A Hidden Master

"Yiyi!" o(▼皿▼メ;)o (Impossible!)

The more Color Spirit thought about it, the angrier she got. She had only agreed to become Chen Wei's pet because he could strengthen her, and now, before even a few days had passed, he was already going to cut back on how often he strengthened her.

Then she recalled how moved she had been last night and felt as if she'd been deceived. She glared fixedly at Chen Wei.

"All right, all right, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. You won't get fewer enhancements today, so don't worry."

Chen Wei knew he hadn't acted very appropriately, but he hadn't expected Color Spirit to react so strongly.

He shook his head helplessly. He couldn't even bring himself to keep pondering the sudden loss of control over his Dragon Taming Power last night. It took quite a bit of effort to soothe the furious Color Spirit.

After all, he was the one in the wrong. He hadn't honored their agreement, and it was even worse considering Color Spirit had helped him battle for several million Star Coins just two days ago.

No, the more Chen Wei thought about it, the more he felt he was guilty beyond redemption. He couldn't help slapping himself.

"Can't you get a grip? You're even going to break a promise you made to a kid."

After reflecting on his actions, he decided to go out and spend some money right away, buying a few supplements to replenish his strength.

Tonight, he absolutely couldn't let Color Spirit down.

As for why Chen Wei wasn't buying the supplements through a phone app and was instead dragging his exhausted body out shopping, it was simply because he was too broke to stomach the hefty delivery fee at night.

"Come on, rest in the Star Ring for now. I'll strengthen you in a bit." Chen Wei put the haughty Color Spirit away in the Star Ring.

Chen Wei carried nearly all his valuables with him. Even when he went out to buy medicine, he couldn't bear to leave Color Spirit alone in the room.

The art of alchemy was thriving on Blue Star, and in the busy streets and alleys of Water Mountain City, there was a pharmacy every few kilometers.

So after heading out, Chen Wei didn't have to search for long before he found a pharmacy called the Pill Cauldron Medicine Hall.

As soon as he entered, Chen Wei caught the mixed fragrance of medicinal herbs. He rubbed the tip of his nose, quite enjoying it. The herbal scent was unique without being overpowering, somewhat like Color Spirit's faint fragrance.

He looked over the layout of the medicine hall. Contrary to the modern style he'd imagined, the interior was rather old-fashioned.

The middle of the room had been left open. Medicine cabinets stood against three of the walls, with the names of the medicinal ingredients marked on their drawers. In front of the cabinets was a wooden counter where physicians could prepare and dispense medicine.

"May I ask what you need?"

As Chen Wei looked around for supplements, an elderly physician in a floral-patterned coat, his beard already white with age, looked at him and asked.

"Do you have any supplements that can restore stamina quickly? Especially tonics for Beastmasters?"

Chen Wei unconsciously averted his eyes. He glanced aside and asked quietly, as if a little embarrassed.

"Only something to restore your stamina? Looking at how pale you are, perhaps you could use some pills to replenish your energy as well?"

A glint flashed in the old physician's eyes. He scrutinized Chen Wei's complexion before speaking with an odd expression.

"Huh? No need. I've just used up too much stamina. Two doses of Vitality Powder will be enough."

Chen Wei froze. Were pharmacies on Blue Star into upselling, too? He rejected the suggestion outright.

Vitality Powder was made from concentrated, extracted, and processed medicinal herbs. It required only a small dose, but its effects were potent and long-lasting. It promoted circulation, restored stamina, and strengthened the body, among other benefits.

He had studied pills himself and had learned quite a bit of introductory alchemy knowledge online.

After all, a Beastmaster who didn't want to become an alchemist wasn't an outstanding Beastmaster.

Beastmaster resources were essential when raising pet beasts.

Unless you were extremely lucky and found a rare treasure as soon as you stepped outside, or were an alchemist yourself, you had no choice but to buy pills made by alchemists.

Pills made by alchemists through extracting and condensing the essence of extraordinary medicinal plants could quickly boost a pet beast's strength.

Low-grade pills were easy enough to buy; most pharmacies carried them. High-grade pills, however, weren't something just anyone could get.

Without sufficient strength and connections, you could forget about high-grade pills. That was also why alchemists held such prominent and respected status on Blue Star.

Naturally, Chen Wei wanted to become a respected alchemist himself.

In particular, Chen Wei's second talent was an endless pit when it came to stamina. Without pills to help him, he might not even be able to meet Color Spirit's demands for how often he strengthened her in the future, let alone contract other pet beasts.

At the thought of the many pet beasts waiting to be fed in the future, Chen Wei felt an immense weight on his shoulders. He was still young; he didn't want to exhaust himself to death at such an early age.

"Two doses of Vitality Powder. That'll be six thousand Star Coins."

"Yikes!" After paying and picking up the powder, Chen Wei drew in a pained breath.

The reason he hadn't bought supplements earlier was that they were so expensive. He couldn't afford to keep spending like that.

"Young man, are you sure you don't need medicine to treat your mental strength?"

As if certain of his suspicions, Du Zhou solemnly stroked his snowy-white beard and continued asking.

"Is there something wrong with my mental state?"

Chen Wei sensed something was amiss. The elderly physician's tone was strange, but he didn't seem like a scammer.

"Would you mind if I took your pulse?" Du Zhou furrowed his brows after a moment of thought.

Chen Wei hesitated, then held out both hands and let the old physician take his pulse for a while.

After a moment of contemplation, Du Zhou gave Chen Wei a couple of strange looks, as if he'd encountered an extremely rare pulse.

"Qi originates in the kidneys and returns to them; hence the saying that the kidneys receive qi, and the breath sinks deep within."

"This can't be right! You're so young, yet you're already suffering from a deficiency of both qi and blood, with insufficient vital essence and a somewhat damaged foundation. From your pulse, your mind has also suffered severe harm recently, as if you've suffered a backlash of some kind. Strange, very strange!"

At that, Chen Wei stiffened. His eyes flickered. The old physician's words jolted him awake, and he suddenly thought of the mishap last night while making the dragon crystal.

He hadn't expected to run into a renowned physician just by going out to buy medicine. The man had spotted the problem with his health at a glance.

"Please enlighten me."

Chen Wei gazed at the confident elderly physician before him, his eyes shining.

"Enlighten you? I can't claim that. I only know how to treat minor ailments."

"This is a Rejuvenation Pill. It can restore your mental strength, and you can take it along with the Vitality Powder."

"For the next half month, try to avoid strenuous physical activity. Spend more time meditating and cultivating each day, and you'll recover."

Du Zhou took a white jade bottle from the front counter's drawer and set it before Chen Wei as he spoke calmly.

"Thank you, Doctor. How much is this Rejuvenation Pill?" Chen Wei asked curiously.

"Meeting is fate. This is only a high-grade first-tier pill, so ten thousand Star Coins will do."

"Remember, when you get home, try to do that less. Young people need to know their limits," Du Zhou reminded him calmly.

At that, Chen Wei's face instantly flushed bright red. He paid, thanked the physician, and hurried awkwardly out of the medicine hall.

He didn't want to argue with the physician about this in public. His Dragon Taming Power was a secret.

Watching Chen Wei's departing figure, Du Zhou stroked his beard with a smug smile. He'd sold another bottle of Rejuvenation Pills today. One more sale for his record.

The lad was so young, yet his face was pale and bloodless, and his lips were tinged blue. It was obvious he'd been overexerting himself and was terribly weak.

He'd even rushed to the pharmacy in the middle of the night to buy supplements. After giving him all those warnings, Du Zhou had done his good deed for the day.