Ken shook his head and waved his hand to show his disapproval at Annie's gratitude.

"It's all right, you don't have to thank me. I thought we were too close to need to say thanks. Besides, I have plenty of fourth-grade pills."

"You're right, but it also means you can never refuse my requests."

She grinned at his words and leaned against his shoulder. He stroked her hair gently with his hand, making her relax at his touch.

"Let's put it to the test then. I have a gift for you."

"Really? What is it?"

"I've managed to create my first fifth-grade pill lately, and I want to give it to you. Although it can't make you much stronger, it might save your life one day."

"Fifth grade? You will be soon a fifth-rank alchemist, congratulations Ken!"

She smiled widely when she heard the news. It wasn't enough to create one fifth-grade pill to be considered a fifth-rank alchemist, but if he made one, he will be able to make more in the future. Once he masters enough formulas, he will be considered a fifth-rank alchemist.

"Here's my first fifth-grade pill. It's called Brain Corroding Pill. It's completely tasteless, odorless, and colorless when mixed with a drink, and it does exactly what its name implies." 

Ken smiled at her and gave her a sweet-looking pill. It had the color of honey and looked anything but poisonous.

He saw Annie's intrigued gaze as she scrutinized the pill carefully. She even smelled it to see if it was truly odorless.

"It can kill people at the fifth stage easily, and even sixth-stage cultivators will become paralyzed for a few hours after taking it. You can mix it with a kettle of tea, and it will still be potent enough."

She instantly put it away from her face and pouted at the late warning. She was only at the third stage, she didn't know what would happen to her if she sniffed a pill that could kill fifth-stage cultivators.

"Relax, it's only harmful when consumed."

Of course, it wasn't really his first fifth-grade pill. He only told her that lie to give it sentimental value and make her appreciate it more. 

"I will gladly accept that then."

She smiled happily and placed the pill back in its bottle and stored it in her ring. Her hand touched Ken's and she felt herself getting nervous. Ken was getting taller over time, and he wasn't much behind her anymore. 

She could see he will be taller than her when he grows up. His piercing red eyes had a unique kind of charm in them; they gave one a feeling of incoming danger. Coupled with his beautiful face, it was a danger that girls just wanted to jump into, headfirst.

They looked into each other's eyes from close, neither was willing to look away. The tension was almost tangible. Their faces were nearly touching, and they became self-aware of the touch of their shoulders.

Suddenly, Ken grabbed her chin and pulled her into a deep kiss on her lips. It was the first kiss for both, and it was a little awkward at first. However, they soon gained confidence and started eating each other's lips like starving beasts.

They eventually separated their lips and held hands while leaning against each other.

"I don't want to lose you because of Krone and Norman. You're too important to me."

Ken said with a sad voice. He squeezed her palm, and she respond with a squeeze of her own.

Annie was filled with murderous thoughts during the past year. Every day became unbearable as she felt like she had to kill the people around her. Her only time of peace was by Ken's side. 

The bloodlust affecting her was made by his Qi, thus she didn't feel any bloodlust toward him. Only when the two of them were together without any outsiders she could feel good again.

She felt a hot sensation in her lower stomach as she felt Ken's presence so close to her, and she looked at him with a strong desire. 

'What am I thinking? I must not forget he is only 7 years old.'

She felt ashamed of her lust. Ken wasn't at an appropriate age for such things, and it made her very happy he took the initiative to kiss her. However, she decided not to go further until he was older.

"Our session is over, we must go."

Ken sighed with clear disappointment and got up. Annie could only suppress her unwillingness and let him go. She would just have to somehow survive until they see each other again.

Ken barely hid his smile as he left the training ground, thinking about Annie's madness taking over soon. After a year of being constantly affected by his pills, her thirst for blood grew significantly. 

She even confessed to him she murdered a few outer disciples in secret to satiate this strong lust for murder. She felt like she was going crazy, but he made sure to comfort her and explain it was because she was under a lot of pressure from her family.

Now, he expressed how he was worried about leaving her side because of Norman and Krone, adding another layer of hatred in her heart. Most importantly, he finally supplied her with the means to solve this problem.

Krone and Norman were both at the sixth stage, but he wasn't sure what their exact stage was. He was sure that his pills would kill someone at the lower phase despite being just a fifth-grade pill.

He could fight against people beyond his stage, so of course his alchemy could also affect people beyond his stage. If their foundation was as firm as his they would be able to resist those pills, but it wasn't.

'With a bit of luck, this should have been our last sparring session. I must admit, kisses do feel nice, although it's weird that my first kiss was with my cousin. Oh well, whatever.'

He put his fingers on his lips where Annie's lips were a few minutes ago with a contemplative expression. When he thought about Annie's fate and how he used her, he felt a tinge of guilt in his heart.

'That's what I should've done. If she didn't benefit from me, she'd just ignore my existence anyway.'

He resolved himself and walked away with his two bodyguards behind him. Those two waited for him outside the training grounds and only reported to Norman what he wanted them to report.

When he first went out on a mission with those two by his side, they had a little chat and came to an understanding; they will do whatever he said, and he will give them an antidote for the poison he forced them to eat every month.

------

Back to the present:

ƥαṇdαs ηθνε| Ken was in his study room when Soleil gave him the news he was expecting. The day he has been planning ever since he laid his eyes on Annie had finally come.

"Haha, Norman and Krone! Just a year and a half ago you were so overbearing, yet now you're both dead!"

He laughed merrily with schadenfreude at their death. Annie finally failed to contain her anger issues and poisoned the two of them when they had tea together. 

She made sure to serve the tea herself as Krone, Norman, and her father sat around the table and had lunch together.

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According to Soleil, she poisoned the three by placing an extremely potent poison in the tea, making the three of them unable to move. She then unsheathed her sword and plunged it into their hearts one by one, until they were all dead.

Annie was now imprisoned by the clan; the death of two members in the sixth stage was a big loss to the clan. They only made it so far in their cultivation because their father was the patriarch and he made sure to give them a lot of resources.

The only variable he couldn't control was whether she will tell the clan how she got the poison or not. Even that wasn't too bad, as his main enemies were dead. It wouldn't be too dangerous if the clan found out his talent in alchemy.

Given how infatuated with him Annie was, he believed she will make up a reasonable story instead of giving the truth. He just hoped the family wouldn't use truth drug on her if they believed her statements.

The good news didn't end there. He also heard from Nick news about skirmishes between the disciples of the top 5 sects. There were already some deaths of descendants of elite clans in 4 of those sects. 

The pills he sold them were much less potent than the ones he gave Annie. If the whole clan went crazy, they would understand something was wrong with his pills.

Instead, he put only a very small amount of Bloodlust Qi in their pills. It would be just enough to push them to kill when they were already angry, but not enough to make them unable to sleep at night because of murderous madness.

He believed that now the revenge cycles will only get worse even without his pills, not that he planned to stop making them.

'Soon, chaos will ensue. In the chaos, everyone turns free, and resources are brought out generously.'

Ken smiled to himself as he thought about the future. During wars, people bend rules much more easily, and as a result, Ken's chances to get access to additional knowledge will increase. 

Volume 2 - The Phoenix Feather Sect - The End.

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