Chapter 39: Mentor and Inscrutable Student

A smile graced Stella’s lips as she looked upon Lu Yuan and Meilin. “So, it’s decided then?”

“Yes…” Lu Yuan had no further objections.

Seeing Lu Yuan agree so readily, little Meilin’s face blossomed into a sweet, happy smile. “Uncle, you’re the best! I love you so much!”

‘If this were Lei Yin,’ Lu Yuan thought, ‘he probably wouldn’t want to disappoint her either.’

And so, he had agreed to Stella’s proposal.

There was no other meaning behind it. It was simply to better play the part of Lei Yin.

Or perhaps, to better play the part of an older brother.

As a brother, wasn’t it only natural to indulge his little sister’s small, whimsical requests?

He could consider this part of his training in worldly affairs.

Besides, becoming a royal apothecary had once been Lei Yin’s dream.

Lu Yuan found he had few reasons to refuse Stella’s offer, so he simply went with the flow.

Stella retrieved a letter from her desk and handed it to Lu Yuan. It bore her signature. “This is a letter of recommendation. Take this to the imperial palace in a few days. As my student, don’t you dare embarrass me.”

“I will do my best,” Lu Yuan replied.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Stella, Lu Yuan left with little Meilin.

Stella watched Lu Yuan until he was gone from the guild hall. A long moment passed before she let out a quiet, lingering sigh.

‘Oh, Lei Yin, Lei Yin… I don’t know what you’ve been through these past few months, but your temperament has changed so drastically that even I can’t see through you anymore. It’s good that you’ve managed to emerge from that darkness, but I can’t say if it’s for the better or for the worse.’

As one of the seven royal apothecaries, Stella had numerous apprentices, and Lei Yin had always been one of her most promising.

His talent and disposition far surpassed those of his peers, like Dutaine.

Stella, as Lei Yin’s mentor, was naturally aware of the Corrupting Bone Potion incident. She could have intervened, but she chose not to. She had hoped Lei Yin would resolve it on his own.

She never expected that he would instead spiral into despair for three whole months.

On the very day the incident occurred, some had suggested expelling Lei Yin from the guild. It was Stella who had used her authority to protect him for three months. This assessment was his final deadline.

Watching him languish for so long, even Stella had become utterly disappointed in him.

She had even avoided presiding over the qualification review that should have been her responsibility, choosing instead to oversee the apprentice examinations.

She simply couldn’t bear to see his wretched state any longer.

Of course, Lei Yin would never know of these things that had happened behind the scenes.

Now, seeing her student emerge from the gloom, Stella felt a genuine sense of joy.

‘The rest is up to him. Lei Yin, now that you’ve left the darkness behind, can you wash away the stain of being labeled a poison master with your own hands?’

Stella eagerly anticipated a future where her student would soar to new heights.

She smiled, gratified, then spoke to the slightly ajar door. “Come in. You’ve been waiting outside for a while, haven’t you?”

The door opened, and an elderly figure stepped inside.

He bowed respectfully to Stella. “Mentor.”

Had anyone else been present, they would have gasped in astonishment.

The man who entered was none other than Risdo, the chief examiner for the Core Apothecary qualification review and a veteran pharmacist who had served at the northern branch for seventy-two years.

And he had just called Stella his mentor.

If this scene were witnessed, one could only imagine the shockwaves it would create.

To Stella, however, it seemed perfectly ordinary, not the least bit out of place.

Risdo was nearly a hundred years old. If he was her student, just how old was Stella? Perhaps only a certain purple—

She waved her hand dismissively. “Enough. I’ve told you before, Risdo, don’t call me teacher when you look like that. Being called ‘teacher’ by an old man with one foot in the grave makes me feel ancient.”

Risdo gave a wry smile. His own talent was limited. After decades of studying pharmacology, he had long since reached the peak of his potential and couldn’t maintain a youthful appearance as Stella had.

He could only clear his throat with a dry cough.

“Well?” Stella asked. “What is your assessment of your new junior brother?”

“I cannot comprehend him. He is inscrutable. He appears as direct and simple as a blank slate, yet he is also profound and utterly unpredictable,” Risdo said after a moment of thought. “His mastery of pharmacology is almost demonic.”

“Doesn’t it feel less like you’re looking at a person and more like you’re facing a divine statue enshrined in a temple?” Stella chuckled.

“Indeed,” Risdo said with a bitter smile. “For someone to change so dramatically… it seems this incident was both a blow and a trial for him. He’s even more formidable than before.”

“I had the same impression,” Stella said. “But that’s no longer important. His future path has little to do with me now. What I’m more interested in is the new little apprentice he’s taken on.”

“Oh?” Risdo searched his memory. “Mentor, you mean the little girl named Meilin?”

“That little girl seems… interesting. My student’s new apprentice… I’m rather curious to find out just what kind of person she is.” Stella tapped the table thoughtfully. “I’ll leave this to you, Risdo. I want all the information you can find on her by the end of the day.”

Risdo’s old face stiffened, and he forced another苦笑. “Yes, Mentor. I’ll see to it at once.”