Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Master Pang Qi always maintained a sense of reverence towards Qin Chuan, similar to the way City Lord Bai Chen did. The main reason for this was Qin Chuan's mysteriousness!

This was a man who, until recently, had been the head of an insignificant, unremarkable family. For years, he had shown no signs of greatness.

But then, suddenly, he had become immensely powerful.

And it had happened without any warning, as if one day he was just an ordinary man, and the next day he was an enigma, unfathomably strong.

This strangeness was unsettling—after all, the unknown is always the most terrifying.

It's like staring into the depths of a dark, still lake. The fear comes from not knowing what might lurk beneath the surface, ready to emerge.

So, despite having reconciled earlier, Master Pang Qi still felt a jolt of anxiety when he saw Qin Chuan again.

But he put on a welcoming smile.

"I've come today to ask for a favor," Qin Chuan said straightforwardly.

"Whatever you need, if it's within my power, I won't refuse!" Master Pang Qi was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled and patted his chest. Despite feeling a twinge of pain at the thought of what this favor might cost, he dared not show any reluctance.

"Then I'll get straight to the point. I need a Regeneration Pill—the same kind you used to restore your dantian last time," Qin Chuan stated.

"This…"

Master Pang Qi's face froze, and he forced a bitter smile. "The Regeneration Pill… that's a bit tricky."

"I wouldn't ask for it without offering something in return," Qin Chuan assured him.

"I didn't mean it that way. It's just that… I don't have any left," Master Pang Qi admitted, looking helpless.

"Where did you get the last one?" Qin Chuan asked.

"That one came from the points I had accumulated over the years at the Alchemist Association. I exchanged those points for the pill," Master Pang Qi explained with a sigh. "Although I'm a fifth-grade alchemist, I don't have the formula for the Regeneration Pill. That formula is incredibly valuable and hasn't even been authorized for use by our Jiuyang Dynasty's Alchemist Association."

"The main headquarters of the association in the Jiuyang Dynasty does keep a few Regeneration Pills in stock, but they can only be exchanged for alchemist contribution points."

"To be honest, the points I had accumulated over the years were almost completely spent on that last Regeneration Pill, so I don't have enough to get another one," he said, clearly exasperated.

Qin Chuan listened and then asked, "Are contribution points the only way to obtain it?"

"Yes. Given how limited these pills are, the association ensures that only insiders benefit from them," Master Pang Qi confirmed.

"And how can one earn alchemist contribution points?" Qin Chuan inquired.

"If you're an alchemist, you can earn points by submitting the pills you've refined to the Alchemist Association. You also receive points as rewards when you pass alchemist exams or get promoted."

"But the most important source of points is pill formulas."

"Whenever you register a new pill formula, you're awarded a certain amount of contribution points based on the formula's value. Other alchemists who wish to use your formula must pay you points as well."

At this, Master Pang Qi's face showed a hint of pride as he stroked his beard. "In my lifetime, I've developed four pill formulas, the highest of which is a top-tier third-grade formula."

"However, the formula that has brought me the most rewards is a first-grade formula because it's the most widely used."

"Every year, countless alchemists request to use that formula. For every pill they make using it, I receive half the profits, which are then converted into contribution points for me."

"Of course, the Alchemist Association takes a 20% cut of those points, but the remainder is still substantial."

Qin Chuan's expression turned a bit strange.

That first-grade formula was likely the one Master Pang was most famous for, and Qin Chuan had indeed heard about it.

It was… quite powerful!

"If you're not an alchemist, can you still register a pill formula?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Hahaha, how could someone who isn't an alchemist possibly develop a pill formula? Alchemy isn't that easy! Hahaha!"

Master Pang Qi laughed heartily, as if he had just heard a joke. But then, something in his mind seemed to tell him—be serious, or you'll regret it.

So, he quickly stopped laughing and answered seriously, "Actually, it's not impossible. If you happen to have a pill formula that hasn't been registered yet, you can submit it."

"Rumor has it that there was once a man who, by sheer luck, found a ninth-grade pill formula in a tomb he was looting. After registering it, he instantly became the head of an Alchemist Association branch!"

"This man didn't even know how to refine pills!"

"But it didn't matter. The contribution points he gained from that formula were enough to outshine all the alchemists in the association!"

Qin Chuan was surprised. "Didn't anyone try to force him to give up the formula? I heard that pill formulas can be inherited or transferred."

"Ha! Do you think he's just some ordinary person?" Master Pang Qi sighed, sounding exhausted. "A tomb with a ninth-grade pill formula isn't just any tomb. And someone who could rob such a tomb isn't just anyone."

"That man… he's a terrifying individual."

At this point, Master Pang Qi's eyes filled with respect, and he stopped talking, as if it were a topic too dangerous to discuss further.

Qin Chuan finally understood.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "If I were to register a fifth-grade pill formula, would the reward be enough to exchange for a Regeneration Pill?"

"Well… the reward alone might not be enough, but if other alchemists start using the formula, you could probably earn enough points in a few months," Master Pang Qi answered carefully. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened. "You wouldn't happen to have one, would you?!"

"Yes, I happen to have a few formulas," Qin Chuan replied calmly.

"Hiss!!"

Master Pang Qi sucked in a breath of cold air. A fifth-grade pill formula, in the hands of someone who doesn't even practice alchemy.

What kind of luck was this?! His eyes began to shine, and he asked obsequiously, "Master, where did you come across these formulas?"

"Looting tombs," Qin Chuan answered flatly. In truth, the formulas had been given to him by Qin Zi's mysterious master to pass along.

But that wasn't something he could reveal, so he made up a reasonable-sounding lie on the spot.

Little did he know that this casual statement would later inspire a respectable alchemist to turn to tomb robbing…

…

At the Alchemist Association.

It was an opulent and grand building, designed in a style reminiscent of ancient Roman architecture, topped with a massive domed roof that resembled a budding flower.

The Alchemist Association had no shortage of wealth, and its financial power was on par with even the largest trade associations.

Bathed in luxury, the building remained brilliantly illuminated throughout the night, its golden glow visible from afar.

"What? Three fifth-grade pill formulas?!"

Inside a lavish office, an elderly man in alchemist robes with a red dot on his forehead shot to his feet.

He stared in disbelief at Qin Chuan and the three pill formulas on the counter, filled with complex ingredients and intricate steps. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and asked, "Where did these formulas come from?"

"Do you really need to know that?" Qin Chuan countered.

"Uh… haha, my apologies," the old man chuckled nervously. Then, with a serious expression, he turned to Master Pang Qi. "Pang Qi, notify all alchemists in the capital who are fifth grade or higher. Tell them to come and test these formulas immediately!"

"And gather the required ingredients at any cost within the next two hours."

"Yes, sir!"

Master Pang Qi nodded enthusiastically. To a true alchemist, the prospect of new formulas was always exciting.

That night, the capital was abuzz.

Numerous famous yet reclusive alchemy masters made their way to the Alchemist Association.

Meanwhile, the association's procurement teams swept through the city like locusts, clearing out all the herbal shops and trade centers! When the Alchemist Association purchased ingredients, they never haggled over prices. In fact, they didn't even bother negotiating.

Because the herbs they bought would eventually be sold back to the public at ten, even a hundred times the cost…

As the night wore on, the inside of the Alchemist Association glowed with fiery light, punctuated by the occasional explosion of a furnace and the jubilant cheers of success.

"What are those alchemists up to this time?"

In the center of the capital, atop the towering royal palace, a middle-aged man in imperial robes stood, peering through a long tube that resembled a telescope. His brows furrowed.

"They're probably testing some new pill formulas," said an old eunuch dressed in a red and gold robe beside him, smiling.

"Those old alchemists are becoming more influential within the dynasty. It's starting to become worrisome," the man in imperial robes said, pressing his thumb and forefinger against his temples.

"Your Majesty need not worry. Influence aside, absolute power still rests firmly within the hands of the royal family," the old eunuch reassured him.

"That's true, but… the Alchemist Association, the Ten Thousand Treasures Trade Association, the Rain Listening Tower, the Dark Sands, the Six Major Sects… none of these forces are easy to deal with," the emperor said gravely.

"And on top of that, our line has ruled here for over two thousand years, yet we still haven't found any trace of that treasure. I fear the main branch is beginning to lose patience."