This line of brilliant red characters highlighted Medicine King’s Valley’s high-handed and extraordinary courage.
Only the people of Medicine King’s Valley would dare engrave such an overbearing declaration upon the entrance to their home.
Passing by the unguarded base of this mountain, Qin Ze led the crowd steadily upwards.
Dong Qing Yan and Qin Ze walked side by side, followed by three Medicine King’s Valley disciples with Yang Kai bringing up the rear.
The three young Medicine King’s Valley disciples gazed towards Dong Qing Yan with looks of envy, worship and even love; however, they still looked upon Yang Kai with disdain and were even too lazy to exchange a single word with him.
Alchemists were a group of unsociable and arrogant people. All of them had eyes on top of their heads.
Medicine King’s Valley Alchemists were also so!
Dong Qing Yan had an extraordinary background and was also a natural beauty, so obviously they would concern themselves with her. Yang Kai, on the other hand, although he had also passed Grandmaster Xiao’s test and had the qualifications to worship into Hidden Cloud Peak, in essence, he was still just an ordinary servant possessing low status. How could they degrade themselves by speaking to such a nobody?
Since there was no one to speak with, Yang Kai was also quite bored and chose to secretly observe his surroundings as they walked instead.
Dong Qing Yan, in contrast, was just like a newborn sparrow. Since arriving at the foot of the rugged mountain path, she had been twittering about non-stop. She was about to enter the centre of her heart’s holy land and worship a great senior expert as her master, of course she would be feeling expectant and tense.
Qin Ze was composed as usual, remaining silent most of the time, but when asked a question by Dong Qing Yan, he would still carefully explain things to her, not showing any signs of impatience.
Listening to the conversation between the two of them, Yang Kai also learned some things.
Xiao Fu Sheng had been the only Alchemist since several decades ago to inhabit Hidden Cloud Peak. In addition to him, there were only his two dedicated maidservants, and not a single other person lived there.
Additionally, these two maids were not cultivators but instead just ordinary people.
Xiao Fu Sheng was obsessed with Alchemy, had never married, and had never taken any disciples until this year, when he suddenly changed his mind and decided to recruit a successor.
This had led to today’s test.
“Why did Grandmaster suddenly change his mind?” Dong Qing Yan asked curiously.
Qin Ze’s expression went dim, and he did not immediately answer as he pondered for a moment before saying, “About Uncle Xiao’s thoughts, I dare not presume to speculate. This is something you should ask him about yourself.”
“Oh.”
The first half of the journey up Hidden Cloud Peak was not surprising. The sights were filled with rugged rocks and mountain forest. There were also some wild animals that came and went, such as rabbits and deer, but nothing dangerous of course.
But upon entering the upper half it was like stepping off the Earth and entering the Heavens. Rich World Energy swirled about, causing one to feel relaxed and happy. The mountain side was also dotted with exotic flowers that spread out as far as the eye could see, swaying gently in the wind; a dazzling sight to behold.
“So many herbs scattered about, does no one secretly come to pick them?” All the way up, Dong Qing Yan hadn’t seen a single person guarding this mountain, so she couldn’t help being curious.
“Who would dare?” Qin Ze coldly snorted, “Anyone who dares steal from Medicine King’s Valley will soon find themselves without their head!”
From this casual mention of murder, Dong Qing Yan could only stick out her tongue.
The herbs randomly growing upon the mountain were certainly not expensive things. Offending Medicine King’s Valley just for these was clearly not worth it.
Half an hour later, everyone arrived at the mountain’s peak. At the top, there was a row of houses. Their number was small, probably only seven or eight, of which more than half of them were newly built.
These should be the residences Xiao Fu Sheng had prepared for his disciple.
At this point, Qin Ze stopped and turned to the three young Medicine King’s Valley disciples, “You three wait here.”
Immediately, the three of them showed big grinning faces and begged, “Uncle Qin, please also allow us to go in?”
“What do you want to do there,” Qin Ze questioned unhappily.
One of the three with a look of longing on his face quickly replied, “Since we entered Medicine King’s Valley until now, we have only been able to pay our respects to Predecessor Xiao from afar, now that we are here… well…”
Qin Ze frowned for a moment before nodding, “Very well, but you are not to speak, Uncle Xiao does not like it when people disturb his home’s tranquility.”
“Yes, we promise we will not speak.” The three disciples immediately agreed.
Observing from the side, Yang Kai found that these three people looked incredibly happy and had traces of awe in their expressions, even Qin Ze also had a smile upon his face.
It seems that Xiao Fu Sheng’s position within every Alchemist’s heart far exceeded what he had imagined.
Even the disciples of Medicine King’s Valley were thrilled simply being able to meet him.
Under Qin Ze’s leadership, the group walked straight towards the row of houses.
But before they had gone far, two women emerged to receive them. These two women were great beauties. Their figures were outstanding, and their faces were charming. Both of them revealed warm yet modest smiles as they glanced towards these visitors.
These two beauties women at first glance appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
But in reality, they were both past forty.
This was well known because as early as twenty-five years ago,they had come to Hidden Cloud Peak to serve Xiao Fu Sheng, and twenty five years ago they were both around sixteen seventeen years old.
These two beautiful women were not cultivators but ordinary people, yet they had been able to maintain their youth and charm even more so than most cultivators their age, and all of this was thanks to Xiao Fu Sheng’s methods.
Seeing these two beautiful women approach, Qin Ze quickly cupped his fists, not daring to show the slightest disrespect and politely said, “My two ladies, please inform Uncle Xiao that the people he requested have been brought over.”
“There are two of them?” One of them beautiful pair, wearing a long white dress, looked at Dong Qing Yan and Yang Kai.
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“Disciple greets these Elders!” Dong Qing Yan also understood proper etiquette, and together with Yang Kai quickly paid her respects.
The beautiful woman simply chuckled, “You may call me Aunty Xiang, this is Aunty Lan.”
Dong Qing Yan giggled happily and once again saluted these two.
Aunty Xiang nodded and said, “You do not have to be so anxious here, just treat this place like your own home. From now on both of you will be living here for a quite some time, if you are too cautious it will be uncomfortable for both you and us.
The other beautiful woman, Aunty Lan, also laughed and said, “When we first came to Hidden Cloud Peak, we were nearly the same age as you two, yet in a flash over twenty years passed.”
Seeing these two behaving so cordially, Dong Qing Yan’s tensed nerves gradually relaxed.
“Two mistresses, is Uncle…” Qin Ze patiently waited for their greetings to finish before respectfully inquiring.
“Master is currently practicing Alchemy, but the news from the Valley Town has long since been passed back here, so the four of you may leave. Once master finishes refining his furnace of pills, he will meet with them.”
Upon hearing this, not just the three young Medicine King’s Valley disciples looked sad, even Qin Ze appeared slightly disappointed.
“Then I shall leave things here to you!” Qin Ze quickly adjusted his expression, cupped his fists and led the three Medicine King’s Valley disciples back down the mountain.
When they left, the two women ushered Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan in, smiling as they helped arrange their accommodations.
For many years, Hidden Cloud Peak was only inhabited by Xiao Fu Sheng and the two of them. Xiao Fu Sheng was often in retreat to perform Alchemy, spending ten or more days without even showing his shadow, so the two women had only had each other for companionship. Now that Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan had come, they were naturally quite happy.
Hidden Cloud Peak was not like other Medicine King’s Valley peaks. There was nothing to pay attention to, and very, few if any restrictions. Everything was very free and relaxed.
Once they were done arranging Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan’s accommodations, the two beauties left them alone to get adjusted.
After three days on Hidden Cloud Peak, Xiao Fu Sheng still had not shown up, and only the two women would often come see Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan to carefully attend to their needs.
Three more days later, just as Dong Qing Yan was chattering, wondering when Xiao Fu Sheng would exit his retreat, a surge of World Energy fluctuations suddenly erupted not far away.
Yang Kai’s expression slightly changed as he and Dong Qing Yan exchanged a look and quickly rushed outdoors.
The two beautiful women had also come out and were patiently gazing towards a certain room.
Of course, it was the residence of Xiao Fu Sheng.
After a few breaths of time, the door opened and an all white haired white bearded old man of about 60 years of age emerged from inside the house. His face was calm and dignified, yet at the moment seemed to have a few additional wrinkles. In his hand was holding a golden yellow pill, which he rolled around in his fingers as he stepped forward and frowned.
Dong Qing Yan suddenly tensed up.
A great figure that she had long since idolized was now standing before her eyes. Her feelings were easy to imagine.
Yang Kai also carefully observed this legendary Alchemist and was surprised to find that his whole body did not emit the slightest traces of Yuan Qi fluctuations, like he was just an ordinary old man you could find anywhere.
But Xiao Fu Sheng was definitely not an ordinary person. At the very least, he was an Immortal Ascension Boundary master.
Yang Kai couldn’t help being impressed. Being able to converge one’s aura to such a level, this Xiao Fu Sheng was not simple!
“There’s no Pill Veins, no Pill Veins… without Pill Veins it’s useless.” Xiao Fu Sheng’s face showed a trace of disappointment as he mumbled about something several times in-between long sighs.
Yang Kai skimmed the pill in his hand and found that it was releasing a rich aura. Even from several tens of meters away he could clearly smell its fragrance. The whole body was perfectly rounded, and its colour was flawless. It was clearly a good Heaven Grade or higher pill.
But in Xiao Fu Sheng’s eyes this pill was now completely worthless.
“Master,” the two beautiful women greeted him as Aunty Xiang whispered, “The two juniors you were expecting have come.”
“Hm?” Xiao Fu Sheng suddenly woke from his stupor, readily throwing the pill in his hands to one of the beautiful women, then he turned and looked towards Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan.
“En. Very good, very good!” After walking around Dong Qing Yan a few times, Xiao Fu Sheng happily said.
At this time, Dong Qing Yan did her best to maintain a serious expression, not daring to move in the slightest.
Next, after circling Yang Kai a few times, Xiao Fu Sheng suddenly frowned, “You are also very good, but your murderous aura is too dense!”
Yang Kai was secretly surprised.
Carefully examining the two, Xiao Fu Sheng then asked, “Young ones, stretch out your hands.”
As instructed, Yang Kai and Dong Qing Yan both held out their hands and Xiao Fu Sheng quickly gripped their wrists. Checking something for a long time, the old man’s face filled with a meaningful smile and a light flashed across his eyes, as he looked directly at Yang Kai and declared, “You faked your test results!”
Yang Kai was surprised for a moment but then immediately praised, “Predecessor’s insight is impressive.”
Dong Qing Yan on the other hand was dumbstruck but then quickly tried to defended Yang Kai, “He didn’t cheat, he took the poison pill in front of everyone and then forced out the black gas, how could he have faked his results?”
But Xiao Fu Sheng simply smiled and continued, “I’m not saying that his aptitude isn’t good enough, on the contrary, his aptitude is probably better than yours, but he deliberately delayed forcing out the black gas. Apparently he did not want to draw too much attention to himself.”
“Ah!” Dong Qing Yan was once again shocked.
Even the two beautiful women’s eyes showed a touch of wonder as they looked towards Yang Kai in surprise.
A grin emerged on Yang Kai’s face as he inquired, “How did Predecessor find out?”
Xiao Fu Sheng chuckled as he stroked his beard, “I designed the test; how could I not find out?”