The test part 1

Jian Meilin remained calm, her expression a blank slate, betraying no emotion. A ripple of snickers went through the group; the practitioners surrounding her openly displayed their disdain, their pointed stares and sneers leaving no room for misinterpretation. The difficulty of traditional medical practice was common knowledge; even the simple concoction of a medicinal liquid was a challenging feat, alchemy even more so. Her youth and apparent lack of experience naturally fueled their skepticism.

"What's a girl who hasn't even finished puberty doing here? Didn't you read the advertisement, or are you so desperate for money you'd try to swindle an honored patriarch of the Sun family?" sneered a middle-aged man, his contempt palpable. Jian Meilin's memories of jade Ascendence, her home, held no record of a wealthy Sun family among the five prominent clans. This patriarch was likely from elsewhere. Having never ventured beyond her small town, she possessed no knowledge of the wider world's powerful families. Regardless, her focus was on the monetary reward, not the lineage of her client.

"Don't you know there are plenty of dreamers in this world, little lass? Quickly disappear before you embarrass yourself further," another man chimed in, his demeanor a mask of feigned benevolence masking the clear hostility in his voice. His righteous posturing was transparent to Jian Meilin, revealing the thinly veiled contempt he shared with the others.

A voice, calmer and more measured, cut through the cacophony. "Why are you arguing? Even the patriarch isn't complaining. It's not your place to judge," said a man who appeared to be in his early forties. He addressed Jian Meilin directly, his tone surprisingly devoid of the scorn of his colleagues. "Little lass, I sense no spiritual energy from you, nor do you seem to possess significant mental energy. What brings you here? If you don't understand the requirements, you should go back." His words, though laced with concern, hinted at a genuine uncertainty about her capabilities.

Before Jian Meilin could respond, the initial antagonist, his face contorted with simmering fury, launched another attack. The intensity of his anger was unsettling, even to Jian Meilin, who had faced far worse in her life. "Master Sun Weixian, I mean no disrespect, but this girl clearly intends to defraud your family. Even if there are medicinal geniuses, if even *you*, a Grade Three alchemist, haven't found a cure for your young miss's ailment, what can a little girl possibly do?" Upon hearing this the calm Jian Meilin's heart thumped with surprise as she scrutinized the master Sun weixian before her.

"Precisely," another practitioner added, echoing the sentiment with smug self-assurance. "She lacks the fundamental spiritual and mental energies necessary for medical practice. It's utterly impossible! Send her away."

Jian Meilin, who been surprised at the knowledge of this man being a grade three alchemist and had been cooking some plan to ask him a favor of refining the heaven and earth returning pill remained silent until now, let out a short, sharp snort that silenced the room. Her gaze shifted, becoming cold and assessing, as if looking down on insignificant insects. An aura of quiet power, tinged with arrogance and a hint of dark menace, emanated from her, causing a palpable shift in the room's atmosphere. A collective shiver ran through the practitioners, a silent acknowledgment of her unexpected display of authority.

"You blabber on and on, yet you are utterly unqualified to judge me," she said, her voice laced with an icy disdain that froze the room. "You've lived for at least forty years, yet the most complex concoction any of you can manage is a low-grade Level One pill; some of you struggle even with simple medicinal liquids. And you dare to question a thirteen-year-old girl? Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?" The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken accusations and potent enough to silence even the most outspoken doubters.

A tense silence followed, broken only by the ragged breaths of the intimidated practitioners.

"What does a young girl like you know as you have said even we the old and experienced might find it troublesome so how do you a little chick get the confidence to stand before us quickly leave before you face the consequences of fraud."the only old lady among the practitioners finally retorted if there was a possibility of emitting fumes from ones head then hers would have been a cloud of smoke.

"You old geezers just because you can't chew the bones doesn't mean the meat is hard it's just your inability and incompetence so shameless just shut your big mouths if nothing important is going to come out of it" although she had promised herself to be humble but that did not mean she would just sit down and let others toss her up and down. If you treat her well then all the more will she smile at you but if you want to step all over her then sorry the wrong person.

They were poised to retaliate, to launch another volley of insults, but Patriarch Sun intervened, his voice cutting through the strained atmosphere. He cleared his throat, a calculated move to diffuse the tension before it escalated into an open conflict. His gaze shifted to Meilin, a shrewd assessment in his eyes.

"Young lady, don't worry. You can take the test with the others. If you succeed, I'll reward you handsomely," he stated, his tone even and measured. He then turned to the assembled practitioners, his voice carrying a hint of steely resolve. "Masters, please understand. I've exhausted every avenue in my search for a cure for my daughter. I can no longer afford to be choosy. If this young lady possesses the ability, and I dismiss her out of prejudice, I will be condemning my daughter. It is better to err on the side of caution, to risk misjudging ten thousand practitioners than to miss the one who can save her life due to unfounded doubt. Besides, Master Sun, our personal alchemist, is present to oversee the process. Therefore, nothing can go wrong. Ladies and gentlemen, let us proceed to the first test."

Jian Meilin couldn't help but admire the patriarch's calculated risk. He was playing a dangerous game, a gamble on her potential. If she succeeded, he would have avoided alienating a possible genius. If she failed, he could still hold her accountable without significant loss of face. He was a shrewd negotiator, a man who understood the delicate balance of power and possibility. Of all the people present, only Master Sun Weixian, she realized, had shown her any genuine concern. She offered him a slight, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment before turning away, her expression impassive as they were lead out of the room.