Chapter 13: You Have Connections? No, I Have Money!

“No matter what anyone says, the child must go to Second Middle School.”
“I married into the Ge family, worked myself to the bone for over ten years, and now I have just this one request. If you don’t agree, I’ll come here and make a scene every day.”
A woman was speaking, her voice loud and brash, reminiscent of a shrew quarreling in the street.
Just as Lu Yuan tried to listen more closely, the courtyard gate swung open.
A middle-aged couple stepped out. The man bore a certain resemblance to Old Master Ge—clearly, they were father and son.
As for the woman, her identity was just as obvious.
They glanced at Lu Yuan but said nothing, leaving on their own without a word.
Seeing this, he didn’t ask further questions and walked straight into the courtyard. “Old Master Ge, I’m here again.”
Not far away, the old man’s face was clouded, though at the sight of Lu Yuan, his expression softened a little. “Xiao Lu, help me keep an eye on that medicine for now.”
With that, he didn’t wait for a reply and disappeared into the house.
Lu Yuan simply smiled and began tending the medicine stove.
Nearby, the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace he needed was still heaped in a corner.
After quite some time, Old Master Ge finally emerged from the house, holding a passbook in his hand, his brows tightly knitted as though troubled by something.
But he said nothing. He walked up to Lu Yuan and spoke, “Xiao Lu, I’ve lived for decades. I know there’s no such thing as kindness without a reason. You’ve come to help every day—surely you have something you want. Just say it. As long as it’s not too much, I’ll consider it.”
At his age, if he couldn’t see through this much, he’d have lived in vain.
“To be frank, sir, I have a fondness for collecting antiques.”
Lu Yuan didn’t bother with pretense. “I’m quite taken with your medicine furnace. I hope you might part with it—price is no issue.”
Since he’d broached the subject, there was no need to beat around the bush.
“Money’s not the issue,” Old Master Ge shook his head and retrieved the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace, “This has been in my family for generations. I wouldn’t give it to just anyone, but since you want it, you may have it.”
Though their acquaintance was short, he could tell this young man was decent.
After all, who else would come here so patiently, day after day, just to help an old man?
Completely impossible.
As for money, though he was indeed in need, he truly didn’t care much about it.
“Thank you, sir.”
Lu Yuan nodded, knowing that if he tried to offer money, the old man would not accept it.

Still, he understood the importance of reciprocation. After a moment’s thought, he continued, “I know you have a granddaughter. She just graduated from elementary school, didn’t she? Is she hoping to attend Second Middle School in Shanghai?”
“You overheard?” Old Master Ge nodded. “Yes, Second Middle has better resources. My daughter-in-law insists on it, but we don’t have a Shanghai household registration, so it’s very difficult.”
“It’s only hard because you haven’t found the right help. Did you ever ask if I could lend a hand?” Lu Yuan smiled.
“You have connections?”
The old man was surprised—he knew that getting into such a school usually required connections.
“No.”
“Then…?”
“I have money.”
“…”
Old Master Ge sighed deeply.
He truly didn’t want to accept help, but his daughter-in-law’s relentless demands had left him no choice.
In the end, he quietly stood, went inside, and returned with an ancient book, which he handed to Lu Yuan. “This is a family heirloom. Supposedly, it contains methods for alchemy and decoction. I studied it for years, but couldn’t make heads or tails of it. I meant to pass it to my son.”
“But in this day and age, traditional medicine is all but obsolete. If you’re interested, take it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Looking at the book in his hand, a smile surfaced on Lu Yuan’s face.
Indeed, it contained the methods used by Immortal Ge in his alchemical practice.
And to truly master the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace, this ancient book was indispensable—one of his goals all along.
He hadn’t used it until now only because the great change had not yet begun. Once the new era arrived, its uses would be beyond imagination.
“I should be the one thanking you,” Old Master Ge waved a hand and sat down to tend his medicine.
The old and the young conversed for a long while, though Lu Yuan mostly listened.
Before taking his leave, he turned back and said, “Sir, if you ever need help in the future, you can reach me.”
He’d already left his phone number.
Offering his assistance not only planted the seed for future goodwill, but Lu Yuan also vaguely remembered that the old man’s granddaughter would one day gain some renown.
Perhaps their paths would cross again, and if so, it would be good to offer his support.
Before long,

Lu Yuan drove away, heading straight home without detouring anywhere else.
He had completed all his business in Shanghai, and the next step was to claim the last two things he needed.
Of course, some preparations were in order first.
The great change was drawing ever closer.
Just as Manager Lin had warned, things outside were getting chaotic, and self-preservation was a must.
Upon returning home,
Lu Yuan first placed the Eleventh-Level Pagoda in the basement.
Next, he fetched a basin of clean water, and finally set the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace on the table.
The furnace looked quite ordinary—old, even—with a thick layer of dust and black residue inside.
Most people would have tried to clean it at once.
But when Lu Yuan saw those residues, an irrepressible smile flickered in his eyes. “The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace was used by Immortal Ge for alchemy. After each batch, some essence would remain inside. Even after a thousand years, this essence still retains its potency.”
“All that’s needed is to dissolve it with pure water, then pour it into a bath. Submerging oneself in it will temper the body, enhancing physical strength.”
In his past life, it was precisely these alchemical remnants that had allowed him to gain a foothold, however briefly, in the new era.
Indeed, they were among the rare things that could benefit the body even before the global transformation began.
With this,
Lu Yuan was confident he could attain a superhuman physique in a short time.
And if he succeeded, once the change arrived, his gains would be even greater.
He wasted no words.
Following the familiar method, he used clean water to dissolve the essence from the furnace.
He filled the bathtub, and once everything was ready, poured the water from the furnace into it.
At once, the water released a faint, pleasant fragrance. Upon closer inspection, strands of violet light shimmered across the surface, mysterious and extraordinary.
After all, Immortal Ge was a legendary immortal.
“It’s time to begin.”
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, and without hesitation, immersed himself completely—head and all—into the bath.
Tonight would mark his first metamorphosis.