Chapter Thirty-Four: Two Maidservants

As the new week began, let’s support Xiao Hei’s ranking from last week.

—

After Elder Xu left with the two prescriptions, he didn’t appear again until the end of the intensive training—the day of the disciples’ selection for the inner and outer sects!

On the hastily erected platform, in addition to Elder Xu, two other elders from the clan were present, flanking him as they oversaw the competition among the one hundred and eighteen registered disciples of the Seventh Medicine Peak.

The five with the best results would become inner sect disciples; those who met the standard could enter the outer sect; the rest would all be expelled.

Without unnecessary preamble, once all the registered disciples had arrived, the competition was declared open!

The first round was pill refinement…

Every registered disciple took out their alchemy cauldron and sat cross-legged on the spot, using the prepared medicinal ingredients to refine the pills they were most confident in producing.

During the refinement, one inner sect disciple was assigned to every five registered disciples to supervise the entire process and collect the finished pills for scoring.

With inner sect disciples watching closely, none of the registered disciples dared to cheat. They all meticulously arranged the herbs, opened the cauldrons, and executed each step with utmost care, not daring to be careless.

After all, this was about their future!

Would they be honored as disciples of the Houghtonklin family, or be driven away?

Yet for a select few, the process was exceptionally easy…

For example, the five disciples supervised by Mischa—Xu Wen, Xie Zhan, Jin Yu, Xiang Nan, and Shiya.

After their previous ordeal, the latter four had thrown themselves into relentless training. Now, even the lowest—Shiya and Xiang Nan—had reached the fifth level of the second star; Jin Yu had advanced to the sixth level; and “Xie Zhan” had reached the peak of the sixth level, already showing signs of condensing an elemental vortex.

As for Xu Wen…

Mischa glanced at the calm young man seated three meters to her left, a faint smile on her lips.

His elemental vortex was more solid, seemingly on the verge of another breakthrough. The precise level didn’t matter—she knew that even if Xu Wen deliberately failed the inner sect test, neither her master nor the Houghtonklin family would ever let him go.

In the training ground!

The fragrance of the first successful pills soon rose, followed by others in quick succession.

It was the basic “Blood Recovery Pill,” the one-star pill every registered disciple was most skilled at making!

Mischa quickly bottled the pills from her five charges and scored them. Xie Zhan and the others each received nine points, while Xu Wen received a perfect score!

No one objected to Mischa’s scoring; instead, they accepted it as a matter of course, casting a deep look at Xu Wen, who was already preparing his next batch, before resuming their own work.

Half an hour passed…

Sighs of disappointment, signaling failure, sounded here and there. One after another, some disciples left, having completed the pills they knew how to make. After failing, none dared to attempt another.

As the number of participants dwindled, the pill-refining contest drew to a close.

On the platform, the three elders’ gaze fell upon the group of registered disciples who had endured the longest—here, the fragrance of refined pills still rose, and these disciples looked calm and collected, making them stand out.

“These three girls have all reached the intermediate stage of the second star,” the elder on the left remarked, watching the three girls at the center with a serene and approving smile.

“Jin Yu, in particular, is steadier and at a higher level. Old Xu, aside from your precious little disciple, you’ve picked up quite a few good ones this time!” he added.

“If you’re envious, just say so! No need to beat around the bush among old friends,” Elder Xu replied, his beard twitching, his tone both smug and understanding, which left the other two elders rather exasperated as they turned their gazes elsewhere.

Senior Sister Wang suppressed a smile, pouring tea and pretending not to hear the elders’ exchange.

Soon, another dozen or so left the field, leaving only the five before Mischa.

Elder Xu began to grow impatient.

“That’s enough,” he announced as the five completed their final pills. Rising, he declared, “Collect the results. Registered disciples, take a Refreshing Pill and rest. The next round will begin in half an hour!”

“Yes, Master!” all the inner sect disciples of the Alchemy Peak replied in unison.

The registered disciples withdrew to the edges of the training ground, leaving a vast open space in the center.

Elder Xu and the two other elders reviewed the records submitted by the inner sect disciples, nodding in satisfaction. With a hint of a smile, Elder Xu announced, “Not bad. After three months of training, all one hundred and eighteen registered disciples have met the standard for entry into the outer sect. No one has been expelled. Excellent!”

Xu Wen was slightly surprised by this announcement.

But the hearts of the other disciples grew heavier…

All of them had surpassed the outer sect standard! This meant all one hundred and eighteen would now vie for the inner sect positions! However, some among them did not know yet that there was an additional pill-refining threshold for inner sect disciples.

“Seventh Medicine Peak’s results are truly impressive this year,” the left elder remarked, clicking his tongue as he reviewed the pill records. “It’s rare—there are already twenty-seven who have reached the inner sect standard in alchemy alone…”

Elder Xu laughed heartily.

“I really wonder what kind of luck you’ve had,” the elder on the left muttered.

Pfft—

Elder Xu nearly choked at the remark, snorted, and turned away to continue officiating the contest.

“Now, those whose names are called, step forward! You may rest and prepare for the next round.”

“Xu Wen!” “Xie Zhan!” …

Twenty-seven names were called, and the registered disciples realized that the inner sect places would be chosen from among them. While some felt disappointed, every one of these twenty-odd disciples was an elite, having stayed the longest in the pill-refining contest and possessing superior skills.

As Xu Wen and the others stepped forward, they basked in the admiring gazes of their peers and began sizing up those who would soon be their competitors.

“Brother Xu, what level have you reached now?” Xie Zhan sidled up and asked.

Xu Wen glanced at him, joking, “I have the right to remain silent and keep my strength a secret, don’t I?”

“Don’t worry,” Jin Yu interjected with a smile as she approached, “Ever since your breakthrough to the seventh stage of the second star became known, the ‘strongest registered disciple’ title has long passed from Senior Brother Xie. No one will challenge you.”

“Exactly! Just tell us, what’s your current stage?” Xiang Nan pressed, ever straightforward.

“No comment,” Xu Wen replied, folding his arms and gazing up at the platform.

“Huh?” The three were taken aback.

Shiya blinked behind her glasses and asked timidly, “Are you still mad at us for the challenge?”

“Of course not!” Xiang Nan shot her a glare. Since the Blackwater Mountains incident, Xu Wen’s image in her heart was unassailable.

“Oh, but it’s possible!” Xu Wen cut in. “Who wouldn’t be mad at being tricked by you? Am I Little Kai? Let me tell you, a young man’s heart is as small as a needle’s tip. Unless you promise to be my maids, you’ll never find out… Besides, we’re not that close anyway.”

“Fine, I’ll be your maid. How long do you want?” Xiang Nan answered unexpectedly, accepting without hesitation.

Apart from Jin Yu, everyone was stunned—even Xie Zhan.

“And you?” Xu Wen grinned at Shiya, wearing the rogue’s expression of a mischievous youth.

Shiya glanced at the earnest Xiang Nan, then at Xu Wen, and hesitated, “Just for today?” After all, she had lost last time, and Xu Wen was not a bad person, so she didn’t really mind.

“…Just one day? What use is that?” Xu Wen rolled his eyes. “A maid, of course, is… Never mind, three years. For the three years at Azure Cloud Academy, just do your duty as my maids.”

“What?” They all stared wide-eyed at Xu Wen. “Three years!”

“I didn’t ask for life-long servitude, that’s generous enough. If you object, you don’t have to agree. We’re not that close anyway,” Xu Wen shamelessly fanned his face for effect.

“Fine, I agree!” Shiya was the first to consent, startling Jin Yu.

“…But, if we really go to Azure Cloud Academy, we can’t follow you everywhere. Shiya and I need to cultivate too…” Xiang Nan explained, as if she didn’t mind the arrangement.

“When you’re cultivating, of course I won’t make you hang around and distract me. Your duties are light—once a week, just help with laundry and cleaning. If you can cook, even better. As for warming my bed or feet—no need for that.”

Xie Zhan and Jin Yu broke out in cold sweat.

Little did the three elders on the platform realize that, as they announced the rules for the second round, two female disciples perfectly qualified for the inner sect had already been claimed as maids by Xu Wen.