The morning sunlight streamed through the ornate windows of the Celestial Apothecary Guild, casting long shadows across the polished floor. I stood behind the counter in the reception area, arranging a set of medicinal herbs while Sofia organized various pill bottles on the nearby shelves.


    "These Spirit-Enhancing Pills need to be stored away from direct sunlight," I reminded her, ncing at the amber bottles in her hands.


    Sofia nodded, cing them in a shadowed cab. "I still can''t believe how quickly you mastered the Guild''s organizational system. It took me months to learn where everything belonged."


    I shrugged, allowing myself a small smile. "I''ve always had a good memory."


    The peaceful morning was shattered by the sound of the main doors mming open. Three figures strode in—a young man dressed in expensive silk robes nked by two burly men whose rigid postures screamed "bodyguard."


    "Where is the pharmacist on duty?" the young man demanded, his voice echoing through the hall.


    I stepped forward. "I''m Master Knight. How can I assist you?"


    His eyes narrowed as he assessed me, recognition shing across his face. "Well, well... if it isn''t the famous Liam Knight."


    I maintained a neutral expression, but inwardly, I was on high alert. The way he said my name carried undisguised contempt.


    "I''m Travis ckthorne," he announced, puffing out his chest. "My father is Roderick ckthorne of the ckthorne Family."


    The name exined everything. The ckthornes were notorious for their arrogance and cruelty, second only to the Ashworths in influence within Havenwood City.


    "I need medicine," Travis continued, his tone making it clear he considered this interaction beneath him. "My father''s having guests tonight, and I overexerted myself during training."


    Sofia stepped forward professionally. "We have excellent Energy-Replenishing Pills that would—"


    The crack of skin against skin echoed through the hall as Travis pped Sofia across the face, cutting her off mid-sentence.


    "Did I speak to you?" he sneered. "Know your ce, woman."


    My fingers tightened around the mortar I was holding, anger surging through me. Sofia''s cheek reddened as she stepped back, eyes downcast but burning with humiliation.


    "I want him to make my medicine," Travis said, jabbing a finger toward me. "Let''s see if the great Liam Knight lives up to his reputation."


    I set down the mortar carefully, forcing my expression to remain calm. "What symptoms are you experiencing, Mr. ckthorne?"


    "Just make me something for fatigue and muscle soreness," he said dismissively. "Basic stuff."


    I nodded and moved to the preparation area, selecting ingredients with practiced efficiency. I could feel Travis''s eyes boring into my back, hoping to catch any mistake.


    As I worked, grinding herbs and measuring powders, Travis started talking loudly to his bodyguards.


    "Can you believe this is what the Celestial Apothecary Guild hase to? Hiring street trash as Master Pharmacists?"


    His bodyguards chuckled obediently.


    I continued working, focusing on creating a perfectly bnced Energy-Restoration Pill. After fifteen minutes of careful preparation, I presented Travis with three small, golden pills on a jade te.


    "These will restore your energy and alleviate muscle soreness," I exined. "Take one immediately and the others—"


    Travis picked up one pill, examining it before flicking it onto the floor.


    "This looks like dogshit," he dered, then swept the remaining pills off the te. "Make them again. Properly this time."


    The pills shattered on impact with the floor, their medicinal powder scattering across the polished stone. Sofia gasped softly behind me.


    I felt my jaw tighten but maintained myposure. "Mr. ckthorne, those were standard Energy-Restoration Pills, professionally crafted to Guild specifications."


    "Are you talking back to me?" Travis''s voice dropped dangerously. "Do you know what my family could do to this entire Guild with one word to the right people?"


    The threat hung in the air. Guild rules strictly prohibited conflict within its walls. I was new here, still establishing myself. Starting a fight would jeopardize everything I''d worked for.


    "I''ll make another batch," I said evenly, returning to the preparation table.


    This time, I worked more slowly, making sure Travis could see every ingredient and technique I employed. I produced another set of pills, identical to the first but with a slightly deeper golden hue.


    Travis took one, sniffed it, then dropped it on the floor again.


    "Still trash," he said, grinding the pill under his boot heel. "Is this really the best the famous Liam Knight can do?"


    Something cold settled in my chest. This wasn''t about medicine. Travis hade here specifically to provoke me.


    I looked at Sofia, whose cheek still bore the red imprint of Travis''s hand, then to the crushed medicine on the floor—hours of work and rare ingredients destroyed for a spoiled man''s amusement.


    "One more batch," I said, my voice quiet. "I''ll make something special."


    Travis smirked, clearly enjoying my perceived submission.


    This time, I selected different ingredients. My hands moved with deliberate precision as Ibined powdered ghost root, ck lotus extract, and several otherponents. The mixture turned a deep crimson before I stabilized it with spirit salt, transforming it into a single, perfect blue-ck pill.


    "What''s that?" Travis asked, suddenly suspicious.


    "A Power-Dissipating Pill," I replied truthfully. "Much more potent than what I made before."


    Travis snorted. "You expect me to believe you can make something worthwhile on your third try? You must think I''m an idiot."


    His hand reached out to knock the pill away, but I moved first. In one fluid motion, I seized his wrist and twisted, using his momentum to spin him around. His bodyguards lurched forward, but I was ready for them.


    With my free hand, I struck the first bodyguard''s throat with two fingers, hitting a precise pressure point. He crumpled, gasping. The second rushed at me with a raised fist, but I sidestepped, sweeping his legs from under him.


    It happened in seconds. Both Grandmaster-level bodyguards were on the floor, incapacitated, while I held Travis immobilized with one arm twisted behind his back.


    "You dare—!" Travis began, but I cut him off by forcing his jaw open.


    "You came here to humiliate me," I said, my voice deadly calm. "You insulted my work, assaulted my colleague, and wasted valuable Guild resources."


    With precise movements, I pushed the blue-ck pill into his mouth.


    Always read from the source: *.


    "Swallow," Imanded, applying pressure to his throat that made refusal impossible.


    Travis''s eyes widened in panic as the pill went down. I released him, and he stumbled forward, clutching his throat.


    "What... what did you give me?" Fear reced his arrogance as he felt the pill''s first effects—a cold sensation spreading through his chest.


    "Exactly what I said—a Power-Dissipating Pill. It will temporarily suppress your cultivation. For the next week, you''ll be as weak as an ordinary person."


    Travis''s face contorted with rage and terror. "My father will destroy you for this! The ckthornes will burn this Guild to the ground!"


    I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice. "Tell your father whatever you want. But remember this moment the next time you think of treating others like dirt beneath your shoes."


    Travis backed away, pointing a shaking finger at me. "You''re dead, Knight! You hear me? Dead!"


    As he fled, dragging his semi-conscious bodyguards with him, Sofia stepped beside me, her expression a mixture of awe and concern.


    "That was either the bravest or the most foolish thing I''ve ever witnessed," she whispered.


    I looked down at the crushed pills on the floor, the wasted ingredients representing hours of careful work.


    "Some lessons can only be taught one way," I replied, the cold fury still churning inside me. "And some people need to learn the price of arrogance."