Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Vying for Favor

"Master Mu Dan, we'll reach the Imperial City by tomorrow," Chen Da informed Mu Yuanfeng.

"Are we close? I wonder how Chen'er and Shi Tou are doing," Mu Yuanfeng mused, a mix of joy and concern on his face.

"Life in the Imperial City must be challenging. I hope Shi Tou hasn't gotten into trouble," Chen Da said worriedly.

"He's now an apprentice of the Martial King. He'll be fine," reassured Mu Yuanfeng.

Chen Da nodded, "Shi Tou is blessed in his foolishness. I just hope he doesn't offend the Martial King."

Mu Yuanfeng shook his head, "Don't worry, he won't."

A giant Uppeng bird soared through the sky, carrying a grand palace on its back.

Uppeng birds are docile and massive, making them easy to tame. Powerful factions often keep them for transportation.

Mu Yuanfeng and Chen Da were aboard a fourth-tier Uppeng bird. For a private chamber, Mu Yuanfeng paid fifty thousand stones.

The chamber he rented was relatively cheap. More lavish chambers cost up to several hundred thousand stones. Most guests on the Uppeng bird were wealthy and influential.

The Uppeng bird landed outside the city gates. Many luxurious carriages awaited, likely for the esteemed passengers.

As the last to disembark, Mu Yuanfeng and Chen Da watched as the other distinguished guests were escorted away, leaving Mu Yuanfeng feeling somewhat dejected.

"Are you Mu Yuanfeng, the alchemy master?" A middle-aged man approached them.

Mu Yuanfeng nodded, "Yes, that's me."

"Master Mu, I'm from the Junior Alchemy Guild. Your son Mu Chen is our honorary elder. Our president has prepared a feast in your honor. We hope you'll grace us with your presence," the man said respectfully.

Mu Yuanfeng was taken aback, "Mu Chen is an honorary elder of your guild?"

"Yes!" The middle-aged man affirmed.

"Off with you! Everyone knows that Mu Chen has fallen out with your low-tier Alchemist Guild," a slight and somewhat scrawny man exclaimed as he approached.

The man glared fiercely at the middle-aged individual, then turned to Mu Yuanfeng with a fawning look, saying, "Master Mu, I'm from the Rune Guild. Your son, Mu Chen, is truly gifted in rune crafting. Our guild leader has already sent him an invitation. Soon, he'll become an elder in our Rune Guild. Considering his youth, he'd be the youngest elder in our guild!"

Mu Yuanfeng furrowed his brows, looking at the man before him and said with a resigned smile, "Sir, I believe you're mistaken. My son has only recently begun learning to craft runes. He isn't skilled enough to become an elder in your guild."

The scrawny man, full of eagerness, replied, "Master Mu, I must disagree. Your son is a genius! He's certainly qualified to be an elder in our guild. You shouldn't underestimate him."

"Well..."

"Master Mu Dan, we're from the Alchemist Association. Congratulations on becoming a Martial Spirit. Our guild leader wishes to invite you for a visit," a stunning woman said, pushing past the others to approach Mu Yuanfeng.

Mu Yuanfeng's brow deepened in confusion, thinking, 'The low-tier Alchemist Guild is one thing, but now even the Alchemist Association and the Rune Guild are showing interest. What on earth is going on?'

"Master Mu, the sword you commissioned in Li City through our Blacksmith Guild has been completed. Perhaps you'd like to visit our guild and see it? Crafted by the renowned fourth-level master blacksmiths, Hua Yang and Yuan Cheng, I'm sure you'll be pleased."

Mu Yuanfeng's expression turned even more puzzled, recalling, 'I did commission a weapon in Li City. But the Blacksmith Guild informed me it would take a while to forge. They proposed an initial down payment, with the balance due upon delivery.'

'I had made an initial payment of 100,000, with an outstanding balance of the same amount. 200,000 spirit stones for a third-level blacksmith seemed already quite steep, but now two fourth-level blacksmiths?'

"We had agreed on a third-level blacksmith," Mu Yuanfeng remarked hesitantly, "I can't afford a fourth-level one."

"Rest assured, Master Mu, consider the weapon a gift from our guild. The remaining payment won't be necessary," the man replied ingratiatingly.

"Thank you," Mu Yuanfeng said, genuinely taken aback.

"Your Blacksmith Guild is way out of line."

"Even the Alchemist Association has no shame."

"What does the Rune Guild intend?"

"Mu Chen is a registered elder in our guild, genuine and legitimate."

...

Mu Yuanfeng stood aside, brow furrowed, watching the growing commotion around him, utterly perplexed.

...

The quarry.

"Move it! Slacking off again? You young ones, always shirking hard work yet dreaming of riches. Think good fortune just falls from the sky? If it did, it wouldn't be landing on you," Xiong Wei remarked disdainfully, clutching his wine gourd as he looked at Mu Chen and Ye Shi.

Ye Shi gritted his teeth, fury evident, yet he held his tongue.

"You two are so weak," Xiong Wei scoffed. "Can't even move a small rock. Did you skip breakfast?"

"We were roused by you so early we didn't get the chance to eat," Ye Shi grumbled.

"So you haven't eaten? That's no excuse for being weak. Both of you are martial artists. Missing a few meals won't harm you," Xiong Wei snorted.

Ye Shi ignored Xiong Wei's taunts, struggling to carry the stone forward.

Ye Shi realized there was a silver lining to this relentless manual labor. At the very least, his internal energy had become significantly denser.

"You two aware? There've been a lot of troublemakers in the academy lately," Xiong Wei remarked, lounging on a large rock, legs propped up, as he leisurely examined his toenails.

Ye Shi looked up, puzzled. "Why are there more troublemakers now?"

"Why? Because they want to make mistakes and get assigned here with you two," Xiong Wei said with a smirk.

"To seek us out?" Ye Shi inquired, brow furrowed.

Xiong Wei nodded, "Exactly. But don't worry, I've dispatched those with ulterior motives to other areas, so you won't be seeing any of them."

"They're here to cause trouble?" Ye Shi tilted his head, asking.

Raising an eyebrow, Xiong Wei replied, "Not exactly. I heard you two have crafted a new kind of Flame Rune, which can harness solar essence?"

Joy flooded Ye Shi's face, "Has the Rune Guild's assessment come out?"

Xiong Wei squinted at Ye Shi, "So, there is such a rune?"

Ye Shi's face stiffened momentarily, casting an uneasy glance at Mu Chen.

Mu Chen said calmly, "Yes, but the solar essence within the rune is quite faint. Harnessing a pure solar flame from it isn't straightforward."

Xiong Wei fixed a stern gaze on Mu Chen, "Do you have that rune with you?"

Mu Chen gave a slight nod, pulling out a Flame Talisman and handing it to Xiong Wei.

"It truly possesses the aura of the Sun's Core Fire, and the essence is so pure. Unfortunately, the flame isn't as intense as I hoped," Xiong Wei lamented.

Mu Chen smiled gently, replying, "This is the extent of my ability."

Xiong Wei glanced at Mu Chen, remarking indifferently, "For someone your age, achieving this much is quite impressive."

"Thank you for your kind words, senior," Mu Chen said with a bow of his head.

"Move quickly. Thinking you can outsmart me with minor tricks? I have both eyes on you. Don't even think about slacking off," Xiong Wei scoffed.

Ye Shi pressed his lips in annoyance, thinking, "The experts of the Saint Star Academy all act the same. They turn on you without hesitation."

...

As night fell, Ye Shi sealed the cave entrance, hiding with Mu Chen in a cave within the quarry.

"Is it ready?" Ye Shi asked, looking at Mu Chen who was finishing up at the alchemy furnace.

After taking a moment to regulate his breathing, Mu Chen opened his eyes and confirmed, "It's done."

Ye Shi leaned in to look inside the furnace. There were twelve snow-white pills radiating a rich aura that was utterly mesmerizing. "Is this the Enhancing Pill, which allows martial artists to instantly advance by one rank?"

Mu Chen nodded, replying, "It should be."

"It smells so good! Can I have an extra one?" Ye Shi asked hopefully.

Mu Chen shot him a reproving look, saying, "No."

Ye Shi expressed his disappointment, "What a pity..."

"The Enhancing Pill is effective only once. Consuming more than one won't provide additional benefits," Mu Chen explained.

Ye Shi stared longingly at the pills, inhaling their aroma, "Alright, just one then."

Mu Chen handed a pill to Ye Shi and took one for himself. Having recently advanced to a three-star martial artist rank, consuming the pill would elevate him to four stars.

"Mu Chen, is the Enhancing Pill a third-grade elixir?" Ye Shi inquired.

Mu Chen nodded, responding, "Yes, it is."

"So, you're now a third-grade alchemist?" Ye Shi pursued.

Again, Mu Chen nodded, "Yes."

"Great! Once we're out, you should get your third-grade alchemist certification," Ye Shi suggested.

Raising an eyebrow, Mu Chen asked, "Why?"

"My senior sister mentioned that you always chase random interests instead of focusing on alchemy. Lan Ruofeng, who's solely dedicated to alchemy, is already a third-grade alchemist. What's so great about him? I heard he often fails and loses money," Ye Shi remarked disdainfully.

Mu Chen looked at Ye Shi's competitive demeanor, smiling lightly, "Alright, once we're out, I'll pursue the third-grade alchemist certification."

Resting his head on Mu Chen's shoulder, Ye Shi inquired, "Mu Chen, once we're out, there's an opportunity to transfer academies. Would you consider it?"

Mu Chen smiled, "Yes."

"You're thinking of transferring to the Alchemy Academy? You'd clash with Lan Ruofeng!" Ye Shi frowned.

Mu Chen shook his head, "No, I'm considering the Inscription Academy."

Ye Shi was taken aback, "Aren't talismans and alchemy enough for you? Now you want to study inscriptions?"

Mu Chen chuckled, "In reality, I'm already a third-grade talisman master. Crafting third-grade elixirs and talismans is no longer challenging for me. Since my skills aren't yet up to par for fourth-grade items, why not learn another craft?"

Ye Shi was speechless.

"Crafting third-grade elixirs and talismans is no longer challenging!" Ye Shi kept mulling over this statement, finding it both impressive and audacious.