"Come on in!" A cold voice reverberated in Chao Li and Li Shan's ears.
Immediately after, they went in, and as they went in, in that room, they saw a middle-aged person standing in front of a large black cauldron.
That person's hair was slightly tousled, and his skin slightly wrinkled, clearly indicating that he wouldn't take care of his body at all.
He wore white robes and had a sharp, penetrating gaze.
As they went in, Li Shan politely greeted, "Greetings, Senior Dai Yi; This is Chao Li that I spoke about yesterday."
Dai Yi skeptically studied Chao Li from top to bottom and then sternly replied, "You are Chao Li, the person with the highest talent in the previous test!"
To his words, Chao Li awkwardly looked at Dai Yi, and before he replied anything, Dai Yi himself severely replied,
"You see, I don't care about your talent, and all I care about is your work and efficiency. If you fail to do the task I gave, I will punish you and won't even give you any compensation. Do you agree with that? If not, quit right away!"
To his words, Chao Li confidently replied, "Master Dai Yi, I will try my best to reach your expectations."
Dai Yi was slightly astonished by Chao Li's reply because he didn't expect that Chao Li wasn't even afraid a single bit about him and his punishment.
After a few breaths, Dai Yi solemnly replied, "Ok, I will accept you as my apprentice, and as your salary, I would offer 100 contribution points per month, and if you perform the tasks well, I will give you some additional bonus and incentives, so is it ok for you?"
Chao Li thought for some time and then replied, "Master Dai Yi, I am completely ok with your terms."
"Well, then, I will accept you as an apprentice helper." He announced.
Chao Li was delighted with Dai Yi's offer. "Chao Li, greets, master!"
Chao Li bowed as he cupped his fists in reverence.
"Well, Chao Li, here is my alchemy practice room, but I have a courtyard where I planted different herbs and shu plants. Your first task is to take care of the herbs and plants for me, and how to take care of each plant I recorded in a jade slip, and you have to follow the instruction in it." Dai Yi explained.
Chao Li nodded,
Immediately after, Dai Yi threw a jade slip at Chao Li, and Chao Li caught it,
"Read the information in it well, and I have noted each point of how to take care of herbs and plants, so all you have to do is follow those points." He severely said and added,
"If you perform your task well, I will allow you to assist me in alchemy, where you can learn alchemy at a close range, and it might be very helpful to your alchemy."
Chao Li delighted and wanted nothing more to learn alchemy from the very next day itself.
"And you can leave now, and if you want, you can go to my courtyard and just check my herb garden, but remember, If anything happens to my babies, I will skin you alive." He severely warned Chao Li.
Chao Li was also slightly shuddered by Dao Yi's threat.
After that, Dai Yi sent his courtyard location to Chao Li and then said,
"Leave now!"
"Ok, Master, I will take my leave!" Chao Li replied.
"Master Dai Yi, I will also take my leave!" Li Shan, who remained silent till then, said his farewell.
Dai Yi nodded, and then Chao Li and Li Shan left the room and went down to the first floor.
After going down, Li Shan seriously said, "Chao Li, You have to be careful with your work,"
"Senior Brother Li Shan, What is there to be careful? I will just follow the instructions of Senior Dai Yi, so how hard it would be growing the herbs and plants?" Chao Li suspiciously asked,
"Chao Li, what you said is true for normal alchemists, but Senior Dai Yi is a perfectionist, and his demands are absurd. For example, while growing some herbs, he would even count veins on the leaf, and for some herbs, he won't tolerate a herb if it hasn't met the height specified even by a slight inch."
"He will check the color, thickness, and some other qualities of the herb to precision, and they would be met, only if you follow the instructions specified by him without any slightest mistake, or else you would surely fail." Li Shan severely warned Chao Li.
Chao Li was also taken aback by Li Shan's words.
"Master Dai Yi sure is very strict!" Chao Li mused with amazement.
"What do you think! Do you think his reputation was fake? Because of his austerity, no disciple wanted to take his as a master." Li Shan added.
"Whatever, I will try to work as he specified, and who knows how fate will work." Chao Li calmly replied.
Li Shan astonishingly looked at Chao Li for his calmness. Then he sighed as he said, "As you wish!"
Li Shan was about to leave Chao Li, but Chao Li suspiciously asked, "Senior Brother Li Shan, Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Li Shan doubtfully looked at Chao Li as he replied.
"Senior Brother Li Shan, why was brother Yi Shan looked hateful at me?" Chao Li hesitantly asked.
"Oh! You even perceived that!" Li Shan was amazed and continued, "You see, our Floating Feather Faction has little slots to join in the alchemy department, and most of them were occupied by people referred by inner and core division members."
"Yi Shan suggested his brother's name for the remaining slots, but suddenly you came in and occupied the slot, and that's why he is hateful towards you," Li Shan explained.
"So that's how it is, ah!" Chap Li got some clarity. In the past, he was confused why Yi Shan was hateful to him, and only then did he get clarity.
"Ignore about him; he paid for someone and got a slot for his brother, and if he is hateful to you means only for the lost amount, and for that, he won't do anything to you."
Chao Li nodded his head, and after that, Li Shan left Chao Li, and Chao Li sharted moving to Dei Yi's courtyard.