"Oh, nothing's happened to him. I'm just surprised you know someone so crazy."
"I used to wonder why a kid so much younger than me could be this insane. But now I think I get it—with someone as freakishly talented as you around, it's pretty easy to drive a person mad." Liu Chunsheng didn't notice the speechless expression on Ye Lanshan's face when she said the word "freakishly."
"So, is he doing well at the academy now?"
"How should I put it? I guess you could say he's fine. He's built his own faction there, and no one in the whole school dares to mess with him. But he's always covered in injuries from pushing himself too hard in training."
Liu Chunsheng chatted away happily with Ye Lanshan, completely ignoring Lan Yexin beside her.
"Ah," Lan Yexin sighed inwardly, watching Liu Chunsheng let her guard down so easily while talking with the legendary Divine-Grade Alchemist, Master Shanluo. A pang of bitterness hit her, but as a family heir, she kept every emotion off her face.
"Master Shanluo," Lan Youli approached at that moment.
"Hmm, is something the matter, Youli?" Ye Lanshan's usually distant expression softened slightly at Lan Youli's arrival.
"Oh, nothing. I just saw you all standing here without sitting down, so I came to check."
Only then did Ye Lanshan look around and notice that most people had already taken their seats, leaving their group standing out awkwardly.
Just as she was about to find a seat, Liu Chunsheng grabbed her directly.
And so, the two ended up sitting together.
Curious glances shot their way from all around. Though Ye Lanshan couldn't care less, that didn't mean others weren't jealous.
Liu Chunsheng was beautiful, straightforward, talented, and came from a good family—naturally, she had plenty of admirers. But she'd never paid them any attention before.
"Are you the so-called Divine-Grade Alchemist, Master Shanluo?" a strange man asked.
Ye Lanshan nodded slightly. "That's me."
"I challenge you." As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone turned to watch.
"I refuse." Ye Lanshan said it calmly, unconcerned about offending anyone or what others might think.
"Refuse? I think your title as Divine-Grade Alchemist is a sham. You're scared, aren't you?" the man taunted.
"You're lying! Master Shanluo is nothing like what you say!" Before Ye Lanshan could respond, Liu Chunsheng jumped in, flustered.
"Lying? Have you actually seen him refine a divine pill?" The man's jealousy flared at how quickly Liu Chunsheng defended him, and he unconsciously began to hate Ye Lanshan.
Without warning, the black-robed old man behind him lunged like lightning, grabbing Ye Lanshan by the throat.
But Ye Lanshan remained unfazed. Her warm voice rang out: "Today is a very important day for the Medicine Valley. I'd rather not see blood on such an occasion, so I hope you'll be sensible."
The old man ignored her completely, trying to lift her by the neck. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge her.
Everyone else froze, stunned that such an incident had occurred before the exchange competition even began.
After a moment of shock, Liu Chunsheng immediately attacked the old man. But he used Ye Lanshan as a shield, which only made Liu Chunsheng's temper explode. She slammed the table and said, "Tell your man to let go now, or you know what happens when you cross me."
"If you agree to be my woman, I'll have him let go. How about it?" The man pushed further, a smug grin spreading across his face—lecherous and vile.
"I really didn't want to see blood today," Ye Lanshan sighed softly, a dagger appearing in her hand. But before she could strike—
The black-robed old man collapsed with an incredulous look in his eyes.
"When did you get so wishy-washy? You let him choke you like that?" Sikong Feihe shouted at Ye Lanshan. Heaven knows how terrified he was when he saw her being grabbed by the neck. He couldn't even explain why—maybe it was that pure, elegant silhouette from the first time he saw her that had captivated him.
Ye Lanshan saw Sikong Yanguang and put away her dagger, saying calmly, "On such an important day for the Medicine Valley, I didn't want bloodshed."
"So you just let him choke you?" Sikong Yanguang's eyes blazed with fury.
"Even if you hadn't come, he'd be dead by now." Ye Lanshan took a sip of tea, utterly composed.
Sikong Feihe felt a wave of defeat. No matter what he did, he couldn't stir any emotion in Ye Lanshan.
Whether it was when he first met her, when others forced her into an alchemy duel, or just now when someone had her by the throat and he yelled at her—she was always this calm, as if she had everything under control.
"Alright, don't just stand there. Sit down." Ye Lanshan tugged his sleeve and pulled him into a seat.
With a woman's sharp intuition, Liu Chunsheng could tell that Sikong Feihe was definitely her rival—someone who liked Ye Lanshan just as she did.
"Ahem, well, Shanluo is indeed a Divine-Grade Alchemist. Many alchemists in the Medicine Valley saw him refine a divine pill last time. If you don't believe it, you can wait until the end of the competition. Shanluo will be the last to refine a pill.
"And as for you, sir, Shanluo has his reasons for not accepting your challenge. Pressuring him like this isn't right, is it?" As he spoke, Sikong Yanguang's Xuan Emperor pressure bore down on the man.
The man's face went pale, he spat blood, and knelt trembling. "I was wrong. Please spare me."
"Valley Master, it's time for the competition. Let's focus on that first. Other matters can wait. Besides, he's admitted his mistake," Luo Yongwu said, his tone dripping with false respect.
"Yes, Sikong, let's prioritize the competition. Personal grudges can wait until after," others chimed in.
"Hmph." Sikong Yanguang let the man off with a dark look.
The competition proceeded smoothly. Alchemy was a time-consuming craft. Though the venue was large enough for several alchemists to work simultaneously, the number of participants was overwhelming. It wasn't until seven days and seven nights later that Ye Lanshan finally began refining her pill.
Others' alchemy was tedious and dull, but hers was like a refined art—fluid movements, exquisite techniques, so captivating that no one noticed the passage of time.
Everyone watched Ye Lanshan alchemy with rapt attention. She was so focused, so serious, as if she and her cauldron were the only things left in the world.