Chapter 27: The Master Alchemist Assessment

“While Secevi might have acted poorly, she also had her reasons,” Ruolin’s voice rose with indignation. “And you, as a man, couldn’t you have been a bit more of a gentleman? How long has it been since you two broke up, and already… already…”

Her anger flared, leaving her momentarily speechless, unable to find the right words to describe Lu Yuan’s actions.

“Secevi?” Upon hearing the name, Lu Yuan’s expression finally shifted.

Secevi, Lei Yin’s ex-girlfriend, was the daughter of the Duke of Tulip and one of Usutal City’s Four Great Beauties. Born into nobility, she possessed both striking looks and a sweet voice.

Her suitors were so numerous they could form a line stretching from the north to the south of Usutal City.

Lu Yuan had always wondered how Lei Yin, a mere commoner, had managed to charm such a goddess. When Secevi had finally fallen for Lei Yin, countless individuals had viewed him as an utter eyesore.

Although, in the end, Lei Yin’s lingering memories included fragmented glimpses of their affectionate displays.

However, Lu Yuan harbored not even a shred of interest in those recollections.

Only now, hearing Ruolin mention that vaguely familiar name, did Lu Yuan’s expression betray a slight change. Yet, it was nothing more than that.

“Are you finished?” Lu Yuan inquired, his voice even.

“If so, please remain quiet. This is my alchemy lab, and if you continue to cause a disturbance, I believe I have the right to ask you to leave.”

Listening to Lu Yuan’s lukewarm reply, Ruolin was utterly incensed. In a fit of rage, she snatched a pharmacopoeia from a nearby shelf and hurled it directly at him.

Lu Yuan remained completely unperturbed. He simply raised a hand, caught the book effortlessly, and glanced at its title.

A flicker of interest appeared in his eyes, and he promptly opened the book and began to read.

‘Damn Lei Yin! Rotten Lei Yin! That cheap bastard who loves to infuriate people!’

‘I curse you: to be run over by a carriage, gored by a wild boar on the mountain, and trampled by a rhinoceros in the river!’

Just as the fuming Ruolin was about to storm out, the door creaked open, pushed by a young apprentice alchemist.

“Um… the preparations for the Master Alchemist assessment are complete,” the apprentice stammered. “Teacher Risdo asked me to invite both masters upstairs.”

“Understood. We’ll be up shortly.” With an outsider present, Ruolin instantly reverted to her composed and gracious demeanor, the image of a beautiful lady.

The speed of her transformation made Lu Yuan involuntarily cast a sidelong glance.

Having received Ruolin’s affirmative reply, the alchemist apprentice bowed slightly and then departed.

Ruolin turned, glaring fiercely at Lu Yuan. “You pretentious faker! During the Master Alchemist assessment later, I will utterly shred your irritating facade to pieces! Prepare yourself!”

Lu Yuan rubbed his nose, still utterly perplexed as to how he had managed to provoke this woman.

He could only sigh, concluding that women were indeed troublesome creatures.

****

When the two arrived at the assessment venue, the hall was already filled to capacity.

The Master Alchemist assessment was held in a grand hall capable of accommodating hundreds. While the number of participants each year was modest, the crowd of onlookers was consistently immense.

Those eligible for the Master Alchemist assessment were, at minimum, Grand Alchemists. These esteemed figures were rarely seen in public.

For alchemists below the Grand Alchemist rank, the chance to observe such masters crafting elixirs or debating alchemical principles offered invaluable insights.

Consequently, most people would not miss an event like the Master Alchemist assessment, which provided a rare glimpse of these luminaries.

Risdo, the alchemist presiding over the assessment, had prepared everything. He now sat on the main dais in the hall, eyes closed, quietly meditating.

Despite the large number of people within the hall, everyone spoke in hushed tones, ensuring the atmosphere remained surprisingly calm and orderly.

In a corner of the hall, Alchemist Dutaine watched the elderly alchemists preparing for the assessment, sneering with disdain.

He inwardly mused about the spectacle Lei Yin would make when he inevitably humiliated himself on stage. Dutaine relished the thought of seeing Lei Yin slink out of the venue in disgrace, just as he had months prior.

As for whether Lei Yin would pass the assessment?

Dutaine didn’t believe Lei Yin stood a chance. If there had been even a glimmer of hope for the fellow’s redemption, the branch guild wouldn’t have transferred Ruolin to replace him as a Master Alchemist.

Frankly, from the very beginning, this assessment was merely a performance orchestrated by the guild for Ruolin. Dutaine, having understood this, had chosen to forgo the assessment himself.

As for Lei Yin, that hotheaded youth who had stepped forward now was simply a sacrificial lamb, serving only to add more drama to this transition of power.

Just as Dutaine was lost in these thoughts,

The beautiful Alchemist Ruolin gracefully appeared at the hall’s entrance, causing a ripple of commotion among the onlookers.

With a gentle smile, Ruolin acknowledged everyone around her before gracefully entering the assessment area within the hall.

At that very moment, Lu Yuan followed closely behind, stepping into the hall. The entire hall instantly fell silent.

Lu Yuan remained unfazed. He simply walked silently towards his designated seat.

Dutaine almost snorted with laughter. ‘This fellow truly is unpopular,’ he thought.