CHAPTER 7: Truly a Good Little Brother

Elder Wan cleared his throat. “I won’t say much more—let’s go straight to announcing the correct pill formula. Anyone who deciphered six or more ingredients passes the test!”

“The first ingredient, Salted Phellodendron.”

Those who hadn’t chosen this ingredient instantly looked dejected.

“The second ingredient, Cornelian Cherry.”

…

With each ingredient announced, the sound of sighs grew louder within the crowd. It seemed quite a few people had made mistakes.

Yu Youyou was feeling extremely hungry, and sitting on the stone chair for too long had made her tailbone go numb. Now, she was uncomfortable all over and could only look around to distract herself.

As she turned her head, she suddenly met a pair of dark circles under someone’s eyes.

The round-faced boy sitting beside her had fair, clean skin. He probably hadn’t slept well, as the corners of his eyes were tinged with red, making him look like an innocent little rabbit.

Before Elder Wan could announce the next ingredient, the boy suddenly spoke in a low voice, saying it ahead of him.

“The sixth ingredient, Asparagus Root.”

Yu Youyou found him somewhat interesting and followed up immediately.

“The seventh ingredient, Cherokee Rosehip.”

The rabbit-like boy stared at her in surprise and continued, “The eighth ingredient…”

The two of them took turns, calmly listing out all ten ingredients ahead of Elder Wan. Even more astonishingly, they got every single one in the correct order.

“Su Yizhi.” The boy suddenly spoke again.

Yu Youyou blinked. “Wrong. There’s no such ingredient.”

The boy’s face instantly turned red. “…That’s my name.”

“I’m Yu Youyou.”

Only then did Su Yizhi realize how close they had leaned in while whispering. Embarrassed, he quickly scooted away to put some distance between them, his face still flushed.

By this time, Elder Wan had finished announcing the pill formula. Before him, only two medicine boxes remained.

“The ones who got everything right are Su Yizhi and Yu Youyou… huh?” Elder Wan’s eyebrow twitched as he instinctively glanced at Qi Nanfeng. He had expected that brat to get a perfect score—yet the ones left standing were instead the last one to come out and the frail-looking little girl.

But more importantly—

“This girl’s last medicine box… why does it have two herbs?”

The crowd erupted in shock. It was common to see someone pick the wrong herb, but who had ever heard of someone adding extra?

Although Yu Youyou was slouching lazily, her tone was firm. “Because the formula was always meant to have it.”

But Elder Wan had clearly stated that there were only ten ingredients. That was what everyone thought—except for Su Yizhi, who suddenly froze, as if realizing something.

Seeing this, Yu Nianrou quietly let out a breath of relief. She had been overthinking it. When she saw that little beggar’s medicine box was still there at the end, she had actually worried for a brief moment that she might surpass Su Yizhi, who came from a prestigious family.

Her expression remained indifferent as she glanced at Yu Youyou and sneered, “So-called cleverness that only ends up ruining things—this is exactly that.”

Yu Youyou reminded her once again, “I told you already—sword cultivators shouldn’t act like they understand the ways of pill cultivators.”

At that moment, an icy voice abruptly cut through the murmuring crowd.

“She didn’t get it wrong.”

Qu Qingmiao casually stepped forward, placing herself between Yu Youyou and the others. In a calm tone, she said, “This new formula was created by me. It originally contained eleven ingredients—I only said ten to lower the difficulty for you all.”

The final ingredient was licorice. It had a faint sweetness, had no effect on the pill’s properties, and carried no distinct taste. The only reason Qu Qingmiao had added it was because the original pill was simply too bitter for her to swallow.

Of course, that was something she would never admit aloud.

Yu Nianrou’s smile froze. “Fellow Daoist Qu, what do you mean by this?”

“It means that the top scorer is not Su Yizhi, but Yu Youyou.” Qu Qingmiao lowered her gaze and looked at Yu Nianrou, her voice cool as she added, “And one more thing—Cloudflower Sword Sect has no place telling Pill Cauldron Sect how to do things.”

—

The members of Cloudflower Sword Sect left with dark expressions as soon as the results were announced.

Without Jiang Yuan’s suppressive aura pressing down on him, Qi Nanfeng felt his body instantly relax. He quickly ran over to Yu Youyou.

“I knew you were hiding your true strength! My instincts really are spot on.” He beamed proudly at himself before giving Yu Youyou a thorough once-over. Then, he suddenly frowned. “Wait a second? I haven’t seen you in seven days, but why do you look so much healthier?”

Qi Nanfeng wasn’t just saying that. Even Su Yizhi and the other examinees who had spent seven days locked inside the stone chambers all came out looking haggard and miserable.

But Yu Youyou—far from being on the verge of collapse as everyone had imagined—had skin that was noticeably rosier.

Qi Nanfeng clearly remembered what she looked like when they first met. Back then, she had been so thin that she looked like she had just crawled out of a grave. Now, at least, she looked somewhat human.

Yu Youyou’s expression remained calm. “Maybe the fasting pills had some health benefits.”

“Really?” Qi Nanfeng scratched his head in confusion. “I still have six more fasting pills left. Want them?”

Yu Youyou turned away and pretended not to hear him.

Just then, a Pill Cauldron Sect disciple spoke up in confusion.

“Senior Sister Qu, why is this stone chamber completely empty of herbs?”

“The medicine cabinet only has a few poisonous ingredients left—everything else is gone. That’s strange. She didn’t bring anything out with her either.”

These mortal herbs were cheap in the eyes of immortal sects, so it wasn’t uncommon for participants to take some with them.

But at most, people would only take one or two of the more valuable herbs. No one had ever taken everything.

As suspicious gazes fell upon her, Yu Youyou didn’t dare turn around.

Of course the herbs were gone.

She patted her still-flat stomach. After all, she had ground them all into tonics and eaten them. That was why she had taken so long to come out.

In order to survive, she had no choice but to be resourceful.

But maybe her body wasn’t used to all this nourishment. On the way back, Yu Youyou’s nose suddenly started bleeding again, scaring Qi Nanfeng into dragging her straight to the dining hall for a meal of blood stew.

….

The dining hall at night wasn’t as lively as it was during the day. Most of the people sitting in small groups were the young cultivators who had participated in the test.

Those who had passed were enjoying their meals, making up for the torment of the fasting pills.

Those who had failed were eating even more fiercely—tomorrow, they would be sent down the mountain. No matter what, they had to eat their fill of Pill Cauldron Sect’s food while they still could.

Su Yizhi sat across from Yu Youyou, holding his bowl of rice, only to realize that she seemed utterly engrossed in eating and had no intention of acknowledging him.

Left with no choice, he took the initiative to speak. “How did you know the pill formula contained eleven ingredients? The first ten herbs already formed a complete formula. The others also had a sweet taste, almost identical to licorice.”

Yu Youyou finished the last grain of rice in her bowl before looking up to answer. “Almost identical isn’t the same. There can’t be any margin for error when deconstructing a pill formula.”

It was precisely because she noticed that minute difference that she had spent so long in the stone chamber.

Su Yizhi remained silent for a moment before eventually nodding, somewhat relieved. “You have a point. I was too eager to take first place.”

Qi Nanfeng found the two of them insufferable and unceremoniously placed a serving of bean sprouts on each of their plates. “Just focus on eating. No one wants to hear depressing talk at the dinner table.”

At those words, Yu Youyou suddenly recalled the glimpse she’d caught of Qi Nanfeng’s assessment results earlier. Discussing the exam in front of someone who had failed was indeed far too cruel.

Since they could now be considered friends, Yu Youyou pondered for a moment before offering him some words of consolation. “You should go home and study properly this time. Just take the exam again next year.”

Qi Nanfeng looked at her, utterly baffled. “What would I take the exam again for? I’m already an outer disciple.”

He pulled out his outer disciple token. “I got it as soon as I arrived on the mountain. You two don’t have to be too envious—yours will be issued tomorrow.”

Yu Youyou, still holding a bean sprout with her chopsticks, was momentarily stunned. “But didn’t you get every single ingredient wrong?”

Qi Nanfeng replied with complete nonchalance. “Yeah, but my family donates ten thousand coffins to the Pill Cauldron Sect every year. This time, we threw in an extra ten thousand mu of medicinal farmland.”

“…Being rich is really nice.”

….

Yu Youyou only stopped eating once she was completely stuffed. Slowly, she made her way back.

By now, the night had grown deep. Within the Pill Cauldron Sect, only the occasional chirping of insects could be heard. A few moths flitted around the illumination array in the guest courtyard, their dim glow casting light onto the figure standing silently at her door.

A youthful boy in a white robe embroidered with golden trim held a slender sword in hand. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.

Yu Youyou stopped in her tracks, her tone neither warm nor cold. “You must have taken a wrong turn.”

The handsome youth standing before her bore a striking resemblance to Yu Nianrou—he was none other than Yu Changan, the direct son of Long Aotian.

Though Yu Youyou had no particular interest in acknowledging the relation, he was, technically speaking, her younger brother.

Despite his young age, Yu Changan had already touched upon the threshold of the Foundation Establishment realm. Even a prodigy like Jiang Yuan paled slightly in comparison.

Yu Changan frowned slightly as he studied Yu Youyou, then pulled out a pouch of spirit stones and held it out. “Here are one hundred spirit stones. Use them for cultivation, exchange them for silver if you prefer—either way, it’s enough for you to live well.”

It was clear that Yu Bumie had put far more effort into raising his son than his daughter. Though Yu Changan carried the typical arrogance of a privileged second-generation cultivator, he wasn’t as overbearing as Yu Nianrou. At the very least, he knew to offer compensation before making a demand.

However, Yu Youyou merely kept her hands tucked inside her sleeves and didn’t move.

Yu Changan continued, “This is just the deposit. Tomorrow, go to the medicine fields and retrieve a Grade-One Silver Tracing Herb for me, and I’ll give you another hundred spirit stones.”

Two hundred spirit stones—an amount that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would find tempting. No wonder Su Yizhi had agreed to the deal before.

But instead of reaching for the spirit stones, the girl—who was a head shorter than him—simply gave him an odd look and asked, “What does a Grade-One Silver Tracing Herb look like? How is it different from an ordinary Silver Tracing Herb?”

Thinking she had agreed, Yu Changan carefully described the herb’s appearance to ensure she wouldn’t take the wrong one.

“It’s different from ordinary Silver Tracing Herbs. Due to its nourishment from spiritual energy, the markings on its leaves are golden instead of silver. Also, to prevent its spiritual energy from dissipating when you pick it, you should pull it out by the roots.”

Yu Youyou nodded and politely thanked him. “Understood. Thanks.”

Yu Changan frowned and extended the pouch of spirit stones again. “The deposit…”

But Yu Youyou was already walking into the courtyard. “I’m full and getting sleepy, so I won’t see you off. See you tomorrow.”

The door slammed shut in an instant.

Yu Changan was briefly stunned. He lowered his head, staring at the untouched bag of spirit stones in his hand.

“See you tomorrow?”

Did she mean she wouldn’t take the deposit and would only accept the spirit stones after obtaining the herb?

With mixed emotions, Yu Changan returned to the courtyard where the Yunhua Sword Sect was staying, only to hear Yu Nianrou’s furious voice before even stepping inside.

“It’s all that filthy little beggar’s fault! How did she get lucky enough to become a disciple of the Pill Cauldron Sect?!” Yu Nianrou balled up the veil in her hands and threw it aside.

The veil landed near Jiang Yuan’s robe. He sighed, picking it up. “I’ll go find her and buy it—”

“Buy?” Yu Nianrou turned her head and sneered. “Does a filthy beggar even deserve to negotiate? Senior Brother, you tell her to fetch the Silver Tracing Herb for me tomorrow and present it to me on her knees! Otherwise, I’ll cut off her filthy hands!”

“Elder Sister, she is now a disciple of the Pill Cauldron Sect,” Yu Changan reminded her as he pushed the door open.

Yu Nianrou scoffed dismissively. “She’s just an outer disciple. Do you really think the Pill Cauldron Sect would offend Father over her?”

Their parents had always said that daughters should be cherished and spoiled. Because of this, everyone indulged Yu Nianrou, and this excessive pampering had turned her into an exceptionally domineering person. At home, this willfulness was seen as charming, but outside, it sometimes made her appear unreasonably arrogant.

Yu Changan tightened his grip on the spirit stones in his hand and, for some reason, blurted out, “Elder Sister, I don’t actually think she’s that bad.”

After following his senior brothers on this training expedition, he had finally realized just how much value spirit stones held for ordinary people. Even Su Yizhi, a young master from a powerful clan, had bent the knee for them.

And yet, that little girl hadn’t even spared them a glance.

In that moment, Yu Changan suddenly felt that she possessed an admirable sense of dignity.

Unlike Su Yizhi, who had taken the deposit, failed to deliver, and then only agreed to refund half of it.

In a remote guest room, Su Yizhi sneezed three times in succession.

….

The next morning, as soon as Yu Youyou finished collecting her outer disciple robes and identity token, Elder Wan dragged her off to the spirit herb fields.

As soon as Yu Youyou stepped into this place, she immediately sensed the difference between spiritual herbs and ordinary medicinal plants. An indescribable force lingered throughout the entire herb field, and even the dull ache in her chest from walking too far gradually eased.

She surveyed the rare spiritual herbs—none of them were familiar to her.

“All the herbs here are fully matured first-grade spiritual herbs. You may pick one to take with you. Just remember not to waste too much time—you have only half the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.” Elder Wan spoke from behind her, about to introduce the different types of spiritual herbs to her when…

Yu Youyou walked straight to a corner and, without hesitation, yanked a first-grade Silver Mark Grass out by the roots.

“Elder Wan, I’ve made my choice.”

Elder Wan: “…”

Why did you have to pick the only first-grade Silver Mark Grass in the entire field?! Don’t you know that rarity determines value?!

Even though Yu Youyou had no idea what she was choosing, if even the protagonist’s favored son was willing to pay a high price for it, it had to be something good!

With a pained expression, Elder Wan led Yu Youyou out. He couldn’t help but suspect that this little girl wasn’t actually an orphan but a spy sent by some prestigious family. Otherwise, how could she have such an eye for valuable herbs?!

Outside, a crowd had already gathered.

The moment Yu Youyou emerged, Yu Changan lifted his gaze slightly before stepping forward and extending a hand, clearly expecting to take the herb.

Unfortunately, Yu Youyou seemed not to notice him at all. Instead, she turned to Qi Nanfeng and handed the first-grade Silver Mark Grass over. The latter quickly stuffed it into his storage pouch.

Only then did she turn her head—only to see that Yu Changan was still holding out his hand toward her.

What did he want?

After pondering for a brief moment, Yu Youyou extended her own hand and shook his warmly and amicably.

What a good little brother. She truly appreciated him coming over last night just to tell her which spiritual herb was the best choice.

“Nice to meet you!”

Yu Changan, however, was anything but fine. His whole body stiffened in place.

The others stared dumbfounded at the scene. It was a long moment before Yu Nianrou finally turned to her younger brother, staring at him as if she had just seen a ghost.

“You dragged me here early in the morning just to show me how close you are with that little beggar?”