edge of the box, picking up a little residual ink, then wiped it off with a clean cloth, which she tucked into her bosom. The ink had a distinctive smell, consistent with the cinnabar ink Steward Sun often used for approving documents; leaving it at the scene would serve as evidence.

After leaving the Deacon's Courtyard, she returned to the turkey coop. By then, it was already broad daylight, and the disciples who had gathered to watch the spectacle around the Spirit Plant Garden had dispersed, leaving the turkey coop deserted. She opened the jade bottle, releasing a wisp of gray spiritual energy onto the inside of the coop fence, and then tucked a piece of cloth into a crack in the fence—a concealed spot that would surely be found with a careful search. She pressed another piece of cloth into the mud with her finger, leaving a faint indentation, before casually tossing it into the nearby bushes.

After doing all that, she stood up, dusted off her hands, looked around to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and then turned to leave.

That night, when the Enforcement Hall members were re-searching the turkey enclosure, a disciple found the piece of cloth in a crack in the fence. The cloth was dark gray, made of a better material than the ordinary disciples' uniforms, with rough edges, as if it had been scraped off the fence. Shortly afterward, someone else found another small piece of cloth in the nearby grass, faintly smelling of cinnabar ink.

The most crucial discovery came from the spiritual energy detection device in the Enforcement Hall. When a disciple scanned the area around the chicken coop with the device, it emitted a faint reaction inside the fence. After repeated confirmation, a wisp of residual cultivator's aura was detected, and the aura's attributes matched those of Sun Yongchang, the Danfeng Deacon.

When the news reached Su Yin, she was sitting at her desk in the Enforcement Hall, reviewing case files. After listening to her disciple's report, she closed the file expressionlessly and said, "Understood. I'll go report to Elder Ouyang." As she got up to leave, a slight, uncontrollable smile curved her lips.

After hearing the report, Ouyang Jie frowned so deeply that it could trap a fly. He held the dark gray rag in his hand and examined it, then had his disciple bring up the spiritual energy test records, which he read through twice.

"Sun Yongchang?" Ouyang Jie slammed the rag on the table. "He dared to touch Chief Xie's turkey? Has this guy eaten a leopard's gall or lost his mind?"

"Three pieces of evidence were found at the scene." Su Yin stood in front of the table, her tone official. "The residual spiritual energy fluctuations inside the fence match Deacon Sun's aura. The scraps of cloth hanging in the gaps of the fence match the material of the deacon's robe. The scraps of cloth in the grass have the smell of cinnabar ink. As far as I know, the Danfeng Deacon Hall uses specially made cinnabar ink for approving official documents, which ordinary disciples do not possess."

"Why would he steal the master's turkey if he had nothing better to do?" Ouyang Jie asked.

"That hasn't been determined yet." Su Yin paused, "However, Steward Sun has been under considerable pressure lately due to the investigation by the Enforcement Hall because of the medicine storehouse. Perhaps he wants to eat some turkey to replenish his strength... who knows?"

Ouyang Jie was taken aback by her words. He glanced at her, feeling that the girl's words were a bit strange today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He pondered for a moment, then waved his hand: "First, organize the evidence and present a copy to Headmaster Xie. This matter involves the Danfeng stewards, so it's inconvenient for me to arrest them directly. Let Headmaster Xie decide for himself."

When Xie Yunzhou received the evidence, his expression was quite interesting.

He examined the tattered cloth several times, then had someone bring over official documents that Deacon Sun usually reviewed to compare the smell of the cinnabar ink. Finally, he read the spiritual energy detection record three times from beginning to end. After finishing, he slammed the evidence on the table, making the teacups jump.

"So this is Sun Yongchang!" Xie Yunzhou's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice. "He's worked as a steward under my nose for so many years, and I thought he was a law-abiding citizen. I never expected he'd dare steal my spirit bird." He stood up, flicked his sleeve, and said, "Someone, go to the steward's office and bring Sun Yongchang to me. Immediately!"

Two inner disciples of Danfeng received the order and turned to run towards the Deacon's Office.

Everyone in Danfeng knows Xie's temper. He usually seems gentle and mild-mannered, but when he gets really angry, he's more frightening than anyone else. He's raised that turkey for several years and has never been able to bear killing it. Now that two of them have been stolen, this matter is definitely not going to end well.

Two disciples jogged to the deacon's courtyard. The gate was ajar, and it was quiet inside. The lead disciple knocked on the door: "Deacon Sun? Are you there?"

No one answered.

They knocked twice more, but still no response. The two exchanged a glance and pushed the door open. The study was empty, and the bedroom was empty too. A faint sound came from the direction of the outhouse in the backyard; the door was closed.

"Deacon Sun?" The leading disciple walked to the door of the outhouse and was about to knock when he suddenly heard a hurried rustling sound inside, as if someone was frantically pulling up their pants. Immediately afterward, the back window of the outhouse was flung open with a bang.

"Oh no! He's running away!" The two rushed to the back window and looked out. They saw Sun Yongchang running towards the back mountain with his belt unfastened and his pants pulled up. His two thin legs swung rapidly under his robe, and he slipped and fell several times on the gravel.

Sun Yongchang's mind was in turmoil. He was already constipated today, and after squatting for almost half an hour without any results, his legs were numb. Suddenly, he heard someone knocking on the front door and calling his name. It was someone sent by the sect leader. His first thought wasn't about the turkey, but about the Qi family... Had the sect discovered his communication with Qi Kui? Had the Enforcement Hall found the residual mark on that communication talisman?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, the hairs on his body stood on end. He knew better than anyone what the crime of treason was—it was a death sentence. Only one thought remained in his mind—run. Run as far as possible, before the Enforcement Hall surrounded the courtyard, before Headmaster Xie came to arrest him personally.

He didn't even wipe his butt. He pulled up his pants, smashed open the back window, and jumped out. His movements were so fast that it was hard to believe he had been squatting for half an hour and his legs were numb.

"Stop!" The two disciples immediately gave chase.

Sun Yongchang, a seasoned veteran of Danfeng for decades, knew the terrain of the back mountain intimately. He deliberately chose to take the narrow paths, winding his way through a jumble of rocks. His two disciples gave chase, but they were always a fraction slower than him. Just as they were about to catch up, Sun Yongchang sidestepped and disappeared into the depths of the rocky forest, his figure vanishing behind a boulder.

Where are they?!

"Search separately!" The two disciples searched the stone forest for about half an incense stick's time, finding only one lost shoe. It had fallen under the window when Sun Yongchang climbed over the back window, and in his panic when he was caught up, he kicked it and flung it into a crevice in the rocks. But the man had already vanished.

When the news reached Danfeng, Xie Yunzhou's face darkened completely. He had only intended to have Sun Yongchang come over for questioning, to investigate the matter thoroughly, and to punish and compensate accordingly. But the man, feeling guilty, ran away before even being questioned, which was tantamount to admitting guilt without being asked.

"Search." Xie Yunzhou only said one word, "Turn the back mountain upside down and find them."

Ouyang Jie also received the news. He sneered and directly combined the evidence from the turkey case with the case of Sun Yongchang's escape, ordering the Enforcement Hall to pursue him with all its might. For a time, the entire sect was in a state of panic. No one expected that the seemingly honest and unassuming Steward Sun was actually a chicken thief, let alone that he would dare to resist arrest and flee.

In the courtyard, Wei Ping'an heard the rest of the story from Old Man Zheng and laughed so hard he almost fell off the stone bench. He clutched his stomach and laughed for a while before calming down, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes, and said, "That old geezer finally got what he deserved. He even lost his shoes while climbing through the back window? Wasn't he afraid of breaking his leg with those old bones?"

"Stop gloating." Old Zheng said, his tone ambiguous, neither blaming nor teasing, as he puffed on his pipe. "Master Xie is busy hunting people all over the mountain. Your method of framing him was crude, but he slipped up out of the blue because he was guilty. It was a lucky accident."

"I didn't frame you." Wei Ping'an looked innocent. "The evidence was found by the Enforcement Hall, and the person was arrested on the orders of the leader. What does it have to do with me? I'm a law-abiding citizen. I've been resting in the hospital and haven't even left the house."

Old Zheng glanced at him but didn't say anything. Only the embers in his pipe flickered twice, and behind the smoke, his wrinkled face displayed a complex expression.

As dusk fell, Wei Ping'an moved a chair to the courtyard, looked up at the flying magical artifacts of the Law Enforcement Hall on the mountaintop and the torches used for searching the mountain, and listened to the shouts of the disciples in the distance: "Seal off all entrances to the back mountain" and "Check the caves one by one." Enjoying the evening breeze, he crossed his legs and felt extremely comfortable.

He patted the edge of the pot and muttered to himself, "Deacon Sun, why did you have to provoke me? I may not be good at much else, but I never repeat myself when it comes to disgusting tricks."

After saying that, he stood up, stretched, and went back to his room to sleep. He slept exceptionally soundly that night; since returning to the sect, he hadn't slept as peacefully as he had tonight.