Two weeks passed after my first visit to the new Apothecary.

Pearyin's arrival meant that my previous routine had changed a bit, but considering the benefits, I wasn't exactly complaining. Every night, I visited the apothecary, my time split between refining pills and helping her train more. She was coming along well. Not only she was already at the Peak of the Bone Forging realm, but also her combat techniques were coming along nicely. At this point, I actually expected her to be able to last against other Bone Forging masters.

Naturally, with her progress, there had been a lot of rewards.

I had to admit, I was tempted to help a few more directly to create a team of loyal Connate Realm martial artists. Unfortunately, the strength of the cultivators was clear in my mind. Even an army of Connate Realm martial artists wouldn't have helped against them.

No, I much rather try to keep everything under wraps. My anonymity was my biggest advantage. I was already pushing my luck by helping the Queen… But, at least, that provided me with cultivation knowledge.

And, it was paying dividends.

As for constantly coming in and out of the palace, that turned out to be even easier than I expected. The inner parts of the compound were defended better, but the outer parts had been ridiculously easy to get in and out once I understood the exact patrol schedule.

Every night, I moved out, refined pills, helped Elsana, and returned by the morning. The fact that I refined those pills from the plants from the garden added a beautiful irony to the situation.

Most of the pills I refined, I gave the Queen with her with the meal. She didn't think that I was the source, as, during the first delivery, I made sure to warn her that the cook had changed, claiming that I was afraid of poisoning.

Obscuring the information that way helped. Her classes provided me with more information, particularly after she raised her realm to Bone Forging as well, though merely at the beginner level. Her martial talent — likely neglected due to her cultivation talent — when combined with the absurd number of pills I provided her, increased her cultivation further.

And, my cultivation knowledge rose alongside.

As evidenced by the latest notification that popped into my vision as I walked away to bring her lunch.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 40 (Capped)]

[70x Return - Thousand Petals Meditation Technique Lesson, Minor Familiarity - Major Familiarity]

Finally, I reached the next stage. Then, just as I was about to leave, she gestured for me to stop. "Yes, madam," I said.

"The Queen asked me to give you this," she said as she passed me another parchment, but I could see that it was not a last-minute decision. "She thinks that you still have potential, and wants you to find a better path than being a servant."

Before waiting for an answer, she passed me two things. A tightly-wrapped booklet, and a written order that freed me from my contract.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 40 (Capped)]

[70x Return - Thousand Petals Meditation Technique, Qi Gathering, Profound-Peak Grade]

That answered the other book. "Madam, I—" I started, trying to argue against, but she seemed determined.

"No, this is Queen's order," she said. "Leave. Not just the palace, but the capital."

With that, she slammed the door close.

I barely held back my curse. Talk about being a victim of my success. I was too successful in showing myself to be a pitiful person, so she followed that.

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I walked back slowly, wondering what to do. I couldn't stop visiting her, but just barging in was also not an option. Even in exile, she expected to be obeyed, and by refusing that, I risked ruining all the goodwill I built.

Before I went to see the head steward and deliver the order, I did two things. First, I opened the book she gave me, examining it slowly and carefully. The first thing I noticed was the writing. It was fresh. She wrote it just for me. Not something that could be done in a night.

... showing that she had been planning that for a while, likely since she had received the cultivation technique. The question remained. Why? Did she just believe that I was wasting my talent as a servant? Or, did she have another reason?

Either way, I didn't want to get away immediately. She was still my best option.

But, before making a decision, I crossed my legs and activated the latest lesson. The information rushed to my brain, and the familiar clicking sensation followed, like many complicated things that I had found problematic turned easier.

The difference was significant. Like, earlier, I was trying to sum two large numbers by counting with my fingers, and somebody taught me the proper way to do it. Many concepts that were complicated had been simplified, giving me hope that I could actually cultivate.

To use another metaphor, as far as Qi was concerned, I was a blind man. But, by increasing the meditation art to Major Familiarity, I found myself with the ability to slowly move around, particularly if I used displacement of my essence to feel my Qi.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean I was suddenly a cultivator. I still needed a Qi source … well, discounting the weird corrupting Qi of the Spring Palace, but considering it was being used as a punishment, it didn't sound like a good idea.

Still, finally having the ability to cultivate, even if it came with some restrictions, was a good idea.

I checked the book she wrote for me again, for once, actually understanding what was being described. Nine stages of Qi Gathering, starting with activating the Dantian, followed by activating eight gates with Qi.

And, after that, linking them together, creates the foundation for immortality.

Thousand Petals Meditation was limited to that, and to follow more, a proper cultivation technique was required. But, that was a problem for the far future. Instead, I wrapped the book again and stuffed it under my shirt.

I didn't plan to cultivate based on her notes I had the System superior system version, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be useful.

Once that was determined, I found the head steward. "I quit," I said as I pushed the paper in his hand. "As per the Queen's decree, I'm leaving after gathering my stuff.

He froze in shock as I delivered the news to him, which was just enough for me to disappear around the corner, then went to where I hid my stolen guard armor. "Soldiers, arrest that servant," he shouted. A nearby guard followed … but when he failed to find me, several others joined, raising alarm.

And, I just mixed with the guards. It wasn't the easiest way of avoiding the search. But, I had a different aim.

I needed an excuse to defy her orders. What better way than to create a fake persecution.

"I saw him running that way," I shouted, pointing in a random direction. "Quick, before he gets away."

Soon, the chase turned chaotic. They might be searching for me due to a reflexive order from an irate Steward, but once I disappeared, that stopped being important. A significant number of palace guards were mobilized, searching for me.

In the opposite direction.

I had already removed the armor — and melted it with Volcano essence for good measure to avoid someone finding a discarded armor and realizing what I had done — sneaked back into Spring Palace garden and hid under the foliage.

I even added several scratches to my back like I was ambushed before getting away.

I hoped that the Queen was already aware of my presence. But, even if she was not, I could still make a move when the night falls, which would give me a reason to stay away. As for the protective talisman, I had removed it, and let the corrupted Qi infect me, though I gathered it on the surface to make the situation even worse than it looked.

I needed an excuse to stay. Ideally, the classes would continue, but even if they didn't, she was the best guide I had to point me toward a source of Qi that wasn't cursed.

I lay in the foliage, happy that the palace grounds getting more and more chaotic, to the point that, the Queen, dressed as her maidservant, actually left the mansion and questioned the guards about the commotion.

I used the chance to get closer, as it showed that she had yet to notice my presence. On her return, I created some noise, which finally caught her attention. I pushed the cursed Qi to the surface even more and closed my eyes.

When she arrived, she gasped in panic. "Oh, no. Are you okay?" she asked. I didn't answer, and she touched me. Once again, I felt my own essence move, showing that it was her Qi. My growing expertise allowed me to keep the cursed essence gathered around her probe, trying to convince her that it was far worse.

She seemed to believe it. "Oh, no," she gasped as she touched my temple, and a jolt of Qi reached my body. It was far softer, and I absorbed it, its presence displacing some of the cursed Qi.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 40 (Capped)]

[70x Return - 6 Qi Strands]

Success.