Chapter 687 - 637: The Dust Settles, The Contest of the Genius Pharmacist

With them holding each other in check, no one could act without restraint. This was the only arrangement that met his requirements.

He had no desire to see the Pill Pavilion descend into a corrupt mess.

When a single faction controls a place, it’s easy for them to collude and create all sorts of problems. In contrast, a three-way balance of power would act as a check, preventing things from developing in too negative a direction.

Since Yang Chan represented the Merak Saintess, Bai Keyi, as the Pavilion Master of the Pill Pavilion, had a very clear choice.

"If the Pavilion Master says so, I have no objections!"

"Same here!"

As soon as the Pavilion Master spoke, the two Vice Pavilion Masters, who hadn’t been paying much attention to the matter, quickly voiced their agreement.

’They’d much rather be back researching the new Pill Formula and figuring out why their last refinement failed than sit here discussing trivialities. Research was far more interesting than this boring affair.’

With four people—including Pavilion Master Bai Keyi—stating their positions in succession, the outcome of the meeting was decided quickly.

...

「Chiyu Peak.」

"Congratulations, Pharmacist Yang. With the Saintess’s help, you’ve been appointed to a position in the Spirit Medicine Tower. You’ll be one of the three Stewards of the Pill Pavilion Spirit Medicine Tower!"

Gu An personally came to Yang Chan’s Yuanqing Courtyard to congratulate him.

After his new courtyard was ready, Yang Chan had once again given it the same name. A plaque reading ’Yuanqing Courtyard’ was already hanging over the entrance.

When Gu An and the others saw it, they simply thought Yang Chan was a sentimental person and didn’t comment on it.

In fact, they quite liked this sentimental side of him. After all, sentimental people were easier to get along with, especially for those who came from the Cyan Yuan Sect.

"The Spirit Medicine Tower... I never thought I’d get this position!"

In the past few days, Yang Chan had learned a great deal about the Merak Sacred Land and the Pill Pavilion. He was no longer as clueless as he had been when he first joined the Sect.

He was well aware of how important the position of Steward in the Spirit Medicine Tower was.

He knew one of the three Stewards of the Spirit Medicine Tower had recently died of old age, so he was keenly aware of how fierce the competition for the position must have been.

He had considered the possibility but had thought the chances of the position falling to him were slim.

After all, he had only just joined the Merak Sacred Land. There was a considerable gap between him and the veteran Advanced Pharmacists of the Holy Land. The Pill Pavilion was filled with Advanced Pharmacists who had been groomed by the Merak Sacred Land, and he knew they were all chomping at the bit for this position.

This position offered first access to the Holy Land’s Spirit Medicines. With the exception of personal collections, all Spirit Medicines delivered to the Merak Sacred Land—including various Top Level Spirit Medicines—were sent to the Spirit Medicine Tower first.

The vast quantities of Top Level Spiritual Materials the Merak Saintess’s team had acquired in the Purple Void Secret Realm had all been sent to the Spirit Medicine Tower. Furthermore, the Spirit Medicines cultivated in the Profound Void Grotto Heaven were also delivered to the Spirit Medicine Tower on a regular basis.

As a Steward of the Spirit Medicine Tower, he would naturally be the first to access these Spirit Medicines. If he wanted to refine a special Elixir, he could exchange for the necessary ingredients immediately, getting a head start on everyone else. As long as he followed the rules, it was perfectly acceptable.

In truth, this wasn’t unique to the Spirit Medicine Tower; others in the Pill Pavilion did the same. Using one’s position to gain a slight edge was an accepted perk of the job.

"The Holy Daughter has gone to great lengths for me!"

Yang Chan said with a grateful, cupped-fist salute, still a little surprised. He would have done so even if the Merak Saintess herself wasn’t present.

’He knew it was important to make the proper gestures.’

"Hall Master, do you think I should go and thank the Saintess personally?"

Yang Chan asked, looking at Gu An.

It was also a way of testing the waters.

He knew that shortly after joining the Merak Sacred Land, Gu An had leveraged his prior contact with the Merak Saintess and her people in the Purple Void Secret Realm to establish a connection with her faction.

The Merak Saintess, for her part, was happy to see this development and continued to court Gu An’s favor, especially after learning of his relationship with Yang Chan.

Although everyone on Chiyu Peak had pledged their allegiance to the Merak Saintess, she naturally still wanted to garner more support. Besides, someone like Gu An could report on the situation at Chiyu Peak, ensuring she wouldn’t be caught completely off guard by a betrayal.

While the chances of that happening were slim, it was perfectly reasonable for the Merak Saintess to take extra precautions.

"Not for now. It’s best not to make a big show of things regarding the Pill Pavilion."

"When the Saintess has arrangements for you, doing your best to carry them out will be the best way to repay her."

Gu An shook his head.

He received news from the Pill Pavilion much faster than Liu Xuan did, as it came directly from the Merak Saintess’s faction. Therefore, he was already aware of her arrangements.

As for Liu Xuan, he had already sent someone with a letter to inform him of the situation.

As the Hall Master of Chiyu Peak’s Medicine Hall, it was perfectly fine for him to make such arrangements. Technically, Yang Chan was still considered part of the Medicine Hall; his importance had just grown significantly.

Moreover, Liu Xuan’s current status wasn’t absolute; he was still subject to certain restrictions.

Back in the Cyan Yuan Sect, Liu Xuan had been constrained by the three Supreme Elders, though not heavily. But now, in the Merak Sacred Land, he had to rely on the Merak Saintess to secure his position as Peak Master of Chiyu Peak. Otherwise, Chiyu Peak would be seen as a juicy piece of meat that everyone wanted a bite of.

The Holy Land might appear harmonious on the surface, but it was rife with undercurrents. The conflict between the Merak Saint Son and the Merak Saintess was a prime example, and such competition was permitted by the Holy Land’s rules.

The ultimate Saint Master would be the winner of this competition. It wasn’t just limited to the Merak Saint Son and the Merak Saintess; the Quasi-Saint Sons and Quasi-Saintesses also had a chance. It was just that, for now, the Merak Saint Son and the Merak Saintess had the greatest odds.