The Lin Household, the Alchemy Chamber.
A man-high Brass Alchemy Furnace stood in the center of the room, firelight glowing beneath it and white mist curling around its top.
Dressed in a fitted white dress, Lin Zisu stood before the furnace, her ink-black hair spilling down her back. As she carefully recorded the furnace temperature, she hummed a lilting tune from Secret History of Empress Dowager Guo:
"Another spring since parting, Xie Lang~ Willow fluff clings to my clothes, recalling days gone by~ Together we heard night rain in painted towers, together trod fragrant dust on flower-lined paths..."
"Goo-jijiji~~"
Coal Ball crouched beside her, helping fan the furnace and occasionally singing along, though there was no telling what the little creature was singing.
The winter sunset spilled into the courtyard outside the Alchemy Chamber. Lin Wanyi stood before the herb-drying racks, turning over assorted dried herbs, the fire of gossip burning in her eyes as she occasionally murmured in wonder:
"Oh my~... Really? Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Bu Yuehua stood beside her, lending a hand, her Purple Orchid Butterfly Hairpin gleaming faintly in the sunlight as she vividly recounted the strange tale of her father displaying his mighty prowess and the master and disciple of Purple Emblem Mountain swapping bodies.
Although that flirtatious Daoist nun had chased her off and she had ultimately seen nothing, imagination alone had supplied her with a hundred forbidden games the master and disciple might play.
Lin Wanyi listened in astonishment. She even wanted to swap bodies herself, then follow Xie Jinhuan out to slay demons and exorcise evil, leaving her master at home to nurse the children and manage Zisu...
Just as the three women were busy at work, movement finally came from atop the courtyard wall:
Whoosh~
Then a white-robed figure landed in the