1 The Incomplete Pill

Yuan Qiyuan's disappearing body floated in the starry sky.

Beautiful flickering lights were filling the empty void and acting as stars as his body was dissembling into tiny fragments.

He silently gazed at the void with disappointment and regret in his dimming eyes.

His countless years of effort towards the Dao of Alchemy was quickly disappearing before him.

This was the result of his failure.

"My entire life, all I have ever wanted was to concoct an everlasting pill…" Yuan Qiyuan turned his head with difficulty to look at the incomplete pill floating beside him.

He smiled bitterly.

"All of my resources…my entire cultivation base, even what little lifespan I had left…I have given it all up for you…"

"All of my effort and love put into creating you…yet…"

It has been Yuan Qiyuan's greatest ambition to create this pill since the Primordial Era. But alas, after countless millennia and many eras of effort, the result was an incomplete pill and…his death.

Yuan Qiyuan's body was almost fully dissipated with only his head left.

He closed his eyes, accepting his death.

If only he was stronger.

If only he was more capable.

If only…

Yuan Qiyuan sighed, but alas, even an Alchemy God like himself cannot create a pill for regret.

Suddenly, just right before his head fully dissipates into fragments, the purple-colored pill that was beside him flickered with countless lights, glowing brightly and illuminating the starry sky like a small sun.

If Yuan Qiyuan could open his eyes to witness this grand scene, he would surely be shocked.

The purple pill trembled, and it suddenly shot itself towards Yuan Qiyuan's forehead, sinking into his forehead like a rock into water.

And immediately after the purple pill entered his forehead, what little remaining left of his body disappears into flickering lights before being swallowed by the borderless void with his conscious seeping into complete darkness.

/////////

Countless years later.

Inside the residence of the Xian Family, one of the four great families within the Yin Province.

"Sniff…sniff…"

A weak and powerless whimpering caused Yuan Qiyuan's conscious to tremble, and he instinctively opened his eyes to see a cute and lovely young lady with fair skin in close distance.

However, there was a problem — a huge problem that nearly caused Yuan Qiyuan's eyes to permanently pop out.

The problem was that he was on top of this young lady...and they were both on a bed…and she was naked, revealing her bare breasts and clean bottom lips.

However, even then, these problems would be considered minor in his eyes when compared to the tears on this young lady's face.

"What the fu—" Yuan Qiyuan quickly jumped off the bed like a cat with a stepped tail, nearly hitting the ceiling with his head.

He stared at her with wide eyes from the side of the room with his head feeling like it was going through a stampede of a thousand elephants.

Even with his experience and profound insights, he could not instantly comprehend the current situation.

One moment he was dying in the starry sky and the next he was on top of a crying naked young girl?

What madness is this, and what in the name of Heavens is going on?!?!

It was at this moment a painful headache assaulted him, forcefully showing him 16 years worth of memories.

Yuan Qiyuan quickly digested some of the memories, and it was only then could he comprehend the current situation.

He was inside the body of Xian Yu, the only son of Xian Chen, head of the Xian Family, and he was an infamous silkpants whose only talent was angering people with his bastard-like behavior.

Being titled one of the Four Great Family, the Xian Family is a prominent Alchemy family within the Yin Province. Most of this was made possible because of the ancestor of the Xian Family, Xian Shen, a low-grade Alchemy Grandmaster who had assisted the Yin Dynasty greatly with his Dao of Alchemy.

The current family head was Xian Chen, a recognized genius middle-grade Alchemy Master who is only three steps behind his ancestor at the young age of 35. But alas, this tiger of a father had given birth to a dog for a son, Xian Yu, who has no noticeable talents and would cause nothing but trouble for his family.

After taking a moment to digest his new memories, Yuan Qiyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and returned to looking at the young lady who was still unmoving on his bed, her body slightly trembling as though she was terrified.

Yuan Qiyuan has no idea why he replaced the original owner of this body, but he is in a situation in which he cannot just turn and disappear like he would usually do in his previous life.

Luckily, the previous host of this body has yet to do the unthinkable and irreversible and had only stripped her down.

With no other choice but to accept the fact that he is now living inside the body of a silkpants, Yuan Qiyuan has decided for himself that he will continue to live Xian Yu's life but without the silkpants part.

Once again, he shall create his everlasting pill from scratch.

But first, before he could even leave this room, he has to deal with this situation at hand that Xian Yu had put him in.

The young girl's name was Yu Lihua, his personal maidservant who was only recently recruited into the Xian Family.

From his memories, Yu Lihua was from a common background and was picked up by Zhen Xiang, his biological mother, after her parents had died from a random clash by cultivators.

When Xian Yu first saw Yu Lihua, he was immediately seduced by her cute face and shy expression that showed her vulnerability, awakening his inner beast.

To think she'd be assaulted by the Young Master of the Xian Family on her first day of work, Yuan Qiyuan pitied Yu Lihua.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat and putting up the most dignified and apologetic expression he could possibly make, Yuan Qiyuan said: "Your name is Yu Lihua, right? I know that you will never be able to forgive me for my unforgivable actions today no matter how much I apologize, but I will still go ahead and say it. I do not know what had happened to me that caused me to think of doing something like this, but I was not in the right mind, and I sincerely apologize for any inconveniences for today and in the future. If there is anything that you need from me after today — if you are still willing to work under me after what happened today — I will accept it no questions asked."

"If you wish to never see me again, then I will speak with Zhen Xiang and let her know that I do not want you as my maidservant." Yuan Qiyuan addressed his mother with her full name because he felt awkward calling someone he never saw himself his mother.

Yu Lihua's eyes widened after hearing his clear voice and heartfelt words, not daring to believe her ears nor eyes. The Young Master standing before her now was dignified and handsome, even mysterious, looking completely different than a moment ago when he was ready to forcefully take her first with a vicious, dog-like expression.

But even then, how could she forgive him so easily? How could she trust him?

"I know you don't trust me nor my words, but you can trust the Heavens. I swear upon my Dao and name that I will never touch you ever again without your permission, and if I do, may the Heavens punish me with Heavenly Tribulation." Yuan Qiyuan had his head lowered, something he has never done before for anybody even in his previous life.

Yu Lihua was truly shocked to the core now. To think she'd witness the Young Master of the Xian Family swear to the Heavens in front of her. Is this really the same person that she has been hearing nothing but bad rumors about? If this is his real character, then what were his actions just now about?

Still, with his head lowered, Yuan Qiyuan retrieved a dagger from his robes and held the blade to his wrist. "If that was not enough for me to gain your trust, then I shall swear a Blood Oath—"

It was at this point Yu Lihua panicked.

"Young Master, wait!" Knowing that Zhen Xiang cares deeply for Xian Yu, it would break her heart to see his blood fly like this, causing Yu Lihua to panic in her stead.

"I will forgive Young Master for his actions today...so please put away that dagger..." she said in a low voice.

In truth, she had already resolved herself for this the moment she learned that Zhen Xiang had assigned her to be Xian Yu's maidservant. And because she couldn't tell herself to say no, afraid that she might displease Zhen Xiang who saved her life, she was already prepared to give up her first time and body to serve Xian Yu.

Additionally, she'd rather be assaulted by the son of the one who saved her life than being assaulted by strangers in the street.

Yuan Qiyuan finally looked up after hearing her words. His gaze was calm and honest without the slightest of lust despite Yu Lihua's bare body still in sight. It wasn't that he didn't have interest in women but because he was not in the situation or position to enjoy the sight, especially not from such a young girl such as Yu Lihua.

"Thank you for forgiving me," he smiled at her, causing her to blush.

"You can get dressed and go back to your room now," he continued after a moment of silence.

Yu Lihua turned red-headed after those words and hurriedly dressed herself before leaving the room.

Watching her leave, Yuan Qiyuan thought to himself that Yu Lihua was an odd girl. To think she'd forgive him so easily after all that, she was too naive.

Now that he was alone inside his room that was familiar yet foreign, Yuan Qiyuan sat down cross-legged and began sorting out the rest of his memories in hopes to find out why he didn't die and instead took over Xian Yu's body.