Chapter 133 - Master Apothecary Xuanyi (2/2)

In the rear courtyard, there was a roaring fire under a refining furnace while a group of young disciples were moving around busily and attending to their duties. In the meantime, a white-haired elderly man dressed in a white robe was quietly sitting in meditation while cultivating beside them. As the fire’s glow shone on his face, his skin had a healthy rosy complexion, so he seemed full of spirit and energy just like a young man. This elderly man was Master Apothecary Xuanyi. Indeed, Master Apothecary Xuanyi was just a kind elder and most people who met him could never imagine how powerful and capable he truly was.

“Master.” Li Xu walked into the main hall and stood before him respectfully.

“What’s the matter?” Master Apothecary Xuanyi asked as he opened his eyes a few moments later.

“Fifth and Sixth Juniors have found the medicinal herbs you’ve requested for and I’ve put the herbs away in the medicine cabinet.” Li Xu was polite and modest in front of Master Apothecary Xuanyi although it was not out of fear that he carried himself in such a manner. Rather, he felt a sense of respect and admiration for Master Apothecary Xuanyi, so Li Xu would treat the elderly man as his own father.

Likewise, Master Apothecary Xuanyi had always treated his disciples as though they were his children.

“Okay,” Master Apothecary Xuanyi replied and closed his eyes again. Since he was still cultivating at the moment, he could not stand up.

Li Xu hesitated for a moment as he was not sure if he should bring up the other matter that was on his mind.

“Just say it. What else would you like to tell me?” Master Apothecary asked.

“Well, it’s about that talented young man I previously met in Donglin County when I went there to find an apprentice. Initially, I wanted to recommend him to you, Master, but that young man has caused some trouble and provoked the anger of Great Emperor Mingwu.”

“What kind of trouble?” Master Apothecary Xuanyi asked with a slight frown. Previously, when Li Xu told him about Ye Chen, he had found Li Xu’s words rather difficult to believe since he had never encountered a genius with such impressive control over their Celestial Chi. Thus, he became somewhat interested in Ye Chen. Of course, it was also not without reason that Master Apothecary Xuanyi had been urgently trying to find a genius alchemist to inherit his legacy.

“He killed the Second-rank Prince of Donglin and the Minister of War.”

“He killed them with his own hands?” Master Apothecary Xuanyi was stunned as he recalled that the Minister of War, Liu Kan, was supposed to be a mid-Tenth Level combatant.

“Based on the news I heard, he killed them himself,” Li Xu replied and felt a little bewildered too. The last time they met, Ye Chen was still a top Eighth Level combatant. Could Ye Chen have achieved a breakthrough and attained the Tenth Level within just two to three months?

“Have you managed to look into the cause of this incident? If Liu Xun and Liu Kan were the ones at fault, I’ll certainly defend him. If he’s using my name to go around provoking others, then it’d be better not to take him in as an apprentice,” Master Apothecary Xuanyi said. He was still pretty clear-headed when it came to matters like this.

“I’ve already gotten to the bottom of this matter. The Second-Prince’s Palace and the House of Ye have been enemies for a long time. When the Second-rank Prince saw that we’ve chosen Ye Chen, he dispatched his troops to lay siege to the Ye Castle out of desperation and wanted to annihilate the House of Ye. Ye Chen flew into a rage and ended up killing Liu Xun and Liu Kan,” Li Xu briefly explained the entire incident.

“In that case, it seems like he’s not to be blamed.” Master Apothecary Xuanyi placed quite a lot of trust in Li Xu. Then, he said, “Go to Mingwu and convey my message to him. Tell him that I’m going to defend this Ye Chen. Since he’s an apprentice of the Master Apothecary Xuanyi, it should be no big deal for him to kill a Minister of War anyway.”

Indeed, Master Apothecary Xuanyi was famously known for shielding the faults of his apprentices.

“Ye Chen hasn’t formally become your apprentice after all, so Great Emperor Mingwu might…” Li Xu felt his scalp going numb. Great Emperor Mingwu was a Heavenly Venerable Rank powerhouse who had a reputation for being decisive and merciless. Would it be okay to beard the lion in his den? The situation might have been manageable if Ye Chen had killed only the Second-rank Prince. However, he had killed the Minister of War too. On second thought, Li Xu figured that Liu Xun and Liu Kan had probably pushed Ye Chen to his limits.

“Since I’ve said that he’s my apprentice, no one can argue otherwise. I’ll write a letter later for you to deliver to Mingwu,” Master Apothecary Xuanyi replied while waving his hand dismissively. In any case, if he wished to defend a person, Great Emperor Mingwu could hardly oppose his will. After all, Great Emperor Mingwu should be aware of how important a master apothecary was to the Xiwu Empire. If the emperor had a falling-out with the Master Apothecary over this matter, Master Apothecary Xuanyi could easily leave the country in a rage. Such an outcome would be even more severe than losing a hundred Ministers of War.