"Teacher...?"
Jiang Yunhong clutched his face, feeling the searing pain from Zhu Mingyuan's slap. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Mingyuan, his expression filled with disbelief and grievance.
He was trying to stand up for Zhu Mingyuan—why had he been slapped instead?
Ignoring Jiang Yunhong entirely, Zhu Mingyuan quickly walked over to Jiang Chen. Bowing deeply, he said respectfully,
"Master Jiang, these two don't understand the weight of their words. Please don't take offense. I apologize on their behalf—please forgive me."
What... what?
Jiang Yunhong and his grandfather stood frozen, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. It was as if they had seen a ghost.
Zhu Mingyuan—the highly esteemed Chief Alchemist of Baodan Pavilion and a second-rank senior alchemist—was treating Jiang Chen with such reverence? He even called him "Master Jiang."
How could this be? Jiang Chen was supposed to be a mere waste from the Jiang family!
"Zhu Mingyuan, is this your new apprentice? He seems far more arrogant than you," Jiang Chen remarked casually, glancing at Jiang Yunhong.
"Master Jiang, they were introduced by a friend of mine. I only came to assess them as a favor, but I never officially accepted him as a disciple," Zhu Mingyuan explained, his tone hardening as he turned toward Jiang Yunhong.
"Boy, who do you think you are? How dare you show such disrespect to Master Jiang in Baodan Pavilion?"
He continued coldly, "I will not take you as my apprentice. Leave now!"
Jiang Yunhong's face went pale, his expression blank with shock.
This opportunity—secured through his grandfather's tireless efforts—was slipping away. He never imagined that Jiang Chen, whom he considered worthless, held such influence over Zhu Mingyuan.
In his arrogance, he had unknowingly sealed his own fate. With just a word, Jiang Chen had shattered his dreams of becoming an alchemist.
"Master Zhu, there must be a mistake!" Jiang Qianhe finally broke his silence, his voice shaking.
"Jiang Chen is from the Jiang family in Cangshan City. He has never studied alchemy. How could he possibly be recognized by the Chief Alchemist of Baodan Pavilion?"
Zhu Mingyuan snorted, his patience wearing thin.
"I know exactly what I'm doing," he snapped.
"Now, take your grandson and leave. I have nothing more to say to you."
"Please, Teacher! I was wrong! Give me another chance!"
Jiang Yunhong fell to his knees, his eyes filled with desperation.
Without entry to Lingyun Martial House or the chance to become an alchemist, his future was bleak. He would be stuck in Cangshan City, his dreams of glory crushed.
"Get out," Zhu Mingyuan's voice was icy.
"You dared to be rude to Master Jiang. Not only will I refuse to teach you, but no alchemist in Lingyun City will accept you as a disciple. Don't waste your breath."
Jiang Yunhong's face turned ashen, his body trembling. The weight of Zhu Mingyuan's words crushed him. His chance at becoming an alchemist was gone, and his future was ruined.
Jiang Chen had indeed driven him from heaven to hell—with just a single word.