Chapter 44

Wei Changfeng was not foolish enough to start a fight here with an upper academy disciple. Whether he could win or not was another matter, but private duels were strictly forbidden in the upper academy, so his response was a disdainful look of contempt.

For a proud young man from a prestigious family, this silent contempt was the greatest insult!

"You... are asking for death!"

The enraged young man placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his anger completely overwhelming his reason as he prepared to draw his sword and attack.

Wei Changfeng's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly gathered his true qi, ready for a fight at any moment.

In terms of strength, he definitely wasn't a match for the guy in front of him.

But in the face of bullying, Wei Changfeng would never choose to endure it in silence, let alone smile after being slapped in the face!

"Why are you fighting again?"

The door to Qingyuan Cottage opened again, and the maid Xiaoyu poked her head out, saying, "Wei Changfeng, my lady invites you in. Come with me!"

What!?

All the upper academy disciples present were greatly shocked. The young man who had just drawn his sword almost dropped his jaw in surprise, thinking he must be hearing things.

Master Dongfang actually accepted Wei Changfeng's gift and invited him to enter Qingyuan Cottage for the second time!

How could this be!

Each of them had given gifts to Dongfang Caibai, but no matter how precious and rare the gifts were, they were all rejected. So, out of desperation, they could only kneel here, hoping to move her with their sincerity.

The young man's head heated up, and he shouted at Xiaoyu, "Are you mistaken? What qualifications does he have..."

"It's none of your business!"

Xiaoyu snorted and glared at him fiercely, "If you are rude, I'll tell my lady!"

The young man immediately wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, and the sword in his hand fell limply.

Wei Changfeng secretly smiled and followed Xiaoyu back into the courtyard.

This time, Xiaoyu led him directly to the upper floor of the building.

The upper floor was not very large, and the furnishings were simple. The wooden floor was laid on the ground, with no lavish or luxurious decorations, but the structure was elegant and exquisite, making people feel very comfortable.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. A graceful and exquisite woman in white sat on the floor, her left hand holding a jade box, and her right hand gently playing the ancient zither in front of her.

Beside her stood a pretty girl in a red dress, who curiously examined Wei Changfeng as he stepped into the upper floor.

The woman's face was veiled, making it impossible to see her true appearance, but her eyes were bright like stars, radiating a powerful and commanding presence.

Wei Changfeng felt an invisible, sharp aura rush towards him, carrying a cold and icy chill, as if a sword had been drawn to strike him down!

Wei Changfeng felt a chill in his heart, but his spirit and will remained unshaken.

Without hesitation, he took a step forward and bowed, saying, "Disciple Wei Changfeng, I pay my respects to Master Dongfang!"

The oppressive aura immediately vanished without a trace.

"There's no need for such formalities..."

Dongfang Caibai said indifferently, "Sit down and let's talk."

"Thank you, Master!"

Wei Changfeng sat down on the floor, not feeling particularly nervous or uneasy.

Dongfang Caibai played with the jade box in her hand, then asked after a moment of silence, "What is this pill called?"

Wei Changfeng answered without hesitation, "The Youth-Preserving Pill!"

The pill he had painstakingly and at great cost refined last night was precisely the Youth-Preserving Pill, a miraculous pill that could keep one's youthful appearance unchanged, driving countless women to madness!

The Youth-Preserving Pill was a special type of pill that did not fall into any particular grade, and any alchemist had the ability to refine it.

However, the number of alchemists who truly mastered the method of refining the Youth-Preserving Pill was very few, and the formula was a closely guarded secret. Additionally, the required materials were unique, so even a thousand years ago, the Youth-Preserving Pill was a rare item.

The most special aspect of this pill was that it only worked on women. The better the materials and the more skilled the refining technique, the longer the pill could maintain youth, and the greater its appeal to women.

As a master alchemist, Wei Changfeng had refined countless Youth-Preserving Pills.

His divine soul memory contained thousands of sets of powerful techniques, at least one-third of which he had obtained in exchange for Youth-Preserving Pills. The obsession women had with their appearance was enough to bring down a dynasty!

To impress Dongfang Caibai, Wei Changfeng used the only Golden Armor Shell he had to refine the Youth-Preserving Pill. However, to ensure his safety, he deliberately lowered the quality of the pill to make it appear less valuable.

An innocent man has no sin, but a man with a precious gem is in danger!

If others found out he could refine such a rare pill, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Upon hearing the name of the pill, Dongfang Caibai's breathing clearly quickened, "Where did you get it from?"

Wei Changfeng had already prepared his answer, "I bought it for ten taels of silver at a market outside the city. The treasure hunter didn't recognize its value, so I got a good deal."

Such stories of finding a good deal at the open-air market outside Jingyun City were countless, and Dongfang Caibai would have no way to verify them.

"Ten taels of silver?"

This answer clearly surprised Dongfang Caibai, "You really know your stuff, getting such a good deal!"

Wei Changfeng smiled, "Before entering the martial academy, I was a first-stage alchemist. I had read about the Youth-Preserving Pill in alchemy books, so I was lucky."

This perfectly explained why he knew about the Youth-Preserving Pill.

Dongfang Caibai indeed had no suspicions, saying, "Your luck is really good. This Youth-Preserving Pill is of high quality, with an effect lasting at least ten years, but unfortunately, it has lost a lot of its potency due to poor preservation."

Wei Changfeng nodded inwardly; this master was indeed knowledgeable and had a keen eye.

The value of the Youth-Preserving Pill lay in the number of years it could maintain youth. The longer the duration, the more precious it was. The most exquisite Youth-Preserving Pills could even preserve youth indefinitely, making them considered divine pills.

The Youth-Preserving Pill Wei Changfeng had refined had a twenty-year effect when it was first made. After he tampered with it, the effect was reduced to about twelve years, a decrease of forty percent.

Although it was a pity, this was the best choice to ensure his safety.

Otherwise, not only would giving it to Dongfang Caibai as a gift be risky, but even selling it to a reputable Four Seas Pavilion would bring unpredictable consequences.

Wei Changfeng understood human greed very deeply!

Dongfang Caibai continued, "I know what you want, but I already told you yesterday that your cultivation method and my sword path do not match. Learning swordsmanship from me is not a good choice."

"But I am willing to pay for your Youth-Preserving Pill. Name your price!"

Wei Changfeng shook his head, "Disciple does not want money; I only want to learn swordsmanship!"

"Without hiding anything from Master, I know nothing about swordsmanship. What I seek is not a powerful technique but the basics of swordsmanship!"

"The basics of swordsmanship?"

Wei Changfeng's answer clearly surprised Dongfang Caibai.

She was unwilling to teach Wei Changfeng swordsmanship not only because their cultivation methods did not match but also because the true teachings of her school could not be easily revealed.

But if it was just the basics of swordsmanship, that was a different matter.

How could Wei Changfeng, a man of great insight, not notice her hesitation? He immediately bowed and said, "I am devoted to the path of the sword. I beg Master to grant me this opportunity!"

Dongfang Caibai hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright, you can learn swordsmanship from me, but only the basics. The duration... three months!"

Wei Changfeng was overjoyed, "Thank you, Master!"

He went to great lengths to seek Dongfang Caibai as a teacher not because he was obsessed with sword cultivation, but for two reasons: to learn genuine swordsmanship and to find another protector in Jingyun Martial Academy.

The status of a library attendant disciple was not enough to fully protect him from the open and hidden attacks from the inner academy.

Ouyang Feng, although an elder and master, had little power and influence in the martial academy and could not leave the library, so his protection was limited.

As for Dongfang Lingtian, it was merely a matter of mutual benefit and not a true connection.

In such a situation, if Wei Changfeng could gain the support of another master, he would not be invincible in the lower academy, but at least others would not dare to act so recklessly against him!

"Hong'er, go get a Qingyuan Cottage token for Junior Brother Wei..."

"Okay!"

The red-dressed girl standing beside Dongfang Caibai responded crisply and quickly brought a green bamboo token to Wei Changfeng.

The bamboo token, about the size of a baby's palm, was engraved with the words "Qingyuan Cottage."

Dongfang Caibai said, "I will give you the status of a named disciple for three months. As long as you have this token, you can freely enter and leave Qingyuan Cottage, but you cannot enter the back courtyard. Remember that?"

Wei Changfeng quickly replied, "I remember!"

Dongfang Caibai said sternly, "Starting tomorrow, come at noon every day. I will teach you the basics of swordsmanship, but how much you learn depends on your own effort and talent!"

Her tone carried a hint of severity.

Wei Changfeng knew she was treating him as a true sword disciple, so he solemnly replied, "I understand!"

"Alright..."

Dongfang Caibai lightly plucked the strings of the zither and said indifferently, "Hong'er, see Junior Brother Wei out."

As a named disciple, even if temporarily, Wei Changfeng's treatment in Qingyuan Cottage was noticeably different.

He deliberately slowed his steps and chatted a bit more with the red-dressed girl.

This red-dressed girl was named Yu Qinghong, seventeen years old, originally an upper academy disciple, and was taken in as a true named disciple by Dongfang Caibai.

Yu Qinghong had a very cute and innocent personality, with no ulterior motives, and had no ill feelings towards the new junior brother, Wei Changfeng.

Wei Changfeng, with his experience from his past life, did not need to use any tricks to quickly become familiar with her.

In just a few steps, when Yu Qinghong saw him off at the door, she actually felt a bit reluctant, saying, "Junior Brother Wei, remember to come at noon tomorrow!"

Wei Changfeng smiled, "I know, Senior Sister!"

Their conversation left the upper academy disciples outside the door stunned!

---

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