Understanding the difficulty of alchemy

Despite the injuries Wen Ran had endured, he was in high spirits, and it showed clearly on his face. There was a quiet sense of victory in him, while his master, on the other hand, seemed to be grappling with a bitter defeat. Both were acting like children, yet beneath their antics, something more complex was unfolding—respect, albeit begrudging, was starting to form in the old man's heart.

Haha… wild brat, the old man thought to himself with a smirk, At least he's not a pushover like those other two. With this kind of character, he'll get himself killed one day. I must protect him well.