Gan Jing looked up at the three imposing faction leaders. He had merely intended to remove a potential threat; it was, in essence, a private matter. But after listening to their conversation, it seemed...

“Kid…” Mu Guixin whispered into Gan Jing’s ear, “You’ll be leading a major faction yourself one day. You need to learn these methods of handling things.”

Gan Jing smiled. It seemed he had underestimated the leaders of these large powers before. Anyone who reached such a position must have weathered countless storms.

“Then, President Gan should rest well?” Li De York asked, his gaze seeking approval from Gan Jing. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss the official business of Yongliu City with these two presidents and the old President Yun Xing?”

Gan Jing nodded repeatedly, his face filled with genuine admiration. “I have only one demand: the Lei family must have absolutely no influence in Yongliu City. I must be responsible for the safety of those around me.”

“No problem.”

Li De York smiled, but an icy coldness flashed in his pupils, betraying decisive ruthlessness. “I will ensure it. Even the Zhence Dynasty has no Lei family.”

Since a move had been made, it must be utterly final! Li De York walked towards the door with a gentlemanly smile, silently warning himself: high-level struggles are either smooth or they must result in life or death! Since he chose to ally with Gan Jing this time, the Lei family had to vanish completely!

Otherwise, the Lei family would certainly not stop at targeting just Gan Jing; the City Lord’s Mansion faction would be next! To enter Sainthood, for the sake of the Soul Weapon, he was now tied to the same boat as Gan Jing!

Given that, what was there left to consider? If they wiped out the Lei family, even if higher powers took issue later, they would weigh the value of the person who had already entered Sainthood.

Gan Jing watched Li De York depart, slowly closed his eyes, and sighed. Starting today, the Lei family would soon become history in Yongliu City.

Knock, knock...

A very careful knocking sound came from behind the relatively handsome door panel.

“Come in.”

Creeeeak...

The wooden door let out an aged groan, and a sliver of bright light, as the door opened wider, began to encroach upon the floor space of the room.

Sluoyin’s plump head squeezed through the gap, his face covered in an awkward, unpleasant smile. His squinting eyes were filled with confusion and curiosity. Not long ago, on his way back to the Medicine Hut by carriage, he had run into a frantic guild member who informed him that the potion he had painstakingly brewed for a month had exploded!

Every piece of experimental equipment in the entire laboratory had been destroyed; the scene looked a hundred times more desolate and ravaged than the human-demon battlefield after a war.

Exploded! It really exploded! Sluoyin’s chubby hand rested on the door handle—embarrassed, he didn't dare push the panel open fully, only poking his portly head into the room. He was brimming with questions but hesitant to speak, especially remembering the imposing air he carried when he last left this place.

Li Litot stood outside the door, finding it hard to believe his eyes at Sluoyin’s backside, which was swaying back and forth outside the door.

Was this really the barbaric President Sluoyin? Why did he look as shy as a girl about to be married?

Gan Jing managed a slight bow, adjusting his reclining posture. “It’s President Sluoyin. Please, come in.”

“Heh heh…” Sluoyin chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head repeatedly. “President Gan, how is your health?”

“It exploded?”

More embarrassment washed over Sluoyin’s face. He hadn't expected the young man to be so direct. He hardened his resolve—it was already a fact; what did he have to fear? He might as well discard his pride.

Sluoyin marched in and sat heavily on the bench Li De York had occupied. The embarrassment on his face was completely erased by his rough nature. “Yes, it exploded.”

“No one was hurt, I hope?”

“No one was…”

“That’s good. You must ensure your potion foundations are solid.”

“It was…”

“Actually, many low-grade medicinal materials have excellent neutralizing effects; you shouldn't only focus on high-grade ones.”

“You are absolutely right…” Sluoyin sat stiffly on the bench, feeling utterly uncomfortable. How was it that he, Yongliu City’s foremost Potion Master, felt like a primary school student facing a teacher when dealing with Gan Jing?

How many years? Sluoyin pondered—how many years had it been since he encountered a situation like this? Usually, he was the one standing in Gan Jing’s position, lecturing others. Now, he was being guided by someone so much younger.

“Actually, dual-element potions aren't that difficult,” Gan Jing mused slightly. “It still comes down to the basics.”

Sluoyin nodded continuously. The myriad questions swirling in his head had no chance to surface; he could only listen to Gan Jing’s kind admonishments.

Half an hour. A full thirty minutes! Sluoyin finally waited for Gan Jing’s counsel to end. He prepared to speak, only to realize that the questions he’d thought of on the way over had all been inadvertently answered during this half-hour lecture.

Damn it! No way! Sluoyin stared blankly at Gan Jing, a chill running through his limbs. Had this brat already guessed what he was going to ask? Incredible! In such a conversational environment, he not only provided the answers but also preserved the face of the Medicine Hut President.

“President Sluoyin, I need to rest for a while. Perhaps you could…” Gan Jing glanced towards the doorway with a troubled expression.

“Oh! I still have something to attend to, I’ll leave first.”

Sluoyin rose dispiritedly and left the room, closing the door behind him. His next step forward suddenly halted. Wait a minute! Why was he leaving? The young man had just resolved the questions he brought with him—clearly, this kid's abilities went beyond that! He could ask about the problems he hadn't figured out before! Why was he leaving?

Sluoyin turned around, swallowing his pride, and raised his chubby hand to knock again. He heard a fatigued voice from inside: “I am very tired today. We can discuss it tomorrow. Li Litot, go find a few people from the Torrential Battle Fortress to guard the door for me. I don't want anyone disturbing me.”

Li Litot acknowledged the order and walked over to Sluoyin, offering a wry smile. “President Sluoyin, why don’t you head back first? Tomorrow…?”

“Go back, my foot!” Sluoyin vehemently waved his thick arms. “Go, go! Tell Lord Yun Xing to prepare a cot right here by this door! I’m not going anywhere; I’ll guard it myself! Then go to my guild and bring back some fighters and mages who can hold their own; they can help guard President Gan as well.”

Li Litot could only nod repeatedly, caught between tears and laughter. What kind of situation was this? The President of the Potion Guild personally guarding a door? Who was sleeping inside—President Gan? Or was it His Majesty, the Emperor of the Zhence Dynasty?

“Oh, right!” Sluoyin suddenly shouted towards the departing Li Litot. “I just saw Li De York, Mu Guixin, and that brat Jun Wudao leaving with very scheming expressions, like they were plotting something. Tell them, whatever they plan to do, count the Medicine Hut Guild in this time!”

Li Litot nearly tripped over himself. He looked back at the quiet little room where Gan Jing was resting. The Guild President must be planning to cause trouble for the Lei family. If the four major powers of Yongliu City were moving against the Lei family, the Lei family truly was about to become history.

Sluoyin planted himself down before Gan Jing’s door, leaning back against the wood, squinting at the sky. As the President of the Potion Guild, he had his own channels of information. Gan Jing was obviously going after the Lei family. Li De York, always a weathervane, turning whichever way the wind blew, acting like this today clearly meant Gan Jing was of immense value to him.

Immense value? Sluoyin frowned. Could Gan Jing’s value to Li De York be greater than his value to Sluoyin himself? This kid, in casual conversation, managed to solve unasked questions under the guise of advice—only people from the General Council probably had that level of ability.

This kind of ability… Sluoyin shook his head, muttering to himself, “I don’t even have it. I need to interact with him more. I’ve been worrying about a successor for the Guild Presidency for years. If it were possible…”

Sluoyin secretly turned his head toward Gan Jing’s room. “Hey you… yes! You! What’s your name again? Xianqiang? Go fetch our Vice President. I have something for him to handle.”

Xianqiang pointed to his own nose. Me? I am an official of the Blacksmiths’ Guild! Forget it. I might get sick in the future; better not antagonize this President, lest he slip some weird medicine into my food.

“Find someone to investigate Gan Jing’s background,” Sluoyin murmured thoughtfully, his head bowed low. “See what his situation really is. If it’s appropriate, it’s certainly not out of the question to consider.”

Consider? Chen Motu, listening nearby, grew terrified. Consider what? Consider poaching from our guild? Gan Jing is already the new president of our guild! Are you people from the Medicine Hut planning to steal our Guild President?

Gan Jing calmly adjusted his reclining posture, reached into the Dou Realm, pulled out a hat, and pulled it over his face before entering the Endless World.

Pain! Gan Jing stood on the quiet path in the village. There was no one here to assist him; everything depended on himself! The only way to quickly recover his injuries was to reach Adams’s Apothecary Shop.

“Kid, can’t you give people a break?” Adams shook his head repeatedly as Gan Jing walked into the room. “What have you been up to lately? You’re getting injured far too often!”

Gan Jing offered a bitter smile. Every opponent he had faced recently was significantly stronger than him. It was only thanks to these frequent battles that his own strength was increasing so rapidly.

Sacrifice always brought rewards.

Gan Jing tilted his head back and downed the recovery potion Adams had made. His entire skeletal structure cracked and popped loudly. In the blink of an eye, not only were his bones completely restored, but all other physical organs returned to peak condition.

“Since you’re here, stay with me for a while,” Adams said without looking up, busy with his work. “Coincidentally, I need to run an experiment. You can give me a hand.”

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