Jiang Chen had long since stopped worrying about the apportioned finances from the Medicine Alchemist Hall. Xue Tong and the others had been managing everything. Worldly wealth was no longer his main source of income.
However, the news from Xue Tong left Jiang Chen slightly surprised.
The Medicine Alchemist Hall had always conducted itself with proper discretion. Especially when it came to the distribution of pill profits—they deliberately curried favor with Jiang Chen, delivering the money punctually every single time.
Going half a year without a delivery meant it was definitely not the Hall deliberately withholding funds. Something else must have happened.
"Could it be that the delivery route was discovered by bandits along the way? Or did something happen within the Medicine Alchemist Hall itself?"
Jiang Chen furrowed his brow. As for his share of the profits, he genuinely didn't care much about it anymore.
But the Medicine Alchemist Hall was still something he felt a measure of concern for. His former steward in the Eastern Kingdom, Jiang Zheng, had been arranged by him to take up an easy position as a contributing elder at the Hall, drawing a ten percent commission.
Others might have been tempted to embezzle funds, but Jiang Zheng was utterly loyal and would never dare to misappropriate Jiang Chen's share.
Thinking it through, Jiang Chen was now fairly certain that something had gone wrong at the Medicine Alchemist Hall.
"Summon Gouyu to me!"
When the other personal guards heard that Jiang Chen was calling for them, they all rushed over.
"Young Master." Gouyu stepped forward.
"Has Xue Tong told you about the Medicine Alchemist Hall?"
Gouyu nodded. She had clearly already known about the matter.
"What's your take on it?"
Gouyu thought for a moment before speaking. "Even with the audacity of heaven itself, the Medicine Alchemist Hall wouldn't dare withhold your funds. Something must have happened."
Gouyu's thinking aligned perfectly with Jiang Chen's own.
"In that case, tomorrow morning, we'll make a trip back to the Eastern Kingdom." The more Jiang Chen thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. There was a persistent, ominous premonition nagging at him.
At his current level of cultivation—especially having cultivated his mental strength to such an extent—his intuition was remarkably powerful and extraordinarily accurate.
Seeing how grave Jiang Chen looked, everyone felt a weight settle in their chests. Had something really happened at the Medicine Alchemist Hall?
"You may all retire for now."
Jiang Chen was no longer the person he once was. Two years in the Ancient Ruins had given him a wealth of experience and a great deal of maturity.
His mental strength had improved no less than tenfold. Even if the sky were to come crashing down, he would not be thrown into a panic.
Early the next morning, Jiang Chen gathered all of his personal guards.
Jiang Chen had originally eight personal guards. Three of them—Ke Mu, Shen Yifan, and Bi Yun—had chosen to enter the selection tournament and had since lost all contact with the Jiang household.
Now, of his eight personal guards, only five remained: Xue Tong, Guo Jin, the Qiao brothers, and Wen Ziqi. Plus Gouyu, who held the nominal title of personal guard but served as his de facto steward.
"Something has happened at the Medicine Alchemist Hall—there must be a reason. I intend to go back and investigate. What do you all think?"
They had been away from home for so long that every one of them harbored a desire to return. Hearing Jiang Chen say this, they all brightened up.
"Young Master, just give the word and we'll set out." Gouyu was more direct than the rest.
"There's no time to waste. We leave now."
At Jiang Chen's command, every last Golden-Winged Sword Bird assembled. The several hundred that Jiang Chen had brought along had now all fully evolved to Spirit Grade.
These several hundred Golden-Winged Sword Birds were equivalent to several hundred Spirit Realm powerhouses.
"Sister Gouyu, I forgot to mention—the Eastern Kingdom is our home. This time..." Gouyu suddenly realized that since all of them were leaving, what about Miss Huang'er?
Huang'er of course knew the Eastern Kingdom was their home. In fact, she had lived there for quite a long time herself.
And the Medicine Alchemist Hall had been her place of seclusion.
So when Gouyu mentioned that something had happened at the Hall, she had quietly grown concerned as well. Naturally, she didn't voice it aloud.
"Sister Gouyu, if you're going, I'd like to accompany you along the way."
Huang'er spoke with effortless grace, without the slightest trace of coyness.
After spending a day together, Gouyu had come to genuinely adore Huang'er's personality. Seeing her say she would join them, Gouyu was delighted.
"Young Master, should we notify Sect Master Qiao?" Xue Tong asked suddenly.
Jiang Chen considered for a moment. "No. Qiao Bai Shi has already severed his worldly ties with the Medicine Alchemist Hall. There's no need to drag him back into these affairs. It'll just be us. Let's move!"
With a sharp whistle, Jiang Chen mounted the Golden-Winged Sword Bird he always rode.
The bird hadn't carried Jiang Chen in quite some time, so seeing him again sent it into a frenzy of excitement. It let out a piercing cry that echoed for miles.
No one else wasted any time either. They all leaped onto their respective Golden-Winged Sword Birds, which tore through the sky and soared after Jiang Chen at tremendous speed.
In an instant, the sky above the Royal Capital became a spectacular sight.
Streak after streak of golden shadows pierced the firmament, surging straight up into the clouds—a magnificent spectacle.
The entire capital erupted in excitement. Everyone knew by now that these golden shadows represented Jiang Chen—a legend of the Tiangui Kingdom!