Chapter 314: Write an IOU

Liu Qi entered the room obediently and immediately saw Zu Chengzhi sitting on a meditation mat. He hurriedly bowed with great respect.

"Disciple greets Master."

Zu Chengzhi snorted coldly, his beard bristling as he glared.

"Hmph! Don't call me Master. How did I end up teaching such a bastard of a Disciple? Tell me honestly, is that Evil Alchemist rumored to be harming people with toxic Medicinal Pills you?"

Hearing this, Liu Qi's forehead instantly broke out in sweat as he stammered his reply.

"Ma… Master, your wisdom is truly peerless."

"But your Disciple can swear to the heavens that I have absolutely not harmed anyone out there. I only sold some Medicinal Pills out of necessity to make a living, but I was slandered as an Evil Alchemist. Your Disciple is truly being wronged!"

"You little bastard!"

Hearing his explanation, Zu Chengzhi became even more furious. He wished he could kick this troublesome Disciple to death as he cursed at him.

"You still have the nerve to quibble? Publicly selling those sinister Medicinal Pills—if that's not harming people, what is?"

"Those poor buyers were all innocent victims. Because they took your Medicinal Pills, they were turned into something neither human nor ghost."

"But you, after causing such a huge mess, didn't even dare to show your face and hid like a turtle in its shell. You've completely disgraced my old face!"

As he spoke, Zu Chengzhi glared at Liu Qi angrily, his gaze full of disappointment at his failure to live up to his potential.

Scolded to the point of not daring to talk back, Liu Qi could only explain tremblingly.

"Master, please calm down. Didn't I plan to work in the kitchen of Wanhua Tower first to save some Spirit Stones, and then send them over once I've gathered enough for compensation?"

Hearing this, Zu Chengzhi looked skeptical and asked suspiciously.

"Do you really intend to compensate the victims?"

Liu Qi nodded and said with a serious expression.

"It's absolutely true! If your Disciple tells a single lie, let my furnace explode every time I perform Alchemy, let my Materials be wasted, and let me never be able to refine the best and strongest Medicinal Pills!"

Seeing him make such a harsh oath, Zu Chengzhi believed him a bit more. His expression softened slightly.

"Fine. Your Senior Brother has already compensated those victims for their losses. You won't be hunted anymore. Just behave yourself from now on."

What?

Hearing this, Liu Qi was stunned, and a warmth welled up in his heart for no reason.

It seemed Master still cared about him. After knowing he had caused trouble, he specially arranged for Senior Brother to help clean up the mess… Before he could finish being moved, he heard Zu Chengzhi continue.

"To settle this matter for you, the Alchemist Association spent a total of sixty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones this time."

"Later, go find your Senior Brother and write an IOU. I'll charge you three percent interest per year. Remember to pay it in full on time, otherwise… you know the consequences."

Liu Qi: "…"

Sixty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones?!

After reacting, Liu Qi almost spat blood and wailed with a miserable face.

"No, Master! Senior Brother has plenty of Spirit Stones; does he really need to worry about such a pittance?"

"Besides, I only made less than a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones from selling those Medicinal Pills, yet I have to pay back sixty thousand. Isn't that a bit too extortionate!"

Zu Chengzhi raised an eyebrow and asked calmly.

"Too expensive?"

Liu Qi nodded with a bitter face.

"Just see how many Spirit Stones your Disciple is worth and sell me by the pound…"

Zu Chengzhi was silent for a moment before saying in a calm tone.

"If you don't want to pay back the Spirit Stones, fine! But you must sign up for this Alchemist Competition and reach the finals. If you can do that, this debt will be wiped clean."

Alchemist Competition?

Hearing this, Liu Qi was dumbfounded.

After all that, this was what was waiting for him!

"This…"

After confirming that his Master wasn't joking, Liu Qi hesitated.

At heart, he only liked refining new Medicinal Pills that no one in the world had ever refined before, and he looked down on refining according to established Pill Formulas.

Participating in the Alchemist Competition meant he would inevitably have to temporarily give up this philosophy and honestly refine normal Medicinal Pills; otherwise, he wouldn't even pass the screening stage.

But if he didn't agree, the Alchemist Association's debt wasn't something easily owed… Seeing through his inner struggle, Zu Chengzhi raised an eyebrow impatiently and shouted.

"Don't you usually feel that the Pill Formulas passed down by Seniors are too simple and easy to learn? Now that you're being asked to show your skills at the competition, you're dragging your feet and making excuses. Are you afraid?"

Provoked by these words, Liu Qi's pride flared up. He immediately straightened his chest and vowed through gritted teeth.

"Who said your Disciple is afraid? I'll show you and Senior Brother right now that besides innovation, when it comes to attainments in the Alchemic Dao, I, Liu Qi, am not inferior to any so-called Heaven-rank Alchemist!"

Seeing this, Zu Chengzhi narrowed his eyes and waved his hand.

"That's for the best. Now get out and prepare."

Zu Chengzhi knew this troublesome Disciple well.

If Liu Qi didn't tinker with those messy, sinister Medicinal Pills and focused on normal Alchemy, his talent and Aptitude would even far exceed his own as the number one person in the Alchemic Dao!

Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs.' This guy's peerless talent was never used on the right path… Thinking of this, Zu Chengzhi couldn't help but sigh, feeling a bit weary… Unknowingly, several days passed quickly.

Taixuan Holy Land.

Yuhua Peak, Daoist Seed's Immortal Cave.

Qi Yuan opened his eyes, waking up from meditation, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

It was now more than half a month away from the preliminary round of the Alchemist Competition. Since the plan was set, there was no need to stay at the Pill Saint Immortal Workshop.

After returning to the Demonic Sect to send off Zhang Caiqiang and Li Mingwang, he simply returned to the Taixuan Holy Land, intending to spend a few peaceful days.

Compared to the life-and-death situations and constant danger in the Demonic Sect, the Taixuan Holy Land was much more relaxed.

But at the thought of the 'future scenes' described by Bai Xirou last time, a sense of crisis inexplicably welled up in Qi Yuan's heart.

As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you fear.

Having just learned not long ago that the Yao Race harbored ill intentions toward the Human Race, and then receiving the doomsday warning from Bai Xirou, it was natural for Qi Yuan to feel anxious.

He knew that the power of the Demonic Path alone couldn't pose a significant threat to the Taixuan Holy Land. To push the Taixuan Holy Land to the brink of 'approaching destruction,' it could only be the Yao Race!

"Perhaps I should find an opportunity to probe the backgrounds of those two Female Demons. They definitely didn't disguise themselves as Courtesans to infiltrate the Pill Saint Immortal Workshop just to earn Spirit Stones…"

Just as Qi Yuan was thinking, an energy fluctuation suddenly came from a room in the Immortal Cave, and wisps of Demonic Qi drifted in the air.

After noticing the anomaly, Qi Yuan was first startled, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Little White is about to transform!