"So, Senior Brother is already here?" Xiao Hong asked, somewhat surprised.
"Yeah, something about inspiration striking," Ruoxi's face gave a fresh sheet of A4-size printer paper a run for its money in terms of blankness.
Xiao Hong tilted her head, feeling vaguely unsettled. Before she could put her finger on why-
Bang!
"Hya!" An explosion sent her vaulting a good two feet into the air. "What the heck was that?!" she screamed, heart hammering in her throat. Was there an attack or something?!
"Relax, it's just a small explosion," Chen Ruoxi replied blandly, her voice flatter than an ironing board. "Brother was experimenting with his… new idea." She waved her hand with a breezy nonchalance, as though explosive mishaps were an everyday event.
Xiao Hong: "..."
Your brother's playing with explosives in your kitchen, and you're just… brushing it off like it's a sneeze?
Apparently suffering from the 'All-Too-Readable-Face Syndrome,' Xiao Hong's thoughts were immediately exposed. A still-expressionless Chen Ruoxi said, "If I were to play around with explosives in your backyard, what could you do about it?"
Xiao Hong opened her mouth indignantly, then closed it again. What could she do indeed? Complain to some committee? They'd check your Cultivation Base before your statement. Confront the perpetrator? Look at your Cultivation Base first. Complain to the Sect? They'd weigh your… Well, you get the point: no Base, no case.
At this point, a young man strode in. At first glance, he had all the makings of a polished Alchemist - crisply tailored robes, confident stride, shiny Alchemist Badge on his chest...
Or he should have - if not for the wisp of smoke that drifted out of his short curls, the smudge of soot on his nose, the awkward blush highlighting his freckles, and the way his glasses sat two degrees off-kilter…
It cut a sorry figure.
So… this is the mysterious Senior Brother Chen? The 'Dignified and Elegant Alchemist Bro' persona Xiao Hong had crafted in her imagination shattered into a thousand disappointed pieces.
Also, since when did Cultivators even need glasses? A small doubt niggled at the back of her mind.
"Ah, Ruoxi. Sorry about the kitchen-" the young man began sheepishly.
"Say that when you actually mean it," she cut him off, still maintaining a perfect poker face.
His mouth twitched, "But Ruoxi, I do mean it. Really!"
"Like you really meant it the last thirty-seven times?" Chen 'Stone-faced' Ruoxi's impassive tone sounded.
The young man shrugged, completely dropping the pretence. A proud smirk stretched across his face, "Oh well, I can't help it. It's just so cathartic, destroying your - erm, I mean, I just feel that Alchemy experiments in your home work so well! It might be the feng shui…"
Chen Ruoxi's expressionless facade finally broke.
"Damn youuuuu!" She howled like a cat with its tail stepped on, pouncing on the young man with heaven-shaking ferocity… only to be caught by the collar and casually tossed away like a discarded sock.
Just like that, Chen 'unbeatable-to-Xiao-Hong' Ruoxi was casually manhandled.
Having bullied his little sister, the young man's spirits lifted, and pure satisfaction rolled off of him. Nonchalantly dusting his hands and robes, he turned towards Xiao Hong, "Ah, you must be Junior Sister Xiao."
His voice softened as his gaze flicked to her, lingering for a heartbeat longer than etiquette called for. Executing a textbook fist-to-palm salute, he continued, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Today, I fully comprehend what it means when people speak of a 'Fairy descended from the Heavens.'"
"Senior Brother is too polite, I'm hardly deserving of such praise," she reservedly cupped her fist in return, some distant corner of her mind noticing how her palm felt cooler against her knuckles. "It is truly a fortune bestowed by the Heavens for this little girl to meet a rising star of the Alchemy Path."
Chen Yu, a Tier 1 Alchemist, was someone far beyond her status. Even a mildly displeased Chen Yu could spell disaster for her.
"Rising star? My meagre accomplishments in the boundless Dao of Alchemy are hardly worthy of such praise," he waved his hand as if to dismiss the compliments. But the subtle quirk of his lips told more tales than he could have imagined. "I-"
"Alright, alright! Let's get over this traditional tedium and get to the point. I don't want a second explosion in my house - any more compliments and you might cause his head to blow up from getting too big." An irate Chen Ruoxi interrupted the complement-exchange-and-deflection competition.
Patting imaginary dust off her clothes, she gestured towards Xiao Hong, "You see, A'Hong here wants to learn Alchemy, and I graciously offered your help - and she accepted.
Senior Brother Chen: "..."
You offered her my help? Don't people offer their own help, not others'? Or did I miss something during my seclusion? Is it a new fad?
He turned to Junior Sister Xiao - and instantly froze. Her cherry lips curved in a subtle, hopeful smile - the kind that could make the Heavens hesitate to rain, as mesmerising orbs of luminous red stared at him. Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she blinked.
Senior Brother Chen felt his heart give a peculiar little lurch, a fluttering sensation that he couldn't quite control, and hastily averted his gaze.
He turned to his sister, whose face remained perfectly impassive… except for the tiny, uncontrollable twitches at the corners of her lips - telltale signs of uproarious laughter barely restrained by divine effort.
Those eyes, sparkling with wicked delight, spelt it out as clearly as if she'd shouted it from the rooftops - he'd been trapped! He could practically hear his sister madly cackling away like the demented, spiteful little witch she was - Brother, oh my dear, beloved brother, are you really going to refuse this pitiful, hopeful, absurdly gorgeous little junior sister~? Are you? Can you? DO IT, BROTHER, I DARE YOU~!
Those eyes belonged to a true devil - or a little sister who achieved the Dao in the Way of Shamelessness!
Once again, he turned to Xiao Hong, who was still staring at him expectantly.
A silent beat passed. Senior Brother Chen let out a very long, very dramatic sigh - the kind that carried the full weight of a man who saw his explosive Alchemist life being snuffed under the heel of tyrannical little sisters.
"... How could I possibly refuse?" he plastered on a smile. "The Dao of Alchemy welcomes every seeker. Since Junior Sister Xiao is so earnest in learning, it would be my honour to provide some small guidance."
Xiao Hong's eyes lit up. She clasped her fists once more and performed the most graceful salute she could, which wasn't saying much. "This Junior Sister offers her most heartfelt thanks to Senior Brother Chen for his generosity. If I may be so bold, I hope to learn even a fraction of your insight in Alchemy."
Senior Brother Chen, regaining a sliver of his 'dignified Alchemist master' persona, waved his hand, "No need for such formality! The Dao of Alchemy is vast and endless; we all walk it blindfolded, fumbling for truth. I am merely helping you along for a bit."
"No, Senior Brother." Xiao Hong shook her head seriously, "It is a great favour for me that you take out a portion of time from your busy schedule, just to teach a novice like me."
Senior Brother Chen paused for a moment and nodded. It seemed that Ruoxi still had eyes.
From the side, Chen Ruoxi whispered 'quietly' enough for everyone to hear, "Don't look at his serious face and grand words. He's probably whooping inside that he's finally getting to spend time with a girl..."
The sombre expression on Senior Brother Chen's face shattered like glass smashed by a sledgehammer.
"Ruoxi," he said, plastering on the kind of smile that could be mistaken for 'kind and sincere' - if one were blind, deaf, and lacking severely brain cells. "I just thought of a new Alchemy experiment, could you lend me your bedroom…?"
"Nooooo~!" The tragic wail of a soon-to-be-homeless cultivator echoed through the neighbourhood like the haunt of a thousand resentful spirits.
***
The next morning, Xiao Hong arrived at the Alchemy Hall yet again. Only this time, she headed to the second floor after registering with a disciple.
'Lab 196, Lab 197… Ah! There it is!' She walked up to a door that said '198'. Nerves humming with a jittery cocktail of anticipation and dread, she knocked on the door, "Senior Brother Chen? Are you there? I'm Junior-"
The door didn't open so much as explode outward, nearly redecorating her face. If it hadn't been for her Cultivator reflexes, she might not have had to worry about Senior Brother Mo anymore!
A far more presentable Senior Brother Chen appeared. A light smile appeared on his lips as his gaze fell downwards, "Ah, Junior Sister Xiao, I was waiting. Come on in."
"Ah, did I make you wait? Please forgive-"
"Ah, no, no! You're right on time. It's just that I finished my work earlier than I anticipated and have been waiting since."
She nodded, relieved.
As Xiao Hong followed Senior Brother Chen and stepped inside, her eyes widened in surprise.
She had imagined cauldrons and furnaces belching colourful smoke, piles of pungent herbs and plants and perhaps some explosions. Exactly what you'd expect if you had a webnovel-addled brain that defaulted to stereotypes faster than a Jade Beauty succumbed to the protagonist's Yang Physique.
Instead, she found herself in an unexpectedly serene, elegantly structured room. Illuminated by glowing Spirit Lanterns arranged methodically along the walls, the lab radiated a calm, scholarly air. Sleek marble countertops, meticulously arranged in neat rows, gleamed faintly under the light.
Clean test tubes of crystal lined up like an army ready to march. On the corner, she spotted a full cabinet of instruments: thin, silvery titration pipettes, flasks, beakers, droppers and even burners inscribed with Formation Runes.
Lining the shelves were rows of carefully labelled vials of clear crystal. They were filled with all kinds of shimmering, glowing liquids of every colour she could think of and more. 'Ginseng Root Extract (Distilled, age: 10), Purple Qi Ganoderma Essence (Concentrated)...'
Xiao Hong: "???"
'Isn't this a fucking Chemistry Lab?!' she screamed inwardly.
At the far side, a curious device gently spun, its silver surface engraved with delicate runes pulsing rhythmically.
She squinted.
'And is that a… centrifuge?!' Her jaw nearly gave Lord Yama a concussion!
Before she could tear her hair out over the fact that her image of the World of Cultivation was being warped into something unrecognisable, Senior Brother Chen's voice derailed the train of her thoughts.
"First, I need to understand where you are and what I am working with." Leaning against the counter on which the Spirit Centrifuge(?) spun, he gestured towards a seat in front of him, "Take a seat."
Shaking her head to clear it of strange images of cultivation worlds being violated, she did so.
Senior Brother Chen folded his arms. Levelling his gaze towards her, he began, "Let's start with the most obvious: What do you think is Alchemy?"
Xiao Hong, who was about to open her mouth, suddenly stopped.
Pursing her lips, she carefully observed his expression. His tone was casual enough, but something about that sparkle of interest in his eyes told her - this question might have more meaning than just assessing her knowledge.
So, she thought carefully. Despite not making much progress, she had still read quite a bit of introductory stuff. She carefully scanned the old Xiao Hong's memories along with what little she'd read.
Quickly, she noticed something.
'Refining… it always comes back to refining. It must be a core tenet of Alchemy.' That much was obvious to her. 'But what is the end goal of refining?
'Herbs, plants, beast cores and so on are materials used in the process of refining. On their own, some of these things might be useful, but more often than not, they are useless and even harmful. But the process of refining converts them into something useful.' Her eyes lit up, 'Then…'
She looked up at Senior Brother Chen, "Is the purpose of Alchemy to transform the useless, maybe even the harmful, things into something useful?"
Senior Brother Chen nodded appreciatively, "Very good. That is a nearly perfect answer. To be more concise, Alchemy, Medicinal or Material, is the study of 'Refining anything into value.'"
Senior Brother Chen's lips curved upwards. "And the ultimate goal? That is to 'Refine Waste into Treasure'. Or as Mortals would say: to 'Transform Mud into Gold'."
Xiao Hong's eyes widened in pure astonishment. "Is it truly possible? To achieve a transformation of mud to gold?"
"Who knows?" He shrugged.
Xiao Hong: "..."
She gave him a deadpan look. You stirred my feelings and now refuse to take responsibility? How shameless!
Ignoring Xiao Hong's resentful glare, he smiled. "Not bad, you have some potential in Way of Alchemy."
She blinked.
"Just from that one question?" she raised a brow, bewildered.
Senior Brother Chen smiled. "Yes. Just from that one question. Do you think it is too little information to judge?"
She nodded hesitantly.
His smile turned evil, "You'll understand when it's time!"
Xiao Hong: "???"
These damned pair of siblings! One day, I swear I'll -
"Alright, then." He clapped, interrupting the torrent of abuse she was about to hurl. "Now, I assume you have no real experience in Alchemy and have not read those boulders that the Elders lovingly call 'books'?"
Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
"Hm." He frowned, pinching his chin, "That's gonna be a problem, there's far too much information you're missing to even start…"
Xiao Hong's heart skipped a beat. Was it not going to work?
Just as panic set in, he dropped his fist on his palm. "Right! You're a Second Stage: Earthen Origin, aren't you? So, you've awakened your Spirit Sense."
He fished out a bunch of smartphone-sized rectangular blocks of teal from somewhere. A spatial storage item, perhaps? He handed them over to her. "These are Jade Slips that contain all of the content in the books and some more."
She hesitantly took one, her thumb instinctively swiping the cool surface.
Any self-respecting Xianxia fan would immediately recognise Jade Slips. The Cultivation World's mystical equivalent of USB sticks - only for Cultivators instead of computers. As weirdly as her brain was wired, a strange thought popped up. 'Do Jade Slips come in different storage capacities, too? Like a 2GB Jade Slip? 10TB Jade Slab?'
She shook away the absurd idea, pressing the cool surface of the slip gently against her forehead and carefully channelling her Qi and Soul Power into it.
In the next instant, her mind flooded with torrents of information, eliciting a soft gasp. Details about countless Spirit Plants, magical trees, and exotic fruits she'd never imagined poured vividly into her consciousness.
Abruptly, she withdrew the Jade Slip, the sudden emptiness leaving a strange void behind as all the newfound knowledge evaporated, fading away as swiftly as mist under the morning sun.
Yet faint echoes and vague impressions remained.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Senior Brother Chen smiled knowingly.
"Indeed," she couldn't help but agree. If only she'd had something like this back in her previous life…
She shook her head and placed it against her forehead once again.
Information about Spirit Herbs, their interactions with each other, fire, and so much more, all poured into her mind with great speed. All kinds of essential knowledge about Alchemy filled her mind. After about ten minutes, a dull ache began to pulse at her temples, prompting Xiao Hong to pull the Jade Slip away reluctantly, the flood of knowledge instantly receding like waves retreating from the shore.
"Take a rest, junior sister," Senior Brother Chen's voice sounded. "You shouldn't strain your Spirit Sense too much, especially since you've just awakened it."
She nodded gratefully, massaging her forehead lightly. After a brief pause, curiosity bubbled up again, compelling her to ask, "Why doesn't the Alchemy Hall give us these instead of those bricks - I mean, tomes? Wouldn't it make learning Alchemy easier for everyone? The Sect wants more Alchemists, right?"
Senior Brother Chen replied, "You're right. The Sect certainly does want more Alchemists. It's just that almost everyone starts Alchemy much younger, almost as soon as they reach the First Stage. And First Stage cultivators don't have Spirit Sense, so the Sect doesn't bother creating Jade Slips. While First Stage cultivators can't perform Alchemy, they still attempt to build a solid theoretical foundation"
Xiao Hong nodded, 'Understood. I'm light-years behind.' Then, she waved the Jade Slip in her hand. "Then, where did these come from?"
Immediately, Senior Brother Chen's face darkened. "A damned old fogie made me copy all the tomes into Jade Slips - a hundred times!" He ground his teeth in a fantastic impression of a hydraulic press, "Can you believe it?! A hundred, Heaven-damned, times! Do you know how hard it is?! I swear, one day I will…"
He trailed off as he caught the odd look Xiao Hong was giving him. He coughed in embarrassment. "Erm, well, anyway, I made them."
Attempting to move past his minor outburst, he explained briskly, "In fact, the very few that start learning later - like yourself - usually get their study materials from friends and other connections. Even in the extremely unlikely case that you know no one, you can still buy these from us."
"I see…" she nodded, suppressing the urge to tease him about his little outburst.
"Well," Senior Brother Chen clapped, "all that doesn't matter. As good as theory is, it will never beat hands-on experience!" He pushed himself off the table and quickly strode to the impressive line-up of glass tubes. He grinned, "Junior Sister, what do you know about filtration?"
***
Senior Brother Chen's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair. He stared at the perfectly filtered Spirit Ginseng extract so intensely, it was as if he was trying to refine it directly with his gaze! After a long, contemplative silence, he finally turned toward her, astonishment clear in his eyes, "... You pick things up quite fast, Junior Sister - I had expected you'd take a few days to get used to these instruments, but you're no different from a fish in water."
"It's just a surface-level understanding, Senior Brother - I still have lots to learn." Xiao Hong shook her head. She couldn't exactly tell him that she'd used these tools in a previous life, right?
Senior Brother Chen nodded. "Since you seem quite familiar with them, let's get started with Alchemy right away." He walked up to a cabinet and started rummaging around. As he pulled out one box after another, he spoke, "You're familiar with the Body Refining Liquid, aren't you?"
"Yes, I've tried to concoct it, but somehow I could never succeed - even though I followed the instructions down to the smallest detail," admitted with a hint of embarrassment. She kept the exact amount of herbs she'd burnt through vague - in fear of being judged incompetent.
"And that is expected, Junior Sister," Senior Brother Chen chuckled lightly as he set down several boxes on the counter.
"Huh?" She was bewildered. They were expected to waste precious materials? That made no sense whatsoever.
He grinned, rolling up his sleeves casually, "I'll demonstrate the process for you. Watch carefully."
Cracking his knuckles, his hands blurred reaching into the boxes one after another, pulling out all kinds of well-preserved herbs.
"The Body Refining Liquid is one of the simplest recipes to ever exist." He explained as he plucked the leaves, ground the roots, and mashed berries. "Generations of Alchemists have refined the recipe so thoroughly that even a mortal child could manage it without precise instruments like the ones you used just now."
Xiao Hong's face darkened. What do you mean, even a child could prepare it? Are you telling me a child is smarter than me?!
Senior Brother Chen continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "But, more often than not, aspiring Alchemists get stuck here, unable to ever prepare it." With a casual hand, he threw in several spoons of Ginseng Roots he'd ground the life out of.
"More than eighty percent of beginners quit here, assuming they don't have the talent for Alchemy and cut their losses. 4% try to change things up - usually to no avail."
Grabbing a handful of berries, he crushed them bare-handed, allowing the clear juice to drip neatly into the wooden bowl. He then picked up a simple wooden stick, giving the mixture a few rough stirs.
"15% seek help from other Alchemists - and almost all of them fail to understand why, even after following the same recipe, they could not prepare the damned thing. Discouraged, they give up."
He casually pushed the bowl towards her. It slid to a stop right underneath her nose.
Taking a seat just across from her, he stared at her. "Tell me, Junior Sister Xiao… do you understand why?"
Xiao Hong looked down. A sulphurous yellow, oily liquid stared back at her.
'T-Two minutes,' her jaw slackened as the textbook description of the Body Refining Liquid lay before her. 'He prepared it in two minutes, where I failed even after days of effort.'
A sinking sensation tugged at her heart, 'Unbelievable… Is this the gap in our talents?' Her chin lowered as a sense of helplessness washed over her.
She lifted her head to look at the young man, who was still staring at her silently. No longer was he merely Ruoxi's easy-going older brother. Suddenly, he had transformed in her perception into a towering mountain of talent, an unreachable genius whose effortless skill mocked her own inadequacy.
Her clenched fists tightened involuntarily beneath the table as bitterness welled up inside her chest. Her eyes stung, 'How on earth am I even supposed to do this? Something I struggled over for days was completed in minutes.'
Meanwhile, Senior Brother Chen was battling an entirely different mental demon. He'd initially intended for his stare to be an intimidating gaze of someone vastly superior in skill and Cultivation. It was supposed to be a test. But Heavens dammit, she was just too beautiful! His carefully rehearsed composure was scattered into oblivion. His 'powerful gaze' had now turned into an admiring one.
Suddenly, she seemed to snap out of her reverie and gazed at him.
Her perfectly arched brows were knit tightly, accentuating a vulnerability that left him, his heart, and his lungs utterly bereft of movement. The corner of her cherry lips downturned ever so slightly. Those luminous ruby eyes shimmered with moisture, threatening tears.
"J-Junior Sister Xiao? Are you alright?" his heart lurched.
"I-I am, Senior Brother," her voice barely audible, quivered.
'Fuck no, she ain't!' Senior Brother Chen immediately decided.
At this moment, there was only one thought in his mind: he couldn't let her cry! To hell with tests!
Somewhat flustered, he spoke quickly, "Erm, Junior Sister. It isn't actually that hard… You just need to carefully compare the steps both of us took…"
"Eh?" Xiao Hong blinked, surprise chasing away the glistening mist in her eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, really!" Senior Brother Chen nodded vigorously, eager to reassure her.
"Is it the preparation speed?"
"No."
"Is it the timing between the adding of ingredients?
"Also no."
"Then, is it the preparation of an ingredient?"
"Yes," Senior Brother Chen shook his head, "But which one specifically?"
Xiiao Hong paused thoughtfully, replaying every moment of Senior Brother Chen's earlier demonstration in her mind. Her brow furrowed in concentration for several moments before her eyes suddenly lit up, "It is the Ginseng Roots, right?! You nearly ground it to death!"
Senior Brother Chen's eyelids twitched at the wording, but he smiled approvingly anyway, "You got it."
He picked up a piece of the yellowish-brown Ginseng Root and flicked it. "The Ginseng Root is a neutral stabiliser that balances the active ingredients - don't worry, you'll learn all this in time. All you need to know is it acts like a glue that binds other, more violent ingredients. And if not ground well, the active ingredients react with each other, resulting in a black sludge."
Adjusting his glasses with a scholarly air, "And this little detail makes all the difference."
Xiao Hong tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "But Senior Brother, why don't the recipes mention these specifics clearly? Wouldn't it be easier for everyone?"
Senior Brother Chen chuckled, shaking his head. "If only it were that simple. Detailed instructions become too rigid once you reach higher levels. Factors like the environment in which materials are grown, Spiritual Energy density, and subtle variations in ingredient quality can drastically alter the refining process. At that stage, rigid recipes actually hinder rather than help."
He casually tossed the Ginseng Root back into its empty box, closing the lid with a decisive click. "As such, we must intuitively understand the ingredients, the recipe, the tools and even ourselves to become a qualified Alchemist.
"And this only comes with experience. Countless hours, endless trials and errors, and a whole mountain range of frustration.
"The preparation of the Body Refining Liquid?" He gestured towards the bowl in front of her, "That is a mere taste of what is to come.
"Moreover, consider the deeper role of Alchemists. It is our responsibility to decipher and reverse-engineer recipes from rival factions. Poisons require antidotes; unique pills can be prohibitively expensive - espionage rarely guarantees a perfect recipe. Being flexible and capable of adapting is essential to Alchemists.
"The Body Refining Liquid is a test. It weeds out the impatient, the untalented, and the fools who think they can do everything on their own.
"As powerful as we, the Purple Mansion Sect, are, we still cannot afford to fund idiots who do nothing but waste material."
"I see…" Xiao Hong nodded. No wonder the Alchemists were so exalted - with all these responsibilities, it made sense.
"Now, then." Senior Brother Chen clapped, "Try concocting the Body Refining Liquid yourself."
She nodded.
Half an hour later, a dazzling smile broke out on her face as a small bowl of sulphurous yellow Body Refining Liquid lay before her. It wasn't nearly as good as Senior Brother Chen's - the colour was a tad too bright, and the materials used were too many for too little, but it was something she'd done completely by herself!