Damned Healer-Chapter 725: Test For You

Emina was brought by Darian to the city on that planet. Upon arriving at the entrance, they showed their sect disciple emblems and entered immediately, without any line.

Once inside, he casually asked what she had been doing there. Emina took a deep breath and explained.

The Medicinal Flame Planet they were on was actually a paradise for alchemists. That was because the largest branch of the Hellfire Pill Sect existed there.

Hearing that name, Darian’s gaze changed. That was because his Uncle Almin, who was the greatest alchemist in the world, was known for possessing the Hellfire Flames. So this sect must have been something created based on the legacy he left behind in the universe.

The real sect was located elsewhere. But there were about a dozen branches scattered across the universe, and the Medicinal Flame Planet branch was the largest and most powerful of them all.

That was because, with the Golden Crow bloodline, it was possible to create an extremely powerful divine flame. And those with that bloodline who could control it perfectly could easily become outstanding alchemists.

Throughout history, many Alchemy Emperors were born from this branch, hundreds of times more than from any other branch.

An Alchemy Emperor was a top-tier title granted by the Hellfire Pill Sect. Everyone with that title was a respected and well-known figure across the universe, receiving full protection from the sect so they could focus solely on alchemy.

On top of that, whenever someone important wanted a pill, they would seek someone with that status.

Emina explained that she hadn’t consumed any sect resources and had focused on selling and trading what she had to obtain more.

Seeing Darian’s expression subtly change, she hurriedly explained in detail everything she had done that year.

Darian listened in silence but quickly became stunned.

She had traveled between several planets, searching one by one for pill materials and other items in places few people visited. When she gathered everything, she would pay a young alchemist to produce the pills.

Among young alchemists, the average was one pill for every five sets of herbs... sometimes not even that. Failure meant losing all the materials, and even if they failed, the one who placed the order still had to pay a small fee for the attempt.

That was why no one liked commissioning young alchemists, focusing instead on Emperors, who had a much higher success rate.

So Emina’s tactic wasn’t anything extraordinary in theory—but no one tried it because it was doomed to generate losses, not profit.

But... Emina had sharp judgment and keen senses for evaluating people. She meticulously chose which young alchemist to commission. For each different type of pill, she picked one she felt matched its aura.

As a result... her average was two or three pills per five sets.

That was shocking. She had a rare talent—but obviously, there were many like her in the universe.

By selling the pills, her profits were enormous. But she didn’t live on pills alone; she also did something similar with blacksmiths, selling weapons, along with all kinds of other goods.

Darian was speechless. This young woman was a merchant prodigy.

"Senior..."

"Don’t call me that again—just Darian," he cut her off calmly as they walked through the busy city streets.

"D-Darian... I came here because the trial for the branch’s new Alchemy Emperor will take place in three months. Registration has already begun, and people from all over the universe have come to take the test, because the prestige of an Emperor from this branch is much greater than any other. Only someone who passed the trial at the main sect would be more respected."

Darian heard that and fell into thought.

This sect had been based on his uncle’s legacy. And when he was young, his uncle had taught him a bit of alchemy. Darian had only learned to make the most basic pills, but his uncle said he had talent for it.

’Maybe...’ he thought, then nodded. He had to take a look at this.

Turning to Emina, he didn’t hesitate and extended his hand, handing her his spatial ring.

That ring was far larger than average, and he had already placed everything he took from those two idiots together with what he already had before.

Emina froze, confused.

"Take it. This will be my test for you. Use everything in that ring; 50% of whatever you earn will be yours. What do you think?"

She looked at the contents... and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

There were many, many resources inside.

What Darian had taken from those two was actually equivalent to one-third more than what he already had. Combined, even in 20 years, Emina wouldn’t be able to accumulate that much.

He had only given her the herbs and resources, not money directly. But if she used everything... her profits would potentially be astronomical, even with just 50%.

"I..." She gripped the ring tightly. "I won’t disappoint you!"

Darian nodded. "Good. You have three months to come back. I’ll stay on this planet, so work hard."

"YES! I’ll be back in three months!" she said energetically and turned, running off.

Darian smiled faintly. He couldn’t help but remember Alear when she was a high-spirited teenager like that. He felt he had become a bit too emotional after recovering his memories.

With a sigh, he turned and walked off alone.

The city was simply too large, filled with commercial buildings and houses. Many races lived and worked there, with most having only minimal cultivation, just in the first realm.

Above the city, it was common to see massive Beasts flying. But the people below were too lazy even to look up at those enormous figures. In the center of the city stood a great tower, so tall it rose into the clouds. It was impossible to see its top from the ground.

This was the branch headquarters of that great Alchemist Sect.

It was noon, and Darian wasn’t in any hurry. He spotted an enormous and very busy restaurant near the center... and his mind drifted, remembering Niara.

He sighed, wishing to reunite with the woman he liked so much and take her to eat in every place across the universe. Feeling a bit melancholic, he chose to go in.

Darian sat in the corner of the restaurant, observing the surroundings. He was drinking alone, reflecting on his next steps.

’Could I become an Alchemy Emperor?’

He wasn’t an alchemist, and he didn’t want to waste time studying that too much. But there were other benefits to becoming an Emperor, like buying herbs at a discount and accessing the sect’s main medicinal field. With just that, even without making a single pill, Darian would have endless possibilities.

Even though he wasn’t a real alchemist, he had some confidence, since this sect had been created from his uncle’s legacy.

After eating and drinking until he was full, Darian went to look for a place to rest and think things through.

Without realizing it, he entered an isolated alley. The alley was somewhat rundown and extremely ordinary. It was exactly the kind of place he was looking for.

"Sir, are you looking for a place to rest? Our rooms are very clean, and the price is exceptionally low. Come take a look!"

Darian was walking when a small door opened, and a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen timidly peeked outside.

This girl... she was extremely thin and had a sickly yellow complexion. It was obvious she suffered from malnutrition. But her eyes were extremely expressive and stirred pity.

Darian remembered himself in the past... he had gone hungry so his siblings could have something to eat, so he felt empathy for the young girl.

Darian looked at her, then gave a soft chuckle. "Looks like you’ve been waiting a long time to say those words."

The girl had only gathered the courage to come out when she saw someone passing by. But when she saw what she thought was Darian’s malicious smile, a trace of panic filled her.

"I... I..." The girl clutched her clothes, afraid to say anything.

Darian sighed, letting his aura grow calmer and more relaxed. "You don’t need to be afraid. I’m not a good person, but I’m not a bad person either."

His voice was now almost magnetic, which made her relax a little.

"Sir, would you like a place to rest? Our rooms are very clean, and the price is exceptionally low. Come take a look!" she repeated, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes, that sounds better now. Your words don’t sound as stiff as before. In recognition of your progress, I’ll agree to take a look. But let me say this first: if it’s not satisfactory, I won’t stay," Darian said calmly.

"Yes, yes, please come in!" The girl hurriedly made way, delighted.

Darian walked through the gate and took a first look inside.

How could this be an inn? There was a two-story wooden house in the middle of the city, exuding fragility.

But the place was very tidy and clean. After entering the house, he went up to the second floor. The little girl opened a door, revealing a bed. And then... There was nothing else, not even a table. It couldn’t be simpler.

There were sheets on the bed, and they were very neatly arranged, but clearly not new. However, they had been washed very carefully, and Darian could still smell the sun on them. The sheets had probably been hung out and air-dried, and he liked that feeling.

Looking through a small window, he saw a little lake with a small boat floating on the water. It wasn’t a bad view.

"Are you satisfied? If there’s anything you’re not happy with, just ask, and I’ll do my best to fix it!" the girl said worriedly.

"It’s not bad. It’s very simple and charming. Lying on the bed, you can even count the stars," Darian nodded.

"Oh!" The girl followed Darian’s gaze and jumped. There was a ten-centimeter hole in the ceiling she hadn’t noticed before.

"Sir, please wait a moment! I’ll fix it right away!" She was about to go get a ladder.

"It’s fine. It won’t rain for a few days. This kind of skylight isn’t bad. If you block it, it’ll look ugly," Darian said lightly.

"Sir, you... They are really interesting." After Darian’s words, the girl was no longer as nervous as before.

"How much is this room?" he asked.

A look of embarrassment appeared on the girl’s face. Swallowing nervously, she stammered, "How about... two indigo stones... for one day?"

Darian frowned.

The girl jumped in fright, afraid he would leave. "Ah, if you think it’s too expensive, we can talk about it!"

"For this city’s standards, that price is very low." Darian spoke with a slight smile, reassuring her.

Hearing that Darian wasn’t upset about the price, the girl felt extremely grateful. She explained sadly, "My grandfather used all his savings to buy this property. We hoped to turn it into an inn to make some money. But my grandfather is old, and his eyesight is impaired, so he can’t work. I hope to run this inn well enough to support my grandfather. Hehe, you’re our first guest."

The girl couldn’t hide her excitement. Pulling Darian into her inn made her extremely happy.

"Little Temzi, bring our guest to eat!" An elderly voice sounded from downstairs.

"Ah, my name is Temzi, nice to meet you." She spoke hurriedly, then waved. "Come, come, let’s eat!"

Darian introduced himself politely and followed the girl to the first floor. He saw an old man standing beside a table, turning his head to listen. He was blind.

Darian narrowed his eyes as he looked at him, sensing something strange about his condition. He couldn’t feel any cultivation. But inside him, there was a fluctuation Darian knew very well... it was something macabre, coming from a cultivator of the Evil Path.

But his karma wasn’t abnormal, just dark and ordinary like everyone else’s.

The old man stood up, then bowed to Darian. "Here we have simple food and tea for our guest. Please don’t be so formal."

"You’re too formal, sir. I’m not noble, and I’m used to simple, rustic food," Darian said politely. Sitting down, he saw there were only some breads and soup. There was no meat. The soup was a simple vegetable soup, but it had a pleasant smell.

Darian noticed that when serving the soup, the little girl had given him a portion with plenty of vegetables, leaving for herself and her grandfather almost nothing but broth.

He couldn’t help but sigh. No matter how prosperous the city was, there would always be people struggling to survive at the lowest levels of society, fighting just to have something to eat.

"So you’re not from here? Why did you come?" While eating, they chatted with Darian, finding him friendly and easygoing.

"Hehe, I just came here to fill my stomach. Tomorrow I’ll meet someone who’s going to give me a job, so I’ll earn some money," Darian said with a smile, not wanting to say too much, since knowing too much wasn’t good for people so fragile.

"Sir, is even one indigo stone per day too expensive for you? Or maybe... you can stay here until you have the money to pay us," the girl said, cutting in half the already very low payment and still offering maximum support.

"Hahaha, that’s just pocket change. Don’t worry, my future employer is extremely rich. I’ll be making a lot of money soon," Darian said with a slight smile.

Even though this grandfather and granddaughter were going through extremely difficult times in that place, they were still very kind. No one could fool Darian about that. Finding people so simple and honest was rare.

"Little Temzi, starting tomorrow, go buy more meat. I’m a bit of a glutton." Darian spoke lightly and tossed a money pouch to the little girl. Inside were more than a hundred indigo crystals.

"My God, all this?!" She jumped. She had never seen so much money. Even buying that small courtyard had cost only a few dozen indigo stones.

Darian sighed. That child was very thin and still in her growth phase. She needed more food.

After that, he returned to his room and slept for an entire night.

The next day... seeing the radiant smile of that little girl, all his worries were washed from his soul. He let out a deep sigh; helping someone who truly needed it was like helping himself, bringing him incredible relief.

He said his goodbyes, heading straight toward the tower district, where the recruitment was taking place.

It was time to start working.