Elder Qi was somewhat excited. “Is that person male or female?”
Feng Luan lowered her eyes and said half-truthfully, “He is male, but he has already left the black market.”
Elder Qi seemed somewhat disappointed, but he said nothing. He merely moved his lips before finally sighing.
“Miss Ye, actually, we sought you out this time because we have something to discuss.” After exchanging a glance with Elder Qi, the grand elder continued slowly, “Our Spirit Pavilion has always cherished talent. I wonder whether you would be willing to join us.”
Feng Luan had actually anticipated this scene long ago.
The Spirit Pavilion was one of the factions of the Black Tortoise Kingdom. It was also well-known throughout the Void Spirit Continent, so naturally, it would try to win over a genius.
Unfortunately, she was unwilling to be restrained.
Elder Qi seemed to have seen through Feng Luan’s thoughts, so he added, “Given your talent, girl, we are not asking you to start from the bottom. We merely want to ask whether you would be willing to serve as an honorary elder in the Talisman Hall of the Spirit Pavilion?”
“The honorary elder of the Talisman Hall receives a stipend, and you would not need to remain inside the spirit pavilion frequently. If you need high-grade talisman paper, our Spirit Pavilion will provide it for you, and we will protect you for life. However, there is one requirement: you must offer three talismans to the Spirit Pavilion every month.”
“Of course, if you are not interested, Miss Ye, we will not force you. Consider it merely a chance to become friends.”
These conditions were indeed somewhat tempting.
Her wings had not yet fully grown. If she could become an honorary elder of the Spirit Pavilion, it might not be a bad thing.
Moreover, she would not be losing anything. It was merely an honorary position, and producing three talismans each month would take only a few shichen for her.
“Very well. Then I thank the three elders in advance.” Feng Luan lowered her head slightly, and the black veil swayed gently.
Elder Qi stroked his beard, somewhat curious about the face beneath the veil. “I wonder whether Miss Ye could show us your true face...”
Feng Luan pondered for only a moment. Without the slightest hesitation, she removed her veiled hat, revealing her beautiful, pure, and delicate features.
“This, this...”
The grand elder and second elder widened their eyes as if they had been startled, while Elder Qi merely showed slight surprise. Stroking his beard, he burst into hearty laughter. “Hahaha! So it is Miss Feng.”
“How interesting, how interesting. This is truly too interesting. No wonder you are Feng Luo's Daughter.”
Feng Luan sounded slightly apologetic, yet neither servile nor overbearing. “I am truly sorry for deceiving the three elders. I simply did not know whether you were friends or foes. I hope the elders will be magnanimous.”
Who did not know Feng Luan? She was the feng family's legitimate eldest daughter and the crown prince's betrothed—a thoroughly good-for-nothing.
Yet now, she had transformed into an object of the Spirit Pavilion's efforts to win over.
Everyone said she was timid by nature, as cowardly as a mouse. Yet seeing was indeed better than hearing a hundred times. The woman before them, dressed in flowing white and possessing an elegant, refined bearing, was three times more noble than the daughters of the other righteous sects and Peerless Geniuses. Her temperament was even more extraordinary.
Elder Qi raised his hand, his admiration for Feng Luan growing even stronger. “It is nothing. Being more cautious is a good thing.”
The grand elder and second elder also recovered from their shock. Thinking of how such a precious genius had been called a good-for-nothing for so long, they truly wished they could dig out the eyes of the world and make everyone look properly.
After cultivating to this point and devoting themselves to studying talismans for many years, they still could not reach Feng Luan's level, with a saturation as high as ninety-nine.
If this was considered being a good-for-nothing, then were they not even inferior to good-for-nothings?
Feng Luan did not know what the two were thinking. Although she had revealed her true face, she did not want to attract too much attention. “Elder Qi, I have a request.”
Elder Qi nodded. “Please, go ahead.”
Feng Luan said, “Please keep secret the fact that I can inscribe talismans. At present, I do not wish to appear before everyone under the identity of Feng Luan.”
A tall tree attracts the wind. Her wings had not yet fully grown.
Elder Qi agreed, though he was somewhat puzzled. “If we tell the others about this, your position as Crown Princess will be strengthened...”
Crown Princess?
Feng Luan felt no regret.
Feng Luan replied expressionlessly, “I have no feelings for the crown prince. I will certainly dissolve this marriage engagement.”
Seeing Feng Luan's resolute expression, Elder Qi realized that she truly had no interest in the crown prince.
Suddenly, Feng Luan remembered the purpose of her visit to the medicinal materials shop. She took a small porcelain bottle from her clothing. “Elder Qi, does the Spirit Pavilion Auction accept pills?”
The faint medicinal fragrance spread throughout the vast room.
Everyone seated there except Feng Luan wore shocked expressions.
Elder Qi's hand trembled slightly as he asked, “These pills... did you refine them?”
Feng Luan nodded. “Yes.”
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
As a talisman master, Elder Qi naturally knew that spiritual power could be used both to refine pills and inscribe talismans. However, although the two processes might be broadly similar, they were inherently incompatible.
Once one chose to become a talisman master, one's alchemy would be unable to stand out. This was not only because the two were inherently incompatible, but also because of insufficient spiritual power.
Even Lu Tian, renowned as a genius, was unable to refine pills.
Elder Qi shook his head with a bitter smile. “Girl, the extent of your defiance of the heavens...”
“Even if you had no cultivation, possessing attainments in both professions would still make you highly sought after.”
Feng Luan rubbed the tip of her nose. If he knew that she not only possessed cultivation, but had also broken through to become a third-rank spirit adept in less than two days—
He would probably feel that this was the true defiance of the heavens.
Fortunately, the Phoenix Token possessed the ability to conceal her cultivation. No matter how powerful the other party was, they could not perceive her cultivation.
The grand elder also joined in. “Dual cultivation of talismans and alchemy—this has been an exceedingly rare existence throughout history.”
Li Er, standing nearby, was completely stunned. His entire body trembled as he was shaken by Feng Luan's identity. He had never expected that she was actually that notorious Feng Family good-for-nothing.
Yet she had now transformed into an honored guest of the spirit pavilion. Not only that, besides being a talisman master, she was also an alchemist!
Elder Qi accepted the pills Feng Luan handed over. The dense medicinal fragrance rushed toward him. Just by taking a light sniff, he could tell that the pills inside were anything but ordinary. Their fragrance was even richer than that of the pills Qin Zhu had given him.
“This is a first rank Marrow-Cleansing Pill, but it can achieve the effects of a third tier.” Feng Luan spoke.
Like talismans, pills were divided into Ranks One through Nine, king rank, saint rank, venerable rank, emperor rank, and divine rank （ beginner level, intermediate level, advanced level, and great perfection ）
A Marrow-Cleansing Pill could be refined by any alchemist who had entered the field.
Yet even without opening the bottle, Elder Qi could sense that the pills inside were exceptionally pure.
“Good!” Elder Qi was somewhat excited. “Although the Marrow-Cleansing Pill is an entry-level Pill for an alchemist, many people still fight desperately to purchase it at a high price. We can auction it together with the talismans later.”
Feng Luan replied, “All right.”
If even an ordinary Pill could cause such a sensation, then once she refined a Longevity-Extending Pill in the future, would people not fight until blood flowed?
There were many medicinal herbs within the phoenix token, but they were all low-level. If she wanted to refine a Longevity-Extending Pill, she would still need several rare medicinal herbs before she could do so.
✦✦✦