"This........"

Wang Lin paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe Alchemist Zhang just has some particular quirks. As long as he can make elixirs, it's fine. When Alchemist Zhang arrives tomorrow, we must welcome him properly!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

The housekeeper nodded.

"Go on, then!"

Wang Lin waved his hand at the housekeeper.

........

The next day.

The Wang Family, engagement banquet.

The Dugu Family and the Chen Family both sent gifts to congratulate.

Lin Chang'sheng also brought ten Spirit Storage Pills as his present.

During the feast, Wang Family's patriarch Wang Lin led his eldest son, Wang Teng, to offer toasts to the guests.

After the guests had eaten their fill and the festivities began to wind down, Lin Chang'sheng left with the others. Housekeeper Wang Bo approached respectfully, handing Lin Chang'sheng a storage bag.

"Housekeeper Wang, what's this?"

Lin Chang'sheng swept the bag with his Divine Sense and found five hundred spirit stones inside. He asked right away.

"Alchemist Zhang, this is a small token from our Wang Family. Please accept it!"

Housekeeper Wang spoke with utmost respect.

"I can't accept a reward for nothing. I haven't earned this."

Lin Chang'sheng waved his hand, declining the storage bag.

"Alchemist Zhang, please, just accept it."

At that moment, a tall, burly man walked over with a smile—the Wang Family patriarch Wang Lin himself, whose cultivation was at the peak of Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

"Patriarch Wang, could you just tell me directly?"

Lin Chang'sheng's eyes narrowed.

"Alchemist Zhang, would you be willing to come with me to the great hall for a talk?"

Wang Lin's tone was exceedingly polite.

"Sure."

Lin Chang'sheng gave it a moment's thought, then nodded.

The Wang Family's great hall.

Lin Chang'sheng and Wang Lin took their seats as guest and host. Wang Lin looked at Lin Chang'sheng and said, "Alchemist Zhang, your alchemy skills are truly masterful and your elixirs are of exceptional quality. I want to hire you as the Wang Family's chief alchemist. What do you think?"

Lin Chang'sheng didn't reply right away. He was waiting to hear Wang Lin's next words.

"Alchemist Zhang, here's the situation. As you probably noticed, out of the four major families of Celestial Lake City, the Wang Family is the weakest. If we want to improve our standing, we can't do it without elixirs. We'll provide all the materials, and the split for the elixirs will be the exact same as if you took a commission to refine for someone."

"On top of that, every month, our family will pay you five hundred spirit stones as salary, and also gift you two stalks of five-hundred-year-old Blood Red Reishi. How does that sound?"

Wang Lin watched Lin Chang'sheng, hope flickering in his eyes.

As the current patriarch, his cultivation was already at the Peak of Qi Refining Ninth Layer. He desperately wanted to take the family further and make them stronger.

That's why he wanted to work with Alchemist Zhang—he believed that with enough elixirs, it was only a matter of time before the family grew stronger.

However, to win Alchemist Zhang over, he had to be willing to make a real investment.

This five-hundred-year-old Blood Red Reishi had been obtained by chance a few years ago; it's extremely valuable.

"Five hundred spirit stones a month? And two stalks of five-hundred-year-old Blood Red Reishi?"

Hearing Wang Lin's offer, Lin Chang'sheng's heart skipped a beat. The Wang Family was really going all-out to get him as their chief alchemist—these five hundred spirit stones probably amounted to more than half the family's monthly income.

Especially those two Blood Red Reishi stalks—Lin Chang'sheng was truly tempted.

After all, he'd been searching everywhere and still hadn't found any Blood Red Reishi. If the Wang Family could provide two, he'd just need to find some Dragon Blood Grass, and then he could refine Divine Essence Pills.

"Patriarch Wang, may I have three days to consider?"

Lin Chang'sheng's eyes flickered; he didn't accept right away.

To be honest, with his real strength now, he wasn't afraid of Wang Lin. But when it comes to negotiating partnerships, you definitely can't agree too quickly.

"Fine!"

Seeing that Lin Chang'sheng hadn't refused, which meant there was room to negotiate, hope flashed in Wang Lin's eyes.

.......

Three days later.

Lin Chang'sheng became a special-invited alchemist for the Wang Family. Still, he continued refining at his own West Garden Elixir Shop—any materials the Wang Family delivered, he'd take and refine for them.

That way, Lin Chang'sheng could keep selling his own elixirs in his shop, refine for the Wang Family at the same time, and collect five hundred spirit stones in salary every month.

Most importantly, he got the two stalks of five-hundred-year-old Blood Red Reishi.

.......

The Wang Family.

The great hall.

"Dad, you paid such a big price to hire that alchemist, but he won't exclusively make elixirs for us? Isn't that a bad deal?"

The Wang Family's Young Master, Wang Teng, looked at his father Wang Lin and asked.

"Teng'er, tell me—do you know alchemy?"

Wang Lin looked at his son.

"I don't,"

Wang Teng shook his head.

"Then, there you have it,"

Wang Lin clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the distant sky. "Among the four big families in Celestial Lake City, the Wang Family is the weakest. But you're the most gifted in our family. I want you to work hard and cultivate, and I'll supply you with all the elixirs you need. As long as you reach the Peak of Qi Refining Ninth Layer, your chance to form a Foundation will improve dramatically. If you break through to Foundation Establishment, the Wang Family could become number one in Celestial Lake City."

"But if you want Alchemist Zhang to do this for us, you have to pay the price."

"You have to give to get. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Father."

Wang Teng nodded at his father's words.

…

Celestial Lake City.

In the east, a sprawling, extravagant estate with a plaza and great hall stood tall.

This was the Jiang Family compound—one of the four great families in Celestial Lake City.

The Jiang Family's great hall.

A middle-aged man of medium build and a square face, who exuded authority, sat on the grand master's chair. Across from him, an old man with a lean figure and purplish birthmark on his face took his seat.

They were Jiang Family's patriarch Jiang Tao and clan elder Jiang Cheng.

"Third Uncle, did you say the Wang Family hired Zhang Han, that alchemist from Celestial Lake Marketplace, as their special-invited alchemist?"

Jiang Tao eyed Jiang Cheng as he spoke.

"Yes. That Wang Lin isn't simple. Word is, Alchemist Zhang's Spirit Storage Pills are of outstanding quality!"

Worry clouded Jiang Cheng's face.

He'd gotten the news through a mole he'd planted in the Wang Family.

Jiang Tao thought for a while, then said, "In Celestial Lake City, the Dugu Family is the strongest—controlling nearly forty percent of the resources and business. We, along with the Wang and Chen Families, each hold twenty percent. If the Wang Family gets a steady stream of top-tier elixirs, their cultivators' power will soar, and then our share will keep shrinking!"

"Our best option is to do what the Wang Family did: hire this Alchemist Zhang to be our family's special alchemist. With enough pills, everything else is negotiable."

"You're right, Patriarch."

Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement.

"Third Uncle, you're always steady. Why don't you take some gifts and handle the negotiations with Alchemist Zhang?"

Jiang Tao looked at his uncle as he spoke.

"Alright."

Jiang Cheng nodded again.

…

West Garden Elixir Shop.

Seven or eight low tier cultivators were standing outside, lined up to buy pills.

Lin Chang'sheng was busy selling elixirs.

"Daoist Li, did you hear? Last night, two elders from the Dugu Family—both at Qi Refining Eighth Layer—and one family member from the Chen Family at Qi Refining Seventh Layer, all went missing!"

"Last night, the Jiang Family also reported a missing elder at Qi Refining Seventh Layer! How strange!"

"Now that you mention it, I remember—half a month ago, quite a few cultivators mysteriously vanished around Golden Tiger City too!"

"........"

At this moment, the conversation of these cultivators in line for elixirs caught Lin Chang'sheng's attention.

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