Deal with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, Head to the Imperial Capital!

Before Mu She and his men could react, a sea of golden flames engulfed everyone present. The four men, who had been dreaming of riches just moments ago, were reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye.

Having dealt with Mu She and his group, Xiao Chen departed calmly, as if nothing had happened, and made his way to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

"Greetings, my lord. May I ask what you wish to purchase?"

Seeing Xiao Chen enter the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, the clerk hurried over to greet him. He had heard rumors of this young Dou Wang who had suddenly appeared in Qingshan Town recently, so he naturally dared not offend him.

Xiao Chen glanced at the clerk, his soul perception sweeping through the entire Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Finding that Yao Wanqian was still inside, he nodded and said, "I have a major deal to discuss with your manager. Go call him to see me!"

"Please wait a moment, my lord. I shall go invite the manager over immediately!"

The clerk bowed again upon hearing this, then hurried toward the backyard. Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue brocade robe emerged, accompanied by the clerk.

"Yao Wanqian greets you, my lord. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. If there is anything you require of me, please do not hesitate to command!"

Yao Wanqian kept his attitude extremely humble. He had long heard that the Greedy Wolf Mercenary were working for this lord and had been promised many benefits, which had made him incredibly envious.

He had been wondering how to catch this lord's attention, never expecting the opportunity to come knocking at his door. No wonder he had heard a magpie chirping this morning.

Xiao Chen had no intention of wasting words with him; he slapped him into a mist of blood. The clerk of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was so terrified that he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by fear, unable to even speak, and could only watch helplessly as Xiao Chen walked away.

Not long after Xiao Chen left, news of the manager of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion being killed and the high-ranking members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group being wiped out spread throughout Qingshan Town.

The mercenaries had originally intended to avenge Mu She and the others, but upon learning that the killer was Xiao Chen, they all abandoned the idea.

As for whether they would be mocked for being cowards? Don't joke around; they knew full well which was more important: reputation or their lives.

Qingshan Town, Qingfeng Inn, third floor.

"Brother Xiao Chen, you're back. Has the matter been resolved?"

Seeing Xiao Chen push the door open and enter, Little Doctor Fairy threw herself into his arms, her slender arms wrapping tightly around his waist, her eyes filled with concern.

She had thought she was long accustomed to a solitary, cold life, but after Xiao Chen appeared in her world, she realized she had always longed for someone to accompany her.

Xiao Chen gently patted Little Doctor Fairy's back and ruffled the girl's hair. "It's resolved. It's time for us to leave this place."

"Mm! I'll follow Brother Xiao Chen's arrangements!"

Little Doctor Fairy did not ask where they were going next. She had no great attachment to Qingshan Town; as long as she could stay by Xiao Chen's side, she would gladly face any danger, even climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of fire.

Xiao Chen had already planned their next journey: first, head to the Alchemist Association in the Imperial Capital to certify his alchemist rank, then collect herbs containing potent toxins to refine poison pills, which would help both him and Little Doctor Fairy improve their cultivation levels.

Two days later, Gama Empire, Imperial Capital.

Xiao Chen walked down the street holding Little Doctor Fairy's hand, listening to the peddlers hawking their wares on both sides of the road, and couldn't help but remark, "As expected of the Imperial Capital, it truly is prosperous!"

"Is Brother Xiao Chen not from the Imperial Capital?"

Little Doctor Fairy was puzzled by this. She had always assumed Xiao Chen was a scion of some great family in the Imperial Capital; otherwise, how could he possess such terrifying strength at such a young age?

Xiao Chen smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. Come to think of it, this is my first time in the Imperial Capital. My family is in Wutan City, which is quite close to Qingshan Town. Fairy should have heard of it!"

"Wutan City?!!"

Upon hearing the name Wutan City, Little Doctor Fairy felt her mind struggling to process it. She certainly knew where Wutan City was—it was merely a small town on the northwestern frontier of the Gama Empire.

She truly could not understand how such a remote place could have cultivated a heaven-sent talent like Xiao Chen. It was a miracle among miracles.

Seeming to guess what Little Doctor Fairy was thinking, Xiao Chen reached out and lightly flicked the tip of her nose. "Alright, stop thinking about it. I only reached where I am today because I encountered some fortuitous opportunities!"

"Brother Xiao Chen must have endured many hardships and dangers, right?"

Little Doctor Fairy gripped Xiao Chen's hand tightly, a look of heartache welling up in her eyes. In her view, the "fortuitous opportunities" Xiao Chen spoke of must have been obtaining the inheritance of some powerful expert.

She had heard that to obtain such inheritances, one had to pass through layers of trials set by those experts during their lifetimes—trials that were invariably life-or-death, with some being completely impossible to pass.

Xiao Chen did not know what Little Doctor Fairy was imagining, but seeing her expression, he offered some comfort. "Actually, I haven't experienced many hardships or dangers. The journey has been quite smooth, actually!"

Little Doctor Fairy bit her lip, assuming Xiao Chen was just trying to comfort her. As they spoke, they arrived at the Alchemist Association.

"Please stop, you two. This is the Alchemist Association. May I ask what business you have here?"

The guards at the entrance saw that the two were not wearing alchemist robes and did not appear to be children of the empire's nobility, so they hurried forward to block them. However, seeing Xiao Chen's luxurious attire, the guards dared not offend him and spoke quite politely.

Xiao Chen knew the rules of the Alchemist Association. He opened his left hand, and a cluster of golden flames rose from his palm. "I am here to take the alchemist qualification exam!"

The guard looked at the flickering flames in Xiao Chen's hand, his breath hitching, and dense beads of sweat began to seep from his forehead.

Although he was not an alchemist, he had worked at the Alchemist Association for many years and was very familiar with the grading of alchemists.

Being able to manifest physical flames meant that the young man before him was at least a fourth-tier alchemist—someone a lowly guard like him could never afford to offend.

He felt fortunate that he hadn't spoken recklessly earlier; otherwise, he would be in deep trouble now. A fourth-tier alchemist this young—even if he were killed in the street, no one would seek justice for him. The noble lords might even curse him for being a fool for offending Xiao Chen.

Thinking of this, the guard quickly stepped aside respectfully, clearing the path. "I did not know your status earlier, my lord. Please do not take offense!"

"It is fine. One who does not know is not guilty, and besides, this is your duty. Why would I blame you?"

Xiao Chen waved his hand. The guard was just doing his job and hadn't made things difficult for him; he wasn't an unreasonable person, so there was no need to bicker over such a trivial matter.