Chapter 804 Qin Liang’s Speculation

Gao the Rat hurriedly expressed his thanks, carefully tying the Qiankun Bag at his waist, then immediately left the Celestial Star Courtyard.

He went all the way back to his own dwelling.

Seeing no pursuers behind him, and that the people from Celestial Star Courtyard hadn’t gone too hard on him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he might really have a decent chance of getting that Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Looks like I’ve struck it rich this time."

Gao the Rat narrowed his mung-bean-like eyes, a greedy golden light flashing within them, and couldn’t help fantasizing: if he could get that Foundation Establishment Pill...

With his current strength at the Seventh-layer Qi Refining, given enough time, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage wasn’t entirely hopeless.

He, Gao the Rat, was originally a Top-grade Spirit Root.

Though unfortunately, he was a Mutated Spirit Root among Top-grade Spirit Roots, and only had his clan’s inherited Cultivation Technique, unable to join any Major Sect, which was why he ended up taking the path of a Loose Cultivator.

...

At this moment, inside the Mortal World Quarter.

The two who had previously gone to test the waters near Zheng Yi’s shop had already returned.

They reported all the information they had gathered, one detail at a time, not daring to conceal a single word.

At the Dragon Blood Mine, Qin Liang suddenly stood up; his blood-colored robe whipped and rustled in the wind, and a powerful Spiritual Pressure of Late-stage Foundation Establishment spread from his body.

He questioned the two disciples before him again, and after confirming that the facts were correct, he sank into thought.

"Master, should we continue with our move next?"

Piaomiao Mountain’s Wang Family may have caught the eye of that True Disciple of the Celestial Profound Sword Sect, but most likely it’s only a temporary shelter. We’re not even planning to act against the entire Wang Family."

Xue Ran spoke slowly.

Beside him, the ill-tempered Zhao Tian curled his lip, hatred on his face: "And that good little junior sister of ours seems to have thrown herself under a Third-grade Alchemist. Now she’s putting on airs far more than before.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think her Third-grade Alchemist master was actually a Second-grade Alchemist."

Zhao Tian spoke without much thought, but this remark sank into Qin Liang’s ears, and a sudden speculation jumped out in his mind.

"Who is this Third-grade Alchemist?

What’s his background?"

Qin Liang asked.

Xue Ran and Zhao Tian had previously, just to be safe, specifically investigated intelligence on Zheng Yi and the other notable figures of the Wang Family, and now it happened to come in handy.

Xue Ran knelt down on one knee, his steadfast expression tinged with something strange: "This person is quite odd. Clearly he’s just an Immortal Seed, yet he became an Alchemist.

In the Wang Family, Alchemists are passed down through a master-disciple lineage.

A Third-grade Alchemist could still be explained—but he actually broke the Wang Family’s precedent and became the Wang Family’s Third Elder; that’s what this disciple cannot wrap his head around."

"Hahahaha."

Hearing this, Qin Liang’s eyes lit up, his conjecture now confirmed. "Of course you wouldn’t understand.

A Third-grade Alchemist, and an Immortal Seed at that—how likely do you think that is?

Piaomiao Mountain’s Wang Family’s Immortal Seeds are eight or nine out of ten selected from over by Qingyun Mountain. Every single one of those Immortal Seeds is a Lower Grade Spirit Root; becoming a Third-grade Alchemist is already a miracle among miracles.

How could he possibly become the Wang Family’s Third Elder?

Without Late-stage Qi Cultivation strength, how would those people of the Wang Family ever be willing?

And since the Wang Family is currently calm and unruffled, this title of Immortal Seed is most likely fake. In reality, the Wang Family by now has probably become a vassal to that Second-grade Alchemist behind him.

Or rather, that Second-grade Alchemist might also belong to the Celestial Profound Sword Sect—or it could be that some other power has set its sights on the Wang Family.

Viewed this way, why the Wang Family could suddenly join the Celestial Profound Sword Sect might well be explained."

In that instant, many thoughts flashed through Qin Liang’s mind.

A Second-grade Alchemist is likewise in the Foundation Establishment Realm, but among those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, their influence is absolutely something few can compare to—at the very least, Qin Liang himself was far inferior.

"Master, what should we do next?"

Xue Ran pressed on.

"I will personally go regarding this matter and see what background this Second-grade Alchemist truly has.

If he’s not someone we can afford to offend, then we’ll try to make friends with him.

In the future, that will give our branch an extra relationship with an Alchemist as well; and if we happen to offend him by accident, then we’ll present a gift of apology—it’s still within what we can bear.

Either way, after watching the Wang Family for so many years, I’m not willing to just hand them over to someone else."

Qin Liang spoke slowly.

The eyes of the two disciples before him flashed, each harboring thoughts of their own.

...

In the small courtyard of the bedchamber behind the Alchemy Shop.

With Wang Manman, the mistress of the house, gone, Zheng Yi spent his days coming and going alone.

Though the stewards, servants, and slaves of the residence were always waiting on his summons, in the end it wasn’t as convenient as having a considerate lady by his side.

Zheng Yi was brushing ink and practicing calligraphy in the study.

He suddenly looked up and saw Wenn Qing, gentle and obedient, carrying pastries and tea, carefully setting them down in front of him.

After she finished, Wenn Qing did not leave, but instead stepped behind Zheng Yi, stretching out her small hands to massage his bones and loosen his joints: "Let me pound Master’s back, relax Master’s body."

Once Wenn Qing had steeled herself, her temperament became bold.

The Lady was no longer at the shop, and if Master wanted to do anything, there was indeed no one in the shop who could stop him.

Suddenly, Wenn Qing’s tone turned plaintive; though she stood behind Zheng Yi, her intention to offer herself was not hard to hear.

"Now in the shop, everyone is saying that I and Master are already one family.

But Master and this maid both know best in our hearts that this maid fled here from the Mortal World Quarter, and was even sent as a scout by that heartless Master.

If Master still guards against me...

This maid likely has no way to live. I beg Master to take pity."

As she spoke, the clothes on Wenn Qing’s body quietly slipped off; she wore only a dudou, and her delicate, petite figure pressed tightly against Zheng Yi’s back.

Through the bronze mirror before him, looking at Wenn Qing behind him, a trace of heat flashed in Zheng Yi’s eyes, but he did not let his head be easily turned.

Zheng Yi’s lips curled in a faint smile. "Do you know what you’re doing?"