Secret recipe, first impressions

Crimson Flame Peak, the Quenching Room.

Several great furnaces rumbled away, waves of heat billowing upward. Everyone felt as though they were soaking in boiling water, their skin scalded red.

The Mortal Laborers lowered stark-white, hard bones into them, using the fierce heat to refine away impurities.

From time to time, sharp cracks came from the furnaces-the sound of bone stock shattering.

Yang Xun sighed. Even though the bone stock delivered to the Quenching Room had all been carefully selected, it could not withstand the raging furnace fires.

Only twenty percent qualified as usable bone material for polishing, grinding, and forging rough blanks.

The rest either burned to fragments or cracked in the heat and had to be discarded.

"We've already reached our limit."

Squinting, Yang Xun swept his gaze over the Mortal Laborers hard at work. Those adding charcoal and those fanning the flames were all diligent; none were slacking.

Presumably, it was because Senior Brother Xu from the inner sect had beaten a Mortal Laborer to death the day before yesterday. None of these fellows dared shirk or play tricks.

"Crimson Flame Peak has to produce forty-two rough Law Artifact blanks this month. We're still thirteen short, with only five days left.

"By the usual standard, the Quenching Room has to supply a hundred and sixty usable bones.

"How can we possibly finish at this rate?"

Yang Xun felt a headache coming on. Even though he had put up more talisman money and divided the Quenching Room's Mortal Laborers into two alternating shifts,

the key to production was not, first and foremost, whether they had enough hands.

His room could supply only so much "qualified bone material" to the Engraving and Forging Rooms.

"Even with two shifts working without rest, we can add ten percent at most, bringing the bone stock's usable yield to around thirty percent..."

Yang Xun was vexed. Although the inner sect would not punish him merely for falling behind schedule,

the outer sect's four peaks were evaluated every year. If Crimson Flame Peak came last, every duty officer's stipend and bestowed rewards would be reduced.

Besides, knowing Old Tang of the Engraving Room and Old Zhou of the Forging Room, those two would certainly collude to shift the blame onto the Quenching Room.

They would claim he had failed to provide enough bone material, preventing them from meeting the full quota.

"The three workshops of Crimson Flame Peak can produce thirty-seven pieces a month at most. Those inner-sect senior brothers just had to boast to curry favor with Elder Sui, leaving us to swallow the bitterness."

Yang Xun was full of complaints. In particular, Senior Brother Xu Yan, who had come down from the inner sect, seemed to have swallowed some sort of gunpowder-one spark and he exploded.

Although he paid compensation in talisman money after killing Mortal Laborers,

Yang Xun still had to spend time and effort recruiting replacements.

"A tangled mess. Utterly aggravating!"

With his hands behind his back, Yang Xun made a circuit of the Quenching Room, then leisurely returned upstairs and dozed in his reclining chair.

A Daoist boy fanned him from behind, while dried fruit and snacks sat on a square stool beside him.

It was quite comfortable.

Clang, clang, clang!

The bells of Wavelooking Peak traveled from afar into the Quenching Room.

It was time to finish work.

Yang Xun lifted his eyelids, looking as though he had slept.

Sunk into a broad, tiger-pelt-lined rocking chair, he rocked gently and said,

"I really am getting old. Always sleepy, always tired... hmm?"

Just as Yang Xun was about to sit up, he caught sight of a youth in a dingy gray Daoist robe standing at the stairs, his hands lowered respectfully.

He recognized him: Jiang Yi, a Mortal Laborer of Crimson Flame Peak.

The youth often worked in the Quenching Room, diligently fanning flames and adding charcoal. Steady and hardworking, he was a promising piece of expendable stock.

Yang Xun said,

"Let him through."

The Daoist boy obeyed and stepped aside.

Jiang Yi approached with his head lowered and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Duty Officer."

The old duty officer who oversaw the Quenching Room had a long face, sparse brows, and a sharp, hooked nose. He was born with a fierce countenance.

One glance told anyone that he was neither easy to talk to nor easy to deal with.

The Mortal Laborers in the Quenching Room usually trembled whenever they saw him.

"Hmm? What is it?"

Yang Xun looked up to examine him, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Oh? The Qi Refining second stage already?

The Mortal Laborers on Crimson Flame Peak ranged from fourteen or fifteen to their thirties and forties.

He had some impression of the youth before him. He should not yet have turned eighteen, yet he was already at the Qi Refining second stage.

Cultivating while working as a Mortal Laborer was no easy feat.

Jiang Yi spoke.

"I'd like to report something to you, Duty Officer."

Yang Xun had never liked idle chatter with Mortal Laborers. Anyone else would have been sent straight downstairs, but the youthful look of Jiang Yi's features made his gaze grow a little distant, and he found a rare measure of patience.

"Let's hear it. If you're asking for leave again, I absolutely refuse. The Quenching Room is short-handed. There's no room for rest."

Seeing that Jiang Yi had reached the Qi Refining second stage, Yang Xun assumed he intended to request leave to consolidate his cultivation and strengthen his physique.

After all, each step up the twelve-story tower of Qi Refining was extremely difficult. Every rare opportunity to lay a solid foundation had to be cherished.

Jiang Yi first bowed deeply, then explained clearly, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Duty Officer, I'm not asking for leave. I've been working frequently lately, often fanning the flames, and I noticed that the bone stock varies in quality. Sometimes, when the fire is too fierce, the bones crack apart. But if it's too weak, too many impurities remain, and they break easily during engraving."

Yang Xun's face shifted slightly. His gaze sharpened as he glanced sidelong at Jiang Yi.

"You have a careful mind and keen eyes. You're right. Usually, only twenty percent of the Quenching Room's bone stock makes the grade. The problem lies in 'fire control.'"

So this was the fifth level of Qi Refining?

Jiang Yi's whole body tensed, as though a current had passed through him.

For that instant, Yang Xun, reclining in his rocking chair, had resembled a mountain eagle whose fierce flames filled the sky, striking terror and dismay into others.

This boy does have some composure. A pity he's a Mortal Laborer.

Thoughts stirred in Yang Xun's mind. He sat a little straighter, grabbed a handful of dried fruit, and slowly chewed.

"The most prized Mortal Laborers in the Quenching Room are veterans who understand fire control. But even after ten-odd years of work, many still can't judge it properly.

"Besides, one or two veterans won't speed production up much. Ultimately, bone stock varies too much to judge easily. After eight hours of hard labor, barely managing to avoid mistakes already counts as doing one's utmost."

Yang Xun drew another conclusion: Jiang Yi had come to show off and win a favorable impression.

At that thought, the Quenching Room's duty officer quickly lost what little patience he had and waved a hand, about to dismiss him.

"You're absolutely right, Duty Officer. Veterans who understand fire control can at most make the work easier. They can't truly affect the Quenching Room's production speed."

Before Yang Xun could speak, Jiang Yi hurried on.

"To be frank, Duty Officer, before I came up the mountain, I enjoyed miscellaneous studies and read quite a few related books.

"One was called Miscellaneous Notes on Fire Work. I remember it particularly well. It described a 'Catalysis Technique' that could keep the fire's strength and temperature steady and make impurities easier to burn away..."

Yang Xun turned his head and finally looked Jiang Yi squarely in the eye.

His attitude changed, and he seemed interested.

"Oh? Tell me in detail."

It worked!

The first step toward becoming useful talent!

Jiang Yi held his breath and focused, smoothly reciting the "secret recipe" revealed by the Heavenly Book.

"The book stated that mixing coldwater stone and gray phosphorus powder at a ratio of three to one would keep the flames steady, neither too fierce nor too weak.

"I thought it over long and hard, combining my observations at work with accumulated experience, and made a few adjustments.

"If, each time the furnace is started, we first light the fire and fan it for fifteen minutes to preheat it, then put the prepared catalyst into the bottom, it should raise the bone stock's qualification rate by around thirty percentage points."

Yang Xun had overseen the Quenching Room for a full thirty years and knew every procedure in the three workshops by heart.

The moment he heard it, he knew Jiang Yi's "secret recipe" was no fabrication. His eyes immediately brightened.

"Coldwater stone, gray phosphorus powder... those materials aren't hard to obtain."

The appreciation in Yang Xun's eyes deepened, mixed with a trace of surprise and scrutiny.

If this method worked, it would not only improve quenching efficiency; the steadier flames would also surely raise the quality of the finished bone material.

In short, this was a good thing!

The more Yang Xun thought about it, the more excited he became. He hurried to his feet, intending to try it.

He patted Jiang Yi's shoulder-the first time he had shown a Mortal Laborer such familiarity.

"Good, very good! Jiang Yi, you're meticulous and willing to use your head! You're useful talent!"

The corner of Jiang Yi's mouth twitched. That did not sound particularly pleasant, but on the Demonic Path, it really did count as praise.

The Demonic Path Lineage kept no idlers!

You had to be useful before you could rise!

"If this method really works, I certainly won't shortchange... What do you want?"

Yang Xun stared straight at Jiang Yi and asked in an even tone,

"Under sect rules, offering a secret recipe merits a reward of twenty to fifty thousand in talisman money. Don't worry. I won't pocket it.

"Besides that, I'm willing to give you a leg up and promote you to 'Inspection Officer.' You'll remain in the Quenching Room from now on, without having to fan flames or add charcoal."

Whoa!

Jiang Yi showed just the right amount of gratitude and said respectfully,

"I only wish to ease your worries, Duty Officer. I'm not seeking much reward money."

Yang Xun paused at that. With his experience, he could naturally hear that this was insincere flattery.

Yet strangely, coming from the youth before him, it carried not the slightest hint of servility or fawning. Instead, it felt pleasing and agreeable.

"You've got quite a sweet tongue, boy. Don't celebrate too soon. We still have to test whether this method works."

Yang Xun's expression remained cold and his words stern, but his attitude was much better than before.

"All right, go for now. Return to the Quenching Room at half past nine tonight."

Before taking his leave, Jiang Yi worked up his courage and said,

"Could you give me some dried fruit, Duty Officer? Heh, I've liked sweets since I was little, especially dried lychees."

Yang Xun froze, seemingly surprised, yet his voice softened inexplicably.

"You like dried lychees too? Take some. I made these myself, choosing fresh lychees from the Southern Ridge, drying them in the sun, then sealing them in a jar for a hundred days... ah, why am I telling you all this?"

Cupping the handful of dried lychees in both hands, Jiang Yi said,

"Duty Officer, I know these dried lychees aren't easy to make. Besides sun-drying them, you have to roast them twice over smokeless charcoal. Only then will they retain their fragrance and flavor."

Yang Xun stared fixedly at the youth in the dingy gray Daoist robe. His fierce countenance actually changed, revealing a little kindness.

"How do you know?"

With clear eyes, Jiang Yi smiled shyly.

"I've been greedy for treats since I was little. Before I joined the sect, when I was still down the mountain, Grandpa often made dried lychees to satisfy my cravings."

Yang Xun murmured an "Oh," then muttered,

"I see. I see."

Beaming with delight, Jiang Yi looked just like a child who had received gift money during a festival as he hurried downstairs.

Yang Xun alone remained motionless in a daze, as though lost in some memory.

"Master!"

Only when the Daoist boy who attended to his daily needs called him did he abruptly awaken.

"How could he be... so alike?"

Yang Xun lowered his head, his hands tucked into his sleeves as though he feared the cold.

"Could it really be fate?"

When people deal with each other, first impressions matter most! Especially when superiors look at subordinates-the key is being 'pleasing to the eye'!

I wonder how pleasing Duty Officer Yang finds me...

Recalling his former superior's earnest teachings from his previous life, Jiang Yi popped a dried lychee into his mouth and carefully savored its sweetness.

His feet moved swiftly over the snow, and before long he reached the communal courtyard halfway down the mountain.

He Laohun called out,

"Brother Yi, what were you talking about with Old Yang? I saw you stay upstairs for ages."

He had drawn the Quenching Room assignment today and had intended to return with Jiang Yi, but had waited a long time without seeing him.

"Nothing much. Just begged a handful of dried lychees. Brother He, want a taste?"

Jiang Yi did not loudly announce his impending "promotion."

Going from a "general laborer" to a "quality inspector" hardly counted as much of a promotion.

It merely meant easier work and more free time. There was still quite a gap between that and entering the inner sect.

As the saying went, "I have yet to reach the shore; I must keep striving!"

"Tsk, these taste pretty good! Has Old Yang changed his ways? I heard the inner sect's pressing hard. The duty officers in the outer peaks' workshops are full of complaints, and the Mortal Laborers beneath them are working themselves dizzy."

He Laohun rubbed his burning face with cold water.

"The end of the month is hard to get through... who knows how many Mortal Laborers we'll lose? Life's getting harder and harder!"

Jiang Yi glanced around. Only he and He Laohun were in the communal courtyard. Old Li's family and Widow Qin had yet to finish work; presumably, they were rushing through "overtime."

"Brother Yi, hungry? Shall we get something to eat?"

"I'm all right. I'll rest a while first."

"All right, then. I'll go scrounge a full meal. Tomorrow means ten or twelve hours of hard labor. I'm about to collapse from exhaustion."

"If you have time, Brother He, bring me a pot of 'sweet-aftertaste vine tea.' The older, the better!"

"That stuff's bitter and astringent, like drinking medicine. How can you swallow it? I can't make sense of your tastes!"

He Laohun muttered to himself as he went out, while Jiang Yi returned to the little dark room that resembled a livestock shed.

"Luckily, I have the Heavenly Book."

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and silently reviewed everything he had said and done that day, finding nothing he thought had gone wrong.

Several questions drifted across the golden paper.

[Supplicating the Heavenly Book, reveal a secret formula for improving the refinement of bone materials]

[Derivation result: take coldwater stone, gray phosphorus powder, pagoda wood heartwood...]

[Supplicating the Heavenly Book, reveal the life history of Yang Xun, the duty overseer of Crimson Flame Peak's Quenching Room]

[Derivation result: Yang Xun, a native of Lujiang, was the son of a former military officer on the Zhao Kingdom's frontier. Born into a collateral branch of a local clan, he entered the Qianji Sect of the demonic path lineage...]

[Supplicating the Heavenly Book, reveal the obsessions and present worries in the heart of Yang Xun, duty overseer of Crimson Flame Peak]

[Derivation result: this man is fierce on the outside but timid within, and has also suffered the pain of losing his son...]

[Supplicating the Heavenly Book, reveal what I might do to gain the favor of Yang Xun, duty overseer of Crimson Flame Peak]

[Derivation result: this man despises ostentation and glibness, appreciates steadiness and practicality, and enjoys snacks. If you show more of your youthful side, innocent and immature...]

Jiang Yi carefully went over what the Heavenly Book had revealed, comparing it with his own behavior. Only after confirming that he had not overdone it did he feel at ease.

"The time spent on derivations these past few days wasn't wasted."

Considering that the karmic debt had already been cleared, Jiang Yi simply went ahead and asked his final question for the day.

[Supplicating the Heavenly Book, reveal my current cultivation progress]

[Derivation time: ten breaths]

[Derivation results follow]

[Heavenly Book's destined master: Jiang Yi]

[Realm: Qi Refining Second Stage (seventy-seven percent)]

[Cultivation methods: "Orthodox Meridian Qi Circulation Art" (ungraded), "Lesser Essence Tempering and Fire Control Art" (ninth grade)]

"Seventy-seven percent. The Qi Refining Third Stage isn't far off."

Jiang Yi immediately felt reassured. He reckoned he should be able to break through before winter.