Byron Liu drove like a maniac. Whenever he hit a straight stretch of road, he'd floor the gas pedal, tearing down the highway in a cloud of dust.
After leaving Capitalview City, they headed south. Around noon, at a crossroads on the national highway, Byron turned onto a narrow mountain path. After another half hour of driving, they stopped in an open clearing.
"We're here. Everyone out, have something to eat. We'll head into the mountains this afternoon." Byron pushed open the car door, got out, and stretched hard.
Leo Liu hurried over and helped Evan Lin open the car door.
"I don't actually know the exact location of the Jinnan Alchemy Conference. Someone will come lead us in later. You should get out and rest for now—maybe eat something to recharge."
Leo took out a few pieces of bread from the side, handed one to Evan, and gave him a bottle of water too.
After getting out, Evan looked around. Ahead, layers of rolling mountains stretched into the distance, covered in lush forest and greenery.
In front of them lay golden wheat fields, the grain rippling in the wind—almost harvest season, with the wheat shining with a golden luster.
Nearby, several small groups of people stood scattered around, most gathered in twos or threes, all looking like they were waiting for something.
"Hey, Leo Liu, long time no see. What have you been up to lately? I heard you and Gavin Guan had a falling out the other day?" Not far away, a man in designer clothes walked over, a smile on his lips.
He was slim and a bit undersized, and when he smiled there was always something sly and gloomy about it. Seeing Leo Liu, a look of disdain flashed in his eyes: "I heard Gavin Guan brought a bunch of people to your uncle's turf for a meal, only to get beaten up and sent to the hospital instead."
"Not only did you refuse to stand up for him, you even turned around and went looking for that kid afterward? There's no outsiders here, so just be honest—was the one who beat up Gavin Guan arranged by you?"
The man grinned widely.
Leo Liu's expression changed slightly when he saw Richard Si.
Byron Liu, who was sitting on the Hummer's hood, called out, "Richard Si, that's going a bit far. Our Leo wouldn't do something like that. Or are you planning to stand up for Gavin Guan?"
"If you really want to stand up for him, then you're blaming Leo for nothing. He's actually done you a favor—he brought along the kid who beat up Gavin Guan."
Byron called out, then took a swig of water, glancing over at Evan Lin with a smile.
"Hmm?"
Hearing Byron's words, Richard Si froze for a moment, then turned to look at Evan Lin standing beside Leo.
"You're the one who beat up Gavin Guan?"
Richard Si narrowed his eyes, sizing Evan Lin up from head to toe, his gaze clearly scrutinizing.
"It wasn't him!"
Leo Liu's face changed and he was about to speak up.
Richard Si and Gavin Guan are pretty close in Oceanport. If Richard wanted to trip Evan up here, Evan could easily suffer a loss.
Leo Liu felt a bit frustrated—he'd forgotten to consider this angle.
"I was the one who acted."
Evan Lin nodded calmly, leaned against the car door, tore open the bread Leo had handed him, took a bite, then twisted open the water bottle and drank.
Seeing Evan act so casually, Byron Liu, who was waiting to watch the drama, was a bit stunned. He gave Evan a strange look, feeling like this so-called 'Nine Mysteries Lin' had a kind of fearless, newborn-calf energy.
Watching Evan eat bread and drink water right in front of him, Richard Si's face grew colder, a flash of anger at being ignored.
"If you don't accept it, just say so now. I guarantee I'll beat you until you do."
Evan Lin said it with a straight face, and his words made Richard Si's expression turn even colder.
"What's with your attitude? Who do you think you are? You came here just to join the Jinnan Alchemy Conference crowd, hoping to get close to a real pill master. Maybe if you're lucky, one of them will take a liking to you and you'll suddenly make it big, huh?"
"Or maybe you're just hoping to get handed a pill by someone and change your fate, so you came here to try your luck."
Standing next to Richard Si was a tall girl. She wasn't much to look at, but her figure was good. She kept her chin raised the whole time, looking down her nose at everyone like she was born superior.
Hearing Evan Lin's words, she immediately fixed him with a look of utter contempt. "Let me tell you, if you want to meet a pill master, you have to rely on Richard. If you keep mouthing off like this, we just won't take you along today, got it?"
"And it's not just you—even Leo Liu has to look at Richard's face here!"
The girl was full of anger, clutching Richard Si's arm tightly, clearly ready to back him up.
Her words didn't bother Byron Liu at all. He just smoked and stared at the sky, acting like none of this had anything to do with him.
Leo Liu, on the other hand, looked much more uncomfortable. He tugged Evan Lin's sleeve, signaling him to calm down.
"Don't be scared, and don't treat me like an enemy. One thing you can relax about: in Oceanport, I'm close with Gavin Guan, so if you show up there, I'll definitely stand up for him. But here, my relationship with Gavin doesn't matter much. I'm not going to go out of my way to target you." Richard Si gave a cold, playful smile, his eyes glinting.
Seeing Evan Lin stay silent, Richard Si assumed he was scared.
Just then, a Bentley sedan came driving over from not far away.
The car was dusty from the road. As soon as it stopped, a man barely one and a half meters tall stepped out.
The man looked to be in his twenties, but his height was so short it was almost comical.
As soon as he got out, he put his hands behind his back and strutted over, looking completely full of himself.
"Dr. Wen Jr.!"
Seeing the man arrive, Richard Si's eyes lit up and he quickly walked forward to greet him.
Even Byron Liu, who'd been lounging on the car hood, jumped down and put on a respectful face.
All the scattered people nearby seemed drawn by a magnet, gathering toward this spot.
"Who is that?" Evan Lin asked curiously, watching the short man.
"You don't know him? That's Dr. Wen Jr.! He's a junior doctor under the Miracle Hand Sect! Don't tell me you've never heard of the Miracle Hand Sect or their doctors? If you know nothing, why'd you even come to the Jinnan Alchemy Conference?" the girl sneered.
She didn't notice that Evan Lin's gaze had already shifted to the short man's waist.
"That is..."
Evan Lin's eyes flickered.