The Generous Garon

Mr. Grong, sensitive to Lin Qi's subtle gaze, casually straightened his body, deliberately protruding his abdomen. With this veiled gesture, Mr. Grong was warning Lin Qi – what he suspected was not real, and the noble Lord Grong was still a virile man whose vigor had not diminished.

However, Mr. Grong's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the small crystal vial in Lin Qi's palm. He knew who the special guest professor Lin Qi served. Master AlchemistKe Cha, a master figure the Empire had recruited at great cost. Master Ke Cha's most famous deed was ten years ago, in a royal hunting ground in a certain Western continent country, when he saved a king, whose internal organs were severely damaged by a magical beast, with a life-reviving potion.

Ten years had passed, and the king, whose liver had been torn to shreds back then, was still alive and well, energetically managing the kingdom's affairs.

With such miraculous means, perhaps the small bottle of potion in Lin Qi's hand truly came from the miraculous Ke Cha? A magical potion extracted from mysterious herbs from the East? It sounded very tempting.

Rubbing his nose with the smooth, silver-inlaid head of his mountain vine cane, Mr. Grong let out a few noncommittal cold laughs: "Master Ke Cha is a respectable great figure, Lin Qi, you wouldn't damage the master's reputation with fake medicine, would you?"

Lin Qi looked at Mr. Grong in surprise. He shrugged and grinned strangely, "Did I say this potion was refined by Master Ke Cha?"

Grong let out a few noncommittal cold laughs and shook his head gently. He thought he had seen through Lin Qi's little trick; this potion must be from Master Ke Cha. With Lin Qi's connections and relationships in Berely City, what good medicine could he possibly get? The only place he could get medicine was Ke Cha's laboratory.

Lin Qi remained silent. He walked to Grong's side, took out a small piece of black bread from his sleeve, then opened the potion bottle, and dripped a drop of pale pink viscous liquid onto the bread. After the bread had fully absorbed the potion, Lin Qi whistled and tossed the black bread into the room, where it landed precisely in front of the golden dachshund snoozing by the fireplace.

The dachshund, over a foot long, slowly lifted its eyelids. It looked at the black bread in front of it, sniffed it carefully with its nose, hesitated for a moment, and then opened its mouth to swallow the black bread. Grong waved his cane dismissively. Black bread? His wife doted on this little dachshund, which usually ate oatmeal and white bread. When had it ever eaten such inferior food as black bread?

"A scoundrel student is indeed a scoundrel student!" Grong twisted his mouth, looking at Lin Qi with a hint of distaste. "However, University City needs students like you."

Grong knew perfectly well that he had accomplished several things through Lin Qi, including tailing his wife's carriage and investigating the true identity of the powerful figure his wife had recently been involved with. These were all tasks Lin Qi had helped him with. Of course, these were all arranged through Father Balin, and there had never been direct contact between them.

This was the first time Lin Qi had communicated face-to-face with Mr. Grong. Mr. Grong was full of disdain for Lin Qi, but at the same time, he was also filled with apprehension.

Just as Mr. Grong was frowning and pondering these messy issues, within three to five breaths, the little dachshund with its glossy, smooth fur suddenly began to tremble violently. Its originally purple-green eyes suddenly became bloodshot, turning a deep crimson. It let out a low growl, its golden fur standing on end, making its slender body appear exceptionally robust.

It wasn't just the little dog's body that became robust; a certain part of it was rapidly expanding at an astonishing rate.

In the dead of winter, it wasn't the mating season for animals like cats and dogs. Instead, it was a time for them to conserve their energy for the coming year. But after eating the black bread, this little dog had become incredibly energetic. It panted heavily, its dull, bloodshot eyes fixed on a soft cushion on Mr. Grong's chair, and it pounced with a yelp.

With a powerful leap, it landed on the chair. The small dachshund's mouth curved into a strange smile. Clasping the cushion, made of silk from the East and long-staple cotton from the Middle East, with its four paws, its body began to heave violently.

Mr. Grong's mouth fell open. He himself had taken some strange drugs during moments of weakness, but none had such miraculous effects. In just three to five breaths, this little dachshund had become so impulsive, so full of vigor?

Mr. Grong's heart began to pound. A heat surged in his lower abdomen. The charming face of Gina, the lead dancer of the Gissian traveling troupe, suddenly flashed before his eyes, along with her youthful, agile, leopard-like beautiful body.

"Oh, this miraculous potion!" Grong elegantly placed his hands behind his back and lowered his voice, "Alright, student Lin Qi, how much do you think this bottle of potion is worth?"

A 'poof' sound was heard as the little dachshund poked a hole in the cushion, and white cotton flew everywhere.

Mr. Grong's mouth twitched. His interest in the potion grew even stronger. So potent, so powerful. He was suddenly reminded of his youthful days.

"A bottle?" Lin Qi looked at Mr. Grong in surprise. "Are you joking? A bottle? No, no, no, this kind of miraculous potion is difficult to concoct, and its raw materials are extremely rare. In the mysterious East, only their kings and nobles are qualified to use it. How could such a potion be sold bottle by bottle?"

With a sly smile, Lin Qi said to the astonished Mr. Grong, "One drop, one gold coin, dear Mr. Grong. This miraculous potion is sold drop by drop. You see, we have a live example right here. How full of vitality is your little darling now?"

The poor little dachshund had already torn the cushion to shreds. It impatiently jumped onto the sofa in the corner of the room and began to writhe vigorously with a new cushion. Mr. Grong stared blankly at the shredded cushion, thoughtfully rubbing his chin with his cane. "One drop, one gold coin. That should be a fair and reasonable price. I must admit, this miraculous potion is worth that price!"

Puffing out his chest, Mr. Grong said solemnly, "This bottle of potion, it probably contains about a hundred drops? Student Lin Qi, if you are willing to give it to me for thirty gold coins, then you, and several of your friends, will all receive excellent grades in all your subjects this year!"

Excellent grades in all subjects?

Thinking of the core members of the Iron Fist Brotherhood, whose grades always hovered around the passing line, Lin Qi immediately shoved the potion bottle into Mr. Grong's hand.

"Generous Mr. Grong, it's yours!"