"You don't need to worry about that. The people from the Holy Land can't catch her at all." Ye Lanshan curled her lips, a hint of tenderness in her gaze.
Lan Youli felt a strange familiarity with this young master Shan Luo before him, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen her. Sensing Ye Lanshan's gaze on him, he quickly shook off that sense of familiarity and bid her farewell with polite detachment.
"Shan Luo, the exchange conference is about to start, but I can't shake this uneasy feeling, like something's going to happen." Yun Di walked over, his expression troubled. The exhaustion from all the recent work was clearly etched into his eyes.
"Is the person you placed in the Sikong family reliable?" Ye Lanshan asked calmly.
"Absolutely loyal and trustworthy—I can vouch for him with my own head." Yun Di's confidence soared when he mentioned this person. It was clear they had known each other for a long time; otherwise, Yun Di wouldn't have trusted him enough to make him an inside agent.
"Hahaha, Brother Sikong, I heard your Medicine Valley has produced a divine-grade alchemist. Aren't you going to introduce them to us?"
A loud laugh suddenly rang out, and Sikong Yanguang relaxed his stern expression into an easy smile as he rose to greet the newcomer.
"Brother Yunxuan, please, have a seat. If it weren't for this exchange conference, would you have sworn never to set foot in the Medicine Valley again?"
"Hmph, you say that. If I didn't know you hadn't intentionally betrayed Brother Sikong Kuang, and now you've got another divine-grade alchemist, I wouldn't have come even for the conference." An old man with a white beard glared at Sikong Yanguang, still nursing a grudge over past events.
"Then you've come at just the right time." Sikong Yanguang chuckled, unfazed by his rudeness.
"Oh, just a divine-grade alchemist? Look at you, so proud, and it's not even you who became one." Yunxuan rolled his eyes dismissively, acting like a mischievous old child.
"Don't say that. It's not just any divine-grade alchemist. Come closer, let me tell you." Sikong Yanguang beckoned him over and whispered in his ear, "He's also Sikong Kuang's disciple, and even Sikong Kuang's nephew has come."
"What? Yun Di is here?" Yunxuan shouted so loudly it could have burst eardrums. Luckily, the place was secluded and nearly deserted; otherwise, if anyone saw the aloof, proud, and notoriously hard-to-please ninth-grade alchemist acting like this, they'd be shocked speechless.
Sikong Yanguang covered his ears. "Can you keep your voice down? You're about to deafen me."
"Alright, alright, I'll be quiet. Tell me the truth—is Yun Di really in the Medicine Valley?" Yunxuan smiled sheepishly, knowing he was in the wrong, but still pressed Sikong Yanguang for confirmation.
"Of course. Would I lie about something like this?" Sikong Yanguang shot him an annoyed glare, wondering if his word really meant so little.
"Not necessarily, but I trust you on this. Hurry up and take me to see Yun Di. It's been so long; I wonder what he looks like now." Yunxuan tugged at Sikong Yanguang, pulling him toward the exit.
"Hey, wait. I'm not done talking yet. What's the rush?" Sikong Yanguang quickly stopped him.
"Oh, what else do you have to say? Spit it out and don't delay me from seeing my little nephew." Yunxuan was impatient, eager to see Yun Di. After all, he felt he owed his nephew a lot over the years.
"Their purpose in coming to the Medicine Valley isn't just for the conference. They want to completely seize control of the Sikong family. You know that old villain Sikong Cheng is not only powerful but also cunning and skilled at manipulating people. Both the divine-grade alchemist and Yun Di are too young. I'm afraid they won't be able to outwit Sikong Cheng."
Sikong Yanguang sighed, a wave of worry washing over him, and his gaze lost its earlier lightness.
"You mean they're going to fight Sikong Cheng?" Yunxuan's burning eagerness was doused like a bucket of cold water. That old scoundrel Sikong Cheng—they hadn't beaten him back then, and after all these years, could they still not prevail?
"No matter what, Yun Di is your nephew and my senior brother's nephew. We have to help them somehow." Sikong Yanguang pulled Yunxuan aside to start planning a strategy.
"Mm, fine. Let's do it your way. We're old anyway, lived long enough. Even if it costs us our lives, we won't let that old fiend Sikong Cheng harm Yun Di." Yunxuan's eyes burned with hatred and a hint of ruthlessness.
"Of course." Sikong Yanguang nodded with a look of grim determination.
But little did they know that the divine-grade alchemist they spoke of, though young, was a master of strategy—her greatest strength. No matter how Sikong Cheng schemed, he couldn't outmaneuver her, because even his own son had sided with Ye Lanshan. How could he possibly win?
So these two old men were clearly worrying too much. If anything, they should be pitying Sikong Cheng.
Meanwhile, Ye Lanshan and Yun Di were walking through the Medicine Valley with Cangzhu. Just as they ducked into a secluded spot, a sudden explosion rang out, as if someone had failed at alchemy.
"Cough, cough, cough." A girl with a face blackened beyond recognition, her clothes covered in soot, came running over, coughing as she went.
"Cough, choking me to death. Good thing no one saw, or I'd be so embarrassed... big..." Her voice trailed off, getting smaller until it seemed to catch in her throat. She thought bitterly, *Ahhh, someone saw me in this mess. How mortifying!*
But when she saw Ye Lanshan's face, she froze in awe. *Wow, how can someone be so beautiful and ethereal? So pure, so noble, like a spirit—clean and comforting.*
"Miss, are you alright?" A warm voice rang out as Ye Lanshan waved a hand in front of the dazed girl staring at her.
*How can his voice be so nice? Not only is he handsome, but his voice is amazing too. Heaven, this is unfair!* Liu Chunsheng felt like she was drowning in that gentle tone.
What's wrong with this girl? Is she losing her mind? Ye Lanshan decided to ignore her and move on.
"Ah, I'm fine. My name is Liu Chunsheng. May I ask what this young master is called?" Liu Chunsheng blinked her big eyes and blocked Ye Lanshan, who was about to leave.
"I'm Shan Luo." Ye Lanshan stated her name flatly.
"So you're that divine-grade alchemist, Master Shan Luo! Hey, since we met here, it must be fate. How about we be friends?" Liu Chunsheng grew even more excited, gesticulating wildly. With her soot-covered, smoke-belching appearance, she looked both comical and endearing.
Yun Di couldn't bear to watch. *Oh no, has this girl taken a liking to Ye Lanshan?* Even Cangzhu thought the way she looked at his master was strange.