He looked at Laura and Pat and said, "As it happens, I brought plenty of alchemical ingredients with me. Take me to the Whig Society's headquarters. Let's go together and figure out how to handle this sudden crisis."
"That's great!" Pat made no effort to hide his delight, nodding immediately.
Laura also nodded at Fang Zhen, but she added,
"Fang Zhen, do you remember Karen?"
"Oh, I remember. How is he?" Fang Zhen asked.
"Karen is doing alright—no major issues. But he suffered a huge blow back in the Ellick Territory. Since his return, he's become withdrawn and melancholic, always lost in thought."
"You probably know his father—the vice-president of the Whig Society. Seeing the son he was so proud of turn into this... well, you can imagine the vice-president isn't in a good mood."
"He's already put the word out. He said that if he meets you, he wants to fight you to see if you're as strong as the legends say."
Fang Zhen was a little surprised to hear that.
