The White-Browed Alchemist had been a teacher for many years and was rich in experience. He had high hopes for Chu Yun's future and secretly paid even closer attention to him. A talent like this was a fine jade waiting to be carved; watching him shine in the days to come was one of a teacher's greatest joys.
He was broad-minded. Chu Yun possessed a peerless Demon Beast, but he felt nothing but anticipation—no jealousy or greed. It was simply the hope an elder had for a younger generation.
With those hopes in mind, he wanted to help Chu Yun avoid a few wrong turns, so he came to offer him some advice. He told Chu Yun not to covet the power the Drunken Snow Blade brought him, but to focus instead on the Heavenly Fox.
Chu Yun's answer pleased him even more.
Chu Yun hadn't concealed or dodged the truth. He'd admitted it openly. That showed breadth of character, and was also an indirect expression of trust in him. Besides, Chu Yun had realized it himself.
Calm and objective in his thinking, not blindly self-confident. The White-Browed Alchemist added another line to his assessment of Chu Yun.
Originally, he'd only meant to offer that reminder. But he was so pleased and relaxed just then that he couldn't help speaking again. "When you get to the academy, you'll need to pay attention to your relationships with others. The news that you publicly rejected the Ning Family's marriage proposal has already spread. That proud little girl, Ning Yiyi, is bound to resent you. And there are plenty of her admirers at the academy, all sharpening their knives and waiting for you."
His voice was stiff, his expression stern.
But Chu Yun felt a touch of warmth in his heart. The man was clearly concerned for him, a teacher in every sense, with the bearing of an elder. The worry he'd felt about the Heavenly Fox's identity being exposed also faded considerably.
"They're only minor troubles. Heavenly Song Academy has always been known for fairness and for teaching without discrimination. It accepts not only disciples from powerful families and great lineages, but also commoners. I'm not worried about Ning Yiyi. With you, Alchemist, in charge, what is there to fear?" Chu Yun smiled.
"You brat. At first glance, you seem bold and straightforward, but you're actually slippery as an eel." The White-Browed Alchemist glanced at Chu Yun and couldn't help chiding him with a laugh. Then his expression turned stern again, and he said stiffly, "It's precisely because Heavenly Song Academy is known for its fairness that I won't help you. Don't underestimate this force. If you don't handle it well, your life at the academy will certainly be miserable. Do you know about the Student Council? It's a student organization that helps the academy manage its students. Ning Yiyi is in it, and holds a measure of real authority. That's all I'll say. Look after yourself."
"The Student Council..." Chu Yun's gaze sharpened, and his brow furrowed slightly. The trouble looked worse than he'd expected.
He asked the White-Browed Alchemist for more advice, but the man shook his head. "I've said all I'm going to say. Heavenly Song Academy upholds fairness. Telling you this much is already the limit for me, an alchemist. Don't pester me."
Chu Yun wasn't about to give up so easily. His eyes shifted as he tried a roundabout approach. "Alchemist, I noticed you were fishing, but it seemed unusual. Could you teach me a thing or two?"
The White-Browed Alchemist raised an eyebrow. "You could tell?"
Chu Yun smiled sheepishly and answered honestly, "I couldn't tell, which is why I'm asking you."
The Alchemist's face immediately darkened. "You're trying to use fishing to pry information out of me? Don't try such childish tricks on me."
Though he spoke that way, he was pleased inside. He knew Chu Yun was steady, but not stubborn, and that he knew how to adapt.
Chu Yun already understood the White-Browed Alchemist's temperament. His expression had darkened, but there was no obvious distaste in his eyes.
Chu Yun smiled inwardly. This White-Browed Alchemist is stern and fair, and seems cold and unfeeling. But he's really just reserved, with tightly reined emotions. If I'd met him in my previous life at thirteen, that expression alone would have left me trembling with fear, wouldn't it?
Chu Yun immediately kept badgering the White-Browed Alchemist for advice.
The White-Browed Alchemist gave in. "Fine. Since you're so persistent, I don't mind telling you. I'm not fishing for ordinary fish or shrimp, but for Demon Beasts called Gem Dolphins."
Chu Yun was surprised. "You can fish up Demon Beasts? I'd only heard that to subdue a wild Demon Beast, you first had to fight it and weaken it, then capture it with an Immortal Pouch."
"That's right. I'm only luring Gem Dolphins from the nearby waters. After that, I'll still have to fight them and capture them with an Immortal Pouch." As he spoke, the White-Browed Alchemist reeled in his line and showed Chu Yun the hook.
The hook wasn't baited with ordinary food. A pill dangled from it.
The pill was a clear, deep blue, perfectly round, and gleamed with the soft luster of a sapphire. It also gave off a fresh fragrance that brought to mind sweet, delicious coconut juice.
"This is a Fragrance-Attracting Pill. By using different ingredients when making it, you can lure specific kinds of wild Demon Beasts. Alchemy is a profound field of study. You'll be able to take classes in it once you're at the academy. You should learn alchemy. The better the quality of the pills you make, the more they'll help your Heavenly Fox grow when you feed them to it. By the way, you mustn't reveal information about your Heavenly Fox. Once you enter the academy, have it identified as a mutated Demon Beast. Keep it hidden for as long as you can," the White-Browed Alchemist said.
"Thank you, Alchemist." Those words finally put Chu Yun's mind at ease. The man's strength far surpassed his own. If he'd wanted to seize the Heavenly Fox, right now would be the perfect opportunity. There'd be no need for all this scheming and pretence.
"Demon Beasts like Gem Dolphins excel at rescuing people. Every year, the academy sends students on field assignments outside the academy and deep into the ocean. Sometimes accidents happen, and that's when Gem Dolphins come in handy." After explaining, the White-Browed Alchemist handed Chu Yun a bottle of pills.
"This is a bottle of ordinary Fragrance-Attracting Pills that work on all Demon Beasts. Go to the captain and get yourself a fishing rod. When you lure a Demon Beast, use the Heavenly Fox to fight it and do your best to raise its cultivation. Twenty-one years of cultivation is very low—far too low. Help it grow quickly, before a long night breeds many dreams. If word of its identity gets out, it'll bring disaster." The White-Browed Alchemist continued to warn him.
"Yes." Chu Yun's eyes lit up. He eagerly took the pills, borrowed a fishing rod, and cast his line not far from the White-Browed Alchemist.
Before long, Chu Yun saw his line shaking violently. A powerful tug traveled up the rod.
Fortunately, the Drunken Snow Blade had enhanced his physique and greatly increased his strength. He gave the line a powerful yank, pulling a Demon Beast out of the sea. It landed on the deck with a splash.
"Hm? It's a Gem Dolphin?" Chu Yun froze.
The White-Browed Alchemist beside him was dumbfounded too. He'd been fishing for ages without catching anything, while Chu Yun's ordinary Fragrance-Attracting Pill had worked on his very first try?
After a moment, the White-Browed Alchemist's expression darkened. "No, that's not a wild Demon Beast."
"Someone's bonded to it?" Chu Yun looked over, just as the Gem Dolphin suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a person.
His expression froze on the spot.
What kind of luck was this? It was one thing to catch a Gem Dolphin on his first try, but he'd actually fished up a person. From the looks of it, she was a girl, too!