An Unexpected Surprise: A Gift from Yan Li

"Why are you standing at the door? Come in."

Ning Su entered the room first, while Qing Lin lingered hesitantly at the doorway.

In the end, she gathered her courage and walked in.

Only when she saw the two beds in the room did she finally relax.

"We traveled quite far today. Get some rest early."

After putting his things away, Ning Su went to the window and looked out at the night, pondering what to do next.

His goal was one of the Champion rewards of the Alchemist Competition—the formula for the Spirit Fusion Pill.

There were only two ways to obtain the formula.

The first was to become the Champion of the Alchemist Competition. But Ning Su was not an alchemist and did not even qualify to enter, let alone take the Champion title.

The second was to seize it by force—if Ning Su could defeat Jia Xing Tian, Yun Yun, Fa Ma, and the other experts of the Jia Ma Empire's great clans all at once, he could take the Spirit Fusion Pill formula.

Of course, if he had that kind of ability, there would be no need to wait around here. He could simply take it by force right now.

Unfortunately, Ning Su was not that capable.

He still had to think of another way.

"Young Master, would you like to take a bath? I'll ask someone to bring hot water upstairs," Qing Lin asked from the side.

She was still accustomed to taking care of others.

During the journey, Ning Su had told her several times that she was no longer a maid and did not need to look after anyone anymore.

But Qing Lin simply could not change the habit.

As she put it, if she could not take care of others, then she was useless.

She did not want to be a useless person.

Ning Su could not argue with her, so he could only let her have her way.

"Fine. Have someone bring up hot water."

"Alright."

Qing Lin left the room and went downstairs.

"If I can't win the Champion title fairly, and I can't seize it openly either, then I'll see whether I can take it in secret."

Ning Su considered several methods, but none of them satisfied him.

Just then, a burst of commotion suddenly came from outside.

Qing Lin had just returned after finding an inn attendant. As she passed a room nearby, a young man blocked her path.

"Little sister, why are you here all alone? Want to come in and have a heart-to-heart with your big brother?"

"I don't know you," Qing Lin said, frowning slightly, though she did not dare raise her voice too much.

"That's fine. We'll get to know each other after we talk."

As he spoke, the young man reached out to grab Qing Lin.

But another hand seized his wrist in an iron grip.

"Where did this rogue come from, causing trouble here?"

"Pain, pain, pain..." The young man hurriedly begged for mercy.

"Get lost!"

Ning Su flung the young man aside and pulled Qing Lin back into the room.

He had not expected there to be such hooligans even in the Gama Holy Capital.

"Are you alright? Did he scare you?" Ning Su asked, releasing her.

Qing Lin shook her head. "No."

"Once we finish what we came here to do, I'll teach you how to cultivate when we get back."

"If you encounter someone like that again, you can just kick him," Ning Su said.

"Mm. Thank you, Young Master."

Qing Lin held the wrist Ning Su had grabbed earlier, warmth filling her heart.

So this was what it felt like to be cared for and protected.

In the room next door.

"You little brat! Why couldn't you stay in your room? Why did you have to go looking for trouble?!"

A middle-aged man viciously kicked the young man.

That young man was the one who had harassed Qing Lin earlier.

"Teacher, I didn't mean to. It was just that the little girl was so cute and pretty, and I couldn't hold myself back..."

"Other men like women with slender figures, mature and voluptuous women, or petite and exquisite women. Yet you just have to like little girls like that!" The middle-aged man ground his teeth in anger.

"Everyone has different tastes," the young man muttered softly.

"I don't care what you do in the Chuyun Empire, but this is the Jia Ma Empire. Don't forget our mission," the middle-aged man said in a lowered voice.

The young man lowered his head. "I know. We're just here to sabotage the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Competition and make them lose face."

The two of them were not from the Jia Ma Empire, but from the Chuyun Empire!

That middle-aged man was Yan Li, the vice president of the Chuyun Empire Alchemist Guild!

The young man beside him was his disciple, Tao Lian.

Yan Li's purpose in coming here was simple: disguise himself, enter the Alchemist Competition, and use his alchemy skills to claim the Champion title.

Then he would reveal his identity and let countless people witness the Champion of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Competition falling into the hands of someone from the Chuyun Empire.

That would utterly disgrace the Jia Ma Empire!

Originally, Yan Li had intended to come alone.

But the situation in the Jia Ma Empire had recently become turbulent, and its defenses were strict, so he had decided to bring his disciple with him.

Moreover, his disciple was considered an alchemy prodigy even in the Chuyun Empire.

Tao Lian was only twenty years old, yet he was already a Third-Rank Peak Alchemist.

Given time, he would surely become a Fourth-Rank Alchemist!

Wouldn't it be even better if the master and disciple could take first and second place at the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Competition?

Yet Tao Lian had just gone out to flirt with a little girl and nearly ruined everything.

"Behave yourselves these next few days. If our identities are exposed, our plan will fail!" Yan Li said sternly.

"And if the plan succeeds, my prestige in the Chuyun Empire's alchemy world will soar, and the president's position will be mine."

"When that time comes, the two of us will be able to live a carefree life!"

Tao Lian was drawn in by his grand promises. "Alright! I'll definitely help Teacher win the Champion title!"

The master and disciple were brimming with excitement.

Yet they had no idea that someone else had appeared in the room.

"So you two had a plan like this. What a juicy piece of gossip."

The sudden voice made both of them quickly turn around.

A young man had appeared soundlessly in the corner.

"It's you?!"

Tao Lian recognized Ning Su at once.

"You harassed that girl earlier. Did you really think I would just let it go?" Ning Su looked at him with a half-smile.

"You people from the Chuyun Empire have some nerve, trying to pull off something like this."

Ning Su had only overheard them by accident.

He had originally come to settle the score with Tao Lian—he had not wanted to seem too vicious in front of Qing Lin earlier.

He had not expected to overhear their conversation as well.

Yan Li's expression changed instantly.

"Kill him!"

Ning Su knew their identities. He absolutely could not be allowed to live!

The two attacked at the same time, one from each side, as fast as lightning.

But Ning Su's upper body suddenly transformed into a massive snake head, which opened its jaws and swallowed Yan Li whole.

Tao Lian collapsed to the ground in terror.

Then Ning Su swallowed him as well, reuniting master and disciple.

Successfully devoured two Poison Masters. Venom Toxicity +10%, Poison Resistance +20%!

Ding! Successfully devoured a Third-Rank Alchemist. Alchemy skill advanced to the third rank!

Ding! Successfully devoured a Fourth-Rank Peak Alchemist. Alchemy skill advanced to the fourth-rank peak!

Ning Su was startled.

There was an unexpected surprise too!