83:

  Lianhua’s expression turned from one of intrigue to one of astonishment as her keen gaze inspected the fully refined mixture that was now resting at the base of the pill furnace.

  Plucking a spiritual silver ladle from the hooked display, Lianhua began to stir the refined mixture in search of inconsistencies. A few minutes passed as she continued through her inspection, even using a few bouts of her Alchemist’s Flame to assess the purity of the mixture.

  “This is…,” Lianhua softly whispered, her gaze shifting from the refined mixture to Xiao Feng. “How did you do it?” She asked, the life returning to her tone, taking the shape of a curiosity that was palpable.

  “Does that mean I pass?” Xiao Feng cheekily asked, cracking an impish smile.

  “I— Well, yes, I suppose so, as long as you actually refined the mixture using the correct kneading method,” Lianhua corrected herself, seemingly caught off-guard by Xiao Feng’s success. “Did you?” She asked, her tone lilting upward like a pleasant wind chime to come across as teasing.

  Xiao Feng dramatically clutched his heart and leaned inwards slightly before replying, “You wound my pride, Senior Alchemist. As an honourable righteous path cultivator, I would never stoop so low as to try and circumvent my way around a wager.”

  Lianhua raised an eyebrow at his words, before reminding, “What about all those sets of ingredients you bought out from the Alchemist’s Haven so Alchemist Zhi couldn’t get practice refining the Beast-Bonding Pill?”

  Xiao Feng ceased the act of being physically wounded by Lianhua’s question, straightening up and upturning his chin before he boisterously replied, “The terms of the wager said nothing about letting the other party acquire ingredients from the Alchemist Haven. Wealth, naturally, is a part of one’s strength and so is magnanimity— let the one set of ingredients I left for him not be forgotten.”

  Lianhua laughed, her expression one of mirth and her cheeks a little flushed from the amusement. However, her expression slowly sobered and when her gaze met Xiao Feng’s, her visage could only be described as solemn.

  “The second method of kneading the mixture, the weave as it is commonly known, is something that has been devised through the experimentation that includes trial and error across thousands of refinements of many wind alchemists. There are more complex methods out there, but in alchemy, it is the method that can be taught to others easily while having a relatively low draw on your focus that is valuable,” Lianhua explained, as she paused to let the words sink in. “Do you understand?”

  Xiao Feng slowly nodded, trying to convey that he wasn’t taking her words frivolously.

  “That said, being easy to teach does not imply it is easy to apply in actual refinement. I do not doubt your skill, but it is more of a matter of practice. Sensing Wind Qi through the pill furnace, manipulating it into two spirals that carry a volatile mixture upwards and keeping your focus on continually kneading the mixture in a cycle, while keeping the next ingredient and the overall refinement in mind… you understand what I am trying to convey, yes? A single lapse in your concentration and the entire refinement, along with its valuable ingredients, are reduced to an impure, unusable and volatile mess.”

  “I do,” Xiao Feng met her gaze and offered her a respectful nod.

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  “The proof lies before my eyes, so I cannot dispute it. Yet, you do understand that your rate of growth when it comes to understanding the refinement method of the Beast-Bonding Pill has far surpassed my own, as a Senior Alchemist?” Lianhua asked, her tone uncomfortably formal as Xiao Feng’s stomach dropped.

  Beast Master Zen had already warned him that talent came with a price in the cultivation world. It was his predecessor’s talent that had gotten him sent to the Frontier Sect, all without him even knowing that he had become a pawn in another’s game and he should have paid the ultimate price for it, had it not been for the cosmic misunderstanding that summoned him to the Realm of Sephari.

  I need to reply carefully, Xiao Feng decided, before speaking, “It was luck that allowed me to survive the attack that should have ended my life in the Battle for the Zheyan Pass. But my accomplishments were earned, hard-fought for by crossing blades with demons that were superior to me in cultivation strength and skill, yet it was they who fell before my charge, their resolve faltering in the face of my own. Yet, resolve alone cannot win a duel between cultivators. My sensitivity to Qi exceeds what someone at my layer should be capable of, that is part of the reason why I prevailed.”

  His predecessor had decided that the essence cultivation art was not to be revealed and as Xiao Feng discovered more about the Azure Lotus Sect and the Continent of Tian, the more convinced he became that his predecessor’s judgement had been correct. Yet, Lianhua was a friend and she was also a Senior Alchemist, a designation that heavily implied an inquisitive nature. Withholding the truth from her was something that would hurt him as her friend, but the Senior Alchemist’s curiosity might end up putting both of them into danger if she realized what his cultivation art could do.

  I can just hope for the best now, Xiao Feng thought. My skill is too unreasonable for a novice at alchemy, yet my clumsy movements have almost certainly made it clear to Lianhua that I am a beginner at this. Better to let her hear it from my mouth and have it over with.

  “I can’t say I am surprised,” Lianhua replied after a moment, only confirming Xiao Feng’s suspicions. “But I must admit, it is fascinating to discover that your sensitivity is at par with, or even exceeds my own despite the years of training and practice separating us. It is also, quite frankly, a little intimidating, so it would be best if you kept this aspect of your ability to yourself for now. The confidence with which you channel your Qi and your eyes do give away much to one keenly observing you,” She revealed.

  Oh crap. And here I thought I was overexaggerating Lianhua’s capabilities. Note to self- don’t piss off powerful alchemists, Xiao Feng managed to keep his face from giving away any more of his emotions, or atleast, he thought he did.

  “I am not one to flaunt my abilities,” Xiao Feng replied with a nod. “Only my wealth.”

  A chortle escaped Lianhua, before she shook her head and continued, “If you truly are here to continue down the path of an alchemist, then the Senior Alchemist designation will not be out of your reach if you pursue it earnestly. But you are already talented enough in the Martial discipline, if it came out that you were capable of reaching the designation of Senior Alchemist as well…,” Lianhua trailed off, as her lips thinned as she considered the consequences.

  The Azure Lotus Sect will get interested in me, Xiao Feng thought, filling in the part Lianhua hadn’t voiced out loud. His conversation with Beast Master Zen had revealed the true nature of the sect to him and he had no intentions of being caught up in the games of powerful cultivators.

  “It is a good thing that can doesn’t mean that I will. I no longer have an interest in stuffy designations or intimidating titles, that is why I left the Martial Division in the first place. As long as this can remain between us?” Xiao Feng asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could.

  “It is under the banner of the Azure Lotus Sect we operate, but it is the brave cultivators on the Frontier that keep us safe from the demons,” Lianhua replied with a degree of seriousness he had yet to see from the Senior Alchemist, her gaze intense and her tone as firm and unyielding as spiritual silver. “I will not betray the trust of one that has bled to keep me and everything I hold dear safe, be assured.”

  “Thank you,” Xiao Feng replied with an earnestness that belonged entirely to him, dropping the martial cultivator act entirely for a moment. “Now, I believe I have a wager to collect on.”

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