Master Stirred

Under the gaze of everyone present, Su Chen remained remarkably calm. He held out a hand to the girl. "Bring me Yang-Origin Stone."

Many people knew that Yang-Origin Stone was one of the most common low-grade materials. It contained a trace amount of yang energy and was widely used as a supplementary ingredient in alchemy. Ten taels of silver could buy a whole pile of it.

Yet no one had ever heard of cheap Yang-Origin Stone being used as a main ingredient to treat an injury. It was simply the most ludicrous joke under heaven.

The girl did not hesitate. She directly bought a jin of Yang-Origin Stone from the nearby counter and handed it to Su Chen.

Li Jun sneered from the side. "Kid, messing around like this will never cure him. If you succeed, I, Li Jun, will cut off my own head for you right here."

Li Jun said this because he had more than enough confidence that Su Chen's reckless attempt could never succeed.

Li Jun's eyes remained fixed on Su Chen's every movement. He saw that after taking the Yang-Origin Stone, Su Chen performed no complicated procedure. He merely placed it on a nearby table and used a mortar to grind it into powder.

Then Su Chen unwrapped the bandages around the old man's arm and applied the Yang-Origin Stone powder to the wound.

Li Jun could not stop sneering inwardly at the sight. Applying the cheapest medicine to a wound was something only three-year-old children playing house would do. If that could heal an injury, what would alchemists be needed for?

Li Jun was one hundred percent certain that this laughable treatment would have no effect whatsoever. It might even worsen the old man's injuries!

Yet just as Li Jun thought this, Su Chen took another most ordinary Blood-Staunching Herb, ground it into a paste as well, and applied it to the old man's wound, mixing it with the Yang-Origin Stone powder from before.

Then something miraculous happened.

Before Li Jun's dumbfounded eyes, the old man's savage, winding wound actually began to heal slowly at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"How is that possible?" Li Jun practically suspected that his eyes had deceived him. What he saw before him truly overturned everything he knew!

Most

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ordinary Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb, when mixed together, could actually treat a Coldheart Python bite?

The girl's beautiful eyes shifted, filled with utter astonishment. She hurried forward to support the old man and asked softly, "Grandfather, how do you feel?"

The old man's eyes were likewise filled with amazement. He slowly said, "Much better."

The moment those words fell, the entire place erupted in uproar.

Li Jun stood frozen as though turned to stone. He had just sworn with absolute certainty that if Su Chen succeeded, he would cut off his own head on the spot!

Li Jun's face burned fiercely. The gazes of those around him felt like countless resounding slaps cracking across his face.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!" Li Jun muttered over and over. Yet the facts before his eyes left him no choice but to believe.

"Thank you!" The girl finally let out a breath of relief and smiled at Su Chen. When that face, cold as an iceberg, suddenly smiled, it was like spring waters thawing for the first time—enchantingly beautiful enough to topple a kingdom.

Su Chen, however, felt nothing about it. He merely said, "It was no trouble at all."

Remembering something, the girl quickly took the Century Sunlight Herb from the Five Treasures Hall steward and handed it to Su Chen. "Young master, I can never repay your life-saving grace. I'll consider this Century Sunlight Herb bought by me and give it to you as thanks. In addition, I will pay your consultation fee in full."

Su Chen shook his head and took out his own banknote. "There's no need. I already said it was no trouble at all."

As he spoke, Su Chen used his own banknote to pay for the Century Sunlight Herb, then left swiftly with it in hand.

The girl stood there in a daze. She had never expected this plainly dressed youth to refuse her reward so lightly, or to leave so decisively, without the slightest intention of clinging to power and wealth.

After all, because of her noble attire and bearing, people flocked to curry favor with her. Even Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist Li Jun's enthusiasm just now had surely come from thoughts of ingratiating himself with her.

Yet this youth had turned and left so calmly, not even willing to say another word to her.

In a flash of lightning and flint, the girl could only shout at Su Chen's departing back, "May I ask your name, young master?!"

Su Chen did not stop walking or turn around. He merely spoke two words in an indifferent tone. "Su Chen."

"Su Chen?" The girl repeated softly, thoughtful, as a gleam of brilliance flashed through her beautiful eyes.

From this day onward, she would remember that name.

On the other side, Li Jun was nearly driven mad with rage. He should have been the one to cure the old man, yet that youth had completely stolen the limelight from him!

The looks in the surrounding crowd's eyes were plainly filled with mockery. He was a dignified Intermediate Apprentice Alchemist, yet he had been outdone by an unknown brat.

"They must be in cahoots!" Li Jun glared resentfully at the departing old man and girl. "They're definitely a pair of wandering swindlers, deliberately putting on a show in my Five Treasures Hall just to make that brat famous!"

This explanation was riddled with holes and could not stand up at all, but Li Jun's mind had already been blinded by fury. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. "That's right, they must have colluded to put on this act. Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb curing a Coldheart Python injury is simply absurd..."

Just as Li Jun found his reasoning more and more convincing, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of an old man with snow-white hair and beard, carrying the bearing of an immortal, hurrying out from the rear hall.

Li Jun immediately reined in his thoughts and hurried forward respectfully. "Master Mo!"

He could not help but be respectful. This old man was the chief alchemist of the Qinghe City Alchemy Guild and also its president. He was entirely different from apprentice alchemists like them—a genuine, ranked

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alchemist!

Moreover, Master Mo had always possessed tremendous prestige in Clear River City and was deeply respected. Five Treasures Hall had spent great effort to invite him as a guest elder, and even then, he only came once each month!

Today happened to be Master Mo's monthly day of duty at Five Treasures Hall. Yet Master Mo disliked crowded, noisy places and had always remained in the rear hall when he came before. No one knew why he had come to the front hall today.

Li Jun noticed that Master Mo looked somewhat anxious at the moment, having lost his usual composure. The instant he saw Li Jun, he hurriedly asked, "Where is that young man?"

Li Jun did not react at once. "Which young man?"

"The young man who just used Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to cure a Coldheart Python bite!" Fine beads of sweat covered Master Mo's forehead from having walked too quickly. He had originally been in the rear alchemy room instructing Five Treasures Hall's apprentices when he suddenly heard that a youth in the front hall had used Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb to cure a Coldheart Python bite. Shocked, he had rushed over at once, but he had not expected to still miss the other party by a hair's breadth.

"Master Mo means that young man? He... he has already left!" Li Jun was somewhat puzzled. Why would Master Mo, who had always stood aloof from worldly matters, care so much about that youth's whereabouts?

"He left?" Master Mo was disappointed, and he could not help but slump dejectedly. He muttered, "Why did he leave so soon?"

"Master, he was merely a wandering swindler. Let him go. Why should you worry about him?" Li Jun shook his head, feeling that Master Mo was making far too much of it.

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Master Mo would abandon his usual composure and nearly jump up? Blowing his beard and glaring, he pointed at Li Jun. "What wandering swindler? If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense!"

Li Jun froze, immediately feeling deeply wronged. "How was this junior wrong? How could cheap materials like Yang-Origin Stone and Blood-Staunching Herb possibly cure a Coldheart Python bite? They sang in harmony at Five Treasures Hall, clearly colluding to put on a grand act and deceive people. What is wrong with calling them wandering swindlers?"