Luo Qingqing looked at the medicine in her hand, then back at Fabreidis: "Brother said I must completely trust Brother Qian Jin."

Fabreidis sighed, figuring the potion probably wouldn't kill anyone. He decided to let Biluo drink it for now, and he would brew another batch later. It seemed Qian Jin was still too young; becoming a powerhouse in the Nine Demon Slaying Battles before the age of nineteen might have made him slightly overconfident, making him believe his strength meant his pharmacology was superior to others. This was a worrying trend; he’d need to find time to correct this attitude. At this stage, Qian Jin absolutely could not lose himself.

The yellow liquid slid past Biluo’s cherry lips into her stomach. Fabreidis turned away, deeply engrossed in figuring out how to brew a better tonic than the one just administered.

"Using Ice Bamboo Grass can quickly purge internal heat..." Fabreidis muttered, frowning, "If I were to add a piece of Cold Stone Trough..."

"That would result in a clash of ice and fire battling inside her. Although the heat would be eliminated, the cold would injure the body. While the heat dissipates quickly, the internal battle would do more harm to the patient, and the lingering cold could cause sequelae if not treated properly, especially manifesting when walking in snowy terrain."

Qian Jin entered the mourning hall carrying a bowl of green medicinal soup, answering Fabreidis's deep contemplation.

"Then, using Autumn Dew Fruit might work," the female doctor interjected. "Its cold nature is much milder."

"The effect is too slow." Qian Jin handed the soup to Luo Qingqing, turned back, and stated, "The essential catalyst should be Cassava Fruit. Its medicinal nature is not cold; it can stretch the heat out bit by bit, preventing it from gathering in one place. Only then should Autumn Dew Fruit be used; that is the proper way."

"Cassava Fruit?" Fabreidis frowned. "That thing only becomes more fiery when it encounters heat; it cannot be stretched at all."

"That’s why other herbs must be added, so that when the Cassava Fruit passes through the body, it doesn't just concentrate in isolated spots. Instead, as it passes through each area, it leaves behind a fine thread, dispersing the heat—that would be ideal." Qian Jin watched Biluo’s complexion gradually return to a healthy hue. "She should wake up within ten minutes. Of course, she’ll still be a bit weak; a few days of rest should fix that."

The female doctor frowned slightly. Stretching the Cassava Fruit was a good concept, but the inherent laziness of the Cassava Fruit made any stretching impossible. Still, this young man, despite his age, spoke with such authority on pharmacology—it was no small feat.

Ten minutes later, Biluo let out a faint moan, her body trembling slightly as she awakened.

The female doctor let out a startled cry: "How is this possible?"

Fabreidis stared at Qian Jin, astonishment filling his eyes. He... had actually done it? Did he truly understand pharmaceuticals?

"See," Qian Jin shrugged. "Carry her into the room. Don't cover her with any blankets or cloth. Letting her sleep will aid recovery."

He said ten minutes, and she woke in ten minutes! No one dared to doubt Qian Jin’s words anymore. Gu Yue Jiaying carried Biluo toward the rear hall, occasionally turning back to examine Qian Jin with confusion.

Fabreidis approached Qian Jin and whispered, "You understand medicine?"

"A little," Qian Jin replied. "If I took the exam at the Alchemist Guild, I could probably score as a Senior Alchemist. Reaching Alchemist Master is still a small distance away." Fabreidis wasn't sure whether to believe him. A Senior Alchemist? Did he know what that title meant? The number of Senior Alchemists in the entire Zhence Dynasty could be counted on one hand. Every single one was white-haired and stooped, perpetually on the verge of returning to the embrace of the stars. A Senior Alchemist under nineteen?

"If everything goes smoothly, without any major mishaps," Qian Jin mused, stroking his chin, recalling Adam’s assessment: You little monster! I, a thirty-five-year-old Alchemist Master, scared my teacher so badly his heart stopped beating! Are you planning to become an Alchemist Master before twenty-one? Are you trying to frighten me to death?

"Yes!" Qian Jin affirmed confidently. "Within three years, I should reach the level of Alchemist Master. As for Alchemist Grandmaster..." That might take a long time, perhaps...

Bang! The female doctor’s medicine chest slipped from her grasp, scattering herbs across the floor. She stared blankly at Qian Jin, wondering if he was bluffing or speaking the absolute truth.

"You..." Fabreidis felt an urge to laugh despite himself. "Are you joking?"

"No."

Seeing Qian Jin's earnest expression, Fabreidis believed him by another third. The world around him seemed to wobble and spin; he had to re-examine this young man. A Demon Slaying Warrior of the Ninth Battle before nineteen! A Blacksmith before nineteen! A Pharmacist before nineteen! Any one of these achievements alone was impossible for an ordinary nineteen-year-old! Yet, he had achieved all three in rapid succession!

Qian Jin was unaware of Fabreidis's internal turmoil. If he had known, he would have kindly corrected him: he wasn't a Blacksmith. After two years with Uncle Black, he had learned that Blacksmiths were divided into ten tiers, and before leaving the Valley of Four Seasons, he was already a Tenth-Tier Blacksmith. In Uncle Black's words, he had one foot over the threshold into Blacksmith Master territory.

"I feel a bit dizzy," Fabreidis said, covering his forehead with his palm. He sat back down in his chair, took a sip of tea to calm his agitated heart, and then looked up at Qian Jin.

"Very intelligent," Qian Jin said, following Fabreidis’s gesture and sitting down as well.

"I meant the City Lord," Fabreidis corrected himself. "I mean, do you think being the City Lord is very imposing?"

"Of course." Qian Jin did not deny it. "I am working toward that goal." "Then, do you think you are stronger, or is Sabonis stronger?" Fabreidis looked directly into Qian Jin's eyes and asked seriously, "In a real fight to the death?"

Qian Jin answered without hesitation: "I could take on two Sabonises simultaneously and still have energy left over."

Fabreidis chuckled softly, pointed to himself, "Then how do you compare against me?"

"You, using one hand, without a weapon, beating two of me would still be relatively easy," Qian Jin recalled the instant he felt the testing of his internal acupoints by the other man yesterday—it felt like when he was at the Seventh Demon Slaying Battle, facing the Moon Demon Flower Spider.

"Then why am I the Guardian, and he is the City Lord?"

Qian Jin fell into thought. He had never considered this question before, yet now he couldn't answer it. The Zhence Dynasty had always established its rule through warfare; theoretically, the City Lord should possess the greatest strength! Administrative and economic matters were handled by subordinate officials; the City Lord shouldn't need to manage everything personally.

"Because of connections," Fabreidis dipped his fingers into the tea in the cup and wrote two characters, 'Water' (Shuǐ), on the tabletop. "Your goal is to become City Lord, isn't it?"

Qian Jin did not deny it with a nod. He could certainly return to the Qian family right now, having reached the Ninth Demon Slaying Battle, and bring his father out. But he couldn't allow his father, who had been suppressed for so many years, to leave the Qian family with honor and high dignity.

City Lord! Only by becoming the City Lord could his father leave the Qian family under the envious gazes of countless relatives.

"You are stronger than Sabonis, and I am stronger than you, yet I am only the City Guardian," Fabreidis said with a half-smile, looking at Qian Jin.

"You mean, if I applied to be City Lord now, it would be impossible?"

"Naturally." Fabreidis spread his hands. "For a remote border town, you certainly have the qualifications. But besides combat prowess, what else do you have? Military merit? Or outstanding performance in the High Academy? And someone to support your bid for City Lord?"

Qian Jin remained silent for a long moment, gazing quietly at Fabreidis. This City Guardian would never speak only half the truth; he just needed to wait patiently.

"Go to the Eternal Flow Province; this stage is too small and won't offer you many opportunities," Fabreidis said, pulling a yellowed letter from his robes. "I wrote this for you two years ago. I originally intended for you to take it then and go to the Warrior's Guild in the Eternal Flow Province to find a man named Mu Gui Wuxin. He will arrange many things for you, including entry into the High Magic and Warrior Academy in the Eternal Flow."

"The Conquest Academy?" Qian Jin frowned slightly. This was the second time an elder who cared for him had directed him toward the High Magic and Warrior Academy.

"What? Strange?" Fabreidis smiled faintly and placed the letter in Qian Jin's hand. "Do you think your Circulation of Qi Secret Method is enough? This is a Dynasty composed of many people. Becoming a City Lord requires a necessary condition."

A spark flashed in Qian Jin's mind, and he blurted out, "The diploma from the High Magic and Warrior Academy."

Fabreidis smiled and nodded. "A City Lord must guard an area's peace, and if war breaks out, they must know how to command the city defense forces. Should the Dynasty specifically dispatch personnel to conduct combat assessments before every City Lord takes office? What score qualifies one? That is too vague. Therefore, the Dynasty’s appointments for City Lords include this clause: one must possess a graduation certificate from the First-Tier High Magic and Warrior Academy..."

To become a City Lord of the Zhence Dynasty, one must possess a diploma from the High Magic and Warrior Academy!

"Think about it carefully," Fabreidis patted Qian Jin’s shoulder. "If you are going to marry my daughter, you should at least be a City Lord, right?"

"What?" Qian Jin sprang up from his seat as if it were burning hot, staring at Fabreidis in shock. "Who is marrying your daughter?"

"You are," Fabreidis looked at Qian Jin with complete matter-of-factness. "The Twin Moons held by Jiaying—you resurrected them, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Then that’s it. Jiaying said she would marry whoever could resurrect the Twin Moons."

"No way!"

"Do you think I’m joking?"

"I already have a woman."

"The laws of the Zhence Dynasty have never stated that a man can only marry one woman."

"Can we discuss this..."

"Fine. Go discuss it with her Twin Moons."

"Then why didn't you tell me before I healed the Twin Moons?"

"You never asked me."

"Uncle, I already have two women."

"The capable should bear more burdens; three is not too many."

"I'm starting to suspect Gu Yue Jiaying isn't your biological daughter."

"I can guarantee that," Fabreidis asserted, patting his chest. "As a man! I am quite confident in that ability."