A Token Representing the Grand Master

Liu Shuai's face suddenly paled as he heard Tan Zhongye's abrupt statement.

"This..."

He suddenly realized the situation was slipping out of his control.

Chen Ping'an was also taken aback, not expecting his casual remark would provoke such a strong reaction from Tan Zhongye. He paused for a moment.

In the end, deciding not to further aggravate Tan Zhongye, Chen Ping'an nodded and put down the token.

Looking at Tan Zhongye, he bowed slightly and said, "I apologize for troubling you, Vice President."

With that, Chen Ping'an turned to leave.

It wasn't that he cared too much about these matters, but rather he felt that Tan Zhongye, unable to control even his own temper, wasn't someone worth befriending.

So be it if he wouldn't look at the token.

After all, there were other senior members in the Alchemists' Guild, including a President above the Vice President.

Liu Shuai furrowed his brow, then turned to Tan Zhongye and bowed, "Uncle Tan, I'll take my leave as well."

Liu Shuai knew Chen Ping'an was no ordinary person, and suspected that whatever he had produced might be extraordinary too.

He hadn't anticipated Tan Zhongye's temper to be so volatile, showing not even a shred of patience.

After all, examining an item wouldn't have taken much time.

Moreover, Chen Ping'an was his guest. Even if Tan Zhongye didn't respect Chen Ping'an, he could have shown some consideration for Liu Shuai's sake.

This complete disregard for his face left Liu Shuai in an awkward position.

He could only bid farewell and hurry after Chen Ping'an.

Tan Zhongye nodded at Liu Shuai, but as for Chen Ping'an, he merely scoffed.

The young man wasn't powerful, yet his attitude was quite brazen.

He hadn't expected Chen Ping'an to turn and leave so abruptly.

However, he didn't dwell on it, focusing instead on his own affairs.

Their Guild Master was originally slated for a promotion, set to become the Master of an Alchemists' Guild in a major city of the Imperial Nation.

If their Guild Master left, the position here would fall to him.

He had even boasted about this to some old friends.

Telling them he'd soon be the Guild Master.

But now, things had taken a turn.

Their Guild Master had offended the Guild Master of the Imperial Capital's Alchemists' Guild over some personal matter.

As a result, he lost his chance for promotion.

Consequently, Tan Zhongye was stuck continuing as a mere Vice President.

His friends had already started calling him "Guild Master," and now, faced with this sudden change, he felt he could never show his face to them again.

This turn of events left him irritable and frustrated.

Chen Ping'an and Liu Shuai exited the main hall.

Liu Shuai wore an apologetic expression as he said, "Brother Long, I never expected Uncle Tan to react like that. He must be in a foul mood. How about I take you to see one of the supervisors instead?"

Chen Ping'an didn't blame Liu Shuai.

After all, it wasn't Liu Shuai's fault.

Moreover, he wasn't angry at Tan Zhongye either, merely feeling that they were incompatible.

So he nodded in agreement.

A supervisor should also recognize the token.

Liu Shuai let out a sigh of relief and led Chen Ping'an in another direction.

Soon, Chen Ping'an saw one of the supervisors.

This person also wore alchemist robes and appeared younger than Tan Zhongye.

Surprisingly, it was a woman.

She was shorter than both Chen Ping'an and Liu Shuai by a head.

She had a chubby face.

Perhaps believing that smiling women had better luck, she wore a constant smile.

Seeing Liu Shuai and Chen Ping'an approach, she greeted them with a smile.

"Oh my, Young Master Liu, what brings you here? And this handsome young man, he's quite a looker! What can I do for you two?"

Ye Min's broad smile revealed a set of gleaming white teeth.

Liu Shuai had learned his lesson this time, deliberately bringing Chen Ping'an to a supervisor known for her good nature and welcoming demeanor.

Chen Ping'an, observing Ye Min's genuine smile, returned a slight smile of his own.

After exchanging greetings, he explained his situation.

Ye Min grinned, "No need to be so formal, young man. My, my, I have no resistance to such a handsome face! You're here to sell some pills? Let's have a look, I promise to give you a good price!"

Chen Ping'an continued, "Before we look at the pills, I'd like to show you something, Supervisor."

Ye Min nodded eagerly, her curiosity piqued.

Sensing the stark difference between Ye Min and Tan Zhongye, Chen Ping'an's fondness for her grew. He smiled as he produced the token.

"Supervisor Ye, do you recognize this token? Someone gave it to me."

Chen Ping'an held out the token.

His main intention was to gauge how much convenience this token could bring him.

Ye Min took the token and examined it closely.

But as soon as she laid eyes on it, she froze.

This...

"Young man, this token looks very familiar. May I ask who gave it to you?"

The longer Ye Min stared at the token, the wider her eyes grew.

A speculation formed in her mind.

But that speculation seemed too outrageous.

This token shouldn't be in the possession of a young man like him!

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "An elderly gentleman gave it to me."

He didn't elaborate further.

Upon hearing this, Ye Min took a deep breath and then said with a hint of reverence, "Sir, please wait here for a moment. I'll be right back!"

With that, she dashed out of the supervisor's reception room.

Her speed was like a gust of wind.

Watching Ye Min's reaction, Chen Ping'an realized she must have recognized something about the token.

Liu Shuai, observing this scene, also began to suspect that the token was no ordinary item.

Then, he thought of Tan Zhongye.

For some reason, he had a premonition that something unpleasant was about to befall Tan Zhongye.

Ye Min raced at breakneck speed to a large room.

She paused to straighten her clothes and catch her breath before gently knocking on the wooden door.

The room was spacious, its exterior decorations eye-catching—luxurious yet tasteful.

"Who is it?" a voice called from inside.

Ye Min took a deep breath and carefully said, "Guild Master, a special guest has arrived at my station. He's presented a token that appears to be one only the Grand Master would possess!"

She enunciated each word clearly, her tone formal, conveying the message succinctly.

As soon as she finished speaking, a hush fell over the surroundings.

Soon after, the door swung open.

A man in his fifties appeared behind it.

Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing alchemist robes, but a simple white robe.

His brows were furrowed, seemingly a habitual expression.

"A token? The one only the Grand Master should have? Where is it?" Tang Siyuan asked.

Ye Min quickly produced the token, presenting it with both hands.

She handled it with such care, as if afraid it might break.

Seeing Ye Min's cautious manner, Tang Siyuan received it gingerly, preparing to examine it closely.

However, with just one glance, his gaze became fixed.

As time passed, his eyes widened to the size of cow's eyes.

"This! This is almost identical!"

Tang Siyuan could barely speak coherently.

In the Alchemists' Guild, people of their rank were required to memorize an illustrated manual upon ascending to their positions.

It contained images of high-ranking guild members and special items.

The first page of the manual featured Xi Men Chen.

The image on the second page?

It was this very token!

They knew well what this token represented.

It represented the Grand Master!!