Chapter 31

Chapter 31: I’m Willing to Withdraw From This Three-Person Relationship

Her gaze was so frank that Rong Shu noticed. She blinked curiously, a hint of puzzlement on her face. [Why are you looking at me? Are Senior Sister Yu and Senior Brother Qin done talking? If they’re done, can I go now?]

Rong Shu’s mind was still fixed on getting to the Alchemists’ Guild branch.

Yu Ruan Ruan’s voice was sweet, her smile warm as a spring breeze as she asked: “Junior Sister, would you like to come with us?”

At this, Qin Yuan’s expression paused. Right. He had almost forgotten there was also a Rong Shu. A faint displeasure crept into his eyes. With Rong Shu around, his plan to enjoy some time alone with Ruan Ruan would fall through.

Rong Shu almost couldn’t keep her expression from slipping when she heard this invitation. [No no no… I don’t want to, I’m not interested, I’m willing to withdraw from this three-person relationship, and I sincerely bless you both!]

She shook her head and declined: “No need, I want to go cultivate and strive to reach the second level of Qi Refining as soon as possible. Third Senior Brother, Senior Sister Yu, have fun.”

“But…” Yu Ruan Ruan began, wanting to persuade her, but Qin Yuan spoke first, readily accepting Rong Shu’s choice: “All right.”

Quite satisfied with Rong Shu’s tact, Qin Yuan’s tone was gentler than usual as he added: “Scarlet Sun City does not allow cultivators to fight or duel with spells. You have cultivation; ordinary people can’t do anything to you, Junior Sister Rong.”

Saying this, he nearly convinced himself as well. There was no real danger in the city; Junior Sister Rong was not a child anymore, and it was time she learned to be independent instead of relying on him for everything as her senior brother.

At the end, Qin Yuan casually added: “If you encounter anything you can’t handle, remember to come find your senior brother.”

Rong Shu nodded calmly on the surface: “Mm.”

Inside, though, she was shouting: [Go quickly, go quickly, go quickly! Hurry hurry hurry!

Once she parted ways with the two, Rong Shu finally let out a breath.

A genuine smile crept across her face. [Hehe… Alchemists’ Guild branch, here I come.]

She had been in Scarlet Sun City for four days. Each time the mission took a break, Rong Shu would ask around about the Alchemists’ Guild branch, and she had long since memorized its exact location.

Before long, Rong Shu arrived at the guild’s main doors.

From the outside, the Alchemists’ Guild branch was just a typical palace-style building.

But once she stepped inside the Alchemists’ Guild, she sensed something slightly different about the spatial layout.

The interior space seemed larger than what the exterior suggested.

Rong Shu thought for a moment, and a guess slowly surfaced in her mind: [Is this a Space Array?]

The Storage Pouches commonly used by cultivators contain a small Space Array, allowing a palm-sized pouch to hold objects dozens of times larger than itself.

The branch building already covered a wide area from the outside; to cloak an entire Alchemists’ Guild branch with a Space Array of this scale would be an almost-unobtainable treasure.

The power backing this branch of the Alchemists’ Guild was absolutely no weaker than that of a major force.

There were branches of the Alchemists’ Guild in all twelve main cities. Didn’t that mean the Alchemists’ Guild possessed twelve such vast Space Arrays? Perhaps even more?

Rong Shu approached the front desk attendant and asked: “Excuse me, can I attend a free alchemist lecture right now?”

The man looked at Rong Shu’s petite figure; when those clear eyes stared up at him without blinking, they seemed to sparkle like little stars.

Unable to help himself before such a cute little girl, he softened his voice and asked: “Are you an apprentice, or a probationary alchemist?”

“It’s my first time here,” Rong Shu answered.

Strictly speaking, she didn’t even count as an apprentice.

Among alchemists, the recognized formal ranks run from first to ninth grade, with ninth grade the highest. Before becoming a first-grade alchemist, one must pass the apprentice and probationary alchemist assessments and receive alchemist certification; only then is one considered a true alchemist.

The man, unsurprised, explained: “Today’s apprentice lecture has already ended. There is still a probationary alchemist lecture, but you can’t enter that one right now.”

He pointed. “The notice board over there lists the time and topics of tomorrow’s apprentice lecture; only cultivators with fire or wood spiritual roots may attend. If you miss the time, you’ll have to wait until the next day.”

“All right, thank you,” Rong Shu said.

The notice board was not far away. For the convenience of visitors, the guild had placed it somewhere very conspicuous.

Rong Shu found the board and tipped her head up slightly to read.

The free lectures at the Alchemists’ Guild branch were open to those with fire or wood spiritual roots. Counting them up, Rong Shu saw there were five tracks in all, from apprentice to third-grade alchemist.

[Apprentice Lecture]
Time: Daily at chen hour (7 a.m.), duration three hour
Topics: Three fixed topics

[Probationary Lecture]
Time: Daily at shen hour (3 p.m.), duration two hour
Topics: Two fixed topics

[First-Grade Lecture]
Time: Once every three days at xu hour (7 p.m.), duration one hour
Topics: One fixed topic

[Second-Grade Lecture]
Time: Once every seven days at hai hour (9 p.m.), duration one hour
Topics: Instructor’s choice

[Third-Grade Lecture]
Time: Once every half month at wei hour (1 p.m.), duration half a hour
Topics: Instructor’s choice

Unfortunately, it was already afternoon, so the apprentice lecture for today had ended, and the notice board displayed tomorrow’s apprentice lecture information.

The schedule was the same.

The apprentice topics were: “How to Determine Whether You’re Suited to the Alchemist’s Profession,” “How to Cultivate Focus for Pill Refining,” and “How to Select an Appropriate Pill Furnace.”

After reading the three topics, Rong Shu felt they were all quite good.

Better to arrive by chance than early; these three just happened to be perfect for an outsider like her.

She noted down the time for tomorrow’s apprentice lecture, and did not hurry to leave the Alchemists’ Guild branch.