Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Feast at Hongmen

Every bone in his body felt as if it had been dismantled and reassembled, aching with a piercing, deep-seated pain.

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to pull himself up from the bed.

He began to search the room. The little surveillance gadgets he had hidden in their usual spots were all dead. The faint, rhythmic ticking that used to be there had vanished, leaving only a hollow silence.

He picked up the Eight Trigrams plate that had fallen to the floor. The red dot at its center was completely extinguished, devoid of any light.

"Damn it..."

He gathered all the scraps he could find, tossed them into a heap, wrapped them hastily in a quilt, and shoved them into the furthest, darkest corner under the bed.

Just as he was about to circulate his internal energy to assess his injuries, the Primordial Violet Qi in his Dantian suddenly surged, churning like boiling water. It was abnormally active, pulsing with a manic intensity that felt as if it were about to tear through his skin and erupt.

"What on earth is going on?"

Su Haoming was startled out of his wits. He quickly retracted his cultivation technique, not daring to move a muscle.

The sky began to pale with the first light of dawn. Outside in the courtyard, there was a rustling sound.

Su Haoming was instantly alert. He tiptoed to the window, peering through the gap.

It was Liu Ruoxi. She was holding a large broom, clearing away the mess left by yesterday’s exploding cauldron.

He grabbed a coat, threw it over his shoulders, and shuffled out in his slippers, yawning loudly to feign having just woken up. "Morning, Ruoxi."

Liu Ruoxi turned around, her expression unreadable. "You're awake? Still feeling unwell?"

"Terrible. It feels like the pain is burrowing into my bones," Su Haoming said, grimacing. He then shifted the conversation, probing for information. "What exactly happened with that racket yesterday?"

"A minor mishap while alchemy-making," Liu Ruoxi said airily. "The medicinal energies clashed, and the cauldron blew up. Nothing to worry about."

Su Haoming nearly rolled his eyes into the back of his head. *Nothing to worry about my foot! I almost died on the spot!*

Liu Ruoxi’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she ignored his remark. Instead, she continued, "You'll feel better after a couple of days of rest. Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The Lin family of Fengling City sent over an invitation."

Liu Ruoxi fished a blue, gold-embossed invitation out of her sleeve. "They want us to visit their manor tomorrow for a discussion. The Lin family has quite a reputation in the alchemy trade and has connections with the Alchemy Guild. It wouldn't hurt to build a relationship with them."

Su Haoming took it, his fingers brushing the stiff edge of the card. His heart sank. "The Lin family? Lin Feixue’s family?"

"No. Just the same surname. They are one of the five major families in Fengling City, and they are legitimate alchemy merchants."

Su Haoming grew more suspicious. "Why would they invite us for no reason?"

"They probably heard the news that we successfully refined a Violet Pill," Liu Ruoxi said, her tone devoid of emotion. "They have always been well-informed."

*The cauldron exploded only yesterday, and the invitation is already here? Who the hell tipped them off so quickly?* Su Haoming mused inwardly.

"What about Lin Feixue? She didn't come today?" he asked, feigning indifference.

"Mm, she’s been busy with the Alchemy Guild lately, so she won't be coming over for the time being," Liu Ruoxi replied.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of the broom sweeping across the stone slabs.

Suddenly, Liu Ruoxi stopped. "Look at you, covered in dust. Go take a bath and wash off the fatigue."

Su Haoming was taken aback. "Now?"

"The hot water is ready and still steaming," Liu Ruoxi said, pointing toward the bathhouse in the corner of the courtyard. "Go on, a soak will help you loosen up."

Su Haoming felt something was off, but he did feel sticky and uncomfortable, the soot from the explosion mixed with cold sweat. He didn't think twice and nodded.

Inside the bathhouse, steam billowed so thickly that everything appeared as a white blur. Su Haoming stripped off his clothes, droplets of water rolling down his warm skin.

He caught a glimpse of his chest by chance. Right in the center, there was a new, faint purple mark. It was twisted and winding, etched into his skin, the lines intermittent and incomplete, unlike any standard runic symbol.

"What the..."

Just as he leaned in to look closer, a warning alarm blared in his head! It was shrill and ear-piercing!

[Warning! Hostile lifeform detected in proximity!]

Su Haoming’s scalp tingled. He reached for his clothes, but it was too late!

"Boom!"

The wooden roof of the bathhouse exploded inward! Shards of wood rained down on him. Amidst the flying debris, a black-clad figure lunged silently, a cold glint flashing as a short dagger struck directly at his heart!

"Damn it!"

Su Haoming didn't have time to think. Instinctively, he rolled to the side, his movement clumsy and desperate.

*Rip!*

The cold blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a burning trail of pain and a splatter of blood.

The attacker was a masked figure in black, wearing a solid iron mask, their movements startlingly fast. The dagger shimmered with a faint cyan glow, clearly coated in poison or infused with dark arts.

"Who the hell are you?"

Su Haoming roared. Regardless of his naked state, he grabbed the large wooden bathing barrel and swung it with all his might at the assassin!

The figure swayed, easily dodging the barrel, and pressed the attack without stopping, the dagger striking again.

Just as it seemed he couldn't dodge:

[Emergency function temporarily unlocked: Primordial Body Shield]

The system's voice echoed in his mind. At the same time, the volatile Primordial Violet Qi in his Dantian erupted on its own, instantly forming a nearly transparent film over his skin.

*Clang!*

A faint sound of metal striking metal rang out.

The tip of the assassin’s dagger struck the film of violet qi, as if piercing into a piece of incredibly tough, thick hide. It was blocked, and the blade was even deflected!

The assassin paused visibly, a muffled grunt escaping from behind the mask. Clearly surprised by this turn of events, they became even more frantic and ferocious in their assault.

*Holy crap! The system is amazing!*

The panic in Su Haoming’s heart was instantly washed away by this pleasant surprise. With this tortoise shell protecting him, what was there to fear?

He didn't even bother to dodge anymore, instead baring his chest and meeting the attacks head-on.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The film of violet qi deflected every strike, producing a series of crisp, rhythmic sounds.

Just then, from outside the bathhouse, Liu Ruoxi’s voice came, laced with just the right amount of confusion:

"What's that noise in there?"

The assassin froze for a split second, then pulled a talisman from their robes and slammed it onto the ground. The paper ignited, and a blinding white light exploded, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

When the light faded, the spot was empty.

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open, and Liu Ruoxi rushed in.

Su Haoming stood in the bathing barrel, water dripping from his skin. Several red marks were visible on him, though they were not deep.

"Someone tried to assassinate me!" Su Haoming gasped, his heart still pounding. "They jumped down from the roof!"

Liu Ruoxi’s gaze swept quickly across the ruined room, eventually settling on the hole in the ceiling. "Who was it?"

"Couldn't see their face. All in black, wearing a mask," Su Haoming said, scrambling to grab his clothes and pull them on. "They wanted me dead!"