Astral Apostle
chapter-170

Even if he couldn’t get information… at least he could use it as bait to find traces of this group of people and let Jason find someone to cut them down.

“Speaking of which, it’s been half a year. Why haven’t I seen anyone who looks like a lifeform from an alternate dimension? There has to be someone like that in the capital, right? Isn’t that Roman related to this group of people…”

Zhou Jing was a little puzzled. He usually paid attention to the residents of the capital, but he did not find any clues about them.

Are they that good at hiding? Are they all moles?

It seemed that if he wanted to obtain information, he could only think of a way to approach Roman, the only one in the know.

...

After researching for about five days, Zhou Jing finally came up with a new version of the Sword Tail Eagle Potion formula and steadily made a few bottles of the finished products.

Through the item analysis function, the enhancement success rate of the new formula was 5% higher than the original formula, and the enhancement effect had increased by 10%.

It didn’t seem like much, but for a mature blood potion formula, it was already a huge improvement.

The formula could still be optimized, but there was no need to put in so much effort.

Zhou Jing took the new formula and planned to submit it.

However, just as he walked out of the pharmaceutical room, someone stopped him.

“Bill!”

Zhou Jing turned around and saw that it was Sura who had invited him previously.

“Are you looking for me?”

Sura smiled as he approached. “I have good news for you. The higher-ups of the workshop have decided to certify you as an expert pharmacist. They’ll promote you to one rank up, and you can form your own team of craftsmen.”

This was his promotion to a team lead.

As far as he knew, many craftsmen had worked for more than ten years, but they had never become expert pharmacists. He had done it in just a few months… This would probably make them hate him even more.

Zhou Jing nodded and said with a smile, fluently replying in the dialect of the capital, “Please thank them for me.”

“This is all your ability. I didn’t expect you to be so good.”

Sura’s attitude was friendly towards him.

He was already an expert pharmacist and had long obtained a permanent position. He would not be sent packing because he was considered lacking as compared to someone else.

Moreover, Zhou Jing belonged to his team. The more involved he was, the more he himself would benefit. As a leader, he liked to have capable employees who worked hard.

“Are you free now? Can you come with me to meet the Governing Officers?” Sulla asked.

“Wait a while. I’ll hand in the new formula first.” Zhou Jing waved the note in his hand.

Hearing this, Sura got curious. ‘What is the hunter’s potion you made this time?’

“It’s not a hunter potion, but the Sword-Tailed Eagle blood potion,” Zhou Jing said truthfully.

Sura froze, his eyes suddenly opening wide.

“Wait a moment, I remember that you only accepted this mission five days ago?!”

“You seem to be paying a lot of attention to me…” Zhou Jing blinked.

What bullsh*t, who in the workshop is not paying attention to you now…

Sura cried out with an expression of shock, “You improved the blood potion?”

His voice was rather loud, and it immediately attracted the attention of the nearby craftsmen. They all looked at him in surprise.

“What’s so strange about that? It’s not like no one has successfully modified it before.” Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows.

“No… you…”

Sura was so overwhelmed with disbelief that he was no longer coherent.

Yes, you are right that there were many people in history who had improved the Mutant Blood Potion… but it had only been five days!

Although this Bill had already proven the efficiency of improving the hunter’s potion, the blood potion was another route altogether… Speaking of which, he had only started learning about the blood potion a few months ago!

“Wait a moment, I’ll inform the Officers!”

With that, Sura hurried away.

Zhou Jing had no objections, or rather, he did not even have time to make any.

After waiting for a while, he saw a group of higher-ups running over anxiously.

“Bill, you really improved the blood potion? Where’s the formula? Show me!”

One of the officers spoke eagerly.

Zhou Jing did not mind. He handed over the formula. The higher-ups of the workshop immediately gathered their heads together to scrutinize the formula.

“Can this formula… be used?”

The Head of the Officers was a court minister and was half a layman. He could not understand at all, so he could only ask his deputies, who were craftsmen.

“I don’t know. We haven’t tested it yet.” The deputy boss told the truth and couldn’t help but say, “But it looks like it will work. The combination of various ingredients is a new idea. Perhaps it can have an effect… But it’s so complicated. Was five days enough for this?”

As soon as he finished speaking, they could not help but look at Zhou Jing suspiciously.

To be able to change such a complicated formula in five days, did you change it randomly?

Could it be that he felt that the effect of the blood potion was difficult to measure, so he casually came up with a new formula to deal with the mission?

Sensing their distrust, Zhou Jing took out a few finished products and stuffed them into everyone’s hands.

“I’ve already tested it. The effect is definitely better than the original formula. If you’re worried, you can find someone to try it.”

“Of course we will go and test… but how did you do it? Why are you so sure?” One of the Deputy Bosses couldn’t help but ask when he saw how confident Zhou Jing was.

“I just need to take a sip to know if it’s good.” Zhou Jing shrugged.

“What?!”

The few of them were instantly dumbfounded.

Which mutant potion maker would personally taste their own work? That was too dangerous— did he just want to die?

You’re too hardcore!

“You successfully enhanced?”

Seeing that Zhou Jing was still alive and kicking, they were all shocked and subconsciously made such a guess.

“What are you guys thinking? Why would I swallow it?”

Zhou Jing rolled his eyes. Then, he picked up a bottle of finished product and took a sip in front of them. He rinsed his mouth with it as though he was sampling wine before he spat it out.

“Here, this is enough.”

“… Is this considered a test?”

The others looked confused.

You really see all sorts of things as you get older. Was this useful?

“Did I not mention it? As long as my tongue tastes herbs or potions, I can estimate the general situation, such as the composition, the ratio of materials, and so on.” Zhou Jing deliberately revealed a surprised expression and pretended to lay his cards on the table.

The first reaction from the group of higher-ups was disbelief.

What sort of godly myth are you talking about here?

However, when they thought of the results of Zhou Jing’s work over the past few months, they could not help but waver.

Perhaps it was precisely because he had such a special talent that Bill could go against common sense and improve various formulas with terrifying efficiency. Otherwise, it was difficult to explain how this person could perform so astonishingly at such a young age.

Did we solve the case behind his successes then?

Such an unprecedented talent… The higher-ups of the workshop looked at each other and saw surprise in each other’s eyes.

To think they actually discovered such a talented person. God has blessed the Empire!

The higher-ups of the workshop couldn’t wait any longer. They pulled Zhou Jing for a test, giving him a large pile of potions to taste and evaluate. Then, they looked at him expectantly.

After he accurately described the ingredients and proportions of the various potions, the higher-ups of the workshop finally believed that Zhou Jing had such talent. They were overjoyed.

Looking at their excited expressions, Zhou Jing smiled to himself.

He had spread the bait. Now it was up to fate if he could catch a fish.

...

Somewhere in the royal palace.

A middle-aged man wearing a crown listened patiently to the report from the Empire Hunter Workshop. The content of the report was regarding Bill.

Becky·Tarn. The current Monarch of the Terra Empire, the second King of the Royal Family. It had been more than ten years since he took over the throne.

He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and a firm appearance. He was tall and sturdy, and he exuded a dignified aura, causing the higher-ups of the workshop to subconsciously lower their voices.

After hearing about Bill, Becky tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair and said slowly:

“Get ready. I want to see this person personally.”

Hearing this, the Governing Officers of the workshop was stunned. He could not help but speak out,

“Isn’t this a little inappropriate… I mean, although Bill is talented, he’s just an outsider who has just joined the workshop. He even has a track record of selling aphro… ahem, energy potions. If you see him, the king’s reputation might…”

At this moment, Becky interrupted him in an unquestionable tone.

“It’s a blessing for the Empire to have such a talent. There’s nothing inappropriate about it.”

If one was just an outstanding pharmacist, he would be valued, but he would not have such an honor.

However, the “talent” that Zhou Jing deliberately revealed made up for an extremely important part of the research on the Mutant Blood Potion. There was no one in the entire empire who could replace him. In fact, there had never been such a talented person in history.

If what he said was true, then this person’s existence would bring immeasurable convenience to the research of the Empire’s mutant blood potion!

Such benefits alarmed even the king, and he became intensely curious about Bill.

...

“There’s actually such a talent?”

At the same time, somewhere in the palace of the capital, Roman heard about Bill’s situation from his subordinate’s report. He immediately remembered this name, and his eyes lit up.

This person’s talent was outstanding, and his future achievements might be limitless. The royal family of Tarn must have heard the news.

Perhaps he should get to know this person while he was still young. At the very least, he should get acquainted so that the other party would know of his existence.

If possible, it would be best to rope in this guy called Bill… It seemed that he had made a fortune in aphrodisiacs. Perhaps he liked money?

Roman’s eyes flickered.