Chapter 2: You Are The Ones Who Should Leave

Sheng Yuanyao turned her head with a strange expression, wondering whose subordinate was so valiant.

To be honest, these nine supreme-grade Qi-Benefiting Pills turning into five good-quality ones did look much more ordinary, but they were far from being mediocre. If judged by the standard of an eighth-grade alchemist, this should still be considered very excellent.

Generally, alchemists can only refine one pill at a time, which is very inefficient. Only high-level alchemists dare to attempt refining multiple pills simultaneously in a single furnace when making relatively simple medicines, to improve efficiency. Of course, the more pills refined at once, the higher the requirement for the alchemist's control. Being able to refine five in one furnace is already considered quite good.

Moreover, many alchemists still struggle with the yield rate, often getting entire furnaces of waste pills or substandard products. Being able to stably refine regular good-quality pills is already difficult, let alone good-quality ones? The price of good-quality ones is double that of good-quality ones.

Although Lu Xingzhou had embezzled from his own post, compared to other families with the same medicinal material cost input, the benefits brought by his refining of these five good-quality pills were already superior, causing no loss to the Danxia Gang. No wonder the Danxia Gang had developed so well in the past half-year; this was a hen that laid golden eggs...

How powerful must the newcomer be to say this level is inadequate?

Entering was a middle-aged man in splendid robes, accompanied by a young man and woman. The one speaking was that young man. Lu Xingzhou merely smiled slightly: "Greetings, Gang Leader, Young Lady. I wonder who this is..."

Sheng Yuanyao now understood; it was Liu Qingcang, the leader of the Danxia Gang, and his daughter, Liu Yan'er.

Liu Yan'er snorted coldly: "This is Mr. Bai Chi, an eighth-grade upper-tier alchemist we hired after great effort. Mr. Bai is currently striving to break through to the seventh grade."

Lu Xingzhou's expression remained normal: "So, Miss Liu's meaning is?"

Liu Yan'er said: "Since a stronger alchemist has arrived, you can hand over your position as Chief Alchemist..."

Sheng Yuanyao blinked her eyes. Eighth-grade upper-tier... actually, refining a furnace of five good-quality pills is still very difficult. Are you sure he truly has the qualification to look down on Lu Xingzhou?

The Little Daoist quietly sat aside, peeled a sweet potato, took a quiet bite, then handed one to Sheng Yuanyao, silently forming words with his mouth: "Sister, do you want to eat this time?"

Sheng Yuanyao quietly accepted the roasted sweet potato; it smelled quite good.

Lu Xingzhou merely smiled faintly: "Is this Gang Leader Liu's meaning, or merely Miss Liu's meaning?"

Liu Qingcang waved his hand: "This seat knows that your alchemy system in the Danxia Gang was built from scratch by your own hands, and the alchemists below were also trained by you personally. Your reluctance is understandable. But such is the way of the world; the capable shall occupy the position. This is also for the development of our Danxia Gang. Xingzhou can serve as Mr. Bai's deputy, which is also an opportunity to learn and observe up close from a high-grade alchemist. You must grasp it well."

Lu Xingzhou laughed speechlessly: "So, I, Lu, should thank Gang Leader Liu?"

Liu Qingcang wore a kindly face: "Xingzhou, this is also an expectation for you. I know you have a strong affection for Yan'er. The deputy's work is not as heavy as before, and you can also free up time..."

Liu Yan'er stamped her foot: "Father!"

"Wait." Lu Xingzhou's expression grew strange: "Who said I had intentions toward Miss Liu? Your gang may lack mirrors, but surely you have urine."

The Liu father and daughter both stiffened.

Since arriving in Xiazhou, Lu Xingzhou had gone straight to the Danxia Gang, was admitted by Liu Yan'er, and helped build the alchemy system and train alchemists from scratch, working tirelessly. In daily life, the look in his eyes toward Liu Yan'er also revealed deep affection, and almost everyone in the gang thought you did all this for Liu Yan'er. If not for Liu Yan'er, then was it to be an ox or a horse?

Lu Xingzhou saw what they were thinking and said leisurely: "Actually, it is simply that you all paid far too much..."

The salary the Danxia Gang gave Lu Xingzhou was indeed very high; after all, there were no alchemists initially, and they were eager for talent. Obtaining Lu Xingzhou made them ecstatic. Furthermore, Sheng Yuanyao had witnessed him embezzling; the hidden profits were far beyond others' imagination. He probably really stayed here for the money...

Regrettably, the initial eagerness for talent had now become nothing but cutting off the bridge after crossing it.

Liu Yan'er sighed: "Xingzhou, I know you have no face to admit it, but the deep affection you usually show me in your eyes, could it all be fake..."

The Little Daoist muttered aside: "With those peach-blossom eyes of his, he looks at dogs with deep affection..."

Liu Yan'er, who had mistaken her own feelings, had her words stuck in her throat, while Sheng Yuanyao took a bite of the sweet potato.

"Deputy and such can be forgotten." Lu Xingzhou said faintly: "I, Lu, have no habit of working as someone's underling. Since the Danxia Gang has a more excellent alchemist, I, Lu, will simply seek another place."

Liu Yan'er snorted coldly: "Just you, this cripple..."

"Yan'er!" Liu Qingcang quickly interrupted. A spoiled young lady could speak recklessly, but he would not be ignorant. Even if Lu Xingzhou's level was not comparable to Bai Chi, he was still an outstanding figure in this Xiazhou. Letting him truly go elsewhere would be unprofitable. If he could truly stay here as a deputy, the Danxia Gang would gain a huge profit.

It was just a misjudgment; he fully expected Lu Xingzhou to stay for Liu Yan'er, never imagining it was not the case at all... Then what were you so serious about usually for...

Thinking of this, Liu Qingcang sighed: "Xingzhou, consider it again? To be honest, after such a long time together, everyone has already regarded you as family... How about a ten percent increase in salary from now on?"

Lu Xingzhou waved his hand and smiled: "No need to force it. Our fate ends today."

Liu Qingcang's face finally turned cold: "You must consider carefully. Do not think that having a hand in alchemy means you fear traveling the world. Making it so no one in Xiazhou will take you in is not difficult."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Then there is no need to trouble yourself."

Bai Chi said leisurely from the side: "Since you are determined to leave, I suggest a search, to avoid taking away important gang items."

Sheng Yuanyao, who had been watching for half a while, could no longer hold back: "Hey, aren't you all being a bit too excessive?"

She thought Lu Xingzhou embezzling was a bit excessive, but she never expected this group to be even more excessive. Cutting off the bridge after crossing it and killing the donkey after grinding the mill was one thing, but forcing and humiliating was another.

Liu Yan'er sneered: "What does our gang's internal affairs have to do with you, this fox-spirit?"

Sheng Yuanyao flew into a rage: "You!"

"What's the noise..." Lu Xingzhou interrupted Sheng Yuanyao's outburst and said leisurely: "Who said I was leaving?"

Liu Yan'er revealed a look of self-satisfaction as if she had known all along: "If you can't bear to part, just say it. This tactic of retreating to advance is not very clever..."

Lu Xingzhou said: "My meaning is, you are the ones who should leave."

Everyone was stunned.

Could this cripple have been struck by madness from the blow?

"There was once a Taoist temple on Danxia Mountain named Danxia Temple. This alchemy chamber and the surrounding three li originally belonged to the Danxia Temple's territory." Lu Xingzhou said faintly: "As far as I know, when Gang Leader Liu bought the mountain from the government, the deed for this area was missing, so the purchase was incomplete. Strictly speaking, this does not belong to you. It is just that the original owner is gone, so you are temporarily occupying it."

Liu Qingcang's heart jumped: "So what? The original owner is dead, and we often visit the grave to worship. Now this is ownerless land; first come, first served!"

The Little Daoist muttered again: "The mound you pretended to worship at the back is not the original owner's grave at all. Buried there is a sow infected with swine plague, named Little Flower."

Liu Qingcang: "???"

"The original owner did indeed pass away many years ago, but unfortunately, he had an inheritance." Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly, pulling out a land deed: "Even more unfortunately, I, Lu, am the new master of this place. Remember to do background checks before recruiting people in the future."

The Liu father and daughter, along with that Bai Chi, were all dumbfounded.

The deed looked quite new; it seemed Lu Xingzhou had gone to the government to exchange the deed. The name on the old deed originally belonged to an old Daoist Priest, but now it was clearly written as "Lu Xingzhou".

It really was his!

Sheng Yuanyao blinked her eyes fiercely.

This master and disciple pair were fun; it felt like there was a lot of drama.

That Bai Chi reacted, sneering: "Who says this deed is yours? I say it's mine!"

As the words fell, the Liu father and daughter also thought of this layer. This Lu Xingzhou was simply stupid, daring to expose the deed in the core area of their Danxia Gang. Would killing him and seizing the deed not settle it? He, a cripple, plus a child, were surely asking for death! Buried and no one would know!

Liu Qingcang immediately moved forward, about to strike.

Lu Xingzhou leisurely stuffed the deed back into his chest: "Miss, should you not manage gang members forcibly seizing a commoner's land deed?"

"Whoosh!" The waist-drawn blade flashed out, blocking Lu Xingzhou's path. Liu Qingcang's large hand, just reaching forward, had to recoil in an emergency, nearly having its claws chopped off.

As if only just noticing Sheng Yuanyao and the two subordinates behind her, Liu Qingcang's expression turned very ugly: "Who might you be, sir?"

Sheng Yuanyao remained expressionless, while the subordinate behind her shouted sternly: "This is our Xiazhou Demon-Suppressing Bureau Commander Sheng! Be honest!"

The faces of the Liu father and daughter and Bai Chi looked as if they had eaten dung. Who would have thought such a young, beautiful girl was the newly appointed Demon-Suppressing Bureau Commander, Sheng Yuanyao! They had thought she was just some client waiting here for alchemical pills!

Liu Yan'er's face turned even paler, like earth. Who had she just called a seductress?

Seeing Sheng Yuanyao's cold gaze, the three could only bow: "We pay our respects to Commander Sheng."

Why was Sheng Yuanyao here? This time, there was real trouble. Sheng Yuanyao was a newly arrived official from the capital, not a local; no matter how many connections everyone had in the region, they were useless now. With the authorities present, not only was killing to seize the deed impossible, but even if Lu Xingzhou got into trouble later, Sheng Yuanyao would inevitably fix her gaze on their Danxia Gang. That plan was now utterly unfeasible!

So what to do?

Most of this mountain had been purchased by the Danxia Gang; only the three-li square core area at the summit was missing. If Lu Xingzhou dug in here and refused to leave, it would be like sitting on top of the Danxia Gang's head and defecating—no matter how one thought about it, it was disgusting.

Not to mention that the gang's main hall, everyone's residences, and the entire alchemy system were all within this area. The places on the mountainside mostly had no buildings, only medicinal gardens; they had lost even their homes.

After all this, was it really they who would be driven out?

It was just about kicking one person; how did it come to this!

(End of this chapter)