C5 Success!

In an alchemy room within the auction house, a young man was drenched in sweat. His hands tirelessly formed seals, and the medicinal liquid in the pill furnace steadily solidified. At last, it transformed into a jade-green pill.

Wang Pingfan wiped the sweat from his brow and exclaimed, "At last, success! Seven batches of herbs gone, but it's worth it. Pill refining is truly a grueling task. It's no wonder alchemists are held in such high regard. I need to pick up the pace. I'm curious how many pills I can produce from these one hundred and fifty batches of herbs."

While Wang Pingfan diligently refined pills, his family was searching for him back at the mansion. "Where has that rascal vanished to? We've been searching for ages without a trace of him," Wang Tianlong, Wang Pingfan's father, bellowed as he slammed his hand on the table.

"Master, we've searched all the young master's usual haunts and even questioned the pedestrians along the way, but there's still no sign of him," an elderly butler reported.

"Enough, enough, stop searching. Fan'er has gone out to play; he'll return after a bit," Wang Pingfan's mother interjected.

"What? He went out and didn't inform me?" Wang Tianlong demanded.

"Would you have let him go if he had told you? He'll be back in a month. He just wanted some time to clear his head and sever ties with those fair-weather friends of his," Wang Pingfan's mother explained.

"Humph, a leopard can't change its spots. Do you really believe that scoundrel just went out to clear his mind?" Wang Tianlong said, clearly skeptical.

"Let's all calm down. Ping'er will return soon. You must trust him. Lately, I've noticed quite a change in him," his wife said soothingly, and with that, the crowd dispersed.

"You're too lenient with him. That's why he's turned out this way. When he returns, I'm grounding him. If he doesn't achieve the status of Martial Cultivator, I won't allow him to leave the house," Wang Tianlong sighed, a mix of anger and concern in his voice.

"Please, Tianlong, I don't expect grand achievements from him. I just want him to lead a normal life, to be with us, that's all," his wife replied, her voice filled with hope for their son's future.

"Hmph, the world is becoming more and more unstable. The conflict between the two nations is escalating, and our proximity to the border puts us at risk. Without any cultivation, we're sitting ducks. I've arranged a marriage for him; he should come see me when he returns." With that, Wang Tianlong exited the hall. Meanwhile, Wang Pingfan, who was at the auction house, was unaware of the marriage his father had set up for him.

Ten days later, an exhausted Wang Pingfan emerged from the alchemy room, having completed his task. He had successfully refined two hundred pills, although there had been some loss of medicinal herbs during the process; otherwise, he could have produced even more. The ten days of relentless alchemy had significantly expanded the Qi Sea within his dantian. In just a few days, he would be ready to advance to a Two-star Martial Cultivator. Alchemy was proving to be quite advantageous, but he needed to pick up the pace. He was eager to complete his inheritance and return home, so as not to worry his parents. With that in mind, he headed toward the cultivation room, having previously inquired about its location before entering the alchemy room.

At the same time, in a secluded room within the auction house, two elders were deep in conversation when a servant entered and reported, "Manager, Elder Ling, the gentleman has left the alchemy room. I didn't approach him before he made a beeline for the cultivation room and shut the door. I didn't want to intrude, but should I go and call him now?"

"There's no need. Let's wait a bit longer," Elder Ling responded.

The manager then inquired, "Is he the young, under-twenty, one-star alchemist you mentioned? Elder Ling, are you sure you're not mistaken? Even in the capital, it's rare to find such young one-star alchemists. How could one turn up here?"

Elder Ling chuckled and assured, "I'm not mistaken. I've been identifying talent for many years, and I wouldn't misjudge someone so young. Despite his disguise, his youth is apparent. He's definitely under twenty, and the fact that he confidently used one hundred and fifty sets of medicinal ingredients for alchemy speaks volumes. I even had someone check his background. You'd never guess which family he's from."

"Oh, does he have some kind of special background? Come on, Elder Ling, no need to keep me in suspense—just tell me," I urged. Elder Ling gave a slight smile and replied, "Based on my research, he's likely Wang Pingfan, the son of Wang Tianlong from the Wang family."

"Really, him? Aren't there rumors that he's nothing but a wastrel? At eighteen, he's not even a Martial Cultivator. His father has been the butt of many jokes. There was even a time when his father beat him so badly he couldn't leave his bed for three days. Yet, three days later, he was back at the brothel. It's common knowledge in Rerora. Elder Ling, are you sure you're not mistaken?" the supervisor inquired.

"There's no mistake. Wang Tianlong is likely playing a long game, deliberately concealing his son. Haven't you heard the rumor that the Wang family's second son is vying for the position of Patriarch? Wang Tianlong has probably been preparing for this moment for a long time. The Autumn Hunt Competition hosted by the Three Great Clans is approaching, and I suspect we'll see significant developments then," Elder Ling explained.

"Haha, no matter how significant the developments, they can't threaten us, right? We'll just do the Wang family a favor when the time comes. This young man will surely thank us later. But I've heard that the young princess from Wang City is on her way. She's close friends with the daughter of the Windhaven County Lord. Rumor has it she's coming to avenge her friend, who was harassed by someone. And that someone is none other than the young master of the Wang family," the supervisor commented.

"Well, young people will be young people. When the time comes, we'll just clear the air," Elder Ling chuckled.

"I just hope nothing goes wrong during this time. If anything were to happen to the little princess while she's here, we'd be in a world of trouble," the supervisor expressed his concerns.

"Don't fret, Supervisor. Even if the three great families come to blows, they wouldn't dare harm the little princess. You're overthinking it. They wouldn't risk their entire clan's annihilation," Elder Ling assured him confidently.

At this moment, Wang Pingfan was seated in the cultivation chamber, where the spiritual energy was indeed several times more concentrated than outside. He called out into the sea, "I want to accept the inheritance." "Very well, Master. You are about to receive the first part of the Chaos Scripture," a voice responded. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories, and the spiritual energy within his entire body began to move, circulating in a specific pattern.

His Qi Sea expanded significantly in an instant, propelling him to the level of a Two-star Martial Cultivator. Wang Pingfan sat with his eyes closed, steadily absorbing the inheritance, while the Body Tempering Pills around him were steadily consumed.

Meanwhile, in a concealed chamber in Windhaven, a group of individuals was engaged in a discussion. "Have you made up your mind, Patriarch Qian?" inquired a middle-aged man.

"Patriarch Zhao, are you truly certain that you can eliminate all the young members of the Wang family without leaving any evidence? If the Wang family detects anything, their retaliation will be fierce," another person questioned.

"Rest assured, Patriarch Qian. I've arranged to collaborate with the Wang family's second son. He will lure them in, and we will take care of his men as well. He wouldn't dare make a sound, for if he does, he'll be the first the Wang family will abandon," the middle-aged man assured.

"It seems you've prepared thoroughly for this, Patriarch Zhao. The Qian family will certainly join in. If we succeed, the Wang family will be forced to exit Windhaven's power circle within a few years. We'll be ready to take over their share of the assets," declared the Qian family head.

"Of course, Patriarch Qian. But make sure you pull your weight in this endeavor. It's no secret that you're known for being quite the sly fox," teased the Zhao family head.

"Hahaha, you're too kind, Zhao family head," the Qian family head replied with a chuckle.

Laughter filled the room as they all reveled in the moment, unaware that they were on the cusp of setting a dark conspiracy into motion.