```

Watching Ye Xiao and Shen Qiuyu, Ling Shuya, Zhou Yuyan, Lan Lan, and others leave the unfinished building, Jiang Sen and his people stood below the structure, silent.

They all understood the statement Ye Xiao had made: indeed, what was the point in helping the people of Beihai Country? Were they traitors?

"Brother Sen, that guy seemed to make some sense," a younger youth said while looking at Jiang Sen.

Jiang Sen sighed and said, "Such simple logic, surely we brothers understand, don't we? But, as men of Black Dragon Company, obeying our boss's commands is our bounden duty."

With those words from Jiang Sen, everyone fell quiet, not daring to make a sound.

Indeed, their ability to strut around with authority was precisely because they were men of the Black Dragon Company. Were they not members of the Company, they might be worse off than a beggar.

...

Now, about Ye Xiao, after leaving the abandoned high-rise, his hands were holding a black metal spike. The spike was quite heavy and rather unwieldy to handle.

"This spike is considered top-grade, but there probably aren't many who can use it proficiently," Shen Qiuyu commented while looking at the spike Ye Xiao held.

Ye Xiao nodded and said, "Indeed, I currently lack a suitable weapon, but this spike isn't my preferred type of weapon either."

"The material of this spike is also considered high-quality. What if we melt it down and forge a new weapon that suits you better? However, if we do melt this spike, its volume will surely be reduced, possibly enough to only make a dagger," Shen Qiuyu suggested.

Ye Xiao replied, "It seems that's the only option. When I have the time, I'll bring this spike to the old man and let him smelt and forge it."

"You really know how to give your master a challenge. But I'm worried he might not even like this weapon."

Ye Xiao, hearing what Shen Qiuyu had said, agreed; indeed, the old man's standards were much higher than his own.

The group had already had their fill at dinner, so they first dropped Lan Lan off at her place and then headed straight back to Sunshine District.

Upon returning to the villa, Ye Xiao noticed Uncle Weei's Mercedes parked in front of the house.

As the car stopped, the door of the Mercedes opened, and Weei Jie descended from the vehicle.

"Uncle Weei, what brings you here?" Ling Shuya, upon seeing Weei Jie, walked over with much puzzlement.

Weei Jie smiled and said, "Ye Xiao needed some medicinal ingredients, so I brought them over."

"Medicinal ingredients, what kind? I haven't heard him mention them. Ye Xiao, what ingredients did you want?" Ling Shuya asked as she turned her head towards Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao responded with a cheerful grin, "That's a secret."

"Stingy, keeping secrets," Ling Shuya retorted as she saw Ye Xiao's reluctance to reveal the details and turned to head inside the villa, speaking over her shoulder to Shen Qiuyu, "Sister Qiuyu, let's go in first."

Weei Jie immediately looked towards Shen Qiuyu, who gave a polite nod in return.

"This is…" Weei Jie questioned, looking puzzled at Shen Qiuyu and inquiring of Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao answered, "This is my senior sister. She's staying here. That's not a problem, is it?"

Weei Jie instantly said with a smile, "Of course not. I assume your senior sister is also highly skilled in martial arts. By the way, the ingredients you asked for are all ready in the trunk."

Ye Xiao and Weei Jie went to the car's trunk, where they saw three cloth bags.

Ye Xiao reached out and took all three bags.

Weei Jie, smilingly said to Ye Xiao, "Why the sudden need for so many ingredients? What's the use?"

Ye Xiao chuckled and told Weei Jie, "They have their wondrous uses."

Seeing that Ye Xiao didn't wish to elaborate, Weei Jie did not insist further and left, saying he had other matters to attend to.

When Ye Xiao entered the villa, Ling Shuya and the others, surprised to see only him carrying the three bags, were full of curiosity.

"What's in these?" Ling Shuya immediately approached Ye Xiao and asked, adding, "And Uncle Weei? Why didn't he come in?"

Ye Xiao answered, "Uncle Weei had to leave. These ingredients will greatly benefit your martial arts cultivation. Don't ask what they are just yet. If I tell you, there won't be any surprise left."

Shen Qiuyu looked at the ingredients and remarked, "These are all thousand-year-old wild medicinal herbs. It seems Mr. Ling is quite attentive to you?"

```

Ye Xiao said, "Of course, I'm taking care of his daughter, aren't I? I only get a salary of fifty thousand a month, and it's not even paid in advance. It's forced me to earn some extra on the side. I need certain things, and if they aren't delivered on time, I'm ready to throw in the towel."

Upon hearing Ye Xiao's words, Ling Shuya immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, "Who asked you to take care of her? Besides, you haven't been here long enough to be thinking about your salary. You've got room and board covered, what more do you want?"

"Fine, I won't waste words with you. Now I'm heading back to my room. Shuya, Yuyan, you two are responsible for finding Miss Shen a clean room."

Hearing Ye Xiao's words, both beauties, Ling Shuya and Zhou Yuyan, immediately felt displeased.

"Why do I feel like he's giving orders?" Zhou Yuyan said to Ling Shuya.

Ling Shuya glared at Ye Xiao and snapped, "Ye Xiao, you dare to order me around?"

This time, Ye Xiao was anything but submissive and said, "I'll have you know, you'd best listen to me. I have ways to make you two into martial arts geniuses. If I were you, I'd put up with it for a while, at least until I'd gained some benefits before turning hostile."

After hearing Ye Xiao's words, Ling Shuya and Zhou Yuyan immediately fell silent. Although they were skeptical of what Ye Xiao said, his expression was very serious.

Ye Xiao took the medicinal herbs and went straight into his room. Once inside, he immediately locked the door. This was his first time refining medicine, and he didn't want any disturbances. If Ling Shuya or Zhou Yuyan got curious and peeked in, it could impact the success of his medicine making.

Ye Xiao set the three types of prepared herbs in place and then took out the letter from the old man held within his clothes. The letter clearly explained how to refine medicine. After reading it once more, Ye Xiao sat down cross-legged on the floor.

He took a portion of ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, and Cordyceps from the bag of medicinal herbs and placed them all in his palm.

With one hand above the other, he crafted an alchemy cauldron shape.

Following the instructions in the letter, Ye Xiao began to gather a large amount of Nine Yang True Qi, roasting the herbs using his mind while keeping his eyes tightly closed.

The Nine Yang True Qi poured out continuously, directing all of its energy into the herbs. If Ye Xiao had opened his eyes at that moment, he would have seen that the herbs were completely dehydrated under the catalyzation of the Nine Yang True Qi, shrinking considerably in size after losing their moisture.

About twenty minutes later, the herbs slowly lifted from Ye Xiao's palms, floating up to the center between his hands.

Between Ye Xiao's hands, the continual outpour of Nine Yang True Qi created a golden glow connecting his palms, forming what truly resembled an alchemy furnace.

As for the herbs, they were now rapidly spinning in the center between his hands. As they spun, fine substances were extracted from them, flinging them beyond the golden glow.

Another hour passed, and Ye Xiao felt that he had expended about fifty percent of his Nine Yang True Qi. Although his eyes were closed, he could clearly sense that the three types of herbs had been completely powdered. The powders of all three herbs mixed together, jumping continuously between his hands.

The powders began to merge.

The speed of fusion accelerated, but because the powders were dry and lacked any stickiness, they separated as soon as they merged, only to merge and separate again.

Suddenly...

Ye Xiao's eyes snapped open as the powders in between his hands poured into his palms. Yes, it was all powder, nothing else.

Ye Xiao looked at the powder in his hands and sighed in disappointment. He had failed.

What went wrong? According to the letter, the final step was to fuse the powders into a pill, resulting in a Heart Cleansing Pill. But all he had before him was powder; there was no doubt that he had not succeeded.

What could have happened?

Ye Xiao flicked his hand, discarding the powders.

Surely these powders were beneficial to the human body, but Ye Xiao didn't want to give them a second look. He was not after mere powders.

However, in that moment, Ye Xiao paused in surprise because he felt a slight increase in the reserve of Nine Yang True Qi within his body. It was faint, but he definitely noticed it.

What was going on?

Ye Xiao silently wondered if it was possible to increase one's inner strength while refining medicine.

With this realization, Ye Xiao was elated. If that were the case, he'd have to refine medicine more often, as it could be a faster way to enhance the reserves of inner strength compared to the usual cultivation efforts.

Ye Xiao immediately resumed practicing the Nine Yang Divine Skill to quickly boost his Nine Yang True Qi. Without sufficient Nine Yang True Qi, he couldn't refine any pills.

Another hour went by, and Ye Xiao felt his Nine Yang True Qi approaching its peak state.

He then took out more herbs.

The process was the same as before. Ye Xiao started to direct Nine Yang True Qi at the herbs, burning them fiercely like an alchemy furnace's flames.

The herbs once again began to change, first drying out the moisture, then starting to spin.

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