Chapter 113: Promotion to the Upper Echelon
Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Promotion to the Upper Echelon
"I understand. Please have them take a seat. I’ll be right there."
Lin Changheng wasn’t surprised by this and replied immediately.
After all, the Xu Family currently had only one Upper Grade Alchemist. To gain another was a momentous, joyous occasion.
It was perfectly understandable for them to be cautious about such wonderful news and send someone to confirm it.
He wasn’t even surprised that the person they sent was the family’s Alchemy Dao chief, Xu Qianyan.
After casting two Cleaning Skills on himself and changing into a fresh set of robes, Lin Changheng prepared to open the door and head downstairs.
But he paused, thinking for a moment. He turned, flicked a spark of Flame, and incinerated the ornamental Spirit Plant he had just revived. He even dug out the roots and burned them to nothing. Only then did he relax and head downstairs.
This was all because he realized the effect of his Rong Sheng Divine Power True Intent was far too astounding. ’If it can revive a Spirit Plant, couldn’t it possibly revive an Ancient Divine Seed or a Withered Silence Treasure Medicine too?’
’If anyone found out, even the slightest possibility, wouldn’t I be captured, chained up, and forced to revive Spirit Seeds and medicinal plants day and night?’
The very thought was suffocating. Lin Changheng had to be absolutely certain there were no loose ends.
He had to destroy all the evidence.
...
Upon reaching the ground floor,
Lin Changheng saw an old man sitting in a chair, his eyes closed in meditation.
His white hair was sparse, his face as gaunt and weathered as pine bark. It was none other than Xu Qianyan.
’He really came.’
Lin Changheng muttered to himself as his gaze swept over the others present. Their Cultivation was all at the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation; he figured they were here to serve as Xu Qianyan’s escort and to act as witnesses.
Shopkeeper Xu Qianyou was accompanying them at the side. He saw Lin Changheng coming downstairs at a glance and immediately began shooting him meaningful looks.
Lin Changheng simply smiled and shook his head, signaling that everything was fine and that the Shopkeeper could rest assured.
Seeing Lin Changheng act this way, Xu Qianyou let out a sigh of relief, feeling an inexplicable sense of trust in the young man.
Lin Changheng didn’t try to hide the sound of his footsteps, so he naturally drew the attention of the others.
Xu Qianyan’s gaze fell upon him. His eyes, though cloudy, flashed with a sharp glint, like the glowing embers in a furnace, seeming to pierce right through Lin Changheng.
"Greetings, Chief."
Lin Changheng cupped his fist in a gesture that was neither humble nor arrogant, meeting the old man’s gaze without flinching or backing down in the slightest.
"Very good."
Xu Qianyan’s expression immediately softened, and he even let out a hearty laugh. Lin Changheng’s composure had already convinced him, for the most part.
’A young man with this kind of bearing couldn’t be lying about his promotion in the Alchemy Dao.’
But since he was already here, he still had to go through the motions. However, Xu Qianyan’s attitude was now exceptionally warm and friendly. Where was the slightest trace of his former cold, stern, and unapproachable demeanor?
This display made the other Xu Family members, all Late Stage Qi Cultivation cultivators, smile and nod at Lin Changheng.
’"When you climb high enough, you’ll find yourself surrounded by nice people."’
This sentence flashed through Lin Changheng’s mind involuntarily, and he smiled and nodded back to each of them.
The rules for this assessment were still the same: Lin Changheng would have three chances to refine an Upper Grade Elixir. As long as he succeeded once, his promotion in the Alchemy Dao would be confirmed.
The only adjustment was that usually, other Alchemists would "accompany the pill refining," essentially acting as proctors in the Alchemy Room. Now, Xu Qianyan himself was taking on that role.
Any other Alchemist truly wouldn’t have been able to follow along.
「Five days later.」
The doors to the Alchemy Room had not yet opened when the people waiting anxiously outside suddenly heard Xu Qianyan’s clear, loud laughter.
Instantly, everyone’s expressions relaxed; they knew the result before it was announced. They were thrilled that the family had gained another Upper Grade Alchemist.
The family was on the rise!
CREAK.
Sure enough, the doors to the Alchemy Room opened. Xu Qianyan emerged, holding Lin Changheng’s hand. He addressed the assembled crowd—from which the Alchemists and clerks of other Pill Shops had been dismissed—and announced in a deep voice, "Congratulations to Alchemist Lin on his promotion to Upper Grade Alchemist!"
"Alchemist Lin, congratulations!"
Then, to Lin Changheng’s surprise, they came forward one by one, each presenting him with a gift basket.
’Were these prepared in advance?’
A flash of surprise crossed Lin Changheng’s face, but he graciously accepted them with a smile.
That evening, Shopkeeper Xu Qianyou ordered food from the Spirit Wine Tower and held a low-key banquet in the shop, celebrating behind closed doors.
Xu Qianyan, who usually disliked such occasions, did not refuse. In fact, he stayed and feasted until the very end.
Someone, emboldened by the Spirit Wine, teased him about this.
To everyone’s surprise, Xu Qianyan slapped Lin Changheng on the shoulder and declared without reservation, "Because I have been waiting all this time, hoping for a second Upper Grade Alchemist—or even a Tier Two Alchemist—to appear in our family. Now, I have finally found Alchemist Lin. How could I not be happy? How could I not be excited?"
"Tonight, no one goes home sober!"
Xu Qianyan raised his cup and drained it, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Lin Changheng held his wine cup, chuckling softly as he watched the scene unfold. He, who should have been the happiest person there, was paradoxically the least happy of them all.
How utterly strange...
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. This generation of the Xu Family had such strong cohesion and unity. Their rise to prominence was no accident.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
It had now been a full year since Lin Changheng first came to the Pill Shop in the Cyan Spirit District to serve as its chief.
In that entire year, he had neither left the marketplace nor returned to the family estate.
Aside from receiving a letter from Mo Zhaoli,
Lin Changheng received a letter from Tantai Feiyue almost every month.
She would either pour out her heart to him, share her progress in the Talisman Dao—including a few newly drawn Middle Grade Masterpiece Talismans and reminders for him to take care of himself—or update him on the status of the Black Armored Earth Turtle.
She always had endless things to say.
Speaking of the Black Armored Earth Turtle, Lin Changheng hadn’t brought it with him to Cyan Spirit Marketplace.
For one, there were no mud pits here for the turtle to laze around in. For another, the area was too crowded with prying eyes, and details about the turtle could easily be leaked.
While others wouldn’t know, the Liu Family who sold him the Turtle Eggs might put two and two together and link him to his other identity.
Therefore, he had to be cautious and entrusted its care to the Commandery Princess, the person with whom he had the closest and deepest relationship.
Judging from the records sent by the Commandery Princess on Jade Scrolls, the turtle was growing well. Her care was even more meticulous than Lin Changheng’s own.
Lin Changheng would, of course, write back, and he also sent along some Middle Grade, Masterpiece-quality Wood Element Elixirs.
...
As for Lin Changheng’s status as an Upper Grade Alchemist, the Xu Family still had not announced it publicly.
Lin Changheng himself was even less likely to announce it.
However, the increase in his stipend was quite substantial.
At the same time, his status as a high-ranking member of the family was confirmed, granting him the authority to participate in family decisions, review secret reports, and so on.
In addition, three more high-ranking family members had proposed marriage, offering their Spirit Root Women to him.
To win Lin Changheng’s approval, they even expressed that having all three women serve one husband would be acceptable.
Lin Changheng was utterly shocked by this.
He was almost tempted, but in the end, he politely refused with the dignified excuse that the heart of one who seeks immortality must not be disturbed.
...
On this day, a Cultivator from the Sun Family visited again. As agreed, it was their third time delivering the scheduled Red Sky Crane Essence Blood.
With this delivery, Lin Changheng had finally accumulated two hundred portions of the Essence Blood!
He could now perform the Spirit Stealing all in one go.
That’s right. Lin Changheng hadn’t been absorbing the Essence Blood as he received it.
Instead, he had been saving it up.
He was being much more cautious about performing Spirit Stealing with this new type of Essence Blood.
To avoid wasting a Species Position, he had to accumulate enough to form a First Layer Treasure Seed at a minimum.
Having completed all the preparations with practiced ease, Lin Changheng had already connected with his Primordial Cauldron.
Without a second thought, he began the Spirit Stealing.
But one of the three Talents that subsequently appeared made Lin Changheng’s pupils shrink.