Half an hour later, Ling Li calmed down and said, "Luo'er, have you been doing well all these years?"
"Very well, Auntie, I've been very well."
"Luo'er, if Big Brother and Sister-in-law could see you grow up, how wonderful that would be?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but shed tears again.
Ling Luoyi smiled gently. The events of ten years ago had always been a shadow in the hearts of the Ling family. Even though revenge had been exacted, those who had died could not return.
Ling Luoyi sighed and said, "Auntie, let's try our best to live better, so they don't have to worry anymore."
"Okay," Ling Li replied tearfully.
"Speaking of which, Grandpa and the others will be back soon. When they do, let's go see them together."
"Okay. For so many years, because of the Ling family's decline, we haven't had the face to see them. Now that you're back, and Father and Brother are also coming back, we can go see them."
As the aunt and niece were talking, another important figure arrived at the Ling family.
"Eldest Miss, Steward Liang is here."
"Please invite him in."
"Yes."
"Eldest Miss, Miss Li." Steward Liang came over to greet them.
"Uncle Liang."
"Grandpa Liang, why have you come?"
"Eldest Miss, President Lin of the Alchemist Guild is here."
"President Lin? Why is she here?" Ling Li asked, puzzled.
"Since President Lin is here, let Second Uncle go."
"Eldest Miss, the masters in charge of the manor are all..." Steward Liang chuckled awkwardly.
Ling Luoyi's smile froze for a moment. At this time, the masters who could make decisions were likely still in the cultivation tower. The only other person was Ling Li, who had just returned to the manor, but she was also unfamiliar with the manor's affairs. That left only herself.
"Auntie, you've just returned to the manor, please go back and rest well. I'll go see President Lin," Ling Luoyi said, looking at Steward Liang and asking, "Grandpa Liang, where is President Lin?"
"Eldest Miss, President Lin is in the main hall."
"Grandpa Liang, I can go by myself. Please take Auntie back to her courtyard."
"Yes, Eldest Miss."
As Ling Luoyi, accompanied by Zhu Shuang, headed to the main hall, Steward Liang, while escorting Ling Li back to her courtyard, recounted all the changes in the manor to her.
After listening, Ling Li sighed, "Luo'er has had a difficult time these past few years."
"Indeed. I wonder what Eldest Miss has experienced all these years to become so powerful?"
"Uncle Liang, Luo'er has her own concerns. No matter how curious we are, we shouldn't make her do things she doesn't want to do."
"Miss Li, Second Master and the others think the same way."
Ling Li was surprised, then sighed, "It seems we truly are a family."
"Yes," Steward Liang also said with a smile.
*
In the main hall, Ling Luoyi did not sit in the main seat but beside President Lin.
Ling Luoyi took a sip of tea. This was the tea she had given to Ling Qi, and now everyone in the Ling manor was drinking this tea.
"Why has President Lin come?"
President Lin took out a box, opened it, and revealed a pale green pill.
The moment the box was opened, the aroma of the medicine filled the air, but the maids and servants around showed no change in their expressions.
They had seen their master's pills many times, and Ling Luoyi occasionally gave them some pills, so they were no longer interested in the quality of pills President Lin held.
President Lin looked at the maids and servants with some confusion. Although her pills were not comparable to Eldest Miss Ling's, their grade was not low. Why were these maids and servants not interested?
President Lin did not ask. She had no interest in prying into others' privacy. She took out the pill and asked, "This is the result of my half-month of closed-door cultivation, and the only successful pill. Please guide me, Eldest Miss Ling."
Ling Luoyi took the pill and examined it carefully. She said, "It is indeed a fourth-grade detoxification pill, but its quality is only low-grade. The medicinal toxins are more than the medicinal effects. It can be said that this pill is a waste pill, completely useless."
"But I followed the pill formula. Why is it like this?"
"The pill formula only records the required medicinal ingredients, not the refining method. Therefore, even with a pill formula, it is not always possible to successfully refine a pill. President Lin being able to refine a pill in half a month is considered talented."
"Then, does Eldest Miss Ling mind telling me the refining method for this kind of pill?"
"President Lin already knows the refining method, doesn't she? Otherwise, how could she have refined it? It's just that some things are insufficient, and some things are excessive."
"Please guide me, Eldest Miss Ling."
"The refining of this pill lacked sufficient heat, which led to insufficient extraction of the medicinal juice from the silver leaf grass and purple flower fruit, while the玄冰花 (Xuan Bing Hua) required too much medicinal juice..."
Ling Luoyi pointed out all the problems with this pill one by one. President Lin was enlightened and finally understood the unresolved issues she encountered during refining.
An hour later, after her conversation with Ling Luoyi, President Lin returned to the Alchemist Guild and resumed her closed-door cultivation.
As it was nearing dinnertime, Ling Luoyi went to the flower hall and saw that everyone was waiting. She felt a bit relieved; they were quite obedient.
Ling Luoyi sat down and said, "Everyone is here, why isn't Auntie here yet?"
"Auntie? She's back too?" Ling Luoran asked joyfully.
Before Ling Luoyi could answer, Ling Li walked in.
"Auntie, you're back! Sit here!" Ling Luozhi called out.
"Zhi'er," Ling Li sat down, patted Ling Luozhi's head, and called out with a smile.
"By the way, did Auntie bring anything this time?"
"Zhi'er, Auntie went out this time to find medicinal ingredients for your elder brother. Who knew that when I returned, your elder brother was already well? It seems I went on a trip for nothing."
She had heard the news of Ling Luoyi's return to the Ling manor long ago, but she had waited until now to return because of collecting herbs.
"Oh, right, Auntie, aren't you an alchemy apprentice? You can learn alchemy from Eldest Sister!"
"Yes, Eldest Sister is a fourth-grade alchemist."
Others also chimed in.
Ling Luoyi said, "Since Auntie is an alchemy apprentice, don't you have a master?"
Upon hearing this, the others' expressions changed slightly, and they tried to stop her.
"You don't need to be like this. I've let go of it all these years," Ling Li said. "Auntie's master died in the great chaos of the Ling family ten years ago. To protect Auntie, she never recognized another master."
Ling Luoyi was stunned for a moment and said, "Auntie, I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's alright, of course, you didn't know. You had already taken Ran'er and fled the Ling family at that time."
The flower hall suddenly fell silent.
Ling Luoyi took out a book, about three fingers thick, and said, "Since Auntie wants to learn alchemy, read this. After finishing this, you should be able to advance to a first-grade alchemist."
Ling Li was surprised, looked at Ling Luoyi for a moment, then took it and smiled, "Thank you, Luo'er."
"Alright, let's eat," Ling Luoyi said. "By the way, Second Uncle, the day after tomorrow is the auction at the Flowing Cloud Pavilion. Are you going?"
Ling Qi was surprised that she was asking about him and said, "Second Uncle won't be going. Ask others if they want to go?"
"Then who wants to go?"
"Luo'er, Second Brother wants to cultivate more during this time, so he won't be going."
"Luo'er, Third Brother thinks the same, so he won't go either."
"We don't have anything to buy, so we won't go either."
"Luo'er, we don't need anything either, so you go by yourself that day and let Ling San protect you, okay?" Ling Luochen said.
Ling Luoyi looked at their eager desire to cultivate and said helplessly, "Fine, fine, I'll go by myself. You all know what you're doing."
Seeing Ling Luoyi's helpless expression, everyone burst into laughter.
In the following time, under Ling Luoyi's 'violent threat,' the cultivation tower was put on the right track. Ling Luoyi began to busy herself with another matter until the Flowing Cloud Pavilion auction began.