Over twenty days later, a new plaque covered in red cloth appeared outside the Xiao Clan's pharmacy.
Xiao Yan had not yet seen what was written on the plaque before catching the smell of something burning.
He pushed the door open to find a teenage boy holding a medicine cauldron, his face smudged with two streaks of black ash.
"Xiao Mao, are you planning to smoke the walls of the medicine hall black as well?"
The boy hurriedly set the cauldron down with a sheepish smile.
"Just practicing the final run. My hands moved a little too fast."
"Didn't you say the exact same thing yesterday?"
Xiao Heng couldn't help laughing nearby, while Xiao Qin had already lowered his head to flip through a ledger as if afraid Xiao Yan might pivot and question him next.
These three were precisely the fire-attribute disciples picked out earlier to study alchemy.
After a few months, they took turns refining herbs and brewing Azure Origin Body-Tempering Liquid, having long since grown familiar with the basic steps. Yet refining herbs was ultimately rather different from independently controlling an entire cauldron of medicinal pills.
These days, Xiao Yan came over to sit in the pharmacy for a spell every time he finished practicing his sword.
From herb identification and refinement to the harmonization of medicinal properties, he broke down the grade-one Qi-Replenishing Pill to teach them step by step, then had the three try refining it on their own. Whenever someone stumbled at a particular step, he kept them behind to practice it a few extra times.
That was precisely how Xiao Mao's face had ended up so thoroughly smoked.
Today, however, they were required to run through the entire process from start to finish on their own.
Xiao Yan lifted the cauldron lid and glanced at the residue inside.
"Clean it out, then check the fire vent. Don't let old dregs mix into the new herbs."
"Understood!"
Clutching the medicine cauldron, Xiao Mao hurried off toward the corner of the courtyard.
Xiao Yi Xian was arranging herbs at the other end of the long table; hearing the commotion, she looked up with a smile. "I thought you'd walk in today and ask if they'd memorized their texts first."
"Did I even need to ask? Xiao Qin could recite the whole thing backward yesterday."
Xiao Qin raised his head to earnestly correct him.
"I only recited the names of the herbs backward. The steps cannot be reversed."
Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback before breaking into amusement.
"Good enough. At least you know not to dump things into the cauldron willy-nilly."
Outside the door, Xun'er and Qing Lin walked in together, carrying several freshly washed medicine bottles in their hands.
Qing Lin set the bottles down securely, glanced at the medicine tags on the table, and softly read over a few characters.
Morning and night, she now practiced the Azure Spirit Soul-Nourishing Manual. By day she helped sort herbs and learned to read, and the number of times her eyes grew sore and strained had already decreased significantly. Yet whenever she encountered a new character, she still habitually muttered it under her breath before matching it against the physical object.
Xun'er pointed to a small tag on the far edge.
"You saw this one yesterday. Do you remember it?"
Qing Lin looked at the characters, then at the medicinal roots, and finally nodded.
"Dew-Condensing Grass."
"You remembered."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan reached out and picked one up.
Qing Lin immediately piped up, "Young Master, this one is kept for comparison. The root is broken."
He lowered his head to look, and sure enough, it was.
"It seems I'm the first one to fail the quiz today."
The others chuckled, and Xiao Qin, who had been clutching his ledger all this while, slowly relaxed his grip.
The medicine cauldrons were set out separately along the long table, and the three took their seats in turn.
Xiao Yan did not take out his own cauldron, simply placing a stool beside them.
"Today we are making Qi-Replenishing Pills. You've practiced the formula and know the herbs-inspect them yourselves first."
This grade-one medicinal pill possessed mild properties. Once consumed, it helped those who had expended a great deal of Dou Qi to recover gradually, making it suitable for guards after drills and merchant caravans after a journey.
It could not save someone on the brink of death, nor could it instantly restore someone fresh off a battle to their peak condition.
Yet for the current Xiao Clan, it was precisely the kind of item that saw constant use.
Xiao Yi Xian pushed three portions of herbs before them without stepping in to make the final selection for them.
Xiao Heng pinched each leaf to inspect it thoroughly, while Xiao Mao first felt the firmness of several sections of medicinal root. Following the formula, Xiao Qin lined the items up in proper order one by one.
"Very well, ignite the fires."
Three wisps of flames with slightly differing hues rose into the medicine cauldrons one after another.
Soul perception probed inward along the fire vents, and the expressions of all three turned serious simultaneously.
Refinement was what they had practiced most heavily during this period; once the first herb entered the cauldron, none of them made any mistakes. The leaves curled, medicinal liquid gradually precipitated, and a faint fragrance drifted about the room.
Xiao Yan nodded inwardly as he watched.
At least this section was already much steadier than it had been twenty days ago.
Yet when the second herb entered the cauldron, the flames on Xiao Mao's side suddenly flared a notch higher.
Noticing something was amiss, he hastily reined in his fire, but a patch of scorched black had already formed along the edge of the medicinal liquid.
Xiao Mao's expression instantly stiffened.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to walk over, trouble struck Xiao Qin on the other side as well.
He had added the auxiliary herbs according to the memorized timing, and the moment the two clusters of medicinal liquid touched, several strands of murky, flocculent material formed.
Sweat broke out on the boy's forehead, and he instinctively increased the fire again, attempting to melt them down.
"Stop right there, don't add anything more."
Xiao Yan pressed down on the hand holding the herbs, his gaze shifting back to Xiao Heng.
There was neither a burning smell nor any discoloration over there.
Yet the clump of medicine inside the cauldron simply kept spinning lazily, stubbornly refusing to gather together.
Xiao Heng was already terrified of scorching the batch, and seeing his two companions run into trouble, he suppressed his flames even lower.
Three cauldrons, three different kinds of trouble.
Standing in the middle, Xiao Yan momentarily found himself at a loss as to whom he should address first.
Had this been his own medicine cauldron, a simple flick of his wrist would have sufficed to adjust the heat.
Yet right now, the flames, Dou Qi, and perceptions of the three youths differed from his own; even if they followed the exact same instruction, the changes unfolding inside their cauldrons varied entirely.
"Third Young Master..."
Xiao Mao lowered his head, bracing himself for a reprimand.
Instead, Xiao Yan reached out and took the ledger from the edge of the table.
Several of the heat settings recorded on it had been jotted down by his own hand over the past few days.
Flipping to a page, he suddenly fell silent.
Raise the heat slightly.
Wait a moment longer.
Once the medicinal properties harmonize, pill condensation may begin.
While writing them, he had felt they were entirely self-explanatory.
Now, looking at three faces awaiting his opening words, he realized that almost any of those phrases invited yet another question.
Slightly-how much was that?
Harmonize-what signs should one look for?
Within the storage ring, the Soul-Nourishing Lamp swayed gently.
Yao Chen's voice sounded in his heart.
"When you demonstrated yesterday, you used the Green Lotus Core Flame. You felt the fire was raised only slightly, but when they follow your gestures, that may not be what they mean at all."
Xiao Yan touched the bridge of his nose.
That remark hit the nail on the head.
He learned quickly, aided at any moment by a grandmaster and Yao Lao, so he grasped most variations at a glance. Yet when it came to teaching others, he had skipped the parts that needed explaining the most.
Xun'er finished reading two pages beside him and gently lifted the ledger.
"Brother Xiao Yan, you wrote 'slightly' four times on a single page."
"I see it, stop counting."
Resigned, Xiao Yan took the ledger back.
The youths, whose faces had been taut just moments ago, finally caused even Xiao Heng to let out an involuntary chuckle.
"Let's pause this round."
Xiao Yan pulled over a stool and sat down before the three medicine cauldrons.
"I need to re-explain these points today. If you don't understand, just ask directly."
Xiao Yi Xian took out another portion of herbs, not rushing to divide them among the apprentices, but instead placing two sections of the same medicinal root side by side.
One section was fresher, while the other had been stored for some time.
"Both are usable herbs, but their moisture content differs. Xiao Qin's portion earlier was relatively fresh, and you followed the timing of yesterday's batch; before the medicinal liquid was fully refined, you went ahead and added the next ingredient."
Xiao Qin lowered his head to look at the medicinal roots, then down at his notes, finally understanding where he had gone wrong.
He had originally thought that as long as he memorized the exact duration of each step, he would make no mistakes.
Xiao Yan extracted the portions of medicinal liquid that had not yet been scorched, placing them into shallow porcelain cups.
"Look here first. The unrefined portions are murky in color and still mingled with fine dregs around the edges. Smell them as well-the raw, astringent scent of the herbs is much heavier."
He did not use the azure flame to instantly refine them clean, merely having Xiao Qin try re-refining that portion of medicinal liquid on his own.
The flames rose slowly.
This time, what Xiao Yan pointed out were the actual changes occurring within the medicinal liquid rather than forcing him to keep pace with his own speed.
As that wisp of astringent scent gradually faded, the look in Xiao Qin's eyes finally lit up.
"Is this the point where I can move on to the next step?"
"Correct. Remember what this looks like; it's far more useful than remembering the exact number of breaths."
Watching intently from the side, Xiao Mao subconsciously began gesturing with his hand.
Glancing at him, Xiao Yan shoved an empty porcelain cup into his grip.
"Don't worry about starting a fire just yet. Tell me at which step you suddenly increased your force just now."
The boy thought back, his face turning red.
"As soon as the medicinal liquid appeared, I caught myself wanting to rush the next ingredient."
"The medicine isn't going to run out of the cauldron."
Xiao Yan tapped the back of his hand with a smile.
"You may have the strength to extract it, but you must also know how to rein it in. The subsequent heat must follow the changes in the medicine, not your own impatience."
With that, he directed the others' attention back to Xiao Heng's clump of medicine.
That cluster of medicinal properties had not disintegrated or spoiled; it merely lacked sufficient temperature, leaving it stubbornly unable to fuse.
Prompted, Xiao Heng cautiously increased the firepower bit by bit. As the various colors gradually intertwined, his hesitant hand finally steadied.
The three asked questions one after another, and by the end, they had managed to box Xiao Yan right into the center.
As for two of the minute changes, even he had to test them out anew to explain them accurately.
Once the final porcelain cup was returned to the table, Xiao Yan let out a long breath.
"That was more exhausting than refining a batch on my own."
In his mind, Bodhi leisurely chimed in.
"Well, did you learn something new today?"
Xiao Yan was slightly startled before smiling.
"I did. Next time I write 'slightly', this disciple will first think of how to explain it clearly."
By afternoon, the medicine cauldrons had been thoroughly scrubbed. After the three had each regulated their breathing and recovered their Dou Qi, they commenced the second round.
This time, Xiao Yan no longer stood beside the cauldrons.
He retreated beneath the window and poured himself a cup of tea.
Xun'er handed him a clean handkerchief, and seeing him raise his hand to wipe his face, she quickly stopped him.
"You still have ash on the back of your hand."
Taking the handkerchief, she wiped away the small smudge of black near the bridge of his nose, her eyes carrying a smile.
"Today's esteemed teacher doesn't look much cleaner than his students."
Xiao Yan lowered his voice.
"Keep it down, I finally managed to establish a bit of dignity here."
Hearing the tail end of this, Xiao Mao's shoulder gave a twitch, and he hurriedly forced his focus back into the cauldron.
This time, the three wisps of flames never wavered.
Xiao Qin no longer stared obsessively at the passage of time, only adding the next ingredient once he confirmed the transformation of the medicinal liquid. Xiao Mao reined in his impulse to rush ahead, and even though sweat trickled down his temple, he refused to let it distract him.
Yet the first to reach the stage of pill condensation was none other than the habitually cautious Xiao Heng.
The clump of medicine revolved slowly inside the cauldron.
Sensing the medicinal properties fusing bit by bit within it, he halted the hand he had originally meant to pull back, then steadily fed the heat inward.
A moment later, a faint fragrance of medicinal pills drifted from the rim of the cauldron.
Xiao Heng's breathing hitched.
He did not look back at anyone, only pulling his fire back steadily according to his teachings once the pill had completely formed.
The cauldron lid lifted, and a pill, its surface not yet entirely smooth, dropped into the jade plate.
It was a success!
The hand holding Xiao Yan's teacup froze in midair, the corners of his mouth curving upward first.
Staring at that medicinal pill, Xiao Heng didn't even dare to reach out and pick it up.
Having practiced for so long, this was the very first time he had completed a batch entirely from start to finish by himself.
Hearing the commotion, the other two stubbornly suppressed their urges and kept from turning their heads.
After a little while, the other two medicine cauldrons successively gave off similar fragrance of pills.
Three jade plates were placed side by side on the table.
The one belonging to Xiao Mao was slightly darker in color, and the edges of Xiao Qin's were still somewhat uneven, but both had already successfully condensed into true medicinal pills.
Xiao Yan inspected them one by one, not rushing to offer flattering words.
Confirming that the medicinal properties were mild and the impurities were within an acceptable range, he finally raised his head and looked at the three of them.
"Grade 1 Qi-Replenishing Pills, pass."
Xiao Mao abruptly clenched his fist, almost crying out.
As for Xiao Qin, he immediately went to look for his own record book, turned to a blank page, and first jotted down the sensation he had just felt during Pill Condensation. Xiao Heng was half a step slower, looking at the medicine plate and smiling rather foolishly.
A burst of laughter suddenly sounded at the doorway.
"It seems we've come just at the right time."
Xiao Zhan walked in with his two sons, followed by the steward who had just finished delivering medicinal materials.
Xiao Li leaned close to the jade plate and reached out, wanting to pick one up.
Xiao Yi Xian moved the plate a bit to the side.
"Your Dou Qi is fine, what are you eating this for?"
"To try our family's new pills."
"After you finish your drills later, come and claim them as needed."
Xiao Li glanced at his father, remembered the scolding he had taken a few days ago, and finally withdrew his hand.
"Fine, I'll wait."
Yet Xiao Zhan had already walked up to the three youths, looked at them earnestly, and then looked at the pills on the table.
"Good."
He only said one word first, but the smile on his face simply could not be contained.
Having an Alchemist like Xiao Yan within the clan was the fortune of the Xiao Clan.
Now, this skill had finally been passed down to three more people.
For the present, they could only refine Grade 1 pills, but they were already capable of taking over a portion of the family's medicinal needs with their own hands.
Outside the house, the plaque covered in red cloth was lifted up.
Only then did Xiao Yan clearly see the two neatly carved characters beneath it.
Medicine Hall.
For the dozen days following that, the fires in the Medicine Hall never went out.
Xiao Heng did things meticulously; apart from daily pill refining, he also helped recheck the processed medicinal materials. Xiao Mao's control in releasing and retracting fire gradually steadied, taking on more basic extractions. As for Xiao Qin, he recorded the changes in each furnace, and for the same medicinal formula, he no longer just mechanically followed the time limits.
Every day, the three of them still reserved time for independent pill refining, while the rest of the time was spent taking turns to share the work of medicinal liquids and healing salves.
At first there were still botched attempts, but after a few days, usable pills gradually became more numerous.
Xiao Yan spot-checked a few batches before letting them be sent to the Guard Team and the Marketplace one after another. Those pills that genuinely required meticulous care were still refined by his own hands.
One early morning after finishing his sword practice, Xiao Yan walked over to the Medicine Hall as usual, preparing to see if there was anything urgently needed.
Instead, the steward smiled and waved his hand at him.
"Today's batch has already been sent off."
He stood at the doorway, for once feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Xiao Yi Xian happened to pass by and, catching sight of his expression, smiled. "With no one chasing you for medicine, you don't even know how to walk anymore?"
Xiao Yan instantly became amused.
"Then I might as well go back and drink tea."
"Tea can be had, take a look at this first."
She placed an empty medicine box on the table.
Xiao Yan lowered his head to look, and his smile paused for a moment.
Qing Lin hugged her own medicine record book and walked over, pointing at a few lines within it.
"These three kinds are only enough to last another two days. I've also checked behind the cabinet, there are none."
Xiao Ding had just returned from outside, and upon hearing these words, he set down the reply letter he had received.
"The caravan has already replenished stocks twice, and right now every household is searching. If we look further out, the stuff does exist, but it won't make it in time for these few days."
Xiao Yi Xian opened that Old Mountains and Rivers Miscellany, pointing to a mark near the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
"I've seen these few medicinal ingredients in the mountains before. If we want to find them, we don't necessarily have to sit here and wait."
Xiao Yan looked at the empty box, then looked at the courtyard that was still exhaling a faint medicinal fragrance, and suddenly smiled.
A few days ago, it was the medicinal materials waiting for him to light the furnace.
Now, it was finally the turn of the medicine cauldrons to wait for the medicinal materials.
Before you continue