The shadow Yin Jiuxiao summoned earlier had seen and heard far more than he’d expected. He’d already learned that the Lin family’s unlearned, snobbish young master, Lin Fei, was scheduled to be tested as a Yellow Level Four Star Alchemist today.

Just the perfect opportunity to put to use.

It seemed like everything had fallen perfectly into place. Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t anticipated that the same Lin Fei who had bullied others that day would now be cheating.

Alchemist assessments were not entirely cheat-proof, especially in an open event like this. Bribing the examiners was nearly impossible, but low-level alchemy procedures were comparatively simpler. Lin Fei had been stuck at Yellow Level Three Star for several years; he could put on the show, and he had clearly familiarized himself with the four-star alchemy process. However, his skills weren’t honed enough, lacking the final touch needed to perfect the concoction.

Given the large, bustling venue, with most attendees there merely to showcase their abilities for the family’s sake rather than taking the exam, attention was scattered. Lin Fei chose the most remote spot, where no one was watching. He had somehow acquired a secret method that would emit a convincing herbal fragrance when he opened the cauldron lid, simulating the scent of a finished pill.

It looked like he’d even tampered with his cauldron. Though his attempt at creating a pill had failed, hidden in the ashes was a pre-prepared four-star pill that could seamlessly pass as his creation.

Yin Jiuxiao kept a watchful eye on him as Lin Fei worked on his final batch. Luck seemed to favor Lin Fei as he remained undiscovered. That was, until the critical moment when his pill was supposedly completed, and Yin Jiuxiao made his move.

With a unique aura, Yin Jiuxiao moved swiftly and silently, like a ghost, without even a ripple of spirit energy.

As Lin Fei tried to open the cauldron lid at the final moment, he met unexpected resistance, as though something was pressing down on it, blocking him from opening it.

Timing was critical when collecting a pill, and with the examiner already beating the gong to signal the end, Lin Fei finally managed to pry open the lid. Frantic, he scooped out the pill from the ashes without even inspecting it closely, shoving it all into a bottle before handing it to the approaching examiner. He breathed a sigh of relief—everything had gone as planned, or so he thought, confident he hadn’t been caught.

The submitted pills were tested by examiners one by one to determine if they met the required standard. Lin Fei’s first two batches had passed effortlessly, and he expected this one to as well.

The examiner, hardly focused on these low-level pills, kept his gaze fixed on the two people at the center of the field, where more advanced alchemists were engaged in lengthy, intense concoctions.

With minimal attention, the examiner quickly scanned the pills with a spirit device, which showed the expected Yellow Level Four Star readings. Satisfied, he began the manual inspection, expecting the pills to be flawless as before. But as he reached the last few pills, his hand paused, and his casual demeanor vanished.

The young examiner stood up abruptly, staring at a single pill in his hand with wide eyes. His chair toppled back, crashing to the ground, but he paid it no mind.

“A four-star… but how could there be a four-star Homeostasis Powder?”

“Who… who concocted this pill?!”

When Yuan Jiang, the elder of Fu Xin Hall, had first come across this strange pill, he had suspected it would shock any alchemist, and the current reaction proved his point.

In an ordinary test, all the examiners would be from Fu Xin Hall, ensuring no leaks. But today, several Lin family alchemists served as examiners, and many people from other factions had come to observe up close, blending into the crowd.

This examiner’s odd behavior raised suspicions, and curious onlookers crowded closer. The examiner, aware that the pill was no ordinary find, tried to keep it discreet, but his attempt to hide it only drew more attention. Soon, the crowd around him grew, exclamations ringing out louder than the main testing grounds.

Lin Zhongtian, the Lin family head, scowled. The commotion further soured his mood, and he was about to send someone to investigate when a family alchemist hurried over to report the incident.

Soon, those who had seen the unusual pills joined in the discussion. With representatives from the Three Mountain faction in attendance, it would be impossible to keep this under wraps.

The front-row families, unaware of the situation, asked what was going on but received no answers. The elder Yuan Jiang from Fu Xin Hall stood abruptly and strode into the field. Bai Lu, who represented commercial interests, followed with a grave expression. Then, the Mountain Peak Master of Su Ye Immortal Mountain joined them, an intrigued smile on his face.

When these prominent figures moved, even Lin Zhongtian couldn’t stay seated and went to investigate.

Lin Fei, standing clueless on the field, awaited his Yellow Level Four Star certificate. But suddenly, someone blocked his way, pulling him into a side room beside the pill testing area.

There, he found the most distinguished figures in attendance approaching him.

“Wha… what’s going on?”

The group, aware that this matter couldn’t be discussed publicly, brought everyone involved, including the examiners and Lin Fei, to a private location.

“This pill wasn’t made by you!” Yuan Jiang confronted him. “Be honest—where did it come from?”

The pill looked identical to the one Yuan Rongrong had bought recently.

Lin Fei’s ploy was quickly uncovered, with the examiner easily spotting the tampered cauldron. His cheating was out in the open, leaving Lin Zhongtian scowling in humiliation. But what darkened his mood even more were the few special Homeostasis Powders mixed in.

Bai Lu and Yuan Jiang, influential figures in commerce and alchemy, would never let this go.

Even Lin Zhongtian himself was genuinely shocked, seeing this item for the first time. In a panic, Lin Fei, unaware of the pill’s true nature, admitted he’d taken his supplies from the family’s pill refining room.

This response only implicated the Lin family further.

At least, in Yuan Jiang’s eyes, he’d reached a conclusion. He speculated that the pill had originated from the Lin family and had likely been stolen by a servant and sold without knowing its true value. Judging by Yuan Rongrong’s account of the vendor, they hadn’t recognized it as a four-star Homeostasis Powder, only mentioning it was of high quality.

And now, with Lin Fei’s cheating, Yuan Jiang believed Lin family was mass-producing these four-star pills, perhaps waiting for the right opportunity to launch them.

Despite Lin Zhongtian’s denials, Yuan Jiang was convinced. The situation dragged on until Yuan Rongrong, who had succeeded in her alchemy, learned of the incident. Frowning, she seemed to recall something and whispered to her father.

“Father, I think you’re right,” she said. “Now that I think of it, the vendor from that day did his best to stay hidden, but his sleeves had a peculiar design that’s unique to Lin family servants—a tight cuff style that stands out.”

This statement only solidified Yuan Jiang’s suspicions.

The implications of altering basic medicinal ingredients were immense. Discovering this secret, Yuan Jiang had no intention of letting the Lin family keep it all to themselves.

With this sudden turn of events, the Three Mountain visitors left their accommodations outside the Lin family residence and moved in one by one.

Unsurprisingly, most of them found places to stay near the guest rooms of the Yin family.

After all, the Yin family’s marriage contract with Lin family was the perfect leverage to compel Lin family into sharing their secrets.

Meanwhile, Lin Qinghen remained unaware of all this, diligently tending his crops. With the Bee Crystal Butterflies speeding up his process after another round of improvements, he was nearly done with his last batch.