Two days after the pill furnace explosion; Cane returned to Randolph's laboratory, expecting to find a mess, but was surprised to see that everything was cleaned up. As he stepped inside, he saw his son sitting in the center of the room, meditating.
"Randolph," Cane said, his voice low and measured. "I have fixed the mess you caused and purchased the completed body cultivation pills at a high expense. You have cost us a great deal of money and face, but I will not punish you further. I hope that you have learned your lesson."
Randolph opened his eyes and looked up at his father, feeling a mixture of shame and gratitude. He had been expecting his father to be furious, but instead, he was met with unexpected leniency.
"I have, Father," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I realize now that I was foolish to try and cut corners. I will work harder and be more diligent in the future."
Cane's eyebrow raised slightly at the mention of cutting corners. "So, you've figured out what caused the explosion?" he asked inquisitively.
Randolph nodded slowly, a sinister sneer gracing his lips, giving him a vicious façade.
Cane nodded, his eyes fixed on his son. "Good. Handle it discreetly, I don't want the pill furnace explosion to be common knowledge." Seeing the vicious look in his sons eyes, he knew that Randolph would not fail him again easily.
Randolph bowed his head, thanking him for his trust and expectations. "As you wish Father." he said calmly.
Turning on his heel, Cane reached the door before saying, "The day after tomorrow is when we'll hand over the pills to Jacob and Grand Elder Li. Make sure it's taken care of by then." With those parting words, he left.
Randolph kept his head bowed for a few moments more until he could no longer hear his father's footsteps. Getting to his feet slowly, he thought about the past 2 days he spent in isolation. He had slowly and carefully backtracked his every move, trying to figure out the missing link.
He started from the pill furnace, it was a grade 3 White Lotus Furnace that was gifted to him from his grandfather. He had been using this furnace for over 3 years with great effect, not once had it shown even the slightest sign of cracking, so he quickly ruled out this possibility.
His refining technique could be said to be one of the best in the younger generation, having refined thousands of pills ranging from tier 1 to tier 2. Replaying the events prior to the furnace exploding, he found no issues with his techniques, they were as sound as could be.
The ingredients he had received from the Alchemy Hall were trustworthy. Every herb was strictly assessed by a tier 3 alchemist, guaranteeing their quality and efficacy. The Alchemy Hall was so confident in their appraisal's that they offered customers a refund and their next batch for free if they were incorrectly appraised.
This left one possible outcome. The only wildcard in his ingredients was the 50-year Elderflower that he had made the new alchemy servant harvest for him. Randolph felt his extremities beginning to burn with dense Qi as his anger began to rise to the surface.
"You f***ing scum servant, just you wait." He said through gritted teeth, his body seemingly pulsing with electricity.
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Master Shen stood at the entrance of the herb refinement room, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Everyone listen up, I have some news that will surely make your hearts race with anticipation."
The group looked up from their workbenches, their eyes focused on Master Shen.
"A 2-star Alchemist will be visiting our workshop to inspect our work" Master Shen exclaimed. "And, if he is pleased with our abilities, there is a possibility that one of you may become his direct servant."
He looked over the group who was listening with rapt attention and continued, "Do not take being a direct servant lightly, you will receive a much larger stipend in addition to what the sect provides. Not to mention the possibility of being directly tutored by your master."
Michael, Elena exchanged glances, seeing the look on each other's faces, it seemed they both had a bad feeling about this information. Michael had given Elena the list of herbs they would need to complete the tier 1 pills for her Tyrannical Dragon meridians this morning. Before they could even come up with a plan to collect the ingredients it seemed fate would step in their way.
The other servants were ecstatic, hope and joy could be seen on their faces as they hurriedly talked amongst each other. The opportunity to serve a 2-star Alchemist was a rare and highly coveted one, and they knew that this could be their chance to advance their skills and knowledge, as well as receive greater benefits.
Master Shen continued, "Some of you have been here many years already, others are fairly new." He said, glancing at Michael. "However, I expect nothing but the best from each and every one of you. Do not disappoint me."
The group nodded in agreement, their determination renewed. Some were nervous, others were confident in their abilities. They continued their work, making sure to be thorough and efficient. Nearly an hour later, a servant walked into the room and whispered in Master Shen's ear.
"Well quickly let him in!" Master Shen gestured towards the servant.
They turned to see a tall and skinny middle-aged man making his way over the cobblestone path. He wore a simple dark robe with a white cauldron under 2 stars depicted on the left side of his chest. His eyes were sharp and piercing, and a haughty air could be felt from him as he sauntered over toward them, his back straight as a spear with his hands clasped behind his back.
His chest was ever-so-slightly protruding as if to show off his rank. He looked down at them with a condescending gaze, his lips curling up slightly in disdain.
Master Shen stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Welcome, Master Randolph. We are honored to have you here."
Randolph smiled slyly, his eyes scanning the room, looking for Michael. He knew he was here, like a wolf hunting its prey, he could smell their presence. He had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an age, ever since Michael had tainted his Elderflower almost ruining his father's plans.
As he walked towards Master Shen, he spoke in a condescending tone, "I hope to see some real talent here, not just a bunch of mediocre servants."
The other servants shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of the 2-star Alchemist's words. Michael and Elena exchanged glances, knowing that Randolph was here to cause trouble.
Master Shen cleared his throat, "Of course, Master Randolph. We assure you that our servants are among the best in the sect."
Randolph smirked, "We'll see about that." He then proceeded to walk around the room, examining the herbs and the servants' work.
As he passed by Michael and Elena, he whispered under his breath, "I know what you did servant boy." He then casually walked past, seemingly not even noticing Elena.
'Shit, he must have found out about the Elderflower' Michael panicked.
After he found out Randolph's ploy of forcing him to harvest the Elderflower without the proper tools or instruction, hoping to drain his life force, Michael had vowed to teach him a lesson. It looked like the lesson had been taught, however it seemed he had not covered his tracks enough.
Archie looked on in contemplation, 'Ai Master, it looks like he's pissed. That herb must have caused his furnace to explode and ruin all his hard work Haha!'
Michael suddenly felt a little better, picturing the moment of the furnace exploding in Randolph's face. His face showed a crooked smile before disappearing quickly, 'Let's hope he doesn't make things too difficult for me, else I may be forced to retaliate.'
Elena watched on in fear as she saw Randolph target Michael. This was not her first run-in with Randolph who seemed to enjoy bullying the weak. Last time she felt his 'grace' was when he had walked into her, sending her flying into the wall.
"Michael, what does he mean? Is this regarding that Elderflower you told me about?" Elena asked, feeling a cold shiver down her back.
"Yeah but don't worry, he can't exactly report me considering he added the Elderflower to my list of materials without approval." He whispered.
Elena nodded, however these words weren't enough to ease her mind. She quickly reminded him "Michael, he's dangerous. Please be careful, we still have a lot to do."