"This honored alchemist, please forgive me."
Gu Mingchuan quickly said, "I'll provide this little brother's entry offering."
Even though thousand-year-old ginseng was precious, with his status taking out a few roots wasn't a problem.
Yang Cheng was a bit surprised. He really hadn't expected Gu Mingchuan to do this.
Sensing Yang Cheng's gaze, Gu Mingchuan smiled. "Little brother, are you thinking I want to befriend you only because of your sister? If so, you're wrong. I truly feel that you have a special temperament. At such a young age, you're already calm and composed."
"Gu Mingchuan."
At this moment, another disciple of Divine Medicine Valley walked out from inside.
When Gu Mingchuan saw the man, his smile stiffened slightly. "Alchemist Zheng."
Alchemist Zheng had once been the Gu family's chief alchemist, but because they thought his character was questionable, he was dismissed.
Later, unexpectedly, he became a disciple of Divine Medicine Valley.
Alchemist Zheng mocked, "Gu Mingchuan, today's admission slots are already full. You'll have to come again next time."
The disciple from earlier didn't speak up.
Alchemist Zheng outranked him, and he naturally didn't want to offend him.
Gu Mingchuan's face changed.
The next chance would be seven days later.
But his grandfather's injury—every day it dragged on would make it worse.
He had no choice but to force out a smile. "Alchemist Zheng, could you perhaps grant a little leniency?"
"Sorry, I can't."
Alchemist Zheng said flatly.
Gritting his teeth, Gu Mingchuan pulled out two roots of thousand-year-old ginseng.
But Alchemist Zheng coldly refused. "I already said the slots are full. Full means full. No matter how many gifts you bring, it's useless."
Gu Mingchuan felt like thunder had struck his head. He clenched his fists and said, "Alchemist Zheng, can you tell me what I must do to get one slot?"
Alchemist Zheng narrowed his eyes with pride. "Since you're so persistent, I'll give you one chance. Kneel before me and knock your head a hundred times. If I see enough sincerity, it's not impossible for me to give you that slot."
Gu Mingchuan's face twisted violently.
"Ten breaths. If you don't kneel, then get lost."
Alchemist Zheng's voice was icy.
Gu Mingchuan dropped to his knees right away and began to kowtow.
"Not loud enough."
Alchemist Zheng toyed with him like a cat playing with a mouse.
Bang, bang, bang…
Gu Mingchuan immediately struck harder.
Before long, blood stained the stone floor.
Yang Cheng's impression of Gu Mingchuan changed completely. He hadn't thought the man could be this filial, willing to go so far for his family.
Even Murong Yun's gaze toward Gu Mingchuan softened a little.
Yang Cheng then sneered at Murong Yun. "An alchemist should be devoted to saving lives. But your Divine Medicine Valley looks more like an evil cult, treating those seeking medicine like heretics."
Murong Yun flushed awkwardly. She couldn't find a rebuttal.
In truth, she also disliked many of Divine Medicine Valley's rules. But as just a disciple, she couldn't change anything.
"Bold! Where did this wild brat come from, daring to openly slander Divine Medicine Valley?"
Alchemist Zheng roared with rage.
"Alchemist Zheng, this person has no name token and no entry gift. I suspect he came just to cause trouble."
The young man from earlier added.
"That's right."
"You mustn't drag down our Young Master Gu with you."
The two women who followed Gu Mingchuan spoke up.
At once, the crowd all turned their eyes toward Yang Cheng.
"This brat is in trouble."
"He must have guts like a bear and heart like a leopard, daring to insult Divine Medicine Valley here."
"You can't really call it an insult… what he said is true. But in Divine Medicine Valley, how could you say something like that?"
The people whispered among themselves.
"Divine Medicine Valley can't even stand to hear a few words?"
Yang Cheng said faintly.
The crowd gasped. They thought this boy was truly reckless.
Alchemist Zheng's eyes grew colder. "It's not that Divine Medicine Valley can't stand to hear others. It's that you don't have the qualifications to speak of Divine Medicine Valley."
"Even Yu Qiuyue probably wouldn't dare to say that to me."
Yang Cheng spoke calmly.
Hearing his words, everyone around was dumbfounded.
Gu Mingchuan shivered, feeling that no matter how much money he offered, he wouldn't be able to save this little brother now.
"Seeking death!"
Alchemist Zheng's eyes gleamed with killing intent. "You dare call out the Valley Master's name directly? Which faction sent you, thief?"
"Zheng Kun."
At this moment, Murong Yun couldn't hold back anymore and had no choice but to speak.
Zheng Kun frowned, looking at Murong Yun angrily.
But then he froze. "You… you are?"
"Murong Yun."
Murong Yun let out a sigh.
Zheng Kun's face instantly changed, and he hurried to bow. "Disciple Zheng Kun greets Senior Sister Murong."
The people around were completely stunned.
Gu Mingchuan's face also trembled in shock.
This woman… was actually Alchemist Zheng's senior sister?
Thinking about how he had just been flaunting his wealth in front of her, Gu Mingchuan's face turned red with shame.
Nobody knew better than him that alchemists were the real wealthy ones.
The two women following Gu Mingchuan turned pale.
They had just thought this woman would fight them for Gu Mingchuan's favor, so they were jealous of her.
Now, learning her true identity, they instantly realized they had chosen the wrong rival.
She was younger than Zheng Kun but still his senior sister—clearly a true disciple of Divine Medicine Valley.
Someone of that status would never look twice at Gu Mingchuan. Competing with them for favor? Impossible.
"This is His Highness, Crown Prince of Great Zhou. None of you may be disrespectful. Go immediately and inform the Valley Master and others."
Murong Yun commanded.
Everyone around turned pale with shock.
That young man from earlier bolted right away to report the news.
Zheng Kun's face went ashen. "I… I didn't know it was His Highness the Crown Prince of Great Zhou before me…"
Yang Cheng didn't even glance at him. Instead, he said to Gu Mingchuan, "You may stand now."
Gu Mingchuan got up, but facing Yang Cheng, he was obviously far more restrained than before.
Inside the Divine Medicine Hall, all the high-ranking members of Divine Medicine Valley were gathered.
Not long ago, news of Zuo Qiuyu's death had reached them, instantly igniting the valley's leadership.
"The Crown Prince of Great Zhou is too arrogant! We haven't even settled the account of him killing the Grand Elder before, and now he has killed Zuo Qiuyu as well. He's trampling Divine Medicine Valley into the dirt!"
The Second Elder Murong Cong slammed the table in fury. "I propose we mobilize all the strength of Divine Medicine Valley and assassinate the Crown Prince of Great Zhou. Otherwise, our valley will become the laughingstock of the world!"
"Assassinate him?"
Elder Qiu frowned. "How do you propose that? He was able to kill Chu Xuzhi. His strength is already close to Martial Sovereign level. On top of that, he's the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, surrounded by countless experts. Sending men to assassinate him is nothing but sending them to die."
"So we should just swallow this humiliation?"
Murong Cong's voice shook with anger.
"The Emperor and Crown Prince of Great Yan have both been captured, and until now they can only endure it. What's wrong if we endure as well?"
Elder Qiu snorted coldly.
Murong Cong and Elder Qiu represented the Elder faction and the Valley Master's faction respectively.
This current argument was really just the struggle between the two sides.
In the Chanzhou expedition, the Valley Master's faction had cooperated with Yang Cheng and reaped the merit.
Meanwhile, the Elder faction not only gained nothing, but also lost a Grand Elder.
So their hostility toward Yang Cheng was extremely deep.
"Elder Qiu, you speak so much on Yang Cheng's behalf. Don't tell me you took his benefits back in Chanzhou?"
Murong Cong mocked.