Longevity begins with alchemy master

Tick ​​tock!

Tick ​​tock!

For several years now, the sky over the Bailuze Scenic Area has always been overcast.

In this chilly spring weather, the rain continues incessantly.

On the eaves, fine raindrops gathered into trickles, falling continuously to form a beaded curtain. Even in the partially sheltered corridors and eaves of the three-courtyard house, water droplets formed from condensed moisture still dripped down.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
A faint but crisp sound of footsteps rose rapidly, growing louder as it approached.

Soon, a little girl with pigtails and a tiny face ran in from outside.

The little girl was very cute, with big eyes like pure black gems, a straight nose, and thin lips, but her face was sickly pale, without any rosy color.

She was dressed very warmly, her whole body wrapped in a white woolen silk garment.

But even the pure white velvet dress couldn't compare to that pale face.

A tender, loving voice came from behind.

"Mao Mao, slow down, don't fall."

The little girl was very obedient. She paused, leaned on the thick corridor beam, and panted.

She excitedly called out to the person behind her, "Mommy, my brother is about to finish his homework for today, I want to go play with him."

After catching her breath, she took another step and ran through the long corridor toward a waterside pavilion hidden by an artificial hill.

The gentle young woman behind her smiled and shook her head, following at a leisurely pace.

Although she was some distance away from the little girl named Mao Mao, the girl's figure remained in her sight.

Just as we were about to enter the waterside pavilion, a simply dressed middle-aged woman bowed and stepped out.

Upon seeing the gentle young woman, she respectfully bowed.

"Meet Madam."

Lin Jingshu looked at her face with some confusion and hesitated before asking, "Are you from the seventh brother's family?"

The middle-aged woman nodded. "Yes, my master heard that Young Master Fuyou is studying hard, and because he has a good relationship with Young Master Yuqi, he specially ordered me to send some tonics."

Lin Jingshu suddenly realized that her son did indeed have a good relationship with Zhou Yuqi from the seventh brother's family.

Moreover, her husband had an excellent relationship with the seventh son, and they had been through thick and thin together.

However, being a reasonable and well-educated woman, she still said, "This is too much of a waste."

The middle-aged woman forced a smile, "It's alright. The main problem is that Young Master Fuyou is too young. He might hurt himself by working so hard."

Lin Jingshu smiled and said, "Thank you very much. I will personally visit you to express my gratitude when I have time."

"Then this servant will take her leave now."

Lin Jingshu nodded, her eyes fixed on the middle-aged woman, as she walked through the long corridor.

My husband is really popular within the clan!
With a sigh, she walked through the covered walkway and headed towards a waterside pavilion.

Before even entering, one could hear laughter and chatter from inside.

"Brother, brother, is this character pronounced 'feng' (风), like the 'feng' in 'blowing'?"

"Yes, Momo."

What's the pronunciation of the next word?

"Che, the 'che' in 'lightning speed.' This is also one of the characters used in our Zhou family genealogy. 'Cangkun Yunxiao, Haiyu Jingfeng, Cheyu Qucheng, Leidian Nixia...' It means to ride the clouds and control the sea, to ride the clouds and break through the thunder. Our Zhou family is a family of cultivators, originating from the far north Coral Sea, so we yearn for longevity and travel the world. That's why our ancestors left us such a meaningful generational name."

"This is so complicated! And why don't our names contain these characters, but Yuqi's do?"

"Actually, you do exist. Your original name was Zhou Qingyu, but our ancestor changed it to the homophone 'Yu'."

"What about you, brother?"

"me……"

The little girl's voice is always full of curiosity and liveliness, while the boy's voice, though soft and sharp, is slow, deliberate, and extremely steady.

But when asked why his name wasn't included in the family genealogy, his tone was full of doubt.

Lin Jingshu walked in at the right moment, looked at her lovely daughter and handsome son, and said with a smile:

"Because our ancestors had high expectations for your brother, the name 'mayfly' was chosen to remind and warn him not to slack off."

The young man, dressed in a simple white Taoist robe, stood up, put down the little girl who was clinging to him, and bowed to the woman.

"Mother!"

Lin Jingshu shook her head slightly. "We're at home, no need for such formalities. How's your homework going lately?"

Zhou Fuyou said confidently, "I have thoroughly read all thirty-two volumes of the Daoist Canon, and I am familiar with all the clan precepts and classic texts. I have also dabbled in local customs and legends..."

The young man spoke eloquently, his words brimming with composure and confidence.

Especially considering his tall and slender physique, which is far more developed than his twin sister's, it's almost unbelievable that he is only a five-year-old child!

Yes.

At this time, Zhou Fuyou was only five years old, but his reputation as a child prodigy had already spread throughout the entire Zhou family.

At one year old, he could run; at two years old, he could speak eloquently; and at three years old, he had already mastered all the poems and songs.

Later on, he was no longer satisfied with ordinary literary classics and began to explore martial arts and Taoist scriptures related to cultivation.

Almost all the elders of the Zhou family who had met him believed that as long as he possessed spiritual roots, he would surely become a cultivation genius in the Zhou family in the future!

Lin Jingshu looked at her son, her eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.

However, when she saw her daughter, who was thinner than her peers and had a pale face like white jade coral, she couldn't help but feel heartache and pity.

Despite being born of the same mother and having almost identical birth dates, Zhou Qingyu was frail and sickly from a young age, and her intellectual development was delayed.

Despite the couple's considerable investment of resources, they still couldn't nurture it very well.

To ensure she was free from illness and worry, they even gave her the humble name "Mao Mao" like ordinary people do, to make her easier to raise.

Sighing and suppressing her affection, Lin Jingshu asked her son about another matter.

"Where is the chess manual?"

Zhou Fuyou hesitated.

Lin Jingshu's expression darkened slightly. "Our Tianyuan Dao Sect places the utmost importance on the way of Go. Those who achieve something are all proficient in Go. How can you be so indifferent?"

Zhou Fuyou smiled wryly, "I really have no interest in playing chess, I'm sorry to disappoint my mother."

Lin Jingshu frowned, thinking that her son might have only inherited her husband's personality.

Her Lin family was a humble, native Daoist family, but her husband's Zhou family were guest elders of the Star Gate, coming from the North Sea.

Perhaps deep down, he simply dislikes things related to a small chessboard.

Shaking her head, Lin Jingshu skipped the matter and took the initiative to say, "Your father sent an urgent message that monsters have been spotted along the coast. The Zhou, Lin, and Yin families are short-handed, so I must go and help them."

Zhou Fuyou asked, "What about home?"

Lin Jingshu waved her hand, "Don't worry, with the clan's ancestor in charge, no one will dare to offend us. I've arranged for Granny Lin to take care of things at home. Although she's old, she's still at the late stage of Qi Refining. My only concern is your sister."

Zhou Fuyou understood and nodded emphatically, "Don't worry, Mother, I will take good care of my sister!"

Lin Jingshu waved with satisfaction.

The previously well-behaved little girl ran over, and Zhou Fuyou also moved closer.

The young woman picked up the girl and patted the boy's head with her other hand.

"Your father and mother will be back soon. Be good at home."

"Ok!"

"Ok!"

Then, Lin Jingshu carried the little girl out, with the boy following closely behind.

Upon exiting the waterside pavilion, Granny Lin, whom we had mentioned earlier, was quietly waiting, her back hunched over.

"Wait for us to come back."

The boy took his younger sister from his mother's arms and waved goodbye to her.

Lin Jingshu was somewhat reluctant, but the time had come, so she summoned a flying sword and stepped onto it.

In the distance, a huge flying boat was already hovering in the sky, and figures were gathering from all directions.

Lin Jingshu smiled and waved to the children before boarding the flying boat on her sword.

Before long, the airship was ready, circled for a moment, and then gradually flew away towards the coast.

On the ground. A light rain was falling. Zhou Fuyou could no longer see the flying boat, and then she picked up her younger sister.

"It's too cold outside, let's go home!"

"Brother, when will Mother be back?"

"It will be quick." Zhou Fuyou rubbed the little girl's head, then said to Granny Lin, "The tonic that Uncle Qi's family sent earlier is in the waterside pavilion. Please take some time to brew it, Granny, so I can take it while I'm studying tonight."

Granny Lin wasn't considered a member of the Zhou family; she was a maid who came with her mother's family as part of her dowry, so the family didn't bother her with family matters. However, she was quite devoted to taking care of the Fuyou siblings.

Hearing this, he nodded and smiled kindly.

"Young Master is really diligent!"

That night.

While reading by candlelight, Zhou Fuyou drank the tonic that Granny Lin had prepared, feeling greatly invigorated and able to read ten lines at a glance.

He thought to himself, "The things that my seventh uncle sent are really good."

But on the third day, something went wrong.

Click!
The porcelain bowl fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces.

Zhou Fuyou, who was reading, turned to the side and saw a little girl lying on the ground, her face flushed and soup dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Maomao!"

Zhou Fuyou's expression changed drastically. He picked her up and rang the bell hanging beside the waterside pavilion.

Soon, Granny Lin appeared in the room.

"How could this be?"

Zhou Fuyou looked somewhat panicked. "I don't know. I was reading a book just now, and Mao Mao was playing next to me. Then she..."

His gaze fell on the broken bowl on the ground. There was originally half a bowl of tonic left, but now only a little juice remained.

"It's this bowl of medicine!"

Grandma Lin examined Zhou Qingyu's body and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“There is still hope. Don’t worry, let’s go to Elder Haibo. He is the best at medicine.”

After saying that, she took out a talisman and stuck it on her body. Then, she picked up the little girl with one hand and held the boy's hand with the other, and transformed into a streak of blue light as she rushed out of the mansion.

……

It was late at night.

An old man chuckled and said to Granny Lin and Zhou Fuyou, "It's alright, she's just too weak to handle the nourishment. This medicine is too fiery and not really suitable for children, especially since Qingyu's body is too weak. I've already used medical magic and elixirs to save Qingyu, she just needs to rest and recover for a while."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at Zhou Fuyou, who was filled with self-reproach, and said, "Young Master Fuyou, there's no need to blame yourself."

"How can I not blame myself? Mother specifically told me to take good care of my sister before she left." Zhou Fuyou looked at her younger sister with heartache. Her delicate face was no longer flushed, but was even paler than before, and even the veins were faintly visible. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let her touch that bowl of medicine."

Although Zhou Fuyou looks like a teenager, he is actually just developing too fast and is only five years old.

Heartache, anxiety, panic, self-blame—a multitude of emotions uncontrollably surfaced.

Elder Haibo, a doctor with exceptional medical skills, asked curiously, "Although this medicine is good for strengthening the mind and improving eyesight, it is actually not very suitable for children. Moreover, the preparation is complicated. Why did you brew it for Xiaofu?"

Granny Lin hesitated and said, "It was sent by the Seventh Master's family, and Young Master Fuyou felt very good after drinking it, so he brews two bowls every day."

"Oh, I see!" Elder Haibo looked thoughtful, then waved his hand. "Don't cook this stuff anymore. Also, I have a heat-clearing pill here; little mayfly, take it and eat it."

After explaining everything, he hurriedly left the room.

After examining the pills, Granny Lin handed them to Zhou Fuyou.

Zhou Fuyou looked at her still-sleeping younger sister and shook her head, saying, "I'll eat later!"

……

"Ancestor, Haibo requests an audience!"

In a deathly silent hall, Zhou Haibo, who had been all smiles just moments before, now stood outside with a slightly solemn expression, respectfully awaiting instructions.

Squeak...

The door slowly opened a crack, and Zhou Haibo walked in.

"What is it?" A deep, weathered voice came from the pitch-black hall.

Zhou Haibo bowed respectfully and recounted the events of the previous day in great detail.

The weathered voice asked calmly, "It's just a matter of using the wrong medicine, why are you in such a hurry to see me?"

Zhou Haibo swallowed hard. "But that herbal soup, though seemingly invigorating, actually damages the spirit. Cultivators below the Golden Core stage can't detect it at all. If I weren't skilled in medicine, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to find out either."

The weathered voice asked, "You mean, someone within the clan is plotting to harm their own kind?"

Zhou Haibo dared not answer.

Silence fell over the hall.

After a while, a candle suddenly lit up, revealing an extremely old face.

It was Zhou Yunshen.

With a gloomy expression, he sighed, "We've only been settled for a few years, and our family has already risen in status. How could someone have such ulterior motives!"

Zhou Haibo said in a low voice, "Perhaps it's because the little mayfly is too sharp, showing his extraordinary talent at only five years old. In addition, when he was born, you, the ancestor, bestowed upon him an incomparably precious water lotus seed, which made some people envious."

"I'm not dead yet!" Zhou Yunshen sneered.

Zhou Haibo asked cautiously, "So what should we do next with Zhou Fuyou? His parents have gone out on a mission, and there's only a Qi Refining stage maid taking care of him at home."

"He can't get into trouble!" Zhou Yunshen said firmly at first, then added somewhat contradictorily, "But we can't interfere too much in his development either."

Zhou Haibo was puzzled. A mayfly is just a child. Even if it is somewhat intelligent, why should the ancestors pay so much attention to it?

He had even secretly instructed himself, who was most skilled in medicine, to regularly check his health.

Moreover, why do our ancestors now say that we shouldn't interfere too much in Zhou Fuyou's growth?

for a long time.

Zhou Yunshen's voice slowly reached his ears.

"It's inconvenient for me to come forward, so please have Junxiao take care of the mayfly in my stead!"

The Zhou family currently has five Golden Core cultivators.

The strongest among them is naturally Zhou Cang, but he bears the heavy responsibility of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Then came Zhou Junxiao, a second-generation member of the Xiao generation who was in the prime of his life!
The fact that the patriarch sent Zhou Junxiao to intervene at this moment shows how much he values ​​Zhou Fuyou.

However, his words also contained the word "secretly," which is truly contradictory and complex.

Zhou Haibo had many doubts, but he still accepted the order.

……

Inside the clinic earlier, just before dawn, Zhou Fuyou swallowed the pill.

At first, nothing happened, but not long afterward...

"vomit!"

He spat out a mouthful of black blood onto the ground.

Zhou Fuyou stared blankly at this scene.

Although he was young, he was exceptionally intelligent. Upon seeing the black blood, he instantly understood what the medicine was.

"poison!"

Combined with the seemingly gentle but actually persistent questioning from Elder Haibo earlier...

"Is my seventh uncle's family trying to harm me?"

The boy murmured, almost in disbelief.

The little girl beside me stirred; she curled up, seemingly cold.

Zhou Fuyou draped a thick blanket over her, and looking at her sister's relaxed brows, she felt both warm and cold inside.

He was heartened that his sister was alright, but he felt cold about why his uncle's family, with whom he had always had a good relationship, would want to harm him.

The elders of the Haibo tribe had clearly noticed something amiss, so why didn't they speak up?

And when will my father and mother be able to come back?
Zhou Fuyou clenched her fists instinctively, gazing at the deep, dark Zhou family compound, feeling utterly lost and helpless, surrounded by danger. (End of Chapter)