After getting their rooms squared away, Zhou Lihua gave Wu Jian, Mei Xilan, and Youmei a tour of the city.

The Southern Tang Dynasty was a peaceful nation known as the Country of Scholars. Their emperor, considered the wisest man on the continent, had been ruling this nation for almost five hundred years and opened numerous academies, each one with a focus on one specific subject. It wasn’t just cultivation they taught either. There was an academy for poetry and the arts, one for business, and even one that taught people how to teach. Within the last two hundred years, all of the world’s greatest minds had come out of one of the Southern Tang Dynasty’s academies.

They were allowed to tour the academy ground, so Zhou Lihua took them on a tour through the Alchemy Academy. It was not owned and operated by the Alchemist Association, but they did have a partnership with the association. Many of the academy’s teaching staff were alchemists who worked for the association and taught part-time in exchange for resources and a quiet place to refine pills.

Even though Mei Xilan and Youmei were still with them, Zhou Lihua and Wu Jian had felt like they were in their own little world. They spoke with the familiarity of intimacy. Mei Xilan had worn a cold look as they openly flirted, and Wu Jian had considered stopping for her sake, but it was hard. He hadn’t seen Zhou Lihua in such a long time, and he wanted to enjoy every moment they had together because he didn’t know when they would get to see each other again.

Tang Tiantian and Zhou Wen met up with them once they had gotten back to the inn and they all had dinner together. There were many taverns and bars that catered to academics, which meant they were more refined than the average dive found in other countries. The one they found themselves in was quiet, classy, and surprisingly cool. Water flowed underneath the floorboards and cooled the interior. Everything, from the furniture to the walls, was made of a dark wood that was both sturdy and moisture resistant.

Many people were sitting around, sipping drinks with a book in hand or writing notes down on parchment. They were all wearing scholarly robes in varying colors. According to Zhou Lihua, the colors denoted what school they were affiliated with.

The Southern Tang Dynasty’s cuisine was well-known for its rice and various fruit dishes. He had seen the many rice paddies during the airship ride. They had spread across the nation, oddly placed alongside trees and plants that bore tropical fruits. He guessed the humid climate and many wetlands contributed to rice being their primary crop.

Wu Jian ordered a meal called Spicy Seafood Hotpot, which was served to him in a large pot. The boiling red broth looked like it might ignite his tongue and insides. An intense spicy scent wafted from the pot. Sitting in the broth, a colorful variety of seafood created a delightful sight. Bright red lobster contrasted with vibrant green seaweed and a variety of colorful plants found off the coast. He took a sip and almost flinched as a spiciness so intense it numbed his tongue hit his mouth, and yet, that only seemed to ignite his appetite.

She’s staring at me.

Zhou Wen had been watching Wu Jian for some time now. He didn’t know if she expected him to take off his mask, but she was bound to be disappointed. Ever since he had learned how to use the Dao of Space to simply warp food into his mouth, he had been doing that to avoid removing his mask, save occasions where he ate alone or with people he trusted.

As they ate, Tang Tiantian spoke to Mei Xilan.

“I’ve spoken with my father and have gotten you an audience with Master Yun Chi. You’ll see him tomorrow. Zhou Lihua can show you the way. She’s his apprentice and knows where he lives.”

“Thank you,” Mei Xilan said.

“Don’t thank me. I can only get you an audience with him. You’re the one who has to convince him to help you.”

“I know.”

Wu Jian did not focus on the conversation between Mei Xilan and Tang Tiantian. Instead, he silently ate his meal. Youmei was also wolfing down her food. She had chosen garlic shrimp and lobster over a bed of rice. While the meal smelled great, he was certain her breath would not once she finished eating. After she had scarfed down her third plate, she looked over at his dish and quickly snatched some in her mouth.

“Youmei, don’t steal people’s food. At least ask first.”

“Youmei knew you would let her ea--so she didn’t see the… WAAAAAAAH! IT’S HOT! IT’S HOT! YOUMEI’S MOUTH IS BURNING!!!”

Youmei fell off the table and began rolling around on the floor, writhing and shuddering like a dying animal. Wu Jian watched the young girl. He was unable to feel any sympathy for her when she had stolen his food, but she was drawing a lot of attention to herself. People had stopped what they were doing and stared at her with anger. He guessed these scholarly types didn’t care much for noise.

“Oh, my. I guess she doesn't like spicy foods.”

“Well, she is a cat.”

Feline magical beasts had enhanced senses across the board. Their sense of sight, hearing, and taste were all greater than those of a human’s. Off course, their tongues were extremely sensitive to temperatures too. Youmei never ate cold or hot foods. They always had to be mild. She also couldn’t deal with spices.

“MASTER! HELP YOUMEI! HER TONGUE BURNS! IT BURNS!”

“I don’t know if I should… you kinda deserve it.”

“F-FORGIVE YOUMEI!! PLEASE?!

“Haaaaaah. All right. Here, drink this.”

Wu Jian held out a fruity concoction that was a mixture of white and red. He didn’t know what it was, but it looked like a fruit drink made with coconut milk.

Youmei took the beverage and glugged it down with audible gulping sounds; everyone watched silently as her throat bobbed with a maniacal rhythm. When she finally finished the entire thing, she pulled the glass away and released a deep breath.

“Aaaaah. Youmei feels much better now.”

Wu Jian sighed. “Come here. That drink is all over your face.”

He leaned over to wipe Youmei’s face with a napkin. Meanwhile, Mei Xilan and Tang Tiantian got back to business.

“Zhou Lihua here will come by early next morning to take you to Master Yun Chi. I don’t know how you plan to convince him to help, but you had better have prepared something amazing.”

“Do not worry. I would not have requested this meeting if I didn’t already have a plan,” Mei Xilan said with a determined glint in her eyes.

***

Just as Tang Tiantian said, Zhou Lihua arrived as dawn broke. They didn’t even get to have breakfast because she was whisking them off to where her master lived. Youmei had grumbled and complained about not getting to eat, so they stopped by a food stall real quick to grab some fresh fruits and a confection made of rice dough. It would hopefully be enough to tide the young panther over until the meeting ended.

Master Yun Chi technically lived on the Alchemist Academy grounds, but that was only because the grounds extended far beyond the structures used by the academy. Most of the academy grounds was taken up by alchemy gardens. Expansive gardens dedicated to growing alchemy ingredients stretched across most of the campus, creating a colorful array of life. Wu Jian knew nothing about alchemy ingredients so all he could do was admire the colors. According to Zhou Lihua, all these ingredients were used in mid-rank alchemy pills, meaning tier 4 through 6.

Her master’s residence was located much further out, on a mountain surrounded by even more alchemy ingredients, all of which were apparently quite rare. Wu Jian had not been certain what to expect. Most alchemists were quite vain. Because alchemy was necessary for a cultivator’s continued cultivation, alchemists were always in high-demand, which meant many of them developed an ego.

The residence of Yun Chi was surprisingly modest. A three-story complex centered around a courtyard stood before them. Like other buildings, this one was elevated a few feet off. While the residence was more modest than most, that wasn’t to say it didn’t lack in some ostentatiousness, but it was clear from the lack of expensive decorations that the alchemy master did not care for pomp. A pair of jade tigers stood guard over the entrance. Those alone were the only decoration he saw.

Lili Ling was already waiting for them. She stood near the statues with her arms crossed, expression impatient as she tapped her feet against the ground.

“Took you all long enough.”

Zhou Lihua smiled. “There’s no need to be so impatient. Actually, I’m surprised you even bothered to meet us.”

“Tch. What’s that mean? Even I know how to be a good host.”

Lili Ling seemed a little hot and cold to Wu Jian, but he said nothing as she and Zhou Lihua led them into the complex. Their feet creaked on the wooden floorboards, polished to a shine. Master Yun Chi’s private refining room was in the back of the complex, where nobody would disturb him and where nothing would happen to the rest of the building should his refining go wrong. Refining alchemy pills could be dangerous. Wu Jian had heard horror stories about alchemy cauldrons exploding in people’s faces.

“Master?” Zhou Lihua knocked on the door. “Your guests have arrived.”

“… Come in,” came an old voice.

Zhou Lihua and Lili Ling pushed the door open, then they, Wu Jian, Mei Xilan, and Youmei entered the room.

Shaped like a cylinder, the room contained a far different aesthetic from rooms he had seen so far. Bare of almost anything, the only items within were the massive cauldron in the center. It stood taller than several adults and was about three times as wide. He’d never seen a cauldron so big before.

“That cauldron is used for mass refining,” Zhou Lihua explained.

“Ah. That makes sense. You’d need a bigger cauldron to refine a lot of pills at once.”

It wasn’t in use right now. Standing before the cauldron, staring at them with his arms crossed, was the man they had come to see.

Alchemist Master Yuni Chi was an older man with pepper hair, dark eyes, and quite a few wrinkles. His appearance meant nothing to cultivators. Wu Jian heard that he was almost 700 years old. At that age, he could have chosen to look however he wanted. He didn’t have a beard or mustache, a rarity in people who preferred a more aged appearance. The alchemist robes were mostly black, but the platinum lining and the badge pinned to his chest denoted him as one of the most accomplished alchemists on the Xaio Continent.

He stared at each of them, pausing briefly on Wu Jian, only to focus on Mei Xilan.

“I have agreed to meet with you, but I expect you to not waste my time.”

What a crotchety old coot.

Wu Jian had only met this man once, and they had never spoken. He had spent most of his time trading verbal jabs with Ruo Chong, another platinum rank alchemist.

“Of course, Master Yun Chi. I have here the ingredients needed to help me break through the Deva Realm.” She held out a storage ring, which floated out of her hand and into Yun Chi’s grasp. As he studied the ring, Mei Xilan offered a low martial bow of respect. “My request is for you to refine the Yin Realm Breaking Pill for me.”

“Hmm. The Yin Realm Breaking Pill is specifically for cultivators who use yin chi cultivation techniques to break through the Deva Realm. I can refine one, of course. Refining a pill of this level is nothing to me, but it is quite the thing to ask of me. You know who I am, yes? Why would you come to a gold rank alchemist if all you wanted was for me to refine such a low-tier pill?”

The Yin Realm Breaking Pill was a tie 6 pill, meaning it was in an upper middle-grade pill--at least, in terms of its refining difficulty. That was nothing for a platinum-rank alchemist like him.

“Because that’s not the only pill I wish for you to refine. That pill is just for me. I have a list of pills I would like you to mass refine for me.”

Mei Xilan summoned a sheet of parchment, which flew out of her hand and was snatched by Master Yun Chi. He looked at the list with narrowed eyes.

“Ah ha. Now I see why you’re coming to me. If you want someone to mass refine pills of this level, you can only seek out a platinum rank alchemist. It all makes sense now. However…” the alchemist master furrowed his brow at Mei Xilan. “… I am not in the habit of doing things out of the goodness of my heart. Tell me, child, why should I refine these pills for you? What’s in it for me?”

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