Seize the Day with Poetry and Wine

The newly hired special alchemist, Mr. Li, was strange.

Not because of what he did or said, but because he did nothing and said nothing. His behavior was so utterly normal that it became peculiar.

According to Young Master Yang's initial assessment, Mr. Li must have some ulterior motive for traveling thousands of miles to the Land of Immortal Legacy.

Otherwise, who would come to this godforsaken place for no reason?

Yet, a year had passed, and Mr. Li had shown no unusual actions. He had a purpose but took no steps toward it—that was what made him so bizarre.

At the cultivators' market in Linxian City, Young Master Yang crouched in front of a stall selling spirit herbs, casually picking up a ginseng root and examining it while asking Fang Si, who stood behind him, "What did he do today?"

Fang Si, the shopkeeper, knew exactly who he was referring to and promptly bowed before replying:

"He spent the morning reading in his room. It wasn’t until noon that an alchemist came to seek his help. He then left his room and went to the alchemy chamber... He’s still there now, assisting that alchemist in troubleshooting."

"Which alchemist?"

"Second-grade alchemist, Sun Minghui."

"And what was he reading?" The ginseng root was of poor quality, so Young Master Yang tossed it aside disdainfully, dusted his hands, and stood up to continue browsing the market.

"His reading habits are quite eclectic—he reads anything and everything," Fang Si followed Young Master Yang, answering every question dutifully. "Lately, he’s been studying charm-related techniques. This morning, it was The Enchanting Melody Art, a technique that uses sound to beguile others."

"Seduction arts?" Young Master Yang chuckled softly. "I heard that back in the Tianlan Sea Region of the Heavenly Sea Domain, he grew close to a certain Holy Maiden because of the Golden Cloud Spirit Vein Pill.

"Last year, before he came to the Land of Immortal Legacy, that Holy Maiden staged a rebellion due to her dwindling lifespan and ended up dead.

"Could it be that he came here for her sake?"

"He must have known the Holy Maiden’s secrets, right?" Fang Si mused before replying. "It’s unlikely he’d develop feelings for her. A sixth-grade alchemist like him is rare, but stunning Holy Maidens with innate charm are a dime a dozen. From what we’ve seen this past year, his alchemy skills are truly exceptional... With his abilities, he could have any woman he wants."

"Who knows?" Young Master Yang sneered. "People are foolish. There’s no shortage of men who dream of taking a courtesan home. Maybe he genuinely fell for that whore of a Holy Maiden and wanted to save her.

"Ah, love—how noble! Perhaps he’ll try to resurrect her, avenge her, or even destroy the world in her name.

"Tch. Who knows?"

Young Master Yang’s hostility toward Mr. Li was entirely baseless conjecture. Given Mr. Li’s impeccable conduct, Fang Si finally couldn’t hold back. Glancing at his master, he ventured cautiously:

"Young Master, is it possible that Mr. Li was simply reassigned to the Land of Immortal Legacy by headquarters? Or, as he himself claimed, he came here solely to provide technical support for water-based alchemy techniques?

"Perhaps he truly has no hidden agenda."

Young Master Yang turned his head and smiled at Fang Si. "I can see right through people like him. His motives are anything but pure."

Though his gaze was calm, Fang Si immediately fell silent, lowering his head and not daring to speak further.

All he could do was pity Mr. Li in his heart—unfairly targeted by Young Master Yang, even if he had no ill intentions, he’d be treated as if he did.

After politely helping the female alchemist named Sun Minghui resolve her issue—further cementing his image as a good-natured man—and firmly rejecting her not-so-subtle offer to warm his bed, Qin Ran left the alchemy district.

It was already evening. Realizing he hadn’t gone out for a drink in days, he decided against returning to his room. Instead, he activated the teleportation function of his identity token and exited the base, arriving in Linxian City.

He headed to his usual tavern, secured a seat by the window, ordered a few familiar dishes, and sat quietly, gazing out at the bustling streets in a daze.

It had been nearly a year since his return to the Land of Immortal Legacy, and just as Young Master Yang observed, he had indeed done nothing.

Why?

On one hand, he needed to lower Young Master Yang’s guard—he was well aware of the relentless surveillance. On the other hand, doing nothing didn’t mean he wasn’t doing anything.

At the very least, he could confidently say that apart from Young Master Yang, no one in this branch harbored any hostility toward him.

Playing the role of a kind-hearted, helpful man was incredibly useful.

But most importantly, he hadn’t yet received word from his true self.

He had returned to clean up the mess left behind. Whatever his true self refused to do, he would handle. Whatever his true self dared not attempt, he would undertake.

So the timing of his actions depended entirely on his true self.

If no instructions came, he might spend a few more years in the Land of Immortal Legacy doing nothing before eventually returning to the Seven Islands of the Heavenly Sea Domain.

...He had always been a good-natured man.

The flow of information between a doppelgänger and its original was one-way. The original could access all of the doppelgänger’s memories, send messages, and exert complete control.

But the doppelgänger could not initiate any reverse communication.

Thus, his true self undoubtedly knew of his return and the reason behind it. When and what to do should have been dictated by the original.

If no orders came, it meant he wasn’t needed.

So he wasn’t the least bit anxious.

The waiter brought his food, snapping him out of his thoughts. He ordered wine as well.

He ate and drank leisurely, savoring each bite and sip, leaving nothing to waste.

It was actually quite pleasant.

After settling the bill, he left the tavern, humming Li Bai’s Invitation to Wine, and merged into the endless flow of people, no different from the thousands of ordinary folks in the city.

The wine in Linxian City was spirit wine—even cultivators could get drunk. In his pleasantly tipsy state, Qin Ran strolled through the clamorous crowd, exited the city gates, and walked along a pebbled path under the moonlight, heading back to the base.

"I sing, and the moon lingers; I dance, and my shadow tangles," he mumbled drunkenly.

For nearly a year in the Land of Immortal Legacy, this had been the rhythm of his life.

Reading in his room, refining pills in the base, occasionally visiting Linxian City for food and drink, then walking back alone. It was peaceful and comfortable.

Crickets chirped by the roadside on this summer night, while distant forests echoed with the eerie cries of nocturnal birds and the howls of wolves. Above, the night sky stretched vast, dotted with scattered clouds, glittering stars, and a radiant moon.

The cool evening breeze deepened his tipsy haze as he walked.

Gazing up at the stars, he suddenly burst into song, pointing at the sky with his raspy voice:

"Hand in hand, one step, two steps, three steps, four steps, gazing at the sky,

Counting stars—one, two, three, four... seven, eight, nine in a line..."

His singing was no better than the wolf howls in the distance.

Just as he lost count of the stars, a thought abruptly surfaced in his mind:

Find a way to slip past the surveillance and meet me.

The chaotic singing gradually ceased, the counting of stars came to a halt, and the tipsy haze faded from his eyes. His gaze turned profound, no longer gentle, and his expression grew solemn as he looked toward the direction of the Dao Sword Sect.

"Is it about to begin?"

Under the starry sky, he cast a spell and soared back to the base of the Yuan Organization.