76: Zhuang Sanming went to the Medicine Refining Hall to apply for a job

“Alright, alright, all of this is yours.”

Ge Yunying generously shared her lunch with Little Ice Fox, who thus received her feeding.

“Alright, once you’re done eating, go cultivate. The spirit stones were spent, so don’t waste them,” Ge Yunying said gently.

Little Ice Fox nodded, stuffing all the food Ge Yunying gave it into its fur, then carefully took its seat.

Cultivate!

The pretty big sister is right; the spent spirit stones mustn’t be wasted.

Lin Feng strolled leisurely along the outer path, where it was very quiet, like night.

Outside the Bastion, at the Guild.

“Cousin, are you really going to apply for a job at the Alchemy Hall?”

Su Duo almost dropped her jaw in surprise when she heard Zhuang Sanming say he was applying for a position at the Alchemy Hall, and she confirmed it repeatedly.

“Yes,” Zhuang Sanming nodded. “Don’t tell Aunt and Uncle about this for now. It won’t be too late to tell them once I’m actually hired.”

“Ah?”

Su Duo’s eyes widened again: “But the Alchemy Hall is so hard to get into. You saw yesterday, everyone came out dejected…”

She knew her cousin had strong self-esteem, and if he were really kicked out by the Alchemy Hall, that wouldn’t be good.

“It’s fine. So many people couldn’t get in; it’s no big deal if I don’t either. To be honest, I’m actually going this time to test the Alchemy Hall’s recruitment standards.”

Zhuang Sanming narrowed his eyes, already having a plan in mind.

Su Duo breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this: “Oh, like that. Then it’s fine.”

She was just afraid her cousin was too proud; if he wasn’t chosen, he might be very sad and then become disheartened.

Zhuang Sanming looked at Su Duo. In fact, he had only said half of what he meant.

He did go with the expectation of not being selected, but more than that, he naturally hoped he would be chosen.

He just couldn’t have too much hope, after all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

“Let’s go, let’s go check out the Alchemy Hall.” Zhuang Sanming pulled Su Duo and walked towards the Alchemy Hall.

Upon arriving at the Alchemy Hall, Zhuang Sanming found that the number of people today was no less than yesterday, with three layers inside and three layers outside, packed tightly.

“Wow, so many people!” Su Duo exclaimed in surprise.

As expected of the Alchemy Hall, this was the center of the entire Guild.

“Su Duo? Is Zhuang Sanming here too? Haha, I knew it.” Zhuang Siwei was in the crowd, and upon hearing Su Duo’s voice, he squeezed out.

Zhuang Sanming frowned: “What are you doing here?”

“What a joke. This is the Alchemy Hall, not your house. Why can’t I be here?”

Zhuang Siwei glared at Zhuang Sanming, his face full of disdain.

Zhuang Sanming said nothing.

“What, speechless? You’re here to apply, aren’t you?” Zhuang Siwei had no intention of letting Zhuang Sanming off the hook.

Zhuang Sanming frowned and glanced at Zhuang Siwei, who then became even more energized: “No way, no way, do you really think you can get a job at the Alchemy Hall? Haha, what a huge joke!”

“What kind of place is the Alchemy Hall? The staff there are all elites of the Guild! What are you, that you also want to enter the Alchemy Hall? I’ll wait right here, waiting to see your crestfallen look after you get kicked out!”

Zhuang Sanming clenched his fists.

He knew that Zhuang Siwei had looked down on him since childhood, believing he couldn’t accomplish anything.

He believed that Zhuang Sanming, living as a dependent with no prospects, still harbored dreams of entering the Alchemy Hall, which was simply a toad wanting to eat swan meat—a pipe dream!

But why?

He had only lost his birth parents as a child; besides that, how was he any worse than others?

“What? Am I wrong? You’re useless. If someone like you could be chosen by the Alchemy Hall, I’d wash my hair while standing on my head!”

Zhuang Siwei continued to belittle Zhuang Sanming, unaware of how sharp Zhuang Sanming’s gaze was.

Just as Zhuang Sanming was about to lose his temper and punch Zhuang Siwei, Su Duo spoke up.

“Are you sick?!”

She said this to Zhuang Siwei, so he immediately knew he was being scolded.

“What did you say?” He looked at Su Duo.

“I said, are you sick?!” Su Duo wasn’t intimidated at all. She walked up and circled Zhuang Siwei, huffing, “Your strength isn’t even as good as my cousin’s. If my cousin can’t get into the Alchemy Hall, then you definitely can’t.”

“You, I… getting into the Alchemy Hall isn’t just about strength!” Zhuang Siwei was almost incoherent from Su Duo’s retort.

At this moment, Zhuang Sanming’s gaze had returned to normal, and his clenched fists relaxed.

He walked to Su Duo’s side, pulled her back, and said, “Let’s go, don’t mind him.”

Su Duo nodded: “Mhm, mhm. People like him, who aren’t strong enough to apply themselves, just want to stop others from getting in. So disgusting.”

Zhuang Siwei’s eyes widened: “You!”

“You what? If you’re so capable, go queue up and apply! Hmph, coward.” Su Duo said disdainfully.

Zhuang Siwei was too angry to speak, because everything Su Duo said was true.

He just didn’t dare to go.

He was afraid of being kicked out and making a fool of himself.

The reason he jumped out to mock Zhuang Sanming was actually out of fear.

He was afraid that Zhuang Sanming would be chosen by the Alchemy Hall and become a staff member there.

Then he would always have to defer to Zhuang Sanming in the future.

That was not the outcome he wanted to see.

But who knew that Su Duo would suddenly appear and ruin his plan.

“Cousin, don’t pay attention to him when you see him in the future. Just treat what he says as farts. What kind of person is he, not wanting others to apply just because he can’t get in.”

Su Duo said to Zhuang Sanming as she walked forward.

Zhuang Sanming smiled and nodded: “I didn’t expect that I, such a grown man, wouldn’t be as perceptive as you, a little girl.”

His emotions were indeed a bit off just now. If Su Duo hadn’t pulled him back in time, he might have acted then.

“What little girl? I’m only one year younger than you, that’s all,” Su Duo said indignantly.

Zhuang Sanming was stunned. Indeed, that was true, but Su Duo usually acted so much like an undeveloped child that he had that thought.

“Alright, let’s go to the front and take a look. Let’s get in line,” Zhuang Sanming said.

“Mhm.”

Arriving at the queuing area, Zhuang Sanming first took a number. Goodness, the number was 92.

One could only say it was indeed the Alchemy Hall; so many people came to apply in one day.

“How many people are still ahead?” Su Duo asked.

Zhuang Sanming counted and said, “Probably about a dozen more. Come on, let’s get in line first.”

Zhuang Sanming went to the very end of the line. Those whose numbers were called quickly went in, and then came out a moment later.

“Not selected?” someone asked.

“Not selected,” the person who came out said dejectedly.

Everyone still in line felt uneasy. How strict were the conditions of the Alchemy Hall? After all this time, no one had been selected yet?