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Yet now, Min Mubei suddenly realized he was mistaken.

This young man might indeed be gentle, but he was not without sharp edges—they were merely concealed beneath his mild demeanor.

When it came to his wife, he would bare his fangs too.

Chapter 392

Just as Min Mubei was about to take Ning Yuzhou to where Min Sulin was confined, someone came to report that Dan Zheng was looking for him.

A King-rank Alchemist couldn’t be kept waiting, so Min Mubei had to go first.

Not long after, Min Mubei returned with Dan Zheng and introduced him: "Master Dan, this is Ning Yuzhou, my granddaughter’s husband—"

"I know him," Dan Zheng said with a thin, expressionless face, scrutinizing Ning Yuzhou sternly. "I doubt anyone in Central Continent hasn’t heard of Ning Yuzhou of the Red Heaven Sect."

Ning Yuzhou replied modestly, "Master Dan is too kind—"

Before he could finish, Dan Zheng snorted unceremoniously. "Young man, the path of alchemy is not like the brute-force cultivation of martial artists. If you don’t dedicate yourself wholeheartedly and explore with reverence, you won’t go far."

Min Mubei was taken aback and frowned slightly.

Before he could speak, Ning Yuzhou calmly responded, "Master Dan speaks wisely. This junior has always treated it with reverence."

Dan Zheng snorted again.

He looked like a gaunt old man, unkempt and disheveled, his clothes stained with gods-know-what, looking more like some crotchety old man from the mortal world than a cultivator. Cultivators tempered their bodies with spiritual energy and supplemented their cultivation with Spirit Restoring Pills, so few were unattractive. But anyone who had heard of this King-rank Alchemist from the Alchemist Alliance knew why he looked this way.

Dan Zheng was an alchemist who thrived on risky experiments, proficient in both elixirs and poisons. Yet, adhering to righteous principles, he refrained from using poisons on others and instead tested toxic pills on himself. Over time, he ended up a shriveled old man.

Fortunately, his power spoke for itself, and no one dared mock a King-rank Alchemist, letting him get away with his quirks.

Dan Zheng was obsessed with alchemy and despised those who lacked focus. Ning Yuzhou’s reputation in Central Continent was too prominent—not only hailed as a genius alchemist but also skilled in formations and artifact forging. In Dan Zheng’s eyes, he was the poster child for a scatterbrained amateur.

So it was no wonder Dan Zheng disliked him.

Wen Qiao and Wen Tuti happened to pass by and witness this scene. Wen Tuti’s fur bristled.

"Sis, what’s that geezer’s deal? Does he have a grudge against Brother Ning?" Wen Tuti rolled up her sleeves, itching for a fight.

Wen Qiao held her back. "He’s a King-rank Alchemist, and he’s old. Let’s not pick a fight with him."

Though she said this, she was also displeased. She pulled Wen Tuti along and chimed in cheerfully, "Father, husband, where are you going?"

With his long-lost granddaughter before him, Min Mubei naturally couldn’t refuse. He smiled and said, "I was just about to take Master Dan and Yuzhou to see Sulin. Chui, feel free to tag along."

Wen Qiao agreed and pulled Wen Tuti to Ning Yuzhou’s side, looking up at him with a smile.

Ning Yuzhou patted her head and took her hand.

Dan Zheng had meant to nitpick, but seeing the young couple being affectionate in front of him, a solitary old man, he found it pointless and simply asked Min Mubei to lead the way.

Min Mubei took them to the center of Cloud Piercing Island.

The group followed him, passing through what felt like rivers, gusts of wind, even deserts—the scenery blurred past, making it impossible to tell illusion from reality. It felt as though they had experienced the turn of seasons, the whip of storms, the crawl of deserts—all in an instant.

The Min clan excelled in formations, and their display of skill drove home the Min clan’s mastery.

They arrived at an empty space where Min Sulin waited in silence.

Dan Zheng was about to step forward when Min Mubei stopped him. "Master Dan, there are Formations here. Let me open them first."

Hearing this, Dan Zheng quickly withdrew his foot. He had already experienced the unpredictable nature of Formations earlier—a single wrong step could trap you. Truly, among the four auxiliary disciplines of alchemy, talismans, artifact forging, and Formations, Formations were the most elusive and deceptive, something ordinary people should never recklessly attempt.

The Min clan didn’t use ordinary rooms or cages to confine people; they simply trapped them with Formations.

Min Mubei swiftly executed several hand seals, and after a flash of spiritual light, it quickly vanished.

Then, Min Mubei led them inside.

Perhaps sensing the intrusion of strangers, Min Sulin, who had been curled up pitifully on the ground, suddenly raised her head, her expression icy. She called forth her Maiden's Plain Sword and attacked.

Min Mubei swiftly disarmed her and bound her with Spirit Binding Ropes.

Once restrained, Min Sulin returned to her previous docile state, lowering her head and standing quietly, looking perfectly docile.

"Has she always been like this?" Dan Zheng asked.

Min Mubei sighed. "When she was first confined here, she was quiet and showed no signs of aggression. Only after some time did she begin attacking whenever someone entered, so we had to restrain her..."

As he spoke, Min Mubei looked at his adopted daughter, now meek and compliant again, his heart sinking.

He had indeed resented her. When he first learned that his daughter had been killed by Di Ying, he had thought of banishing Min Sulin—just seeing her fueled his unchecked hatred.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He also knew that if he expelled her from the Min clan, not only would the White Phoenix Island brand her a disgrace and seek to eliminate her, but even the hidden Di Ying would not spare her. So he kept her.

While he resented her, Min Mubei had never intended to harm her, nor had he imagined she would end up like this.

Dan Zheng approached Min Sulin again to examine her. To facilitate the inspection, he fed her a Spirit Restoring Pill, knocking her out temporarily.

Only after Dan Zheng finished his examination and crouched in contemplation did Ning Yuzhou casually stepped forward to check on Min Sulin.