An Unexpected Joy

"Not bad!"

Master Mo took it, opened the box to take a look, and offered his assessment: "Our Zichuan Market alchemy shop has gained yet another alchemist!"

This also confirmed Lin Changheng's status as an alchemist.

Lin Changheng revealed a faint smile.

"Unmoved by favor or humiliation, very good. Keep it up."

Master Mo did not skimp on his praise, then added, "In half a year, we shall return to the Xu Family, and you will have the opportunity to refine pills and advance further."

"Half a year? By then, the 'Great Reclamation' will have also begun, right?"

"Indeed." Master Mo pondered for a moment, then revealed another piece of news: "Originally, we could have returned in three months, but Zichuan Market is to be abandoned. The clan has decided that we shall withdraw together, which saves us from running back and forth."

Upon hearing this news, Lin Changheng was suddenly startled.

Zichuan Market had flourished for decades; five years ago, it began to show signs of decline and decay. The Xu Family had already withdrawn one alchemist, and now they were going to abandon it entirely?

Moreover, this "abandonment" was certainly not the decision of a single family, but a collective withdrawal by many powers!

Before he could ponder it deeply, Master Mo continued, "Now that your status is different, there is no harm in telling you these secrets so that you may prepare early."

Having said this, Master Mo turned and left. Before departing, he did not forget to return the wooden box to Lin Changheng, believing it held special significance for him.

Lin Changheng accepted it with a smile. He only knew that this was worth two low-grade spirit stones!

Yet, in his heart, he felt wary of the impending changes to the market and resolved firmly never to leave the market grounds.

The news spread quickly within the Xu Family alchemy shop and began to diffuse throughout the market.

Within three days, everyone in Zichuan Market knew that the Xu Family's alchemy shop had gained a ranked alchemist, one who had risen from the ranks of apprentices.

Lin Changheng finally received the reply from within the Xu Family.

Just as Master Mo had suggested, Lin Changheng's previous apprentice benefits were retained, but his manual labor duties were revoked.

Two junior clansmen were sent to serve as apprentices and assist him.

Next came the most important part: the profit-sharing for alchemy.

Lin Changheng was required to fire ten furnaces of [Crimson Flame Pill] each month, with five pills per furnace. The materials were provided by the shop, and he was required to submit his quota based on a fifty-percent success rate.

Whatever remained, regardless of the surplus, belonged to Lin Changheng himself.

He could sell them to the shop at market price or use them for his own cultivation.

Starting now, for the first month, a lower success rate would be accepted as he practiced.

"What do you think?"

Master Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked for Lin Changheng's opinion.

"I accept the clan's arrangements."

Lin Changheng made a quick calculation. With his current level of alchemy, refining five pills per furnace was exactly at the limit of his ability.

Ten furnaces of [Crimson Flame Pill] per month meant fifty pills.

Given his theoretical mastery of alchemy bolstered by his insight, his understanding of pill formulas, his grasp of techniques, and his core practical ability to control fire, he could proceed with caution. As long as no unexpected accidents occurred, his success rate would be extremely high, and he would basically never produce waste or inferior pills.

After handing over fifty percent, Lin Changheng could net twenty-five [Crimson Flame Pill]s.

The market price of one [Crimson Flame Pill] was two spirit stones, which meant fifty spirit stones.

Adding the three-spirit-stone monthly subsidy for apprentices, that was fifty-three spirit stones in hand!

A single month's harvest was equivalent to his entire income from the past year and a half.

No wonder they said alchemy was a golden mountain, and alchemists were the ones mining it; the efficiency of earning spirit stones was truly astonishing!

However, he would not reveal his full strength.

After all, having such a high success rate so soon after becoming a ranked alchemist was too shocking. It might attract ulterior motives and prying eyes from within the clan and from outsiders, which would be disastrous.

Being captured and imprisoned as a "pill slave" was not an uncommon occurrence.

A few years ago, a genius talisman master in Zichuan Market had mysteriously disappeared outside the market, vanishing into thin air; no one had ever seen him again!

Lin Changheng could handle the title of alchemist, but as for the title of "genius alchemist"—being built up only to be slaughtered later—he would rather pass!

Furthermore, he already had a plan: he would openly control his success rate at around sixty percent. He would sell that extra ten percent of pills to the shop in exchange for spirit stones.

The remaining forty percent would need to be hidden away.

He would keep a portion for his own use to accelerate his cultivation and find opportunities to sell the rest later.

"Very good."

Seeing that Lin Changheng's mindset had not drastically changed despite his sudden change in status, Master Mo nodded immediately. "Then let it be so."

Next, he summoned two young people, a man and a woman, both unfamiliar faces.

The man was named Xu Liucai, and the woman was Xu Liuli.

They were, quite unexpectedly, the two alchemy apprentices newly sent by the Xu Family.

"You choose one?"

Master Mo said cheerfully, letting Lin Changheng choose first.

"I'll take him."

Without much thought, Lin Changheng ignored the female apprentice, who had the air of a delicate maiden and was watching him with wide eyes, and pointed instead at the male apprentice with the honest and sturdy face.

"Very well."

Likewise ignoring the expressions of the two apprentices, Master Mo laughed indifferently.

A month passed quickly.

Lin Changheng finished the Compound Medicine Pill Technique and stepped out of the newly reopened alchemy room. Xu Liucai, who had been guarding the door, saw the heavy door open from within and hurriedly stood up to salute, "Master Lin."

"Go on, watch the furnace fire carefully."

After giving these instructions with a smile, Lin Changheng entered a small room that had been cleared out on the first floor of the shop.

Master Mo had originally intended to partition half of his own practice room on the second floor for Lin Changheng to rest and cultivate in, but he had firmly refused.

Citing the reason that a disciple must not share quarters with his master, he had strongly opposed the idea.

Thus, a separate space was cleared out on the first floor.

On the surface, Master Mo acted as if he didn't care, even criticizing Lin Changheng for being overly pedantic, but deep down he felt very satisfied, believing that he hadn't taught the wrong person all these years.

Therefore, when Lin Changheng suggested that the new apprentices might not be able to handle the waste pills properly, and that they didn't have much time left in Zichuan Market, so he might as well take care of it himself, Master Mo agreed quite readily.

He guessed that Lin Changheng merely wanted to use the waste pills to cover up his own success rate; what else could he possibly do?

Besides, anything beyond the fifty-percent submission quota was his to handle as he pleased.

So, he stopped managing it and handed the matter of the waste pills over to Lin Changheng entirely.

He even gave him the waste and inferior Wood Origin Pills as well.

"Ah?"

Looking at the stack of long wooden boxes that had appeared out of thin air before him, Lin Changheng was stunned.

His heart was nearly pierced by this unexpected joy. His facial muscles twitched, and he struggled to restrain himself, using his daze to cover it up. However, Master Mo chuckled and said with some embarrassment, "Then, Changheng, why don't you handle the Wood Origin Pills as well?"

Something felt wrong...

He was embarrassed?

Did Master Mo think my surprise was because I was unhappy about being given extra work?

Good heavens, how could that be?!

"Changheng is willing to share the burden for Master Mo!"

But on the surface, he still twisted his expression, putting on a look as if he would charge through mountains of blades and seas of fire, and immediately agreed.

He was terrified that Master Mo might overthink it and retract the offer.

"Good, good, good! This old man truly did not misjudge you!"

Master Mo's smiling face bloomed like a daisy, and his hearty laughter carried through the floorboards, clearly audible even on the first floor, causing the shop assistants and the manager to look at each other in confusion, wondering why Guest Elder Mo could be so happy...