Chapter 39
Two days had passed, and Qin Lou's small pond area now had another person: Susu Ling. The girl had decided to stay with the pair and always followed them around. For Qin Lou, this was a good thing because she realized that Susu Ling truly admired her and asked many questions about a lot of things. To Shin Jiao, however, it was a little bothersome. Unlike Qin Lou, Susu Ling treated him strictly as a manservant, often demanding that he do absurd things. He simply let the young girl do as she pleased, as it was part of his cover as a mortal servant.
But Susu Ling noticed that Qin Lou often asked Shin Jiao for help when she was in a bind, especially with things that both she and Qin Lou couldn't figure out. Susu Ling knew that Shin Jiao had knowledge of basic formation arrays and alchemy, but it seemed there was more to him than met the eye. She became curious. As a member of a large merchant family, she had a sharp eye for talent. After interacting with the "mortal" for two days, she knew he wasn't as simple as he appeared.
Elders Ao and Duang, along with Master Ju, would often visit the three by the pond to discuss things with them. They had already arranged for Qin Lou and Susu Ling to enter the Floating Lotus Alchemist School as inner disciples. Qin Lou was granted the transfer by the Snow Wind School because she was no longer able to cultivate and improve beyond the Gold Core realm. Shin Jiao, on the other hand, was arranged to be her mortal servant, as usual. The rewards they had won from the contest were given out, and Qin Lou gave the black rock to Shin Jiao, who happily accepted it. Unknown to Qin Lou, Shin Jiao had already decided to cure her Gold Core problem and planned to use the black rock to make a power core. He would use it along with a serum to forcefully advance her to the peak of the Gold Core realm and up to the False Spirit Forming realm. This would forcefully repair her core and prepare it to form an infant soul. Alternatively, he could try to hunt a Level 5 beast, but he was unsure if he would be lucky enough to encounter one and live to tell the tale. He would make a decision once they arrived in the city of Er, where the school could at least provide some protection for her.
On the third day, they were about to leave the illusionary mountain and return to the city of Er. Susu Ling didn't visit the pond that day as she had many things to prepare. This was when Qin Lou showed Shin Jiao something she had been keeping.
"These are things that my master gave me when my Gold Core was damaged. He said they could boost my power and at least protect me until he could find a way to fix my core," she said, taking out a bracelet. She also shyly took off the pair of boots she was wearing.
"I know you can craft things, and I hope you can help me fix them. I don't want to lose these things my master gave me, as they are very valuable to me," she added.
Seeing that the items appeared to be of low quality and were damaged, Shin Jiao frowned. After he took the items, he looked at Qin Lou and thought for a moment.
"I can do two things: restore them or upgrade them. Which would you choose?" Shin Jiao asked.
"I… I don't know… If you upgrade them, what would happen?" Qin Lou asked with hesitation.
"Well, to be honest… the items your master made are good, but their quality is low. I can upgrade them to be of high quality if you want. But if we go higher, the items' physical appearance would change along with their properties," Shin Jiao explained.
"I don't want them to look different. Just upgrade them to high quality, okay?"
"Okay. If I turn them into high-quality items, their aura and properties will be a little stronger than the originals, while their stats would be doubled… Sound good? Now, give me more or less five hours to finish upgrading them," Shin Jiao said as he took the items.
"You can use the hut in the middle," Qin Lou suggested.
"That would be better. Thanks…"
Five hours later, Shin Jiao finished upgrading the items.
"I never thought this was a hover boot and an energy shield. Your master is a good craftsman," Shin Jiao said as he handed the items back to her.
"Hover boots?... Energy shield?... Oh, you mean the flying shoes and the protection bracelet." Qin Lou looked a little confused by his words.
"Ah, so that's what your master called them. Anyway, I've upgraded them. Now the boots will go twice as fast, and the bracelet will be able to protect you from a full-powered attack from an Infant Soul Realm cultivator twice."
Upon hearing this, Qin Lou was dazed. She never would have thought that upgrading the items from low-grade to high-grade would result in such an absurd effect. So what if they were upgraded to a higher tier? Would the effects be even more unimaginable?
"Hey, Qin, we need to prepare for the trip back to the city," Shin Jiao said, casually calling her by her name.
Upon hearing him call her "Qin," she blushed behind her mask and felt happy. Shin Jiao had never mentioned her name before. Although she had become used to him calling her "you" or "hey," hearing him call her by her name made her feel a warmth in her heart.
Qin Lou just nodded, and the two gathered what they needed and prepared for their departure the next day.
Meanwhile, in a secret room inside the chief alchemist's tower of the famous Floating Lotus Alchemist School, two people were busily concocting a pill. Their focus was immense as they were looking forward to discovering more about the mystery of the ingredients and, of course, the final product.
While they were in the middle of refinement, Xing Meng noticed that the pill-making process was not like the one Qin Lou had used. The one they were making was a pill, while the one she had made was a liquid medicine. He quickly raised his concern to his master.
"Master! This looks different from what I saw," Xing Meng suddenly said.
"What do you mean 'different'? In what way?" Master Kong asked in annoyance, as he was about to finish his refinement.
"What I saw was a liquid medicine, not a solid pill," Xing Meng explained.
"What? That's impossible… this method is for refining a pill, not a liquid medicine. Are you sure about it?" Master Kong shouted, this time feeling a little lost.
Xing Meng slowly explained the truth to his master about what had happened in the tournament and how Qin Lou was able to win first place. He also told him that they had made it so the pill furnace would explode, yet she had still managed to make the pill in an unconventional way.
Upon hearing this, Master Kong's face slowly turned ugly. He never would have thought that a mere "trashy" alchemist would be able to make the pill. With this information, he felt like he was losing face; how could a chief alchemist fail to concoct a pill that a mere low-level alchemist could?
"We must find a way to copy what she did… so tell me how she made the pill." Master Kong then listened as Xing Meng recounted everything he could remember.
While Xing Meng was telling the story, Master Kong's face grew progressively uglier. Hearing that his disciple hadn't bothered to watch her at first made him seethe with anger. Who wouldn't be angry after someone wasted their chance to watch the creation of something so unique?
But then his eyes lit up when he heard about the "soft gel" method. This made him resent his disciple less; at least he had given him an idea. Now that he had listened to the story, he got the gist of it. As a chief alchemist, Master Kong had a sharp, quick mind. He could almost see how Qin Lou, that newbie alchemist, had "accidentally" made the pill.
"Haha… that is truly wonderful. Good, good!" With a loud laugh, he returned to the alchemy table and made some adjustments.
He had been wondering how he could fuse the ingredients, as they seemed incompatible. Now that they would be in liquid form, he was confident he could make it work.
Two days passed while the pair researched and concocted the pill. The other alchemists in the school began to talk about Master Kong's new heaven-defying pill research. Of course, this was due to Xing Meng spreading the word. Master Kong didn't mind, as sooner or later, everyone would see his grand accomplishment anyway.
That day finally came in the secret room, as master and disciple discovered the right mixture and ratio to make the Rapid Hemostatic Pill.
"Haha… Now let's see how that old man Duang acts so haughty in front of me. With this heaven-defying pill, I can claim greater honor than him! Xing Meng, let's go and see the elders. This master will show them my new creation, hehe…" Master Kong laughed like a madman, lifting the almost-transparent, greenish pill in his hand.
But Xing Meng was a little doubtful. He noticed that the liquid inside the pill would change its color from green to dark green. It wasn't very noticeable at a glance, but since he had seen the original pill before, he felt that something was amiss with the one they had made.
"Um, Master… I… I think we should… we should check the pill first before presenting it to the elders," Xing Meng suggested.
"Nonsense! Do you doubt my ability? I have already checked it myself and found this very pill to be very potent. The mixture itself is baffling and truly a mystery, haha… But no worries, according to what I have discovered with my spiritual sense, this pill would heal almost all physical wounds at a very rapid rate, which is truly heaven-defying," Master Kong said, patting his disciple's shoulder.
Seeing the confidence in his master's eyes, Xing Meng didn't worry anymore. He was aware of what a great alchemist his master was, which was the reason he was promoted to chief alchemist of the school.
So, both master and disciple called for a tribunal, announcing beforehand that they would be presenting a new pill formula that would be of great merit to the school. Before long, the tribunal hall, where most alchemists showcased their new discoveries, was filled with people.
Although two of the school's elders were at the inter-school tournament, others still remained to oversee the school, including the chief alchemist and the school head.
When everyone had gathered, Chief Alchemist Master Kong entered the tribunal hall with grandeur. He felt truly proud today, as this would be a great achievement that would solidify his standing in the alchemy society of the entire empire. As he stood proudly in front of all the people—young, middle-aged, and old—he felt delighted and couldn't wait to see everyone's dumbfounded expressions. After some pleasantries, Master Kong waved his hand to his disciple, Xing Meng, and ordered him to bring the pill over. Xing Meng proudly marched forward, carrying a wooden box in his hand.
"Elders, School Head, and students… I will present to you a masterpiece that I have secretly been working on for a very long time," Master Kong lied without batting an eye.
"This is a product of my research and has now come to fruition. I call this pill the 'Swift Restorative Pill.' As the name suggests, this pill can cure any wound a person receives in a matter of seconds. Even if that person receives a heavy wound, as long as they have breath in them, they can still survive in seconds," Master Kong continued with a proud aura.
When they heard his claim, everyone was in an uproar. If what he was saying was true, then this was a truly heaven-defying pill that could ensure one's life in any circumstance. The elders on the jury stand all stood up, their gazes directed at the almost-transparent, greenish pill inside the box.
"That pill… is it a sky-grade… No, impossible. I think it's a liquid medicine inside something…"
"The container itself is a new substance. This could be a new way to make pills."
"Although I think it has its limitations, it is truly a good find."
"That pill looks simple, but the aura is a little… scary… I think it's a high-grade pill."
Each elder on the stand spoke their opinions upon seeing the pill, which Xing Meng was holding. This made him a little prouder to be able to show off in front of the elders. But this made Master Kong a little agitated. He didn't want to see his disciple's proud face, so he signaled for Xing Meng to approach quickly and grabbed the wooden box containing the pill.
"Everyone here knows that I suffered an internal injury from an accident a few months ago while doing some research on a pill. Until now, this injury has not been fully healed by any conventional medicine I have, as it is being rejected by my body. Though I can still absorb them, it takes me too long to heal," Master Kong explained, gaining some nods from the audience, who were also aware of his injuries.
"Today, I will show you the actual power of this new pill I have made." Master Kong smirked as he took the pill and held it in his hand.
Then, he stretched forth his other hand and nodded at Xing Meng, who took a dagger and calmly sliced a wound on his master's arm. They had already talked about this beforehand to fully demonstrate the pill's effectiveness.
With a large wound on one hand and the pill in the other, Chief Alchemist Master Kong slowly put the pill into his mouth and gulped it down without hesitation. It smoothly entered his throat and melted before it could reach his stomach, beginning to be absorbed by his body. He was willing to bet his life for something he had made, which was what every alchemist in this school always did. Every alchemist would always make sure they were willing to be their own guinea pig before presenting a pill.
After Master Kong ate the pill, silence permeated the entire tribunal hall as they anticipated the result of the so-called heaven-defying pill. But in the upper seat, the school head, whose eyes were seriously looking at Master Kong, suddenly had a sly smile appear on her face as the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
Not long after, gasps of amazement broke the quiet stillness in the tribunal hall.