VIP Pass

"Over the next few days, I'll make sure Tingyi doesn't eat any food from the Lineage. I'll personally buy all her food outside." Xu Yin quickly calmed down. A woman became strong when she became a mother; now that someone wanted to scheme against her daughter, she would not let them off easily. "But on the day of the birthday banquet, I'll still have Tingyi pretend to be poisoned and catch them completely off guard!"

Su Chen looked at Xu Yin with admiration. "That's right, Auntie. That's exactly what we should do, but it's still not enough!"

"Still not enough?" Xu Yin asked.

"Your daughter and Jiang Yuewu are nearly evenly matched in strength. Even if your daughter isn't poisoned, there's no guarantee she can completely crush Jiang Yuewu."

"Then what should we do?"

"The method is what I just said—rely on herself!" Su Chen said calmly.

"Rely on herself?" Xu Yin asked in confusion.

"One's fate must be grasped in one's own hands. I can help her, but all I can do is point her down a road. She still has to walk that road herself!"

As he spoke, Su Chen rose to his feet. "Auntie, pass a message to your daughter. If she wants to take control of her own fate, have her come find me within the next few days."

With that, Su Chen pushed open the door and left.

Xu Yin watched Su Chen's retreating figure, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes. She had witnessed all of Su Chen's changes, and by now, she naturally trusted him completely.

But Tingyi was famously stubborn. Would she even listen to Su Chen?

As she thought this, a trace of worry appeared on Xu Yin's face.

Meanwhile, Su Chen headed straight for Five Treasures Hall.

He planned to buy some medicinal ingredients for body tempering at Five Treasures Hall, to refine his physique.

His previous clash with the black-clad expert from the Iron Garb Sect had made Su Chen realize the importance of body refinement.

If his physique could surpass that of ordinary martial artists at the same level, he would not have suffered such severe injuries then.

Although the Alchemy Guild was not without materials, it was not a place for business after all. Its materials were certainly far less comprehensive than those at Five Treasures Hall, and the Alchemy Guild often had to purchase materials from Five Treasures Hall in large quantities.

When Su Chen arrived at the entrance of Five Treasures Hall and was about to enter, two guards suddenly stopped him. "Sorry, sir. Today is one of Five Treasures Hall's twice-monthly VIP Days. Only VIPs may enter. Do you have a Five Treasures Hall VIP pass?"

VIP Day?

Su Chen looked around. Sure enough, the entrance to Five Treasures Hall was completely empty today, a stark contrast to its usual bustling crowds.

But since Su Chen had already come, there was no way he would turn back. Frowning, he asked, "So without a VIP pass, I can't enter?"

"That's right, sir." Though the guard still spoke politely, a trace of contempt had already appeared in his eyes. "Without a VIP pass, entry into Five Treasures Hall is prohibited today."

This was somewhat troublesome. Although Su Chen had the Honorary Guest Elder badge of the Alchemy Guild, taking it out would surely grant him free passage anywhere. Yet he did not want to reveal that identity so early.

Su Chen shook his head.

Had I known this, I should have disguised myself before coming out today. For example, I could have worn a black robe so no one would recognize me. Then I could have openly taken out the Honorary Guest Elder badge of the Alchemy Guild.

Just then, a familiar figure emerged from the entrance of Five Treasures Hall—it was Jiang Minghao.

The moment Jiang Minghao saw Su Chen, he could not help but grin. "Yo! Isn't this our great alchemy genius, Su Chen? What, no VIP pass, so you got stopped outside? Want me to take you in?"

Though he said so, anyone could tell from Jiang Minghao's tone that he had no genuine intention of bringing Su Chen inside. He was simply gloating and taking the chance to humiliate him.

Sure enough, Jiang Minghao's next words were, "As long as you call me Grandpa twice and admit you're my little lapdog, I don't mind taking you in... Hahaha!"

Since Jiang Minghao was a direct descendant of the Jiang Family, it was hardly strange that he possessed a Five Treasures Hall VIP pass.

Moreover, Su Chen had thoroughly slapped Jiang Minghao's face at the apprenticeship banquet last time. Even Master Qian had barely paid Jiang Minghao any attention since then, and Jiang Minghao had long hated Su Chen to the bone. Now that he had finally found an opportunity, he naturally wanted to humiliate Su Chen without mercy.

Yet Su Chen merely gave him an indifferent glance. "Were you talking to me just now? Sorry, say that again. A dog may have been barking just now, and it was so loud I didn't catch what you said."

Su Chen had actually compared his speech to a dog's barking!

"Su Chen!" Jiang Minghao flew into a rage. "Don't get too full of yourself! Don't forget that you're nothing but a lowborn parasite living under someone else's roof. You live in our Jiang Family's home and eat our Jiang Family's food! If I want, I can throw you out of the Jiang Family whenever I please!"

"What did you say?" Su Chen's face turned cold. Even if he lived in the Jiang Family residence, he lived in Xu Yin's home and ate Xu Yin's food. It had nothing whatsoever to do with Jiang Minghao.

Jiang Minghao's words had undoubtedly touched Su Chen's reverse scale. True qi was already gathering rapidly in Su Chen's palm.

Jiang Minghao had no idea that disaster was about to befall him. He was about to say something else when a voice suddenly interrupted him. "Who is making a disturbance at the entrance of Five Treasures Hall?"

Immediately afterward, a man dressed like a steward walked out.

When the steward's gaze landed on Su Chen, his pupils suddenly contracted. He recognized Su Chen!

It was the young man who had publicly treated the Coldheart Python's bite wound at Five Treasures Hall that day!

The instant Su Chen saw the Five Treasures Hall steward appear, he withdrew the true qi from his palm. No matter what, if he killed Jiang Minghao at the entrance of Five Treasures Hall, it would still cause some trouble.

Jiang Minghao had no idea that he had just escaped a calamity. Seeing the Five Treasures Hall steward emerge, he smiled. "It's nothing. Just someone without a VIP pass trying to sneak into Five Treasures Hall. I merely stopped him!"

"That's the guy!" Jiang Minghao said, pointing at Su Chen.

But in the next moment, a scene that Jiang Minghao found impossible to believe unfolded.

The Five Treasures Hall steward's eyes narrowed, and he immediately strode quickly toward Su Chen. Bowing deeply, he said with utmost respect, "I did not know that Young Master would be visiting Five Treasures Hall today. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar!"

"Young Master, please come with me. I'll escort you inside!" The Five Treasures Hall steward made an inviting gesture and led Su Chen through the entrance of Five Treasures Hall.

Jiang Minghao, who witnessed this scene, nearly had his eyes pop out of their sockets. What was going on? A steward of Five Treasures Hall was treating Su Chen with such respect?

Five Treasures Hall had always fawned on the powerful and trampled the weak. They only valued people with real fame and status.

Su Chen had no reputation at all, and Five Treasures Hall could not possibly have known what had happened at the Jiang Family banquet that day. How could they possibly attach such importance to Su Chen?

What Jiang Minghao did not know was that Su Chen had already displayed his alchemy attainments at Five Treasures Hall. To Five Treasures Hall, alchemists were the people most worth winning over. How could they dare treat Su Chen disrespectfully?

Nor was the Five Treasures Hall steward a fool. That day, he had failed to recognize Mount Tai before his eyes when dealing with Su Chen, and afterward had been fiercely reprimanded by the person in charge of Five Treasures Hall. Now that he saw Su Chen again, he naturally treated him with the utmost respect.