Zhang Heng Regrets

Chen Dongpeng, upon hearing this, didn't feel scared. Instead, he became even more excited.

Rubbing his hands, he said, "We had an agreement. You're the ones kicking me out, not me breaking my word. I'm not returning anything that young Zhang Yu gave me."

Zhang Heng was stunned, then became even more disdainful.

What good things could Zhang Yu give this old retainer? It must be some worthless trinkets, yet the old man treasures them.

He coldly snorted, "Who cares about your junk? Get lost."

"Right away!"

Chen Dongpeng responded with a cheerful "yes," as if he had received a special pardon. He patted his backside and prepared to leave, looking less like someone being fired and more like someone finally getting a vacation.

However, after taking just two steps, he seemed to remember something.

He fumbled around in his embrace for a long time and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment, tossing it casually to Zhang Heng.

"Here, this is for you."

Chen Dongpeng let out a burp from drinking and pointed at the paper, saying, "As per young Zhang Yu's instructions, I've upgraded the Earth Fire Formation in the Dingsheng Workshop's Alchemy Zone, as well as the auxiliary runes inscribed on the Alchemy Furnaces for gathering fire, controlling temperature, and stabilizing medicinal properties. This is the Formation Master Diagram.

It details the formation nodes, rune connections, and Earth Fire flow.

Remember to find a reliable Formation Master and have them perform regular maintenance and careful control according to the markings on this diagram.

Otherwise... hehe, don't blame this old man for not warning you."

He seemed to have some affection for the formations he had personally upgraded. Before leaving, he "kindly" instructed Zhang Heng.

After speaking, he didn't bother with Zhang Heng's reaction. He grabbed his wine gourd, hummed an even more nonsensical tune, and staggered away.

"Upgraded?

What upgrade?

What Formation Master Diagram?"

Zhang Heng held the dirty, crumpled parchment, his brows furrowed.

He wasn't a completely useless dandy. As a Fifth-rank martial artist, he had a rudimentary understanding of formations and runes.

Upon hearing that the "Earth Fire Formation" and "Alchemy Furnace Inscriptions" had been "upgraded," his heart sank. A sense of inexplicable unease washed over him.

He instinctively felt that things might not be as simple as he thought.

He quickly unfolded the parchment.

The lines on the paper were dense and crooked, interspersed with many symbols and scribbled annotations he couldn't understand. The ink varied in age, clearly not a recent work.

Although the paper was dirty, upon closer inspection, one could see that the lines outlined the general layout of the Dingsheng Workshop's Alchemy Zone, as well as the distribution of Earth Fire pipelines and formation nodes.

Many areas had been modified with a different colored ink, adding more complex patterns.

Zhang Heng's scalp began to tingle.

"Shopkeeper Qian!"

Zhang Heng looked up sharply at Shopkeeper Qian, who stood beside him with an equally bewildered and uneasy expression, and asked urgently, "Besides tending the fires and repairing furnaces, what else does this Chen Dongpeng usually do? Does he understand formations?"

Shopkeeper Qian wiped his sweat and stammered, "R-replying to Fifth Young Master, Old Chen... he often likes to linger around those formation nodes and Alchemy Furnaces.

He sometimes takes charcoal pencils and draws... We thought he was just bored or noting down repairs... As for understanding formations... I truly don't know.

He never said anything, nor did I ever see him formally work with formations... However, sometimes the Earth Fire would be unstable, or the Alchemy Furnaces would have minor issues, and after he tinkered with them, they would often be fixed...

Everyone thought it was his experience and skill..."

Experienced?

Skilled?

Zhang Heng's heart sank bit by bit.

Looking at the "Master Upgrade Diagram" in his hand, which made his eyes spin, and combining it with Shopkeeper Qian's words, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

This person, whom he had intended to use as an example to "kill the chicken to scare the monkeys," was likely a hidden Formation Master.

Furthermore, under Zhang Yu's direction, he had quietly "upgraded" and modified the Earth Fire Formation and Alchemy Furnace runes in the Dingsheng Workshop's Alchemy Zone over the years.

The high alchemy efficiency, stable pill quality, and exceptionally steady Earth Fire of Dingsheng Workshop... were likely the results of this old man's secret "upgrades" and maintenance?

And he, Zhang Heng, on his first day in charge, had driven away this formation master who was possibly Dingsheng Workshop's hidden "pillar of strength"?

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Cold sweat began to bead on Zhang Heng's forehead.

He suddenly remembered Chen Dongpeng's excited expression before he left, and how he mentioned something Zhang Yu had given him.

Zhang Yu must have known this old man's capabilities. By giving him gifts, he was likely trying to keep him.

And he himself had dismantled Zhang Yu's "contingency plan" with his own hands?

"Quick, quickly go and bring Chen Dongpeng back.

Just say... just say that this young master spoke in anger just now and misunderstood him."

"Please make sure he stays. Double his wages."

Zhang Heng urgently yelled at a follower beside him.

"Yes, young master." The follower also realized something was wrong and quickly turned to chase in the direction Chen Dongpeng had left.

However, in just a moment, the follower ran back, panting, his face grim:

"Young... young master, he... he's gone.

That old man Chen went out the door, turned into the alley next to it, and vanished.

I asked people on several nearby streets, but no one saw him."