Chapter 186: Dog Blood Pouring Down

The soaring medicinal fragrance formed a thick mist, permeating the air.

Qin Wangchuan was slightly startled, unable to help but murmur, "Isn't the medicinal potency of this pill a bit too strong?" In her impression, Soul Master apprentices could only refine low-grade Qi-training liquids or some extremely simple pills. But such a strong medicinal fragrance didn't seem to come from an ordinary pill at all.

"What are you up to, kid?" Qin Wangchuan snorted. Skeptical, she peered into the pill furnace, craning her small head. A thumb-sized, translucent emerald-green pill came into view, with wisps of spiritual light flickering on its surface.

"A... a third-grade spirit pill?" Qin Wangchuan gasped. She simply couldn't believe her eyes! Even though she had just witnessed the entire process, she still found it incredible that this person had refined a third-grade spirit pill. Wasn't this something only a three-star Soul Master could achieve? Could this person truly be a Soul Master, and a three-star one at that?

"Oh? Little sister, you can actually identify the grade of a spirit pill?" Jiang Fan clicked his tongue in amazement, pinching her cheek and examining her up and down. "Strange, you're so young, yet you understand pills? Could your parents also be Soul Masters?" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but worry. "Please keep it a secret that I can refine pills, okay? Don't tell anyone. If you promise, I'll give you this spirit pill."

Qin Wangchuan was so astonished that it took a while for her little face, which had been pinched for so long, to react. Looking at the third-grade spirit pill so close, how could she refuse? Her small hand snatched it like lightning and quickly tucked it into her embrace. "Alright, I'll keep your secret," she said. Even if Jiang Fan hadn't made this request, she wouldn't have easily revealed this matter. This was a three-star Soul Master. Wouldn't it be better for her to quietly maintain this connection herself? Why would she act like a loudspeaker and let everyone know?

"Then let's pinky swear!" Jiang Fan extended his little finger. A vein popped on Qin Wangchuan's forehead. "How childish can you get?" He really was treating her like a little girl!

Jiang Fan rubbed his nose. Fine, he'd been scorned by a six-year-old girl. Since the pill formula was correct, he was relieved. Gathering his things, he said, "Which peak are you from? I'll take you back."

Qin Wangchuan thought for a moment and replied, "Medicine Peak."

Jiang Fan realized, "I know Medicine Peak well. I'll take you back." He then took her hand and walked out. Qin Wangchuan struggled a few times but couldn't break free, so she let Jiang Fan lead her out of the herb garden.

As soon as they exited the herb garden, they discovered that besides the three deacons, Wen Hongyao was also present.

"Elder Wen? What a coincidence. I found a child in the herb garden who said she's from your Medicine Peak. Take a look, is she from your peak?"

Wen Hongyao looked closely. Her eyes almost popped out. The Grand Elder? Didn't she hate being treated like a child the most? How could she let Jiang Fan lead her by the hand?

"Mas..." She was about to step forward and acknowledge her, but Qin Wangchuan stopped her with a look. After a moment of dazed confusion, she changed her words, bewildered, "Yes, she's from our peak."

Jiang Fan smiled as he handed her over to Wen Hongyao. "The child is quite spiritual; she's a good prospect. It's just that her temper isn't very good; she needs more discipline."

Wen Hongyao's face twitched. She dared not utter a sound, nor did she dare to respond. Discipline the Grand Elder? How could I dare?

"Why are you being so nosy?" Qin Wangchuan muttered angrily.

Jiang Fan squatted down and exasperatedly pinched her cheek. "If you keep being so impulsive, your parents might spank your bottom!"

"How dare you!" Qin Wangchuan huffily slapped his hand away. Her molars ground together, making a grinding sound. If it weren't for the fact that he was a three-star Soul Master, she would have long since given him a good beating.

"Hahaha! See you around, little girl." He waved his hand and left, leaving Wen Hongyao dumbfounded. She hadn't seen wrong, had she? Jiang Fan pinched the Grand Elder's face, yet his 'dog paws' weren't broken off? Was this truly the hot-tempered Grand Elder she knew?

"What? Do you have something to say?" Qin Wangchuan glared at the dazed Wen Hongyao. The latter's old body trembled, and she quickly lowered her head. "This disciple wouldn't dare."

Qin Wangchuan rubbed her reddened cheek, which had been pinched. "I wouldn't expect you to!" she snorted.

Wen Hongyao was speechless. Jiang Fan was the one who pinched you. Why are you taking it out on me? But what could she say? She could only honestly lower her head even further.

"Out there, I heard you were fighting with Zhao Wuji over a disciple. Is that true?" Qin Wangchuan asked, her brows furrowed, with her hands behind her back.

Wen Hongyao nodded. "Reporting to Master, that is indeed true."

Qin Wangchuan said with displeasure, "Look at your ambition! The disciples left on the square were all those rejected by others, all of them undesirable. And you actually fought over them? Outsiders will think our Medicine Peak has no one left and has to snatch even the undesirable ones! Aren't you ashamed?"

Wen Hongyao was exasperated. "Master, you don't know, that disciple is truly extraordinary! Not being able to recruit him is a loss for our Medicine Peak."

Qin Wangchuan laughed in anger. "Still being stubborn! What kind of genius hasn't our Medicine Peak seen? Do we need to fight over one? Go back and reflect properly! You're only disgracing me! Hmph!"

Wen Hongyao had a bitter taste in her mouth. Master truly wouldn't listen to explanations at all.

Just then, Qin Wangchuan calmed down. She glanced at Jiang Fan's disappearing figure at the end of the path, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I have to say, the Sect Master's Peak truly has deep fortune to actually recruit such a profoundly hidden disciple. What's his name?"

Wen Hongyao didn't dare to conceal it. "Jiang Fan," she said.

Qin Wangchuan pondered for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "His surname is Jiang? Within our Azure Cloud Sect territory, are there any prominent families surnamed Jiang?" In her mind, only those top-tier noble families could nurture a Soul Master of such caliber.

To her surprise, Wen Hongyao's expression was odd as she replied, "He comes from an ordinary family."

"Oh?" Qin Wangchuan was surprised. "In today's martial arts world, can a humble family still produce a noble talent? That's quite rare. This further proves the strong fortune of the Sect Master's Peak, to be able to unearth such a disciple from the vast crowd. If only our Medicine Peak had half that luck."

These words made Wen Hongyao pause. She asked, surprised, "Grand Elder, you think highly of Jiang Fan?" It was already quite surprising that Jiang Fan hadn't been harshly criticized by Qin Wangchuan in the herb garden. And now she was speaking only words of praise. This made Wen Hongyao's expression peculiar.

Qin Wangchuan's eyes showed envy. "More than just thinking highly of him. If our Medicine Peak had such a disciple, overthrowing the Sect Master's Peak and taking charge of the Sect Master's position in the future would be as easy as flipping a hand."

"Huh?" Wen Hongyao was utterly astonished. Jiang Fan was excellent, possessing an extremely strong talent in medicine, and even Shangguan Sheng praised him profusely. But to say he could reverse the fate of Medicine Peak and defy the heavens—wasn't that an exaggeration?

"What do you mean, 'Huh'?" Qin Wangchuan shot her a glance. "If you were more capable and found a disciple like that, I could die on the spot! But you only pick disciples from the undesirable ones."

Wen Hongyao, who had been repeatedly scolded, couldn't take it anymore. She timidly said, "But Jiang Fan is precisely the disciple Zhao Wuji and I were fighting over."