Wang Teng Appears

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, the sun rose. Figures emerged from their rooms and took to the streets, and Wu Tan City grew lively.

At the center of the city's central square stood two raised platforms, where two alchemists would compete in pill refining.

Another platform stood to one side, furnished with tables and chairs for the judges to rest.

"Who are the five judges? The City Lord, Master Gu Ni, Miss Ya Fei, Clan Leader Ao Ba Pa... and who else?"

"Someone saw the City Lord visit Canaan Academy's camp outside the city last night."

"Could he have gone to invite a Canaan Academy instructor?"

Those who had arrived early were discussing the matter animatedly.

As time passed, more and more people gathered around the square. Some rooftops were packed with spectators as well.

People began taking their places on the judges' platform.

The first to step up was Ao Ba Pa, the Oba Clan's leader, followed by the beautiful and alluring Ya Fei in a red dress, and the elderly Gu Ni in an alchemist's robe.

Wu Tan City's City Lord was a middle-aged man dressed in plain robes.

With a broad smile on his face, he led a woman with a gentle, water-like temperament onto the platform.

"A Canaan Academy instructor leading the team!"

Someone in the crowd recognized the woman and shouted.

Ruo Lin paused and helplessly glanced toward the voice. She had refused the role of judge, but to no avail.

As a Canaan Academy instructor, she did not need to consider the Wu Tan City Lord's feelings. However, she was ultimately recruiting students on his territory, so it would not do to make things too tense.

Besides, the City Lord was acting to ensure the fairness of the pill-refining contest.

He had come the previous night and revealed that the Xiao Clan had ties to the Mittel Auction House, while the Oba Clan stood opposed to both clans.

Only she, an outsider unfamiliar with either side, had a status high enough that no one could object.

After taking the stage, Wu Tan City's City Lord gave a lengthy speech for the pill-refining contest.

It was clear that he cherished this chance to show himself off.

Once the formalities were over, someone began introducing the judges and explaining the rules of the pill-refining competition.

Both sides would refine a first-tier pill. There were no restrictions on the type, and the victor would be determined by the effects of the finished pills.

The winning side would receive two markets.

"Please invite the clan leaders of the Xiao Clan and Jia Lie Clan to the stage to sign the contract." After explaining the rules, the staff member invited Xiao Zhan and Jia Lie Bi onto the stage.

From opposite sides of the square, two figures shot out and crossed more than ten meters before landing on the ground.

Their gazes met, faint sparks seeming to crackle between them.

They ascended the platform.

"Xiao Zhan, let me thank you in advance for your Xiao Clan's two markets." Jia Lie Bi signed first and spoke with a broad smile.

Xiao Zhan refused to back down. "You old dog Jia Lie, the competition hasn't even begun. Be careful your joy doesn't turn to sorrow."

"Trying to provoke me?" Jia Lie Bi replied blandly. "Useless. I do not care about winning or losing at all. If we win, everyone is happy. If we lose, there is nothing to fear. As long as we hold tightly to Master Wang Teng, we can earn back any number of markets."

After a pause, his tone shifted as he sneered, "You, on the other hand—if the Xiao Clan loses two markets, your position as clan leader may not remain secure."

Xiao Zhan's eyes widened. It was as if Jia Lie Bi had struck a sore spot, and anger appeared on his face.

"Haha!" Jia Lie Bi laughed heartily and turned to leave the stage.

Upon returning to the Jia Lie Clan's section, Jia Lie Bi said to Wang Teng, "Master Wang Teng, the Jia Lie Clan would not have lasted until today without your support. Do not feel any pressure over today's competition."

Before Wang Teng could speak, Jia Lie Ao became anxious instead.

"Master Wang Teng, please don't listen to my father's nonsense. He has enjoyed himself for decades, so he may not care, but I do! We absolutely cannot lose those two markets!" Jia Lie Ao said frantically.

If the clan lost two markets, it would lose a great deal of gold every year. Once I become clan leader, how would I still be able to enjoy myself happily?

"You unfilial bastard! When adults are speaking, where is the place for you to interrupt?" Jia Lie Bi raised his hand as if to strike him.

"Clan Leader Jia Lie," Wang Teng stopped him.

Jia Lie Ao's face lit up. Looks like sending two women to Master Wang Teng last night to help him relax really was the right decision.

"Master Wang Teng, let me teach him a proper lesson," Jia Lie Bi said angrily.

Wang Teng replied calmly, "Clan Leader Jia Lie, a child's character can be seen by age three. Beating him to death now would be useless. In my opinion, while you can still have children, it would be better to have another one."

Ignoring Jia Lie Ao's frozen expression, he rose to his feet. "I finished refining pills early last night because I wanted a good rest before today's competition. Yet someone sent two women into my room and ruined my cultivation focus."

With that, he ignored Jia Lie Bi and walked toward the platform in the center of the square.

If looks could kill, Jia Lie Bi might already have sliced Jia Lie Ao into a thousand pieces.

"Father, I only wanted Master Wang Teng to relax," Jia Lie Ao explained.

As Wang Teng stood, his eye-catching alchemist's robe entered everyone's view.

Countless gazes followed Wang Teng as he moved.

"So he's the alchemist hired by the Jia Lie Clan? He looks so young!"

"I heard his name is Wang Teng. In the storybooks I read, anyone with that name is usually no ordinary person."

"He refined the Blood Surge Pill? Its effects are quite good. I wonder if he has any other pills?"

This was Wang Teng's first public appearance since arriving in Wu Tan City more than ten days ago.

Before this, everyone knew only Wang Teng's name and had no idea what he looked like.

Now that they finally saw him in person, their first impression was that Wang Teng was very young, handsome, and dashing.

"Wow, this alchemist is much more handsome than those guys at the academy." Xue Ni's eyes shone.

"My heart is beating so fast. Did he put something in the air?" Another female student's face flushed red.

A bunch of lovestruck fools.

Xiao Yu shot them a sidelong glance and silently compared Wang Teng to Liu Xi. Are those two really fellow disciples? The difference feels huge.

"So young. Is he even twenty?" The Xiao Clan's three elders looked at one another, their expressions stunned.

It was hard to believe that the alchemist who had snatched away all the business from the Xiao Clan Market was actually such a pretty boy.

"He's Wang Teng?" Gu Ni could hardly believe his eyes.

He refined the Blood Surge Pills of high completion quality? Impossible. At what age did he start refining pills?

Over the past few days, every batch of Blood Surge Pills sold at the Jia Lie Clan Market had been of high completion quality.

Without years of honing one's pill-refining skills, it was simply impossible to achieve such a high success rate and consistency.

"With Wang Teng's looks, if he can refine some beauty pills, I'm confident I could sell them like crazy in the imperial capital." Ya Fei stared fixedly at his figure, a blueprint for a commercial empire taking shape in her mind.

Young, handsome, and skilled at pill refining—he would absolutely be highly sought after in the imperial capital.

Her judgment was not baseless. Gu He's disciple Liu Ling was not nearly as good-looking, yet he had still won the hearts of many women.

"He's just an alchemist. He doesn't have three heads and six arms. He looks about the same as me," Mu Li muttered when he noticed Little Fairy Doctor's gaze sticking to Wang Teng.

Little Fairy Doctor acted as though she had not heard him and gave no response.

Under the attention of the entire crowd, Wang Teng calmly stepped onto the prepared platform and looked at the empty spot opposite him.

At that moment, everyone realized what was happening. Their gazes shifted toward the Xiao Clan's section.

The Jia Lie Clan's alchemist was already in place.

Where was the Xiao Clan's alchemist?