Horror Camgirl - Ch. 108: Visitors from the Alchemist Association
She turned to Tang Mingli, ignoring her husband who was secretly tugging at her sleeve, and harshly scolded, "You're just a grandson, yet you're pushing your own grandfather like this. Where are your manners? How did your parents raise you?"
Tang Mingli's expression turned icy. A flash of fear appeared in Old Master Guo's eyes, and he immediately shouted, "Guards!"
Two bodyguards rushed in, and Old Master Guo yelled, "This woman has lost her mind. Take her back to the Di family."
Di Jun, feeling deeply embarrassed, turned to Old Master Guo and said, "I'm sorry, sir. I'll take good care of Ah'Xia."
Without waiting for the bodyguards to act, he forcefully dragged his wife away.
Old Master Guo suddenly seemed to age decades in an instant. Weary, he waved his hand and said, "I'm tired. You all can go home. Tomorrow, I will convene the family elders to arrange matters of dividing the estate and the succession of the Family Head position."
Tang Mingli bid Old Master Guo farewell and led me out of the Guo residence, while Lu Dakai was sent to the hospital by people from the Guo family.
From that point on, Lu Dakai's business plummeted. He was later caught for massive tax evasion and fraud, and within a few months, ended up in prison.
His mother traveled north to Zhonghai, hoping to seek help from the Lu family, but she couldn't even get past their front door.
As for Guo Mingxia’s mother-in-law, the mayor of Shan City, she was inexplicably transferred to a remote province to serve as a deputy governor. Although it was technically a lateral move, it effectively ended her career, leaving her no prospects for future advancement.
Rumor had it that Guo Mingxia tried to seek Old Master Guo's help, but by that time, he had already handed over the position of Family Head to Guo Tianfeng and had gone off to Qin Island to recuperate. She was turned away and reluctantly followed her husband to the outer province.
Meanwhile, Guo Tianxiong and his son were faring poorly. Of course, with their wealth, they lacked nothing materially, but the days of being surrounded by flattery were gone. Now, wherever they went, they were met with disdain, and their business ventures were all but ruined.
In the end, they decided to join Guo Mingxia and moved to the outer province.
The Guo family was now entirely in the hands of Guo Tianfeng and Tang Mingli.
However, none of this had much to do with me. I had to prepare for my advancement to Second Grade.
But after two or three live streams, my cultivation remained stuck at the peak of First Grade, with no sign of a breakthrough.
This left me quite anxious.
That day, after returning from practicing my martial arts outside, I arrived downstairs only to find a tall man blocking my way.
I cautiously took a step back; this man was an early-stage Transformation Strength Martial Artist!
"Who are you?" I asked.
The man cast a cold glance at me and said, "I am Ren Zhengde from the Southern Martial Arts Hall."
Southern Martial Arts Hall? That name sounded familiar. It’s said to be one of the best martial arts schools in the Southwest Region, holding significant status in the martial arts world there.
But who exactly was this Ren Zhengde? With such impressive skills, he must be the headmaster.
I politely asked, "May I know what brings you here?"
Ren Zhengde replied, "I am here on behalf of Mr. Wan from the Alchemist Association to invite you for tea. Here’s the invitation."
As he spoke, he handed me an invitation card with an elegant, traditional design, featuring hand-drawn ink landscapes.
The invitation stated that Mr. Wan Zhongyin, a representative of the Alchemist Association, had been commissioned to visit Shan City to meet me, inviting me for a cup of tea.
He even went out of his way to specify that it was Spirit Tea.
Spirit Tea is a rare commodity, beneficial to Ability Users, Martial Artists, and cultivators alike. Most people would be thrilled to receive such an invitation, but I was rather uninterested.
I had plenty of Spirit Tea myself—why would I care for their run-of-the-mill offerings?
However, one cannot disregard the face of the Alchemist Association.
Ren Zhengde said, "Madam Yuan, the car is ready. Please come with me."
I got into a stretched Lincoln Navigator, inwardly rolling my eyes. This Wan Zhongyin sure knew how to make a show—sending a Transformation Strength Martial Artist and arranging such an extravagant car.
Ren Zhengde remained stern and silent, and we barely exchanged a word during the entire ride. Eventually, the car pulled up in front of a refined tea house.
Previously, Hu Qingyu had also invited me for tea, but the elegance of that place paled in comparison to this one.
All the furniture inside was antique, exuding a faint fragrance. A few pieces even appeared to date back to the Ming dynasty.
Ming-era rosewood furniture—each piece was worth a fortune.
Now this was understated luxury.
Inside the tea room, a young man knelt with his back to me, while behind the tea table sat an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, dressed in a white cheongsam embroidered with Xiangfei Bamboo.
The young woman appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, yet her tea-making skills were exceptional, and her movements were graceful and captivating, making it hard to look away.
Ren Zhengde said, “Sir, I’ve brought the person as requested.”
“Very good. Thank you, Director Ren.” The young man stood up. He was dressed casually, with strikingly handsome features and a faint herbal fragrance lingering around him.
However, there was a hint of arrogance in his eyes that he couldn’t hide.
This man was highly talented, achieving fame at a young age and becoming a much-praised alchemist. As a result, he was somewhat conceited and looked down on others.
Although he was smiling at me, I could sense that he didn't truly regard me highly; there was a subtle trace of disdain in his gaze.
“Madam Yuan is quite hard to invite,” Wan Zhongyin said with a smile. “If I had known that Spirit Tea was needed to persuade Madam Yuan, I would have brought out my treasured stash much sooner.”
I couldn’t help but twitch the corner of my mouth—aren’t you just full of yourself?
I cut straight to the chase and said, “If Mr. Wan’s intention is to persuade me to join the Alchemist Association, I must apologize. It’s not that I’m unwilling, but my master has instructed me not to join any organizations. I dare not go against my master’s orders and must respectfully decline the association’s kind offer.”
A flash of anger crossed Wan Zhongyin’s eyes, as if he was thinking, "How ungrateful," but it quickly disappeared. He resumed his gentlemanly demeanor and said, “Madam Yuan, please, have some tea first. We can discuss matters after.”
I took a seat by the tea table, and the beautiful young woman handed me a cup of tea. I took a sip and couldn’t help but frown.
Why does this Spirit Tea have such a strange taste? The Spiritual Energy it contains is also quite weak—nothing compared to the batch Yin Changsheng gave me.
Wan Zhongyin narrowed his eyes slightly. “Madam Yuan seems dissatisfied with my Spirit Tea?”
Forcing a smile, I said, “No, this is excellent tea.”
“If Madam Yuan finds my tea lacking, does it mean you have something better?” he asked with a hint of malice.
I smiled lightly and replied, “Something like Spirit Tea is quite rare. This tea is truly exceptional, with incredibly rich Spiritual Energy. It’s the first time I’ve tasted anything so exquisite, which is why I was a bit surprised.”
I had now perfected the art of lying without missing a beat.
Only then did Wan Zhongyin show a satisfied smile. “As long as Madam Yuan agrees to join the Alchemist Association, you can have as much Spirit Tea as you desire.”
I smiled and asked, “If I join the association, what would be expected of me?”
Wan Zhongyin replied, “According to our rules, to join the Alchemist Association, one must first submit a recipe for an elixir as an entry fee.”
I was taken aback—I hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward and direct.
“Don’t think this request is unreasonable, Madam Yuan,” he said. “Once you join, the benefits are endless. Not to mention the privileges and respect you would gain wherever you go. Regarding recipes, as long as you complete the tasks assigned by the association, you can earn contribution points. These points can be used to exchange for elixir recipes.”
“Tasks?” I asked, “What kind of tasks?”
“Sometimes it involves alchemy, and other times it’s treating a particular patient.” Wan Zhongyin pulled out a document. “Here are the entry guidelines; you can take a look.”
The more I read, the more I realized something was off. The higher-ups of the Alchemist Association were making a fortune. Every new alchemist had to submit a unique recipe, which couldn’t be a duplicate of any existing ones. Over time, the top members of the association would accumulate more and more recipes.
Meanwhile, the lower-ranked members were required to contribute freely to the association to earn Elixir Pills or Spiritual Medicines. Exchanging recipes was technically possible, but the amount of points needed was ridiculously high. It could take two to three years of tasks just to earn one.
What a scam.
Of course, there were benefits as well. By joining the Alchemist Association, one would have the backing of an organization, meaning no one would dare to bully you without facing the wrath of the association.
It was no wonder so many people were eager to join.
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