Chapter 25: He Is a Fake Soul Master

Zhu Jianshen, eager to show off in front of Chen Siling, carefully pulled a bottle of high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid from his pocket.

"This is authentic high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid," he boasted, "personally awarded to me by that senior second-grade Soul Master from the Qingyun Sect. I've always been reluctant to use it, but today, to prevent Miss Chen from being deceived, I'm willing to."

"Deceived?" Chen Siling's face showed surprise.

Her mother, Liu Qinmin, explained with a touch of worry, "Siling, Young Master Zhu just said that the second-grade Soul Master our Chen family knows might be an impostor. I was thinking too, why would a second-grade Soul Master settle in a small place like Guzhou City? If you take out a bottle of your high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid and compare it with an authentic one, you'll know if it's real or fake."

Suspect Jiang Fan? Chen Siling was somewhat annoyed and said, "Young Master Zhu, I appreciate your good intentions, but I can tell if the high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid is fake! Even if I'm young and inexperienced, the shopkeeper wouldn't have made a mistake, would he? And those powerful individuals who bought the high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid wouldn't have misjudged either, would they?"

Zhu Jianshen's tone grew serious. "Miss Chen, you may not know this, but recently, a batch of incredibly realistic fake high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid has been rampant within the Qingyun Sect's territory. According to reliable sources, it's very likely the work of the Blood Bat Palace. They're mass-producing counterfeit high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid to defraud martial artists of their money. Not only does this medicine have no effect, but it also contains some toxicity, and has already caused many deaths. If your Chen family is deceived and sells counterfeit high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid to others, causing casualties, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

Hearing this, Chen Siling's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't help but waver.

Zhu Jianshen continued, "Miss Chen, if you take out a bottle of the high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid refined by this fake Soul Master and compare it with my authentic version, you'll know the truth."

This... Chen Siling bit her red lip. Wouldn't doing so be doubting Jiang Fan?

Liu Qinmin's face changed drastically upon hearing this. Feeling the gravity of the situation, she said, "Siling, what are you hesitating for? Your father is gravely ill in bed; you can't afford to make any mistakes."

After hesitating for a long moment, Chen Siling finally gritted her teeth and walked over, pulling out a bottle of high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid she had just received. "How do we compare them?" she asked.

As the intoxicating fragrance from Chen Siling wafted towards him, Zhu Jianshen's heart raced. If he exposed the fake Soul Master, it would be tantamount to saving the entire Chen family. At that point, even if he asked Chen Siling to become his, the Chen family wouldn't be able to object, would they?

Suppressing the wicked desires stirring within him, Zhu Jianshen took out two grayish-brown seeds. "These are Spirit-Seeking Flower seeds," he explained. "They are highly sensitive to spiritual energy and are commonly used to precisely determine the grade of Qi Cultivation Fluid. Simply pour a bottle of Qi Cultivation Fluid on them, and they will sprout tender shoots of varying heights depending on the spiritual energy absorbed. This allows us to determine the quality of the Qi Cultivation Fluid." He paused, glancing at the Qi Cultivation Fluid in Chen Siling's palm. "Of course," he added, "if the fluid is fake, the seed won't react at all. If Miss Chen has no other questions, let's begin."

Zhu Jianshen first opened his own bottle of high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid, feeling a pang of regret. He hadn't even brought himself to use it. But if it meant saving the Chen family and winning over the beautiful Chen Siling, this bottle was worth it. Gritting his teeth, he poured the entire bottle of Qi Cultivation Fluid onto one of the seeds.

Three breaths later, a miraculous sight unfolded. The seed visibly swelled, cracked open, sprouted, and began to grow. In just ten breaths, a three-inch-tall, vibrant green shoot had emerged.

"Growing one inch indicates low-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid," Zhu Jianshen explained. "Two inches is medium-grade, and three inches signifies authentic high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid. Miss Chen, it's your turn."

Chen Siling grew nervous. What if it was fake? What would she do? Should she, for the sake of righteousness, betray Jiang Fan and bring him to justice?

Liu Qinmin urged anxiously, "Siling! What are you hesitating for?"

Reluctantly, Chen Siling pursed her red lips and hesitantly poured the Qi Cultivation Fluid onto the other seed. Then, with her crystalline eyes, she stared at the seed without blinking. In her heart, she silently prayed that it had to be real! If it wasn't, the Chen family would be utterly ruined. Not only would they fail to overcome the Qin family, but they would also face severe repercussions for all the fake high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid they had sold.

Zhu Jianshen, meanwhile, remained composed, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. It was obvious to him that this bottle had to be fake. After all, there was only one second-grade Soul Master in the entire territory of the Qingyun Sect.

Three breaths passed. As expected, the seed remained completely motionless.

Chen Siling's heart sank with a dull ache, and panic visibly welled up on her beautiful, jade-like face. Her worst fear had come true! It was fake!

Zhu Jianshen smiled faintly, adopting the stance of a benefactor. "Miss Chen," he said, "it's a good thing I arrived in time. The Chen family hasn't been dragged too deep into this yet; there's still room for maneuvering."

Liu Qinmin swayed, almost losing her balance, her face turning deathly pale. She quickly turned to Zhu Jianshen. "Thanks to Young Master Zhu," she said, "otherwise my Chen family would have been ruined forever! You have shown immense grace to my Chen family. Please accept this old woman's bow!" She made to kneel.

Zhu Jianshen politely helped her up. "Auntie," he said, "you're too kind. Siling and I felt a connection from the moment we met. I couldn't bear to see her become a family sinner, so I extended my help."

Being experienced, who couldn't discern his true intention? Liu Qinmin was delighted. Her daughter had won the favor of a Qingyun Sect disciple; if a marriage came of it, nothing could be better. She quickly said, "Siling, why aren't you thanking Young Master Zhu?"

Chen Siling, still reeling from the devastating realization, said blankly, "Thank you, Young Master Zhu."

Liu Qinmin, intending to set the two up, chided, "Is that how you thank someone?" She took Chen Siling's hand and placed it into Zhu Jianshen's palm, smiling. "Take Young Master Zhu for a nice walk in our garden," she suggested.

It was only then that Chen Siling suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly pulling her hand away. "Mother! What are you doing?" she exclaimed.

Liu Qinmin decided to be direct. "Siling," she said, "Young Master Zhu sacrificed a bottle of authentic high-grade Qi Cultivation Fluid for you. Don't you understand his affection?" She seized Chen Siling's hand again. "Besides," she continued, "Young Master Zhu saved our entire Chen family, dozens of lives. Isn't it proper for you to show him proper gratitude?"

Chen Siling was still struggling, but she felt utterly helpless. Because Zhu Jianshen had indeed shown immense kindness.

Just as she felt herself being pushed towards Zhu Jianshen, she suddenly caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She quickly pulled her hand away from Liu Qinmin's grasp and gasped, "It moved! The seed moved!"