“Is everything to your liking?” Xu Dong, a level three alchemist that Lord Lan had hired to assist me, asked.

I looked around the laboratory. There were tables and shelves all around me, but I could not tell what else was there. “Lord Lan told me you were the one who made a list of things needed in this laboratory. You’re an alchemist, so I have that much confidence in you.”

“Thank you, Priest Luo. Shall we proceed upstairs? You’re going to like what’s in there.”

I nodded and followed him up a wooden staircase. It had a railing so it was safe for me to climb up and down even on my own. The place looked like a guard tower that was converted into an alchemy lab.

When we reached the top, I felt a gush of wind. The place was surrounded by walls, but it had no roof. It was perfect for gathering natural elements needed for refining.

“Can you see what’s in the middle?” Xu Dong asked.

I looked, and right in the middle of the pentagram on the floor was the outline of a cauldron.

I gasped in surprise.

The cauldron wasn’t as big as the one in the Frost Mountain Alchemy Tower, which meant refining would take a little longer and the output may not be the best, but it would do the job. Besides, the cauldron in Frost Mountain was one of the two best refining cauldrons in the world, and that was why it was referred to as the Mythical Cauldron. I could not possibly ask Lord Lan to find me something similar. Finding an ordinary refining cauldron alone was hard enough. At least he had provided me with a better-quality cauldron.

“That cauldron is provided by the imperial palace,” Xudong said. He probably noticed that I had been staring at the cauldron for a while already.

I looked at him in surprise. “You mean this cauldron is the imperial palace’s treasured property? Why did they send it here?”

“It’s by His Lordship’s request.”

Just because Lord Lan has requested it?

Cauldrons were rare, especially something of this quality. A treasure like this was enough to bribe a conqueror out of an empire. How could they just give, or even lend, something this valuable?

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I asked.

“You may.”

“What is Lord Lan’s position in the royal court?”

He shook his head. “His lordship is not a member of the royal court.”

I frowned. “I’m confused. If he is not a member of the royal court, why is he allowed to walk in and out of the imperial palace unrestricted?”

“Because His Majesty favors him greatly.”

“Are they related by blood?”

“I’m not sure about the relationship between them, but I’m certain they’re not related by blood.”

I pondered for a moment. “If he is not a member of the royal court and is not related to the emperor, then why is he regarded so highly in the imperial palace?”

“I apologize that I cannot answer that question. I don’t know the reason as well. There are rumors, but they’re not validated.”

“What rumors?”

He chuckled and I understood right then what he wanted to convey.

I flushed.

Could it be real?

Could a man like Lord Lan be in such kind of relationship with the emperor? Could that also be the reason why he was too concerned about the crown prince’s well-being?

I quickly shoved the thought off my mind. I’d rather not think about it.

“Priest Luo, do you find the laboratory conducive to working?” Xu Dong asked to change the awkward atmosphere.

“Of course.”

“If you think anything is missing, let me know. Lord Lan told me to make a list of everything else that you need.”

“I cannot see very well so I can’t tell, but it seems that this laboratory is furnished with all the basic tools in an alchemy laboratory. This should do. Should I need anything else in the future, I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll be here anytime. And if you need to research anything, we also have a library just adjacent to this lab. Just tell me what you want to look into and I will find it for you.”

A big drop of rain landed on my face.

“It’s about to rain,” he said. “We should probably go down.”

Right after he finished his sentence, thunder roared.

We descended the stairs just as rain started pouring.

“So may I know what Priest Luo intends to do today so I can set everything ready?” Xu Dong asked while we stood at the foot of the stairs.

There were many things that I needed to do as soon as possible, but I was concerned about one thing. Although this continent was divided into five empires, there was one thing common among them—they were very particular with hierarchy.

“Xu Dong, you’re a level three alchemist. In the world of Alchemy, a third level is already considered an elite and is highly regarded. Are you sure you’re fine with taking orders from a level zero?”

He laughed softly. “I admit that when I learned that you were level zero, I had some reservations. But Lord Lan told me not to underestimate you because you are much more than what you seem, so I trusted his words.”

“Do you believe that I am indeed more than what I seem?”

“I have that much respect and confidence for Lord Lan, so I believe him.”

I smiled. “Thank you. I need your help to prepare the samples taken from the crown prince. Put a drop of blood in a ceramic dish and add a drop of boiled water.”

“Right away.”

While I waited for Xu Dong to set up the table, I could not suppress the urge to dig more about the person of Lord Lan. He intrigued me to such an extent that he seemed like a big puzzle with several missing pieces, yet every time I found a piece, it just would not fit.

“Do you mind if I bother you with another question?” I asked.

“Please ask, Priest Luo.”

“Is Lord Lan a grandmaster cultivator?”

“Ahh… I was told to only discuss topics related to alchemy with you and not anything else. I apologize that I cannot answer your question.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

Actually, I already knew. I just wanted confirmation. If Lord Lan was not a grandmaster, there was no way he could have survived that duel against Wang Bei. He did not even incur any injuries after the fight.

I had already observed and analyzed things.

There was only one major sect in Xianru and that was the Eternal Damnation Sect. If Lord Lan was a master or a grandmaster, he could only belong to that particular sect, which made the possibility that he was indeed the notorious Ruan Yanjun even higher.

I wondered why he had to deny his identity from me though.

Even if my assessment was correct, that was just one of the missing pieces, and it still did not seem to fit right.

I shook my head to get my mind back to work. Solving that puzzle only gave me a headache.