"Are our eyes playing tricks on us just now? Where did that fairy come from?"
"Right? With that kind of bearing, even a first-rate sect in the Upper Eight Domains probably couldn't produce such a peerless beauty."
"Absolutely. Even a first-rate sect couldn't cultivate that kind of air."
The ones gossiping weren't rogue cultivators—they were disciples from the Indestructible Heavenly Capital. The Indestructible Heavenly Capital was itself a first-rate sect, so they were the most qualified to judge.
Among the Indestructible Heavenly Capital's disciples, there was no shortage of female geniuses with stunning looks—there were even goddess-level existences.
But in terms of bearing, there was no need for comparison. There was a clear and obvious gap between them and the young woman who had just passed by.
Bearing was a strange thing.
There were no concrete parameters to measure it against, yet anyone could effortlessly judge the difference at a single glance. Even the street peddlers and porters could do it.
…
A day later, the Wei family's entourage entered a major city within the territory of the Glazed King City. Jiang Chen hadn't gone back on his word—while they stayed in the city, he prepared some antidote and gave it to Wei Jie.
"Young Master Wei, take it three times a day over three days. You'll be fully recovered."
Wei Jie accepted it solemnly. "I, Wei, owe Pill King my life. My deepest gratitude."
Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively. "No need. You smoothed things over at the northern gate as well. Without that, I might have had quite a bit of trouble getting through."
Wei Jie, far from playing the hero, laughed. "That was nothing—just a small effort. Even without Pill King's help, I wouldn't have let them search my family's convoy."
That was true enough. The Glazed King City had its own pride—letting the Indestructible Heavenly Capital conduct inspections? What kind of nonsense was that?
Seeing that Wei Jie didn't take credit for himself, Jiang Chen found himself warming to the young man. He raised a hand slightly. "Then—until we meet again."
Wei Jie was stunned. "Pill King is leaving?"
Jiang Chen smiled and gave a casual nod.
Wei Jie's expression changed. "Please, Pill King, wait!"
"Hmm?"
Wei Jie hurried over, his words sincere. "Pill King, it's not far from here to the Glazed King City's central city. I don't know what business Pill King has there, but since Pill King saved my life, I'd like to invite you to the Wei residence as an honored guest, so I can properly express my gratitude. Furthermore, if Pill King ever needs anything—my Wei family has at least some connections in the Glazed King City. We might be able to lend a hand."
Jiang Chen fell into thought. He had separated from the Wei family simply because their transaction was complete.
But hearing Wei Jie's words—and seeing that sincere look in his eyes—something stirred in his mind. He's heading to the Glazed King City to gather intelligence and rescue someone. In an unfamiliar place, he really could use some help. Wei Jie might be young, but he was no ordinary mediocrity—he might actually prove useful. And from the looks of it, this wasn't the kind of person who'd turn on you the moment things got difficult…
Jiang Chen wavered.
"Pill King, I'll be frank. My Wei family does have some standing in the Glazed King City, but in the field of pills and elixirs, we've always struggled. We've been desperately seeking a guest Pill King for years, but haven't been able to find one…"
Jiang Chen blinked. He remembered that back on Huanbo Mountain, during the pill contest, Elder Yun Nie had told him some anecdotes about Pill Kings and Pill Emperors.
Elder Yun Nie had said that some third-rate sects were qualified to administer Pill King tests—certifying Pill Kings.
Second-rate sects could test fourth- through sixth-rank Pill Kings.
First-rate sects had the authority to test seventh- through ninth-rank Pill Kings.
The Wei family was a ninth-grade clan in the Glazed King City—at least comparable to an average second-rate sect. How could they not have a guest Pill King?
Seeing Jiang Chen's hesitation, Wei Jie hastened to explain. "Pill King, my family actually did have a fourth-rank Pill King before. But… sigh. A few years ago, due to some old matters, our family's Pill King perished. Since then, the Wei family has been without a Pill King—an embarrassing situation."
Hearing this, Jiang Chen considered for a moment.
"If a fourth-rank Pill King fell at your Wei family, then a mere second-rank Pill King like me probably couldn't do much, right?" Jiang Chen smiled mildly.
Wei Jie let out a soft sigh but, surprisingly, didn't offer any rebuttal. He managed a strained smile. "Pill King, I was being impolite. Earlier, in my eagerness to invite you, I spoke too hastily. Now that I think about it, there was indeed some selfishness on my part. You saved my life—I really shouldn't have put you at risk."
"Risk?" Jiang Chen looked surprised.
Wei Jie smiled awkwardly. "Yes. Serving as a guest Pill King at my Wei family does carry certain risks. But I genuinely had no intention of harming you. I originally just wanted to repay your life-saving kindness by inviting you to my residence. I got carried away and said more than I should have."
The Wei family had expected that, upon hearing this, the Pill King would turn and leave in anger.
Instead, Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Risk? If you're traveling with me, your Wei family might be the one facing greater risk."
Wei Jie froze, unable to immediately grasp what Jiang Chen meant.