Please, You Have to Join Us!

The sky gradually darkened.

The two had a simple dinner, washed up, and then went upstairs.

Xiao Yi Xian lay on the bed, the blanket pulled up to her chin, only her eyes showing.

Qin Yu lay down beside her, one hand on her waist, and the two of them remained quiet...

It lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Then Qin Yu's hand started to wander.

Xiao Yi Xian felt that hand rubbing and kneading her stomach, like kneading dough.

Can you please just shut up for a minute?

After a long while, Xiao Yi Xian finally couldn't help but speak.

Are you going to sleep or not?

"Cannot."

Xiao Yi Xian sighed, grabbed his wicked hand, and moved it slightly upwards.

Qin Yu's fingers touched a soft patch of skin, and his heart began to race.

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"Hiss!"

Just as Qin Yu was thinking this, a sharp pain in his fingertip made him gasp and reflexively pull his hand back.

Looking up, I saw a faint ring of teeth marks on my fingers.

Are you born in the Year of the Dog?

Qin Yu looked at the marks on his fingers, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Wrong, it's a cat. If you rub my belly again, I'll hiss in a flash."

Xiao Yi Xian gave a soft snort, turned over, and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, leaving Qin Yu with only the back of her head visible.

Qin Yu didn't make a fuss anymore, and reached out to pull her, blanket and all, into his arms.

Nothing more was said that night.

The next morning, Qin Yu got up.

Xiao Yi Xian was still asleep. He quietly washed up, changed into clean clothes, and went out.

The Inner Academy was filled with fresh air and birdsong in the early morning.

The Alchemy Department was located in the eastern part of the Inner Academy, about a quarter of an hour's walk from their residence.

When Qin Yu arrived, Elder Huo was already waiting at the door.

"Come with me."

Elder Huo glanced at him, then turned and walked inside.

Qin Yu followed behind, passing through a long corridor, and arrived at a spacious alchemy room.

Several people were already seated in the alchemy room, dressed in matching robes, their eyes all fixed on Qin Yu, scrutinizing him from head to toe as if he were a rare object.

"Is this the child who possesses the Heavenly Flames?"

An elderly man with white hair spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Looks quite young."

Another old man stroked his beard.

Elder Huo walked to the main seat and sat down, then waved to Qin Yu.

"Come on, show us."

Crackle, pop, empty air~

After a flurry of activity, by the time Qin Yu emerged from the alchemy room, the sun was already high in the sky.

There was also an extra token in his Storage Ring, given to him by Elder Huo.

With this warrant, Qin Yu can collect three high-grade medicinal herbs from the Jia Nan Academy's Medicinal Materials Vault every month.

It's foolish not to take advantage of a good deal.

I just don't know if, since I arrived three years early, Little Zi Yan has been taken in by Elder Su Qian.

After leaving the Alchemy Department, Qin Yu was in a good mood and planned to stop by the Medicinal Materials Vault.

I've been struggling for a while now because I don't have any medicinal herbs.

He walked along the main road of the Inner Academy toward the Medicinal Materials Vault. Just as he turned a corner, a group of people suddenly appeared in front of him.

A dozen or so senior students stood in the middle of the road, completely blocking it.

Are you here to cause trouble?

Qin Yu stopped in his tracks and, after observing carefully, felt that it didn't seem like it.

Although this group of people were blocking the middle of the road, they didn't show any hostility on their faces; in fact... they seemed a little nervous?

As Qin Yu was pondering this, someone stepped out from the crowd.

He was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a dark blue robe, with delicate features and a refined appearance.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw Qin Yu.

Then, he rushed over in three strides.

Qin Yu instinctively took a half step back, preparing to defend himself.

As a result, the young man rushed up to Qin Yu and, without saying a word, grabbed Qin Yu's hands.

"We've finally found you! Please join our team!"

"Ah?"

Qin Yu was stunned. Wasn't this plot twist wrong?

Aren't these the older students who lost the hunting competition, and the gang leaders they brought along?

Qin Yu looked down at his hands that were being held, then looked up at the sincere-looking young man in front of him, and his mind completely went blank.

"Why don't you let go first?"

"Oh, oh, I'm so sorry, I got too excited."

The young man quickly let go and took a step back, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Shen Yuan, and I am the head of the Inner Academy Medicine Gang Clan."

"Big... what a strange title!"

Hearing this strange name, Qin Yu became even more confused.

Big boss?

Do you consider yourself some brute surnamed Lin who only knows nine characters in his entire life?

"Judging from our name, you should know that our Medicine Gang is the student force with the most Alchemist in the Inner Academy."

"So what?"

Shen Yuan said with an air of matter-of-fact:

"That's why I'd like to invite you to join us!"

"Well..."

Qin Yu scratched his head, wondering if it might be... the opposite of what is desired?

Have I really made it this far?

He remembered that the leader of the Medicine Gang in the original story was named Han Xian, and he was a fourth-grade alchemist.

But it's probably because that time hasn't come yet; the Medicine Gang gang hasn't changed.

"Elder Huo personally went to block the entrance to the new students' classroom yesterday, just to find you. This news has already spread Inner Academy."

"A person who can make Elder Huo so concerned is definitely not an ordinary person."

Qin Yu neither denied nor admitted it.

Shen Yuan took this as a pre-arranged assumption, and his smile deepened.

"Brother Qin Yu, although our Medicine Gang doesn't have any experts from the top ten of the Strong List to oversee things, believe me, if we wanted to, even those Strong List ten wouldn't dare to mess with our people."

"And..."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said:

"The amount of medicinal herbs each person can draw from the Medicinal Materials Vault is limited each month. If you come here and need any herbs, the brothers in the gang can get them for you."

Qin Yu became interested upon hearing this.

Having finally reached Jia Nan Academy, a veritable goldmine, isn't it incredibly frustrating to be subject to a monthly ration of medicinal herbs?

"Okay, what do I need to do?"

"You don't need to do anything for now. I'll come to you if I need anything."

Qin Yu nodded in agreement, which was considered as consenting to join the Medicine Gang.

After all, they've gone this far, and I have no grudge against them. Why not cooperate and achieve a win-win situation?

"Then I'll be going now?"

"No problem, go ahead and do your thing!"

Seeing that the matter had been settled, Shen Yuan immediately turned around and waved to the group of people behind him.

"Alright, everyone, go do whatever you were doing!"

The group of senior students dispersed, glancing back at Qin Yu every now and then with curiosity and anticipation in their eyes.

Qin Yu and Shen Yuan strolled around for a while. Shen Yuan recognized that Qin Yu was going to the Medicinal Materials Vault and left early.

Along the way, Shen Yuan gave Qin Yu a general overview of the current layout of the Inner Academy and the distribution of various forces.

The Inner Academy, which was set three years earlier than in the original storyline, was still relatively unfamiliar to Qin Yu.

Now, he has a general understanding.