New Side Quest

"Mr. Liu Xi..." Jia Lie Bi trailed off.

A moment later, the two left the front hall and arrived at the Jia Lie Clan's rear courtyard, standing inside a room.

"Mr. Liu Xi stayed in this room. A maid discovered his disappearance. When she woke up, Mr. Liu Xi was gone, and all the guards outside had been knocked unconscious." Jia Lie Bi led Wang Teng to a corner of the room.

There was some white ash left on the ground.

"What is this?" Wang Teng asked, tilting his head.

"I suspect Mr. Liu Xi was murdered. This should be the ashes he left behind," Jia Lie Bi said.

The Jia Lie Clan had treated the alchemist Liu Xi with the utmost respect, meeting nearly all his demands. Naturally, the place they provided for him was kept spotless.

Yet on the night Liu Xi vanished, nothing else in the room had changed, except for this pile of white ash. What it meant was self-evident.

[ Ding! The mission "Investigate the Truth Behind Senior Brother Liu Xi's Disappearance" has been completed. Reward: three pill formulas. ]

The mission was complete?

Wang Teng was surprised. He had thought he would need to investigate Xiao Yan and Xun'er before completing it.

With a faint swelling sensation, three pill formulas appeared in his mind.

Qi-Recovery Pill, Blood Surge Pill, Combined-Strength Pill.

Within a few breaths, Wang Teng understood the effects of the three pills.

They were all first-tier pills. After taking a Qi-Recovery Pill, one's Dou Qi recovery would accelerate for a short time, though it would be followed by half a day of weakness.

The Blood Surge Pill was a stimulant. Taking it could raise one's strength by one level, at the cost of being unable to get out of bed for three days.

The Combined-Strength Pill had the most astonishing effect of the three. It could stimulate the dantian, qi sea, and meridians, allowing a Dou Fighter to break through two realms after taking it.

Furthermore, the system's reward was not merely the three pill formulas themselves, but also the experience needed to refine them.

Wang Teng felt that if he spent a little time digesting the knowledge, his proficiency with all three pills could reach the mastery level.

The side quest rewards felt even better than the main quest rewards.

He grumbled inwardly.

Beside him, Jia Lie Bi saw Wang Teng staring blankly at the white ash on the ground, and an unreadable look flashed through his eyes.

Could it be that these martial brothers shared an exceptionally deep bond?

The clan's stockpile of pills was about to sell out. Could they use Wang Teng's feelings for his senior brother Liu Xi to persuade him to refine some pills for them?

Jia Lie Bi thought rapidly, and the plan seemed highly feasible.

Even if Wang Teng's alchemy was inferior to his senior brother's, he was still an alchemist. At the very least, he could keep the clan market afloat for a while.

Thus, Jia Lie Bi worked up a sorrowful expression. "Mr. Wang Teng, I have truly failed Master Liu Jiang. I invited Mr. Liu Xi here only because I wanted him to refine some pills and improve the market's business.

"Who would have thought that the Xiao Clan would be so ruthless? Rather than competing fairly in business, they resorted to underhanded methods to assassinate Mr. Liu Xi. It is the Jia Lie Clan's incompetence that we failed to protect him."

Wang Teng, who had been studying the pill formulas, was interrupted. He looked at the red-rimmed eyes of Jia Lie Bi. "Clan Leader Jia Lie, do you know who killed my senior brother?"

"I have no direct evidence, but it must be connected to the Xiao Clan." Jia Lie Bi deliberately erased the conflict between Liu Xi, Xun'er, and Xiao Yan.

He explained how the Xiao Clan Market had begun selling pills, as well as how Jia Lie Nu, one of their own elders, had been killed while escorting medicinal ingredients back after Liu Xi's death.

Wang Teng remained calm, with no visible reaction, because he had long known the truth.

As for whether he should involve himself in the conflict between the Jia Lie Clan and the Xiao Clan, he had already decided the moment he saw the main quest.

[ Ding! Side quest released: Pride of the Sect!

Take over for Senior Brother Liu Xi and refine pills for the Jia Lie Clan, allowing their market business to surpass the Xiao Clan. Reward unknown. Accept? ]

Unlike main quests, side quests had to be triggered, their rewards were unknown, and one could choose whether to accept them.

Accept!

Wang Teng answered silently.

He had already planned to use the Jia Lie Clan to refine pills and complete the mission of "Making a Name in Wu Tan City."

Now another side quest had appeared, with rewards to gain as well. Why not?

Besides, the simplest way to make a name for oneself was to step on someone else to rise higher.

The Xiao Clan Market was currently thriving. As long as he suppressed the Xiao Clan's momentum, he would become the focus of discussion throughout Wu Tan City.

As for Xiao Yan having Yao Lao's help, Wang Teng had initially been somewhat concerned. But now, with three pill formulas in hand, all his concerns had vanished.

"Mr. Wang Teng, please help the Jia Lie Clan! I, Jia Lie Bi, am willing to exhaust the strength of the entire clan, all to seek justice for Mr. Liu Xi!"

As the leader of one of Wu Tan City's three great clans, Jia Lie Bi abandoned all dignity and dropped to his knees before Wang Teng.

It was clear just how desperate the Jia Lie Clan's situation had become.

He had truly been driven into a corner!

"Clan Leader Jia Lie, there is no need for this." Wang Teng reached out in time and did not let Jia Lie Bi actually kneel.

Jia Lie Bi rose with the momentum, tears filling his old eyes. "Mr. Wang Teng, you have agreed, haven't you?"

"My senior brother treated me well. Of course I must seek justice for him," Wang Teng said righteously.

"Good, good, good." Jia Lie Bi was extremely excited. "Mr. Wang Teng, you must be exhausted after such a long journey. I will take you to rest first. How about starting the alchemy tomorrow?"

"No need. Where are the medicinal ingredients? I want to begin right now." Wang Teng shook his head.

Rest? I've been bound to the system for so many days and spent all that time traveling. I never had the chance to refine pills. Now that I have time, I definitely need to experience the system's effects.

Jia Lie Bi froze for a moment, then examined Wang Teng in shock. "I never expected Mr. Wang Teng's bond with his senior brother to run so deep. I understand your feelings very well, but I still advise you not to rush."

There were not many medicinal ingredients left at home. What if you failed to rest properly and wasted all of them?

"Enough nonsense. Are you the alchemist, or am I?" Wang Teng snapped.

Jia Lie Bi said helplessly, "Please follow me."

He brought Wang Teng to the room where the medicinal ingredients were stored. Jia Lie Bi had intended to enter with him, but Wang Teng shut the door behind himself.

Left standing outside the closed door, Jia Lie Bi wore a strange expression.

How could these martial brothers have such vastly different personalities?

When Liu Xi first came to the Jia Lie Clan, he had made all sorts of demands before refining pills. He would often refine for a while, then rest for a long time.

In contrast, this young man Wang Teng was surprisingly enthusiastic about alchemy.

He just did not know how much of his senior brother Liu Xi's alchemical skill this young man possessed.

Jia Lie Bi summoned the steward and ordered him to deploy the estate's most elite guards here.

When he returned to the front hall, the other clan elders all came forward to meet him.

"Clan Leader, where is Mr. Wang Teng?" Jia Lie Ku asked.

"He has gone to refine pills," Jia Lie Bi replied with a strange expression.

Hmm?

The others froze after hearing this.

Clearly, Liu Xi's behavior had left a deep impression on them.

Jia Lie Ku was the first to recover and asked in a low voice, "Clan Leader, should we buy medicinal ingredients?"

The clan did not have much money left to use, and they still owed the medicinal merchants in Telan City a large debt.

Naturally, Jia Lie Bi understood this. After some thought, he said, "There is no rush. Let us first see Mr. Wang Teng's skill."

He then gathered the two strongest elders in the clan and had them stand guard outside Wang Teng's alchemy room.