The spirit honey produced by the Moonshade Spirit Bumblebees takes time to make—barely three jars in an entire year. After all, the bumblebees need to consume some of the honey themselves. Thus, Chen Jinshu only used the spirit honey during special occasions.
Like when she was refining the Withered Root Elixir a few months ago or hastening the maturation of a medicinal brew. The only reason she could complete it so swiftly was thanks to the lotus-petal birthmark that enhanced her comprehension.
Not long after she consumed the Moonshade Spirit Honey, the lotus petal on her forehead pulsed with insight again. She quickly absorbed it and began studying the pill recipe for the Spirit Ginseng Pill.
An hour passed in a flash. Even while recovering her spiritual energy, Chen Jinshu had already made notable progress in understanding the pill formula. Smiling faintly, she seized the moment of clarity to summon her alchemy furnace and begin another round of pill refinement.
An hour later, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted from the furnace.
Just the scent alone made her feel her spiritual energy increase. She hadn't experienced this sensation the last time. The pill quality had clearly improved. She'd saved four portions of medicinal liquid again, so four pills were formed as before.
Moments later, the pills appeared in her palm—purer in color and richer in scent than those from the previous batch.
"The improvement is obvious!"
She checked her dantian and found her spiritual energy nearly depleted.
Today's alchemy had reached its limit.
She promptly packed away the furnace and extinguished the spirit coal fire. Then she carried her Lüqi Zither into the courtyard, ready to play "Hymn of Earth's Renewal" to restore her spiritual power.
"If my alchemy improves, my zither skills mustn't lag behind!"
Should any mishap occur during the grand competition—or should some awe-inspiring genius appear—the Outer Sect Tournament was still a chance to secure a top placement.
She couldn't afford to neglect either side.
She first played three rounds of Hymn of the Earth Vein's Rebirth, then began practicing several offensive melodies.
Moonlight bathed the Ink Plum Courtyard, where her melodies lingered and danced.
Every courtyard was equipped with soundproof formations, meant to prevent disputes between neighbors caused by sound interference. In the past months, she'd occasionally run into other disciples from adjacent courtyards, but they never exchanged more than a polite nod.
She didn't even know their names.
Still, she wasn't thick-skinned enough to pry. As long as they didn't disturb one another, that was enough.
Soon, she completed the final tune, Butterfly Dream of Zhuangzi.
Though only a single spirit lamp was lit in her courtyard, it still shone brightly. Whenever the zither rang, colorful butterflies would gather around her, creating an ethereal spectacle under the moonlight.
Ding!
Just as Chen Jinshu was about to store her zither, she caught a fleeting shadow pass over her courtyard's eaves. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination—but it had moved incredibly fast. Had she not just finished playing an illusion-type melody and entered a serene state of mind, she might not have sensed it at all.
"What was that shadow?"
Her desire to continue playing vanished. She quickly packed up her zither and stepped outside, trying to peer through the crack in her door. She'd been out at night before, but by this time, most disciples were indoors cultivating. Only the patrolling stewards from the Steward Hall roamed the paths.
She recalled one time when she returned late from the Hall of Affairs with spirit herbs and bumped into a patrol team, which gave her some insight into the sect's discipline. That said, even those patrolling disciples didn't seem particularly enthusiastic. That time, both looked drained and lethargic—as if long accustomed to exhaustion.
The shadow had flashed by in an instant, but she was confident she hadn't imagined it.
"Who moves across rooftops instead of walkways? Suspicious."
She called over Shadowpeak Finch, a bird that lived in a treetop nest and loved listening to her music. It chirped in response, flew up to the rooftop, then cried out twice.
"You mean… there's a small footprint on the roof?"
Intrigued, Chen Jinshu leapt up. Sure enough, she spotted a faint footprint in the moonlight.
"Better to stay indoors at night… Looks like someone's up to no good."
Her expression turned serious. She quickly surmised the reason—likely someone was trying to tamper with others before the upcoming alchemy competition, aiming to gain an edge.
The Medicine King Peak Alchemy Competition was the easiest way for many disciples to earn a spot in Xuanming Cave Heaven, so it wasn't surprising that some resorted to underhanded tactics. The previous incident with Gui Xinxin and others cheating had already shown that, though the sect enforced a "Heart Questioning Trial," people's hearts changed over time.
Especially those with limited talent and few opportunities within the sect—they might gamble everything on underhanded methods.
"I suppose we'll find out what happened in a few days."
Three days later, ever since that rooftop shadow appeared, Chen Jinshu hadn't stepped outside. Her medicinal fields didn't need daily tending, and her stockpile of herbs was still enough for more refining. She didn't want to risk running into any mess before the competition.
Yet, her peace was interrupted by a knock on the door—from the Steward Hall.
Knock knock!
Chen Jinshu was mid-performance when the sound pulled her from her musical trance. She quickly put away her Lüqi Zither and opened the courtyard gate.
"Greetings, senior brothers. What brings you here today?"
"We're from the Steward Hall. Did you notice anyone moving across the rooftops at night?" one of the stewards asked bluntly.
"I did not." Chen Jinshu shook her head gently, eyes clear and calm, her expression innocent.
"I haven't stepped out in three days. Just a few days ago, I saw Senior Sister Dai. I really didn't notice any activity on the roof. But if you'd like, why don't you check the rooftop?"
She subtly invoked her connection to someone influential. Instantly, the disciples' attitude softened—they no longer scrutinized her the moment they stepped inside.
"Sorry to trouble you."
"Please, don't leave just yet," Chen Jinshu added. "You've inspected every courtyard on your way here. If you skip mine, wouldn't that be suspicious? I'd feel awkward—and it wouldn't reflect well on you either."
She smiled, her tone warm but composed. In her mind, it would be worse to be the only one not inspected—someone might spread rumors. Better to let them do their check openly.
"In that case, we appreciate your understanding."
"It's no problem. Though I haven't left my courtyard in three days, I can't help but wonder—what's going on out there to cause all this effort?"
"You might not have heard, junior sister, but several disciples who registered for the competition began vomiting and experiencing severe discomfort. They're in no condition to compete—can't even summon their spiritual energy."
"After investigation, the elders confirmed they'd been poisoned. But the Spirit Food Hall checked their meals—nothing suspicious. However, someone did report seeing a black shadow moving along the rooftops…"
"Thus, the elders ordered a thorough inspection of every courtyard."