"Oh, this is the beast flame of the Amethyst Winged Lion King from the Magic Beast Mountain Range. At that time, it spat at me...no, I mean, it spat fire at me and nearly burned me alive. Fortunately, I dove into the water and used some life-saving methods, barely escaping. When I woke up, I found a bit of purple flame within me." Xiao Se smiled, casually spinning a tale.
"Amethyst Winged Lion King, no wonder. That's a sixth-rank magical beast, and its flames can even threaten a Dou Huang expert." Hearing this, Fu Lan Ke and Au Tuo nodded in sudden understanding.
Seeing that pressing further wouldn't yield more answers, Fu Lan Ke smiled and shook his head, sighing, "Forget it, forget it. You're a tight-lipped little guy. We've been asking for half a day, and you've barely said anything. So, what is it you need from us?"
Xiao Se grinned, opened his mouth, and, with a serious gaze, said, "Masters, I need three things. Could you help me find them? I'm willing to exchange for their worth."
"What are the items?"
"The magic core of a third-rank magical beast, a Acceptance Soul and Ice Spirit Cold Fountain."
The third-rank magic core wasn't too hard to come by, but when Fu Lan Ke and Au Tuo heard the words 'Acceptance Soul' and 'Ice Spirit Cold Fountain,' the tea they had just sipped immediately sprayed out. Thankfully, Xiao Se had sharp reflexes and dodged, or he'd have gotten a faceful.
"Ahem... Xiao Se, sorry, did I get you wet?" Au Tuo took out a handkerchief, wiping the tea from his clothes, apologetically.
"It's fine," Xiao Se smiled and waved it off.
Fu Lan Ke also wiped himself and then looked at Xiao Se in surprise, "Kid, a third-rank magic core isn't an issue; the guild's treasury has one in stock. But as for Acceptance Soul and Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, those are extremely rare natural treasures. They aren't something that money can buy, and even if someone has them, they wouldn't give them up easily."
"Please, if you could just tell me who has them, I'll go personally to negotiate. If I fail, I won't blame anyone. These items are very important to me." Xiao Se bowed slightly in a sincere request.
Seeing Xiao Se's persistence, Fu Lan Ke frowned and exchanged a glance with Au Tuo, before sighing, "Alright, alright. I don't have Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, but I do have a Acceptance Soul. I can give it to you."
"Fu Lan Ke, you..." Hearing that Fu Lan Ke was willing to give away his prized possession, Au Tuo looked at him in disbelief.
Fu Lan Ke waved his hand, stopping Au Tuo. "It's alright. I'm getting old anyway. Instead of letting it gather dust, it's better to give it to someone who truly needs it."
Upon hearing that Fu Lan Ke had Acceptance Soul, Xiao Se quickly bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Master Fu Lan Ke."
"Don't thank me just yet. I have conditions for giving you Acceptance Soul." Fu Lan Ke stood up and held Xiao Se's hand, a sly smile forming on his lips.
Xiao Se frowned slightly, realizing that there was no such thing as a free lunch. With a dry laugh, he said, "Please, Master Fu Lan Ke, state your terms."
"Tell me honestly, you must be capable of refining more than just second-rank pills, right?" Fu Lan Ke, with years of experience, grew even more cunning as he asked with a grin.
"Uh..." Xiao Se hesitated but realized that he wouldn't get Acceptance Soul without being truthful. He then replied seriously, "I can refine anything up to third-rank pills."
"I knew it," Fu Lan Ke sighed inwardly and then said seriously, "In a little over a year from now, the capital will host the Alchemist Conference, held every four years. Not only will it gather all the young alchemists of the Jia Ma Empire, but neighboring countries will also participate. It's a grand event. I hope you'll represent our Black Rock City Alchemist Guild in the competition."
"The Alchemist Conference?" Xiao Se was slightly taken aback. He pondered, "The Alchemist Conference held once every four years... and in one year and two months, that would be the competition before the one Xiao Yan attends in the original story."
Seeing that Xiao Se was considering it, Au Tuo chimed in persuasively, "It's a rare event in the alchemy world. Not only can you earn rich rewards, but you can also make a name for yourself. Even powerful entities like the Jia Ma Imperial Family and the Yun Lan Sect will favor you as an honored guest."
"Alright, I'll participate. But I hope you can help me keep my identity hidden during the competition. For certain reasons, I don't want to expose myself publicly."
Xiao Se was joking inwardly. If Yun Yun came to watch and recognized him as an outstanding junior, how could he possibly pursue her? That door must remain firmly shut.
More importantly, both the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan had their eyes on the Xiao family. He had finally managed to escape their gaze and didn't want to expose himself again.
The Hun Clan? Let Xiao Yan handle that. Xiao Se preferred to develop quietly and out of sight.
"That's no issue. As long as the competition is fair, everything else is secondary," Fu Lan Ke and Au Tuo agreed without much thought, given that Xiao Se's mysterious master was already a figure of intrigue.
"Here's the Acceptance Soul. The third-rank magic core will be delivered to you tomorrow. As for the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, I'm afraid I can't help with that." Fu Lan Ke reluctantly took out a jade box from his storage ring, gripping it tightly before finally handing it over.
"Thank you, Master Fu Lan Ke. I won't forget this favor. If you ever need anything within my abilities, I won't hesitate to help." Xiao Se accepted the jade box, opened it slightly, and saw a small thumb-sized gray stone emitting a faint gray glow. It was indeed a Acceptance Soul, and a good quality one at that. He bowed in gratitude.
Fu Lan Ke waved him off and walked slowly toward the back room with a heavy heart.
"Haha, looks like Fu Lan Ke really feels the loss. But kid, you're destined for greatness. Getting a favor from you in exchange for a Acceptance Soul isn't a bad deal," Au Tuo chuckled as he watched Fu Lan Ke leave.
"Master Au Tuo, you're too kind," Xiao Se replied with a bitter smile as he put away the Acceptance Soul.
"Ah, I'm just telling the truth. Acceptance Soul is precious, but for us old folks, it's not of much use," Au Tuo said with a sigh.
Switching topics, Au Tuo asked, "Are you really set on getting the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain?"
"Yes, I need it very much," Xiao Se nodded firmly, knowing that Gu Te, Gu He's opportunistic brother, was about to appear.
As expected, Au Tuo's face twitched, and then he smiled wryly, "I do know someone who might have it, but be prepared to be extorted."
"I've been prepared for that for a long time," Xiao Se smiled, storing the Acceptance Soul in his left storage ring.
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