FVN Chapter 12 Alchemy
Chapter 12 Alchemy
Occasionally, Zhi'er would come.
On the first day, she stood at the gate of the courtyard with a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup, hesitating for a long time before finally knocking on the door. When Yun Weiyang opened the door, she lowered her head, shoved the bowl into his hands, and ran away.
The next day, she brought a pot of spring water, saying it was the best spring water from the mountain and would make the tea the most fragrant. Yun Weiyang invited her to come in and sit down, but she blushed, shook her head, put the pot on the stone steps at the door, and ran off again.
On the third day, she finally entered the courtyard.
"Brother Yun... Brother Yun." Zhi'er sat on the stone bench, twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, not daring to look up: "Do you cultivate every day in the Starry Sea?"
Yun Weiyang sat on the stone bench opposite Zhi'er, holding a cup of tea brewed with spring water, and gently blew on it to cool it down.
"Yes, cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind." Yun Weiyang's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze in March. "However, in Xingxiu Sea, the elders of the sect are very strict. We cultivate from dawn to dusk every day, which is much harder than here."
Zhi'er raised her head, glanced at Yun Weiyang, and then quickly lowered her head again.
"Then...don't you feel tired?"
"I'm tired." Yun Weiyang smiled. "But it's worth it. The further you go on the path of cultivation, the more scenery you see."
Zhi'er nodded thoughtfully, then looked up and secretly observed Yun Weiyang. His moon-white robe, silver star patterns, and dark silk sash, along with his unbelievably handsome face, made him different from the disciples of the Flying Immortal Sect. The disciples of the Flying Immortal Sect were rough, straightforward, and did not know how to hide their true feelings, while Yun Weiyang was like a deep pool of water, unfathomable and untouchable, yet making people unable to resist wanting to get closer.
"Miss Zhi'er," Yun Weiyang suddenly spoke, "What does your Flying Immortal Sect usually do?"
Zhi'er came to her senses, thought for a moment, and said, "Cultivation, Grandpa leads the senior brothers in cultivation every day, and occasionally goes down the mountain to gather herbs or to inspect the spiritual veins."
"A spiritual vein?"
"Yes, there is a spiritual vein about thirty miles north of Qishan." Zhi'er's tone became somewhat downcast when she said this: "However, that spiritual vein is shared by our Feixian Sect and Yunlei Sect. The two sides have never been at peace. In recent years, my grandfather has gotten old, and Yunlei Sect has become more and more arrogant, often sending people to seize the territory of the spiritual vein."
Yun Weiyang picked up her teacup and took a sip.
"Is the Yunlei Sect very strong?"
"Their leader is called Old Ghost Yunlei. His cultivation level is similar to Grandpa's, both at the Dao Embryo Realm." Zhi'er bit her lip. "But he's younger than Grandpa, and he has more disciples. A few years ago, they even tried to kill me..."
At this point, Zhi'er's voice choked, and her eyes reddened.
Yun Weiyang put down her teacup and looked at her.
"You killed your family?"
Zhi'er wiped her eyes and took a deep breath: "They killed my father, my second uncle, and my grandfather's two sons. They all died at the hands of the Yunlei Sect."
Zhi'er's voice was very soft, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Yun Weiyang was silent for a moment, then stood up, walked to Zhi'er, squatted down, and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Miss Zhi'er," Yun Weiyang's voice was soft and gentle, "it's all over now."
Zhi'er looked into Yun Weiyang's eyes. There was no sympathy or pity in those narrow eyes, only a calming peace. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat and tears fell.
Yun Weiyang reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her face.
Zhi'er's body stiffened. Yun Weiyang's hand was very cold, and her fingertips carried a faint star power. The moment it touched her cheek, it felt like a snowflake falling on her skin.
Zhi'er's heart was beating so fast that she was sure Yun Weiyang could hear it.
"Brother Yun... Brother Yun..." Zhi'er stammered, her face flushed red.
Yun Weiyang withdrew her hand, stood up, and took a step back.
"I'm sorry, I was rude," Yun Weiyang said, her tone tinged with apology. "I just... can't bear to see girls cry."
Zhi'er lowered her head, wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, and stood up.
"I...I'll go first." Zhi'er turned to run, but stopped, her back to Yun Weiyang, and whispered, "Thank you, Brother Yun."
Then they ran away.
Yun Weiyang stood in the courtyard, watching Zhi'er's figure disappear into the depths of the bamboo forest, and a slow smile curved her lips.
On the fourth day, Yun Weiyang took the initiative to find the Qingxuan Sect Leader.
"Sect Leader, I have a request." Yun Weiyang stood in the main hall and bowed deeply to Sect Leader Qingxuan.
The Qingxuan Sect Leader was flipping through a yellowed ancient book when he heard this. He looked up and smiled at him, saying, "Young friend Yun, you're too kind. Please feel free to speak."
"This junior would like to borrow your sect's alchemy room for use."
The Qingxuan Sect Leader was taken aback: "The alchemy room?"
"To be honest," Yun Weiyang straightened up, her expression serious, "when I was in the Starry Sea, I learned some alchemy from my master. Although it was rudimentary, I can still refine some common pills. I've had some free time these past few days, so I thought I'd give it a try."
The eyes of the Qingxuan Sect Leader lit up.
In the cultivation world, alchemists are a scarce resource. Small sects like the Flying Immortal Sect don't even have their own alchemists. The pills that disciples need for cultivation either have to buy them at high prices from the market or rely on their own hard work to refine them. If Yun Weiyang really knows how to refine pills...
"Young friend Yun can also refine pills?" Sect Leader Qingxuan's tone became enthusiastic: "That's wonderful! What materials does young friend need? I'll have someone prepare them."
Yun Weiyang took out a piece of paper from her sleeve, which was covered with the names of medicinal herbs and monster materials.
"These are the materials for refining the 'Qi-Absorbing Pill'." Yun Weiyang handed the paper to Sect Leader Qingxuan: "The Qi-Absorbing Pill is a basic auxiliary pill that can accelerate the absorption of spiritual energy. It is useful for cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm and the Longevity Realm."
The Qingxuan Sect Leader took the paper and glanced at it. Most of the medicinal herbs were common and could be found in the mountains; the materials from demonic beasts were a bit more troublesome, but not too difficult to find.
Nodding, Sect Leader Qingxuan said, "I will have someone prepare these things. How much does young friend Yun need?"
"Prepare ten portions first," Yun Weiyang smiled. "My skills are not good enough, and I'm afraid I'll waste the ingredients."
Sect Leader Qingxuan laughed heartily: "Young friend, you are too modest. Even if the disciples from Xingxiu Sea are not very good at alchemy, they are still much better than us self-taught people."
Immediately, the Qingxuan Sect Leader stood up and instructed his eldest disciple, Zhou Heng, to prepare the materials.
Yun Weiyang then said, "Sect Leader, I have another request."
"Please speak, young friend."
"When I'm refining pills, I need quiet to prevent the pill fire from becoming unstable, so..."
"Understood." Sect Leader Qingxuan waved his hand: "The alchemy room is yours to use. No one is allowed to enter without your permission."
Yun Weiyang bowed in thanks and left the main hall.
As Yun Weiyang stepped out of the palace gate, she bumped into Zhi'er.
Today, Zhi'er changed into a light pink dress, and her hair was combed more neatly than usual, obviously she had dressed up carefully. When she saw Yun Weiyang, her face turned red again, she lowered her head and whispered "Brother Yun".