This Child Is Just Like Me!

Song Huai flicked a finger, and the enormous pill furnace gave a deep hum. Its raging flames surged upward, and the temperature throughout the Alchemy Room rose several degrees.

Jiang Feng walked to the herb rack with practiced ease and began selecting ingredients, his movements deft and unhurried.

Watching him, Song Huai nodded in satisfaction. People with that kind of sense never suffered, wherever they went.

Though Jiang Feng hadn't set foot in the Alchemy Room for several days, he still knew exactly what needed to be done and when.

Some people, by contrast, had already been at it for two days and still didn't know why they were there.

He shot a cold glance at the two dull-witted figures in the corner and barked:

"You two stupid pigs, what are you standing around for?

Go follow Jiang Feng and watch carefully how he does it. From now on, these odd jobs are yours!"

Zhang Yong and Zhang Yang shrank their necks at the shouting, then hurried over behind Jiang Feng and pretended to study what he was doing.

But neither of them was convinced. They didn't think Jiang Feng was much better than they were. If they could make mistakes, then Jiang Feng was bound to make them too.

They secretly hoped he'd slip up, just so they could see what Song Huai would say then.

Jiang Feng wasn't in the habit of playing teacher. He paid the two men behind him no mind, swiftly prepared all the ingredients, then quietly returned to stand behind Song Huai.

A faint tremor came from inside the furnace. Song Huai knew the timing was right. As he raised his hand, the ingredients he needed were naturally passed to him.

That long-missed familiarity put Song Huai in a good mood.

But this time, he hesitated briefly and drew his hand back.

Zhang Yong and Zhang Yang could barely hide their grins.

Whenever they'd picked the wrong ingredients before, Song Huai had reacted just like this.

In their eyes, Jiang Feng was about to get an earful too.

But the next moment, the smiles on their faces froze completely.

Song Huai rose from his cushion, lifted his chin toward Jiang Feng, and said in a calm but unquestionable tone:

"Jiang Feng, you're refining today's batch of Blood-Qi Pills."

Jiang Feng froze, looking at Song Huai in disbelief.

"Me? Teacher, can I really do it?"

Though he was now a first-grade Alchemist and had reached minor mastery in refining Blood-Qi Pills, he had never actually refined a batch himself.

Facing the first pill batch of his life, he still felt an indescribable nervousness rising from deep within.

Song Huai waved his hand, his voice easy and confident:

"What are you afraid of? Just go ahead and do it.

Everyone has a first time. It doesn't matter if the furnace explodes.

If you don't get over this hurdle, you'll never become a true Alchemist."

At that, Jiang Feng said no more. He nodded solemnly, walked to the furnace, and sat steadily on the cushion where Song Huai usually refined pills.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, mentally retracing every step of the Blood-Qi Pill refining process again and again.

Seeing how grim he looked, Song Huai assumed he was simply too nervous. For once, he softened his tone and comforted him gently:

"Jiang Feng, relax.

Blood-Qi Pills use only common herbs. Even if the furnace explodes, it won't cost much.

The first time I refined pills, I blew up three furnaces in a row. I failed dozens of times before I finally got the hang of it.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Zhang Yong and Zhang Yang listened nearby, bitterness welling up inside them. Their pent-up grievances nearly spilled over. They were both people, so why was Song Huai so patient with Jiang Feng, while he only beat and scolded them?

This world was far too unfair.

Jealousy twisted their faces as they secretly cursed Jiang Feng, hoping his first batch would blow up completely—and that it would take Song Huai's most treasured pill furnace with it.

About three minutes later, Jiang Feng opened his eyes again. Not a trace of hesitation remained in them. In its place was a calm, almost unshakable certainty.

He picked up the first ingredient and placed it steadily into the pill furnace.

The flames surged upward. A wisp of white smoke curled out through the gap in the lid, and a faint medicinal fragrance spread through the room.

Song Huai stood nearby with his hands behind his back, watching even more intently than when he refined pills himself.

He'd originally planned only to let Jiang Feng experience the entire refining process firsthand, then point out a few shortcomings along the way. He hadn't even considered whether Jiang Feng would succeed in making pills.

But as Jiang Feng's technique unfolded step by step, his fluid movements, decisive and precise timing, and flame control—far too practiced for a novice—sent a jolt through Song Huai.

How could this be someone's first time refining pills?

His technique was plainly so seasoned it was nearly flawless.

Song Huai almost suspected Jiang Feng already knew how to refine pills and had only pretended otherwise in front of him.

But looking more closely, he noticed something odd. Though Jiang Feng's refining process was smooth, it included quite a few completely unnecessary movements.

He formed a hand seal before guiding the Blood-Qi into the flames. Before adding each ingredient, he always brought it close to his nose to smell it. During pauses in the process, he even closed his eyes and counted silently for a few breaths.

In the eyes of other Alchemists, these little habits would probably seem utterly baffling. But to Song Huai, they stirred a strange sense of familiarity.

The hand seal, the way he smelled the herbs, the habit of closing his eyes and silently counting—these were all quirks Song Huai had unconsciously developed over many years of refining pills.

Song Huai narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't suppress the curve of his lips. He was both exasperated and amused.

This kid really pays attention. He's even copied all these useless little habits of mine.

But before the reproachful thought had even settled, satisfaction and pride had already filled his expression, impossible to hide.

To imitate me this closely, he must have put in countless hours of unseen hard work.

I was right about him.

Just like me back then, he's someone who'd risk his life for alchemy. This child is just like me!

Jiang Feng had no way of knowing what Song Huai was thinking.

At that moment, he was completely immersed in the pill-refining process. Everything outside seemed cut off by the dancing flames.

Though he clearly knew every step and what he should do at each moment, when he actually put his hands to work, his body still didn't quite obey him.

In only a short while, a fine sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He couldn't even sense time passing. All his attention was drawn to the flickering flames inside the pill furnace.

Unnoticed by him, the entire refining process had reached its final step—condensing the pill.

Pill condensation was the most crucial stage of the entire process, and the one with the least margin for error.

Mistakes in the earlier steps could still be salvaged to some extent. But at this stage, even the slightest deviation meant the pill would fail, the ingredients would be ruined, and the furnace might even explode with far greater force.

Song Huai's expression was taut with tension. His hands, clasped behind his back, had unconsciously clenched into fists.

He stared fixedly at the furnace, his vital energy beginning to surge through his body as he prepared to step in and save the situation at a moment's notice.