“You don’t appreciate tea, so have some medicinal herbs to strengthen your body,” Lin Shanhai said with a light chuckle.
The group then casually chatted about alchemy, masters, Holy Land pill formulas, tasks, and the topic occasionally shifted to Lin Shanhai’s granddaughter, Lin Qingyue. Mentioning her inevitably led to discussions about the upcoming Sword God War in the Holy Land.
The many disciples inside the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, including the saintesses, all held swordsmanship in the highest regard. The ultimate test of cultivation and swordsmanship doesn’t leave room for excuses like disparities in weaponry—the loser would be in complete and utter defeat, without a doubt.
Li Hao sat quietly on the side, simply sitting and listening in silence.
When occasionally praised, he would respond with a laugh.
After a leisurely chat, Li Hao became somewhat familiar with the names and personalities of the four, and they also remembered the quiet, polite young man.
After saying goodbye, life in the yard went on as usual.
Time quickly passed.
In the following days, Li Hao not only assisted Lin Shanhai in refining and purifying pills but was also invited to help out at the alchemy places of the four masters. His frequent appearances began to create a small reputation. Both the attendants of the Pill Masters and those disciples of the Holy Land who buttered up to the attendants heard that there was a pill refining assistant who had won the favor of several senior alchemists…
In Lin Shanhai’s courtyard.
The night sky was dazzling, and sword light flashed.
After completing a set of swordsmanship, Lin Qingyue wiped the sweat from her forehead, then was immediately greeted by the wafting aroma of pastries.
She turned her head and saw the alchemist she had found, carrying a plate of pastries from another part of the yard’s kitchen.
“Are you hungry? Want some snacks?” Li Hao saw her looking and smiled, gesturing with the pastries in his hands.
Lin Qingyue’s eyes were calm, without a response, she continued to practice another sword technique.
During her practice, she also pondered the course of the Sword Momentum.
Gurgle…
Perhaps it was the drifting scent of food, but halfway through her routine, her stomach quietly rumbled.
Lin Qingyue frowned slightly, took a break from her Sword Intent contemplation, and glanced at the pill room, where an old man and a young man were eating and drinking, appearing to be very cheerful.
These two… since when did they get so familiar?
Lin Qingyue paused, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. She knew her grandfather’s temperament. Although he seemed easy-going, he had been through many dangers in his early years and was always slightly guarded against others. But now, he seemed extremely amiable toward the alchemist he had brought back.
“Qingyue, if you’re tired, come take a break. Try Qingfeng’s culinary art; it’s really fantastic!” Lin Shanhai called out, holding up a pastry when he saw his granddaughter’s gaze.
Lin Qingyue looked at the pastries, fell silent for a moment, and eventually put away her sword and walked into the pill room.
“Here.”
Li Hao handed over the plate for her to help herself, as someone as fastidious as him would dislike food others had touched.
Lin Qingyue noticed Li Hao’s subtle actions, her eyes sparkled briefly, but she didn’t speak. With her slender fingers like green onions, she lightly picked up a pastry and put it in her mouth.
The instantly melting flavor and ineffable spread of sensation slightly widened Lin Qingyue’s eyes, but she quickly returned to her usual expression, silently chewing a couple of times before tasting quietly.
Li Hao saw she swallowed and, not being stingy, handed the plate over again.
“…”
Lin Qingyue paused, picked another piece, chewed slowly, and after swallowing, she looked at Li Hao and nodded, “The taste is good, thanks for the pastry.”
She then turned and went back outside to the courtyard, resuming her sword practice.
Li Hao was unconcerned, pushing the plate towards Lin Shanhai, and the old and the young casually ate.
From the day Lin Shanhai introduced Li Hao, Li Hao mixed well with Zhao Yingzhen and others, frequently assisting in Lin Shanhai’s courtyard or at their places, even leisurely visiting them.
Lin Shanhai was only interested in alchemy and had no interest in playing chess, calligraphy, fishing, and so on.
But to Li Hao’s surprise, Shi Huajin, the woman, was quite accomplished in chess.
So aside from helping out, Li Hao would occasionally visit Shi Huajin’s peak to discuss Chess Tao during his leisure time.
The alchemists lived in the core area of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, a secluded environment surrounded by Medicine Mountains, where disciples of the Holy Land typically were not permitted to disturb.
The Sword Ancestor Holy Land was vast, and by combining what he heard from Lin Shanhai and his own reasoning, Li Hao concluded that the area of the Holy Land alone was about twice the size of the Dayu Divine Dynasty, roughly equivalent to the size of thirty-eight states!
The area where Li Hao helped Lin Shanhai with alchemy was as large as a city, yet housed only a few servants and attendants, incredibly quiet and spacious.
It was similar with the others, but Zhao Yingzhen’s Medicine Mountain was bustling with many attendants and disciples, with the entire peak decorated lavishly, like the Imperial Capital in the Mortal World.
“You must’ve put a lot of effort into your chess skills; it’s not something achieved by playing casually,” Shi Huajin made her move in the pavilion on Medicine Mountain, blocking Li Hao’s white pieces after half a month of getting to know the young man, she became more and more interested in him, as he was different from the others she had met before.
“It’s just a casual interest, a little study,” Li Hao said with a smile, his attention on the chessboard. Her playing skill was not poor, about the fifth stage. If he was careless, even as a Chess Path Sixth Stage, he would lose.
Overconfidence leads to defeat, only a remarkable difference in skill level would allow a comeback.
“If you’re willing, I could recommend you to the Holy Land. With our mutual recommendation, you could immediately hold a position as an intermediate Alchemist, with a status comparable to an Inner Sect Disciple of the Holy Land,” Shi Huajin seriously suggested to Li Hao.
Li Hao shook his head slightly; he was here to heal and incidentally improve his Artistic Skill.
The alchemist status didn’t mean much to him.
Seeing Li Hao focused, Shi Huajin also did not say more and focused on making her chess moves.
Black and white pieces mingled on the chessboard, absorbing all of Li Hao’s attention as the board seemed to enlarge in his vision; the gridlines infinitively stretching to envelop him.
He felt as if he became a piece on the board himself.
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That Spirit Light, fleetingly appearing, Li Hao finally caught it.
