"I'm not convinced!" Zhong Wuyan shouted.
At this moment, where was any semblance of her pampered young lady demeanor?
"If you're not convinced, then hold it in!"
"If you're not convinced, then hold it in!"
Two voices spoke simultaneously.
The former was spoken by Zi Lingling, and the latter by the aloof, powerful individual.
However, Zi Lingling's voice was softer, drowned out by the powerful figure's.
Consequently, besides Zi Lingling herself, no one around heard it.
But whether the aloof, powerful individual heard it, Zi Lingling had no way of knowing.
"Pfft!"
Zhong Wuyan spat out another mouthful of blood.
She glared venomously at Zi Lingling, wishing she could flay her alive.
Zi Lingling sneered, "What? Bored of being a fly, want to turn into a mosquito and bite people?"
"You..."
Zhong Wuyan was so enraged she almost spat out another mouthful of blood.
Zi Lingling, too lazy to bother with her any longer, intended to leave the Linxian Wine House.
But just then, that aloof voice sounded again.
"Miss Zi, Young Master Xuanyuan is on the fifth floor. You can go up to find him!"
"Senior knows me?"
Zi Lingling asked in surprise.
"Miss Zi's planned competition with Lu Zuichang, the young master of the Alchemist Guild, has already spread throughout Linxian City.
'A renowned name without substance' is not true. It's difficult for me not to know of Miss Zi's reputation!"
"It spread so quickly? Lu Zuichang's mouth really is quite wide!"
Zi Lingling quickly understood. If someone wasn't fanning the flames behind the scenes, how could the news have spread so fast?
And who was fanning the flames? Did she even need to guess?
"Heh heh! Miss Zi is truly uninhibited!" The aloof, powerful individual's voice carried a hint of amusement.
Zi Lingling smiled, "I've made a fool of myself before senior!"
"Miss Zi, you can use your Grandmaster Alchemist certificate to proceed to the fifth floor without any obstruction."
The aloof individual's telepathic voice echoed in Zi Lingling's mind.
Zi Lingling cupped her fists towards a spot in the air, turned, and headed for the second floor.
With the Grandmaster Alchemist certificate in hand, she indeed encountered no further obstacles.
Zhong Wuyan stood in place, her mouth agape wide enough to swallow an egg.
She hadn't expected to have inadvertently offended a Grandmaster Alchemist!
...
On the ninth floor of the Linxian Wine House, in the sole room, a screen resembling a large display was continuously switching.
And in every switched frame, it was Zi Lingling.
Before the screen stood a thin figure, completely wrapped up.
"Sister Zi, I didn't expect us to meet again here!"
The person removed the hat from their head, revealing the face of a boyish neighbor.
If Zi Lingling were present, she would surely be dumbfounded.
For this person was none other than Shen Liuxing, the young master of the Fengyun Commercial Bank, whom she had cured.
However, his current aura was unfathomably deep, even surpassing that of Ye Lingyuan.
"Sister Zi, Liuxing said he would protect you for his entire life!
Your healing saved Liuxing's life. But Liuxing never expected that father would...
Never mind!
Sister Zi, Liuxing will repay the debt the Shen family owes you!"
...
Zi Lingling proceeded without hindrance and soon arrived on the fifth floor.
"Hello! Miss, is there anything I can help you with?"
A service staff member approached her respectfully.
After all, anyone who could reach the fifth floor was no ordinary individual.
Zi Lingling smiled politely, "Hello! I'm here to find someone!"
The service staff member smiled, "May I ask who the young lady is looking for?
Of course, I mean no offense. It's just that this fifth floor is vast, and finding someone is not easy.
So, if the young lady could tell me the name and identity of the person she's looking for, I can help you inquire."
Zi Lingling smiled, "You don't need to be so reserved! The person I'm looking for is named Xuanyuan Zhe, from the Xuanyuan Dynasty."
The service staff member nodded and smiled, "Very well! Miss, please follow me, I'll help you inquire!"
She said this and led Zi Lingling to her workstation.
After some operations, she quickly located Xuanyuan Zhe's room.
"Miss, please follow me!"
The service staff member closed the workstation and led Zi Lingling through a series of turns to the door of a room.
"Young Master Xuanyuan, your guest has arrived!"
The service staff member politely knocked on the door and announced loudly.
"Whoosh!"
The door opened from the inside, and Xuanyuan Zhe's eyes fell upon Zi Lingling.
He excitedly ushered Zi Lingling in, then closed the door again.
"Miss Zi, you're finally here!"
Zi Lingling said with mock annoyance, "I almost couldn't get up here! Xuanyuan Zhe, you asked me to come but didn't come down to meet me. Were you trying to see me make a fool of myself?"
Xuanyuan Zhe quickly shook his head, "How dare I! I thought since you passed the Grandmaster Alchemist assessment, it would be a simple matter for you to enter, so I didn't come down to meet you!"
"Is that so?" Zi Lingling stared at him, asking.
Xuanyuan Zhe nodded quickly.
Being stared at by Zi Lingling made him feel as if he had goosebumps all over.
"Speak, what is it you want me here for?"
Zi Lingling didn't dwell on the matter and got straight to the point.
Xuanyuan Zhe smiled, "It's nothing much, just that tomorrow there's an auction on the eighth floor here, and I wanted you to attend it with me."
"An auction?"
Zi Lingling's eyes lit up, but soon dimmed.
A penny can stump a hero, and an auction is a place where money is spent.
However, the spirit stones in her hand had been depleted to the bottom.
Xuanyuan Zhe looked at the light dimming in her eyes and felt an ache in his heart.
"Leave the spirit stones to me!"
Zi Lingling shook her head, "You still need to auction things you need, so don't worry about me!
Besides, don't forget, I'm an alchemist! Have you ever seen an alchemist worried about spirit stones?"
"This..."
A hint of disappointment flickered in Xuanyuan Zhe's eyes. He knew Zi Lingling was politely refusing him.
"I'll go and consign some elixirs later, it should be enough for tomorrow!" Zi Lingling said with a smile.
As the saying goes, "One does not accept rewards without merit," Zi Lingling naturally wouldn't use Xuanyuan Zhe's things.
Of course, she had also seen the inexplicable feelings in Xuanyuan Zhe's eyes. It was precisely because of this that she refused Xuanyuan Zhe's kind offer.
In her heart, there was only Ye Lingyuan, so she couldn't give Xuanyuan Zhe even a sliver of hope.
"Alright then!"
Although Xuanyuan Zhe hadn't spent much time with Zi Lingling, he knew her temperament. Once she said something, she meant it.
"By the way, Miss Zi! Are you really going to compete with that second-generation scion Lu Zuichang?"
Zi Lingling nodded, "Someone has come to my doorstep for me to bully, I can't *not* bully them!"
"Are you sure? Although Lu Zuichang is a second-generation scion, his alchemy talent is truly outstanding. Are you really confident you can defeat him?"