Perhaps because Anbaixiu's own experiences were legendary enough, most people overlooked his background.
Moreover, what Anbaixiu had always displayed was his intellect—a tongue capable of bringing down gods—rather than sheer martial might or a distinguished pedigree.
As a result, everyone subconsciously disregarded who stood behind him.
When a lich could wipe out your entire bloodline purely through the power of his words, did it really matter who was backing him?
Even Selwyn, his newly inducted apprentice, had fallen into the same trap.
Getting to know one's master usually began with his words, deeds, and past accomplishments; Selwyn had never thought to inquire about his connections. Leave aside his ties to the God of Alchemy—scarcely anyone even knew of his involvement with the Elegy Poetry Society.
Now that Anbaixiu had casually revealed his identity, Selwyn was stunned speechless.
The student of a god was vastly different from a mere worshiper, and far more prestigious than even a chosen.
Between master and disciple, there was an inherent equality of personhood. In contrast, the relationship between a deity and their worshipers or chosen was, at its core, divine charity bestowed upon mortals.
Selwyn felt compelled to press further to uncover what else she had missed.
However, because the bond between the God of Alchemy and Anbaixiu was far too unusual, Anbaixiu could not go into detail. He simply brushed it off with a few vague words, stating that the God of Alchemy had already been his teacher back when he was still a mortal.
Seeing Selwyn utterly dazed by the revelation, Anbaixiu gave her some time to digest it.
This student possessed good natural talent, but having lived cloistered away with the other Selwyn for so long, she had seen little of the world and even less of society. Her sheltered perspective left her struggling to keep pace with him. Anbaixiu did not force her to tackle the Alchemy Association just yet. Instead, he had her focus on the work at hand, directing her attention toward the drow elf transport business.
"You might be older than Harvey, but you spent decades hiding from reality alongside that old man. What you need right now is to see more of this world—observe more, think more. Go deal with those drow elves and learn firsthand how treacherous people can be."
That was the task Anbaixiu assigned to Selwyn. She was a talent, but she still required proper seasoning.
Selwyn, who now revered Anbaixiu like a living god, promptly packed her bags and prepared to travel alongside the drow elves.
As for the rest of the work, with Anbaixiu personally overseeing things, Selwyn had no cause for concern.
Having dispatched this promising apprentice, Anbaixiu stroked his chin, pondering how to deal with the old fogies of the Alchemy Association.
While Gustavo Fring appeared to stumble arrogantly at every turn, Anbaixiu, as his longtime adversary, knew full well the man's true standing in the field of alchemy.
If Guildmaster Gary of yesteryear had been an incomparable, dazzling pearl of alchemy who outshone every genius of his era, then Gustavo Fring had been the gold that still managed to gleam even beneath that pearl's radiant light.
Even if the guildmaster had captured the lion's share of the world's attention, no one could ever overlook Fring.
Gustavo Fring's achievements in alchemy could easily fill a modest library, spanning high-efficiency purification of basic potions, structural refinements to equipment enchantment arrays, and much more.
To put it simply, without Gustavo Fring's research, an alchemy workshop today would take three times as long and spend one and a half times the cost to brew a single Vigor Potion, all for an effect that might be a mere third of what it was now. The same held true for his work on enchanted equipment. Had that old man never existed, crafting enchanted gear would be ten times harder, and success rates would plummet.
Though the dark-skinned old man seemed to suffer setback after setback, when it came to genuine alchemical accomplishments, a dabbler like Anbaixiu lagged far behind him.
In fact, Gustavo Fring commanded far greater prestige among low- and mid-tier alchemists than Guildmaster Gary ever had. His practical research had genuinely taught ordinary alchemists tangible skills, improving their livelihoods. By contrast, the prodigiously gifted Guildmaster Gary had spent his days lost in esoteric concepts so advanced that common alchemists could not even decipher his research papers.
This widespread respect was precisely how Gustavo Fring had managed to assemble the new Alchemy Association so quickly. The moment his name was invoked, countless low- and mid-tier alchemists flocked to his banner.
Therefore, if Anbaixiu wanted to pull the rug out from beneath the Alchemy Association, he had to strike where it counted: he needed to break those ordinary alchemists' adoration for Gustavo Fring and draw them into his own fold.
As for Selwyn's worry that bringing over so many alchemists would turn them into an unsustainable financial drain, it was a non-issue.
Anbaixiu had no intention of employing them directly. What he wanted was for them to continue laboring for the Alchemy Association—only now, they would realize that their earnings were vastly out of step with their "intellectual worth." With just a gentle nudge, the Alchemy Association would crumble from within.
When that time came, the association would descend into utter chaos. Skilled alchemists would suddenly find themselves completely jobless. They would end up standing by the roadside holding placards, begging for work, only to land mundane assembly-line jobs turning screws in factories, competing against illiterate commoners.
That was the outcome Anbaixiu truly wanted to see. When that day arrived, he would need only toss out a handful of gold coins, and those talents would come swarming to him of their own accord—no expensive poaching required.
However, to pull off such a scheme, he first needed to understand the Alchemy Association's internal situation. With a flash from the magic mirror, Anbaixiu shifted from the desert depths to the Dwarf Kingdom, arriving inside his former castle.
Within the grandest laboratory, the radiance of Light spells bathed the room as brightly as day. Isabel was intently scrutinizing a glass vial in her hand, while beside her stood a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl clutching the hem of her skirt in nervous agitation.
This was a new apprentice Isabel had recently taken in. Like her, the girl hailed from the slums. Today, she had just begun learning how to brew a Tranquility Potion—a magical draught capable of suppressing extreme emotions to maintain mental clarity, provided the dosage was precise. Too little, and it had no effect; too much, and it could inflict mental damage.
Isabel swirled the vial, inspecting the potion's coloration closely. Just as she was about to offer her critique, Anbaixiu's voice drifted from a nearby magic mirror: "Very well done. The color and clarity are even better than when you first brewed a Tranquility Potion."
Isabel nearly fumbled the vial, whirling around toward the mirror in astonishment.
Upon seeing Anbaixiu's youthful visage, she spoke in a hoarse, trembling voice: "Teacher, you're... you're really back?!"
"Didn't I tell you I'd been resurrected?" Anbaixiu replied.
Although not many people knew he had returned to life, Anbaixiu could hardly keep the truth from those closest to him. The Rose of Decay had surely informed Isabel long ago to put her mind at ease.
Wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, Isabel smiled. "Lady Rose did tell me, but without seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't stop worrying. Now that I see you're well, I can finally rest easy."
Anbaixiu offered warm praise. "Isabel, I heard about your accomplishments. *Legendary Spells* published your paper—you've far surpassed your teacher in that regard. In such a short time apart, you've already grown into a formidable alchemist in your own right."
Not long ago, Isabel had published an article on an improved formulation for Condensation Potions. The new recipe not only vastly accelerated the cooling rate but also substantially cut production costs, transforming what had once been an expensive, niche, and practically useless brew into an indispensable staple for nearly every alchemical laboratory.
Far too many alchemical experiments required low temperatures, and this new Condensation Potion proved far more practical and reliable than casting Freezing spells.
Isabel's research had earned universal acclaim from alchemists and secured a spot in the main issue of *Legendary Spells*, even if it had been placed toward the back. For someone of Isabel's age to publish an article in *Legendary Spells* was an astounding feat.
When Anbaixiu had been her age, all he had known was hustling people out of their money over dice games in taverns.
What was more, Isabel had completed the research entirely on her own. As her master, Anbaixiu had done little more than grant her unrestricted access to his reference library, offering virtually no direct guidance.
Basking in Anbaixiu's praise, Isabel broke into a radiant smile.
"I couldn't bring shame upon you, Teacher. I am your student, after all."
She then ushered the timid young girl forward to face the magic mirror and introduced her. "Teacher, this is Gianna, the apprentice I recently took in. She's remarkably gifted in alchemy as well. Gianna, this is my master, the great legendary mage Sir Ultraman Tiga—the wisest man in all the world."
Hearing Isabel's introduction, the young girl stole a curious glance at Anbaixiu before hastily dropping to her knees in deference. However, her prostrate, five-point kowtow immediately gave away her background.
Anbaixiu asked, "Was Gianna born a slave?"
It was the exact bow a slave offered when groveling before nobility; Gianna had clearly mistaken Anbaixiu for an aristocrat and slipped back into old habits out of sheer instinct.
Hearing Anbaixiu's question, Gianna thought he had taken a dislike to her. She began trembling violently in terror, staying flat on the ground while inching nervously toward Isabel's feet.
Isabel nodded. "Lately, the slave trade among the dwarves has grown much more frequent. Gianna is... just like I was, a runaway slave."
Anbaixiu told Gianna to stand up first. Terrified, the girl shrank behind Isabel, her small hands clutching the older girl's skirt and refusing to let go.
After offering a few words of comfort to calm the child, Anbaixiu asked Isabel, "A runaway slave? Things have been going rather well for the Dwarf Kingdom lately, haven't they? Ryan's reparations will be arriving soon, and they're poised to reclaim their lost desert territories. Why does it sound like unrest is brewing?"
Isabel explained, "Ever since the dwarves migrated, numerous internal problems have cropped up across the kingdom. Many dwarf lords were dissatisfied with the king's rule from the start, and the new territories allotted to them after the migration failed to meet their expectations, creating quite a bit of friction with the new monarch. But because the dwarves were in dire straits at the time, everyone held back from open infighting.
"Recently, however, I don't know what changed, but quite a few lords have begun openly defying the dwarf king's decrees. While it hasn't escalated into outright rebellion yet, the situation is undeniably tense. Many lords are actively recruiting soldiers and buying arms, so the slave trade has naturally grown more brisk."
Hearing this, Anbaixiu understood at once: the Dwarven Gods were even less patient than he had anticipated. They were likely already scouting for a new dwarf king, having grown profoundly dissatisfied with the current vampire monarch.
Still, that was of little consequence; Anbaixiu cared nothing for whether the dwarves lived or died. Getting straight to the point, he asked Isabel, "How familiar are you with the low- and mid-tier alchemists in the Alchemy Association? If you were to host a gathering, how many people could you invite?"
Chapter 574