89:

  Xiao Feng was lost in thought as Lianhua poured him a cup of a Masala Chai only she could make, having refined the astringent Mystic Palms with her inherited Alchemist Flame to draw out it’s flavor profile to a new realm of concentration. The reddish-gold masala chai’s strong aroma infused the air as Lianhua finished pouring him a cup, the steam wafting upwards in gentle curls before silently dissipating.

  He waited for Lianhua to pour herself a serving before reaching for the earthen mug, cupping it with both hands as he drew it closer to his lips. A quick flicker of his gaze confirmed that Lianhua had reached for her own and only then did Xiao Feng allow himself to take a sip of the piping hot chai.

  Despite knowing what he had signed up for, Xiao Feng still couldn’t keep his eyes from widening as the heat of one and a half firedust diamonds that had dissolved into the spring water was only accentuated by the full-bodied astringency of the refined Mystic Palms that served as the base for the Masala Chai. Like his first experience, just when Xiao Feng felt like he was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the masala, relief was granted to him by the three emberfruit gems that had been generously added to the melange.

  The emberfruit gems nigh decadent sweetness that contained subtle floral notes would have been overwhelming had it not been for the heat of the firedust diamonds and the full-bodied flavor profile of the astringent Mystic Palms striking an equilibrium that Xiao Feng had come to call his Masala Chai, Second Iteration.

  Being amazed by a dish the first time was merely the wonder of a new discovery but when the magic was retained on the second experience, that was when one knew they had encountered quality.

  Yet, Xiao Feng only felt like he had taken a step further away from his ambitions. He had needed expensive, if not precious ingredients and the aid of a Senior Alchemist with an Alchemist’s Flame, yet his Masala Chai had no medicinal properties to speak of. Bi-Horn Milk cost two silver taels for just three ge’s worth of milk, Emberfruit Gems and Firedust Diamonds were priced by the individual unit and Mystic Palms were an ingredient that Xiao Feng had already tried to replace due to their prohibitive cost in his Pudina Chai recipe.

  “Is everything alright?” Lianhua’s question cut through the reverie he had fallen into, making Xiao Feng realize that he had been holding onto the earthen mug after taking the first sip as he blankly stared into the unassuming padded walls of the alchemy vault.

  “Uh, yes. Sorry, I was just… thinking,” Xiao Feng hurriedly replied, before taking another sip of the Masala Chai.

  “About your Chai?” Lianhua asked.

  “You got me,” Xiao Feng conceded, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “I was just thinking about how expensive all this is. The Bi-Horn Milk, the Firedust Diamonds, the Mystic Palms, all just too prohibitively expensive for a commercial product. But even when I tried to seek cheaper alternatives for Pudina Chai recipe, I still ended up using them. It’s just a little disappointing,” He admitted.

  “The result most certainly isn’t,” Lianhua replied, before taking another sip of the luxurious Masala Chai. “In fact, I like your Chai so much that I wish to make a cup for my father. If I have your permission, of course. I am asking because while I don’t plan on revealing the recipe to him even if he asks, he is a Grand Alchemist— there will be no hiding it from him.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Xiao Feng turned to face Lianhua and as their gazes met, he only found earnestness within her brilliant green eyes.

  Then Xiao Feng chuckled.

  “What is so amusing?” Lianhua asked in perplexion, her tone sounding a little defensive.

  “You genuinely won’t make him a cup if I say no, will you?” Xiao Feng asked.

  “No, I will not,” Lianhua firmly replied, her tone unwavering.

  “I appreciate it, Senior Sister Lianhua. I really do,” Xiao Feng replied, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “But the recipe itself is not something I wish to keep a secret. You may do what you wish with it as you please.”

  “I don’t understand,” Lianhua replied. “Do you not wish to open up a shop?” She asked.

  “I do.”

  “But you do not wish to keep the recipe a secret?”

  “I do not.”

  “Then why would anyone buy from your shop?” She asked.

  “I want others to enjoy chai,” Xiao Feng answered. “To accomplish that, I must first introduce it. But it is not the concoction alone that I wish to sell. The shop will exist to offer cultivators a place to gather, a neutral ground where they can think about things other than the constant threat the demonic path’s shadow leaves on the frontier sect and find a reprieve from the tedium of cultivation. A small but warm shop where they can talk, learn from each other and laugh together, where emotions are exchanged and memories are made. People are bound to figure out the recipe sooner or later and they are free to brew as much of it as they like at home, it only gives me incentive to innovate. And if sharing the recipe leads to more innovation from others, that is welcome too. I need only do better. In the end though, my original goal is satisfied regardless. The only way I fail is if I set up shop and fail to get a meaningful number of customers.”

  For a few moments, there was silence as Lianhua contemplated on Xiao Feng’s words. Then, she spoke, her tone tinged with curiosity, “Are you really a martial cultivator?”

  It took every bit of self-control Xiao Feng had to keep his expression neutral as Lianhua’s question hung in the air, but he found that he could do little when it came to his racing heart.

  “The more I get to know you,” Lianhua continued, as Xiao Feng desperately tried to keep his expression in check. “The less your ideas and philosophies seem to incline with any other cultivator I have met, be that Martial Cultivator or Alchemist. Be a precious pill recipe or a valuable cultivation technique, most cultivators would see no problem in monopolizing it for themselves, their family or their sect. Yet you seem to be willing to put the effort into developing a novel sort of beverage that very well could prove to be valuable, only to be willing to give it away,” She analyzed out loud. “It is fascinating.”

  “Is it?” Xiao Feng asked, having found his voice again.

  “I cannot speak for martial cultivators, but do you know how far ahead us alchemists would be if all pill formulae were shared freely with anyone who wished to become an alchemist? The idea is so preposterous that I must admit to never even having considered it despite having spent years studying and even longer researching alchemy. The difference, the gulf, it is so vast that I shudder to even envision such a world. How far ahead would we be if we lived in such a world? Centuries atleast, but I suspect the difference would be calculated in millenia.”

  “Well,” Xiao Feng began, letting go of the breath he was holding onto. “I’m not really a martial cultivator, not anymore. Right now, I’m just a recruit alchemist with big dreams and an appointment I’m running late for.”

  “Oh?”

  “I promised Beast Master Zen I would show him the egg in exchange for his assistance.”

  “He asked you for that?” Lianhua asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “Indirectly, sort of, but yes.”

  “Can I come with you?” She asked.

  “You can, but is there a need?” Xiao Feng phrased the question as delicately as he could, having noticed Lianhua’s reaction to the revelation.

  “My uncle can be… intense, when it comes to anything related to his field of study. It is best if I accompany you.”

  patreon before the next chapter (this is something I've been meaning to do for a while because I've felt guilty about the value I'm offering as of now. 10 Chapters ahead will hopefully change that) so it might take a week for me to get the next cup of chai here. Ambitious goals I know, but I have to start somewhere! :)

  Rating and the story helps more people get their chai.

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