Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Before Qianxue Sect could pull any more tricks, Tianfu Academy came into view. Lu Qiusheng declared that Junior Brother Gu was indeed remarkably steadfast.

As for Gu Yao’s protests about how he was addressed, they were brushed off by Lu Qiusheng with a cheeky laugh. Whatever he called him before, he continued to call him the same way.

“Junior Brother Gu, if you ever need any spiritual herbs, feel free to come to me or Senior Brother Jiang. No matter how rare, your Brother Lu will figure out a way to get them for you. Unlike some narrow-minded people who can’t tolerate others, Xingyue Chamber of Commerce and your Brother Jiang are always reliable.”

Lu Qiusheng’s voice was loud and carried far, ensuring that the people from The Pill Peak, who had rushed over to receive them, heard every word. Their faces darkened instantly. Clearly, Lu Qiusheng was deliberately targeting them, choosing this exact moment to deliver his barb. Among those associated with Xingyue Chamber of Commerce, Lu Qiusheng was the most disliked by the Pill Peak crowd—arrogant, defiant, and irritatingly protected by Jiang Yan. If not for Jiang Yan’s support, someone would have silenced him long ago for his sharp tongue.

Ling Qi came personally to receive the group and could only pretend not to have heard Lu Qiusheng’s words. Since the ‘Red Xuan Pill’ incident, The Pill Peak no longer dared to suppress Gu Yao. All previous restrictions had long been lifted. In fact, not just The Pill Peak, but even the various merchants were now deeply regretful. Not only had they stopped withholding spiritual herbs, but they were practically throwing them at Gu Yao, hoping he would forget the unpleasantness of the past.

“Junior Brother Gu, Valley Master Hu has been waiting for you at The Pill Peak. I’ve come to escort you personally.”

Gu Yao turned to look at the little fatty, who squirmed uncomfortably for a moment before saying, “I’ll head back with Brother Tian first. We’ve been gone for a while, and the courtyard needs some tidying up.”

Gu Yao understood that the little fatty hadn’t yet decided whether to meet his grandfather. He didn’t push him and nodded. “Alright, I’ll head to The Pill Peak with Brother Ye. I’ll leave the other matters to you. Oh, and take these pills to the shop.”

As soon as the pills were taken out, everyone—from the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce to The Pill Peak’s disciples, and even the lingering Qianxue Sect members—wanted to buy them all at once. However, with so many eyes watching, no one dared to act hastily.

Jiang Yan waved at Gu Yao. “You go ahead. Contact us if you need anything.”

Gu Yao nodded and bid farewell to the group before heading to The Pill Peak with Chi Changye, escorted by Ling Qi and his companions. It wouldn’t be appropriate for Valley Master Hu to come and meet him in person, so Gu Yao knew he needed to display the proper respect as a junior. Having interacted with prominent figures in the field of alchemy like Xu Chen before, Gu Yao wasn’t nervous at all about meeting Valley Master Hu.

Elder Yi personally escorted Gu Yao and Chi Changye to the base of The Pill Peak. While he didn’t accompany them further, he left with a stern reminder: “Both Chi Changye and Gu Yao are now part of Sword Peak. Be careful not to slight them.”

Without waiting for a response from Ling Qi and the others, Elder Yi nodded at Chi Changye and Gu Yao, then flew off gracefully on his sword. His protective stance made Gu Yao chuckle to himself.

Whether it was because Elder Yi truly valued talent or had ulterior motives, his actions left an impression on Chi Changye. After Elder Yi had traveled all the way to Qiuqiu Mountain to seek him out, Chi Changye couldn’t refuse his offer again. This time, when asked to join Sword Peak, he agreed—but only on the condition that Gu Yao would come along. Chi Changye was unwilling to leave Gu Yao behind, fearing he might be pressured into joining The Pill Peak. Although Elder Yi regretted that Gu Yao wasn’t a sword cultivator, he still welcomed him warmly. Having an alchemist like Gu Yao on The Sword Peak was a huge gain.

Elder Yi’s departure was breezy, but Ling Qi and his companions were left visibly upset. Gu Yao’s alchemy skills were now widely recognized, and The Pill Peak had no choice but to revoke their past suppression. They had hoped to regain their reputation by having Gu Yao join them, but Elder Yi had whisked him away without a word.

“Junior Brother Gu, you…” Ling Qi tried to salvage the situation.

“Senior Brother Ling, let’s go see Valley Master Hu,” Gu Yao said with a smile, as if Elder Yi’s actions had been of no consequence.

Ling Qi swallowed his frustration. “…Fine. This way, please!”

With their senior brother keeping quiet, the others could only hold their tongues as well. No one dared show Gu Yao any disrespect now. Whether or not he had the support of a senior alchemist, his ‘Red Xuan Pills’ and Valley Master Hu’s approval were enough to command respect. If they treated him poorly and Gu Yao decided to leave Tianfu Academy for Cuiyan Valley, the academy would become the laughingstock of Tianlin Continent for driving him away.

When Gu Yao and Chi Changye followed Ling Qi and his group to The Pill Peak’s mid-mountain platform, Valley Master Hu strode out eagerly to greet them. His impatience was evident, and he paid no mind to the grim expressions of his disciples.

“You must be Gu Yao? Excellent! Excellent! Wonderful! Come with me to the alchemy room immediately!” Valley Master Hu’s excitement was palpable. The moment he saw Gu Yao, he forgot everything else, his eyes filled only with thoughts of alchemy.

Although Gu Yao’s young age surprised him, it didn’t diminish his enthusiasm. The pills Gu Yao had refined recently had convinced Valley Master Hu that Gu Yao was a rare genius in alchemy. Seeing such talent had stirred his passion deeply.

The moment Gu Yao met Valley Master Hu, he immediately understood the kind of person he was. Far from being displeased, Gu Yao glanced at Chi Changye and said, “Very well. I humbly ask for your guidance, Senior.” With that, he followed Valley Master Hu into the alchemy room.

Valley Master Hu was entirely unaware of the tension between Gu Yao and The Pill Peak. Since The Pill Peak had the best alchemy rooms in Tianfu Academy, he had settled there upon arrival and never thought about moving. Gu Yao, understanding such single-minded dedication to a professional field, appreciated it. People like Valley Master Hu, who might lack social awareness, were easy to deal with. Gu Yao himself had a similar temperament at times and enjoyed interacting with such straightforward individuals.

Of course, for people like Valley Master Hu, the one who suffered most was the little fatty. Valley Master Hu likely had no idea about his grandson’s true situation in Cuiyan Valley.

Once Gu Yao entered the alchemy room with Valley Master Hu, he didn’t leave for quite some time, not even meeting the Pill Peak Master. The Pill Peak disciples had no choice but to accept this. Even Peak Master Lin, despite any dissatisfaction, could only swallow it. He knew Valley Master Hu’s personality well enough to describe him as a “madman for alchemy.” Complaints would fall on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, Chi Changye temporarily settled at The Pill Peak, keeping watch outside the alchemy room. Ling Qi arranged a training room for him, which Chi Changye accepted without objection.

Gu Yao’s stay in the alchemy room was uninterrupted. No one from The Pill Peak, not even Valley Master Hu’s disciples, dared to disturb him. Chi Changye, however, didn’t hesitate. He delivered meals to Gu Yao three times a day, all sourced from The Pill Peak’s supplies.

Sang Shuo and Wan Siqing, Valley Master Hu’s direct disciples, were taken aback. They knew their master hated interruptions while working, so they waited outside for his summons. Seeing Chi Changye freely entering and exiting the alchemy room, they initially thought he would be thrown out. To their surprise, he went in and came out unscathed every time, much to their disappointment.

When Chi Changye exited, he cast a brief glance in their direction. Did they think he didn’t notice their spiritual sense spying on him? The poor character of these two direct disciples was evident. It was no wonder Valley Master Hu’s grandson couldn’t tolerate staying in Cuiyan Valley and went to great lengths to escape.

While Gu Yao remained focused on his work, Chi Changye had observed everything. When Valley Master Hu personally welcomed Gu Yao into the alchemy room, the dark looks on the two disciples’ faces were telling. Chi Changye kept a watchful eye on them, unwilling to relax his guard.

These two would never reach the heights of their master or Gu Yao. Their achievements in alchemy would always be limited.

From a distance, Wei Jin and his senior brother Ling Qi watched Chi Changye enter and exit the alchemy room repeatedly over the days. Neither had seen him get rejected or reprimanded, which was surprising given Valley Master Hu’s notoriously low tolerance for interruptions. Yet he seemed to make an exception for Gu Yao and his companion.

Wei Jin was filled with jealousy and indignation. “Senior Brother, is Gu Yao truly that exceptional? To earn such favor from Valley Master Hu, disregarding the disparity in their statuses?”

One was a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while the other was merely in the Qi Refining stage. Wei Jin had assumed that even if Gu Yao were allowed in, he wouldn’t stay long. Yet, days had passed, and Gu Yao hadn’t left the alchemy room. Instead, orders kept coming from inside to deliver batches of spirit herbs. The Pill Peak had no choice but to comply.

Ling Qi sighed internally. Such treatment would upset anyone. “Junior Brother, you have the greatest talent among us. As long as you focus on a single goal, you will achieve it eventually. There’s no need to compare yourself to Gu Yao. Otherwise, the only one losing their peace of mind will be you.”

Losing a calm mindset makes it difficult to progress in alchemy, Ling Qi thought. He could tell that while Valley Master Hu held a high position, he regarded Gu Yao as an equal in alchemy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so many days with Gu Yao in the alchemy room without stepping out. Even if he was mentoring Gu Yao, it was clear he deeply appreciated Gu Yao’s talent.

Wei Jin froze for a moment. “Is he really that remarkable?”

Ling Qi simply looked at him without responding. Wei Jin’s tone suggested he had already acknowledged the truth internally, even if he was reluctant to admit it out loud.

After a long pause, Wei Jin finally let out a bitter laugh, forced to accept the harsh reality. Some people are just born to overshadow others. Then, as if trying to comfort himself, he added, “At least we’re not the worst off. No matter how bad it gets, we’re still better off than Valley Master Hu’s two disciples. From what I can see, he values Gu Yao far more than he does them. And those two? They’re not exactly big-hearted people.”

It takes one to know one. Through his interactions, Wei Jin had already discerned the kind of people they were. He had tried multiple times to ask Valley Master Hu for guidance, only to be blocked by those two. Their haughty, condescending gazes spoke volumes. Yet, despite their arrogance, they were utterly eclipsed by Gu Yao.

This thought significantly brightened Wei Jin’s mood.

Ling Qi chuckled and patted his junior brother on the shoulder. He had to admit—it wasn’t a bad way to move on.

Not only were the people of The Pill Peak closely watching the situation between Gu Yao and Valley Master Hu, but the entire academy also had its eyes on The Pill Peak. Even those who had doubted Gu Yao before now realized that he truly had remarkable skills.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiusheng, at the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce, listened to a report on the latest developments at The Pill Peak. His eyes gleamed as he remarked, “As expected, Junior Brother Gu is extraordinary. Senior Brother, how should I thank Junior Brother Gu?”

Jiang Yan smiled. “Why not give him more spiritual herbs, especially rare ones? He enjoys researching those.”

“Deal!” Lu Qiusheng agreed immediately. If it had been anything else, he might have struggled to decide. But since he had just inherited a small secret realm, the matter was easily resolved.