An eight percent mutation rate… Now that takes him back a couple of batches—the ones Lin Qinghen had already discarded, deeming them not worth his attention.

Looking back with that logic, it seems to match up. When he planted that batch, the plots happened to be marked out close to the edges, where he might have missed a few spots while clearing.

That batch could probably reach four-star level, but compared to what Lin Qinghen has produced now, it couldn’t even begin to compare. Both the yield and quality were worlds apart—if they managed to refine elixirs, it’d be like touching the edge of four stars compared to the pinnacle of four stars.

Chu Wei observed Lin Qinghen, who, after a brief flash of excitement, quickly calmed down and sat back quietly, head lowered, lost in thought.

He thought, This guy sure has a lot of secrets stashed away. Who knows what he’s hiding? His curiosity only made him want to drag Lin Qinghen back to Su Ye Immortal Mountain even more.

But his words came out blunt, as usual, triggering Lin Qinghen’s displeasure. “I’m telling you, stop dwelling on Lin Qingshuang. You and her were never comparable, to begin with. She’s the one calling the shots in the Lin family, and I’m the one in charge on Su Ye Immortal Mountain. If she were here, she’d absolutely never—”

Before he could finish, Lin Qinghen cut him off. The masked boy, seated on a small couch by the window, finally replied, “I’m not comparable to her?”

“Y-Yeah, well, isn’t that…?”

Then he heard Lin Qinghen let out a cold chuckle and stood up. For once, this person, who usually pretended to be timid and ordinary, seemed uninterested in putting on a facade. As the light fell on him, Chu Wei thought he caught a glimpse of a certain pride deeply carved into his bones and blood.

Lin Qinghen was far from ordinary. Though his past decade of circumstances had forced him to wear a mask, the habit had almost become a second skin. But now, with his hopes shattered after so much preparation, it felt like a piece of that mask was breaking.

“I’m not going to Su Ye Immortal Mountain with you. You should go.”

“Why not?”

“There’s no reason,” Lin Qinghen replied, “But if you must know, it’s because I’m not interested. Got it? Lin Qingshuang may be keen, but I’m not.”

Chu Wei was left speechless, glancing Lin Qinghen up and down before finally managing to spit out, “You… Fine, go ahead and act tough. You’ll pay for it later!”

In the end, the two parted on bad terms.

Not long after Chu Wei left, Lin Qinghen sat there with a frown, lost in thought again. Soon enough, there was a slight stirring from inside his robe—something was lightly trembling. It was the Bee Crystal Butterflies. The butterflies he’d brought along had been quietly staying with him, obediently folding their wings thinly and hiding within his collar.

With no one guarding him directly, as the watchmen were outside, Lin Qinghen called out the butterflies. One of them even seemed to emit a faint glow. Quickly, it spread its wings, and then a voice sounded from it.

“Qinghen, it’s me.”

It was Yu Yinyin’s voice.

“Master,” Lin Qinghen responded, “You’re finally back.”

But he didn’t think Yu Yinyin could solve the current situation.

Yu Yinyin had come back on time after confirming the situation on her end. She had originally planned to find Lin Qinghen, but as she neared the place, something felt off. Her Planting Garden courtyard had been turned upside down. Not one to act recklessly, Yu Yinyin—now back to her Heavenly Stage Six level—hid herself well. With her strength, few could detect her movements when she chose to go unnoticed.

After carefully investigating, she discovered the tree cavity had been exposed—and, more importantly, Lin Qinghen was missing. Fortunately, she had left a butterfly with him, so they were able to connect again.

At this moment, Lin Qinghen gave her a concise account of everything that had happened, including his impending marriage in Lin Qingshuang’s place. Yu Yinyin was shocked, and Lin Qinghen sensed her silence for quite a while before she confirmed in a tone of disbelief, “The Yin family of the Northern State?”

“Yes,” Lin Qinghen replied, “Apart from that family, is there any other that holds a marriage contract with the Lin family?”

He found Yu Yinyin’s tone a bit strange, so he pressed further, “Is there a problem?”

“…I just think it’s a bit of a coincidence,” Yu Yinyin answered. “I went out these past few days to check up on things. My assets are still there, but after all these years, they haven’t amounted to much, and now, they’re located right in the territory of the Northern State Yin family.”

Lin Qinghen: “…”

He too was speechless for a moment.

“But marrying Yin Jiuxiao? What kind of nonsense is that? They really just accept any marriage contract?” Yu Yinyin couldn’t help but complain, before turning serious again. “Qinghen, no, you can’t just marry off like that. I’ll find a way to get you out of this.”

Lin Qinghen was tempted to run, but Yu Yinyin’s unique spiritual essence allowed her to control the Bee Crystal Butterflies, which had combat capabilities beyond their farming use, though they weren’t strong enough to stand up to Lin Zhongtian. Lin Zhongtian wasn’t far from where Lin Qinghen was being held, and the place was heavily guarded. Even with Yu Yinyin’s help, escaping would be nearly impossible.

Yu Yinyin knew this too and, after a moment’s silence, responded, “I’ll go to the Library Pavilion’s main benefactor. We’re on good terms, and I…”

“That benefactor? I know him too. He’s lived in the Library Pavilion for years and never interferes in Lin family matters. Besides, no matter how influential he is, he can’t overrule the Family Head,” Lin Qinghen reasoned. “Master, even if he’s a close friend, he’s still a member of the Lin family first and foremost. Lin Qingshuang is in line to be the next Family Head, and the Lin family would never marry her to the Yin family.”

Yu Yinyin understood, but she was furious. “They’re taking things too far!”

“Let’s take it one step at a time,” Lin Qinghen sighed, then, as if struck by an idea, asked, “Master, can you help me with something?”

“What is it?”

“Help me deliver something to the elder from Su Ye Immortal Mountain,” Lin Qinghen took out a bottle of elixirs from his robe. “It’s this.”

He’d deliberately retrieved this bottle from the Alchemist System. It was one of the best batches he could currently make.

“What’s it for? And where did you get it?”

“Just help me out, Master, I’ll explain it all later. Can you do it?”

After hiding quietly for years, this was the first time he was seizing a bit of revenge. If the Lin family wanted to use his stuff to curry favor, they’d have to see if they were capable.

Yu Yinyin said, “It’s small enough. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

Delivering an item was far easier than taking someone out. As soon as her words faded, the other Bee Crystal Butterflies around him, save the one transmitting the conversation, began to move. After circling the elixir bottle, they landed on it. With a flash of white light, the bottle and the butterflies disappeared—Yu Yinyin had taken them.

The bottle had barely disappeared when Lin Qinghen heard footsteps outside. He quickly bid farewell to Yu Yinyin, tucked away the communicating butterfly, and just as he finished, the door swung open.

The familiar guards walked in, as rude as ever. “Young Master Qinghen, the Family Head requests your presence. Please come with us.”

Today, the Lin family needed Lin Qinghen because the Yin family, who had been celebrating, finally sensed something was off.

Su Ye Immortal Mountain had received their gift and promptly turned their focus to helping the Lin family crush any dissent from Fu Xin Hall and Bai Lu’s faction. With the Three Mountain matter settled and the Yin family’s weapon now useless, they assumed the marriage was still on track, but rumors started to surface about Lin Qingshuang going to Su Ye Immortal Mountain to become a disciple.

What was going on?

Tomorrow was the Lin family’s big banquet, and after the birthday celebration, the wedding was supposed to follow. Feeling restless, the Yin family arrived for answers.

Yin Jiuxiao came along, still feigning blindness and trailing at the back of the crowd, but keenly curious about the Lin family’s intentions.

He hadn’t expected them to actually find that Round Wheat—it was unexpected and had ruined a large part of his plan. Now, he wanted to see if this would end in yet another defeat at the hands of the Lin family.

Tch. Did the heavens really favor the Lin family?

Seeing the Yin family’s imposing arrival, Lin Zhongtian had no fear and ordered his men to fetch Lin Qinghen. Soon, Lin Qinghen was brought in.

Lin Zhongtian, sipping tea, caught sight of him from afar, gestured toward the door, and announced, “The Lin family will honor the marriage contract, but not with my dear Shuang’er. This is also my child, Lin Qinghen, and he will be fulfilling the contract.”

The Yin family was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at Lin Qinghen, who was being led in by the guards. A masked boy with an aura of silence about him, his spirit energy low.

The Yin family elder, Yin Miao, was an older man with some insight, and the name Lin Qinghen triggered his memory. Wasn’t this the unprecedented waste who had only reached half-level when tested at three years old?

“The Lin family was planning this all along!” He fumed, “This isn’t the person we agreed upon! Lin Zhongtian, do you dare to go back on your word?!”

Lin Zhongtian shot him a disdainful glance, sneering, “You’ve acknowledged the contract, Yin family. And what can you do if you don’t accept it?”

Yin Jiuxiao finally understood Lin Zhongtian’s scheme, feeling a flicker of surprise.

He wasn’t upset; whether it was Lin Qinghen or Lin Qingshuang, the marriage contract was still being fulfilled. He had achieved his main objective and hadn’t lost out. Besides, Lin Qinghen might prove even more interesting than Lin Qingshuang.

This mute little black swan held many secrets. If he married him and tapped into his spiritual energy, he might not rush to sever the bond after all…

But before he could finish the thought, Lin Qinghen was brought to the center of the room. The guards, impatient with his slow pace, gave him a push, nearly causing him to trip. Lin Qinghen frowned and spoke up, “Let go of me. I can walk by myself.”

Yin Jiuxiao’s ears pricked up.

A strange, intense feeling shot through him, and he could hardly contain his excitement. That crisp, soft voice—that he’d listened to all afternoon—was unmistakable with a single sentence.

Little Crow?

Realization hit Yin Jiuxiao, and he almost laughed out loud.

He thought he’d lost to the Lin family, even though the marriage contract was in place, giving the Lin family quite a bit of advantage. But to think that the source of all these benefits… was now right here with him.

In the end, it was not the Lin family who’d struck gold; it was Yin Jiuxiao himself.