Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

The cultivator surnamed Sun, after leaving, didn’t broadcast the news about the daily five-batch pill limit to everyone. Instead, he informed only a few trusted friends. They were overjoyed upon hearing it and hurriedly prepared sufficient spirit herbs before heading to Gu Yao’s location. Following the same procedure, they called out from outside the formation, and Tian Feirong came out to take their requests. Each offered the same terms: five batches of pills, leaving behind a signaling token to be notified when their orders were ready.

This commotion didn’t go unnoticed by other cultivators in the area. As they saw people repeatedly visiting Gu Yao’s base, it became clear what was happening. They rushed over but were too late. Tian Feirong politely informed them that the day’s orders were already filled. However, if they were willing to wait, they could reserve a slot for the following day.

Without hesitation, the latecomers eagerly handed over their spirit herbs and stones, ensuring everything was in order. They also left their signaling tokens, prepared to be notified once the pills were ready. In less than fifteen minutes, all slots for the next ten days were booked. Tian Feirong declined further orders, explaining that beyond ten days, their whereabouts might change, and they’d have to reassess by then.

Those who missed the chance were filled with regret, leaving with frustration and self-recrimination. They vowed to act faster next time, determined not to miss such a golden opportunity again.

Meanwhile, those who secured their orders didn’t leave. Instead, they gathered in the cleared area nearby, sharing their experiences and gossiping.

“Master Gu is truly approachable and humble. If I ever encounter someone slandering him again, I’ll definitely stand up and refute them!”

“Exactly! Master Gu spends the day hunting sea beasts, and the number he slays isn’t far behind that of other cultivators. Even during his rest time, he takes the effort to refine pills for us at fair prices. What other alchemist can compare to Master Gu?”

No matter their personal motives, at that moment, no one had a single bad word to say about Gu Yao.

Just then, someone received a message from Tian Shui Market. Upon opening it, they exclaimed in surprise, “Valley Master Hu from the Cuiyan Valley has personally led a group of alchemists to Tian Shui Market! They just arrived! The whole market is in an uproar! This is major news!”

“Why on earth would Valley Master Hu personally come to Tian Shui Market?”

“I have a guess. I’ve heard that Valley Master Hu holds Master Gu in high regard. They’ve communicated often, so perhaps he heard Master Gu was here and came specifically for that reason.”

“Impossible! No matter how much Valley Master Hu respects Master Gu, he’s still a senior. Why would a senior make a special trip to visit a junior? Unless, of course, Master Gu is his disciple.”

“Haha, possible or not, we’ll know soon enough by observing what happens. I did hear that back when Valley Master Hu visited Tianfu Academy, he spent over ten days in the alchemy room with Master Gu, discussing things without stepping out even once.”

“Should we… go back to the market and take a look?” asked one of the cultivators who hadn’t secured an order. “We can’t hope for Valley Master Hu’s pills, but what about the disciples from Cuiyan Valley who came with him?”

“So you’re giving up on Master Gu? He might start taking orders again in ten days.”

“It won’t take ten days to make a round trip. Let’s go check the situation first.”

Many were tempted and decided to head back to Tian Shui Market overnight. Those who had already placed their orders, however, stayed put, confident that unless Valley Master Hu himself took action, no other alchemist could compare to Master Gu.

Inside the protective formation, Jiang Yan and Tian Feiyang received the same message simultaneously. After glancing at each other, they said in unison, “Valley Master Hu has arrived with the alchemists from Cuiyan Valley.”

The chubby one, who was sipping spiritual tea, dropped his cup with a loud ‘clink,’ spilling tea all over the ground. Noticing everyone’s eyes on him, he scratched his head awkwardly. “My bad—slipped. Go on, continue.”

“Right, right, just slipped. Here, let me brew you another cup. Hold it properly this time. Maybe you’re just tired from all the beast-slaying earlier,” Tian Feirong quickly chimed in to cover for him.

Gu Yao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Why would Valley Master Hu choose to come now? If he wanted to visit, wouldn’t he have come earlier? Could it be because he knows the chubby one is here and decided to check on him specifically?”

He pondered aloud, “Should we return to the market?”

The chubby one’s hand trembled again. Fearing that the group might decide to leave immediately because of his grandfather’s arrival, he quickly interjected, “There’s no need, right? They won’t leave so soon after arriving. We can head back once we’ve finished clearing this area.”

The others gave him a curious look, surprised by his sudden input. Jiang Yan tapped his chin with his finger and said, “The chubby one has a point. Let’s stick to our original schedule. Valley Master Hu just arrived, and he’s likely too busy to spare much time right now.”

The chubby one objected, and Senior Brother Jiang’s reasoning was sound, so Gu Yao decided to stay. In truth, he and Valley Master Hu often exchanged letters. Whenever Gu Yao had new ideas or encountered difficulties, he would write to Hu, sometimes including a letter from the chubby one to let his family know he was safe. Hu’s replies often included insightful discussions on alchemy, as well as responses to the chubby one’s letters. Those who noticed the correspondence between Gu Yao and Hu would never suspect there was a hidden purpose behind their communication.

Privately, Chi Changye had a different perspective. “Valley Master Hu’s visit to Tian Shui Market is partly because of the chubby one, but I suspect the rest of the reason lies with you, Xiao Yao.”

“Me?” Gu Yao asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Chi Changye said. “I believe Valley Master Hu learned about your situation in Tian Shui Market. By coming here now, he’s naturally tipping the scales in your favor. Elder He wouldn’t dare invite Valley Master Hu and his team to the City Lord’s domain; he only listens to the City Lord’s commands. Furthermore, Hu’s arrival may encourage other alchemists to rally around him, making it impossible for the City Lord’s forces to exert pressure on them. Any claims about you disregarding the lives of fellow cultivators will naturally dissipate.”

Chi Changye’s analysis was logical, but he kept these thoughts to himself to avoid others mistakenly believing Gu Yao was arrogant or overly self-important—someone who even Valley Master Hu would personally come to support.

Considering Hu’s personality and style, Gu Yao felt his reasoning was likely. Moved, he said, “Valley Master Hu’s care for me is more than I could ever repay.”

Chi Changye chuckled and replied, “You don’t need to do anything special to repay him. Just take good care of the chubby one—that’s the best way to thank him.”

Gu Yao nodded. He was confident the chubby one would one day achieve greatness and amaze the entire Tianlin Continent.

—

The next morning, Tian Feirong crushed the communication tokens left by the five cultivators who placed orders on the first day. The recipients, stunned by how quickly the pills were supposedly completed, rushed over as soon as they received the notification.

To their amazement, Tian Feirong greeted them outside the formation with a smile and handed each of them a jade bottle.

It was true—the pills were ready!

Opening the bottles, they were ecstatic to find that 80–90% of the pills were of superior quality. This was a tremendous windfall!

“Thank you, Friend Tian. Please thank Master Gu for us—we’re so grateful!”

These cultivators knew Gu Yao hadn’t taken advantage of them. While the spirit stones he charged were slightly higher than average, could they even guarantee pill success if their ingredients went to other alchemists? Even if those alchemists succeeded, could the pill quality and quantity compare to Gu Yao’s work?

The value of these pills far exceeded the cost of the herbs and spirit stones they paid. Yet they couldn’t bear to sell the pills—they would keep and use them sparingly.

High-quality pills not only had better effects but also caused much less pill toxicity. For cultivators accustomed to using low-grade pills, this level of purity meant almost no negative side effects, making them even more invaluable.

With these thoughts, the cultivators felt even more appreciative of Gu Yao. That day, an unusual scene unfolded: after Gu Yao’s group finished slaying another wave of sea beasts, and Liu Yang’s team came over to clean up the corpses as usual, several of the cultivators who had received pills also joined in to help.

Liu Yang and his group were startled, thinking these people were trying to steal their job. However, one cultivator explained that they were only there to help Master Gu and didn’t want any payment—they just wanted to lend a hand to show their gratitude.

Liu Yang and his group were astonished. After asking around, they learned that these cultivators had received pills refined by Master Gu and felt immense gratitude, wanting to repay him in some way. Once Liu Yang understood, he didn’t stop them. Instead, he assigned them tasks related to the materials Gu Yao and Chi Changye needed, ensuring it wouldn’t affect his team’s income.

Turning back to his companions, Liu Yang remarked, “Master Gu is truly a kind-hearted person. Good deeds are always rewarded.”

When Gu Yao heard about this, he simply smiled and shook his head without saying much or stopping their actions. He understood that those people were acting out of a desire to find peace of mind, and denying them the chance might only make them feel guilty.

Helping others often helps oneself.

Gu Yao had encountered similar gestures in the Interstellar Alliance. Many Alliance soldiers who felt grateful to him would collect various materials during missions and battles, offering them to him for research.

Lu Qiusheng chuckled as he spoke to Jiang Yan, “Junior Brother Gu… really surprises people with his actions. But I like it.” Seeing Jiang Yan’s intent gaze, he quickly added, “Of course, I still like you best, Senior Brother. Gu is just a younger brother to me.”

“Good boy,” Jiang Yan replied, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Jiang Yan himself was quite fond of Gu Yao. What he valued most was Gu Yao’s pure and sincere heart—something rare and precious.

—

On the other hand, Ba Yuankui and his three companions stared venomously at the central open area where Gu Yao and his group’s protective formation was located. The once densely packed sea beasts had been cleared, leaving a wide empty space. The four had tried multiple times to get close but found no opportunity to strike. The mere sight of Chi Changye’s Thunderburst Sword Qi left them trembling with fear—if it landed on them, they wouldn’t fare any better than the sea beasts.

“Boss, Shifang City is urging us again,” one of Ba Yuankui subordinates said anxiously before gritting his teeth. “Boss, let’s just do it!”

Ba Yuankui’s eyes gleamed with malice as he replied, “Fine! We’ll make this move. I refuse to believe they can escape this time. That Chi guy can’t possibly protect that Gu brat every second of the day!”