Chapter 18: Ye Junlin, You Cannot Enter

“Oh? Ye Junlin, do you, a worthless good-for-nothing, dare speak to us like that?”
“Do you even know what kind of person you are? Are you qualified to say that to me?”
“Honestly, Ye Junlin, I, Ye Jingyue, can’t even be bothered to deal with a failure like you. Just wait until I get the Dragon Scale Grass and break through to the Spirit Gathering Realm.”
“At the family competition in just over twenty days, watch how I’ll beat you to a pulp.”
Ye Jingyue’s words, dripping with contempt, poured out one after another as he shot Ye Junlin a sidelong, disdainful glance.
Soon after, Ye Junlin watched Ye Jingyue stride into the Dan Treasure Pavilion, full of arrogance, accompanied by Ye Muchen.
Seeing this, Ye Junlin prepared to step forward and enter the Dan Treasure Pavilion himself.
But just as he was about to cross the threshold—
“Oh?”
“Ye Junlin, so it’s you?”
“Stop right there. Do you think riffraff like you can just waltz into the Dan Treasure Pavilion?”
Suddenly, a sharp-featured, mean-spirited man stepped out from inside.
Ye Junlin’s expression darkened at the man’s loud rebuke.
This man was none other than Ye Muchen’s third uncle, the manager of the Dan Treasure Pavilion, Ye Yunxiao.
“Ye Junlin, the Dan Treasure Pavilion is open for business to all, and guests are always welcome. Why can’t I come in?” Ye Junlin forced down the anger surging in his chest and demanded loudly.
Seeing Ye Junlin blocked at the door, Ye Muchen and Ye Jingyue both looked on with gloating faces, clearly delighted at his predicament.
“Third Uncle, whatever you do, don’t let this worthless trash Ye Junlin inside. He’ll sully the floors of the Dan Treasure Pavilion,” Ye Muchen whispered gleefully to Ye Yunxiao.
Ye Yunxiao looked at Ye Junlin with mocking amusement.
“Since you claim guests are welcome, why don’t you tell me what business you have here?”
Ye Junlin stared at Ye Yunxiao, his gaze hard as steel, but Ye Yunxiao’s arrogant words rang out nonetheless.
“Ye Yunxiao, give me fifty sets of ingredients for refining the Foundation Nurturing Pill.”
Ye Junlin, forcing himself to swallow his fury at Ye Yunxiao’s disgusting behavior, stated his request.
“Ye Junlin, you want fifty sets of ingredients for refining the Foundation Nurturing Pill? Sorry, I’m not selling to you,” Ye Yunxiao replied flatly.
“You…”
Ye Junlin nearly choked on his own breath in anger at those words.
“What, Ye Junlin? No matter what you say, I’m not selling to you. What are you going to do about it?”
“And anyway, what would you even do with fifty sets of Foundation Nurturing Pill ingredients? Do you think you’re an alchemist?”
“Besides, can you even afford that many ingredients?”
Ye Yunxiao’s voice dripped with ridicule.
Ye Junlin’s face alternated between red and white as Ye Yunxiao’s words landed blow after blow.
“What do you mean by this, Ye Yunxiao? Watch your tongue, or you’ll regret it,” Ye Junlin roared in anger.
“What, Ye Junlin? You want to start a fight here?”
Ye Yunxiao fired back, refusing to back down. Instantly, the atmosphere grew tense, as if a spark would ignite a brawl.
“Finally, Grandmaster Jingshan’s batch of Rejuvenation Pills is nearly finished!”
“Yes! These are the legendary Rejuvenation Pills, long thought lost to time, and Grandmaster Jingshan has managed to recreate them!”
“Grandmaster Jingshan is truly admirable. He’s spent ten years painstakingly researching the pill recipe to complete it, and today he’s finally succeeded.”
“How exciting! I can already smell the aroma of the pills.”
Just then, a sudden commotion erupted within the Dan Treasure Pavilion.
A wave of excited chatter swept through the hall.
“Haha, it’s done! It’s done! Looks like our Dan Treasure Pavilion will be the pride of Black Dragon City once again!”
Ye Yunxiao laughed heartily, overcome with excitement.
Ye Junlin turned his gaze toward the interior of the pavilion.
There, in front of a giant pill furnace taller than a man,
a middle-aged man in a one-star alchemist’s robe was carefully adjusting the flames within the furnace.
This man was none other than Fang Jingshan, the Dan Treasure Pavilion’s senior one-star alchemist.
The rich fragrance of pills filled the air. At that moment, everyone present watched Fang Jingshan with eyes full of respect.
But Ye Junlin’s face was clouded with frustration.
“Yingying, what now? I can’t even get through the door of the Dan Treasure Pavilion. How am I supposed to buy the ingredients for the Foundation Nurturing Pill?”
Ye Junlin whispered helplessly.
“Master, enough worrying. With me here, just do as I say and I promise you’ll get the pill ingredients you need,” came Yingying’s cheerful reply.
“Oh? Yingying, do you really mean it?”
At her words, Ye Junlin’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Ye Junlin, didn’t I tell you to get lost? What are you still looking at?”
“You think a piece of trash like you is worthy to watch Grandmaster Jingshan refining pills?”
Ye Yunxiao barked again at Ye Junlin.
“Fang Jingshan, your temperature is too high. Do you want your batch of pills to explode? Lower the furnace heat by a third immediately!”
Ignoring Ye Yunxiao’s jeers, Ye Junlin shouted directly at Fang Jingshan, his voice ringing out above the crowd.
The entire hall was startled by his sudden outburst.
Every eye turned to Ye Junlin.
“Who is that kid?”
“Doesn’t he realize Grandmaster Jingshan is at a critical stage in the pill refining process?”
“Who does he think he is, giving instructions to Grandmaster Jingshan? Does the Grandmaster need advice from some greenhorn?”
In an instant, the audience was stunned, and a chorus of exclamations rose one after another.