After Steward Feng finished speaking, Nalan Chenxi looked at Elder Wang: âElder Wang, what do you think?â
Elder Wang glanced at Lin Zhen and weighed his thoughts. In his opinion, Lin Zhen was young and could not possibly be an alchemist.
Even if he was, he might just be a First Grade apprentice or a Second Grade Alchemist at best â not worth mentioning.
Moreover, Liang Chen firmly stood by this side, and they were all in the same boat, so they had to advance or retreat together.
So he said firmly: âI believe Lin Zhen must be a fraud.â
Nalan Chenxi sighed slightly and looked at Lin Zhen: âMr. Lin Zhen, do you have anything to say?â
Lin Zhen smiled: âI have a recorded video here; letâs watch it first.â
It was all thanks to Chris, who didnât need Lin Zhenâs command to record valuable things. She had recorded Liang Chen and Steward Fengâs conversations and their scenes of slandering Lin Zhen.
As the video played, everyoneâs expression changed.
No one expected Liang Chen to conspire with Steward Feng and Elder Wang to flood the market with inferior elixirs as if they were high-quality ones.
As for Steward Fengâs method, everyone understood; it was just to have the guild sell the elixirs on their behalf, which would ruin the guildâs reputation.
After watching the video, Nalan Chenxi said expressionlessly: âDo you have any evidence for Lin Zhenâs alleged theft of medicinal materials?â
Steward Fengâs face was ugly, but he insisted: âHeâs not a guild member and sneaks around in the guild. My suspicion of him isnât baseless. Besides, didnât you hear that heâs pretending to be an alchemist? Thatâs true, isnât it?â
Nalan Chenxi glanced at Dewey nearby: âOld brother, it seems we both have poor judgment. At least in Steward Fengâs eyes, blind people believe Lin Zhen is an alchemist. Should we pluck out our eyeballs?â
Dewey snorted coldly: âThere is indeed a need to pluck out eyeballs, but absolutely not for you and me. President, it seems weâre too high above and aloof. The guild needs to be overhauled.â
After speaking, Nalan Chenxi asked Charles: âGreat Elder, these are your disciples and grand-disciples. What do you think should be done?â
Charles, who had been holding back for a long time, stepped forward without saying a word and slapped Elder Wangâs face hard!
âYou despicable thing, just because you became an elder doesnât mean you can do whatever you want! Look at the kind of person your disciple is! You must be blind as a bat to dare to denigrate Great Elder Lin Zhen in public! I think heâs grown tired of living!â
Elder Wang was stunned by Great Elder Charlesâ slap and asked a moment later, âWho? Great Elder Lin Zhen?â
âHas the announcement been issued at the front desk?â Nalan Chenxi asked.
âYes, I saw it when I came down. Great Elder Lin Zhenâs name has been recorded and placed on the personnel list, but these people just didnât bother to look.â
Nalan Chenxi nodded: âLin Zhen is our newly appointed Great Elder of the Alchemist Guild, recognized by the headquarters. You guys actually slandered a Great Elder for stealing medicinal materials, which is utterly ridiculous. You didnât even think about it when you did something wrong.â
âHe⦠heâs actually a Great Elder? When did this happen?â Steward Feng was completely dumbfounded.
Dewey also said, âThe assessment of Elder Lin Zhen was personally supervised by me and the president, without any partiality. Should we reveal the content of the assessment to you? Just look at your qualifications!â
At this moment, Charles, full of shame, came to Nalan Chenxi and Dewey: âPresident, Vice-President, I am responsible for this matter, as I failed to teach my disciple well. Please punish me.â
âThereâs no need to punish you. Just be more careful in the future. As for them, think about their actions.â
Charles said firmly, âThese two people not only wanted to sell inferior elixirs as high-quality ones to ruin the guildâs reputation but also slandered the Great Elder, reversing right and wrong. People like them cannot stay in the guild any longer. I suggest expelling them from the guild and removing their names from the guildâs record!â
Nalan Chenxi nodded: âItâs not only about expelling them but also reporting to the headquarters to list them in the blacklist. Alchemists like them will never be employed in any of the guilds in the Original World!â
Nalan Chenxiâs punishment was too severe. Losing their alchemist qualifications, they could only become dark alchemists in the future, not to be seen in the light. No guild would employ them.
Elder Wang and Steward Feng wanted to beg for mercy, but an impatient Charles grabbed both of them and threw them out, kicking them out of the door for good measure.
After doing all this, Nalan Chenxi faced Liang Chen.
âImperial Grandson, I regret what you did to tarnish the reputation of our guild. And please note that Lin Zhen is a Great Elder of our guild, and you should treat him with due respect. Now please leave.â
Liang Chenâs face turned red and white alternately. He lost face today.
He believed the news would spread soon, and his mother would know about it. His life would become difficult again.
Moreover, Liang Chen owed a lot of money for the batch of medicinal materials. Now that he had no alchemists to rely on, the materials were basically rotting in his hands.
He never expected that Lin Zhen would turn out to be a Great Elder of the Alchemist Guild, a prestigious figure, not inferior to his status as an Imperial Grandson.
Even before he ascended the throne, people might have valued the Great Elder more.
Knowing that there were no advantages to gain, Liang Chen glared at Lin Zhen fiercely and left the Alchemist Guild in a somewhat awkward manner.
âAlright, everyone! Stop watching! Go back to your business!â
Everyone around dispersed with excitement on their faces and had one more topic for after-dinner conversations.
Nalan Chenxi came to Lin Zhenâs side, laughing and saying, âAlright, alright, this is just a trivial matter. Donât let it affect our mood for eating.â
Charles also apologized to Lin Zhen with embarrassment, as he was partially responsible.
At this moment, Dewey suddenly asked Lin Zhen, âBro, why didnât you reveal your identity? If you reveal your identity, they definitely wonât have the guts to slander you.â
Lin Zhen smiled, âWhat if I said I did it on purpose? Would you all be satisfied with this answer?â
The group exchanged glances and burst into laughter. This newly appointed elder seemed quite mischievous, deliberately laying a trap for those people to fall into. It was one thing for the two alchemists, but the Imperial Grandson really took a heavy fall.
However, Nalan Chenxi still patted Lin Zhen on the shoulder, âBro, I still want to remind you, although Liang Chen is of no consequence, he has a protective mother. Ning Qingxuan may not have married the crown prince yet, but her strength among Longevity Warriors is quite impressive. Youâd better be careful.â
Lin Zhen nodded slightly and became cautious in his heart. He really didnât want to face Ning Qingxuan. If not for anything else, once his clone was discovered, it would cause great trouble.
*********
After leaving the Alchemist Guild, Liang Chen returned to his residence feeling dejected.
Lin Zhen being a great elder in the guild was something he hadnât expected, but what mattered most to him was that his source of money had been cut off again.
Without money for the challenges, he couldnât retrieve the money heâd lost, which made him unable to swallow his pride.
After pondering it over, he decided to demand money from those who had requested bounties. At first, asking for ten billion might have been a bit too much, as only a dozen or so counties were willing to pay. This time, he should screen them and select the most serious warrants, and then go to them directly for the money. The success rate should be much higher that way, and at most, he could lower the price to five billion.
Flicking through the pile of bounties on his desk, Liang Chen began selecting key targets.
In the Original World, things like murder and arson are hardly regarded as serious crimes. Everyone is martial artists, and fighting is all too common. Only those who cause serious consequences are hunted.
âWiping out an entire family⦠This oneâs worth two billion.â
âKilled the son of a mansion master⦠Trash issue. Come back with five billion.â
âStole the County Governorâs concubine⦠Heâs actually not ashamed to put a bounty on this, not afraid of people laughing their teeth off! Ten billion! Definitely canât be less.â
âKilled the president of the Medicinal Materials Guild⦠This oneâs not worth anything.â
Liang Chen threw the warrant aside, when suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
âWho is it!â
He grabbed the discarded warrant, his eyes shining brightly!
Because on that warrant were two large words, âLin Zhen!â
âAm I seeing things? Is Lin Zhen actually a wanted criminal?â
Picking up the warrant to read carefully, there was also a picture on it. With just one glance, Liang Chen was sure that it was Lin Zhen himself.
âWanted â Purple Gold Divine Clan World King Lin Zhenâ¦â
These words caught Liang Chenâs attention. If you only look at these words, itâs absolutely impossible for them to be the same person as Lin Zhen, even if they look identical.
Thatâs because the Lin Zhen he knew was only at the Star System Stage, and definitely not a World King. Otherwise, Lin Zhen wouldnât have been able to set up a challenge at the Star System Arena.
But Liang Chen still believed that they were the same person because they looked so similar.
âInvestigate Lin Zhenâs background for me,â Liang ordered.
After a while, he received a piece of information.
Lin Zhen: From Xianle County Wood King Mansion in the New World, a Martial Artist who burst through the Heavenly Gate, current Great Elder of the Nan Liang Empire Alchemist Guildâ¦
There was another coincidence here. The Lin Zhen on the warrant was also from Xianle County Wood King Mansion. If it was just a case of someone having the same name and coming from the same place, it would be normal. But having the same name, coming from the same place, and even looking identical!
Furthermore, upon closer inspection, he discovered that the Lin Zhen on the warrant was also an alchemist, only that the one on the warrant was a Fifth Grade Alchemist, whereas the current one was a Sixth-grade Alchemist.
âThatâs not right! Thereâs no such thing as this many coincidences in the worldâ¦!â
Liang Chen held the warrant in his hand, convinced that the man on the warrant and the current Lin Zhen were the same person.
As for why the warrant said he was a World King, and why this Lin Zhen was a human while the other one was of the Purple Gold Divine Clan, he still hadnât figured it out yet.
In any case, there was definitely something he didnât understand happening here.
However, one thing seemed clear to him.
That he had been deceived. If these two Lin Zhens were the same person, then the Star System Stage challenge arena was definitely a trap, one that lured him to pour money into it recklessly!