As they were growing anxious, a figure came strolling over at an unhurried pace.
The attendant hurried forward upon seeing him. "Master Zhou!"
The newcomer was none other than Zhou Fang, one of the Pass's three top alchemists, and the very man who had long been at odds with Zhuge Ming.
"Good," Zhou Fang replied serenely, hands clasped behind his back, giving a faint nod before issuing his command. "Go fetch some Green Feather Mystic Vine at once. I intend to refine Stabilizing Heaven and Earth. The last great battle depleted our stock heavily, and the War Preparedness Hall doesn't have much left."
Spirit Pills like Stabilizing Heaven and Earth were essentially strategic resources. The War Preparedness Hall normally kept a reserve, but every major battle drained them completely. After all, only three people in the entire Pass could refine this particular pill.
The attendant's head spun when he heard this. Green Feather Mystic Vine again? In the past, while this ingredient was rare and precious, it was only used for refining Stabilizing Heaven and Earth, so the Medicine Resources Hall had always maintained a stock. But right now, he truly couldn't produce any.
All he could do was smile ruefully. "Please wait a moment, Master Zhou. Master Zhuge was just here, and he took all the remaining Green Feather Mystic Vine. I've sent people to the herb gardens to gather more, but it will take some time."
Zhou Fang frowned. "That old Zhuge took all the Green Feather Mystic Vine? When I checked last time, there was still plenty!"
The attendant smiled helplessly. "There's none left now."
Zhou Fang flew into a rage. "That old Zhuge is going too far! If he doesn't want me refining Stabilizing Heaven and Earth, he doesn't need to resort to such dirty tricks!"
The attendant was alarmed. "You've misunderstood, Master Zhou. Master Zhuge didn't take that much Green Feather Mystic Vine."
"Don't you dare defend him! Where is the old geezer? I'm going to find him right now and settle this!"
The attendant was practically in tears. "The Green Feather Mystic Vine really wasn't used up by Master Zhuge. Before he came to request it, someone had already been consuming the supply steadily."
Zhou Fang was taken aback. "Someone else can refine Stabilizing Heaven and Earth?"
"Not exactly..." the attendant said helplessly, and could only repeat the same explanation he'd given Zhuge Ming before.
Zhou Fang's expression shifted between dark and light as he listened. Once the attendant finished, he turned and strode away. "I'll go see for myself. This is outrageous!"
He arrived swiftly at Alchemy Room Heaven Three. Zhuge Ming was standing outside the door, with a young man beside him, smiling obsequiously and bowing repeatedly. Looking closer, it was Tang Qun.
Tang Qun's voice drifted over: "Master Zhuge, Senior Brother Yang is in the middle of refining pills—you can't disturb him! You're an alchemist yourself, sir, so you naturally understand what happens when someone is interrupted during pill refinement. If the Corps Commander finds out and holds me responsible, I won't be able to bear it!"
Zhuge Ming bristled, his beard and eyebrows shooting up. "Who asked you to bear it? If the sky falls, I'll hold it up!"
With that, he moved to force his way in, and Tang Qun scrambled to block him in a panic.
Zhuge Ming was furious. "Brat, don't force me to raise a hand against you! I'm telling you, though I'm an alchemist and not skilled in combat, I still have Eighth-Order cultivation—dealing with you is no problem. That brat Yang has certainly rendered great service to the Pass. I hear he even killed an Ink Clan Domain Lord. But combat and alchemy are two entirely different things, understand? The Pass's medicinal resources are extraordinarily precious—not a speck can be wasted! Instead of properly fighting the enemy, he runs off to the Alchemy Hall to refine pills. Isn't that just nonsense?"
Tang Qun nodded repeatedly with a pained expression. "You're absolutely right, sir, but Senior Brother Yang is in the middle of refining right now and really can't be disturbed... Ah, Master Zhou is here too! Please, help persuade Master Zhuge!"
Zhuge Ming turned his head at that and caught sight of Zhou Fang approaching with his usual serene, unhurried bearing. He let out a snort of contempt.
Zhou Fang came to stand before the two, fixing Zhuge Ming with an equally dismissive look. "I told you that you're old, but you won't admit it. Not a shred of courage! All you know how to do is shout and bluster—what kind of behavior is that?"
Zhuge Ming reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I'm old? You're not exactly young yourself! I lack courage? And what courage do you have?"
Zhou Fang sneered. "Naturally more than you!" With that, he slapped the back of Tang Qun's head. "Get out of my way, brat!"
He too had Eighth-Order cultivation. Though he rarely engaged in combat, his rank was undeniable. The slap sent Tang Qun stumbling to the side, dazed for a good while. He hadn't used full force—just a clever application of energy—so Tang Qun wasn't actually hurt.
Zhuge Ming was rendered speechless by the sight.
"Open the door," Zhou Fang said, jerking his chin toward Zhuge Ming.
Zhuge Ming curled his lip. "Why don't you open it?"
Zhou Fang replied, "I left in a hurry. I don't have my Vice Hall Master token with me."
Every alchemy room had its own control token. Without it, no one could open the room—this was to protect the alchemists and allow them to refine in peace.
However, the tokens held by the Hall Master and Vice Hall Masters could open any alchemy room. This was a safeguard: if anything went wrong inside a room, the Hall Master or Vice Hall Masters could use their tokens to deactivate the restrictions and check on the situation.
Both Zhuge Ming and Zhou Fang were Vice Hall Masters, so both had this authority.
Zhuge Ming let out a cold snort. "Timid as a mouse! Clearly you're afraid of bearing responsibility!"
But despite his words, he produced his Vice Hall Master token, formed a series of hand seals, and sent a streak of arcane light into the door.
The alchemy room door slowly swung open, and a blast of searing heat rushed out to meet them.