Phoniex Requiem
Chapter 20: Not for Nothing

Chapter 20: Not for Nothing

Yun Ruoyan did not expect that her grandmother, who seemed to like her, would suddenly say this to her. “Grandmother, even though Pei Ziao jumped into the lake, it wasn't just to save me!”

"Oh?" Upon hearing these words, his grandmother showed a satisfying smile. "In what sense?"

“Although Pei Ziao has always been very considerate of me, I know it's not because she wants it.” Yun Ruoyan continued, "Although she tried to hide it, I could see flashes of discomfort and disgust as she looked towards me."

Yun Ruoyan involuntarily touched the birthmark on her cheek, reminiscent of her disgust at seeing it when she thought she was not paying attention.

How could he not be aware of his true feelings in the past?

At that moment, he was so humble that when a man treated him well, he gave up everything without a second thought!

Her grandmother sighed, pulled out her hand, her gaze praising as well as pitying. “Ruoyan, you really are a smart girl, and I'm glad you understand this.” He patted Yun Ruoyan's hand and continued, “The Pei family wants to establish a better relationship with us, and the only way Pei Yingxiong can do that is through her son. Grandma is sure Pei Ziao must have been trying to get close to you on her father's orders.”

Yun Ruoyan looked at her grandmother's wrinkled old face, feeling as if nothing had escaped her eyes. Even her grandmother disapproved of her marrying Pei Ziao, but she was so enveloped by her madness that she didn't notice it.

“Only, I'm sure Pei Yingxiong himself did not expect such an event to happen. Pei Ziao is the only son of the Pei family, and if he really dies, then it's for both families.”

Matriarch Yun looked at Yun Ruoyan. “All the forces of the Li kingdom are deployed, and it would be better for Yun to have another ally than another enemy. Ruoyan, for the greater good, you must save Pei Ziao.”

The reason his grandmother was so reasonable, was such that Yun Ruoyan had no words to refute. He wanted to tell his grandmother that saving Pei Ziao would harm the Yun and Lin families, but no one would believe the words of a thirteen-year-old child like him.

“Grandmother,” Yun Ruoyan lowered her head obediently, speaking softly, “I will listen to you.”

Yun Ruoyan immediately brought Pei Yingxiong to the Lin family, and when Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen saw Yun Ruoyan, they excitedly pulled her aside to talk to her. This small gesture deeply touched Yun Ruoyan, given the lack of affection in the past.

“Nona Yun, watch time.” Pei Yingxiong urged him impatiently.

Seeing the stranger following Yun Ruoyan to their house and speaking impolitely, Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen looked at Yun Ruoyan curiously.

Yun Ruoyan did not have time to explain herself, and she simply asked directly where her grandfather was.

Lin Qingxue told him that she had locked herself in her room these past few days. Yun Ruoyan understood that her grandfather must have been trying to make an antidote for her, and another passion enveloped her heart.

Yun Ruoyan headed straight to her room. Pei Yingxiong was about to follow him there, but Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen blocked him and asked him to stay in the living room.

"Grandfather," called Yun Ruoyan as she walked into her outer room.

Purifying pills is a mentally taxing task, and any disruption can have severe consequences. After calling out softly, Yun Ruoyan waited quietly where she was.

"Ruoyan, you're here!" Not long after, Lin Zainan's voice sounded from inside her room. "Come in."

It was then that Yun Ruoyan walked into her pill refining room.

Lin Zainan sat cross-legged in front of the furnace, about as tall as a human. The white flame was burning magnificently from within, driven by Lin Zainan's spiritual qi which he transferred to the fire through his hands.

In the Chenyuan continent, there were four cultivation-related professions: pillmaster, forgemaster, blademaster, and beastmaster. Of these, pillmasters were the fewest in number and hence the most in demand, and there could not be more than three pillmasters of Lin Zainan's caliber in the entire Li kingdom.

Lin Zainan clenched her hands together as she moved towards the furnace, and a yellow mud-colored pill flew from the furnace into her outstretched palm. He turned to Yun Ruoyan, a friendly smile on his face.

"Ruoyan, is there a problem?"

Under ordinary circumstances, Yun Ruoyan would never bother him while he was refining pills, so Lin Zainan immediately guessed that he had an urgent matter to take care of.

"Grandfather, I have a request." Yun Ruoyan quickly recounted the entire series of events that brought her here. "I know the core foundation pill has been passed down from generation to generation, but ..." Despite having no other recourse, Yun Ruoyan was unwilling to just take the pill.

Lin Zainan was silent for a moment before she spoke once more. “Although the pill is valuable, it is not as valuable as talent.”

Lin Zainan extended her hand towards Yun Ruoyan, and she quickly helped her up. “There aren't many people left in the Lin family. From your generation, there are only Qingxue, Qingchen, and you, and the three of you are the most important to grandfather".

"This is the antidote." Lin Zainan handed the pill she had just refined to Yun Ruoyan. “Although it cannot eliminate the toxins in your body at once, it can help prevent the toxins from spreading further. Consume it now, and then we'll get the core foundation pill.

Yun Ruoyan took the pill, her eyes glazed over, the memories of the past suddenly reappearing. In it, he knelt down and begged his grandfather for the pill to save Pei Ziao, and his grandfather looked at him in disappointment and pain before agreeing.

"Grandfather, I will definitely protect the Lin family with my sister." Yun Ruoyan swallowed the pill, feeling a refreshing gust that radiated from her dantian, rejuvenating her entire body.

Lin Zainan brought him to the hidden room where she stored the most precious pills and handed the sandalwood box to Yun Ruoyan.

He opened the box and looked at the purplish-red pill, which gave off a thick herbal scent. That must be a core foundation pill!

“To make a core foundation pill requires a tier six pill expert, and grandfather can never increase past the fifth rank. In grandfather's life, grandfather doubted grandfather would ever be able to produce one. Lin Zainan looked at the pill, her expression complicated. “This pill was made by his grandfather's own grandfather, and is the last one left in our family.”

Yun Ruoyan closed the sandalwood box, her gaze determined. “We can't just give this to Peis for free!”

Hearing these words, Lin Zainan raised her eyebrows. "Do you have any ideas, Ruoyan?"

Yun Ruoyan nodded. “I've heard that Pei also has a valuable item, a high-grade pill furnace. How about letting Pei Yingxiong exchange that furnace for this pill?”

Lin Zainan looked at Yun Ruoyan in shock. After all, the fact that Peis possessed a high-grade pill furnace was not a fact known to everyone.

A few centuries ago, Pei had an extremely talented pill expert, but from then on, there had never been another descendant who had the talent of making pills.

And the furnace that the master left behind has remained ornate and decorative ever since, all forgotten by the public.

In his past life, Pei Yingxiong presented the furnace as a gift to another royal pill maker, and Yun Ruoyan was there for the event.

Lin Zainan did not know that Yun Ruoyan had been given a second chance at life, of course. He just thought that his grandson was just hiding his skills and biding his time. He may have heard about this from an accidental comment, but had kept it in his mind ever since.

The Yun Family was a large family, and the way it worked was very complicated. Without her mother protecting her, and her growth being hampered by poison, it was highly likely that she would not have lived to this day if she had not been smart.

She really liked this granddaughter of hers day by day!

"Alright, we'll do as you say, Ruoyan." Lin Zainan smiled.