Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

In a secret chamber, Fusu was discussing the coup with several trusted eunuchs when one of them suddenly remembered something and said nervously, "My lord, I have something important to report!"

Fusu frowned in displeasure: "What is it? Speak quickly!" He was currently in a bad mood and had no patience to listen to the eunuch's rambling.

The eunuch said cautiously, "It's about Yang Ling. I recently overheard some of his secret plans."

Upon hearing this, Fusu immediately perked up, sat up straight, and asked, "Oh? What's Yang Ling's plan? Tell me quickly!" He knew Yang Ling had always been secretive and was definitely plotting something in secret. If he could know his plan in advance, it would undoubtedly be a great advantage for him.

The eunuch whispered, "I heard from some of the junior eunuchs that Yang Ling recently had Xu Fu prepare twenty ships and also recruited one hundred boys and girls. I don't know what he's going to do with them."

Upon hearing this, Fusu's heart skipped a beat—ships? Young boys and girls? Were they going to sail out to sea? He suddenly realized a possibility—could Yang Ling be following in the footsteps of Qin Shi Huang, setting sail to seek the elixir of immortality?! If that were the case, then he would have a chance to seize the throne! Because once Yang Ling went to sea, the defenses within the palace would inevitably be much weaker, and he could then launch a coup and take the throne in one fell swoop!
Thinking of this, Fusu couldn't help but laugh triumphantly: "Haha! Yang Ling, you think you're so clever, but you didn't expect that I had already seen through your plan! Just wait and see how I seize the throne!"

However, Fusu knew that he couldn't act rashly yet and needed to confirm Yang Ling's specific plans first. So he immediately sent people to secretly monitor Xu Fu and the hundred boys and girls, while strengthening ties with other rebel forces, preparing to launch a coup at any time.

Meanwhile, Yang Ling was unaware that Fusu had discovered his plans. He was still busy in the alchemy room, refining antidotes and other pills, making final preparations for setting sail.

A few days later, one night, Yang Ling suddenly received an urgent message from Xu Fu—the boys and girls and the ships were being secretly monitored! Yang Ling was shocked when he saw the message—could it be that Fusu knew about his plan?! He immediately summoned Xu Fu and others to discuss countermeasures.

"Grand Preceptor, what should we do now?" Xu Fu asked anxiously. "If Fusu finds out about our plan, all our efforts will be in vain!"

After pondering for a moment, Yang Ling said, "We can't be sure yet whether Fusu knows about our plan; it might just be a coincidence. But just in case, we should still change our original plan."

Xu Fu and the others immediately asked, "How can we change things?" They knew that time was of the essence and there was not much time to waste. Yang Ling took a deep breath and slowly said, "Originally, we planned to take the young boys and girls directly to sea to find the elixir of immortality, but now it seems that doing so is too risky."

So I decided to change my strategy... He then explained his new plan in detail to Xu Fu and the others.

After hearing Yang Ling's new plan, Xu Fu stared in shock, his eyes wide: "Grand Preceptor, you want me to fake my death?!"

Yang Ling nodded and said in a deep voice, "That's right. Only in this way can we deceive Fusu and make him think that we have given up the plan to go to sea. After you 'die,' I will find an excuse to send you out of the palace, and then you will secretly go to the seaside and lead the fleet and young boys and girls to sea."

Although Xu Fu was somewhat apprehensive, he knew that Yang Ling must have his reasons for doing so. So he took a deep breath and said firmly, "Alright! Grand Preceptor, I will definitely handle this matter well!" Yang Ling looked at Xu Fu, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes: "Xu Fu, I believe you can handle this matter well. But you must remember, this matter is of great importance, and there must be absolutely no mistakes."

Xu Fu nodded and replied, "Yes! Grand Preceptor, I will act with utmost care and will not let you down!"

Yang Ling nodded in satisfaction, then explained the plan to fake his death and the sea route to Xu Fu in detail. Xu Fu listened attentively, nodding as he memorized the plan and route.

The next day, Yang Ling announced that Xu Fu had died suddenly from illness. The news caused a huge uproar in the palace. Fusu was also shocked upon hearing the news—he had originally planned to deal with Xu Fu after Yang Ling set sail, but Xu Fu had died so suddenly! This made him begin to suspect Yang Ling—did Yang Ling already know his plans?!

Fusu immediately sent people to secretly investigate Xu Fu's cause of death and Yang Ling's movements, hoping to find some clues to confirm his suspicions. However, to his disappointment, after some investigation, he found nothing suspicious—Xu Fu's cause of death was indeed a sudden illness, and Yang Ling had been staying in the alchemy room and had not made any unusual moves.

This made Fusu hesitate—had he really misunderstood Yang Ling? Did he not have a plan to go to sea to seek the elixir of immortality? Then what was the meaning of his previous actions?

Fusu felt increasingly troubled as he thought about it. He knew he couldn't act rashly now and had to figure out Yang Ling's true intentions first.

Meanwhile, Yang Ling had already begun his plan in secret—he used his magic and elixirs to put Xu Fu into a state of suspended animation, and then sent someone to secretly send the "dead" Xu Fu out of the palace.

Then, Yang Ling immediately began preparing for the sea voyage—he knew that time was of the essence and he had to make the most of every second…

After a flurry of activity, Yang Ling finally finished arranging everything for the voyage. Standing on the shore, gazing at the vast ocean in the distance, he was filled with anticipation and confidence—he knew that this voyage was fraught with unknowns and dangers, but as long as he and Xu Fu worked together, they would surely return safely! So, he took a deep breath, channeling all his inner strength, preparing to face the many challenges that lay ahead…

On a pitch-black night, amidst howling winds, Yang Ling quietly arrived at the seaside to reunite with Xu Fu, who had supposedly "come back to life." The sea breeze blew fiercely, whipping at their clothes, but it could not shake their unwavering resolve.

"Grand Preceptor, you've arrived." Xu Fu quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Yang Ling nodded slightly, looking at the fleet and the young boys and girls before him, and said with satisfaction, "Xu Fu, you've done a good job. Is everything ready?"

Xu Fu hurriedly replied, "Yes, Grand Preceptor. The fleet is fully prepared and ready to set sail, and the boys and girls have all been arranged. We are ready to depart at any time." (End of Chapter)