"Cough, cough, cough—"
Perhaps Xiao Han's reaction had taken him aback. The white, unidentified object floating above Xiao Han's head, pressed close to the ceiling, slowly drifted down until it was right in front of him.
The object swirled and intertwined like clouds and mist, then scattered apart again.
In less than ten seconds, the white object turned into smoke. The smoke quickly outlined a human-shaped silhouette, and ten seconds later, it grew clear, revealing the distinct, transparent figure of a person.
Xiao Han rubbed his eyes. The transformation from a 360p image to a crystal-clear 4000K picture had left his eyes struggling to adjust.
At first, the sudden appearance of that strange object had startled him. But once it had turned into a human figure, he wasn't afraid anymore.
After all, in this world, people with powerful Soul Power could often survive as remnants of their souls.
Looking at the white-haired old man before him, Xiao Han subconsciously rubbed his chin. How strange. Where had a soul spirit come from at this point in time? And this soul spirit could even instruct him in alchemy...
Wait!
Alchemy?
Xiao Han looked up again at the old man, who floated just a little higher than him. His neck started to ache.
You've already flown down here. Couldn't you come down a little farther? It's exhausting just looking at you!
Having made up his mind, Xiao Han quickly adjusted his expression, lowered his head, and raised a fist to his mouth as he coughed lightly. "May I ask what brings you to my room, senior?"
"Oh? Little fellow, why aren't you afraid of me anymore?"
The white-haired old man smiled faintly, stroking his beard.
"I was startled by you at first, senior, but I'm not ignorant. As a beginner who dreams of becoming an alchemist, I understand a little about Soul Power.
"It's common knowledge that when someone's Soul Power is powerful enough, even if their body is killed, they can escape as a soul spirit by relying on that powerful Soul Power."
Xiao Han spoke confidently, laying out nearly everything he knew.
"...What's more, the strength of one's Soul Power is also an important standard for judging an alchemist's rank. The stronger an alchemist's Soul Power, the more important it is for controlling the entire process of alchemy. Whether it's managing the heat, purifying the ingredients, or forming the pill, none of it can be done without the help of Soul Power."
Only Xiao Han and the old man were in the small room. After Xiao Han finished explaining these basics, the old man looked even more pleased. He nodded repeatedly. "Good! Good! Good! For a beginner to know this much is already quite impressive. I didn't expect you to remember all of it so thoroughly after only a few hours."
How did he know I'd only bought the book a few hours ago?
Could this old geezer have been spying on me the whole time?
A strange chill ran through Xiao Han, but he kept his expression neutral as he watched the old man and took two steps back.
Still, seeing the old man's admiring expression, Xiao Han made up his mind. Without another word, he dropped to his knees before him and kowtowed. "Please accept me as your disciple, senior!"
"Oh? You don't even know who I am, yet you're so quick to kneel and ask me to take you as my disciple?" The old man shook his head and waved his sleeve. A gentle force lifted Xiao Han to his feet.
Xiao Han smiled as he explained. "The moment you appeared, senior, you instructed me and helped me successfully purify a medicinal ingredient I'd failed to purify dozens of times. You pinpointed the problem in a single stroke, which shows that you've accomplished a great deal in the art of alchemy.
"Besides, as I just said, some powerful alchemists also possess incredibly strong Soul Power. Even after their bodies die, their souls don't dissipate.
"Since you're skilled in alchemy and possess such powerful Soul Power, you must have been an extraordinary Alchemist Master when you were alive."
"Young man, you're remarkably perceptive. To infer my identity from a few little details in such a short time is no small feat. Your intelligence alone is extraordinary."
The old man clicked his tongue in wonder at Xiao Han as if he were examining a rare treasure. The strange look in his eyes nearly made Xiao Han break out in goosebumps.
"Hehe, you flatter me, senior."
"I've never been one to take disciples lightly. But seeing how sincere you are, I'll reluctantly accept you as my disciple."
You really didn't take disciples lightly. But your first disciple turned out to be an ungrateful traitor who betrayed his own master. After you raised him like a son with all your heart and effort, he joined forces with your mortal enemy and dealt you a real "fatherly love, filial piety" betrayal. It was truly exasperating.
Though he was privately making fun of the old man, Xiao Han respectfully knelt again and performed the Three Bows and Nine Kows, the traditional ceremony for taking a master. Then he hurried to make a pot of hot tea in his room and offered it to the old man in place of wine, observing every courtesy.
"Your disciple pays his respects, Master."
"Good, good, my good disciple! Get up, get up."
Seeing how considerate his new disciple was, the smile never left the old man's face. "Do you know your master's name?"
"This disciple is all ears," Xiao Han replied obediently.
Come on, big brother. With your unmistakable appearance, dramatic entrance, and skill in alchemy, who wouldn't know you're Yao Chen?
"My name is Old Man Yao. As for my background, I can't explain it to you just yet, lest it distract you. You only need to know that the so-called Dan King Gu He of your Jia Ma Empire isn't worth a fart in front of me."
Old Man Yao was already showing off from the moment he opened his mouth. Xiao Han knew he was telling the truth, but he couldn't say he recognized him; otherwise, he'd have no way to explain himself.
If Xiao Han hadn't known Old Man Yao's background, he might have been intimidated by his bragging. But now that he knew who the old man was, it all seemed rather boring. Worse, he still had to play along with Old Man Yao's act. It was maddening.
As for why Old Man Yao could move around after absorbing two years of Xiao Yan's cultivation, yet had to absorb it for three years in the original story and only appeared after Nalan Yanran broke off her engagement to Xiao Yan, Xiao Han had a few theories.
First, Old Man Yao wanted to build up Xiao Yan's foundation, so he deliberately waited three years.
Second, Old Man Yao wanted to temper Xiao Yan's character, so he deliberately waited three years.
Third, sorry, he hadn't thought of a third possibility yet.
Or you could also say Old Man Yao had gotten carried away absorbing Dou Qi, so he never showed up.
Xiao Han could also understand why Old Man Yao couldn't hold back and had come to find him.
When it came to cultivation talent, Xiao Han was no weaker than Xiao Yan. And when it came to Soul Power, he was even able to dominate Xiao Yan.
As for his character, Xiao Han had always been easygoing. He never let his exceptional talent go to his head, nor did he act arrogant or look down on others. He got along well with everyone in the Xiao Family.
On top of that, people had been pushing Xiao Yan around like a dog for the past two years. Aside from Xiao Xun'er and his two biological older brothers, Xiao Han was the only one in the family who hadn't added insult to injury. Even before Xiao Yan became a useless good-for-nothing, he'd talked down to Xiao Han every day, but Xiao Han had been generous enough not to hold it against him and had always treated him like a brother.
Where else could you find a disciple so loyal and devoted?
With such fine character and temperament, Xiao Han was exactly the kind of disciple Old Man Yao sought.
And besides...
Given Old Man Yao's powerful Soul Power and his somewhat lecherous nature, if he'd truly intended to take Xiao Han as his disciple, he'd probably been spying on him countless times over the years. Xiao Han just hadn't noticed.
"Since you're so powerful, Master, I have a favor to ask. Please promise me you'll help." Xiao Han had decided to play a trick on Old Man Yao, and he grinned to himself.
"Of course, of course," Old Man Yao replied cheerfully. Having taken such a fine disciple today, he'd agree to anything that wasn't too outrageous.
"Here's what happened... Blah, blah, blah..."
Xiao Han respectfully bowed to Old Man Yao, then lowered his head and forced out a few tears. He began telling him how, for some unknown reason, his younger brother Xiao Yan had become a good-for-nothing over the past two years and was constantly being bullied.
As he spoke, Xiao Han got more and more into his role, gritting his teeth and cursing. He said that if he ever discovered the real culprit behind Xiao Yan's fall, he'd make sure that person regretted it.
As Xiao Han spoke, he failed to notice the cold sweat beading on Old Man Yao's forehead and the awkward smile on his face.
"Um, good disciple, your cousin lost his Dou Qi cultivation because of me..." Old Man Yao weakly raised his right hand and admitted sheepishly.
"What?"
Xiao Han put on a look of utter disbelief. Then he looked at Old Man Yao with disdain.
"Master? What do you mean, it was because of you?"
"Cough, cough. It's a long story..."
Old Man Yao was frank about it. He quickly told Xiao Han how he had died in disgrace and survived by clinging to the ring; how he had happened to discover that a young man with powerful Soul Power had put on his ring; and how, with no other way out, he'd been forced to absorb Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, leaving Xiao Yan down on his luck for two whole years.
Mm, what a touching story. A world where only Xiao Yan suffered had finally come to pass.
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