"Dad, what brings you here?" Grace asked as she walked in.
"I have a few things I'd like to say to you both." Minister Zhuo was a bit tipsy, his face flushed, and he sounded more blunt than usual.
"What is it?" Grace asked.
Minister Zhuo suddenly grabbed her hand; Grace stared at him in surprise.
Then, he grabbed Evan Xiao's hand with his other hand and put their hands together.
Evan's hand was on top, Grace's underneath—his big hand enveloped her small one.
Evan's hand was warm; Grace's heart fluttered as she looked up at him.
A faint smile played at his lips as he waited, focused, for Minister Zhuo to continue.
"You two are a perfect match. Your grandmother and I are both very pleased," Minister Zhuo said.
Evan Xiao replied, "Thank you, Father-in-law, for your blessing."
Grace had been feeling a little shy, but when she suddenly heard Evan call Minister Zhuo "Father-in-law," her eyes widened in shock at Evan.
"Ah! What a shame..." Minister Zhuo sighed. "You both know the situation. Colin Gu hasn't given up on Grace yet. Judging by his unpredictable moods lately, it's only getting worse! So, for now, you'll have to bear with it—you can't get married just yet."
"Father-in-law, I understand. I'm not in a rush," Evan said sincerely, his words meant to reassure.
Grace glanced at Evan again. Son-in-law...? What is he talking about?
Minister Zhuo nodded, patted Evan's hand, and finally let go of them. Then he turned to Grace and asked, "Grace, since you can't get married for now, what are your plans for the future? Military service? Government work? Or... with your Celestial Five-Element Root, you should become a Spiritual Alchemist!"
"Ahem, Dad, I do plan to become a Spiritual Alchemist and join the Spirit Alliance," Grace replied.
"Mm." Minister Zhuo frowned and nodded. "But..."
"Dad, I know what you're worried about. The Spirit Alliance in Blue Moon Kingdom is run by the Sun Family," Grace said.
Minister Zhuo nodded.
"You don't need to worry," Grace said. "There's also the Vermilion Spirit Alliance above the Blue Moon Spirit Alliance—they can't do whatever they want."
Thinking of Grace's acquaintance with Emperor Tuoba Hong, Minister Zhuo felt much more at ease. "During the New Year, I'll take you to visit a Spiritual Alchemist friend of mine and see if he'll take you as his apprentice," he said.
Joining the Spirit Alliance requires passing an exam.
And for most apprentices, that exam is anything but easy.
If you can find a good mentor willing to teach, you might only need two or three years to master it.
But there are plenty who study for ten or twenty years and still can't pass.
Grace thought for a moment and said, "Alright!"
"Evan! If you know any good Spiritual Alchemists, maybe you could introduce Grace. I'm worried that, because of the Sun Family's influence, they might not be willing to take her on!" Minister Zhuo said.
"Sure," Evan replied, glancing at Grace.
In her own space, Grace had all sorts of mid- and high-level spiritual medicines—she must have refined them herself.
Why should she bother apprenticing under these low-level Spiritual Alchemists?
"Grace, what's your relationship with the Emperor of the Vermilion Kingdom?" Minister Zhuo probed.
"Pretty good, actually," Grace replied.
"Then, could you introduce me and Evan to the Emperor?" Minister Zhuo asked.
"Why do you want to meet him?" Grace asked, confused.
Evan frowned slightly.
He wanted to tell Minister Zhuo that if they're looking for a bigger backer, it's definitely not Emperor Tuoba Hong!
Minister Zhuo glanced at Evan. "Don't worry about it, just tell us—can you or can't you?"
"I can... I guess," Grace said. "But if the three of us leave Blue Moon Kingdom for Vermilion Kingdom together, Colin Gu will definitely get suspicious."