Delivered to the door

After watching Deacon Zhou depart, the girl named Zhou Zimo turned to Yan Yun with a bright smile.

“Acting Pavilion Master, I will be in your care from now on.”

Yan Yun nodded, then gestured for everyone to follow her.

She began to assign each person their tasks—some to guard the gate, others to handle miscellaneous chores.

These menial disciples were all potential future members of the Purple Abyss Pavilion, so Yan Yun treated them quite well.

In the afternoon, as twilight fell, Yan Yun was sorting medicinal herbs in the pharmacy when she suddenly heard a menial disciple’s report from outside.

“Pavilion Master, someone is asking to see you.”

Yan Yun immediately put down her work and glanced toward the entrance.

“Who is it?”

The moment her words fell, a voice that sounded somewhat arrogant and domineering drifted in from outside the pharmacy.

“Get out of my way! How dare a mere menial disciple block me? This young master wants to see your so-called Acting Pavilion Master Ziyun.”

“Hey! Senior Brother, you can’t just barge in like this! Our Purple Abyss Pavilion has rules too. Please wait for me to announce you.”

As they spoke, a youth of sixteen or seventeen strode into the pharmacy.

The instant Yan Yun saw this person, a flicker of killing intent flashed through her eyes.

The newcomer was from the Lin family.

She had happened to see him on the road when she first joined the sect and remembered his name was Lin Yu.

This Lin Yu held his head high, his nose in the air, looking utterly deserving of a beating.

‘Is there not a single normal person in the Lin family? Every last one of them wears their arrogance and tyranny on their face,’ Yan Yun complained inwardly.

Lin Yu’s gaze swept around, quickly landing on Yan Yun, who was dressed in the robes of an outer sect disciple.

“You must be that Ziyun, right? Well, well, I didn’t expect you to be so pretty.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am from the Royal Capital’s Lin family. My name is Lin Yu.”

“I have come today on behalf of the Lin family to make a deal with you,” Lin Yu said in a flippant tone after sizing Yan Yun up and down.

But little did Lin Yu know, the arrival of the Lin family was exactly what Yan Yun had been hoping for.

Since they had delivered themselves to her doorstep, she certainly wouldn’t be polite.

She had already guessed their purpose.

“Oh, someone from the esteemed Lin family of the Royal Capital. Forgive my lack of respect.”

“I wonder what guidance Young Master Lin has for me, and what transaction you wish to make?” Yan Yun asked with a smile.

Hearing Yan Yun’s complimentary tone, a look of satisfaction spread across Lin Yu’s face.

“This is not a convenient place to talk. Could we find somewhere to speak privately?”

Lin Yu was about to state his purpose but remembered Lin Mo had told him to be discreet.

He changed his tune, asking for a private conversation.

Lin Yu did not take Yan Yun seriously at all.

After all, she was a disciple promoted from menial status, and one who relied on the poison art at that.

She surely had no background to speak of.

To disciples from prominent families like them, someone without a background was a nobody, completely unworthy of mention.

Yan Yun granted his request, leading him out of the pharmacy.

“Alright, speak. What business do you have with me?” Yan Yun asked.

Lin Yu glanced around and, seeing no one else, stated his purpose.

“I heard you’ve developed a method that can save the lives of those who fail to cultivate the poison art.”

“Our Lin family is very interested in this method. Name your price.”

Yan Yun was slightly taken aback, but she laughed inwardly.

She knew the Lin family had come for this, and now her interest was piqued.

However, she certainly couldn’t agree too directly.

“So that is what you’ve come for. But with all due respect, the sect has given me strict orders not to disclose this method to anyone.”

“So I’m afraid Young Master Lin will be disappointed,” Yan Yun refused him outright.

But this Lin Yu certainly wouldn’t give up just because she said so.

“Miss Ziyun, this poison art is now a grand sect’s cultivation method. The method you developed has nothing to do with the Yunhua Sect.”

“I believe that even if they found out, they couldn’t do anything to you.”

Yan Yun pretended to fall into deep thought.

She walked back and forth around Lin Yu before asking a question.

“Then, what price is the Lin family offering to buy it from me?”

Seeing Yan Yun ask for the price, Lin Yu was about to speak, but something seemed to occur to him, and he quoted a number.

“One hundred thousand spirit stones.”

At the mention of one hundred thousand spirit stones, Yan Yun smiled.

She had been watching Lin Yu closely and could see from his shifty eyes that this amount was clearly not what the Lin family had offered.

Seeing Yan Yun smiling at him, Lin Yu quickly asked, “Too little?”

Yan Yun turned and walked directly back toward the pharmacy.

“I think you should reconsider just how many spirit stones you’re willing to trade.”

“I may not have a family background, but I am not a fool.”

“To think you can get my method for a mere one hundred thousand spirit stones… aren’t you looking down on me a bit too much?”

Seeing Yan Yun about to leave, Lin Yu hastily called out, “One million spirit stones! Not a single stone more! This is the price our family is offering.”

Hearing the one million spirit stones, Yan Yun stopped and turned back.

“That price is more like it. Where’s the money?” Yan Yun asked, holding out her hand.

Lin Yu gritted his teeth but still took out an exquisite storage pouch and handed it to Yan Yun.

This kid had originally planned to act as a middleman and skim some off the top, but he ended up being the one getting shortchanged.

In his mind, one hundred thousand spirit stones was a huge sum, not just for a disciple from a menial background, but even for an inner sect disciple.

Yan Yun took the pouch, opened it for a look, and then put it away with a happy expression.

“Alright, the transaction is complete. I will now tell you the method,” Yan Yun said, and proceeded to explain the method to Lin Yu.

At first, Lin Yu was very excited, but after Yan Yun finished speaking, he flew into a rage.

“What? You… are you toying with me?”

Yan Yun gave a faint smile.

“I am not toying with you. Every word I said is the truth.”

“Everyone’s situation with the poison art is different. All I know is that my poison art can, at a critical moment, absorb the toxins from his or her body, thereby saving their life and even healing the meridians damaged by the poison art.”

Lin Yu’s face darkened.

“Are you saying you must be present?”

“That’s right. I haven’t yet found an example of anyone else being able to do it.”

“So, if your Lin family disciples want to cultivate the poison art…” Yan Yun trailed off with a smile.

Lin Yu’s expression changed drastically.

“You… Damn you! You’re clearly playing me! Give me back my money!” Lin Yu demanded.

However, once something was in her pocket, how could she spit it back out so easily?

“Don’t be so agitated. If you agree, I can provide a house-call service.”

“This is a one-time offer. You should think it over carefully,” Yan Yun said again.

But Lin Yu didn’t dare make such a decision on his own.

He righteously demanded the spirit stones back, then stormed out of the Purple Abyss Pavilion in a huff.

Yan Yun did not force him to leave the spirit stones, because she had a feeling that the Lin family would be back for her.

And next time, it wouldn’t be for this price.

On the other side, the moment he left the Purple Abyss Pavilion, Lin Yu contacted Lin Mo.

[Brother, this Ziyun is not being very honest,] Lin Yu said, explaining the situation to Lin Mo.

Back at his residence, Lin Mo fell into contemplation after hearing the news.

“Let’s leave it for now. When I have time, I will personally visit the Purple Abyss Pavilion to see if this little girl is really toying with our Lin family, or if this is truly the only way,” Lin Mo said.

However, what Lin Mo didn’t know was that the moment Lin Yu’s front foot left, Yan Yun’s back foot was already on its way to tell Fairy Yunshuang about the matter.

Upon hearing this, Fairy Yunshuang was naturally quite displeased.

She felt that the Lin family was overreaching.

Thus, she told Yan Yun that if it happened again, she should just keep the money.

If the Lin family had any complaints, they could come find her.

With Fairy Yunshuang as her backer, Yan Yun was naturally filled with confidence.