This time, no one tried any dirty tricks during the assessment.
Grace aced the exam and passed with the top score.
Then, she and the others went together to register with Vice President Winston Wu.
Originally, three people from the Windspire Spirit Alliance made it in.
As for the Blue Moon Spirit Alliance, four of their members joined the Vermilion Spirit Alliance this time.
That includes two vice presidents, plus Zachary Stone, who joined the Alliance at the same time as Grace.
Winston Wu handed each of them a registration form to fill out themselves.
The form was pretty similar to the one from the Blue Moon Spirit Alliance—personal info, parents’ details, the usual.
And her mentor’s Spiritual Alchemist rank.
Everything else was easy to fill out. But when it came to her mentor’s rank, all she could write was: “None.”
Because her mentor had said they’d never taken the Spiritual Alchemist ranking exam.
After she handed in the form, Winston Wu glanced at it and asked, “Why does your mentor’s rank say ‘None’?”
“My mentor never took the Spiritual Alchemist exam,” Grace replied honestly.
“What?” Winston Wu frowned. “Never took the exam? I know you haven’t, but your mentor hasn’t either?”
“Yeah…” Grace said, a little embarrassed.
Winston Wu raised his eyebrows, casually tossed her form onto the table, and said, “Alright! The Mentor Appreciation Banquet is tomorrow. Will your mentor be coming?”
“They will,” Grace nodded.
Every time the Vermilion Spirit Alliance recruits new members, after the probation period, they hold a Mentor Appreciation Banquet.
This year, the Vermilion Spirit Alliance recruited twelve new members. After a few months of probation, ten made the cut, and the banquet is scheduled for tomorrow.
Grace’s group, who just transferred in, will be joining the celebration too.
......
The Mentor Appreciation Banquet is a tradition in the Alliance.
Once a Spiritual Alchemist joins the Alliance, it means they’re ready to stand on their own.
Holding the Mentor Appreciation Banquet is the Alliance’s way of honoring the mentors who taught them.
With registration done, she was now officially a member of the Vermilion Spirit Alliance.
Afterward, she went to find Joanna Zuo.
She came bearing gifts today, planning to visit Joanna’s two kids once she finished up.
Ever since the divorce, Joanna’s been taking care of her kids on her own. It must be tough.
Still, she seemed a lot more upbeat than before.
The two of them left the Alliance together, heading to the Zuo Family’s ancestral home.
On their way down the mountain, they ran into the President and Vice Presidents Victor Li and Elder Conrad, who were heading up.
Grace overheard the President excitedly saying, “...That Imperial Alchemist is absolutely unfathomable! He solved a problem I’ve struggled with for years with just one casual remark. Now I finally have the courage to take the Ninth-Rank Alchemist exam! I have no idea how to thank him!”
“Right? I learned so much! Just one conversation with him is worth ten years of study!” Victor Li chimed in, clearly excited.
Elder Conrad added, “I heard that when the Emperor was struck with a strange illness, not even the Empire’s main Alliance could cure him—but this guy did. He’s the real deal, must be someone important!”
“We’re inviting him to be a guest at tomorrow’s Mentor Appreciation Banquet, but who knows if he’ll show…” The President looked genuinely nervous.
......
Just then, they bumped into Grace and Joanna Zuo.
Grace bowed respectfully. “President, Vice Presidents, hello!”
“Chloe Zhu,” the President asked, “All done?”
She’d come in first again, so the President was especially kind to her.
“All done!” Grace grinned. “Thank you, President!”
......