"Alright then, I'll set up some things for you inside. You won't be bored." Evan Yang said with a smile.
"Now that's more like it!" Ye Chen cheered, delighted.
Then the two of them went to a big city and went on a shopping spree. Evan Yang had plenty of Spirit Crystal Ore to pay for all those little things. Once they were almost done, Evan left the city, found a deserted spot, and stored Ye Chen away.
Following Ye Chen's request, Evan set up a living area inside the tower for her and Winter, complete with plots for growing vegetables and a few small animals, all bought from the market.
Ye Chen said she wanted to raise everything herself—animals and vegetables alike—so that whenever they wanted to eat something, she could cook it herself. Not only that, she also bought a lot of wine.
Watching Ye Chen lay everything out and share with Winter, Evan withdrew his Divine Sense and muttered, "Time to check out the Fenn Family and see what this Tyrant Seal Art is really about."
Evan knew that, while Ye Chen seemed happy living an ordinary life, she was actually the loneliest one inside. So he decided to go to the Fenn Family and uncover the secrets of the Tyrant Seal Art.
Before heading out, Evan needed to make some preparations. After all, the Fenn Family was the top clan—if he wanted to get in and out smoothly, he needed a solid plan.
So Evan returned to the city, gathered some intel about the Fenn Family and their headquarters from an inn waiter.
Once he had a clear picture, Evan left and headed for a few pill shops.
"Boss, do you have any pills that can disguise one's appearance?" Evan asked curiously as soon as he entered. Back in his continent, those pills were considered low-grade, so Evan worried they wouldn't be effective here and wanted to check if there were any stronger disguise pills available.
"Disguise pills? There are several types, but the prices vary," the shopkeeper replied.
"What's the difference?" Evan asked curiously.
"There are low-grade disguise pills, mid-grade disguise pills, and high-grade disguise pills," the shopkeeper explained.
"What's the difference?"
"Low-grade disguise pills simply change appearance, but can't alter aura or breath. Mid-grade pills can change breath, while high-grade pills can alter aura," the shopkeeper replied.
Evan thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any disguise pill that can conceal one's aura so that even people stronger than me can't see through it?"
"Kid, are you here to stir up trouble?" Hearing Evan's demanding requirements, the shopkeeper immediately glared at him.
"Boss, don't be angry, I'm just asking," Evan said with an embarrassed smile.
"Hmph, you brat. I'll see if you're sincere. If you are, I'll tell you where you can get a similar pill," the shopkeeper said.
Evan immediately understood what sincerity meant, so he smiled and said, "If you tell me, I'll buy a million high-grade Spirit Crystal Ore worth of herbs."
The shopkeeper was overjoyed. Their store had plenty of herbs, and a million high-grade would mean at least half in profit. He then told Evan everything he knew about where to get the pill Evan wanted.
After listening, Evan asked suspiciously, "It's just a pill formula?"
"Yes, it's just a formula. Everyone calls it a pseudo-Immortal pill formula. It's not a true Immortal pill, because as soon as the user activates spiritual power, the effect disappears," the shopkeeper replied.
"Where can I get it?" Evan asked curiously.
"I have a copy here. If you want it, it'll be two hundred thousand high-grade Spirit Crystal Ore," the shopkeeper replied.
"Boss, are you scamming me? You said you'd tell me where to get the pill, now you want me to buy the formula from you?" Evan asked suspiciously.
"Young man, that's not fair. We're running a business here. I'm telling you how to get the pill, but whether you find someone to refine it or succeed, that's up to you," the shopkeeper said innocently.
Evan was in a hurry and didn't want to argue. A few million was nothing to him, so he spent three hundred thousand, buying both the formula and the herbs.
Then he left.
"Boss, isn't that pill formula useless?" a shop assistant asked curiously as he walked over.
"Watch your mouth! Who says it's useless? It's just that no one has succeeded in refining it yet," the shopkeeper replied with a smile, then happily returned to his work with the three hundred thousand Spirit Crystal Ore.
The assistant silently cursed, "Black-hearted." Outside, this pill formula was considered a waste recipe—no one could refine it successfully. The shopkeeper had secretly copied many versions to sell whenever needed.
Evan just happened to be one of those buyers.
Just as the assistant finished cursing, an old man walked in.
The shopkeeper saw him and smiled, "Oh, isn't that Senior Tu?"
The old man was dressed like a beggar, but nobody dared look down on him here, much less mock him. His identity was anything but simple.
"I've been wanting to brew some wine lately, but ran out of herbs, so I came to check," the old beggar said with a smile.
"Senior, if you need ingredients, just send word and I'll deliver them. Why come all this way?" the shopkeeper said with a smile.
"Getting old, gotta stay active or my body will waste away," the old beggar replied with a smile.
"What do you need? I'll get it for you right away," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
"Same as always." The old beggar handed over a recipe for herbs to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper called the assistant to prepare the order, then stayed to chat with the old beggar.
After standing for a while, the old beggar suddenly asked, "What did that guy want from you just now?"
The shopkeeper replied awkwardly, "He bought some herbs and a pill formula."
"Oh? Which formula?" The old beggar asked, curious.
"It's the Hidden Dragon Elixir formula—the one that can conceal aura, even change voice. Honestly, I feel a bit bad for selling it," the shopkeeper admitted.
"Isn't that a discarded formula?" The old beggar asked suspiciously.
"Well, Senior, a man's got to make a living," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
Just then, a man suddenly flashed in and appeared beside the shopkeeper, moving so fast he seemed to materialize out of thin air.
Then, through secret voice transmission, the man said to the old beggar, "You'll suffocate to death unless you find someone to complete that task. But that's impossible now—I'll track you every day. Whoever you take a liking to, I'll kill them."
With a loud laugh, the man left the shop.
The assistant came out and handed the prepared herbs to the old beggar.
"Here's the Spirit Crystal Ore for you," the old beggar sighed, then flashed away.
The assistant cursed, "The Cao Family and those people are monsters, turning the King of Alchemy into this."
"Is that your place to comment? Get back to work! If those people hear you, your whole family won't survive, and I'll be dragged down too," the shopkeeper said, shocked.
"Coward," the assistant muttered, then went back to his tasks.
The old beggar walked away, thinking about what had just happened: "You finally appeared."
But after a few steps, he sighed helplessly, "That’s a pseudo-Immortal pill, and no one can refine it. Do you really think you’ll succeed?"
The old beggar felt complicated emotions. Seeing Evan appear in this shop, he wanted to go chat, but remembered the people tailing him.
But if he didn't meet Evan, he'd never resolve his deepest regret. So he flashed through the crowd quickly, while the man behind him kept locking onto his location with Divine Sense.
Evan still needed more ingredients, so he had to visit other pill shops; the previous one didn’t have everything listed in the formula.
"I wonder if I can actually refine this pseudo-Immortal pill," Evan muttered. He’d never made one before—he was only skilled at Profound-grade pills. Above Profound-grade, pills are divided into pseudo-Immortal and true Immortal.
Only able to refine Profound-grade pills, Evan had never tried a pseudo-Immortal pill, so he prepared several sets of materials. Just as he was about to leave the shop, a voice reached his ear via secret transmission.
"The Dan Classic is more than it seems. You must study it thoroughly. I hope to see your brilliance someday." That weathered voice echoed in Evan’s mind.
"The Dan Classic? Isn't that the old senior’s voice? He’s here in this world? He’s here!" Evan suddenly felt like he'd stumbled upon some great surprise.
But when he tried to find the source, he saw no sign of the old beggar anywhere.
He released his Divine Sense everywhere, but the streets were packed with people—he couldn’t locate the old beggar at all.
"Senior, you came—why won’t you recognize me?" Evan stood in place, feeling the sadness of someone longing to meet a relative, only for them to say a single sentence and leave.
"Walk the path you should walk. If there’s a chance, we’ll meet again." That weathered voice sounded once more.
But Evan still couldn’t find him. After a long time without hearing anything, Evan finally came to his senses and murmured, "Senior, I won’t let you down. I will finish reading the Dan Classic."
Having not studied the Dan Classic in ages, Evan left the city. His heart felt heavy, as if he’d lost a loved one.