Ji Yunzhi didn't respond.
He simply stepped inside, hands clasped behind his back, boots landing quietly on the smooth stone.
The courtyard within the Drifting Sword Sect was tranquil yet cold. Stone pines lined the edges. A shallow stream ran beneath a white arch bridge nearby, while sword-shaped mountain peaks in the distance looked like they had been painted with ink and intention.
Peaceful, beautiful, slightly too neat.
Then the wind ca.
A sudden gust whipped through the space with a low whistle, dragging a few dry leaves from the nearby trees.
Ji Yunzhi looked up, a slight tilt to his head.
Leaves again?
But more followed.
And more.
Each second added more to the swarm, as if every single plant in the sect had suddenly decided to donate a leaf.
The two disciples moved to the side.
The leaves circled, spun faster, condensed into a growing mass before Ji Yunzhi.
Then with a soft sound like silk being ripped, the spiral burst inward, collapsing.
From the swirling leaf cluster, two figures stepped out.
One, Ji Yunzhi expected - Elder Tang Sheng, robe dark and expression steady.
The other, he did not.
The second man wore sa plain black robe. His face was relaxed. He looked like soone who would lean against a tree with a rice wine gourd in hand and argue about fish prices.
Ji Yunzhi's gaze narrowed.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei?
Even he hadn't expected that one.
Behind him, the two disciples were about to faint from disbelief.
They stared. Then blinked. Then blinked so more. Their eyeballs started to feel dry.
This was too much stimulation for a weekday.
They were inner disciples. They cultivated diligently, trained responsibly, and sotis even got to clean the outer hall where the Sect Master once gave a speech three years ago. T
That was their closest brush with glory.
And now?
He was here. In the flesh. Within reach. Smiling.
"G-Greetings, S-Sect Master!" one of them stamred, voice cracking.
"Greetings, Sect Master Jiang!" the other blurted, nearly biting his tongue in nervous panic.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei smiled at them.
Then slowly raised both eyebrows with a knowing tilt.
It was nothing. Just a facial tic. But for the two disciples, it was a mont they would replay forever.
The legendary eyebrow lift!
anwhile, Elder Tang Sheng cupped his fist politely.
"Greetings, Junior Bai." he said.
Ji Yunzhi returned the gesture calmly, but didn't lower his head.
"No need for titles. I'm not here to join your sect, just talk trade." he replied without any unnecessary warmth.
"I assu you're Elder Tang."
Then he turned to the other man.
The Sect Master, apparently.
"Greetings, kid." Sect Master Jiang Xianwei said, grinning.
"Welco to my turf."
Ji Yunzhi studied him.
If he hadn't seen portraits and descriptions of the Drifting Sword Sect Master beforehand, he would have assud this was a rogue cultivator who stole a chair and called himself boss.
He gave a short nod.
No words. No praise. Just a simple acknowledgnt.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei's grin grew slightly.
Interesting, he thought.
This one wasn't the usual bootlicker. Good.
Maybe this trade deal would actually be worth so conversation.
This one wasn't the usual bootlicker. Good.
Maybe this trade deal would actually be worth so conversation.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei had heard the tales, of course.
How several elders from his own sect tried to recruit this bald man before, only to get thoroughly ignored or, worse, roasted like duck over a slow fire.
And Sect Master Jiang Xianwei could imagine it too - those old geezers pulling out all their usual tricks, puffing up their chests, promising prestige and resources... only to be t with that blank, unimpressed stare.
With the small talk over, a swirl of wind rose once more, leaves dancing from nowhere.
Then ca the whoosh - air being pulled inward - and the trio vanished engulfed in spiraling green.
"Did that really just happen?" one disciple blinked for the eighth ti.
"Was that really Sect Master Jiang Xianwei?" the other asked, voice cracking.
"To personally escort soone?"
"Senior Brother Bai must be… insanely important."
They both looked at the now-empty spot as though it had just birthed a dragon.
anwhile, when the leaves scattered from Ji Yunzhi's vision, he was standing elsewhere entirely.
A massive wooden hall greeted him, lit by crystal lanterns embedded in the walls. It was deep within the sect, probably the inner sanctum reserved for high-level etings.
Carved beams held up a wide, polished ceiling, and elders sat on curved chairs arranged in a semi-circle.
Ji Yunzhi didn't need to guess what this room was.
The eting Hall.
All of them stood up at once when Sect Master Jiang Xianwei and Elder Tang Sheng appeared.
"Greetings, Sect Master."
"Greetings, Elder Tang."
Then, a more scattered but polite. "Greetings, Alchemist Bai."
Ji Yunzhi only gave a curt nod, not even pretending to bow. He wasn't here for sect decorum. He was here to secure funds for his projects and maybe fund five more after that.
They all took their seats.
With little fanfare, Ji Yunzhi casually handed over the two pill bottles to Elder Tang Sheng.
Tang Sheng took them, turned to the seated elders, and began his explanation.
No nonsense, no fluff. Just the facts - what the pills were, what they claid to do, and how they ca to be.
Cola-Inspired Enhancing Pills.
Naturally, the elders didn't believe a word of it at first.
Too convenient. Too flashy. Too ridiculous. A pill that could sharpen the senses and boost reflexes temporarily? In under a breath?
Such a small side effect compared to its ridiculous effect.
'Too good to be true.'
But they still took the pills.
And then, silence.
It hit instantly.
The mont the pill entered their stomach, their eyes widened.
Reaction speed? Heightened.
Reflexes? Sharper than ever.
They could feel it - heartbeats adjusting, perception shifting. The world seed clearer, brighter, more responsive.
One elder blinked and realized he could count the wingbeats of a mosquito near the ceiling.
This wasn't illusion. This was alchemy.
And the young man responsible was sitting quietly across from them, arms crossed.
Two full bottles, each with twelve pellets.
Twenty-four chances to rewrite a battle.
The question hit them all at once: how many could he make per day?
They all stared at Ji Yunzhi.
This wasn't just an important eting anymore. It had the air of a historic event, the kind elders would brag about attending decades later.
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