Kiss Kiss

"Xue Mei, I'll be leaving in a few days."

"Leaving? Where to?" Xue Mei asked Xiao Fan in confusion. She had clearly started off with an aloof demeanor, yet now she was completely flustered.

"To the Tagor Desert. There's something I need there." Xiao Fan did not hide it, nor was there any need to. Even if others knew, they would not think much of it.

Xue Mei lowered her head and softly replied, "Oh."

Xue Mei seemed to have turned icy again.

"Xue Mei, how about I teach you alchemy for a few days?"

"Huh?"

After pestering her teacher relentlessly, Xue Mei had already learned about Xiao Fan's true level of alchemy. He was even somewhat more skilled than her teacher. Being guided by him could only benefit her; it was practically an enormous stroke of luck.

Xue Mei was a little nervous. "But I only broke through to Dou Zhe not long ago, and I haven't read much about alchemy either..."

"It's fine. Alchemists aren't produced by books."

"Then what are they produced by?"

"Money," Xiao Fan said with certainty.

Seeing that Xue Mei was still confused, Xiao Fan continued explaining, "Alchemists need to gather medicinal ingredients and refine pills, which inevitably comes with enormous expenses. And if you want to improve your alchemy, merely thinking about it is useless. You can only gain something through refining with your own hands. Even if the cauldron explodes, that is still valuable experience."

Xue Mei nodded, as though she had truly taken his words to heart.

Xiao Fan did not care how much Xue Mei had absorbed and continued, "As everyone knows, alchemy techniques are incomparably important to alchemists. But precisely because of that, many people fall into a misconception. They blindly pursue more advanced refining methods while neglecting the growth of their own strength. It is no wonder your teacher has been unable to break through to a fifth-rank Alchemist for so long. His soul power has already reached the threshold of a fifth-rank Alchemist, but his current strength is only Dou Ling. Refining a fifth-rank pill is exceedingly difficult for him."

"It's not just your teacher. This phenomenon exists throughout the entire Gama Empire."

"Alchemy is inherently inseparable from cultivation and soul power. Pursuing the pinnacle of alchemy while neglecting the improvement of one's Dou Qi is simply putting the cart before the horse."

Xue Mei listened carefully to Xiao Fan's views on alchemy, and her own thoughts began to stir.

"Since you're already here, I'll first show you the preparations before refining."

"Preparations before refining?" Xue Mei looked at Xiao Fan with curious eyes, hoping to learn what these preparations were...

"Xiao Fan, are you done yet~"

"Xiao Fan..."

That was right, Xiao Fan planned to use the refining of Sugar Pills to teach Xue Mei some alchemy techniques and methods.

It definitely wasn't because a certain Little Dragon Maiden was almost out of Sugar Pills.

"This... Xiao Bufan, will this really work?"

"Of course!" Xiao Fan answered firmly.

"Don't underestimate the refining of Sugar Pills. Making them big, round, and delicious cannot be accomplished by simply extracting medicinal ingredients."

As he spoke, Xiao Fan took out several medicinal herbs. Enveloped by flames, all the herbs were roasted into liquid. At the same time, Xiao Fan controlled various seasonings as he added them in.

Xue Mei seemed to have grasped something and asked uncertainly, "Xiao Bufan, does refining medicine also require multitasking like making Sugar Pills? You need to control the temperature of the flames, and the amount of each seasoning added is actually the output of Dou Qi."

Xiao Fan was startled inwardly. There were actually so many intricacies to refining Sugar Pills? He had mainly wanted Xue Mei to experience the process of alchemy; it was better than having her hug books and read every day.

But as a Nine-Rank Golden Pill Alchemist, he could not lose his dignity. He praised her, "Mm-hm, Xue Mei, you're really smart."

Xue Mei's cheeks reddened. She lowered her head and did not dare look at Xiao Fan. "N-No... it's because Xiao Bufan teaches so well..."

After demonstrating, Xiao Fan planned to let Xue Mei try it herself. Xue Mei sat beside the Medicine Cauldron, and he guided her hand by hand.

Though the flames were only at the level of a Dou Zhe, Xiao Fan somehow felt the temperature in the room gradually rising without him noticing.

Xiao Fan watched Xue Mei attempt to control the flames through the fire vent. For a moment, he was dazed. Looking at that head of silver hair, a figure slowly surfaced in his mind...

It was the day he had prepared the Nether Poison Fire as a gift for Xiao Yi Xian. He had been teaching alchemy then as well...

At that moment, Xiao Fan's heart trembled unconsciously.

Xue Mei watched the Sugar Pill slowly take shape, delight filling her heart. But at the final moment, with a bang, the Sugar Pill exploded inside the Medicine Cauldron.

Xiao Fan immediately comforted her. "It's fine. The fire was too strong during the final shaping stage. Try again..."

Xue Mei suddenly felt that Xiao Fan had become so gentle. A warmth she had never experienced before warmed her heart.

"Mm." Xue Mei placed the medicinal ingredients into the Medicine Cauldron again.

"You can increase the Dou Qi output a little..."

"Be careful not to add too much seasoning..."

"When condensing the pill, you need to use the flames to wrap around the entire Sugar Pill so it heats evenly..."

This time, under Xiao Fan's guidance, Xue Mei successfully refined a Sugar Pill. Though its surface was somewhat uneven, it was generally a success.

As for the taste...

That had to be left to the professional. "Xiao Yan'er! Sugar Pills are here~"

Xiao Fan tossed the Sugar Pill into the air, while Zi Yan happened to leap up at the same time and bit down on it.

"Mmm mmm..."

Zi Yan savored the taste of the Sugar Pill in her mouth.

Gulp. The Sugar Pill went down her throat.

"It's alright." Zi Yan gave a middling assessment.

Xue Mei was very happy. Although it was not a medicinal pill, it was still the first Sugar Pill she had successfully refined.

Overjoyed, Xue Mei hugged Xiao Fan...

Smack.

The situation became somewhat awkward. Xue Mei had just kissed Xiao Fan, and a certain purple-haired Little Dragon Maiden instantly felt that the Sugar Pill no longer tasted sweet. Her twin ponytails floated up of their own accord.

She clearly looked like she was about to get angry, but Xue Mei seemed to still be immersed in the joy of refining the Sugar Pill and continued hugging Xiao Fan tightly.

But such behavior was undoubtedly an even greater provocation to Zi Yan. Sensing that things were going badly, Xiao Fan immediately slipped out of Xue Mei's embrace, took Zi Yan's little hand, and quickly buried her under more than a dozen bottles of Sugar Pills.

The killing intent from moments ago vanished, and only then did Xiao Fan breathe a sigh of relief.

Only then did Xue Mei come back to her senses and realize what she had just done. The tips of her ears immediately flushed red, and her little hands rubbed together awkwardly...

"I... I actually kissed Xiao Bufan?"

"I... I..."

Her standing body suddenly went limp at the legs, and she fell straight down...

Fortunately, Xiao Fan reacted quickly and caught Xue Mei before she fainted.

"What's wrong with this girl now..."

Left with no choice, Xiao Fan carried the unconscious Xue Mei to the bed. When he turned around, he saw Zi Yan baring her teeth, her two little claws constantly swiping through the air, as though she could tear that woman occupying her doghouse into ten thousand pieces that way.

When Xiao Fan turned back, Zi Yan's beautiful eyes suddenly welled with tears. "Wuwuwu..."

"Xiao Fan, I want kisses too!"

"..."