Chapter 34: Persuasion

When Luo Bi arrived at the Wu Family Pharmacy, Wu Yue brought up the matter of the testing once again, and Luo Bi gave a selective account of what had happened.

After listening, Wu Yue pondered for a moment and probed, "Have you ever thought about becoming an assistant to an Alchemy Contractor?"

Luo Bi's eyes flickered. A smile appeared on her face, but an imperceptible trace of mockery brushed across the corners of her mouth. "I haven't thought about it. Don't talk to me about this; it's impossible."

The Wu family was one of the major families of the Empire, so they naturally did not lack talented Contractors. Among them were Wu Yue's own niece, Wu Ying, and nephew, Wu Xia—the children of Wu Yue's younger brother, Wu Dang. Wu Dang himself was impetuous, overly trusting, and quite unattractive, yet despite such a person, his children were exceptionally outstanding.

His daughter, Wu Ying, was seventeen. She had awakened her spiritual power and soul source power at the age of two, with a high-level talent grade and excellent attributes in the fire and wood elements. Two years ago, relying on her solid strength, she successfully passed the Alchemy Contractor assessment and was currently a Level 2 Alchemy Contractor.

His son, Wu Xia, was fifteen this year and still one year away from adulthood. He had awakened his spiritual power and soul source power at the age of three, also with a high-level talent grade. His attributes were fire, wood, and water, and he had recently passed the Contractor assessment with reportedly good results.

As the outstanding juniors of the Wu family, Wu Ying and Wu Xia naturally did not lack assistants, but one after another, the candidates seemed to leave them unsatisfied. Currently, both siblings had assistants who had been with them for a while, but they were the type that could be replaced at any moment; as soon as a better candidate appeared, the Wu family would unceremoniously dismiss the current ones.

As soon as Wu Yue spoke, Luo Bi guessed it had something to do with the siblings, Wu Ying and Wu Xia.

After all, Wu Yue had no children of his own, so all his affection was poured into Wu Ying and Wu Xia.

As expected, seeing her rejection of the assistant role, Wu Yue frowned and tried to persuade her: "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. You know our Wu Ying and Wu Xia have high talent levels, especially Wu Ying. She is already a Level 2 Alchemy Contractor, but her current assistant is no good. Not only is that person's character questionable, but their awakened elements don't match Wu Ying's. After all, not many people awaken both spiritual power and soul source power simultaneously."

At this, Wu Yue smiled. "It just so happens that you have awakened both. We all know each other's backgrounds, so what do you say? Consider being Wu Ying's assistant. Our Wu family has connections on the Imperial Star; we could apply for a spot for you in a Contractor Academy. If you stay with Wu Ying for two years, you might even become an Alchemy Contractor yourself."

Wu Yue knew Luo Bi's temperament—she hated being controlled and would never allow herself to be bossed around—but for the sake of his niece, he had to ask. Even if Luo Bi didn't agree immediately, it would be good for her to consider it.

Thinking of Wu Ying's current assistant, Wu Yue shook his head. That person was truly incompetent—lazy, gluttonous, and lacking any situational awareness. Most importantly, they lacked real skill, making such an assistant of little benefit to Wu Ying.

Jiang Zhu, who was ostensibly processing medicinal plants nearby, had actually been listening intently. Seizing the opportunity, she chimed in, "Exactly. Wu Ying has a good temperament; the two of you will surely get along. Once you enter the Contractor Academy, having Wu Ying there to guide you will definitely be better than following other Contractors. I've heard many Contractors treat their assistants poorly."

Jiang Zhu listed several benefits to persuade Luo Bi, praising Wu Ying without any hesitation. In their usual casual chats, Jiang Zhu and Luo Bi would occasionally mention the topic of Contractor assistants, and they both understood the reality of the situation. However, at this moment, Jiang Zhu's words, spoken out of personal interest, were somewhat insincere.

(End of Chapter)