Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 167: The real Elixir

"Zora, these are the three people whose names were on the notes," Reesa said with a bright smile.

Although she still didn’t fully understand what Zora was planning, she had promised to help and had carried it out without hesitation.

"Thank you all," Zora replied softly.

A trace of genuine gratitude flickered through her clear eyes. She had deliberately asked Reesa to help find them instead of doing it herself. The auction had only just ended, and too many eyes were on her. Acting openly would only attract unnecessary attention.

"Miss Zora, did you need something from us?"

Though confused, Alistair could barely contain his excitement.

After all, Zora was the acknowledged goddess of the academy. Being able to stand this close to her was enough to make countless people burn with envy.

Zora nodded lightly, the corners of her lips curving into a gentle, captivating smile.

"I have three Elixirs of Tranquility here. Are you willing to buy them at the prices you wrote on your notes?"

The three of them froze.

The joy came so suddenly that for a moment, none of them knew how to react.

"M-Miss Zora... are you serious?" Alistair asked, his breathing quickening, eyes filled with disbelief and anticipation.

"Of course," Zora replied calmly.

"We’re more than willing!" Alistair said hastily, then hesitated. "But... why did you call the three of us separately? Wouldn’t it have been better to just auction them directly?"

The other two looked at her as well, clearly sharing the same confusion.

Zora smiled faintly. "I understand your doubts. In truth, I had no choice." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Reesa and Baldwin exchanged puzzled looks, curiosity flashing in their eyes. They still didn’t fully understand Zora’s intentions.

"You all know about the grudges between Silvan, Clarissa, and me, right?" Zora asked gently.

Her voice was warm and soft, like moonlight, naturally drawing everyone’s attention.

"Yes."

"And Morgana Frost also has a conflict with me."

Those words made Alistair and the others widen their eyes in shock. They had never imagined that Morgana was also involved.

"That’s precisely why they used false names," Zora continued. "They wanted to ensure they could take the Elixirs of Tranquility without obstruction."

The pieces finally fell into place, and the atmosphere grew heavier.

"I strongly suspect that after obtaining the potions, they’ll claim the Elixirs of Tranquility are ineffective... that they’re fake."

Her calm tone made the implication all the more chilling.

"So I prepared three additional Elixirs of Tranquility and planned to sell them to you. After you verify their effects yourselves, I hope you’ll be willing to speak on my behalf."

As her words sank in, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

They had suspected foul play, but none of them expected Clarissa and the others to be this malicious.

"Clarissa and the rest are disgusting!" Reesa burst out angrily.

Only now did she fully understand Zora’s intentions. It wasn’t hesitation or weakness. It was preparation.

If Clarissa and her group really tried to smear Zora by claiming the potions were fake, and Zora had no proof ready, she would be unable to defend herself, no matter how hard she tried.

Thankfully, she had already planned several steps ahead.

A cold, mocking curve lifted at the corners of Zora’s lips. "If they’re willing to buy my potions," she said lightly, "then they should be prepared for the consequences. Nothing good ever comes so easily."

Alistair and the other two finally understood everything.

No wonder Zora had produced three additional Elixirs of Tranquility. She wasn’t being generous. She was laying a trap for her opponents.

While they felt nothing but disgust toward Clarissa and her group, a trace of gratitude still surfaced.

If not for those people’s scheming, they would never have had the chance to obtain such precious potions.

"Miss Zora, rest assured," Alistair said solemnly. "If Clarissa and the others really try something, we’ll testify for you."

"Yes, Miss Zora, you can count on us," the other two echoed without hesitation.

"That would be best." Zora smiled faintly. "I can guarantee the authenticity of these Elixirs of Tranquility. If you have any doubts, you’re welcome to ask an alchemist to verify them."

Her calm confidence instantly dispelled their last traces of unease.

With Zora’s ability, there was no need for her to fake such potions. Even without the Elixir of Tranquility’s formula, she was already a genius admired by all.

Alistair no longer hesitated. Buying these potions was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After returning, it would even become something worth boasting about.

After the three of them left, Reesa finally couldn’t hold back her thoughts. "Zora, do you really think Clarissa will pull something like that?"

A trace of playful mockery flashed through Zora’s eyes. "I have met people like them. Trust me. They definitely will."

Her certainty was absolute.

Reesa didn’t know about the fake potions, but that didn’t stop her from feeling furious.

To stoop to such despicable tricks, even among cultivators, was rare.

Baldwin’s expression was equally unpleasant. As a cultivator, one should fight openly and fairly. Backstabbing schemes like these were truly revolting.

"If Clarissa really does it," Reesa said eagerly, "tomorrow’s going to be interesting!"

Just imagining that woman’s expression when she realized Zora had already prepared countermeasures made her giddy with anticipation.

Zora’s smile deepened, her eyes glittering like starlight. "We won’t have to wait long."

*

Meanwhile, Clarissa returned to her residence in high spirits. Everything had gone far more smoothly than expected, and her heart brimmed with delight.

Pushing the door open, she saw Gabriel sitting cross-legged, just finishing his cultivation.

"Gabriel, we’re back!" Clarissa exclaimed happily.

Gabriel opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

He wore a dark green robe, his long black hair tied neatly at the crown. His features were handsome, yet there was a faint gloom lurking in his eyes, giving him a shadowed, oppressive air.

If Zora had been present, she would have noticed immediately how similar his silhouette was to Serestia’s.

The resemblance wasn’t just in appearance. It carried the same unsettling, unpleasant feeling.

A faint smile appeared on Gabriel’s face, yet the depths of his eyes remained cold and shadowed, untouched by warmth.

"You’re back," he said calmly. "How did it go?"

"There was... a complication," Clarissa replied after a bit of hesitation.

The moment her words fell, Gabriel’s brows drew together. His voice dropped, dark and displeased. "What complication?"

He had spent the entire previous night refining the plan, calculating every step. In his mind, there should have been no room for error.

"Out of the three Elixirs of Tranquility, we only secured two," Clarissa said honestly, moving closer to his side. "The third one was taken by Morgana Frost."

Gabriel’s expression darkened instantly. "How did that happen?"

The letter from his father still burned in his mind. When he learned that Serestia had died at Zora’s hands, rage nearly consumed him.

Serestia had always been his most cherished sister. They had entered the academy together, admired and envied by countless others. He had believed the two of them would rise together and carve out a bright future.

Yet that woman... that so-called waste... had dared to kill her.

Unforgivable.

He had sworn to retrieve all three Elixirs of Tranquility at any cost. Now he was told they had failed.

Sensing the displeasure in his tone, Clarissa hurriedly explained, fear flickering across her face. "Don’t worry! Even though the third potion isn’t in our hands, everything is still under control."

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "We’ve already won over Morgana."

Gabriel’s anger eased slightly, though suspicion remained. "You’re certain?"

"Absolutely," Clarissa nodded emphatically.

Adrian quickly said, "Lord Gabriel, we even confirmed it ourselves. A few days ago, Zora clashed with Miss Frost at the Alchemist Association. They argued openly, and Morgana even suffered a loss. Her master was also humiliated."

"The hatred between them is no less than ours, Brother Gabriel," Silvan added firmly.

Only then did Gabriel’s expression soften further.

This was a rare opportunity. If it slipped away, dealing with Zora in the future would only become harder.

Alone, she would be easy to crush. But now she had strong backing. Her relationships with Raphael and Alaric Von Seraph made any direct action risky.

After a brief silence, Gabriel asked, "Where are the Elixirs of Tranquility?"

Clarissa and Silvan immediately produced them. "Both are here."

As Clarissa stared at the potions in her palm, undisguised desire flashed through her eyes. As a cultivator, she knew all too well how precious an Elixirs of Tranquility potion was.

If only... she could keep one for herself.

A cultivator only needed a single Elixir of Tranquility potion. Now there were two in front of her.

If that was the case... perhaps one of them could be hers.