The Lin Family in the Royal Capital

It took nearly three hours for Yan Yun to escape from Su Muyu’s clutches.

‘My goodness! A woman’s heart is as unknowable as a needle in the ocean,’ Yan Yun muttered as she fled back to her residence.

But the money was secured, and now the real challenge began: figuring out how to make it grow.

According to Yan Lingyun’s plan, Yan Yun was to purchase a cauldron for alchemy as well as herbs.

Once these items were in hand, Yan Lingyun would teach Yan Yun how to concoct special poison pills, which could then be sold in the city.

However, a new problem arose.

‘The apothecary market in Qingfeng City is mostly controlled by the Yan, Jiang, Zhou, and Song families,’ Yan Yun explained to Yan Lingyun. ‘If I sell herbs there, I’m sure to be discovered.’

Qingfeng City was small, and Yan Yun was already well-known. To keep her secret, she would need to disguise herself.

‘Why think so much about it? Don’t forget, in their minds, you’re still a boy, an ordinary person unable to cultivate,’ Yan Lingyun reminded her. ‘Your amusing mother just dressed you as a girl, which is the perfect disguise.’

Yan Yun was taken aback. ‘What? You want me to dress as a girl to buy things?’ she exclaimed, reacting strongly.

Although her body had changed, Yan Yun hadn’t yet accepted her new gender identity.

‘Ah, what do you mean? You’re already a girl, so why pretend? It’s your male identity that’s the disguise,’ Yan Lingyun countered. ‘Besides, it’s inevitable, so you might as well get used to it.’

Yan Yun was troubled, struggling to accept this new reality. She had only accepted that her gender had changed due to cultivating poison arts, but becoming a woman was a different matter entirely.

‘Let me think about it,’ Yan Yun said weakly.

The night passed, and the next day, a guest arrived at the Zhou family residence in Qingfeng City. This visitor had come from the Jiang Kingdom’s capital.

Zhou Shichang, the head of the Zhou family, personally greeted the guest.

‘Ha! Brother Lin, what brings you to visit my humble abode?’ Zhou Shichang asked, bowing slightly to the middle-aged man in black.

The man had piercing, hawk-like eyes and, upon entering the hall, took the main seat without hesitation. Zhou Shichang dared not show any displeasure.

The visitor was from the Lin family of the Jiang Kingdom, a superpower with a God-Realm Cultivator as its guardian. The Lin family was highly regarded by the Jiang King, with many of its members joining various sects, including the prestigious Cloud Hua Sect, where Lin Mo was considered the family’s rising star.

‘Is your Zhou family not about to celebrate its five hundredth anniversary in Qingfeng City?’ Lin Yuan asked, his question catching Zhou Shichang off guard.

‘Yes, about that. Ever since our family declined, we’ve been here for over five hundred years,’ Zhou Shichang replied.

Lin Yuan chuckled. ‘Five hundred years, and yet you’re still overshadowed by the Yan and Jiang families?’

Zhou Shichang was quick to understand. ‘What can the Zhou family do for the Lin family?’ he asked, leaning in closer to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan smirked. ‘Nothing in particular, just that I think it’s time for Qingfeng City to see some changes,’ he said.

Zhou Shichang was visibly shocked. He stood up and bowed respectfully to Lin Yuan. ‘Brother Lin, the Zhou family is at your service, ready to follow the Lin family’s lead.’

Lin Yuan nodded, a sly grin on his face. The calm of Qingfeng City was about to be disrupted.

Meanwhile, Yan Yun, after much deliberation, had no choice but to face reality. She had limited options.

In the morning, she slipped over to a section of the Yan family’s wall, using her internal poison energy to enhance her physical abilities. With a running start, she easily vaulted over the three-meter-high wall, landing softly on the ground.

‘My body feels so stiff,’ Yan Yun muttered, clearly uncomfortable. ‘I need to find time to work on my physical fitness.’

Her body was indeed too weak and uncoordinated. ‘What did you expect?’ Yan Lingyun said. ‘Your coordination is poor. Once you get the herbs, I’ll concoct some poison pills to boost your physical strength.’

Yan Yun made her way to a secluded street and arrived at a tailor shop after several turns. Ensuring no one familiar was around, she slipped inside.

When she emerged, she was wearing a white and purple dress with a veil covering her face. This outfit, chosen by Yan Lingyun, suited Yan Yun’s current appearance.

Yan Yun now looked like a silver-haired, violet-eyed young woman in a white dress, her identity well-concealed by the veil and Yan Lingyun’s spiritual energy.

‘Damn it! These women’s clothes are so light and flimsy, offering no sense of security. Why do I feel like everyone is staring at me?’ Yan Yun’s face flushed beneath the veil, and she walked with a stiff, awkward gait.

‘Of course they’re staring! You look like a criminal, and with your silver hair and violet eyes, who wouldn’t take notice?’ Yan Lingyun teased.

Yan Yun, however, couldn’t help feeling like a pervert in a woman’s dress. She struggled with this conflicting self-image and needed time to adjust.

‘I’m just not used to being a woman out in public. I can’t control my embarrassment and anxiety,’ Yan Yun admitted.

She felt vulnerable and easily noticed. ‘Alright, let me help you. I’ll borrow your body for a bit,’ Yan Lingyun said.

Suddenly, Yan Yun felt her body move on its own, her initial stiffness replaced by a natural, graceful demeanor. ‘Your body is quite weak; you really need to work on it,’ Yan Lingyun commented.

Yan Yun was alarmed. ‘What if you’re trying to possess me?’

Yan Lingyun rolled her eyes. ‘Sometimes you’re so smart, and sometimes so naive. If I wanted to possess you, you wouldn’t be able to talk to me like this. I’m just using my spiritual energy to control your body. Just observe and learn how a lady behaves.’

With that, Yan Lingyun walked with the elegance of a noble lady, a stark contrast to Yan Yun’s earlier timid steps. This allowed her to blend in, her unusual hair and eyes drawing less attention.

Soon, Yan Yun arrived at the apothecary market, a joint venture between the Yan and Jiang families. As she entered, she saw numerous cultivators, who made up about seven out of ten people in this world. In the apothecary market, the herbs on display were unlike anything she had seen before, far beyond the herbs used by ordinary people.