When darkness had fully fallen, Ba Dashan returned to the alchemy room, his gaze sweeping quickly over Chen Shi'an, Chu Tianshu, and Dong Xiaochai.
"We've rested long enough. Let's continue refining pills."
At that, he looked at Chen Shi'an. "Jing Yuan, you go first."
Chen Shi'an cleared his throat and replied, "Master, let Junior Sister Dong go first. I'm not ready yet."
Chu Tianshu snorted. "You can't refine any pills anyway. What difference does being ready make?
"If you're afraid of producing a furnace full of dregs, just say so. Why make excuses?"
Chen Shi'an curled his lip at Chu Tianshu. "A dog catching mice-meddling where you don't belong."
Chu Tianshu flew into a rage and was about to speak, but Ba Dashan waved a hand. "Enough. Xiao Chai will refine her pills first, then."
"Yes, Master."
Dong Xiaochai bowed respectfully to Ba Dashan. "Like Eldest Senior Brother, I'll refine Origin-Strength Pills."
Ba Dashan nodded and settled back into his recliner.
This time, however, he did not close his eyes to rest. Instead, whenever he spotted anything improper during Dong Xiaochai's pill refining, he promptly pointed it out and corrected it, fulfilling his duties as a master.
Chen Shi'an stood beside the pill furnace, watching Dong Xiaochai's pill-refining techniques just as intently as before.
He compared their methods, drawing on their strengths to make up for his weaknesses.
Dong Xiaochai's pill refining lasted from the beginning of the hour of the Dog until the hour of the Rat.
She failed to produce any pills. A mistake during the pill-fusing stage ruined an entire furnace of spirit herbs.
Regret showed on Ba Dashan's face. "Xiao Chai, you didn't control the heat properly just now. When you should have increased the heat, you removed firewood instead.
"Still, you've been studying Alchemy under