Jie Jie Jie!

The guard hurriedly stopped and stepped aside to bow and make way for the young man approaching him.

"Greetings, Young Master."

Chen Guan gave a slight nod and walked past him through the wide-open central gate, looking distracted.

Yet even after he had reached the corner and was about to disappear from sight, the guard made no other move and continued pacing back and forth.

Could I have guessed wrong? Chen Guan could not help but doubt himself. Thinking it over, the chances of him being an assassin sent by the Chu Yun Empire really were not high.

Before today, Chen Guan had never entered the public eye. Even within the Imperial Palace, not everyone knew him.

It was not as though they could have learned that he had killed the Ninth Prince and already placed an assassin here. If the Chu Yun Empire had that kind of capability, they would have unified the Northwest Region long ago.

"What are you doing here?"

Since he could not figure it out, Chen Guan simply returned and asked directly.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across the guard's face. Looking utterly confused, he replied, "In reply to Young Master, Her Highness the Princess punished this subordinate to stay here."

"Yaoyue? Why did she punish you?"

What kind of bizarre punishment was this?

"It was indeed the Little Princess. A quarter of an hour ago, after the First Princess's Coming-of-Age Ceremony ended, the Little Princess returned in a fury after someone seemed to have offended her. This subordinate was guarding the gate at the time and stepped forward to pay respects. The Little Princess was displeased that I stepped out with my left foot first, so she punished me to walk back and forth two hundred times in front of the First Princess's residence."

Chen Guan: ...All right, it really was a misunderstanding. That little girl was a crafty little devil.

"I understand. Where is she now?"

The guard looked troubled.

"Just tell me. I guarantee she will not hold it against you."

"Her Highness the Princess said I absolutely, absolutely must not tell Young Master that she went to the Alchemist Guild, much less tell Young Master that she likes gifts."

"..." Chen Guan was speechless.

"Fine, I get it. Go back. Stop wandering around here."

After responding, Chen Guan changed direction and headed out of the palace.

The guard struggled with himself for quite a while, but he still did not dare truly listen to him. He obediently continued carrying out the Little Princess's punishment. He had guarded the gates for seven years already and still hoped to be promoted someday. He could not leave a bad impression in the Little Princess's mind just because he slacked off.

The Holy City and the Imperial Palace were like two separate worlds, divided by a single wall.

Knowing that today was First Princess Yaoye's Coming-of-Age Ceremony, the hottest topic on the streets was who had been seen attending it, as people eagerly listed one Important Figure after another.

"This morning, I saw Sect Master Yun Yun of the Misty Cloud Sect arrive in person with the Great Elder. Sect Master Yun's bearing was far superior to that Black-faced Expert I saw before. She was so graceful and noble, like a goddess descended into the world. The imperial family really Have Face this time."

"What Black-faced Expert? That was Old Master Nalan. Speaking of which, it has been a long time since Old Master Nalan was seen. Even for the First Princess's Coming-of-Age Ceremony today, it was Nalan Su, the Nalan Family's patriarch, who attended."

"The Mite'er Family's patriarch attended in person as well."

"I heard people from other empires came to attend too."

The onlookers enthusiastically shared their Rumors. Lively and noisy—such was the Holy City's eternal tone.

The young man passed through the crowd without chiming in or commenting. Even when he heard people boasting, he did not call them out.

The Alchemist Guild was located on the southern side of the Holy City. It did not occupy much land and was far smaller than the Three Great Clans, while its buildings were relatively modest as well.

However, the bearing of those coming and going was the complete opposite. Most held their heads high and puffed out their chests, as if they wished they could wear the badges on their chests atop their heads. Their chins were raised higher than anyone else's, and the pride on their faces was impossible to hide.

Because they were Alchemists! There was no need to elaborate on an Alchemist's status. Their exalted, almost distorted identity gave them immense confidence.

To be honest, they really looked like they needed a beating.

Many people mocked them inwardly, but not a single person truly dared to act on it.

As the guild that gathered most of the empire's Alchemists, it was absolutely a colossal force. Let alone the Three Great Clans, even the imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect were unwilling to offend them lightly.

This was Chen Guan's first time here. He could only say that their arrogance lived up to its reputation—if anything, it surpassed it. Even the guards at the entrance seemed infected by the same habit, carrying a hint of superiority when facing visitors who were not Alchemists.

Chen Guan had no interest in enduring their expressions. He took out a xun and blew a few notes. In less than Half a Minute, a half-grown little girl came running downstairs with a delighted expression. Upon seeing the young man, however, she swiftly reined in her emotions and tried her best to look indifferent.

"Chu Yuxun, what are you doing here?"

"How many times have I told you not to call me Chu Yuxun?" Chen Guan's face darkened as he put on a look of despair.

Ever since their first meeting years ago, this little girl had called him that every time. Even after learning his real name and his relationship with Yaoye, she had not restrained herself in the slightest. Instead, she called him that even more gleefully.

Seeing Chen Guan at a disadvantage, Yaoyue smugly lifted the corners of her lips, and much of the resentment in her heart dissipated.

She thought she had won back a round, unaware that Chen Guan had already taken in her every reaction. He was merely playing along with her act while pretending not to notice.

Just a little brat. Easy to handle!

"Is your teacher here? I'd like to pay him a visit."

"You came here specifically to visit my teacher?"

"Of course not. I mainly came to see you, and visiting him is just incidental." Seeing the little girl about to glare at him, Chen Guan casually blurted it out.

Only then was Yaoyue satisfied. With her hands clasped behind her back, she bounced ahead to lead the way.

"Seeing how sincere you are, this princess will reluctantly introduce you. It definitely isn't for some gift."

Chen Guan followed with a smile. "You do not need to keep stressing it. You will get your gift. I'll give it to you once you finish your lessons."

With Yaoyue leading the way, they naturally encountered no obstacles.

Even when they went up to the second floor, the several Alchemists who looked like managers merely gave Chen Guan an extra glance and did not stop him. It was clear that this little girl held a very special status within the Alchemist Guild.

The imperial family's Little Princess and President Fama's disciple—within the Jia Ma Empire, there were very few who could compare to her.

"Teacher, his name is Chu Chen Guan. He's my sister's good friend. He came to pick me up and also to visit you."

After entering an Alchemy Room together, Yaoyue became much more obedient and took the initiative to introduce him.

That's right, he's my sister's good friend, not mine. I still haven't forgiven him.

Furthermore, she did not acknowledge Chen Guan and Yaoye's sibling relationship either. If she did, would that not mean she had to start calling him big brother? Compared to that, she was more accustomed to calling him Chu Yuxun and keeping her relationship with her sister separate.

"Chen Guan greets President Fama."

"Mm. We met earlier at the Imperial Palace. You gave all of us Old Fellows quite a surprise. You're an excellent young man. Sit over there for now. Once I finish today's lesson with Yue'er, we can have a proper talk."

Fama praised him sincerely. What he planned to teach today was not particularly profound, so he allowed Chen Guan to listen in.

"It would be an honor."

Within the dim Alchemy Room, the elder patiently taught the girl the Way of Alchemy. A handsome young man sat nearby listening attentively, and the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

At the Same Time, two people were conversing within a dim secret chamber on the Back Mountain of the Misty Cloud Sect.

However, the sound drifting out did not seem like something a Carbon-based Lifeform should make.

"Jie Jie Jie!"