So this is where he lives and works. I must admit that for the headquarters of an evil alchemist experimenting on humans, it looks... rather ordinary.

  The building was quite large and resembled a small factory from years gone by. She had expected a rather ominous alchemical tower reaching up to the sky, rather than a boring building. Reality was often boring.

  She jumped out of the carriage and fell straight into a pile of snow. She hadn't expected the snow to be so deep… She was stuck in the snow up to her waist.

  “Ugh,” she hissed, trying to get out. It was quite awkward and ridiculous looking, but she wanted to maintain at least some degree of grace. In the current situation, however, it was very difficult.

  “Oh, Honorable Cultivator!” The carriage driver was terrified to see her fall into the snowdrift and quickly rushed towards her. “Please forgive me, it's my fault!”

  May managed to get out of the snow with difficulty. She unsuccessfully tried to free herself from the snow until she finally grabbed the carriage driver's hand, and he helped her out. She felt slightly embarrassed, but quickly cleared her throat and calmed down.

  “I'm fine. Wait here for me,” she said and walked away with a slight embarrassment. She hoped that the two people who had been arguing in front of the building earlier hadn't seen it. They were hidden by many bare trees, so at least in theory they shouldn't have been able to see it.

  Without wasting any time, she headed towards the building. Noticing the arrival of someone, the two people who had been arguing intensely earlier had now stopped and were waiting for the person who had just arrived. May headed towards them.

  They were a man and a woman. The man was of average height, with facial hair and short black hair, fairly young-looking. The woman, on the other hand, was a bit older, had her hair tied up in a bun, and was a head taller than the man.

  When they noticed a little girl approaching them, both seemed slightly confused. Upon seeing her outfit, however, they immediately realized that she was a cultivator from the sect, so they were a little tense, even though she was just a child.

  May stood right in front of them. There was a moment of silence as May wasn't sure how to start the conversation... To be honest, she hadn't really thought this meeting through.

  However, knowing that it was not appropriate to behave this way, she bowed slightly and spoke.

  “Greetings. I'm from the Island Mountain Sect, and I have a few questions for you,” she said with a smile.

  “And what is it about?” asked the woman, narrowing her eyes. But May could hear some doubt and uncertainty in her voice. We're a bit busy at the moment.”

  She was clearly displeased and glanced at the man next to her with slight anger from time to time.

  The snow was falling heavily, so the hair of all three of them was slowly beginning to be covered with a layer of snow. The woman was shivering slightly from the cold, which clearly indicated that, unlike May and the man, she was not a cultivator.

  May decided not to hide the truth and to say directly what the purpose of her visit was.

  “I wanted to discuss the kidnappings. I imagine you are all familiar with the case.” she replied briefly.

  The man wanted to say something, but he barely managed to open his mouth before the woman next to him pinched his arm.

  “Be quiet,” she said sharply to him. “The case is closed. The sect found no problems.”

  May frowned. Her words immediately seemed suspicious to her. She activated her ability. She was just an ordinary mortal. If she was lying, May would easily be able to find out.

  She asked with a smile, “So you don't know anything about these kidnappings?”

  The woman was clearly outraged.

  “No! We have nothing to do with it! You may be a cultivator, but I will not tolerate such insults.”

  May was shocked by the fact that she wasn't lying. She didn't know who she was, but she was clearly someone important to the alchemist. In addition, she didn't seem to be afraid of cultivators, despite being a mortal... This was quite rare, and few could afford such a thing.

  “Oh, I see. Please forgive me for asking, but I have to know. Who exactly are you?”

  The woman frowned and snorted. “Who am I? Are you really from a sect?”

  It was not difficult to notice that with each passing minute she was becoming more and more irritated. Suddenly, the man slowly approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

  “Honey, that's enough, now I'll talk to her,” he said, whispering in her ear. "Honorable Cultivator…”

  “Zheng.” She decided to make up her own identity. She ultimately took on this mission to remain anonymous; there was no point in giving her real name.

  “Yes. Honorable Cultivator Zheng, this is my fiance, Tian Jingyu. The recent events have weighed heavily on her, so please forgive her. Especially now that she is pregnant… Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Lang Shao.”

  She fell into deep thought when she heard her name. Tian, if she was not mistaken, was a fairly influential banking family. Golden Lion Tian Bank operated throughout the region and was an undisputed powerhouse. However, they did not come from the Island Mountain Sect. Could she have some connection to them?

  May quickly dismissed these thoughts, however. She had come here to discuss the kidnappings. The Qi energy in her body swirled and went straight to her eyes.

  “Anyway, what about you? You don't know anything about it either...?”

  The man looked at her suspiciously. He also had some doubts about her identity. She was just a child and quite uninformed. However, he sensed strength and considerable Qi reserves from her, comparable even to himself.

  “I didn't kidnap anyone,” he replied briefly.

  He was telling the truth.

  Huh... So he's really not behind this...? Well, it won’t hurt to ask a few more questions.

  “So you don't know anything about it.”

  “No.” He lied.

  She was now certain that he wasn't as innocent as he claimed to be. Even if he hadn't directly abducted anyone, he must have had something to do with it.

  “Is there someone you know behind the disappearances?

  “Enough! What kind of charade is this? Let’s go back inside!” His wife got upset and yelled at him, pulling him by the collar. She was already shivering from the cold.

  “Stop!” May shouted. “And you! Answer the question!”

  “No!” he shouted, the falsehood pouring out of his mouth. “I have nothing to do with this! This is harassment.”

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  May snorted quietly and turned her gaze to the man's fiancée.

  “You should take better care of yourself when you're pregnant, go back inside. I still have some things to discuss with your betrothed.

  “I'm not going to...”

  The man interrupted her. “Do as she says, please. I'll take care of this.

  The woman whined for a moment, but after some persuasion from her man, she finally decided to go back inside, as the cold was becoming unbearable for her. If it weren't for the weather conditions and her pregnancy, she certainly wouldn't have given in so easily.

  After escorting his beloved inside, the man returned to May with a slight anger.

  “I'm afraid we don't have much to discuss. The matter has already been clarified by the sect. And from what I can see, even though you're from the sect, you came here on your own. Do you want to solve this problem for fame? Or maybe you know the family of one of the victims... No, probably not, people like you don't associate with people like those who are missing...”

  May rolled her eyes. “It's not very polite to assume my motives. Let's just say I'm here for the sake of justice.”

  Hearing this, Lang Shao chuckled softly. He just wanted to get out of this situation.

  “For the sake of so-called justice, you're harassing an innocent poor alchemist and his pregnant fiancée.”

  May took a step back and glanced around the huge building infront of which Shao was standing. She chuckled slightly. “I don't deny harassing you, but calling yourself poor...? What a joke. However, an even bigger joke is that you call yourself innocent.”

  “And here you are talking about a lack of politeness... Do you have any proof of my guilt, apart from unfounded accusations? And let me warn you that the gossip of jealous villagers who look with envy at my estate and accuse me of every misfortune that befalls them?” He began to speak with agitation. “Their cow died? It must have been that evil alchemist who poisoned it! The harvest was poor? It’s because that alchemist throws his waste into the river! Those idiots from the village would accuse me of everything that’s wrong!”

  May had hit a sore spot. His anger reached its peak. However, she decided she needed to defuse the tension a little. In this state, he won't be willing to talk.

  “Please forgive my poor choice of words,” May apologized, bowing deeply. “I'm not accusing you of the act of kidnapping itself, but... I have some evidence that suggests someone else is responsible. And I think you know more about this than you're letting on.”

  The man looked at her suspiciously. Until now, everyone had accused him directly. Whether it was the cultivators from the sect or the villagers from the village.

  “What exactly is your evidence?” he asked. He didn't expect her to know even a fraction of the truth. He felt slightly uneasy, realizing that she might indeed have some evidence.

  “If you're willing to talk, I can tell you more,” she replied seriously. “But first, I want to inform you that as long as you're covering for the real perpetrators, you're just as guilty. If you let me help you, I'll ensure your safety.”

  The man fell silent and looked at the ground. Could it really be that he was worried about his life? May knew he wasn't weak, so this worried her a little.

  Silence fell. Only the vicious barking of dogs and the sound of the wind could be heard in the distance. May was the first to break it.

  “Are you afraid for your life?”

  “Yes,” he replied, but it was a lie. May frowned.

  “Or perhaps for the life of your beloved...?”

  The man fell silent again. She noticed that he was trembling slightly, but she knew it wasn't from the cold. She didn't need the ability to detect lies to figure out the truth.

  “Did they threaten her?

  “...”

  His lack of response spoke volumes to her.

  “I can provide her with a safe place to stay. The sect will surely…”

  “That’s not the point!” he suddenly shouted.

  “Then what is the point?” she asked in frustration. “If you’re worried about her well-being, the sect can guarantee your safety until the matter is resolved.”

  The man didn't want to answer. Until now, he had protected himself and his beloved. And now he was supposed to ruin everything by telling the truth to some random kid...?

  “I... I don't know anything. It was a mistake,” he finally replied, pulling himself together.

  He couldn't say anything else. He had no reason to reveal everything. Until now, he had managed to escape the truth. He thought it was better that way. Above all, however, he was terrified. And he didn't believe the girl's words. Only he could guarantee the protection of his family.

  “You don't believe I can help,” May stated briefly.

  The man looked at her with pity and shook his head. “Help with what? I don't have any issues, so your help would be unnecessary. As I said, I don't know anything.”

  May frowned and wondered who he was trying to fool.

  “I know you're lying. Your behavior clearly indicates that you're covering someone up. This is because they're threatening you. These are mitigating circumstances, so if you reveal the truth, you'll be able to avoid the consequences,” May said, hoping to appeal to his conscience. “Think about those who have been kidnapped. They may be suffering even now.”

  The man shook his head and turned away. “I'm sorry. I can't help you.”

  With that, he walked away without looking back.

  “Shouldn't you go after him and find out the truth?” Minnie suddenly spoke up.

  No. He's too scared to tell me anything. Plus, I have to admit that my appearance doesn't exactly inspire trust.

  “So what are you going to do now?”

  You'll find out soon enough.

  May turned on her heel and headed for the carriage. The coachman came out and opened the carriage door to help her get in.

  “Really? You're giving up and going back to the capital? I expected better.” Minnie said with a hint of disappointment.

  Don't jump to conclusions about something that hasn't happened yet.

  “You can go back, I'm staying here.” She turned to the coachman.

  “Hmm?” He was very surprised and scratched his head. “But...”

  May threw him a coin worth more than ten fares. His eyes lit up at the sight of it.

  “It's all right, sir,” she replied.

  The horse-drawn carriage soon drove away; May didn't have to persuade him for long. Minnie watched in silence, but finally couldn't resist asking a question.

  “What are you actually going to do?”

  May didn't say anything and headed for a nearby hill covered with thick snow and surrounded by birch trees. It would be difficult to see her from below, but May had a very good view of the entire building and its surroundings.

  “I'll watch what's happening from here,” May finally replied. “The people who are threatening him will eventually show up, or he'll go to them. Then I'll follow him.”

  Minnie grunted in displeasure.

  “You watched too many detective shows in your previous life. How can you be sure anyone will show up here? It could take days, even weeks.”

  “My winter break is two weeks long. However, I expect someone to show up much sooner,” she replied.

  “What about food, drink, and sleep?! You're here alone and can't leave even for a moment! Besides, you'll freeze to death here!”

  May rolled her eyes and began to prepare for her cultivation session.

  “I can buy food and drink from the system. I'm also used to getting little sleep, and you can always wake me up if necessary.”

  Minnie didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to let herself be taken advantage of like this, but...

  “What about the cold! Even if you're a little resistant as a cultivator, you'll still suffer serious physical damage in a few hours!”

  May smiled. She began to control the flow of Qi in her body. Minnie watched pensively.

  “What are you doing?”

  May tried to spread it throughout her body... “I still remember when we were in Eastern Court, running away from the parasites... I bought body heating from the system back then. It was expensive, but I still feel the sensation.”

  “So you want to recreate the effect? Wouldn't it be easier to just buy it?”

  May shook her head, trying to remember that old feeling. She also recalled everything she knew about heat and temperature.

  “I could, but I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Do you remember what La Xia said once? He put his hand in the fire to learn fire resistance... Now I'm going to do something similar. Standing in the cold, it will be easier for me to learn.”

  “But why...” Minnie couldn't understand.

  “I don't have anything better to do while waiting, so I might as well try to do something myself. Besides, I don't always have to rely on the system for every little thing.”

  May tried to change the properties of the Qi that surrounded her. Raising the temperature seemed simple, but even that was a complex process. Yet her talent and control of Qi were immense. Add to that the pressure of the environment around her and the cold that was increasingly overwhelming her, and she knew it wouldn't be long before she mastered this new skill.

  It was getting dark, and more than two hours had passed. She had made considerable progress. The snow that had been up to her ankles had melted, and she was standing in the middle of wet grass. She had trouble concentrating only on her body, so she created a large space around her that she heated. It was quite a waste of Qi.

  “Not bad progress, but at this rate, you'll run out of Qi soon,” Minnie suddenly interjected, who had been constantly watching her progress. “Not to mention that if someone really shows up here, they may detect your presence because of how much Qi you're using.”

  May rolled her eyes and continued to try to focus the aura of warmth solely on her body. “I'm not worried about being detected.”

  With that said, her Qi suddenly contracted and condensed into a less visible form. Now, it was unlikely that she would be detected. It was [Qi Suppression]!

  “What...?” Minnie was shocked. “How can you use these two techniques at the same time! [Qi Suppression] is particularly restrictive! When concealing your Qi, it is very difficult to simultaneously use Qi in a technique.”

  May replied calmly. “You underestimate me. I can combine [Qi Suppression] with most techniques. Although, to be honest, it's now more than five times more demanding...”

  She wasn't worried about her Qi reserves either... Her Qi regeneration rate was absurd! Objectively, it was her greatest strength, even better than her Qi Control.

  All thanks to the pill created by Scar from thousand-year-old ginseng! Thanks to it, her Qi regeneration rate was enormous. Despite her consumption, her Qi regenerated faster than it was used up.

  A normal cultivator, after using up all their Qi reserves, would need an average of twenty-four hours for full Qi regeneration... May, on the other hand, needed only a few hours! Such was the power of the pill worth millions! She never complained about a lack of Qi.