Chapter 94: A Debt Collins Didn’t Know He Owes

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: A Debt Collins Didn’t Know He Owes

In their world, a skilled alchemist could be more valuable than a powerful warrior.

High quality elixirs were essential to cultivation, yet obtaining them was not always easy.

Even wealthy families could not guarantee a steady supply of the resources their strongest members needed.

A master alchemist who was willing to cooperate with them was therefore someone worth building relationship with. More than being from an aristocratic family, things like this mattered too.

If Samuel held Xavier in such high regard, the man clearly possessed genuine ability.

The bald man was the first to introduce himself.

"Mr. X, I’m Wade Young, vice principal of Vermilion Bird Academy," he said.

"You can just call me Mr Wade. It’s a pleasure to meet someone as accomplished as you at such a young age."

Another guest promptly followed.

"My name is Henry Lowe, and I serve as the dean of White Tiger Academy," he said.

"Mr. X, you’re welcome to visit us whenever you have time. We’d be honored to have you offer us some guidance."

A broad shouldered man sitting farther down the row joined the conversation.

"I’m Wesley Mason, the proprietor of the Sword Forging Manor," he said.

"If you ever need weapons or want something specially forged, come to me. Anyone who’s friends with Minister Bush and Mr. Hart is a friend of mine, too."

One introduction led to another. Before long, Xavier had met nearly everyone seated around Samuel.

Each person made a point of establishing a connection with him, hoping that a friendly relationship might eventually lead to a profitable collaboration.

Xavier responded warmly to them all. He shook hands, exchanged contact details, and made a mental note of the different people he had met.

These were not merely acquaintances he could greet at future gatherings.

They were potential trading partners who might help him acquire rare materials, powerful elixirs, and other resources for cultivation.

Why would he turn down such opportunities? He was not antisocial, and he certainly was not foolish enough to reject useful connections for no reason.

The atmosphere remained pleasant until another young man decided to join the conversation.

"Mr. X, is that your name?" the speaker asked, approaching with the self assurance of someone accustomed to having his words taken seriously.

"My name is Collins Lindsay. I’m here on behalf of the Lindsay family. Would you be interested in discussing a possible partnership with us?"

The young man was none other than the eldest son of the Lindsay family.

Like several other influential figures present, Collins had come to watch the Barley Cup, but his interest extended beyond the competition itself.

He had come because of Mira.

There was a familiar truth about human desire: something often became more attractive once it was no longer within reach.

Collins had already learned that the Sinclair family could no longer control Mira or force her to comply with its wishes.

Instead of making him abandon his interest in her, that discovery had only made him more determined to pursue her.

He had therefore decided to attend the competition in person.

Before Xavier arrived, Collins had attracted considerable attention among the guests. Now, however, the distinguished alchemist had become the center of the gathering.

Collins did not seem particularly bothered by the change.

In fact, he saw an opportunity to establish a useful connection.

Although the Lindsay family was powerful, even they maintained close relationships with only a limited number of master alchemists.

The high grade elixirs those alchemists could produce were nowhere near enough to satisfy the needs of an entire influential family.

Furthermore, not every master alchemist possessed the same skills.

Some specialized in only one or two varieties of 5th-Grade elixirs, which limited the range of resources they could provide.

Building relationships with several capable alchemists would give the Lindsay family greater flexibility and a more reliable supply of cultivation resources.

From Collins’s perspective, inviting Mr. X to cooperate with the family was an entirely reasonable decision.

He waited for Xavier’s response, already expecting the offer to be received favorably.

After all, he was representing the Lindsay family. Most people would have welcomed the opportunity without hesitation.

Unfortunately for him, Xavier was not most people.

"The Lindsay family?" Xavier repeated, looking mildly amused. "What family is that? I’ve never heard of it."

His casual dismissal caused Collins’s expression to stiffen.

Before the young man could respond, Xavier turned back to Samuel as though nothing of importance had happened.

"Minister Bush, have you managed to gather anything worthwhile over the past couple of days?" he asked.

"I’ve accumulated quite a few elixirs, and I’d like to exchange them for some of the items you mentioned earlier."

Samuel understood immediately that Xavier had no intention of entertaining Collins’s offer.

"I’m afraid I’ve been rather busy lately," he replied.

"Give me a few more days. I’ll put together a list of the items I can offer, and you can decide which ones interest you."

"That works for me. I’ll wait for your list," Xavier said, nodding, then shifted his attention toward the arenas.

"The matches are about to begin. Let’s see what these young cultivators can do."

With that, he continued chatting with Samuel, leaving Collins standing beside them as though he had never spoken.

For someone accustomed to receiving deference because of his family name, the humiliation was difficult to swallow.

The smile disappeared from Collins’s face.

A subtle chill seemed to settle over the surrounding seats as his displeasure became obvious.

The guests nearby quickly fell silent, exchanging cautious glances.

No one wanted to become involved. On one side was a master alchemist whom Samuel treated as an honored guest.

On the other was the eldest son of the influential Lindsay family.

Interfering would risk offending someone, and nobody present was eager to make that mistake.

They simply pretended not to notice the confrontation and waited for it to pass.

Collins stared at Xavier for another moment before letting out a cold laugh.

"Very well," he said, his voice laced with resentment.

"Mr. X, was it? The Lindsay family will remember your attitude today."

He was already known for his temper, and under different circumstances, he might have lost control completely.

The only reason he restrained himself was that the competition grounds were crowded with influential figures. Creating a public disturbance here would bring him little benefit.

What Collins did not realize was that the setting was the only thing protecting him. If they had been alone, Xavier might already have killed him.

The young man’s audacity had crossed a line the moment he allowed himself to harbor designs on Mira.

Collins was merely a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, yet he seemed to believe his family name gave him the right to pursue another man’s wife.

Xavier had no intention of tolerating that. However, with so many witnesses surrounding them, killing Collins here would attract unwanted attention and complicate matters unnecessarily.

Xavier maintained his calm expression and continued watching the competition, concealing the murderous intent behind his eyes.

Enjoy your arrogance while you still can.

He had already made his decision. Once he left Stormvale Martial Academy, he would find a suitable opportunity to deal with Collins Lindsay.

Xavier had barely finished deciding how he would deal with Collins Lindsay when the opening matches of the Barley Cup gave him something far more important to focus on.

Mira was about to fight.

His wife had entered the first arena, and the moment she appeared, attention from across the viewing stands shifted toward her. It was hardly surprising.

Mira was one of the strongest contenders for this year’s championship, and many spectators had come specifically to see what she could accomplish.

There were two or three other young martial artists whose strength was comparable to hers, but Mira possessed an advantage few competitors could match.

Since awakening her Frost Phoenix Bloodline, her combat ability had improved dramatically, allowing her to outperform cultivators at similar levels.

The Barley Cup had been held in Valemont for more than thirty years.

Although previous competitions had occasionally featured participants under twenty who had reached the Spirit Platform Realm, none of this year’s contestants had achieved that milestone.

Mira was therefore an exceptional case. Nearly half the spectators believed she had an excellent chance of taking the championship.

With her current strength and the potential of her divine physique, it would hardly be surprising if she emerged as the tournament’s greatest discovery.

Yet her reputation alone was not responsible for the unusual excitement surrounding this particular match.

Her opponent was Jonathan Sinclair.

The young man had recently attracted considerable attention, not because of his accomplishments alone, but because of the circumstances surrounding his rise.

Rumors had spread that he possessed the Celestial Core that had originally belonged to Mira.

The allegations had made him a controversial figure, and now the two had been placed in the same arena.

Naturally, everyone wanted to see how their confrontation would unfold.

Would Mira defeat the cousin who had benefited from her suffering? Or had the Celestial Core given Jonathan enough power to surprise her?

The spectators settled in, eager to witness the outcome.