Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time

By the end of the month, over a dozen disciples were coming to Han Yu regularly, and others dropped in and out depending on the assignment load. Some even paid extra just to have one-on-one help, and Han Yu charged them accordingly.

From tutoring alone, he made over 40,000 merit points in the span of a month.

Even more impressive was his pill refinement record.

Thanks to the regular free room rental and his efficient schedule, Han Yu continued refining Flesh Mending Spirit Pills and other mid-tier healing and recovery formulas.

While he didn't venture into higher-grade pills just yet, his efficiency and success rate steadily rose. Even when experimenting with slight modifications in flame control or sequencing to improve the purity of the pills, he rarely failed.

The result?

Over 78,000 merit points in profit from pill refinement—after deducting costs.

Together with the merit points he had saved before, Han Yu now had over 160,000 merit points in his token.

It was the first time since coming to the Twin Leaf Peak Sect that he felt truly rich.

The kind of rich that made him sigh in relief when passing the robe stall at the exchange pavilion. No longer would he have to think twice about replacing his singed sleeves. No longer did he have to ration herbs or risk low-quality ingredients.

He could afford to experiment now. He could invest in better tools. He could even—if he wanted—rent out an intermediate refinement room without blinking.

Han Yu finally understood why alchemy was considered one of the most lucrative and respected fields in the cultivation world.

Not just because of the pills themselves, but because an alchemist's knowledge was a commodity.

People paid for pills. They paid for lectures. They paid for advice.

And sometimes… they paid a lot.

Of course, not everything was about profit. His reputation had blossomed too.

Where once he had entered the Alchemy Peak as a nobody, now Han Yu was one of the more well-known faces in the outer court. His lectures, while informal, were often spoken of with respect. The disciples who studied under him had begun calling him "Instructor Han" jokingly, but the name had stuck.

Unlike many of the other tutors—some of whom were senior alchemists or prideful inner court disciples—Han Yu didn't scowl when approached.

He didn't act as if a question was an insult. He didn't refuse to repeat explanations just because he'd said it once already. His manner was approachable, his tone confident but friendly.

And perhaps more importantly… he didn't mock failure.

"You messed up the sequencing? Don't worry, I've blown up a cauldron that way before," he once told a disciple. "At least you didn't accidentally turn your pill into a poisonous gas bomb. Baby steps."

That kind of candid honesty made him endearing. More than once, a student left one of his tutoring sessions with not just better grades but a genuine smile. Plus Han Yu gained more Eight Emotions Energy too, steadily progressing his Soul Cultivation at the same time.

This way even if he was not actively cultivating it and was busy with Alchemy, he would not lag behind. As for his Qi cultivation, he did not worry as he was still very young and already at the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

All the work he had done would eventually help him out, especially with his growing reputation. For example when it would be his time to reach the Core Condensation realm, he was sure an elder or two might just issue him a Core Forming Pill for free due to his record.

Even those who hadn't paid for his help still respected him. After all, he was the only one in the class who could consistently go toe-to-toe with Instructor Gai Qing's lectures and not fall asleep. That alone was legendary.

Despite all of this attention and wealth, Han Yu hadn't grown arrogant.

If anything, the constant stimulation of teaching and refining had sharpened him further. His theoretical foundations were stronger than ever, his memorization speed had increased, and his flame control was steadily improving thanks to regular practice in better environments.

There were still things he couldn't do. He knew that. He still hadn't refined his own Alchemist's Spirit Flame, for example, and that continued to bother him like a toothache in the back of his mind. Since he didn't have fire elemental affinity it would be harder for him, but he didn't mind. He was taking steady steps. He would get there.

And there was another benefit to his popularity: information.

As the days passed, he began learning more about the inner workings of the Alchemy Peak. Some of his tutoring clients were connected disciples—sons or daughters of minor clan members or close aides to elders. Others had relatives in the inner court and knew the flow of gossip.

Through them, Han Yu learned things.

Which elders were looking for promising apprentices. Which peaks were planning to host contests or commissions. Who had access to restricted herbs. Where the best places to rent discounted tools were. All of it filtered to him naturally, like water through stone.

'Information,' Han Yu thought more than once, 'is another form of wealth.'

And he was absorbing it well.

One afternoon, after completing a tutoring session and finishing a batch of particularly pure pills, Han Yu leaned back on the bench outside the alchemy library. The sun was setting beyond the peak, casting golden light over the pill pagodas and courtyards.

He took a bite from a cold meat bun, chewing slowly.

"160,000 merit points… respect, reputation, connections… not bad for one month," he murmured to himself. "Not bad at all."

A few disciples nearby turned when they heard his voice and bowed respectfully. "Instructor Han."

Han Yu waved at them casually. "Go on. Remember what I told you about Bloodroot's yang amplification, alright?"

"Yes, Instructor!"

They left.

And Han Yu sat back with a smirk.

"Now… what do I invest in next?"