Chapter 2333
Amari delivered the ingredients for the Soul-Restoring Pill, and Andrew immediately got to work.
The ninth-grade Soul-Restoring Pill was notoriously complex, and it required more than 100 different herbs. Each one was rare and precious, either having been aged for centuries or being worth a fortune.
“Here we go. Is that Mr. Goodman’s senior?” someone whispered.
“If only we could get a little closer and watch up close… It’s too bad that we can only see his back.”
“Forget it. That’s impossible. There are thousands of alchemists from Sovereign’s Apothecary here, and only those ranked at least sixth-grade are allowed to watch up close. The rest of us can only dream.”
Outside Amari’s garden, the crowd packed in layer after layer, leaving no room to move.
Originally, Brielle had planned for Andrew to show off his skills in public, but Andrew had refused. He did not need an audience when refining pills, nor did he have any desire to show off. His ties to Sovereign’s Apothecary were purely cooperative, nothing more.
As a result, most people could only watch from a distance. With the wrong angle, they could not even see his face.
Brielle and Amari sat in the garden, smiling as they sipped tea. With them were several senior alchemists from the Sovereign’s Apothecary, all seventh-grade and even eighth-grade masters. Experienced as they were, they stayed completely silent, afraid to disturb Andrew’s concentration.
Mikayla squeezed her way through the crowd of junior alchemists, her brows knitted in frustration. Those blocking her view made it impossible to see who Amari’s senior really was.
Fortunately, when the others noticed it was Mikayla, Chetvine’s favored beauty, they quickly gave way. With that, she managed to push her way closer to the front.
Finally, her view opened up, and she could see into the small garden. It was still only from the outer edge, and her own alchemy rank was too low to qualify for a closer view, but she felt satisfied nonetheless.
Then, her eyes locked on Andrew’s figure, and her heart skipped a beat.
Something felt off as she realized that the man’s back looked so familiar.
At that moment, Andrew was facing away from the crowd, so no one, not even Mikayla, could see his face. Nonetheless, Mikayla knew Andrew all too well, and the more she stared at his back, the more uneasy she felt.
Could it really be him?
Her face darkened as she shook her head, telling herself it had to be a coincidence. Amari’s senior should have been well into his 70s.
There was no way it could be Andrew.
Besides, just because someone looked similar from the back did not mean it was actually him.
“He’s been annoying enough lately,” she muttered under her breath, blaming herself for wasting time thinking about him.
Andrew was no longer worth her attention, and she refused to let him bother her anymore.
The refinement of the Soul-Restoring Pill dragged on, lasting well over an hour. Yet none of the alchemists watching grew tired, because seeing a master at work was an opportunity that came once in a lifetime.
“Look at his fire control, his timing, his techniques… It’s breathtaking,” someone murmured.
Another chimed in, “No wonder he’s a ninth-grade supreme alchemist. People like this only exist in legends.”
“But doesn’t it seem strange? He doesn’t look very old.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. High-ranking alchemy masters are often powerful martial artists as well, so they know how to preserve their youth. You can’t judge anyone’s age just by looking at their back.”
While the crowd speculated, Mikayla’s suspicion only grew stronger. She had told herself again and again that it could not be Andrew, but the words of those around her shook her resolve.
“Excuse me, let me through,” she said, squeezing further along.
Mikayla had made up her mind, and she had to know for sure. Otherwise, she would never be able to sleep in peace.