The dispensary for collecting herbs was also located within the medicine hall, but it was on the opposite side.

When Qin Shu arrived to report, she noticed a few other junior disciples who seemed about her age—likely from the same intake as her.

However, as soon as the others saw Qin Shu, their expressions turned somewhat unnatural.

Qin Shu took out her identity token and reported to the senior sister at the registration desk, who then led her to a large cabinet.

"You're in luck. Master Ma assigned you to collect herbs for Spirit Replenishing Pills. The herbs for those are minimal compared to others. Do your job well—there's only one rule: you must prepare a hundred portions by the end of today. Starting tomorrow, disciples will come to collect them, so there's no room for delay."

Qin Shu had overheard someone call this tall and slender senior sister "Lingxi" earlier and made a note of it in her mind.

"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister Lingxi," Qin Shu said with a respectful bow.

Lingxi raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips. "You're quite clever. Get to work."

Compared to sorting spirit plants, measuring herbs was much simpler—just follow the prescribed ratios of the spirit plants.

By the time Qin Shu finished preparing all one hundred portions, it was just past noon. Lingxi appreciated her efficiency and credited her two days' worth of contribution points in one go.

Qin Shu infused a spell into her identity token and saw that it now displayed 20 points—a delightful surprise.

Happily taking her ten portions of herbs for the Spirit Replenishing Pills, Qin Shu headed off to the Lecture Hall.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the Lecture Hall, her smile vanished, and a complex expression took over her face.

Cheng Yan had noticed her as well—this junior sister of his had left an impression.

It wasn't just because she had tampered with his Golden Rainbow Pomegranate but also because Wen Chi had surprisingly chosen to protect her.

His divine sense swept over Qin Shu, making her break out in a cold sweat. For a moment, she felt as if she had been completely seen through.

Unbidden, memories of a sword aimed at her surfaced. Even though he hadn't been the one wielding it, the thought still left her shaken.

Her face went pale, and her limbs stiffened.

The silence in the air was suffocating, but then the small black snake on Qin Shu's wrist suddenly came to life. It slithered briefly before leaving an ancient symbol imprinted on Qin Shu's forehead.

None of this was noticed by anyone, not even Qin Shu herself.

The symbol, however, had a unique effect: it ensured no one would discover her unique physique or see through her true cultivation level.

In other words, it was like an additional protective cover for Qin Shu.

After a long pause, Cheng Yan finally spoke, "What do you wish to learn?"

The icy chill on Qin Shu's back gradually faded. She suppressed her unease, reminding herself that nothing had happened yet and that she just needed to stay vigilant around Cheng Yan in the future.

Lowering her head, she replied in a soft voice, "I want to learn alchemy."

Cheng Yan had already used his divine sense to assess her cultivation. This junior sister wasn't particularly talented, but her cultivation speed was impressive. No wonder Wen Chi treated her differently.

He casually tossed her a jade slip and said indifferently, "Read it first. Ask if you don't understand something."

Qin Shu quickly caught the jade slip, placed it against her forehead, and closed her eyes to concentrate, absorbing its contents.

After quite some time, she finally opened her eyes.

Cheng Yan asked, "So? Do you have any questions?"

Qin Shu hesitated. She figured it was better to ask than to remain ignorant—becoming stronger would make her less afraid of him in the future.

With that thought, she raised her head to meet Cheng Yan's gaze. To her surprise, this seemed to stun him for a moment.

Her eyes were too dark and bright, filled with a restraint that didn't match a ten-year-old girl.

"Hmm? Are you afraid of me?" Cheng Yan asked.

Qin Shu instinctively nodded but quickly stopped herself halfway through. She straightened her back and said, "No, I'm not afraid."

However, in Cheng Yan's eyes, her posture only seemed to scream false bravado.

He chuckled softly, an expression rarely seen on his face. Even when he did smile, it was typically just a faint curve of his lips—barely noticeable.

When he realized his own reaction, he froze for a moment and suppressed the smile. "If you're not afraid, then just ask your questions."

Qin Shu nodded. "The jade slip mentions maintaining an optimal temperature for the alchemy furnace. What exactly is the optimal temperature?"

"A temperature that melts the spirit plants into liquid without vaporizing them."

Qin Shu continued, "I still don't quite understand the hand seals required to merge several spirit plants into one."

Cheng Yan demonstrated the seals for her, step by step. At that moment, Qin Shu set aside her grievances and focused entirely on learning.

However, by the time she managed to complete the seals, her forehead was drenched in sweat, and her spiritual energy was nearly depleted.

Qin Shu instinctively realized that her current cultivation level made alchemy somewhat challenging.

No wonder the sect required disciples to be at least at the second level of Qi Refinement to begin alchemy. At the first level, even forming the necessary seals was nearly impossible.

Her spiritual energy replenished slowly during the day, yet the alchemy rooms were only open to low-level disciples during daylight hours.

The more she thought about it, the tighter her brows furrowed. If she attempted to refine pills now, the success rate would be abysmal.

Even if she managed to produce pills, they would likely be low-grade Spirit Replenishing Pills—not worth much.

"Didn't learn it?" Cheng Yan asked, noticing her tense expression.

Qin Shu looked up. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I've learned it."

Cheng Yan pondered for a moment before saying, "There's no need to be so afraid of me. You stole my spirit fruit, and I didn't even punish you. Why do you act like you're the aggrieved one?"

Qin Shu pressed her lips into a thin line. His reminder had only served to make her remember their prior grievance.

Seeing her silence, Cheng Yan grew impatient.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

Qin Shu hesitated for a moment. Then, as if a switch flipped in her mind, she blurted out, "I was thinking—if I could trouble Senior Brother to refine pills for me and split the profits after handing the required portion to the sect, what would the odds be?"

Cheng Yan: "..."

The reprimand he had been about to deliver got stuck in his throat. Just moments ago, this junior sister had looked at him with obvious fear. How had she gone from being timid to brazen in the span of a few sentences?

Realizing what she'd said, Qin Shu wished she could rewind time and stop herself from speaking. But since the words were already out, she forced an awkward smile and went all in: "We could do a 60-40 split."

"70-30?"

...

With a dark expression, Cheng Yan waved his sleeve, and Qin Shu found herself plastered against the wall.

Inwardly, she cursed this man a thousand times for being so quick to resort to violence against a child. But before she could continue her mental tirade, she heard him say, "Leave your herbs here and come back for them tomorrow."

Pressing her dry lips together, Qin Shu looked at the cold and distant man seated before her. Suddenly, she felt like her cursing might have been premature.

Sliding down from the wall, she steadied herself and gave a slight cough. Carefully retrieving ten portions of Spirit Replenishing Pill herbs from her storage bag, she stepped forward and placed them before Cheng Yan.

With a respectful bow, she said, "Senior Brother, I'll trouble you with this."