Chapter 45

While the crowd was confused, an old grey-haired man flew into the hall from outside directly.

The voice sounded so familiar. She seemed to have heard it before and yet failed to think of it.

Duanmu Xi jerked her head up.

It was him?

He was the old grey-haired man who snatched the beggar’s chicken from Lanze.

“It is you who want to take away my disciple?”

Situ Kong walked to the several elders and raised his eyebrows proudly.

Faced with Situ Kong’s questioning, the elders all subconsciously swallowed.

Others might not know Situ Kong but the elders had met Situ Kong and known his prestige. No one dared to say anything more.

A glint of intrigue flashed across Nalan Xi’s eyes.

It turned out that this was the one Situ Kong wanted to take as his disciple.

He had a good eye indeed. Since she could make the three elders all want to take her as the inner disciple, she must be excellent in some way.

As he heard Situ Kong’s words, the old man in grey’s heart clenched and his face was etched with disappointment.

It looked like that he couldn’t have the disciple today.

Situ Kong didn’t care about others’ surprised gaze. He turned around and walked to Duanmu Xi, saying with a grin, “Girl, here we meet again.”

Duanmu Xi had to raise her head now.

When everyone saw clearly Duanmu Xi’s appearance, they all gasped in admiration.

How gorgeous!

Was this a fairy maiden?

How could a girl be so beautiful in the world…

“Sir.”

Duanmu Xi nodded lightly. Her distant appearance showed a sharp contrast with Situ Kong’s overfamiliar style.

That she addressed him as “sir” made Situ Kong’s smiling face replaced with a grieved look.

“Girl, call me Master.”

It was so d*mn hard for him to recruit a disciple.

He made effort to let Nalan Xi arrange the disciple enrollment matter and his disciple was almost snatched by these old guys. By now, the girl still wouldn’t acknowledge him as the master.

Seeing Situ Kong’s grieved look, Duanmu Xi couldn’t help knitting her brows.

“I want to learn medicine refining.”

Situ Kong immediately rejoiced.

“I’m a refining pharmacist. You can ask them about it.”

After saying that, Situ Kong pointed at the three elders on the podium.

The three elders all lowered their heads and pretended that they didn’t hear him.

Elder Situ came here to contend for the disciple against them. They couldn’t be bothered to testify for him.

Nalan Xi walked to Duanmu Xi with a smile.

“Miss, he is a special elder in the medicine refining department of Shengjin Academy indeed.”

Situ Kong nodded and looked at Duanmu Xi with an expectant facial expression.

Hearing the words–“special elder”, Duanmu Xi felt enlightened.

What a coincidence!

“You are Elder Situ?”

Situ Kong was slightly dazed and then came to his senses with a nod.

The quiet crowd started to clamor again.

People had heard of Elder Situ more or less.

Rumor had it that he never had any disciple. This time, he begged this beautiful young girl to be his disciple in such a humble way. If they didn’t see it for themselves, they would never believe it was the truth.

Duanmu Xi’s eyes glistened.

He was really Elder Situ. If she had known he was a dark-grade refining pharmacist, why would she have bothered to make it into Shengjin Academy?

Situ Kong was a bit anxious to see Duanmu Xi lost in thought with her head lowered.

“Don’t hesitate anymore. Just acknowledge me as your master then.”

Duanmu Xi looked up at Situ Kong seriously.

For the sake of Ying, she had to take him as her master then.

“Greetings, Master.”

Duanmu Xi knelt on one knee before Situ Kong and kowtowed to him respectfully.

“My dear disciple, get up.”

As Duanmu Xi acted so respectfully, with his eyes filled with tears in excitement, Situ Kong hastened to help Duanmu Xi up.

“Haha… I finally have my own disciple.”

He must bring his disciple back to the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild and make those old guys envy him.

The crowd was so speechless.

It was so easy for him to recruit a disciple. Why did he have to make himself sound so pathetic?

“Okay. Since the girl has been taken as the inner disciple by Elder Situ, Elder Mei, Elder Yuan, Elder Xie, why don’t you pick others as your disciples?”

Elder Mei glanced over and said coldly.

“I only want that girl.”

As Situ Kong heard that, he hastened to say to Nalan Xi, “Nalan Xi, I shall not bother your work here. I will take my disciple out and wander around.”

Then, he directly dragged Duanmu Xi out of the hall before Nalan Xi made any reply.

These old people were still coveting his disciple. He had better get out of here as soon as possible.

The crowd was lost for words again. Elder Situ left so fast.

Situ Kong brought Duanmu Xi out of the hall and strode towards the gate of Shengjin Academy.

“Girl, what is your name?”

The girl was his disciple now but he hadn’t known her name yet.

“Duanmu Xi.”

Oh right. Her family name should be Duanmu. He had forgotten that she was the crown princess of the Zhuque Empire.

Shortly, they arrived at the gate of Shengjin Academy.

Duanmu Xi saw Xuanyuan Mo and Phoenix Five immediately.

“Xi.”

“Your Highness.”

The two of them only focused on Duanmu Xi without attention to Situ Kong behind Duanmu Xi.

“How is it? Did you meet Elder Situ?”

“You wanted to meet me?”

Situ Kong was a bit surprised to hear what Phoenix Five said.

Xuanyuan Mo and Phoenix Five heard the voice and finally noticed Situ Kong.

“It is you? The old man who stole the chicken?”

Phoenix Five screamed.

Hearing Phoenix Five’s words, Duanmu Xi instantly frowned and said coldly, “Phoenix Five, don’t be rude. He is my master now.”

Situ Kong had a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

She honored her master and esteemed truth, which was pretty nice.

Wasn’t Her Highness unwilling to?

Why did she acknowledge him as her master after going to Shengjin Academy?

“Yes.”

Phoenix Five still said okay with a bow though she didn’t understand.

Xuanyuan Mo’s eyes glittered, “Let’s go back to the inn first.”

In Room Heaven No. 7.

“Master, please take a seat first.”

While greeting Situ Kong, Duanmu Xi poured the tea for him.

“Xi, is this Elder Situ?”

“Yeah.”

Duanmu Xi slightly nodded and introduced him to Xuanyuan Mo and Phoenix Five.

“This is Elder Situ. Now, he is my master.”

Then, she introduced them to Situ Kong, “This is my friend, Xuanyuan Mo. And this is my guard, Phoenix Five.”

Xuanyuan Mo bowed to Situ Kong with clasped hands.

“Mr. Situ, greetings.”

This old man turned out to be Elder Situ. No wonder Her Highness would acknowledge him as the master.

Phoenix Five also hurriedly went forward to salute Situ Kong.

“Elder Situ, I’m sorry for offending you just now. Please forgive me.”

“It’s okay,” with a flick of sleeves, Situ Kong said indifferently.

“Xi, you wanted to find me?”

Situ Kong turned around to look at Duanmu Xi. He seemed to have heard that at the gate of Shengjin Academy.

“Yes.” Duanmu Xi nodded. “I signed up for Shengjin Academy simply to acknowledge you as my master and learn the medicine refining skills from you.”

“Why do you want to learn the medicine refining skills so badly?”

Given her casual character, she shouldn’t.

Duanmu Xi’s eyes glistened.

“Master, do you know Origin Restoring Pill?”

“The second level pill of the heavenly grade, Origin Restoring Pill?”

Situ Kong was a bit surprised. This disciple was not simple. How could ordinary people know the elixir of the heavenly grade?

“Xi, you ask about it…”

Duanmu Xi was delighted to hear that. It seemed that her master knew the Origin Restoring Pill indeed.

“Master, I need the Origin Restoring Pill to save my family.”

So that explained it. Situ Kong took a tumble with a nod.

“Do you know what it needs to refine the Origin Restoring Pill?”

Duanmu Xi looked at Situ Kong with an expectant facial expression.

Situ Kong nodded, “I’ve learned from the medical book that it requires seven materials of different properties to refine the Origin Restoring Pill: Soul Nurturing Grass of wood property, Purple Returning Fruit of wind property, Thunderous Green Ganoderma of thunder property, Blood Spiritual Gingsen of fire property, 1000-year-old Water Lily of water property, 10,000-year-old ice of ice property and the spiritual core of a seven-grade mythical creature of earth property.”

Duanmu Xi frowned. She had never heard of any of these materials.

She thought for a while with her head lowered, saying, “Do you know where I can find the medicinal materials?”

Situ Kong furrowed his brows, “I only know the Thunderous Green Ganoderma is in the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild. As to the others, I know roughly about them.”

Duanmu Xi’s eyes glittered. The mysterious Refining Pharmacists’ Guild?

“Have you ever been to the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild?”

Situ Kong smiled, “Xi, if you want to join the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild, I can take you in now.”

Wasn’t the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild very mysterious?

Why did the master seem able to go there and leave at will?

“However…” Situ Kong suddenly added.

“What?”

Duanmu Xi’s heart clenched.

“Even if you enter the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild, you cannot get the Thunderous Green Ganoderma.”

Even if he was the chief elder of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild, he couldn’t get the advanced medicinal materials of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild randomly.

Duanmu Xi frowned. Even if she joined the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild, she wouldn’t get the medicinal materials. What should she do then?

Situ Kong couldn’t bear to see Duanmu Xi appeared disappointed.

“But there is still a solution.”

“Master, you have a solution?”

Duanmu Xi raised her head with an expectant look.

Situ Kong stroked his beard.

“If you participate in the medicine refining contest of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild and win the contest, you can put forward a request to the Guild. As long as the request is not too irrational, the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild will satisfy your request.”

What kind of solution was this?

Duanmu Xi was slightly disappointed. She was not even a refining pharmacist by now. How could she win the contest against the members of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild?

Situ Kong saw Duanmu Xi pulled a long face and then said with a smile, “Xi, do you have no confidence in me or yourself?”

Hearing Situ Kong’s banter, Duanmu Xi shook her head.

“I wonder when the contest of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild starts.”

“You cannot participate in the contest this year in time. You can join the contest when you improve your medicine refining level next year, because every refining pharmacist can only participate in the medicine refining contest of the Refining Pharmacists’ Guild once.”

Back then, he didn’t participate in the medicine refining contest until he reached the dark grade.

The next year?

Duanmu Xi raised her eyebrows. It was not short.

“Please teach me how to refine the medicine from tomorrow on.”

“Okay. Okay.”

Situ Kong nodded in delight upon hearing that Duanmu Xi wanted to learn medicine refining the next day.