Ya Fei's advice! A little baka

"You want to go to Qingshan Town?"

Gu Ni did not understand why Chu Zhou would waste time going to such a small place. Miss Ya Fei would do everything she could to provide whatever he needed. His immediate priority should have been to advance to the Second-Rank Alchemist level.

A twenty-two-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist was already considered exceptionally talented in the Jia Ma Empire. What was more, Chu Zhou would probably need less than three months from his first exposure to alchemy to reach that rank. That was astonishing.

Gu Ni believed that once he reported this achievement, Patriarch Mittel Tengshan would certainly take notice. He might even ask Pill King Gu He or Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Guild, to take Chu Zhou as a disciple.

"I want to go back and have a look at Deercry Village. I haven't been there since it was destroyed." Chu Zhou had prepared his excuse long ago.

"Oh, right." Understanding dawned on Gu Ni's face. "Deercry Village is near Qingshan Town. You lived there for years, after all. It's only natural that you'd want to go back and see it."

"Exactly." Chu Zhou immediately followed his lead. "If anyone I used to know is still alive, I'm not the same as I was before. If I can help them within my means, that would be a good thing."

Gu Ni thoroughly approved of those words. Naturally, he hoped Chu Zhou was someone who remembered and repaid kindness.

With that thought, he nodded. "Then go. Make it a quick trip, and don't delay your progress. Becoming a Second-Rank Alchemist as soon as possible will affect your future."

"I understand, Uncle Gu Ni." Chu Zhou nodded like an obedient young man, but he did not take it to heart.

Ya Fei had already hinted at certain things, both openly and indirectly. While trying to win him over, she was also looking out for him.

If he had not possessed the Myriad Medicine Clarity Body, he would have been willing to take even Gu Ni, a Second-Rank Alchemist, as his master for the sake of better prospects.

But with a heaven-defying physique like the myriad medicine clarity body, his alchemy skills would develop naturally as long as he was strong enough and consumed enough high-grade pills refined by high-ranking Alchemists. Why put another master over his head?

He would not mind someone like Xuan Yi, though. After all, besides being an Eighth Grade Peak Alchemist, she was also a peak Dou Zun expert. She could be someone he could rely on.

If someone let him rely on them, he would be willing to let them rely on him in the future, with all the respect they deserved.

"Uncle Gu Ni, I'll take my leave, then." Chu Zhou maintained his humble smile.

Afterward, he went straight to Ya Fei and explained his plans.

Ya Fei's reaction was much the same as Gu Ni's, but with more consideration and concern. She reached out to straighten Chu Zhou's collar. "Don't go pretending to be weak so you can catch people off guard and end up making trouble for yourself. Many people in this world judge your clothes before they judge you. People with status always get treated differently."

"If you wear your First-Rank Alchemist robes wherever you go, fewer fools will try to provoke you. It'll save you a lot of trouble."

"Take this Purple-Gold Card. You can withdraw a hundred thousand gold coins with it. It's from my personal savings, so spend it if you need to."

"I'll ask Aunt Luo to go with you. She's a nine-star Dou Shi, so she can protect you if you run into danger."

Money, a bodyguard, and all that tenderness. An understanding older woman who knew how to get things done really was the best.

"Got it, Sister Ya Fei. I'll be back soon." Chu Zhou reached out and hugged Ya Fei tightly, then immediately turned and left.

Only after he disappeared through the doorway did Ya Fei realize what had happened. A smile appeared on her exquisite face, carrying a charm she had never shown before. "You little brat, taking advantage of me. Just wait until you get back. I'll teach you a lesson."

Meanwhile, Chu Zhou obediently changed into his First-Rank Alchemist robes and put on his badge.

The fabric, craftsmanship, stitching, and even the robes' dust-repelling effect were all extraordinary.

Chu Zhou already looked the part. He was the kind of strikingly handsome man who turned heads wherever he went.

Dressed in Alchemist robes, he looked even more appealing.

As he waited at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House for the Magical Beast Carriage to arrive, he drew countless gazes.

Some passing women cast flirtatious glances his way, and plenty of people began talking.

"Do any of you know who that Young Master is?"

"You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn. I want everything there is to know about him."

"A First-Rank Alchemist, and so handsome, too. If only I could marry someone like him."

"Go to sleep. You can have anything in your dreams."

"..."

Chu Zhou even saw people flooding Wutan City's Chat Channel with messages discussing him.

One "female player" even said she wanted to stage an accident with him. Maybe she could trigger a special quest.

Someone immediately shot back that she had better not end up becoming the quest herself.

The "female player" promptly replied that she would love that.

Chu Zhou had to admit these people really knew how to have fun.

Just then, the Magical Beast Carriage came speeding over. Aunt Luo, whom Chu Zhou knew, was driving.

"Sorry for the trouble over the next few days, Aunt Luo." Chu Zhou quickly climbed aboard without forgetting to thank her.

"It's part of my duties, Young Master. There's no need to be so polite." Aunt Luo smiled back, then flicked the whip once she was sure Chu Zhou was seated securely.

After the carriage disappeared around the corner, a black-robed figure appeared at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House.

"Little Yanzi, are you jealous?" Yao Lao's mischievous chuckle rang out in Xiao Yan's mind.

"Teacher, that was a First-Rank Alchemist, wasn't it?" Xiao Yan asked for confirmation.

"Yes. That lad has a good talent for spiritual perception, even better than yours. His Dou Qi attributes are also ideally suited to becoming an Alchemist, unlike yours, which barely qualify." Yao Lao gave an odd chuckle. "Unfortunately, he probably hasn't been practicing alchemy for long. He's only a First-Rank Alchemist at his age, and he's in a backwater like the Jia Ma Empire. He'll most likely stop at the fourth rank in this lifetime. If he's lucky, he might reach the fifth."

"What about me?" Xiao Yan asked softly, his heart beating faster.

"With me teaching you, let's leave aside how far you can ultimately go. But if you only reach Pill King Gu He's level, you'd best not call yourself my disciple." Yao Lao's words made Xiao Yan's heart race.

Pill King Gu He was a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, yet Yao Lao actually thought someone at that level would disgrace him as a disciple.

Who knew whether the old man was boasting or had been unimaginably powerful in his prime?

Xiao Yan thought the latter was far more likely.

At the very least, Pill King Gu He certainly could not have survived as a soul without a physical body.

Chu Zhou knew nothing of any of this.

Traveling by carriage, he reached Qingshan Town near sunset and checked straight into the inn established by the Mittel trading company.

After spending the night at the inn, he set out from Qingshan Town for Deercry Village the following day. The village was completely abandoned. Only a few buildings that had suffered less damage showed signs of temporary occupants. Clearly, cultivators such as mercenaries had been using the place as a temporary camp.

Chu Zhou left in disappointment and returned to Qingshan Town by noon.

Finding a casual excuse, he began wandering around town. Aunt Luo followed at an unhurried pace about thirty feet behind him, her gaze sharp.

As he wandered, Chu Zhou arrived at the entrance of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion and found a long line stretching outside.

"Excuse me, why are so many people lining up here?" Chu Zhou stopped a young man who was passing him with his head lowered.

"Baka!" The young man was irritated at being stopped, but when he looked up and saw what Chu Zhou was wearing, his expression changed immediately. Bowing slightly, he said, "Sir, everyone in line is here to have Miss Xiao Yi Xian treat their injuries."

Chu Zhou narrowed his eyes. "..."