Chapter 25: Refining the Ice Heart Pill

"Yes, Miss!"

Upon hearing Shen Qianning's order, Mu Changhai immediately led his men to block Chu Feng's path.

"The Wanbao Merchant Guild is harboring the murderer who killed the City Lord — I will report this to His Majesty at once!"

The commander of the city guards let out a long breath of relief the moment Mu Changhai stepped forward with his men.

Duty demanded that they act, but moving against Chu Feng would have left very few of them alive.

Now that the Wanbao Merchant Guild had intervened, they had a graceful way out — they could simply shift the blame onto the Guild.

The Wanbao Merchant Guild's influence stretched across the entire Eastern Desolate Continent, with ties to many other empires. Even the Cangfeng Empire would not dare offend the Guild lightly.

By pushing the responsibility onto the Wanbao Merchant Guild, the empire's higher-ups would have no reason to fault them.

With that said, the commander of the city guards ordered his men to carry Xiao Tianhe's body away and slowly departed.

Seeing the city guards leave, Chu Feng turned to go as well.

"Young master, we just helped you — isn't it a little rude to leave just like that?"

Shen Qianning hurried to block his path when she saw Chu Feng about to leave.

"I didn't need your help at all. That was entirely unnecessary," Chu Feng said flatly.

"Young master, we know perfectly well you could have handled those city guards. But can you handle the entire Cangfeng Empire?"

"You've killed Xiao Tianhe — the empire's higher-ups will not let you go," Shen Qianning said with a faint smile.

"That is something I can deal with on my own. No need for your concern," Chu Feng replied coolly.

A small empire like this was nothing he took seriously.

Even if he couldn't confront it head-on right now, he could always evade — or retreat into the Chaos Star Pearl.

With that, Chu Feng turned and walked toward the exit.

Shen Qianning quickly grabbed his hand, her voice carrying a hint of pleading. "Young master, can we talk?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Chu Feng paused mid-step and turned to look at her.

"My father was ambushed and poisoned. The only thing that can save him now is the fifth-grade pill, the Snow Ginseng Creation Pill."

"I'm asking you, young master, to refine a Snow Ginseng Creation Pill to save my father!" Shen Qianning said urgently.

"Didn't you say you didn't believe I was a fifth-grade Alchemist?" Chu Feng replied with a half-smile.

"Young master, my father doesn't have much time left — please, help us!" Shen Qianning pleaded with utter sincerity.

Shen Qianning was Shen Wanbao's most beloved daughter, yet the direct-line members of the Shen family had never liked her.

She was merely a concubine-born daughter. If Shen Wanbao were gone, her standing within the Shen family would plummet.

Now that Shen Wanbao lay gravely injured, the direct-line members had already driven her away, refusing to let her remain at his side.

Shen Qianning feared that after Shen Wanbao's death, the direct-line members would either expel her from the family or use her as a political marriage tool, forcing her to wed someone she despised.

At this point, Shen Qianning was grasping at straws, hoping against hope that Chu Feng truly was a fifth-grade Alchemist who could refine the Snow Ginseng Creation Pill and save Shen Wanbao.

"I can refine the Snow Ginseng Creation Pill — but what will you offer in return?"

After a brief moment of consideration, Chu Feng agreed to help Shen Qianning.

He was currently beset by many troubles, and he wanted to demonstrate to the world that he was a fifth-grade Alchemist — to use that reputation to resolve those troubles.

In this backwater place called the Eastern Desolate Continent, a third-grade Alchemist was already considered top-tier.

If Chu Feng revealed himself to be a fifth-grade Alchemist, countless factions and powerhouses would surely flock to him.

When that time came, the Lingxiao Pavilion he had previously offended, along with the Cangfeng Empire's higher-ups, would certainly not dare move against him — they might even come crawling to curry his favor.

"Our Shen family previously made a promise: whoever saved my father could freely take three treasures from the Shen family vault."

"If Young Master Chu has any other requests, we can discuss them separately!"

The moment Shen Qianning heard Chu Feng say he could refine the Snow Ginseng Creation Pill, she was overjoyed.

"I'll go with the terms your Shen family already promised. Once I refine the Snow Ginseng Creation Pill, I'll go to your family vault and take three treasures."

The Shen family was the largest merchant guild in the Cangfeng Empire, and their vault was surely filled with rare and precious items. Chu Feng felt that being allowed to take three treasures from the Shen family vault was fair compensation.

Shen Qianning's face lit up with excitement. "Agreed! Young master, rest assured — the Wanbao Merchant Guild will repay you handsomely!"

"I still don't know your honored name, young master."

"Chu Feng," he replied simply.

"Young Master Chu, my father is currently in Tianlan City, the capital of the Cangfeng Empire. We should set out for Tianlan City at once!" Shen Qianning said eagerly.

The Wanbao Merchant Guild was the largest merchant guild in the Cangfeng Empire, with business spanning the entire Eastern Desolate Continent and countless forces under its banner. Even the ruler of the Cangfeng Empire would not dare offend the Guild lightly.

The Wanbao Merchant Guild's headquarters was located in Tianlan City, the capital of the Cangfeng Empire, and the Shen family's clan grounds were there as well.

Shen Wanbao had been ambushed and gravely wounded while traveling outside, and had been recuperating in Tianlan City ever since.

At a time like this, Shen Qianning, as Shen Wanbao's most beloved daughter, should have been at his side.

However, the direct-line members of the Shen family, fearing that Shen Wanbao might leave something to Shen Qianning if he saw her, had driven her away to Shangyang City and refused to let her stay by his side.

"It's getting late. We'll set out tomorrow."

Night was falling, and Chu Feng wanted to rest for the evening — and take the opportunity to refine the Divine Origin Pill.

"Alright." Shen Qianning could only nod in agreement.

The journey from Shangyang City to Tianlan City was only two days. Shen Wanbao still had roughly half a month left — there was plenty of time.

Before long, Shen Qianning had prepared a lavish banquet to welcome Chu Feng.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Qianning led Chu Feng back to the Wanbao Merchant Guild.

"Young Master Chu, would you be willing to give us a demonstration of your alchemy?" Shen Qianning suddenly asked.

Alchemy required years upon years of accumulated experience, and high-grade Alchemists were generally quite advanced in age.

Chu Feng was far too young, and Shen Qianning still harbored doubts about him deep down.

She wanted to verify his alchemy skills before she could set her mind at ease.

Chu Feng glanced at her with a half-smile. "Of course. Tell me what grade of pill you'd like to see, Miss Shen, and bring me the materials."

"Refine a third-grade pill — the Ice Heart Pill."

"Uncle Mu, bring the materials for the Ice Heart Pill!"

Hearing Chu Feng agree, Shen Qianning quickly called for Mu Changhai to fetch the materials.

A short while later, Mu Changhai brought Chu Feng three sets of Ice Heart Pill ingredients.

Alchemy carried a certain risk of failure, and Alchemists typically prepared several sets of materials beforehand to ensure success.

Chu Feng took out the alchemy furnace he had purchased earlier and set it on the ground, then accepted one set of materials from Mu Changhai.

He gave the materials a casual glance, then tossed them all into the alchemy furnace at once.

"Young Master Chu, shouldn't you refine each ingredient separately first?"

"If you throw all the herbs into the furnace at once like that, how are you supposed to extract their essences?"

Shen Qianning's heart sank the moment she saw what Chu Feng had done.

She had never heard of any Alchemist throwing all the ingredients into the furnace at the same time.

What Chu Feng was doing looked nothing like alchemy at all.

"Just watch," Chu Feng said calmly.

In his previous life, Chu Feng had been intimately familiar with alchemy and had developed his own unique approach to it.

In this life, although he had not yet refined any pills, his soul had been reborn with extraordinary power — his soul force was immensely strong, and refining low-grade pills was an utterly trivial matter for him.