After the Alchemy Room quieted down again, the cloying pink fragrance in the air had yet to completely dissipate, its wisps intertwining within the warm light.

Lai Li’an felt that something might go wrong if he stayed any longer, so he simply left.

Ruan Se stood where she was, watching Lai Li’an’s back disappear out the door. She then turned and walked over to the Alchemy Cauldron, raising her hand to close the lid once more.

She took out another batch of Spirit Herbs and stacked them neatly next to the Fire-Starting Platform. As Spiritual Power was injected into the Fire-Starting Platform again, the Spiritual Fire flared up, casting the sharp contours of her jawline beneath her veil in stark light and shadow.

The Spirit Herbs fell into the cauldron one after another, and five streams of Wood-Attribute Spiritual Power probed into the cauldron simultaneously, each performing its respective duty.

Her movements were faster and steadier than before, but the inherent difficulty of a Sixth-Grade Pill remained. It required the alchemist to protect all the medicinal materials with varying intensities of Spiritual Power at the exact same time, and then to withdraw all protection in a single instant to allow the medicinal properties to collide and fully fuse.

This degree of Spiritual Power manipulation had already exceeded the limits of an ordinary cultivator’s Divine Sense.

From time to time, a muffled sound would ring out from the Alchemy Room, sometimes a dull explosion caused by the collapse of Spiritual Power, and sometimes a hum from the cauldron stirred up by clashing medicinal properties.

After every sound, the roaring of the flames would resume following a brief moment of silence.

When night completely shrouded Yunze Market, the door to the Alchemy Room was finally pushed open.

Ruan Se walked out from within. A small patch of her long dress had been scorched by flames, her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her breathing was a bit more hurried than usual.

She did not complain. She simply walked up to the water vat in the courtyard, scooped up a ladle of cold water, lifted a corner of her veil to quickly take a few swallows, and splashed the rest of the water onto her face.

Cold water dripped down her jaw. She looked up at the cold crescent moon in the night sky, then turned and walked toward Lai Li’an’s room.

“Senior,” she said, cupping her hands while standing outside the door, “the backup medicinal herbs have been exhausted. I need to go out to purchase more.”

Lai Li’an walked out of his room. Seeing her in that state, he was slightly taken aback.

He wanted to say something, but as the words reached his lips, he felt there was no need for such idle chatter, and consequently nodded: “Perfect, this Venerable also wants to go out for some fresh air.”

Ruan Se immediately rejected him: “No.”

Lai Li’an was choked up for a moment. Ruan Se seemed to realize her tone was too stiff and softened it a bit: “I have my own ways of dealing with the Law Enforcement Hall’s search, but it would be bad if Senior were swept by their Spiritual Sense.”

Lai Li’an was silent for a moment, forced to admit that she had a point. Although the Immortal-Slaying Truth-Revealing Talisman he used to kill Li Hanyuan had already been exhausted, his face had been seen by the surrounding cultivators. Wandering around outside now would be no different from throwing himself into a net.

“…Alright.” He turned his head away somewhat awkwardly. “Then come back early.”

Ruan Se nodded slightly, turned, and walked out of the courtyard.

Yunze Market was even more bustling at night than during the day. The Spiritual Lamps illuminated the entire commercial street as bright as day. Ruan Se had changed into an inconspicuous gray cloak and familiarly navigated her way into the Spirit Herbs shop she often visited.

There were not many customers in the shop. The shopkeeper, an old man of about sixty, smiled and nodded in greeting when he saw her enter.

Ruan Se did not exchange pleasantries. She walked straight to the counter, pulled a pre-written list from her sleeve, and handed it over.

The shopkeeper took the list, his gaze pausing for a moment on the name of the first medicine. He raised his eyes to look at Ruan Se, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He did not speak to tease her, but his smile lines crinkled all the way to the corners of his eyes, impossible to hide even if he tried.

Ruan Se raised her eyes and gave him a cold look.

Frozen by her stare, the smile stiffened on the shopkeeper’s face. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he immediately lowered his head and obediently began retrieving the medicines from the cabinet according to the list, not daring to sneak another glance.

Soon, all the medicinal ingredients were wrapped up. Ruan Se paid the Spirit Stones, stored the medicine packages into her Storage Bag, pulled her cloak tight, and turned to leave.

When she reached the entrance of the alley, her footsteps suddenly paused.

Several people were standing at the alley entrance. She recognized the one leading them, Li Xiuyuan, the Patrol Manager of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Two Law Enforcement Hall disciples followed behind him. As soon as they saw her walking out of the Spirit Herbs shop, the gazes of all three locked onto her in unison.

Ruan Se stood in place, able to feel Li Xiuyuan’s Spiritual Sense rapidly sweeping over her.

“Fellow Daoist, please hold on,” Li Xiuyuan forcefully blocked Ruan Se’s path. “I am Li Xiuyuan, Patrol Manager of the Law Enforcement Hall. I have a few matters I would like to ask you about.”

Ruan Se did not voice a refusal, simply standing still where she was. Li Xiuyuan took two steps closer to her and got straight to the point: “Yesterday, in the back alley of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, a Golden Core Cultivator killed two people with a Sword Talisman in plain sight. According to the descriptions of witnessing cultivators, a female cultivator in a cyan dress and wearing a veil appeared at the scene. She conversed with the perpetrator and even spoke up to help him. Was that person you, fellow Daoist?”

Ruan Se’s eyebrows twitched slightly beneath her veil.

“It was me,” she said unhurriedly. “But what of it?”

The two disciples behind Li Xiuyuan exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting the other party to admit it so readily.

“In other words, fellow Daoist indeed had contact with that murderer?” Li Xiuyuan’s tone suddenly grew a bit sharper. “Could I ask fellow Daoist to tell us where that murderer is now? Or, could fellow Daoist provide any clues regarding this person?”

Ruan Se was not intimidated by him and spoke slowly, “Since Manager Li is so resourceful, can’t you investigate it yourself? Why come to a weak woman like me to ask for clues instead?”

Li Xiuyuan choked on his words for a moment, his frown deepening. Just as he was about to say something, a disciple behind him leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing this, his expression changed slightly. When his gaze fell back on Ruan Se, it contained a few traces of obvious wariness.

“Fellow Daoist’s background is indeed quite significant. However, for a disciple of the Alchemy Sect Main Branch to run off to a small place like Yunze Market and immediately get involved in a murder case… that is a bit too coincidental. Dare I ask fellow Daoist, why did you help the perpetrator?”

“Help?” Ruan Se replied coldly. “Manager Li is mistaken. Yesterday, when I met those two, someone had already fallen to the ground, severely injured. I merely lent a helping hand in my capacity as an Alchemist to preserve her life. What, does healing the wounded and saving the dying in Yunze Market count as being an accomplice?”

“As for who those two were, where they came from, and where they were going, I have absolutely no idea. After saving the person, I left on my own. Whatever happened next has nothing to do with me.” She paused, her tone growing a few degrees colder. “If Manager Li doesn’t believe me, you are more than welcome to shackle me and take me back to the Law Enforcement Hall for interrogation. I just don’t know if my Sect will also think that’s a good idea.”

Li Xiuyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, a faint sheen of sweat seeping from his forehead. Ultimately, he waved his hand, signaling the disciples behind him to clear the way.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” He stepped aside.

Ruan Se did not even bat an eyelid. Gathering the front of her cloak, she walked past Li Xiuyuan and out of the alley. She blended into the crowd on the main street and casually browsed through a few inconsequential shops. Only when she was certain there was no one tailing her did she safely make her way home.

On her way back, she passed by a mask stall. The stall wasn’t large, but it was hung with all sorts of masks. Ruan Se had already walked past it when she suddenly stopped and doubled back.

She reached out and took down a deep-cyan half-face mask. The mask was completely plain, with only a few extremely faint cloud patterns traced with silver thread on its surface, designed to cover only the upper half of the face.

She turned the mask over to look at it, then turned it back. Her fingertips rubbed against the cloud patterns on the mask’s surface, lost in thought.

The stall owner was a woman in her forties. Seeing her repeatedly examining the mask, she leaned close and smiled in a lowered voice, “Is the young lady picking this out for a sweetheart?”

“No,” Ruan Se denied it quickly. She held up the mask against the light of a nearby Spiritual Lamp to check if the eye holes were a suitable size, and casually said, “It’s just for someone who is both a master and a friend.”

“Both a master and a friend?” The female stall owner mulled over these words and smiled even more brightly. “Both a master and a friend, then they must be incredibly important. Miss, take a look at this one.”

She bent down and brought out a wooden box from under the shelf. Opening it, there lay a more exquisitely crafted Deep-Cyan Half-Face Mask. It also featured cloud patterns, but the lines were finer and shallower than the previous one, shimmering with an almost imperceptible faint light under the Spiritual Lamp. “This one is inlaid with Deep-Silver Silk. It’s a bit more expensive than ordinary goods, but it’s light and fits securely when worn, and it’s also very breathable. Your friend will definitely praise it when he puts it on.”

Ruan Se took it and tested the feel. It was indeed lighter and thinner than the previous one, with cloud patterns faintly visible under the moonlight, plain and unostentatious.

She nodded and did not haggle, taking out Spirit Stones from her sleeve and placing them on the stall. Tucking the mask into her sleeve, she turned and left.

When she returned to the courtyard, moonlight had already covered the entire yard.

Ruan Se pushed the door open and saw Lai Li’an sitting under the corridor waiting for her. She walked over, took out that wooden box from her sleeve, and handed it forward without a word.

Lai Li’an was very surprised but still took the box and opened it. Inside lay a Deep-Cyan Half-Face Mask.

He held the mask in his hand and looked up at Ruan Se with some surprise. Ruan Se avoided his gaze, gathered her cloak, and walked straight toward the Alchemy Room.

“If Senior ever wants to go out, you can conceal yourself a bit.” She had her back to Lai Li’an, her tone as cold and clear as usual, but her footsteps were a bit faster than normal.

The door of the Alchemy Room closed behind her, followed by the sound of a Fire-Starting Stone being ignited.