The newcomer was a figure few in the capital could forget—Master Yun Qi, the president of the Alchemists' Guild. "Your Excellency, this young man has burst in to cause a disturbance. I’ll see him out," the elder said hastily.

  Lorcan's eyes flickered with recognition. "Are you Master Yun Qi? Wonderful! I must thank you for saving my life," he gushed, feigning gratitude.

  Master Yun Qi, initially displeased, paused at Lorcan's words. "Child, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else."

  "Mistaken? Impossible!" Lorcan insisted, pointing at the elder. "My mother spent over a hundred thousand gold coins on a tiger bone pill from this master, signed by you, to heal my wounds. I’m deeply indebted!"

  The elder, Guan Cheng, paled. Master Yun Qi's expression turned cold. "Guan Cheng, explain yourself."

  "Your Excellency, it’s all a misunderstanding—" Guan Cheng stammered.

  "Ah, so you deny selling a substandard pill to my mother?" Lorcan sneered, ignoring Guan Cheng’s frantic signals. "How noble of our guild members to perform good deeds anonymously—unless it’s peddling waste pills."

  Guan Cheng, a longtime guild elder and former apprentice to Master Yun Qi, had risen through loyalty, not talent. His role was to manage menial tasks, including disposing of failed pills. Guild ethics prohibited selling such pills, yet Guan Cheng had clearly violated this trust.

  Master Yun Qi sighed. "Guan Cheng, you’ve served me for decades. You know my principles. Go—**and never return**."

  Guan Cheng’s face drained of color. With a wave of Master Yun Qi’s hand, his career—and his dignity—ended. Lorcan watched the fallen elder leave, his heart unsoftened by the man’s plight. Guan Cheng, who had profited from deceit for years, deserved no sympathy.

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  Once Guan Cheng vanished, Master Yun Qi turned to Lorcan. "Young man, thank you. I’d have remained in the dark otherwise."

  "Heh, I’m just repaying a swindler who left my family destitute. No need to thank me," Lorcan replied.

  Master Yun Qi chuckled. "Straightforward—a rare quality. I like it."

  Lorcan grinned. "Why hide it? Better to play the honest man when caught red-handed."

  Amused, Master Yun Qi gestured to a testing chamber. "Now, tell me—why else are you here?"

  "To become a certified alchemist," Lorcan said, summoning a flicker of dan fire on his fingertip. The flame danced like a imp, earning a nod from Master Yun Qi.

  "Good control," the master remarked, noting Lorcan’s exceptional soul power. Unbeknownst to him, Lorcan held back even more—a ancient secret technique that could stun even a master.

  "Your soul power surpasses the ordinary," Master Yun Qi confirmed. "You’ll do."

  Lorcan’s relief was palpable. As they moved to the testing room, the guild’s other aspirants watched in stunned envy. Whispers filled the air:

  "Skipping the purification test? Unheard of."

  "Is he related to Yun Qi?"

  "Hardly—wasn’t he that Lorcan, the capital’s ‘waste’ heir?"

  Ignoring their grumbles, Master Yun Qi led Lorcan to a crystal matrix. "Ignite your flame."

  Lorcan’s flame ignited the crystal, producing several runes—a passable, if unremarkable, result. Next, at a pool of True Soul Mercury, Lorcan’s soul power lifted nearly twenty beads, a feat that left Master Yun Qi momentarily stunned.

  "Xuan-class," the master murmured, clearly impressed. "You’ll go far."

  Lorcan, feigning exhaustion, pressed his advantage. "Master, might I be your apprentice?"

  Master Yun Qi declined but offered a Dan Tute badge, a药鼎, a set of robes, and a **spatial ring**—a storage device worth a fortune. With these gifts, Lorcan’s status transformed overnight.

  Stepping out of the guild, Lorcan felt reborn. From penniless to powerful, he now carried the badge of an alchemist-in-training—a shield against bullies.

  Returning home, Lorcan was met by Bao’er, who led him to his mother’s quarters. Upon entering, Lorcan froze, his heart pounding.