Phoniex Requiem
Chapter 21: Equivalent Exchange

Chapter 21: Equivalent Exchange

Lin Zainan brought the sandalwood box to the living room. Yun Ruoyan followed respectfully behind him, a somewhat wrong expression on her face.

Lin Qingxue and Lin Qingchen were just about to chat with Yun Ruoyan when they saw her expression. After seeing their grandfather's similarly displeased face, they decided against the idea and instead stood to one side quietly.

"Older Lin." Pei Yingxiong quickly stepped forward and bowed. "I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour."

Lin Zainan prevented him from bowing, his voice clear and cold. "Don't bother with these false pretexts."

Despite his embarrassment, Pei Yingxiong continued to advance. “My son, Pei Ziao, jumped into the frozen lake to save your granddaughter, Elder Lin. Now that his life is in danger, I am here to beg that you save him.”

As the head of a family famous for its pill making, and as a fifth level pill expert, Lin Zainan's position within the Li kingdom was beyond doubt. Even though Pei Yingxiong was acting somewhat tyrannical in front of the Yun family, she could not help but bow her head in front of Lin Zainan.

“Ruoyan told me everything.” Lin Zainan sat at the end of the table, while Yun Ruoyan stood with her sister in silence.

This was a tactic made by the two of them, designed to let Lin Zainan handle Pei Yingxiong.

“Ruoyan says that, although it was he who saved Pei Ziao in the end, he did jump into the frozen lake to save him.” Lin Zainan stroked her beard, half smiling.

Pei Yingxiong wanted to reprimand her, but she could not do anything to a man like Lin Zainan. In the end, he could only agree. “Yes, yes, my son doesn't really know how to swim, and he's a little rash, but he's really trying to save Miss Yun.”

“Indeed, but he does have to know his limits. Trying to save someone in need is one thing, and saving yourself is another. If he lost his life, it would be extremely detrimental. Pei Yingxiong's face flushed red.

"I will definitely teach him well after he wakes up, Elder."

"Good." Lin Zainan nodded.

Pei Yingxiong stared expectantly at the sandalwood box in Lin Zainan's hand, asking, “ Elder Lin, it's the core foundation pill in your hand, isn't it? I humbly thank you for your grace". After speaking, he clasped his hand and was about to bow again.

Yun Ruoyan, who was watching coldly from the side, admired her ability to exchange faces just like that. In the Yun household, he was like a tyrant, here, he was playing the role of a supplicant.

“This is the last core foundation pill left in my house, the sweat and blood of my ancestors.”

Pei Yingxiong stared at the pill in Lin Zainan's hands without blinking, afraid that complications would arise.

Lin Zainan continued casually, "Even if Pei Ziao has jumped into the lake to save Ruoyan, I can't just give this pill to you."

Pei Yingxiong's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably. "Then, Elder Lin, do you have a condition in mind?"

Lin Zainan stood up and looked at Pei Yingxiong, her gaze appreciating.

“Because this core foundation pill is an heirloom that my family passed down from generation to generation, it seems fair to ask for one of your heirlooms instead. Although the high-grade furnace you have is still nothing compared to pills, given Pei Ziao's honorable intentions, I still allow such a trade"

Pei Yingxiong's heart was pounding, as if he had fallen into someone else's trap. Unknowingly, he looked towards Yun Ruoyan.

But Yun Ruoyan's head was bowed, and she looked like the image of a girl who had just been scolded. Could he really be the one to suggest such a thing?

Few people knew about Pei's high-grade furnace, and it was unbelievable that a thirteen-year-old girl would be among those people. It seemed like Elder Lin was a more cunning man than he realized.

It had been several generations since the pillmaster last appeared in Pei, and although this furnace was clearly a treasure, it was somewhat useless to them. Even so, Pei Yingxiong was reluctant to give it away just like that.

“Older Lin, in memory of my illustrious ancestor, my household has long had an unwritten rule not to change furnaces unless absolutely necessary.” Pei Yingxiong quickly made an excuse.

"Oh." Lin Zainan immediately changed her tone. “Then, it seems like saving your heirs is not an absolute necessity. Then please leave, Mr. Pei. ”

"Older Lin, please wait!" Pei Yingxiong was confused and angry that Elder Lin would bully him directly, but he had no choice but to humble himself once more. “Ziao is my only heir, and I have to save her at all costs. This is indeed a much needed time.” As if making a very important decision, he concluded, "I'm going to trade."

But Pei Yingxiong also brought up her terms: she would only give up the furnace after Yun Ruoyan revived Pei Ziao and ensured her health.

With Lin Zainan present, Yun Ruoyan did not fear Pei Yingxiong suddenly reneging on the trade, so she brought the core foundation pill to Pei.

As he entered the Pei household and looked at the familiar courtyard, Yun Ruoyan could not help but reminisce about the past once more.

He had spent five years of his life in this courtyard, five long years where he was worried about the perceptions of others about him and tried every possible way to gain their generosity. In the end, he still ended up on the streets, poisoned and on the verge of death.

“Nona, Pei Ziao is still waiting!” Pei Yingxiong, who was walking in front of him, turned around and urged him once more.

Yun Ruoyan took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, anger, and melancholy, and quickly stepped forward to catch up with her.

As soon as he entered the Pei Ziao residence, he could hear a woman howling.

Pei Yingxiong almost tripped and fell down before rushing into her son's room.

Yun Ruoyan recognized the voice: it was Pei Ziao's mother, her mother-in-law, Madam Liu, crying bitterly.

Yun Ruoyan stood at the door and stuck out her head. Did Pei Ziao really just die?

“Stop cursing your own child! He's not dead!” Stentorian cry Pei Yingxiong cut off his wife's sobs. He quickly dragged Yun Ruoyan, who was still standing outside, into his son's room.

"Hurry, hurry, save him!" Pei Yingxiong pressed Yun Ruoyan onto the bed. Pei Ziao started breathing erratically, his body half wrinkled.

If they were half an hour late, Pei Ziao might really be dead.

To be honest, the bad guys actually survive like cockroaches! Yun Ruoyan had no other choice but to take out the pill, open Pei Ziao's lips, and force the pill in.

As soon as the core foundation pill entered his mouth, it immediately turned into a nourishing stream of spiritual energy, flowing throughout his body.

Pei Ziao's terrifying face started to change color once again.

"Ah, magic pill!" The healer couldn't help but praise the pill as he examined Pei Ziao's pulse. “Although it may not be a true panacea, his life was saved.”

After hearing the healers words, Pei Yingxiong smiled and grimaced simultaneously: now that the core foundation pill has come into effect, then the Pei family's high-grade furnace will soon belong to Lin.

“Older Pei,” Yun Ruoyan started, “Now Young Master Pei is safe, iu will not interfere anymore.” He did not want to stay in this stifling room any longer than he should. “Please release the promised furnace to my grandfather, so that I can give it to him.”

“I will definitely give up his limbs,” Pei Yingxiong replied in a business-like tone, “But even though Ziao's life has been saved, he is still unconscious. Miss Yun, you should wait for her to wake up before you leave, right?

Yun Ruoyan was furious at Pei Yingxiong's deliberate attempt to delay the matter, but it was unwise to make a fuss in her home. In the end, he could only give up.

“It is true that Young Master Pei jumped into the lake to save me, and it was right for me to wake up for him to wake up before thanking him,” Yun Ruoyan concluded contrary to his wishes.

The healer told everyone that Pei Ziao needed to rest, so everyone left in his room came out together. The only people left inside were Yun Ruoyan and Pei Ziao, lying on the bed.

Yun Ruoyan sat on a chair, playing her hand out of boredom. Suddenly, he realized that he had a purple mole on the middle finger of his right hand. He touched it and felt an unusual chill.

"What's this?"

"The mark left by Feilai Blade, miss." Qiuqiu's voice sounded from his mind. “Mistress, since you just managed to conquer her sword, it is still not completely under your control, which is why you saw this mark. As soon as you can control the sword completely, the mark will disappear by itself.”

Yun Ruoyan nodded.

"Madam, you can close your eyes now and try to sense the consciousness of Sword Feilai," Qiuqiu continued.

Following Qiuqiu's guidance, Yun Ruoyan arranged her concentration and investigated her thoughts. The image of Sword Feilai quickly appeared and floated in his mind.

As if sensing his mental investigation, it revolved in his mind, and Yun Ruoyan involuntarily pointed at a single finger.

A purple ray flew out from Yun Ruoyan's finger and broke the window.

“Ah, it looks like your control is still not very good, Madam. Quick, take back the sword!”

Yun Ruoyan was extremely excited as well as nervous, and she quickly followed Qiuqiu's instructions once more to retrieve her sword, which flew back onto her finger in a streak of purple light.

"Ah, cold." At this moment, Pei Ziao finally came to his senses from his coma and spoke up.

There really was a gust of cold air when he unleashed Feilai Blade, but he had not expected Pei Ziao to be so sensitive.

Yun Ruoyan guiltily clutched her right hand. The Feilai Blade and the pocket dimensions of his bracelet were his greatest secrets. Before he developed a way to defend himself, he definitely could not tell others about this treasure of his.

"You're up!" To hide his nervousness, Yun Ruoyan quickly came to Pei Ziao's bed and asked, "Have you just woken up?"

"Ruoyan, are you okay?" As if she had just noticed his presence, she spoke in a concerned manner as soon as she looked at him, “It's amazing you're fine! I saw you fall into the lake, and..”.

That seeming kindness was truly charming, but it was a pity that Yun Ruoyan had seen it for a long time.

“I'm fine, Young Master Pei, you're the one you should pay attention to!” Yun Ruoyan cut him off, a cold expression on her face. "Now that you wake up, I'll say goodbye."

Yun Ruoyan was just about to turn around and leave when Pei Ziao pulled her back. "Are you going after I wake up?" His voice was almost pouting.

His grasp caused the fur behind Yun Ruoyan's neck to lift. That hand had snatched the poison, had thrown it into the streets.