Wind and Moon Mirror

Soaring Snake Mountain, Flying Horse Market.

Gao Xian, who had been lying against the wall, felt his legs twitch, and he jolted awake from a nightmare.

The first thing that caught his eye was a somewhat strangely shaped brass alchemy furnace. It stood a full meter tall, shaped like a teapot without a spout, supported by three toad-like legs, and sat upon a brick pedestal.

Beneath the pedestal was a firebox, connected to a chimney by a flue. To be more precise, it was a wood-burning stove with a rather complex structure.

Gao Xian sat there blankly for a moment before letting out a sigh; this strangely shaped furnace was his livelihood.

It had already been three days since he transmigrated. He had adapted to his new body and new name, but he had yet to adapt to his new identity: an alchemist.

Gao Xian extended his left hand and whispered in his heart, "Mirror, come."

A bronze mirror with an antique design appeared out of thin air in his hand. Four characters were engraved on the handle: Wind and Moon Mirror.

This Wind and Moon Mirror was a piece of merchandise from Dream of the Red Chamber, a birthday gift from a friend. Somehow, it had transmigrated along with him.

At this moment, the polished surface of the mirror reflected a handsome, young face.

Gao Xian usually only read Water Margin fanfiction and watched low-budget movies; he couldn't think of any appropriate words to describe his current appearance.

"Sword-like brows and starry eyes," "face like polished jade"—these were all too hollow.

One could only say he looked a bit like a certain young male movie star, handsome in a dignified and spirited way. His black eyes, in particular, were so bright they seemed to sparkle...

It felt as if a professional lighting technician were standing right in front of him, providing the perfect glow!

The only drawback was his pale complexion and dark circles under his eyes, which made him look rather unhealthy.

"If I had this face, I wouldn't have been single for over thirty years!"

Gao Xian touched his face, feeling a bit narcissistic. Thinking of the days when he could only rely on his own hardworking hands, he was filled with sighs.

This was the only thing he was satisfied with regarding his transmigration: a vibrant young body and a handsome face full of promise!

Lines of text appeared on the surface of the Wind and Moon Mirror.

Gao Xian: Lifespan 24/66

Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage Two (2/200)

Five Elements Technique Second Layer Proficient (15/200)

Fire Control Art Novice (88/100)

Water Control Art Novice (80/100)

Cleansing Art Novice (95/100)

Flying Feather Art Proficient (99/200)

Clear Wind Swordplay Novice (33/100)

Tier One Alchemy Proficient (29/1000)

Qi Recovery Pill Proficient (55/200)

Foundation Strengthening Pill Proficient (41/200)

White Dew Pill Proficient (11/200)

Gao Xian had spent two days studying it and had basically figured out the use of the Wind and Moon Mirror.

The mirror could reflect his personal status and digitize his various abilities. The problem was that his Alchemy skill was in a grayed-out state and could not be used.

Gao Xian had tried many methods, but he could neither activate the Alchemy skill nor change the data inside the mirror.

According to the memories left by the original owner, he was an alchemist for a medicine shop!

The shop provided the medicinal herbs, and he provided the pills.

He currently owed the shop five hundred each of Qi Recovery Pills, Foundation Strengthening Pills, and White Dew Pills.

He had another very major problem: the previous owner had secretly traded a batch of refined pills for Crimson Blood Pills.

The Crimson Blood Pill was a type of Qi-refining pill with very overbearing effects. The original owner had taken it to break through to the second stage of Qi Refining, but ended up dying for some unknown reason, leaving the body to him.

The large quantity of medicinal herbs consumed for alchemy had become a massive deficit. How was he supposed to explain this to the shop owner?

An even more serious problem was that the original owner's memories were incomplete, and the memories related to alchemy were the same.

Even if he had enough herbs, he was currently unable to refine any pills.

Counting the time, he should have delivered the first batch of pills five days ago.

He didn't know what the consequences would be for failing to deliver the pills, but he imagined it wouldn't be anything pleasant!

Just as Gao Xian was racking his brain for a solution, he heard the courtyard gate being pushed open with a loud clatter. Startled, he hurriedly leaned toward the window to look outside.

Through a crack in the paper window, Gao Xian saw Shopkeeper Zhu, who was as short and fat as a pig, and behind him, the proprietress Zhu Qiniang, who was tall and statuesque.

The two stood together with a height difference of nearly two feet; one fat, one tall—this pairing was exceptionally memorable and allowed Gao Xian to recognize them at a glance.

Gao Xian sighed and tugged at the wrinkled Daoist robe he was wearing. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open to greet them.

"Brother Zhu, Sister-in-law, come in and sit..."

Gao Xian put on the professional smile he had honed over twenty years as a middle-aged corporate slave, greeting them with polite enthusiasm.

"Little Gao, how is your progress coming along?" Shopkeeper Zhu, with his round face and large ears, asked with a chuckle.

Gao Xian looked embarrassed as he replied, "Brother Zhu, I've been anxious to breakthrough to the second level of Qi Refining, so the pills aren't finished yet. Once they are ready, I will bring them to you immediately."

Shopkeeper Zhu smiled and said, "Little Gao, cultivation must be done step by step; you must never rush. A case of Qi Deviation could cost you your life."

The proprietress standing to the side had a cold, stern expression. She didn't say a word, but just standing there with a sunken face was enough to exert a heavy sense of pressure.

Gao Xian felt a wave of guilt. His body was actually not short—by his estimation, he was well over one meter eighty-five—yet standing in front of the proprietress, he was still a good half-head shorter.

In his memories, this proprietress was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, exceptionally skilled at snapping people's bones, and possessed off-the-charts combat power.

However, this proprietress had long eyebrows and deep-set, three-dimensional features, with firm, glowing wheat-colored skin. Even her loose blue Daoist robe couldn't conceal her high chest and long legs.

Her facial contours were deep, her long eyebrows slightly arched, and her emerald pupils, resembling cat-eye gemstones, were truly beautiful.

Looking at her from this close, Gao Xian finally realized just how stunning the proprietress was. In this place covered in yellow earth, who would have thought such a beauty existed!

Driven by a man's instinct and his own repressed nature from over thirty years, he couldn't help but take an extra look.

The proprietress frowned slightly, her beautiful emerald eyes shifting as she gave Gao Xian a look with an ambiguous meaning.

What is the proprietress trying to say?

Gao Xian didn't understand the meaning behind that look, but that didn't stop him from being obedient and conciliatory. He explained with a humble expression, "Brother Zhu, my urgency to breakthrough in cultivation is also for the sake of better alchemy."

"The higher the cultivation level, the better the control over the heat, and the higher the quality of the pills produced."

Gao Xian offered a fawning smile, "Brother Zhu, Sister-in-law, I didn't mean to delay things on purpose. Please, grant me a few more days, just a few more days."

Shopkeeper Zhu waved his hand and said, "Even if we weren't looking at your master's face, a few days' delay is nothing."

His fat face was full of a harmonious smile, as if this were not a matter of any consequence at all.

"Is ten more days enough for you?"

Shopkeeper Zhu being so easy to talk to allowed Gao Xian to heave a sigh of relief.

He nodded with an apologetic smile, "Yes, yes, ten days is enough. Once they are refined, I will send them over to you."

"Refine the pills well, and don't let down the expectations your master has for you."

Shopkeeper Zhu patted Gao Xian on the shoulder with a few words of encouragement, taking on the posture of an elder caring for a junior.

"If you have any problems in your daily life, feel free to tell me... Alright, I have things to attend to, so I'll be heading off. No need to see me out."

Gao Xian hurriedly followed to see them off. Shopkeeper Zhu walked out the front door with a beaming smile, treating Gao Xian with considerable courtesy.

Zhu Qiniang, who followed behind Shopkeeper Zhu, gave Gao Xian a deep look as she was about to leave.

That look seemed to hold a somewhat complex meaning...

Gao Xian was confused. Was his sister-in-law interested in him?

As the saying goes, nothing tastes better than dumplings, but he wasn't that kind of person!

Regardless of what he thought in his heart, Gao Xian remained outwardly respectful, performing a formal bow to see Shopkeeper Zhu and his wife out the door.

A new book sets sail; I ask for everyone's support~ Bowing~

I have an outline and can write a long story, so everyone can rest easy and not panic~

I hope this is a good book!

My standards for a good book: first, of course, is good performance. Only with market recognition can one make money~

Second, it must have power.

A book that can move people, shock them, make them happy, joyful, or sad—that can provide high emotional value, or expand the boundaries of imagination on a rational level, or allow people to gain knowledge and inspiration—all these count as having power~

Third, it must stand the test of time. It should still be worth reading at least ten or twenty years from now~

My ambition and determination are poured into these words; the rest I leave to you all!

If you like this book, please show your support, everyone~

The forever-youthful author bows in gratitude.