"Ah... !?"
"No way... that young woman is...?"
The atmosphere inside the small restaurant became chaotic. Many customers who'd been watching the spectacle felt as though the air itself were pressing down on them, rooting them in place. They swallowed hard as they stared at the young woman standing with narrowed eyes, examining the elderly shop owner consideringly.
"...The... Alchemy Empress..."
"...Bai Fanxian!?"
The moment those words faded, chaos erupted. They forgot their fear in a flash and tried to look at the young woman, even though their own bodies still couldn't budge.
A change of clothes and dark sunglasses was all it took. Even those who knew her couldn't place her. The blame lay entirely with how vivid everyone's image of Bai Fanxian in her ancient clothes was—no one expected her to show up in trendy modern fashion like this.
If they could photograph this, it would definitely become huge news!
Bai Fanxian's fans would more than gladly pay large sums to possess this collection of photos!
Many were thinking the same thing. The only problem was they didn't have enough strength to fight through the oppressive force and pull out their phones.
"Oh no..."
Yang Po nearby was sweating buckets. He'd heard plenty of legends about this young woman. Though he'd never met her in person, he'd learned of her strength through rumors.
*Did I just pick a fight with the wrong person?*
His heart was pounding. Just the oppressive power spreading out made him realize the gap between himself and Bai Fanxian.
His proud Black Turtle Armor would probably be nothing more than a thin sheet of paper if this woman attacked.
He quickly glanced over at the shop owner, whose condition wasn't much different from his own.
Except the old man looked extremely uncomfortable. He stood there awkwardly, at a loss for how to explain himself. The more Bai Fanxian's sharp gaze fixed on him, the more flustered he became.
"...Answer my question. How do you recognize this talisman?"
Bai Fanxian's question wasn't whether he recognized it—she used "how." The elderly man's behavior already clearly showed he must recognize this talisman.
And it probably wasn't just having seen it before. He likely even knew how much destructive power it had!
Otherwise he wouldn't have panicked and forgotten himself like this.
"...I don't recognize it."
"Not even a good lie."
Bai Fanxian narrowed her eyes. Her oppressive power increased sharply. The air in the restaurant trembled. Every plate and glass that couldn't bear it shattered. Though the elderly man looked shocked, he still didn't say anything.
"...Even your face isn't real, is it?"
"...!?"
This last sentence Bai Fanxian didn't speak aloud for others to hear. Instead she chose to communicate through qi. This time the elderly shop owner couldn't hide it anymore. He quickly sent his voice through qi, his tone panicked.
"...Are you someone from that place?"
Bai Fanxian didn't know where "that place" he was talking about was. But she noticed that behind the shock, his tone carried expectation. Even the pronouns he used shifted to something far more respectful.
"Is there somewhere quiet?"
Bai Fanxian didn't confirm or deny. But she chose to disperse her own oppressive power. The elderly shop owner looked around and nodded reluctantly. He stood up on slightly shaking legs and led Bai Fanxian toward the back door, with Tang Yeye following behind them.
"I'll wait outside."
Tang Letong was perceptive enough to know his lady had important business. So he chose to sit and wait outside with the Tang Clan bodyguards.
His conduct was flawless. Bai Fanxian nodded slightly before that door closed.
CLICK.
Outside became chaotic. Many customers let out relieved breaths. Most were buzzing with excitement at having seen Bai Fanxian in person. They turned to each other, chattering excitedly.
Bai Fanxian had a way of leaving an impression every single time. Those seeing her in person for the first time were struck by her charm and strength before they could even process what they were seeing.
Case in point.
"Um... Young Master Tang?"
Yang Po, who should have left already, walked over to Tang Letong and scratched his head bashfully.
The reversal was so sudden that Tang Letong lost his composure.
"...What?"
"The Tang Clan is under the Alchemy Empress's care, right?"
"Yes."
If it were another clan, they might feel angry being asked like this. But the Tang Clan was different. Because every one of them had chosen to stay under Bai Fanxian of their own free will.
It wasn't shameful. On the contrary, it was something to celebrate.
There were quite a few clans in the country who'd do almost anything to replace this position. But besides the Tang Clan and Xie Suyao's Xie Clan, Bai Fanxian had never gotten particularly close to any other clan.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier!"
Yang Po's eyes widened with excitement.
"Your sister's promise still stands, right? If I lost, I'd work for the Tang Clan?"
"Uh... but it seemed like a draw. My lady herself stopped this fight casually. So I wouldn't mind considering it null and void..."
"Cough cough! Ack! This is internal injury! Internal injury! Your sister is young but truly excellent! I'm the one who lost... no, let me lose!"
Yang Po, who'd been walking around just fine, dropped to his knees and tried to cough up nonexistent blood. He pleaded and made a show of his injuries, desperate to convince Tang Letong he was the losing party.
The number one young master of the Tang Clan was left utterly speechless.
*This guy... isn't he changing his mind too fast?*
.
.
.
On the other side, Bai Fanxian was led to a basement one floor deeper down to ensure no one could eavesdrop or interfere. At first, the elderly shop owner looked with surprise at Tang Yeye, who had the Dragon Queen perched on her head and was holding Kuro. But since Bai Fanxian didn't object to them following, he had no right to say anything either.
"Interesting..."
Bai Fanxian praised the door mechanism. It bore no trace of modern technology. On the contrary, it carried the unmistakable scent of the old era she knew.
"So... you really came from that place, didn't you?"
The elderly shop owner's eyes were full of expectation as he stared over. He didn't even wait for his guest to sit down first.
"..."
Bai Fanxian didn't rush to answer. She sat cross-legged on the cushioned chair and rested her chin thoughtfully. Silence filled the room for several seconds until finally the elderly man couldn't stand it. He asked again, impatience creeping into his voice.
"Please. If you really came from that place, I'd understand. Ever since I first witnessed what you were capable of, nothing about you has surprised me."
The elderly man looked several years older. He sighed heavily and went to prepare hot tea to serve Bai Fanxian. Of course, he also brought a cup of hot milk for Tang Yeye, who sat nearby watching with bright, clear eyes.
"How much do you know about me?"
Bai Fanxian spoke up again with interest. Frankly, she didn't even know what "that place" he kept referring to actually was.
"...This shop is like the best information hub in the cultivators' world. Ever since there were rumors that an unfathomably powerful figure appeared on the day of the duel between Sword Master Zheng Renyi and the Eastern King, I've been quietly investigating."
The elderly man didn't hide anything anymore. That place clearly meant more to him than anything else. Enough that he was willing to lay everything bare.
"That day when the Grade 6 pill phenomenon appeared was probably your doing too, right? I've been gathering information about you all along. Your alchemy abilities far surpass anyone in this world. There's no way you were born and grew up normally."
"Even the day the Red Dragon appeared in the sky, I was one of those observing from a distance."
He glanced at the Dragon Queen perched on Tang Yeye's head, clearly suspicious, perhaps even certain, that this was the giant red dragon from that day.
"And today—you asked that large man to pick a fight with us?"
But Bai Fanxian's next question made him jump. So this matter really couldn't be hidden from her.
The elderly man laughed dryly, making no effort to hide it.
"I just needed to confirm whether your strength was real or not... besides, at first I wasn't very sure if it was really you..."
The last part came out a little quieter. After all, when he first caught sight of Bai Fanxian in her new look, he'd rubbed his eyes more than once himself.
"...Mm."
"I've answered your questions... could you answer mine?"
It wasn't negotiation. It was a plea. The elderly man looked at Bai Fanxian with a pitiable attitude.
But Bai Fanxian didn't even know where that place he kept talking about was. How could she answer?
"This isn't your real face, is it?"
Bai Fanxian tried to change the subject. Of course it made the elderly shop owner hesitate. But when he thought carefully, the fact that Bai Fanxian could tell his face was fake was the reason he thought she came from that place, wasn't it?
"..."
The elderly man decided. He raised a withered hand to the center of his forehead. His face shifted. After a moment, a viscous, sticky substance gathered and pooled in his palm. It seemed alive. But when he set it on the table, it lay still, nothing more than a lump of clay.
He slowly raised his face to meet Bai Fanxian's eyes. Now his face was completely different from before. He was still elderly, but his features had become gentler, making him look like a kindly grandfather.
A soft sigh rose from his throat. It had been years since he'd used his true identity. The elderly man stood and bowed his head slightly in introduction.
"...You may have heard stories about me."
"...My real name is Lu Qing. I'm the president... no, the former president of the previous generation's Alchemist Association."