“Elder Yin, the probability of furnace explosions is a bit too high.”
Pei Changjing had lost his earlier drowsiness, watching the frustrated young alchemists.
“If it were one or two, you could say it’s due to lack of skill, but three or five in a row exploding? In all my years, this is the first time I’ve seen this.”
Yin Zheng set down the teacup in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
The two of them almost simultaneously turned their gazes to Elder Sun.
Elder Sun, though he hadn’t opened his eyes, seemed to sense the weight of those two gazes and slowly opened his eyelids.
“If both alchemists find it suspicious, then perhaps this Alchemy Assembly should be paused first. I will immediately order the disciples of the Enforcement Hall to enter and investigate thoroughly. If someone is indeed causing trouble in secret…”
“Hey, don’t.”
Pei Changjing raised his hand to interrupt him, unable to suppress a mischievous grin.
“Elder Sun, think about it. This Alchemy Grand Assembly is held only once every hundred years. What’s it for? Isn’t it to sift through the sand and find gold, to filter out those seedlings who can truly withstand hardship? If someone is causing trouble, of course we need to investigate, but if we make all the contestants stop and wait for a result, that would instead play into the villain’s hands.”
He extended his hand to point at the contestants who were still focused on alchemy in the arena.
“Look at those children. Their spiritual flames were tampered with, yet they gritted their teeth and held on. Those who can complete the pill in adversity are the true quality material. As for those who shatter at the slightest touch…”
He smiled, not finishing the sentence, but the meaning was already clear.
Yin Zheng did not take his lead and turned to Elder Sun.
“Elder Pei’s words are not without reason. Indeed, the Assembly should not be interrupted rashly. However, Elder Sun, the nature of this matter is extremely vile. The Alchemy Grand Assembly is a centuries-old tradition of the Cangwu Realm. Various sects send their best seedlings here for the sake of fairness. If someone uses such underhanded methods in plain sight, that is slapping the faces of all sects and the Dan Sect.”
In his usually gentle gaze, a layer of coldness emerged.
“Once we drag out the rats hiding in the shadows, no matter who they are, please do not show any mercy.”
Elder Sun slowly nodded.
“Alchemist Yin, rest assured. Although the Enforcement Hall is small, it is not to be trifled with. No matter who dares to stir up trouble on the territory of Yunze Market, I will make sure they know what rules mean.”
“Good.”
Pei Changjing reached out to pick up his teacup and raised it to the two as a toast.
“Then it’s settled. Elder Sun’s people should investigate as needed. The few of us old fellows will just sit here on the judges’ seat and watch carefully, to see which deity dares to stir waves right under our noses.”
The three exchanged glances and each took a sip of tea.
***
Lai Li’an found Ruan Se at the end of the corridor outside the venue.
The girl was sitting alone on the stone steps, her back against a pillar, her face pale.
Hearing footsteps, Ruan Se opened her eyes.
After seeing who it was, she quickly stood up and clasped her hands in a salute, about to bow.
“Alright, alright, sit down.”
Lai Li’an raised his hand and pressed downward.
“Your spiritual power is nearly depleted, and you still care about these formalities?”
Ruan Se did not decline.
She sat back down against the pillar.
Her spirits were actually quite good, and there was even a glint in her eyes.
“Do you know that your move just now left those old fellows on the judges’ seat dumbfounded?”
Lai Li’an crouched down beside her, speaking casually.
“Senior flatters me. It was just applying something I just learned, and by luck I didn’t embarrass Senior. If Senior had refined it, even the worst-quality Cold Marrow Herb would have been refined into the best quality.”
Lai Li’an coughed.
‘What refining? Like hell I could.’
But on the surface, he remained calm and nodded.
“Alright, stop being modest. In your current state, can you still handle the next competition?”
Upon hearing this, Ruan Se was slightly taken aback.
“There’s none today.”
She looked up at Lai Li’an.
“All rounds today are over. We only wait for tomorrow’s final competition, Senior…”
She tilted her head slightly, a rare hint of teasing surfacing in her eyes.
“As a judge, don’t you even know the competition format?”
Lai Li’an’s expression stiffened for a moment.
Why would he care about that?
He was only here to reap benefits.
“Venerable Self…”
He tried to come up with some excuse like “Venerable Self is busy with a myriad of affairs and scorns to remember such trivial matters,” but before he could speak, a very soft laugh suddenly came from the other side.
Ruan Se laughed.
Her face veil was slightly lifted by the soft laugh, and her eyes curved into two shallow crescent moons.
But the laugh lasted only a moment.
Ruan Se immediately pressed her lips back down and resumed her usual cool expression.
Lai Li’an saw it clearly.
‘This girl is quite pretty when she smiles.’
But he didn’t dare say it out loud.
The lesson from last time in the alchemy room when he said “How are you so beautiful” was still fresh in his mind.
Ruan Se straightened her expression, sat up properly, and gave Lai Li’an a solemn bow.
“Senior, regarding today’s matter, this junior must thank you. If not for Senior demonstrating the method of ‘Using Medicine to Control Medicine’ for this junior a month ago using the refining method of the Changchun Life-Prolonging Pill, this junior would never have been able to stabilize that furnace of Cold Dew Pills when my spiritual power was exhausted. Senior’s instruction, this junior will keep in heart.”
Lai Li’an was rendered somewhat speechless by her earnest thanks.
His earlier intention to regain some face also vanished.
He was silent for a moment.
“Venerable Self merely demonstrated casually. Being able to comprehend it is your own ability. That technique—even if someone else watched it ten times, they might not be able to apply it immediately. You dared to use it on the spot and succeeded. I’ll accept half of this thanks. The other half is earned by yourself.”
Ruan Se lowered her eyelashes and did not say anything more.
She supported herself on the pillar and stood up, patted the dust off her skirt, then took a small bone whistle from her waist and blew it once.
A crisp cry came from afar.
A white crane flapped its wings and rose, tracing a snow-white arc in the air before landing in front of Ruan Se.
“Senior, this junior takes her leave.”
Ruan Se leaped onto the crane’s back.
Her green skirt was gently lifted by the wind.
She turned her head to glance at Lai Li’an.
“In tomorrow’s final, this junior will not disappoint Senior.”
The white crane flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
The smile on Lai Li’an’s lips slowly faded, replaced by an expression of utter despair.
“Flew away again.”
In other words, he had to walk back again.
That ridiculously long staircase—he would have to go through all of it once more.
Tomorrow he would have to climb back again…
“Could I just sleep here today?”
He looked around at the hard stone bricks.
He suspected that if he really lay down here for the night, he would immediately be dragged out by the Enforcement Hall disciples as a beggar.
“Sigh.”
Lai Li’an looked up at the sky and let out a helpless sigh.
“At my age, I still have to get bullied.”
When he said this, he completely forgot that he wasn’t actually that old.
But no one heard, so he could say whatever he wanted.
‘Wait, I still have Meng Qiuran. I must have him find me a place to stay.’
Lai Li’an was about to set off with a joyful heart when his peripheral vision caught someone in a distant corner.
That person sat alone on the ground, in front of them a rusty, battered bronze furnace.
The embers inside had not yet died, casting flickering light on their face.