Chapter 21: Acquiring a Cauldron

After acquiring a pill furnace, he began to find the inn inconvenient and specifically found an intermediary to rent a secluded house. Though the area was remote, the house itself was quite well built. The annual rent was ten gold taels—a hefty sum for ordinary folk, but for him, as long as payment didn’t require spirit stones, it was considered cheap. He didn’t even bother to haggle before taking up residence.

Now, compared to the cramped inn, this place was much more spacious; the entire house belonged to him, and the surroundings were empty and quiet. He could arrange the space however he pleased. If anyone were to trespass and ended up injured or dead, they’d have no one to blame but themselves.

Once he’d set up various arrays, Qin Chengming returned to his spatial domain. This time, he wasn’t in a hurry to refine pills. Instead, he marked out a patch of land within the space to cultivate medicinal herbs.

Although there were plenty of herbs growing naturally there, they were scattered and hard to gather. It would be more convenient to concentrate common medicinal plants in one place for easier use.

Busy with these tasks, he again spent several days without venturing outside. Meanwhile, Hu Zhe waited and waited at the inn, but never saw the man he was seeking. Only after asking the innkeeper did he learn that the guest from that room had left and never returned, with the rent long since expired.

Dejected, Hu Zhe returned home and immediately went to the Second Prince to confess his failure. This was not the first time he’d botched an assignment. In the past, he could claim the tasks were beyond his abilities, but what about today? He’d been commanded to watch a single individual—a task even an ordinary person could handle—yet he’d still managed to fail.

The Second Prince saw his expression and immediately knew the task hadn’t been accomplished. He hadn’t intended to blame him, but seeing that crestfallen look made him all the more irritated. “Since you can’t even handle a simple instruction, go back to the Fox Clan for a month of contemplation at Clear Wind Cliff. Maybe that will teach you a lesson.”

Hu Zhe’s loyalty and obedience were beyond reproach, but he was simply too inflexible, unable to adapt to circumstances. As a child, it hadn’t mattered; within the clan, even amid scheming, others would give him some leeway for the prince’s sake. In that setting, his rigid nature was almost a virtue—at least there was no risk of him being bribed. But outside the clan, no one would show him any such favor; without adaptability, he’d only meet a dead end.

This assignment was simple—just keep track of a person’s movements. Couldn’t he have paid someone a bit of money to help keep an eye out? Why insist on following in person? And if he must, why stand so blatantly in the street, practically advertising his surveillance? In the end, he failed at both: he took the punishment, but didn’t keep track of the target. If that wasn’t stupidity, what was?

The Second Prince, seeing him still standing there, grew even angrier. Was he now defying orders? “Why are you still here? Do you dare disobey me?” His voice grew icy with genuine annoyance.

Hu Zhe, having served the Second Prince since childhood, immediately sensed the shift in his tone. He bowed low in alarm and humility. “I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. But if I leave, who will serve you here? Besides, you’re still injured. Please grant me a few days’ grace—when Hu Bin and the others return, I will go at once to receive my punishment.”

The Second Prince shot him a glare. “Go when I tell you to go. Don’t make excuses. Do you think I lack attendants? On your way, stop by Fragrant Garden before heading to Clear Wind Cliff. Unless the clan chief asks, tell anyone inquiring after me that all is well and proceeding smoothly. Pack your things and leave immediately—don’t waste time on the road.” He waved him off like shooing a stray cat or dog.

“Yes, Your Highness, I’ll go at once!” This time, Hu Zhe dared not argue. He bowed and departed quickly.

Not long after Hu Zhe left, Hu Panpan, the only daughter of Hu Jiangjin, tiptoed in. The Second Prince glanced at her, seeing that same aggrieved, wronged look she always wore, and felt utterly disinclined to acknowledge her, instead settling into meditation. She lingered like a specter, her mere presence grating on his nerves. If he weren’t injured and in need of quiet to recuperate, he would have left long ago.

After about half an hour, the Second Prince opened his eyes to find Hu Panpan still standing exactly where she’d been, unmoving. For some reason, he felt a surge of irritation. She was the daughter of a general, raised in a position of power and privilege—how had she developed such a demeanor? She resembled not a lady, but an oppressed servant expecting to be bullied. Thankfully, she wasn’t his own sister, or just watching her would have been insufferable.

“You should leave as well. I’ll be in seclusion for the next several days—unless something truly urgent arises, do not disturb me. If Hu Bin and the others return, have them stand guard outside my door.” He dismissed everyone impatiently and closed the door.

In truth, he had no intention of cultivating or healing; it was simply that facing that perpetually woeful countenance every day soured his mood. For his own comfort, he sent her away.

When Hu Panpan emerged, she still wore a look of grievance. The nearby maids, all from the general’s household, did not dare show any disrespect and kept their heads bowed as if searching for spirit stones on the ground.

After walking a few steps, Hu Panpan glanced back at the closed door, noticing a barrier enveloping the entire room—clearly, he wished for no further disturbance. Turning around, her expression grew even more aggrieved. Only after passing through the corridor and finding herself alone with her personal maids did she finally relax.

With a bright laugh, she said to her maid, “I didn’t give myself away just now, did I? Judging by the Second Prince’s face, he’d have gouged out his own eyes rather than look at me—he must despise me to the core. Now Father surely won’t try to marry me off to him!”

“Miss, why go to such lengths? The Second Prince is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, and not at all bad looking. He’s also a rare cultivation prodigy among the Fox Clan, having reached the late Nascent Soul stage at such a young age. Many young ladies are queueing up for him—why are you so opposed?” the yellow-clad maid asked in confusion.

Hu Panpan sighed deeply. “It’s not that I dislike the Second Prince—I just don’t want to marry someone I barely know. Don’t you think if I acted even a little friendly toward him, I’d soon be made his consort? Look at what happened to the First Prince’s wife—such a brilliant beauty, from a family equal to ours, but after marrying him she became a simpering, self-effacing wife, utterly nauseating. I hear she’s now adopted all those mortal customs of managing a household and raising children. That’s not the life I want.”

Seeing she was sincere, the maid found it hard to offer advice. Matters of family alliance were not for a maid to discuss. She merely offered a gentle reminder: “The General has long wanted you to marry the Second Prince. Now that he dislikes you so, what will you do if the matter is forced?”

Hu Panpan fell silent. “I just don’t understand Father’s thinking. Our family already has so much power and influence—why curry favor with the Demon Emperor’s line? As long as we remain loyal, the wise Emperor will always value Father. With his cultivation, even without advancing further, he could easily live another thousand or two thousand years. What is Father in such a hurry for?” She sighed again.

Seeing her young mistress so dispirited, the maid tried to comfort her. “There’s no need to worry so much. Perhaps the General thinks you like the Second Prince—after all, he’s very popular among the young ladies. If you truly don’t like him, why not just explain things clearly to the General?”

“If only it were that simple! It’s not that I object to marriage, but at least let me find someone a bit more easygoing. I’d still have the chance to go out and enjoy myself. If I really married into the royal family, I’d be doomed—trapped forever in that tiny patch of land. We’re fox spirits, not mortals with mere decades of life. Our Red Fox Clan lives even longer than most. The royal family’s territory is so small—if I were confined there forever, no one would need to kill me; I’d suffocate from boredom myself.” She leaned dispiritedly against a nearby pillar, as if the very thought made her legs weak.

The maid didn’t know how to offer further comfort. She simply stepped forward to support her, changing the subject. “The Second Prince is occupied right now. Would you like to go out for a stroll? I heard there’s a new play at Pear Garden Pavilion today—I’m curious what it’s about!”

“Really? Then lead the way! You know how much I love the theater—why are you only telling me now? Are you looking for a scolding?” With her maid’s timely diversion, Hu Panpan let go of her worries. Surrounded by maids and guards, she bustled off in high spirits to Pear Garden Pavilion to watch the play.