When Lin Hao returned to Yi Mingcheng's residence, Yi Mingcheng was not there.
The two of them had already parted ways at the outskirts of the Skybreak Mountains.
Now that Yi Mingcheng was making a name for himself in War Dragon City, he had surely become a highly sought-after figure. His every move was undoubtedly being watched.
If he had returned with Lin Hao through the secret passage and suddenly appeared out of thin air in the Lin family estate, it would have certainly aroused suspicion.
Only two days remained of the ten-day period Yan'Er had mentioned. Lin Hao didn't want any mistakes at this critical juncture.
However, things seemed to be moving in a direction he had hoped to avoid.
Because not long after he got back, Yi Mingcheng appeared, and he brought news.
An Alchemy Master had shown up at the Lin family's door, offering his services, and had been accepted.
'That makes sense. Alchemy Masters are exceedingly rare. In all of War Dragon City, only the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had one.'
Now that someone had come to them, even if they knew his motives were impure, the Lin family couldn't resist the temptation.
This was not good news for Lin Hao.
Lin Hao was perfectly clear on why this Alchemy Master had arrived at the Lin family at this particular time.
He feared that Yi Mingcheng's movements would be under heavy scrutiny for the next few days, which would make it exceptionally difficult for him to help keep an eye out for Yan'Er.
"The Treasure Hunting Pavilion is truly something else, sending an Alchemy Master to infiltrate the Lin family so quickly." Lin Hao's brow furrowed as he considered his next move.
Yi Mingcheng replied, "Young Master, are you saying this Alchemy Master is from the Treasure Hunting Pavilion? Could he have been sent by one of the other great families?"
There were several great families in War Dragon City, with the Lin family being just one of them. Lin Hao was about to deny it, but on second thought, it wasn't impossible.
For a family to stand strong, it always had some hidden trump cards. It was conceivable that another family had produced an Alchemy Master and kept him hidden away.
And now was the perfect time to send him out, because on the surface, the Treasure Hunting Pavilion was the most obvious suspect.
"For now, just wait and see. To be safe, I'll go to the Skybreak Mountains for the next two days. If Yan'Er comes home in two days, you know what to do!" Lin Hao deliberated for a moment before making his decision.
His attempt to create his own bloodline in the Skybreak Mountains had failed. He had originally planned to risk going to the Lin family's Blood-Swapping Pool, but now that seemed impossible.
Unless... he returned to the Lin family in his guise as a fool.
Lin Hao's eyes suddenly lit up; he felt this method was actually feasible. But when he thought about the timing, he forced himself to hold back.
Right now, finding Yan'Er was his top priority.
"Young Master, rest assured. If I find Miss Yan'Er, and if anyone dares to touch her, I, Yi Mingcheng, will personally take their head!" Yi Mingcheng promised, thumping his chest.
Seeing his exaggerated claim, Lin Hao suddenly asked, "Oh? And what if it's the Patriarch? Would you dare touch him?"
"I would! In the Lin family, the Young Master is supreme!" Yi Mingcheng paused for a second, then gritted his teeth and said.
'He's showing his loyalty to me.'
"Right, I don't even know who the current Patriarch of the Lin family is." Lin Hao suddenly remembered how indifferent he had become to everything concerning the Lin family.
His grandfather and father were missing, those close to him had all been persecuted, and now even Yan'Er's whereabouts were unknown. To Lin Hao, the Lin family no longer felt like home.
"It's Lin Tianhao," Yi Mingcheng answered.
"It's actually him!" A glint flashed in Lin Hao's eyes, and his gaze turned cold.
Lin Tianhao was the second son of Lin Wei. Although he possessed a Spirit Body, he had been stuck at the Ninth Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm for ten long years. This had twisted his personality, making him violent. He often bullied the servants for no reason.
Three years ago, he'd listened to slanderous advice, claiming that Yan'Er's mother, Aunt Yun, possessed a "Heavenly Charm Body" and that dual cultivating with her could help him break through his bottleneck. He was about to do something despicable, but luckily, Lin Hao was regarded as the family's hope back then and held considerable influence, which made Lin Tianhao hesitate to act rashly.
And his father, Lin Wei, was the very same old man who had stolen Lin Hao's bloodline in the Blood-Swapping Pool three years ago.
"He has already advanced to the Elemental Realm," Yi Mingcheng reminded him.
"Oh?" Lin Hao was surprised, but he quickly sneered. "Because of Lin Wu, I assume."
"Yes. Young Master Wu... After Lin Wu entered Imperial City, the Lin family gained many benefits. Lin Tianhao advanced to the Elemental Realm only after consuming a certain Spirit Medicine."
"If he truly dares to touch Yan'Er, I trust you know what to do. It's also time to see the sincerity of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion." The reason Lin Hao was so eager to connect with the Treasure Hunting Pavilion was to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
If it were a matter of dealing with his own enemies, he would never rely on external forces. But for Yan'Er, he couldn't afford to be so principled now.
"Yes, Young Master," Yi Mingcheng said with extreme reverence.
Lin Hao was about to say more but suddenly stopped. His ten fingers flew, striking a series of major acupoints on Yi Mingcheng's body. Then, he fed Yi Mingcheng a medicinal pill.
After doing all this, he quickly vanished under the bed.
Just then, a knock suddenly came from the door to Yi Mingcheng's room.
Yi Mingcheng was about to ask who it was when he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. Afterward, he felt his body become unusually light.
Now, he finally understood what Lin Hao had just done.
'The poison... it's been cured.'
After deciding to pledge his loyalty, Yi Mingcheng hadn't been concerned about the poison in his body, but having it cured now was still a great relief.
Not only that, but it seemed his cultivation had even increased.
Feeling inexplicably invigorated, Yi Mingcheng was about to check his condition when the knock came again, this time accompanied by a voice. "Housekeeper Yi, this humble one is Shi Bai. I have an important matter to discuss."
'Damn it! Coming at a time like this... definitely nothing good, and they're interrupting me.' Yi Mingcheng suddenly flew into a rage and roared at the door, "Yi Mingcheng is dead! Go look for him in the underworld!"
Only after roaring did Yi Mingcheng suddenly remember that the person outside was the newly arrived Alchemy Master.
'An Alchemy Master! In War Dragon City, their status is practically supreme. Take the one from the Treasure Hunting Pavilion—even the City Lord has to greet him with a smile. And I just yelled at an Alchemy Master?!'
This startled Yi Mingcheng. He hurried to the door, preparing to open it.
But at that moment, a voice drifted from outside. "It was I, Shi, who was rude. I will return tomorrow to apologize. Please rest well, Housekeeper Yi."
Shi Bai's footsteps had been as light as a cat's when he arrived, but as he left, they were as heavy as a bear's. A sudden realization flashed through Yi Mingcheng's mind: 'As long as I follow the Young Master, who gives a damn about the Pavilion Master, who gives a damn about the Patriarch, and who gives a damn about some Alchemy Master!'
With this thought, Yi Mingcheng's eyes narrowed in a look of pure bliss, and he began to hum a cheerful tune.
...
Lin Hao entered the Skybreak Mountains again. That night, he found a stone cave to rest in.
War Dragon City was currently roiling with undercurrents, and that old woman from the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had an unfathomably deep Martial Dao Cultivation. At this critical time, Lin Hao didn't dare to cultivate. If he was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Just after noon the next day, Yi Mingcheng suddenly appeared before Lin Hao, carrying a food box.
"Young Master, please try this. I heard it's a delicacy meant as a tribute for the Sovereign," Yi Mingcheng said with a gentle smile.
Early that morning, Shi Bai had indeed come to apologize, and he had brought a precious gift: Chilled Blood Fungus.
It was rumored that this Chilled Blood Fungus was secretly concocted from the blood of one hundred and eight types of Devil Beasts, combined with Spirit Medicines. It had numerous benefits, such as prolonging life and strengthening the body. It was an excellent tonic for men.
Such a precious food item—Yi Mingcheng had never even seen anything like it before, let alone eaten it.
However, the moment he received it, his first thought was of Lin Hao. So, he had rushed to bring it to him.
Lin Hao, however, just twitched his nose slightly and asked Yi Mingcheng, "Where did you get this?"
"Shi Bai, the Alchemy Master, gave it to me. Young Master, what's wrong?" Noticing the strange look on Lin Hao's face, Yi Mingcheng's expression changed as well.
"This thing is indeed a good treasure, but it has two extra ingredients: Seven-Day Gut-Wrencher Herb and a Demon Spirit Flower," Lin Hao said with a cold smile tugging at his lips.
Seven-Day Gut-Wrencher Herb, as the name implies, would cause one's intestines to rupture seven days after consumption. Furthermore, when the herb was dried and ground into a powder, it dissolved instantly in water, becoming colorless and odorless. An ordinary person would never be able to detect it.
Moreover, this herb was extremely versatile. It could be combined with different herbs to create various poisons, and only the creator could formulate the antidote.
"Ah!" Yi Mingcheng's face paled, and he was about to throw it away.
He never would have imagined that Shi Bai would make a move so quickly. He must have calculated that Yi Mingcheng would give this food to the Young Master, intending to use it to control him.
'If the Young Master hadn't noticed...' A cold sweat broke out on Yi Mingcheng's back.
"Wait! Come closer," Lin Hao stopped him. Then, he raised an eyebrow and smiled happily.
"Yes, yes, of course." Yi Mingcheng nodded repeatedly. He was then shocked to find that Lin Hao had not only casually mentioned a few incredibly simple ingredients that could neutralize the poison of the Seven-Day Gut-Wrencher Herb, but he had also gifted this precious food to him.
Although Yi Mingcheng hadn't yet verified what Lin Hao said, he believed his words without a doubt. After witnessing so many of Lin Hao's miraculous feats, Yi Mingcheng felt it would be more abnormal if he *couldn't* neutralize a poison.
"Your body has an ailment. I was thinking of finding a chance to help you treat it in the future. Now, he's actually done me a favor. Eat this, and the Yi family will have a successor," Lin Hao said with complete confidence.
Previously, he didn't know why Yi Mingcheng hadn't married and had children, choosing instead to adopt a son. But after inheriting the memories of the Carefree Divine Monarch, while Lin Hao wouldn't dare claim his medical skills were at the pinnacle of perfection, he was certainly proficient.
Not every physician could become an Alchemy Master, but every Alchemy Master was definitely a qualified physician.
The day he had snuck into the Lin Mansion and fed Yi Mingcheng that pill, Lin Hao had discovered the reason.
Upon hearing Lin Hao's words, Yi Mingcheng's lips trembled, his expression one of extreme agitation. Then, with a THUD, he fell to his knees before Lin Hao, tears streaming down his old face.
For a man, there was nothing more painful than being unable to perform his "duty." Lin Hao's words were like a beacon of light, illuminating Yi Mingcheng's entire world.
Then, Yi Mingcheng suddenly bit his finger and used the blood to draw a strange rune on his own face, finally dotting it between his eyebrows. "With the Imperial Heavens above and the Great Earth below, I, Yi Mingcheng, swear a Blood Oath today! The Yi family will serve Lin Hao for all generations and recognize him as our lord! If we ever have a disloyal thought, may we be struck down by the heavens and annihilated!"
Within the Skybreak Mountains, Yi Mingcheng made a Blood Oath.
A Blood Oath was the highest vow on the Celestial Yang Continent. If broken, the oath-taker would die in excruciating agony. It was an extremely cruel fate.
And to break a Blood Oath, one would have to annihilate all nine generations of their clan!
Many years later, when someone asked Yi Mingcheng—by then a formidable powerhouse in his own right—what he was most proud of in his life, the now-ancient man would straighten his back, his expression one of utmost reverence, and utter seven words: "A Blood Oath, sworn in the Skybreak Mountains!"