Control of the Fate Organization

"Who is he?" someone in the crowd asked.

"Why does the Holy Maiden favor him alone?!"

"Is he trying to steal our Holy Maiden?"

"He wants to monopolize her!"

"He's our enemy!!"

"Kill him!"

Suddenly, someone shouted these words, and in an instant, the crowd erupted in fury. Waves of magical energy surged, and enchanted artifacts soared through the air, all directed toward Qin Ran.

"Run!"

The Chief Alchemist beside Qin Ran suddenly yanked his arm. Reacting swiftly, Qin Ran activated his movement technique, weaving through the crowd like a fish darting through water. In just a few breaths, he managed to squeeze his way out.

"Go back to your room!"

The Chief's voice rang out again.

Qin Ran's figure flickered as he pushed his movement technique to its limits, returning to his chamber in a flash.

Some in the crowd noticed his escape and chased after him, pounding on his door. But after a few strikes, they realized the stone door wouldn't budge—no artifact or spell could breach it.

Only then did Qin Ran grasp the true nature of the stone doors here.

After hammering the door for a while, some in the crowd regained their senses and quietly dispersed, while others were eventually driven away by the arrival of the enforcement squad.

Before long, silence finally settled outside the door.

Qin Ran let out a sigh of relief.

He raised his hand and examined what he held—a membership token of the "Yuan" organization. On one side was engraved "Yuan," and on the other, "Li." It had been given to him when the Holy Maiden "touched" his face earlier.

"If she wanted to give me the token, why make such a scene? Did she take a liking to me because I'm handsome?" He stared at the token, baffled. "Why stir up hatred for no reason? I’ve never had any grudge against her."

The Holy Maiden's actions had clearly been deliberate, meant to provoke hostility toward him.

"Orders from above? A show of dominance over newcomers?" he speculated. "Or is this Pang Xuan’s revenge because I didn’t let her in during her dance?"

He pondered for a while but couldn’t reach a conclusion, so he set the matter aside.

Another thought crossed his mind: "The old man was the one who told me to run. Why? He’s clearly no saint—why help me?"

He had a vague feeling that it might be because Xiao Qi had entrusted him to the old man, who now bore some responsibility as his guardian. If Qin Ran got into trouble, the old man would be held accountable.

But this was just speculation. Unable to confirm, he turned his attention back to the token.

The token seemed to share an inexplicable connection with him, like a refined magical artifact. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense its presence in the darkness.

"The Chief mentioned that the Alchemy Chambers are below and require this token to enter," he muttered, turning the token over in his hands. "Now that I have it, how do I get there?"

As he studied it, a sudden inspiration struck. He channeled his spiritual sense into the token, and with a thought—

Hum!

In an instant, he vanished from his room and reappeared in a dimly lit space.

"A teleportation array..." Qin Ran mused.

He looked around and found himself in a corridor lined with stone doors, identical in layout to the residential area above.

Peering through an open door, he saw an Alchemy Chamber equipped with both fire and water-based alchemy furnaces, along with earth flames and exotic waters—clearly a fully stocked workspace.

This was indeed the alchemy area.

Glancing down one end of the corridor, he saw only endless darkness. Turning the other way, the same infinite blackness stretched before him.

"Just how many Alchemy Chambers are there?" he wondered.

For now, that answer remained beyond his reach.

He stepped into an open chamber, eager to test his skills, but found no herbs inside. Presumably, materials had to be requested separately.

After a quick inspection, seeing nothing extraordinary about the setup, he lost interest and turned to leave.

Just as he exited, he noticed another Alchemy Chamber door opening nearby. Out stepped a weary-looking alchemist, his face etched with defeat—likely from a failed concoction.

Qin Ran approached, intending to strike up a conversation and gather information. But after just two steps, the alchemist suddenly cried out, "No! Don’t—!"

A flash of light enveloped him.

"Another teleportation array," Qin Ran muttered, frozen in place as he watched.

The light faded, and the alchemist was gone.

Qin Ran didn’t know whether the man had died or been forcibly returned to his room as punishment.

A heavy feeling settled over him.

The "Yuan" organization wasn’t just skilled in alchemy—their mastery of arrays was equally formidable. This teleportation network spanned the entire base, seemingly activated by mere thought. If someone controlled it, they could go anywhere at will.

With that realization, Qin Ran felt his freedom vanish entirely. His sense of security crumbled—he could be forcibly teleported and dealt with at any moment.

The thought sapped his enthusiasm for further exploration. Channeling his spiritual sense into the token once more, he returned to his room.

The moment he reappeared, he startled. An overweight man sat in the main seat of his living area, sipping tea calmly.

"Manager Pang?!" Qin Ran frowned inwardly. "What brings you here?"

"It’s been a few days. I seized the chance to check on you," Pang Xuan replied with a smile. "How are you settling in?"

Qin Ran nodded, taking a seat casually. "Well enough."

"If you have any issues, feel free to visit me at Yuanlai Teahouse anytime," Pang Xuan offered.

"Oh?" Qin Ran raised an eyebrow. "Am I free to come and go as I please?"

"Of course! You’re a specially appointed alchemist—naturally, you have freedom of movement," Pang Xuan said amiably. "In fact, all alchemists are free to leave, provided their work isn’t problematic. They just... prefer not to."

"Prefer not to?" Qin Ran found that hard to believe. "What if they leave and never return?"

"Alchemists must complete a set quota of elixirs within a given timeframe. Failure results in punishment," Pang Xuan explained, his smile unwavering. "As long as their tokens remain active and under the organization’s control, they’ll face consequences no matter where they are. Of course, as a special appointee, you’re exempt from such deadlines."

But I still have the token... Qin Ran understood—he was still under the "Yuan" organization’s thumb.

"I came today to ask for your assistance in a certain matter," Pang Xuan continued. "Succeed, and you’ll earn a significant merit."

"What is it? Feel free to speak plainly," Qin Ran replied.

"In five years, there will be an alchemy competition in the Tianlan Sea Region," Pang Xuan said. "I need you to secure first place for our organization."

Qin Ran met Pang Xuan’s gaze, and at last, he understood the reason behind Pang Xuan’s repeated concessions—why the man hadn’t killed him.