"Ch-"
The flame extinguished, and Bai Shengyi, with her delicate hands, patted the medicinal cauldron, which levitated from the tripod and gently rotated before settling in front of her.
"Quick! Hurry and open it to see!" Duke Rong urged, more anxious than Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi glanced at him calmly, her movements still following her own rhythm. After waiting for a quarter of an hour, she finally lifted the lid of the cauldron.
Duke Rong, already impatient, crowded to the very front.
At the dark bottom, a pile of snow-white, crystalline powder was heaped like a small mountain. Each grain was distinct, moist yet dry.
"So fragrant!" Bai Sicheng couldn't help but twitch his nose, sighing softly.
Even though it was merely the basic Frost-Breaking Powder, the clean and lingering aroma that escaped the cauldron instantly invigorated the senses, clearing the mind. This was enough to judge that the medicine was of no low grade!
"High-grade Frost-Breaking Powder! Excellent! Excellent!"
Duke Rong was ecstatic, all traces of his earlier fury gone. He stared at the messy explosion of hair that circled the Frost-Breaking Powder several times, then excitedly slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "My Bai family has a successor!"
"Bai Sicheng, quickly go..."
He turned and met Bai Shengyi's amused gaze, his voice trailing off.
Bai Sicheng couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, go do what?"
Duke Rong waved his hand, signaling to speak later.
He cleared his throat and asked Bai Shengyi amiably, "Shengyi, when did you learn alchemy? My child, how could you not tell us about something so significant?"
Looking at Bai Shengyi now, he found everything about her pleasing.
Bai Shengyi remained indifferent and distant, but instead of being annoyed, he felt Bai Shengyi possessed the composed and mature demeanor of a great general. His tone became even more affectionate.
"Come, have a chat with your grandfather."
Duke Rong reached out to pat Bai Shengyi's shoulder, but Bai Shengyi took a step back.
He chuckled awkwardly and retracted his hand.
Bai Shengyi was not surprised by Duke Rong's change in attitude.
After all, for Duke Rong, the most important thing he desired from his descendants was to be "useful" and "valuable." Now, whether it was her cultivation talent or her alchemy talent, both proved that Bai Shengyi was currently the most valuable among the younger generation of the Bai family.
Bai Shengyi found this kind of attention deeply unpleasant, so she responded with her usual perfunctory reply.
"There's no need."
With this time, she might as well refine more spirit medicine and see if it could be sold for money.
Thinking this, Bai Shengyi reached out to retrieve the Frost-Breaking Powder.
"Wait! You can't use your hands!" Duke Rong, seeing Bai Shengyi's action, disregarded their conversation and urgently stopped her. "You must use a spirit jade spoon to take it and seal it in a bottle."
He looked at the ordinary porcelain bottle in Bai Shengyi's hand, his brow furrowing even tighter. "Shengyi, such ordinary bottles don't befit spirit medicine. You need a Haoyue bottle."
Bai Shengyi finally showed a hint of warmth in her reaction, "Where's the bottle?"
Duke Rong quickly sent Bai Sicheng to fetch it, while he himself walked over to Bai Shengyi.
"Ayi, how long have you been studying alchemy? Besides Frost-Breaking Powder, do you know how to make Ephedra Pills or Cinnamon Decoction?"
He was probing for information, wanting to re-evaluate his granddaughter's talent, perhaps she could bring more value to the Bai family.
Bai Shengyi said with a half-smile, "This is the second time I've used a medicinal cauldron to refine this in reality."
The first time she refined it, she hadn't considered the difference in spirit energy density between reality and the illusionary realm. This caused the spirit energy to gather too quickly, directly exploding the cauldron.
Fortunately, her reaction was quick, and she had pushed the cauldron away before the explosion.
"The second time?" Duke Rong clearly did not catch the word "reality." His mouth twitched with excitement, and his eyes fixed on Bai Shengyi as if looking at an uncarved peerless jade.
"Shengyi! Your talent is the highest I've ever seen! You are the heir of the Bai family! Tomorrow, we will hold the inheritance ceremony, and I will pass the original Bai family medicine scrolls to you. From now on, you will be the young head of the Bai family!"
Bai Sicheng, holding the Haoyue bottle, and with Bai Murong hurried in from outside, heard Duke Rong's excited declaration.
Bai Sicheng happily echoed, "Grandfather, Ayi will surely not disappoint you. I'll go arrange the inheritance ceremony now."
"Grandfather..."
"No need."
Bai Murong and Bai Shengyi spoke simultaneously.
Bai Murong had meticulously planned. She first visited the Grand Princess's mansion before returning to Duke Rong's mansion. On the way back, although she had many opportunities to tend to the wounds on her face and change into clean clothes, she did not.
She wanted her grandfather to be angry and worried for her. Then, she would claim that Bai Shengyi had deliberately tormented her, not wanting her to return home, and have her grandfather seek justice for her.
However, she hadn't expected that as soon as she stepped through the door, she would encounter her happy elder brother, who, after merely saying "You're back," took her to Bai Shengyi's courtyard.
And not only that, but her grandfather actually intended to quickly confirm Bai Shengyi's status as the young head?
What then did that make her, Bai Murong!
Bai Murong looked at Duke Rong with a mournful expression, "Grandfather, I'm back."
According to Bai Murong's expectations, Duke Rong would at least inquire about her injuries. However, Duke Rong's reaction greatly exceeded her expectations.
Duke Rong grunted without looking up and walked back to Bai Shengyi's side.
Bai Murong desperately wanted to attract Duke Rong's attention. However, Duke Rong kept looking at Bai Shengyi, as if he hadn't noticed her return at all, and his earlier words were just a casual perfunctory response.
"Ayi, what nonsense are you talking about? Why 'no need'? With your abilities, handing over the medicine scrolls to you, grandfather believes you can surely bring our Bai family to greater prosperity..."
Duke Rong's persuasion was unprecedentedly gentle and loving, but as Bai Murong heard the content, it was like a bolt from the blue!
What was wrong with Grandfather? Had the Qing family not delivered her family letter back to the Bai family as she requested? Wasn't it agreed that the medicine scrolls would be given to her for study once she reached Foundation Establishment?
Bai Murong's heart churned with a tumultuous sea of emotions. She was consumed by jealousy of Bai Shengyi, yet Bai Shengyi was stubbornly refusing her grandfather's offer.
"I think what you said before was correct..."
"It was grandfather's fault for misunderstanding you!" Duke Rong quickly interrupted Bai Shengyi.
Bai Shengyi also said, "Perhaps I did not express myself clearly before. So, I will say it again now: I do not want to be, nor do I deserve to be, any kind of Bai family heir. Therefore, I think it's unnecessary! And do not bother me!"
Bai Shengyi spoke with full confidence, unafraid of Duke Rong's anger.
She had been somewhat interested in the Bai family medicine scrolls earlier, but now, that sliver of interest had been worn away by Duke Rong's persuasion!
What did he mean by "surely bring the Bai family to greater prosperity"?
She, Bai Shengyi, was just Bai Shengyi. She could not be shackled by the so-called future of the Bai family or the responsibilities. Not to mention something that was being forced upon her.
In the end, what had the Bai family, a family without biological parents, ever brought her?
Countless belittling, sarcastic remarks, curses, and disdain... these things could not be erased by a simple "misunderstanding."
"I'm going to pack the medicinal powder. You can leave if you have nothing else."
Bai Shengyi said coldly, her intention to see them off quite obvious.
But Duke Rong still wanted to persuade, "Ayi..."
"Ayi, Grandfather is right. You are the hope of our Bai family. You should change your temperament and think more about the Bai family." Bai Murong suddenly spoke.