Qin Chu felt that Qi Qingqing might have a problem; three Jade Spirit Flowers and a few bottles of Heaven Origin Pills were equivalent in value, but not in rarity.
For a Cultivator who has Jade Spirit Flowers, it's not difficult to acquire the Materials for Heaven Origin Pills; they could even exchange for many.
Qi Qingqing isn't a fool, how could she not think of this?
With the matters settled, everyone went to rest.
Qin Chu had one less task than before; Little Golden Claw was born, so there was no longer a need to nourish the Vermilion Bird Stone.
Feeding Little Golden Claw two Spirit Stones morning and evening was just a matter of convenience.
Without the need to nourish the Vermilion Bird Stone, Qin Chu did not stop nourishing the Vermilion Bird Holy Fire, but he had run out of Fire Spirit Stones and was entirely using his own Origin Qi for nourishment.
Regarding Fire Spirit Stones, Qin Lingxi had already sent a message to the Vermilion Bird Holy Land, asking Qin Longhan to arrange for people to go back to the underground sea of fire for mining.
After Cultivating all night, Qin Chu still habitually Cultivated his swordplay after getting up.
This time, Shangshu Tianye only watched and had no intention of participating, because Qin Chu's Dao of the Sword attainment was already much higher than his own back then.
As for guidance, it wasn't needed either; Qin Chu had his own Cultivation direction.
After Cultivating his swordplay for a while, Qin Chu, along with Qianxun and Qingyi, went out.
They first went to the Alchemist Guild to conduct some Medicinal Pill transactions, and in the afternoon, the three returned to the Vermilion Bird Holy Clan's stronghold.
After pausing at the entrance of the stronghold, Qin Chu led Qianxun and Qingyi to the teahouse across the street, sat down at a prominent table, and then ordered a pot of tea.
Not long after Qin Chu and the other two sat down, Qi Qingqing appeared.
She had been secretly observing Qin Chu and the others, noticed them entering the teahouse, and then followed them in.
"Alchemist Qin, you've come for tea too; this place's Silver Beard Tea is quite good," Qi Qingqing said to Qin Chu.
"You are... I remember now, you asked me to refine Medicinal Pills," Qin Chu said, looking at Qi Qingqing for a moment before patting his forehead.
He was playing the part fully; he wasn't stupid and knew what to do.
"That's right, I'm the one who exchanged Jade Spirit Flowers for top-grade Heaven Origin Pills," Qi Qingqing said with a smile.
That Qin Chu remembered her was a good thing for her; as long as she had a chance to interact with Qin Chu alone, he wouldn't escape her grasp.
"I remember now; if you ever run short on Medicinal Pills, you can always find me," Qin Chu said to Qi Qingqing.
After exchanging greetings, Qin Chu, Qingyi, and Qianxun began to drink tea and chat.
Qianxun, being unaware, chatted as he normally would, his voice loud, showing his most authentic side.
Qingyi knew about last night's situation, but he was an old Jianghu hand and could keep things hidden.
When it was about time, Qin Chu stood up to pay the bill and leave, and he also settled Qi Qingqing's bill.
As he reached the teahouse entrance, Qin Chu turned back and nodded to Qi Qingqing, "The tea is indeed good."
Qin Chu, Qingyi, and Qianxun left the teahouse.
Qianxun and Qin Chu noisily returned to the Vermilion Bird Holy Clan's stronghold.
Watching Qin Chu leave, Qi Qingqing felt her opportunity had arrived.
As long as she could get close, she could gain Qin Chu's trust, and then Qin Chu and Little Golden Claw could be taken care of in one swoop.
Qi Qingqing was certain that as the sole Young Lord of the Vermilion Bird Holy Clan, the Vermilion Bird and Qin Chu must have a connection.
The reason was simple: the Vermilion Bird Holy Clan would naturally prioritize Qin Chu, their Young Lord, with any good things they had.
Entering the Vermilion Bird Holy Clan's stronghold, Qianxun went to chat with Yan Yi and Bai Yu, while Qin Chu and Qingyi went to Qin Chu's courtyard, where they met Shangshu Tianye.
Qin Chu told Shangshu Tianye about meeting Qi Qingqing today.
"This situation doesn't prove anything yet, but she is the most likely one to be problematic," Shangshu Tianye said.
"Keep her on the hook slowly, and don't be too reserved.
I know your Qi, and you've always been within my surveillance.
The other party is hidden, and I am also hidden, so they won't discover me.
Only when the outcome is clear will we know who is outsmarting whom."
"Don't worry, Uncle, I will continue to deal with her," Qin Chu said.
"I'm not in a hurry either; the longer this drags on, the more my strength will increase."
"The improvement of Cultivation cannot be rushed," Shangshu Tianye reminded Qin Chu.
"I also advised Yu'er; during the fifth-rank Heaven Origin Realm, the Origin Qi Cultivation must be polished to Perfection, and the Foundation must be solid, so as not to affect future improvements."
Qin Chu would be his son-in-law in the future, so he had to manage him.
"I understand, I will definitely settle down properly," Qin Chu said.
Qin Chu Cultivated his fist techniques, and after a period of fist techniques, he Cultivated his swordplay.
Shangshu Tianye had been observing Qin Chu's Cultivation; he felt that watching Qin Chu Cultivate his swordplay was a pleasure.
Qin Chu's swordplay was in a state of Great Perfection, and the connections between his sword moves were naturally seamless, carrying a unique charm.
"To maintain a state of Great Perfection even after speeding up basic swordplay, you are the first person I've seen, which shows you've put in a lot of hard work," Shangshu Tianye commented after Qin Chu put away his long sword.
"Hard work... not really," Qin Chu said.
"I like swordplay, and Cultivating it every day has become a habit.
As I Cultivated, I just developed some skill."
"This is a state of mind, an attitude," Shangshu Tianye said.
"With this kind of attitude, it's hard not to achieve anything."
After chatting with Shangshu Tianye for a while, Qin Chu went to feed Little Golden Claw.
As Qin Chu was about to go Cultivate his Origin Qi, Shangshu Tianye called out to him.
"Drinking in the past wasn't formal enough; today, let's have a proper drink between us father and son-in-law."
Shangshu Tianye waved his arm, and with a clang, a white jade carved wine cup, the size of a human head, was placed on the table.
"Uncle, aren't you a bit too quick?" Qin Chu said, looking at the wine cup in front of Shangshu Tianye.
"Yu'er bought back some beautiful jade, I carved it a bit, and the wine cup appeared," Shangshu Tianye said.
"Let's drink well today; anyone who uses Origin Qi to protect themselves is this!"
Shangshu Tianye extended his right pinky finger.
This situation was perfectly witnessed by Qin Lingxi and Shangshu Yu, who had just arrived at Qin Chu's courtyard.
The two exchanged glances and entered the courtyard.
"Father, what are you doing?" Shangshu Yu came to Shangshu Tianye's side.
"What am I doing? Your old man is going to have a good drink with him," Shangshu Tianye said, looking at his daughter.
Shangshu Yu looked at Qin Chu; she wanted to know his attitude.
"It's fine, I'll just accompany Uncle for a drink," Qin Chu said, taking out his Jade Human Head Cup and placing it in front of him.
"I'll pour the wine!" Qingyi, who had rushed over, immediately opened a jar of wine.
Let the drinking begin!
One jar of wine could fill two large cups.
At this point, Qin Chu's advantage from his training became apparent; he finished a large cup in a few gulps.
Shangshu Tianye was a bit behind; he hadn't done this before, and drinking from such a large cup directly was very uncomfortable, and he couldn't use his Cultivation to protect himself.
By the third cup, Shangshu Tianye's face was red.
"I can't do it anymore! Damn, these big cups are great, but not everyone can handle them!" Shangshu Tianye's tongue was slurring.