"Madam’s generosity is truly admirable. I hope that in the future, you won’t resort to such forceful actions again," Nan Gong Huan said as she watched the shopkeeper process the payment. She then stepped forward, retrieved her badge, and placed Shen Ye Rong’s badge back into her hand.

  Nan Gong Huan was inwardly elated. That old viper must be seething now!

  Satisfied, she left with Dong Yan Cuo in tow, walking away with a confident stride.

  Shen Ye Rong clutched her badge tightly, her hand trembling slightly. The sharp edges of the badge dug into her palm, drawing blood, but she didn’t loosen her grip. Instead, she clenched it even harder.

  After taking a few deep breaths to calm her rage, she steadied her expression and hurried away.

  She needed to find out more about this master-level potion master. Who was she?

  Nan Gong Huan and Dong Yan Cuo took the backstreets to return to the mansion.

  When they were sure no one was around, they removed their disguises and walked into the mansion as if nothing had happened.

  After asking the servants, Nan Gong Huan learned that her grandfather was still preparing at the training grounds. She decided to return to her courtyard first to brew the potions she needed.

  She took out her beginner’s cauldron and first brewed the potion for advancing to the second level of spiritual life. After consuming it, she successfully reached the early stage of the second level. Next, she brewed a potion to replenish her grandfather’s vitality. Of course, she didn’t forget to prepare something for dealing with Shen Ye Rong.

  "Yan Ji, Xue Ji, these two bottles are for you," Nan Gong Huan called out the twins and handed each of them a potion.

  The liquid inside the potion bottles emitted a peculiar gray smoke.

  "This? Can we even drink it?" Yan Ji and Xue Ji exchanged glances. They were spirit entities. How could they consume potions?

  "Don’t worry, this is specially made for spirits. Your souls have been damaged, but fortunately, your three souls and seven spirits are intact. Drinking this will help repair them. You’re now my people, and I’ll do everything I can to enhance your strength. I’m counting on you to protect me in the future," Nan Gong Huan smiled and nodded at them.

  Originally, her budget wasn’t enough to buy these herbs, but thanks to the unexpected windfall from Shen Ye Rong, she could now share the benefits with those around her. She even prepared a few delicious potions for Dong Yan Cuo to sprinkle on his food, making it even more flavorful.

  The guy was currently munching on a chicken leg with great curiosity.

  "Master!" Yan Ji and Xue Ji were deeply moved. Although they still had some lingering "tea-drinking" trauma, they were now broken spirits with no value left. The fact that Nan Gong Huan was willing to brew potions to heal them touched them deeply.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  As she tidied up her things, Nan Gong Huan chuckled and said, "After drinking this, your foundations will be restored, and you’ll be able to consume other spirits to boost your cultivation. Later, I’ll take you to Madam Shen’s place for a feast."

  Yan Ji and Xue Ji finally smiled. They opened the potion bottles, and the smoky liquid floated up, entering their mouths.

  As they absorbed the potion, their spirit bodies visibly began to restore.

  "Master, are you planning to kill the dead soldiers Madam Shen has been raising?" Yan Ji, now feeling reborn and full of energy, sensed that Nan Gong Huan was gearing up for a fight and couldn’t help but get excited.

  Nan Gong Huan snapped her fingers. "Bingo! But before that, I need to see Grandpa."

  "Master, I know the locations and distribution of the dead soldiers! No wonder Madam Shen never hid anything from us before. Now I understand—she always knew this day would come," Xue Ji lowered her head, her eyes still filled with resentment.

  "It’s alright. She’ll have her day too," Nan Gong Huan smiled, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with vitality.

  After recalling the two spirits into the tassel, Nan Gong Huan headed to her grandfather’s study and found him there.

  To avoid alarming her grandfather, she had Dong Yan Cuo wait outside.

  At the moment, Nan Gong Jie Ming was reading a secret letter, his brows furrowed.

  Seeing Nan Gong Huan enter, he put down the letter and smiled. "Huan’er, why aren’t you asleep yet?"

  "I wanted to see you, Grandpa, so I came looking for you," Nan Gong Huan bounced over to her grandfather’s side, her face beaming with a sweet smile.

  Only in front of her grandfather did she act like a carefree child.

  Nan Gong Jie Ming ruffled her hair and chuckled. "You’re such a sweet talker."

  At that moment, Nan Gong Huan caught a glimpse of the letter on the table. It mentioned a highly skilled potion master who could restore one’s appearance, but the cost was a hundred billion spirit coins and the loyalty of the entire Nan Gong family.

  Her heart warmed, knowing that her grandfather was thinking of her. But now, without such a hefty price, her appearance would soon be restored.

  "Grandpa, look at this," Nan Gong Huan took her grandfather’s hand and summoned Little Nine.

  The tiny Nine Meng Dragon sat on the table, its big eyes blinking cutely.

  "Hmm?" Nan Gong Jie Ming was momentarily stunned, then his eyes widened in amazement. "This is the divine beast you contracted, the Nine Meng Dragon! It’s so adorable."

  He had read about the Nine Meng Dragon in books before—it was an incredibly rare divine beast. Knowing that his granddaughter had contracted it filled him with immense joy.

  He couldn’t help but reach out and pat Little Nine’s head.

  "Roar roar!" Little Nine wagged its tail, seemingly shy.

  "Let me check your condition," Nan Gong Jie Ming took her hand to check her pulse. He hadn’t examined her carefully before, but now he could sense the immense power within her.

  Second level of spiritual life! She had advanced to the second level! Nan Gong Jie Ming was overjoyed, tears welling up in his eyes.

  A genius! His granddaughter was a genius!

  Nan Gong Huan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her grandfather’s eyes.

  She then spoke softly, "Grandpa, don’t get too excited. When I contracted Little Nine, I discovered that there was a gu worm inside me. It was the gu worm that ruined my appearance, but Little Nine helped me expel it. This morning, I found that you also have one in your body, so I brought Little Nine here to expel it for you."

  "A gu worm?!" Nan Gong Jie Ming’s expression changed instantly. The first person he thought of was Shen Ye Rong.

  He wasn’t unaware of what Shen Ye Rong had been doing, but he had turned a blind eye because of her status as a potion master. He never expected her to target his own family!

  "Grandpa, let’s expel the gu worm from your body first," Nan Gong Huan immediately instructed Little Nine to make a small cut on Nan Gong Jie Ming’s arm.