If All Else Fails, Wait Here for Me for a While

Yunzhou City, Teahouse.

Chen Baiqing was pouring tea for her master at this moment.

Over these past days, aside from collecting letters and reading books, most of Chen Baiqing’s time had been spent brewing tea for her master.

Apart from assisting her senior sister in interrogating three demons, she hadn’t encountered any other demonic beings since.

At first, she found it somewhat regrettable—her junior brothers and sisters at the Qi Refining stage could take to the battlefield, while she, at the Foundation Establishment stage, was left to serve tea.

But after some time, Chen Baiqing began to see the upside.

Her master often praised her improving tea-brewing skills and particularly enjoyed the tea she prepared.

Chen Baiqing thought to herself—what were demons compared to the closeness of her master?

It was better for her to keep brewing tea for him.

Moreover, the war against the demons had long since reached its peak intensity.

The human cultivators had been cutting through the demon forces like a hot knife through butter, shattering their defenses with ease.

They seemed to strike at the demons’ weakest points with unerring precision, as if gifted with divine foresight.

Rumors said the demons had been beaten into such despair that they now suspected traitors among their own ranks, fighting independently and eyeing each other with distrust.

The eldest senior sister, along with the fifth junior brother, remained active on the front lines. Occasionally, word of the senior sister’s growing reputation would reach the city, and even the fifth junior brother’s name would sometimes surface—though his renown fluctuated between good and bad.

The fourth junior sister, Lin Luoyu, had chosen to stay behind in the city, no longer participating in the war.

She now sat in the teahouse, sipping tea with their master—a decision she had made on her own.

Chu Xingchen hadn’t questioned it, simply nodding in approval.

Chen Baiqing glanced sideways at Lin Luoyu, who was staring silently at her long-cold cup of tea, lost in thought.

Ever since reaching Foundation Establishment, Chen Baiqing had gained control over her ability to perceive others’ emotions.

Before mastering it, she had often found the ability tiresome—while it allowed her to sense emotions, she was also inevitably affected by them.

The connection went both ways.

And in this world, sorrow and grief far outnumbered joy and happiness.

So unless absolutely necessary, Chen Baiqing no longer used this ability.

Right now, it was clear that her fourth junior sister was drowning in negative emotions.

At first, Chen Baiqing had intended to help her.

But her master had said: "A knot in the heart must be untangled by oneself. Let her reflect in silence. Only when she truly cannot find the answer should you step in to guide her."

No one could ever fully understand another’s pain.

Chen Baiqing thought about it and agreed—her master’s words made sense.

She pushed a teacup toward Chu Xingchen.

"Master, your tea."

Chu Xingchen leaned against the windowsill, gazing down at the jubilant crowd below.

Clearly, another victory had been reported from the front.

Ever since witnessing the fate of the owl demon, Li Yingling’s approach had grown markedly more cautious.

Gone was her overconfidence that everything would be fine as long as her master was around.

She no longer ventured recklessly into the heart of demon territory.

It seemed that only after facing death did one truly learn to fear it.

Chu Xingchen picked up the tea Chen Baiqing had brewed and took a sip before turning back to see her expectant gaze.

Understanding her unspoken question, he promptly praised,

"Mmm, excellent. You’ve improved again."

Chen Baiqing’s face lit up with delight, her tone bright.

"This is the 'Three Awakenings' method from the book—best suited for strong, full-bodied teas."

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen nodded in satisfaction, his expression one of deep approval.

Truthfully, he couldn’t discern much beyond whether a tea was strong or weak.

The rest came down to whether the brewing process looked elegant.

But his praise wasn’t entirely insincere.

Lately, he had noticed that Chen Baiqing’s tea had started hitting just the right balance.

Wasn’t that progress in itself?

Setting down his cup, Chu Xingchen asked, "Is today the seventeenth?"

"Yes, the seventeenth."

Chu Xingchen’s gaze drifted back to the window as he murmured to himself,

"Then why hasn’t she arrived yet…?"

"Are you referring to Senior Sister, Master?"

"Your senior sister? If she comes looking for me now, it’s definitely not good news. She’s probably poked another hole in the heavens."

"Then who do you mean?" Chen Baiqing asked, puzzled—before her eyes suddenly brightened. "Could it be Second Senior Brother?"

After all, their sect was small. The only one their master would be waiting for was their second senior brother, who was far away in Central Continent.

"It’s me."

A calm, gentle voice rang through the teahouse.

Chu Xingchen’s face lit up as he turned to see Bai Xuanling, now seated at the table, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"I thought you were going to stand me up."

Bai Xuanling lightly sniffed the tea before her. Though it was ordinary tea leaves, the brewing technique was refined—clearly the work of someone who had studied the art.

How had the once-clumsy girl who used to scald tea with boiling water suddenly become so elegant?

After tasting it, Bai Xuanling nodded in approval.

"That’s because you’ve never been to Central Continent. If you had, you’d know my reputation—everyone there knows I always keep my word."

Chu Xingchen looked intrigued. "Then may I ask, Sister, what title you go by in Central Continent? I’d love to inquire about it later."

Bai Xuanling set down her cup, her tone lofty.

"Don’t ask. Sister prefers to remain enigmatic."

No need to scare the poor child.

Chu Xingchen’s expression remained neutral as he returned to his seat. "Then I won’t pry. But what you mentioned in your letter—was it true?"

Bai Xuanling tossed a storage ring to Chu Xingchen.

"Of course. Consider this the payment."

Catching the ring, Chu Xingchen sent his spiritual sense inside—and couldn’t suppress his excitement.

Things were looking up! Their sect was finally on the rise!

But despite his joy, he pressed further. "Sister, you didn’t expose me, did you?"

If the people who took those pills came after him…

"Have a little faith in Sister’s work."

Bai Xuanling’s expression was serious.

After the Tianyan Sect’s leader personally tested the effects of Chu Xingchen’s pills, their reputation had spread like wildfire—non-toxic, but infamous for their violently unpredictable side effects.

After all, this was an endorsement from the head of one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects himself.

Aside from the two bottles fed to the Tianyan Sect’s leader, Bai Xuanling had sold the rest at exorbitant prices.

Subsequent batches of pills from Chu Xingchen had followed the same pattern, earning Bai Xuanling a tidy profit.

The alchemists of Lingmiao Peak had been particularly eager buyers.

After all, anything strange enough was bound to pique curiosity.

Whenever Bai Xuanling passed by, she could hear the same agonized cries from Lingmiao Peak that the sect leader had made.

Clearly, the alchemists had become obsessed.

At first, Bai Xuanling had worried—what if those professional pill-refiners actually cracked the formula? Her lucrative trade would dry up.

Fortunately, Chu Xingchen’s concoctions were bizarre enough to stump even them.

Last she heard, Lingmiao Peak was just as clueless as she was.

And that was good news for Bai Xuanling.

Moreover, cultivators from other sects had also begun bidding for the pills.

Bai Xuanling didn’t even have to refine the pills herself—selling them was left to that little flood dragon. All she had to do was lie back, and a steady stream of spirit stones came pouring in.

With rock-bottom costs and sky-high prices, this business was practically pure profit!

Best of all, that kid Chu Xingchen was practically falling over himself with gratitude toward her.

Bai Xuanling ran the numbers and realized she hadn’t just recouped all the money she’d spent on him—she’d even turned a hefty profit.

Total victory. Bai Xuanling was absolutely winning big.

No wonder Little Lingyu had taken a liking to him—this guy was seriously capable!

She glanced at Chu Xingchen and said, "You’ve got the payment upfront, so step up the production. You’ve already wasted enough time here. From what I’ve gathered, whether you’re around or not doesn’t make much difference anyway."

"If you really can’t manage, just wait here for me—I’ll be back in a few moments."