Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

"Miss Ning, we’ve investigated Ji Wuchen. He was able to provide an alibi. We also didn’t find any issues with the other suspects. I’m afraid this case will have to be left unresolved," the investigator from the Inspection Department said apologetically.

It was only because the person involved was Ning Xuan—an incredibly valuable talent who also had the attention of major powers—that two departments had gotten involved based on a single piece of blurry footage. However, the leads were simply too limited, and they could no longer continue the investigation.

"I understand. Thank you for your trouble." Ning Xuan had long known that the chances of finding anything were slim, so she wasn’t too disappointed.

Ning Xuan attended her classes as usual. She had been considering whether she should test Ji Wuchen’s motives for approaching her, should he try it again. But who would have thought? Although she ran into Ji Wuchen a few times, he never tried to get close to her again. Instead, he kept his distance, avoiding her.

On the other hand, there was one of Huangfu Xinyue’s close friends, a girl named Jin Shanshan. She seemed to really enjoy the Artifact Refining Department’s classes. Every time Ning Xuan went to the Artifact Refining Department for class, she would run into Jin Shanshan. In the beginning, Jin Shanshan would arrive late, scan the classroom, and upon spotting Ning Xuan, her eyes would light up. She would then run over to take a seat near Ning Xuan for the lecture. Jin Shanshan was exceptionally pretty, with a lively personality and a faint, pleasant fragrance about her. She would talk to Ning Xuan with great enthusiasm, and Ning Xuan felt it would be rude to ignore her. Over time, the two got to know each other.

One day, Jin Shanshan returned to the Jin Family estate after class. By then, it was already late.

The Jin Family’s estate was not in the main city but in the eastern part of the Central Star District 1 Suburb. It was a sprawling compound surrounded by high walls. Two stone dragon sculptures stood guard before the entrance, and above the main gate hung a stone plaque inscribed with the two words "Jin Mansion." The calligraphy was powerful and imposing.

Within the courtyard, man-made pavilions and towers were artfully arranged, interspersed with decorative rockeries and streams, creating a very elegant atmosphere.

She crossed the front courtyard and walked straight to the main hall. The hall was brightly lit, its floor covered with a thick, brocaded carpet. In the center stood a large, carved Purple Sandalwood table, laden with exquisite tea sets and fruit platters. Several Attendants stood at attention, bowing their heads as Jin Shanshan entered.

The moment Jin Shanshan stepped into the hall, the Jin Family Master hurried out from an inner chamber. He appeared to be in his fifties and was dressed in a dark robe, giving him a scholarly and gentle demeanor. The Jin Family Master glanced around; the Attendants in the hall all belonged to the Young Lord. Without hesitation, he knelt, clasped his hands, and said respectfully, "This old servant greets the Young Lord."

"Jin Shanshan" gently raised a hand, gesturing for him to rise. He then walked to the center of the hall, where two Attendants came forward to serve him. One removed his ladies’ outer skirt and replaced it with a man’s long robe. Another Attendant stepped to his side and removed the wig, revealing a cascade of long, silver-blue hair. Next, a mask as thin as a cicada’s wing was peeled from his face, exposing his true features. Finally, several Star Pattern Rings were brought out, and an Attendant knelt to place one on each of his fingers. The moment the rings were on, his entire demeanor shifted. The gentle, feminine beauty was gone, replaced by a cold and noble aura.

Ji Wuchen sat in the main seat of the hall, gently rubbing the rings, his gaze deep in thought. ’The last time I snuck into Ning Xuan’s residence, I used the Star Pattern Lock Chain, but I still failed to accomplish my goal. I can’t figure it out. How could someone by Ning Xuan’s side see through the Star Pattern Lock Chain’s shielding? I wonder who that person is, and why they’re with Ning Xuan.’

The failure of his night-time infiltration only made Ji Wuchen more certain in his speculation that Ning Xuan possessed a Divine Bloodline. He didn’t dare try that sort of thing again and had to think of another way.

He had discovered that Ning Xuan was especially lenient and preferential toward women, completely lacking the usual air of keeping people at arm’s length. Moreover, her guard was much lower around them. And so, he disguised himself as Jin Shanshan, using this identity to get close to Ning Xuan.

The Jin Family had been established with the direct support of the Myriad Phenomena Star River’s Star Lord. The Jin Family Master was the Star Lord’s servant, so naturally, he wouldn’t refuse a request from Ji Wuchen. He secretly sent his granddaughter away to another star sector for training that very night, forbidding her from using any means of communication to contact friends or send any signals.

"Young Lord, is everything proceeding smoothly? Is there anything this old servant can do?" the Jin Family Master asked cautiously.

"There’s no need. Just make sure you manage your granddaughter. It’s imperative that she doesn’t make a single sound during this time. You may leave," Ji Wuchen said, his voice cold.

The Jin Family Master didn’t dare say more and quickly took his leave.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper. Moonlight spilled onto the rockeries in the courtyard, casting a cold, clear glow. Ji Wuchen stood before the window, motionless for a long time, lost in his own thoughts. Frowning one moment and sighing the next, he seemed to be wrestling with a difficult decision that troubled him.

Meanwhile, Ning Xuan was cultivating alone in her training room at home. Orange-red flames danced around her, and black-red vines covered the entire floor. A small, fiery red bird somersaulted and leaped above her head. Outside, if one were to activate an energy probe, they would detect that all the subterranean Fire Element Energy from beneath Qingluan Mountain was converging on Ning Xuan’s location.

Di Youlin quietly snuck into the training room. Although the smart security system couldn’t stop him, he was discovered by the vines the moment he entered. With Di Youlin’s power, it would have been effortless to dodge the vines’ attack. However, he knew these vines were Ning Xuan’s Plant Pet and that their senses were transmitted to her in real time. So, he offered no resistance and allowed himself to be captured.

When Ning Xuan finished her cultivation and opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Di Youlin, his ankles bound by vines, hanging upside down from the rafters.

In the dim light of the training room, Di Youlin’s hair had a bewitching quality. It was neither pure black nor bright gold, but a mysterious color somewhere in between that shimmered with different hues under the light. Strands of his messy hair hung down, obscuring half of his stern face, but they couldn’t hide his narrow phoenix eyes.

The outer corners of those eyes tilted upward. When he was silent and unsmiling, his expression cold and solemn, they looked sharp and proud, as if nothing in the world was worthy of his submission.

However, when his gaze fell upon Ning Xuan, the sharpness in those phoenix eyes instantly vanished. It was replaced by a watery, shimmering light that conveyed a sense of unconditional dependence and submission. This contrast gave Ning Xuan an indescribable sense of satisfaction, and she couldn’t help but want to bully him.

Ning Xuan slowly rose to her feet, her gaze falling on Di Youlin, who was still hanging upside down from the rafters. He seemed to have been ravaged by the vines; his clothes were in tatters. His white outer robe had been torn into strips, revealing a firm and well-proportioned body. Beneath the blood-stained tatters of his robe, his taut muscle definition was faintly visible. Every inch of his skin seemed to have been meticulously sculpted, exuding both power and beauty.