Guest Elder

As he slowly pushed open the door to the examination room, a burst of hearty laughter startled Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian, who had been chatting idly. Their little faces immediately broke into delighted smiles.

"Brother Lin Feng!"

Naturally mischievous, Qing Lin was the first to pounce toward Lin Feng. After catching her and spinning her around once, Lin Feng held her in his arms, then reached out and took Xiao Yi Xian's hand.

"Brother Lin Feng, did you succeed?" The little figure in Lin Feng's arms raised her head and looked expectantly at Qing Lin.

Seeing this, Lin Feng's eyes shifted, and disappointment swiftly appeared on his face. "Qing Lin, I'm sorry. Brother failed."

"It's okay, it's okay." Qing Lin quickly climbed out of Lin Feng's arms, grasped his large hand, and hurriedly comforted him.

"Brother Lin Feng, don't lose heart. Even if you failed, there'll still be another chance next time. You have to believe in yourself." Xiao Yi Xian also hurriedly consoled him from the side.

Looking at the two anxious girls, a trace of guilt flashed across Lin Feng's face. "Qing Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, sorry. I tricked you."

Then, he produced a badge engraved with "Fourth-grade Alchemist" in his palm and handed it to the two girls. He promptly raised both hands, closed his eyes slightly, and assumed a pleading posture.

The anticipated Heavenly Rank Dou Technique: Kidney Grabbing Art never came. Secretly puzzled, Lin Feng cautiously opened one eye.

Qing Lin's little face suddenly filled his vision. Seeing the smile all over her face and Xiao Yi Xian smiling sweetly beside her, he immediately understood.

"Thank you, Qing Lin, Xiao Yi Xian..." Lin Feng silently resolved to protect them well and never let them suffer harm, even if it cost him his life.

"Ahem." Looking at the three young people in the room, a trace of envy appeared in Fa Ma's eyes. He narrowed them slightly before speaking up to interrupt.

"Kid Lin Feng, now that you've become a Guest Elder of the guild, how about we arrange a grand celebration banquet so everyone can get to know you, this genius alchemist?"

After shooting the tactless old man a reproachful glance, Lin Feng refused, "Elder Fa, let's forget about the banquet. We can hold it after I become a Fifth-grade Alchemist."

"Oh, are you sure?" Fa Ma looked at Lin Feng with an inscrutable expression and said leisurely, "When alchemists hold advancement banquets, the guests usually bring generous gifts to make an impression, so they can ask for pills in the future."

After a pause, Fa Ma's expression became even stranger, as though he had never expected the Jia Ma Empire to produce such an extraordinary talent as Lin Feng.

"Don't underestimate your own worth. A Fourth-grade Alchemist as young as you has immeasurable potential. Those people will probably spend a great deal to curry favor with you!"

The moment he heard this, the faint impatience on Lin Feng's face vanished. His eyes narrowed, and his tone immediately became subtle.

"Oh! Then this junior was in the wrong. The Alchemist Guild has produced another Fourth-grade Alchemist and gained another Guest Elder. That amounts to a tremendous strengthening of the Empire's power and a huge contribution to the overall advancement of alchemists."

After a pause, Lin Feng said something shocking. "Hold it. We absolutely must hold it, and make it grand. Elder Fa, please invite every faction with a Dou Ling or above."

Fa Ma froze for a moment. Looking at Lin Feng, whose attitude had changed so drastically, he opened his mouth, unsure what to think.

In the end, he only said, "If that is the case, we'll need half a month to prepare."

After leaving behind a maid to arrange the accommodations for Lin Feng and the other two, Fa Ma departed swiftly. He truly did not want to remain there any longer.

In the center of the Imperial Capital, within a dark mansion, not a sound could be heard. The silence was so profound that it was terrifying.

Suddenly, an aged voice rang out, slightly hoarse, as though its owner had spent years in Secluded Cultivation without speaking to anyone.

"An Eighteen Years Old Fourth-grade Alchemist, personally acknowledged by Fa Ma as a Guest Elder of the Alchemist Guild?" The aged voice paused, seemingly shocked by the alchemist's talent.

"Oh? He has two female companions by his side? Have Ye'er bring several sets of precious medicinal ingredients to pay him a visit." The voice paused, seeming somewhat hesitant before continuing, "Have Yue'er go as well. Doesn't she enjoy alchemy? It would be good for young people to exchange pointers. Ye'er will understand what I mean." By the end, the voice seemed to have become cold and heartless.

"Yes." A figure emerged from the shadows. After dropping to one knee in acknowledgment, he cupped his hands in a bow, took a step back, and vanished.

Within a magnificent, resplendent palace of the Mittel Auction House, an elderly man sat at the head of the hall. His face was deeply aged, and he was none other than Mitter Tengshan.

Yet the hall below was exceptionally lively—or rather, exceptionally noisy.

"Since he's a genius alchemist, we should invest heavily and bind him firmly to the Mite'er Family. This old man refuses to believe that a mere young boy can escape the vortex of a great clan."

"You fool! At such a young age, he has already cultivated his alchemy to the fourth grade. Even if he were an idiot, could we possibly afford to provoke the alchemist behind him?"

"You two brainless fools. In this old man's opinion, since two female companions follow this youth, he must be a man of feeling. Why not send some beautiful women from the family to test him out?"

"What? You old ruffian, how dare you humiliate this old man so? Today, I'll suppress you in the latrine!"

"Come, come! Let's see who suppresses whom."

"..."

"Bang! Enough!" Mitter Tengshan slapped the table beside him and roared. "Stop arguing!"

Seeing the Grand Elder's anger, the quarreling crowd immediately fell silent. It seemed that Mitter Tengshan, Grand Elder in name but acting clan head in truth, still possessed considerable authority.

Rubbing his forehead with a headache, Mitter Tengshan looked at the crowd below, who were pretending to be ostriches, and felt deeply troubled.

He knew they all had the family's interests at heart, but every meeting always devolved into arguments, without a single reliable suggestion.

In the end, he still had to make the decision himself. He sighed inwardly. "When he was still here, his word was absolute. Am I really that much worse?"

At that very moment, in a city on the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Tagor Desert, an old man who was cutting apart a strange map suddenly sneezed.

"Stop arguing. This time, this old man will personally lead the delegation. Prepare several sets of ingredients for refining Fourth-grade pills from the treasury, along with several pill formulas that the Alchemist Guild does not possess. Give him what he likes."

After a pause, Mitter Tengshan continued, "Also, remember to notify Ya Fei. She will go with us as well. Young people will have more topics to talk about with one another."

As soon as these words were spoken, the many richly dressed middle-aged men present exchanged looks, but none objected.

"So, has the time finally come for me to sacrifice myself for the family?"

Within an elegant courtyard, a red-clothed woman's bright crimson nails pierced through her palm. Drop after drop of blood flowed out, yet she seemed completely unaware of the pain.

"Hehe, how could an Eighteen Years Old Fourth-grade Alchemist possibly take notice of a pretty vase with average talent like me?" After a pause, the woman's voice gradually turned cold. "Perhaps I would merely become his plaything."