Ya Fei's Surprise, South Star City, Wang Teng's Home

"Miss Ya Fei?"

"Master Wang Teng?"

Their gazes met, and both Wang Teng and Ya Fei were surprised.

Wang Teng wondered why Ya Fei was in Telan City. By all rights, she should have been in Wu Tan City or the imperial capital.

Ya Fei, however, was deeply shocked.

She had just passed by and spotted Little Fairy Doctor, recognizing her at once. Little Fairy Doctor had been present when Wang Teng and Xiao Yan competed in pill refining.

Little Fairy Doctor had likewise been impressed that the beautiful Ya Fei had served as a judge.

After chatting for a few moments, she learned that Little Fairy Doctor was waiting for a friend, a third-tier alchemist.

She had wondered whether she could take this opportunity to invite him to take up a post at the South Star City branch.

"The third-tier alchemist friend you mentioned is him?" Ya Fei looked at Little Fairy Doctor.

Little Fairy Doctor nodded.

How many days had it even been? Wang Teng had gone from first-tier to third-tier?

Ya Fei was stunned.

"Wang Teng, you know each other?" President Kato Taka asked in surprise.

"I met Miss Ya Fei when I went to Wu Tan City some time ago," Wang Teng said.

He looked at Ya Fei curiously. "Why did you come all the way to Telan City?"

Ya Fei was about to speak when Kato Taka beat her to it.

"She came to discuss cooperation with the guild," Kato Taka said. "We've already reached an understanding and are arranging a suitable third-tier alchemist."

Ya Fei was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "Master Wang Teng, I'd originally planned to give you a surprise. I didn't expect to run into you here first."

"It has something to do with me?" Wang Teng asked in astonishment.

Ya Fei said, "I will soon take up the position of elder at the South Star City branch of the Mittel Auction House."

She walked up to Wang Teng and extended a hand. "Master Wang Teng, I hope we'll work well together."

The Mitier Clan was opening a branch in South Star City?

Wang Teng was surprised. He had not returned home for some time and knew nothing about this matter.

So this was what she had meant when she proposed a long-term partnership at the Jia Lie Clan.

He shook Ya Fei's hand. "Welcome to South Star City, Mittel Auction House."

Her hand felt different from Little Fairy Doctor's. Ya Fei's palm was smoother and softer, while Little Fairy Doctor often handled medicinal herbs, leaving her skin somewhat rough, with small calluses.

Seeing Wang Teng's attitude, Ya Fei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He doesn't reject working with me. I made the right gamble this time!

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Kato Taka's forehead. Wang Teng and Ya Fei seemed to have a good relationship. Good thing I ran into this in advance.

A mature woman like Ya Fei was most alluring to a young man like Wang Teng.

If they had not met this time and I had driven Ya Fei away, what if she lured Wang Teng to another Alchemist Guild? I'd cry my eyes out.

Having picked up Little Fairy Doctor, Wang Teng did not intend to stay any longer and bid Kato Taka farewell.

Ya Fei dearly wanted to leave with Wang Teng, but her cooperation with the Alchemist Guild still needed to be finalized, so she could only watch the two depart.

"Miss Ya Fei, let's talk in my office," Kato Taka said politely.

"After you, President," Ya Fei replied calmly, without the slightest hint of throwing her weight around.

Kato Taka's tense expression eased.

Ya Fei had actually noticed that Kato Taka wanted something from Wang Teng, but she did not use her relationship with Wang Teng to pressure him.

No matter what, Kato Taka was a fourth-tier alchemist and the president of the Telan City guild.

Besides, her relationship with Wang Teng had not reached the point where they could use each other.

Wang Teng and Little Fairy Doctor headed straight for the city gate. Once outside, Blue Eagle descended at the sound of his voice, carrying the two of them as it flew toward South Star City.

After some time, they arrived at South Star City.

Wang Teng's home was in the western part of the city. Long ago, his family had run a small shop. After he became an alchemist, he bought the land behind it and converted it into a large courtyard.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back." Wang Teng was always happy whenever he came home.

There were no customers in Wang Teng's Pill Shop. A middle-aged couple was talking when they heard his voice. The woman looked outside first, while the man behind the counter also raised his head.

"Little Teng is back." The woman beamed, but when she noticed the young woman in white beside Wang Teng, she froze.

"Mom, this is a friend I made, Little Fairy Doctor," Wang Teng introduced her to them.

Wang Teng's parents were named Wang Cheng and Tang Hua.

Right in front of Little Fairy Doctor, Wang Teng's mother lavished praise upon him.

This was far too unexpected. Wang Teng had never brought a friend home before, not even his senior brother.

Yet this time, he had brought home a girl. She was so beautiful—no wonder she was called Little Fairy Doctor. She looked just like a fairy.

The couple cheerfully handed the pill shop over to Wang Teng, then went out to buy groceries, intending to prepare a lavish dinner that evening.

Little Fairy Doctor walked around the shop and asked doubtfully, "Why don't I see any goods?"

"They're sold out," Wang Teng replied.

He explained that the shop mainly sold pills he refined himself. Whenever he was home, he practiced pill refining. Buying medicinal ingredients cost money, so he put the pills from his practice up for sale in the shop.

But whenever he went out with his teacher, he would be away for at least a month, sometimes three to five months, or even half a year. He had no way to restock, so it was normal for everything to sell out.

Standing in the hallway, Wang Teng called loudly, "Xiao Xi? Xiao Xi?"

"Who are you calling?" Little Fairy Doctor asked curiously.

"My sister," Wang Teng said. "What's going on today? Every time I came back before, she'd rush out the moment she heard my voice."

The two chatted idly until the couple returned.

After asking them, Wang Teng learned that his younger sister, Wang Xi, had secretly applied to Canaan Academy. After passing the assessment, she had followed the recruitment team to the Black-Corner Region.

Seeing how cautiously Wang Teng's mother answered, Little Fairy Doctor asked in confusion, "Why does it feel like your mother is afraid of you?"

"Because I was strongly against letting my sister go to Canaan Academy," Wang Teng explained.

"Why didn't you want her to go?" Little Fairy Doctor asked in surprise.

"The academy is in the Black-Corner Region. It's too dangerous." Wang Teng did not elaborate.

That night, the family ate dinner in the courtyard while Blue Eagle quietly descended under cover of darkness.

Wang Teng's parents were initially startled by the magical beast, but after hearing the explanation, they calmed down.

After dinner, Wang Teng's mother led Little Fairy Doctor to the room where she would rest.

"Dad, buy back these medicinal ingredients tomorrow." Wang Teng took out all the money he had on him.

"Got it," Wang Teng's father replied calmly.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Wang Teng got up and stepped outside, only to see Little Fairy Doctor grooming Blue Eagle's feathers in the courtyard.

It had grown larger, its feathers darker and brighter, and its sharp eyes were full of spirit.

"How did you sleep?" Wang Teng asked.

Little Fairy Doctor glanced back at him and continued what she was doing. "Quite well. Auntie is very kind and thoughtful."

"That's good. We should get busy soon," Wang Teng said.

Little Fairy Doctor looked curious. Was Wang Teng making an excuse to keep me here, or did he really need my help? She would soon find out.

At noon, cart after cart loaded with goods stopped outside the pill shop.

"I couldn't buy these." Wang Teng's father circled several medicinal ingredients on the paper and sighed.

South Star City was only a small city, after all. It could not compare to Telan City.

But Wang Teng was not worried. Once Ya Fei arrived, he would have access to the Mittel Auction House's channels, and buying medicinal ingredients would no longer be difficult.

That afternoon, Little Fairy Doctor helped Wang Teng sort medicinal ingredients nonstop.

Wang Teng began refining pills.

Working together, they steadily used up the raw medicinal ingredients while the number of small jade bottles filled with pills increased.

Seeing Wang Teng's speed, Little Fairy Doctor was astonished.

Is this really pill refining? Why does it feel like he's robbing people of their money?

Over the next few days, Wang Teng's father kept going out to purchase medicinal ingredients, while Wang Teng's mother handled the shop. Little Fairy Doctor helped now and then, while Wang Teng focused on refining pills.

The pills were mainly Blood Surge Pills, followed by Qi-Recovery Pills. There were only three bottles of Combined-Strength Pills, containing a little over twenty pills.

A week after Wang Teng returned home, the purchasing teams from the Jia Lie Clan and Ten-Thousand Medicine Hall arrived.

All the stockpiled pills were exchanged for gold coins.