Alchemy

Alchemy

Xiao Yan was dazed for a moment. In that instant, he had thought the gust of wind might, by lucky chance, let him see Wan Guniang's true face hidden deep beneath the Bamboo Hat Black Gauze.

But Wan Guniang had only raised a hand by instinct to steady the bamboo hat she wore. The black gauze separating the two of them merely swayed slightly in the wind.

For no reason, Xiao Yan felt a strange trace of regret in his heart.

After that brief daze, he finally recalled what Wan Guniang had just said.

"...Wan Guniang, what is it?"

"When you used the medicine, did you feel anything?"

Yao Wan raised a hand and gently held the bamboo hat that was swaying in the wind, unable to keep from asking.

"Felt..."

Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then said, "a bit of stinging pain."

"As expected."

Yao Wan lightly nodded her beautiful head, then said, "It seems that, for you, the Body Tempering Spirit Liquid I made is somewhat difficult for your current body to withstand."

"Although I mentioned to you that you should dilute the medicinal liquid when using it, to lessen your burden as much as possible, from the looks of it now, it was still a little too forced."

Seeing the wind gradually weaken, Yao Wan then lowered the fair hand that had been holding the bamboo hat and said, "Using spirit medicine to expand your meridians, though for you the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, still ultimately placed a burden on your body. That counts as my responsibility."

"For the next few days, don't be in such a hurry to cultivate. Slow down for now... Come inside and wait for me for the time being. I'll think of a remedy for you."

Xiao Yan did not know what to say. He only vaguely realized that Wan Guniang seemed to feel that using spirit medicine to temper his body was not exactly a good thing...

But after all, this was a matter concerning his own body. He could not pretend to be magnanimous and simply say to forget it, so he could only follow her footsteps for the time being and walk into Wan Guniang's guest room once more.

"Close the door."

Once Xiao Yan had also entered the guest room, Yao Wan said without turning her head.

"All right."

Xiao Yan nodded, then gently closed the guest room door.

For some reason, Xiao Yan suddenly realized—did this count as a single man and woman being alone together in one room?

Forget it. At a time like this, what was he thinking about that for?

Realizing his own absurd passing thought, the young man could not help but gently shake his head, casting the distracting thoughts in his mind behind him.

He had just closed the door when, in the guest room that had been pitch-black a moment ago, a candlelight lit up behind him. The slightly swaying firelight behind Xiao Yan quickly grew stronger and brighter, then illuminated the entire guest room.

Xiao Yan turned around by instinct, only to see a cluster of bright flames condensing in Wan Guniang's hand.

"This is..."

"It's only an ordinary Dou Qi flame, nothing worth making a fuss over. When you also become a Dou Zhe and formally step onto the path of cultivation, you'll be able to do the same thing I can."

As Yao Wan explained, she skillfully controlled the Dou Qi flame.

Only, before Xiao Yan could give any reply, Yao Wan had already placed all her attention on her storage ring. Her powerful spiritual force swept rapidly through the enormous space inside the storage ring as if browsing a list, searching among the mountain-high piles of medicinal ingredients for the materials she needed at this moment.

Yao Wan knew very clearly that Xiao Yan's current condition was a very typical case of mild meridian damage. For Yao Wan, who had wandered the Dou Qi Continent for over a year and could be considered used to all sorts of difficult and strange illnesses, treating it was not some difficult matter.

It was just that Xiao Yan was somewhat special, and Yao Wan did not want to leave him with any hidden danger because of a moment of negligence on her part.

"A First Order Wood Attribute Magical Beast Crystal Core, two stalks of Spirit Zhu Grass, one section of Yu Root... These should be enough."

Before long, Yao Wan had gathered the required medicinal ingredients from the storage ring.

Speaking of which, these medicinal ingredients were all things she had bought in various cities while treating the sick and saving people along the way after leaving the Yao Clan and beginning her journey wandering the Dou Qi Continent.

After all, inside her storage ring, the medicinal ingredients supplied to her by the Yao Clan were at least close to a thousand years old, and most were Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures hard to find in the world. The vast majority among them were also spirit medicines specifically meant for cultivators, containing energy that was far too high; using them to save people would instead very easily cause trouble.

In addition, during more than a year of traveling, Yao Wan had also come to understand what it meant to not show off one's wealth.

If she casually took out some precious spirit medicines, it would be very easy to invite disaster upon herself... though Yao Wan herself did not understand how just a few thousand-year-old spirit grasses counted as any sort of valuable treasure.

In short, the past year and more had indeed been a tense and exciting time for Yao Wan.

Gradually pulling her thoughts back to the present, Yao Wan controlled the fire with one hand, while with the other she tossed the magic core and medicinal ingredients together into the Dou Qi flame. The magic core and medicinal ingredients slowly melted under the high temperature of the Dou Qi flame.

Impurities and the portions Yao Wan deemed unnecessary were burned away together, then turned into white mist and swiftly vanished within the rising Dou Qi flame.

Xiao Yan silently watched like this. Although alchemists held an exalted status and enjoyed a far-reaching reputation throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent, being able to witness an alchemist refine medicine with his own eyes was still a rare first for Xiao Yan, who lived in Wutan City.

In his eyes, Wan Guniang, with the Dou Qi flame condensed in her hand, seemed to have suddenly become a different person.

The young girl, who had originally been mysterious and distant, held flame in her hand, fierce as the blazing fire she wielded.

The intense firelight shone upon the face covered by the bamboo hat, yet beneath the black gauze, her indistinct outline was also revealed.

"So this is an alchemist?"

Xiao Yan could not help murmuring to himself. Everyone said alchemists were synonymous with mystery and power; looking at it now, that was not wrong in the slightest.

Although Wan Guniang's process of refining medicine left him particularly shaken, Yao Wan actually did not spend long refining it. Only one incense stick's time passed before the flame at Yao Wan's fingertip gradually went out, leaving only a single pill within the fire.

"Done... the pill is formed."

Yao Wan breathed out. Refining a pill of this level was naturally as simple to her as eating and drinking.

"Here."

Yao Wan flicked her sleeve and slightly adjusted her sitting posture.

"...Sit down. After you swallow the pill, I'll warm and nourish your meridians."

Yao Wan said this under Xiao Yan's somewhat surprised gaze.

"Wan Guniang...?"

Xiao Yan froze, suddenly somewhat at a loss.

"What are you standing there for?"

Beneath the bamboo hat, Yao Wan's embroidered eyebrows furrowed slightly as she said, "Your Dou Qi is far too weak, and you may not necessarily understand the method of circulating it through the meridians."

"Having me sort out your meridians won't make you lose a chunk of flesh. If you're coming, then move quickly. Don't dawdle like an old woman."

Wan Guniang's rapid-fire words naturally left Xiao Yan not only unable to refuse, but even unable to talk back.