Chapter 72: The Master of the Pavilion

“How could that kid possibly have succeeded at refining it…” Zhao Xue muttered with a dismissive curl of her lips.

She was well aware that Li Jiansan had just been inside, attempting to refine a pill. But for such a green youngster to produce a third-grade pill? The notion was laughable. To refine a third-grade pill in such a short span of time required the seasoned hands of a true master, not some upstart boy dreaming above his station.

Even she herself, under the guidance of many alchemists, had failed to succeed after more than a month of effort. Only a rare prodigy in alchemy could possibly achieve such a feat in so little time. Clearly, Zhao Xue did not consider Li Jiansan to be one of those gifted few.

“Yes…” she heard, and soon after, Li Jiansan produced the pill in his hand. At that moment, a strange and enchanting fragrance suddenly permeated the surrounding air.

Both Zhao Xue and Steward Zhang were startled in unison.

“What? He actually… managed to refine a third-grade pill in such a short time!” Steward Zhang’s lips trembled, and he drew in sharp breaths of amazement.

How could this be possible? To refine a third-grade pill in so little time—something he himself had not achieved in his entire life—Li Jiansan had accomplished it with apparent ease. Was this not a slap to his own face? Where was his dignity now? Did he not care for his reputation at all?

“Brother Li, no, no… forgive my boldness, but may I ask if you are a third-grade alchemist?” Steward Zhang gazed at the pill in Li Jiansan’s hand, his heart swelling with excitement, until finally he could no longer contain himself. Even his speech carried a tone of newfound respect.

A third-grade alchemist in his teens—this was truly a genius! With such talent, even the most powerful factions would vie to have him among their ranks. And to think of the master who had trained such a disciple…

“I am indeed an alchemist,” Li Jiansan replied, “but regrettably, I am the least talented in my sect. For example, my little junior brother is only seven this year.”

“He too is an alchemist now, while I am already fifteen! Ah, just thinking about it makes me feel disheartened.”

Hearing this, Steward Zhang and Zhao Xue almost coughed up blood in frustration.

“It’s getting late, I should be on my way,” said Li Jiansan.

As soon as he spoke of leaving, Steward Zhang hurried to detain him. “Brother, why not stay a while longer? I have some excellent tea…”

“There’s no need,” Li Jiansan replied coolly.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a long robe approached at a measured pace. “Honored guest, might I invite you inside for a discussion?”

“Master Hall Lord, you’ve come,” Steward Zhang immediately greeted the man with the utmost respect.

He turned to Li Jiansan, “This is the master of our Hundred Herbs Hall.”

The Hall Lord gestured invitingly to Li Jiansan. “Please, come inside, honored guest.”

That the Hall Lord, a man of such high standing, would treat Li Jiansan with such courtesy left Steward Zhang deeply astonished. This was the renowned Hall Lord—so many nobles and dignitaries sought his acquaintance, yet he rarely deigned to acknowledge them. Now, he was treating Li Jiansan as a guest of honor.

“It seems I have underestimated this young man’s value,” Steward Zhang thought. He had only wanted to test the waters, but seeing how the Hall Lord regarded Li Jiansan, he was glad he had not offended the youth earlier.

“No need, I still have business to attend to,” Li Jiansan replied with a gentle smile, knowing he had achieved his goal and it was time to make his exit.

“Then allow us to see you out,” the Hall Lord said politely. Since Li Jiansan had declined repeatedly, he did not dare insist further, lest he cause offense.

Li Jiansan nodded. “Very well.”

“This way, please.” With great respect, the Hall Lord personally escorted Li Jiansan out of the main doors of Hundred Herbs Hall.

On the street, the crowd’s attention quickly shifted. At the sight of Steward Zhang, their expressions changed dramatically.

“Who could possibly warrant such personal attention from Steward Zhang?”

They all knew that, while courteous, Steward Zhang had his pride—he did not regard just anyone highly. Usually, people sought to curry favor with him, not the other way around. When had he ever stood outside the door to see someone off with such respect?

His abnormal behavior left those watching in amazement.

But when the crowd’s gaze shifted slightly, their shock only deepened. Standing beside Steward Zhang was an elderly man with white hair and a gentle smile, speaking courteously with a young boy at his side. The old man’s face even bore an eager, almost ingratiating expression.

Who was this white-haired elder? He was none other than the Hall Lord of Hundred Herbs Hall—a figure whom even the most powerful families found difficult to meet.

Yet now, such a distinguished figure stood humbly at the door, his attitude deferential. Who, then, was the youth they strove so hard to please?

With awe-struck eyes, the onlookers watched the departing figure as he walked away from the Hundred Herbs Hall.

After Li Jiansan had left—

“So young, and already a third-grade alchemist!”

“Who on earth could have taught him…”

Steward Zhang replied, “I inquired discreetly before. He has a mysterious master, but I do not yet know his true identity.”

“Should we try to investigate further?” he asked.

At this, the Hall Lord quickly interjected, “If he does not wish to say, it is because he does not want others to know. To have produced such a genius, his master must be an extraordinary figure—those of their kind prefer to remain low-key. If we probe too deeply and are discovered, it could bring disaster upon us!”

“Wise as always, Hall Lord,” Steward Zhang flattered.

The Hall Lord continued, “Do we know anything of his background?”

“I heard his name is Li Jiansan, and he is the young master of the Shengjing Sect.”

“What!” At this, Zhao Xue’s brow immediately furrowed. “He’s that notorious little fiend, Li Jiansan?”

Steward Zhang nodded. “If the rumors are true, his reputation is dreadful—nothing but a scourge.”

“And yet, we are to befriend such a menace?” Zhao Xue had long heard of Li Jiansan’s infamy—his name was a byword for trouble. Had he ever fallen into her hands, she would have destroyed him without hesitation.

“So, it is Li Jiansan of the Shengjing Sect…” The Hall Lord mused. “Who would have thought such a genius would emerge from Shengjing? It seems the sect is destined to rise again.”

At this, Zhao Xue retorted stubbornly, “A genius? I’d always heard he was a useless good-for-nothing who couldn’t even enter the Qi Refining stage…”

“Child, you mustn’t judge by appearances,” the Hall Lord said gently. “From what we saw today, it’s likely he was simply biding his time for reasons unknown. And, judging by his alchemy talent alone, even if he’s a martial arts wastrel, he’s certain to make his mark in the future!”

“Prepare yourselves. We shall pay Shengjing Sect a visit,” the Hall Lord concluded with a quiet sigh, his thoughts already settling into calm reflection.