Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

He quietly left Black Wind Valley via the same path he had come from, avoiding everyone along the way, and quickly walked back to Qingya Workshop.

It was already afternoon when I returned to the courtyard with its blue tiles.

Xu Yuan climbed over the wall, changed out of his blood- and dust-stained clothes, stuffed them into the stove, and burned them clean.

Then he poured the spoils onto the table and sorted them.

The spirit stone was locked in the cabinet, the materials were piled in the corner, and the secret letter bearing Li Qinghe's private seal was wrapped in oil paper and stuffed into the deepest part under the bed.

After doing all this, he sat down and let out a long breath.

He looked down at his hands.

It was spotless, without a single drop of blood.

This was the first time since he transmigrated that he had actively planned a murder. It wasn't an accident, nor was it out of necessity; he had calculated every step, personally setting up the trap and personally pulling it back together.

He didn't regret it, nor did he want to find any excuse for acting on behalf of Heaven.

Those three wanted his life, so he took theirs first.

It's that simple.

As for Li Qinghe...

Xu Yuan raised his head and looked towards the direction outside the courtyard gate, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

That old dog should be held accountable.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard familiar footsteps outside the courtyard gate.

Then came the knocking on the door.

Three strokes, pause, then three more strokes.

Li Qinghe has arrived.

The knocking was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried an indescribable sense of oppression.

Xu Yuan sat at the desk, motionless.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous intent surging in his heart. The coldness on his face instantly faded, and he put on his honest and somewhat tired appearance again, as if he had just returned from Black Wind Valley and was exhausted.

He got up, walked quickly over, and unlatched the door.

Outside the door, dusk was falling.

Li Qinghe stood in the sunset, wearing a dark gray robe. His smile was fainter than usual, and his eyes held a hint of scrutiny and urgency that was hard to detect.

Seeing Xu Yuan open the door, he was taken aback for a moment, then immediately a warm smile spread across his face: "Brother Xu, you...you're back?"

His voice was as warm as ever, but Xu Yuan could hear a hint of disbelief and probing beneath it.

"Manager Li?" Xu Yuan looked surprised and stepped aside to let him in. "What brings you here? Please come in."

"I was just passing by and thought I'd take a look." Li Qinghe walked into the courtyard and quickly scanned the area.

The courtyard was clean and tidy, just like usual. There were no signs of a fight, no smell of blood, and even Xu Yuan's clothes were clean and without any damage.

He then looked at Xu Yuan's face.

Xu Yuan's face showed the fatigue of traveling, his clothes were neat, he had no injuries, and his eyes did not show the fear of surviving a disaster, but only the bewilderment of having just finished running and the surprise of seeing him.

Li Qinghe's heart sank instantly.

What happened?

Those three cultivators were at the fifth level of Qi Refining and the other two at the fourth level. Let alone a cultivator who had just broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, even a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining would be in serious trouble if they encountered them.

How come Xu Yuan returned unharmed, without even a trace of dishevelment?

Did those three guys change their minds at the last minute and not make a move?

Or did something unexpected happen?

Li Qinghe's mind raced, but his face remained impassive, still smiling kindly: "How did the mission to Black Wind Valley go? Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"

"Everything went smoothly!" Xu Yuan scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly. "It's just that the road is a bit long, and my legs are sore from walking. Everything else is fine. The accounts have been checked, and the guards even treated me to a bowl of water."

As he spoke, he pulled an account book from his pocket and handed it over: "Manager Li, these are the reconciled accounts. Please take a look."

Li Qinghe took the account book and glanced at it.

The document does indeed bear the signature and seal of the manager of the Zhao family's medicinal herb field, and the accounts have been checked clearly without any problems.

His hand holding the ledger tightened slightly.

They really went, really checked the accounts, and came back safely.

What on earth did those three guys do?

"That's good, that's good." Li Qinghe put down the account book, his smile stiff. "I was worried about your safety going alone, so I came to check on you. I'm glad you're alright, I'm glad you're alright."

As he spoke, he patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the courtyard gate.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xu Yuan.

His eyes were full of doubt and wariness, and a hint of sinister intent that Xu Yuan couldn't decipher.

"Brother, get some rest." Li Qinghe said this and left without looking back.

Xu Yuan stood at the door, watching his figure disappear into the alley before slowly closing the door.

Insert the bolt.

He leaned against the door, a faint smile slowly curving his lips.

It seems that Li Qinghe is unaware that the three Tribulation Cultivators are already dead.

That's true. Black Wind Valley is a remote place, rarely visited by humans. If a cultivator dies there, there's not even anyone to collect the body. Unless Li Qinghe goes there himself, there's no way he could know that the three people he sent have already turned into ashes in the valley.

If he knew that it wasn't him who came today, but the Zhao family's enforcement team.

At this moment, Li Qinghe is merely suspicious and unsure of what has happened. And since he is unsure, he will never act rashly.

This gave Xu Yuan enough time.

He straightened up from the door panel, walked back into the room, and pulled out the secret letter wrapped in oiled paper from under the bed.

I unfolded it and looked at it carefully again.

The handwriting, Li Qinghe's private seal, and evidence of treason were all clearly visible.

With this thing in hand, Li Qinghe, that old dog, became a puppet in his hands.

Xu Yuan carefully put the letter away and locked it in the cabinet.

He wasn't in a hurry to find Li Qinghe.

Especially in times like these, it's crucial to remain calm. He needed to wait, wait for Li Qinghe to panic on his own, wait for him to come knocking on his door.

really.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

It was the same familiar rhythm, only this time, the knocking was much softer than usual, carrying a hint of hesitation and unease.

Xu Yuan calmly dressed, walked to the courtyard gate, and unlatched it.

Outside the door, Li Qinghe stood in the morning light, holding a wooden box in his hand. He still had a smile on his face, but it was a hundred times stiffer than yesterday, and the panic in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Clearly, he didn't sleep well that night.

"Brother Xu, are you up?" Li Qinghe's voice trembled slightly.

"Master Li, so early?" Xu Yuan yawned and stepped aside to let him in, looking like he had just woken up.

Li Qinghe entered the courtyard and scanned it again, but found nothing, just like yesterday. He went inside, placed the wooden box on the table, found a chair, and sat down, fidgeting with his teacup.