Chapter 49: Refining Medicinal Essence . . .
Within the hallowed halls of the Dan Wu Academy, each alchemy instructor possessed a private sanctum dedicated to pill refinement, and Feng Ruoqing was no exception.
Her pill refinement chamber boasted a meticulously organized layout, with various medicinal herbs neatly categorized and stored. Positioned at its heart was a resplendent red pill cauldron. Even to Ye Yuan's discerning eye, it was unmistakably a superior-grade Tier 2 pill cauldron. Undoubtedly, among the academy's alchemy instructors, none could boast a better cauldron. Yet, to Ye Yuan, such a pill cauldron held little value.
Ye Yuan, suppressing his disinterest, found a place to seat himself. Unbeknownst to him, Feng Ruoqing's keen eyes caught this gesture, igniting an unexpected irritation within her.
"It appears you disdain my Red Lotus Cauldron?"
"Huh? This cauldron? It's decent, decent. Haha." Ye Yuan chuckled, masking his true feelings.
Yet, even without uttering a word, Feng Ruoqing sensed the insincerity behind his laughter.
"Have you encountered superior Tier 2 pill cauldrons before?"
"Me? Haha. I'm just a student, not even an Alchemy Apprentice. Where would I come across such high-tier pill cauldrons? Red Lotus Cauldron, right? Nice name, nice name!"
Although Ye Yuan replied, his contempt for the pill cauldron inadvertently prompted a barrage of questions from Feng Ruoqing, compelling him to feign interest. In truth, he looked down upon such cauldrons, deeming them unworthy even to boil water.
Ye Yuan's revelation during the medicinal theory class had already exceeded the scope of the academy's students. The secrets he unveiled, particularly the utilization of the Yin-Yang Separation Flow Technique to refine the Tier 2 Qi Returning Pill, were beyond the ken of even the Alchemy Roll of Honor's top scholar.
Feng Ruoqing, having glimpsed the technique in an obscure ancient record, considered it a treasure and had tirelessly practiced it. However, the technique's inherent complexity proved insurmountable, forcing her eventual abandonment of the effort.
Thus, her interest in Ye Yuan, given his apparent mastery of the technique, sparked a desire for him to become her assistant. To her dismay, Ye Yuan repeatedly evaded her, igniting her frustration and leading to the events that unfolded.
Despite Ye Yuan's apparent disdain, Feng Ruoqing sensed an authenticity in his scorn that set him apart from others. His indifference towards her Red Lotus Cauldron and the Yin-Yang Separation Flow Technique puzzled and intrigued her.
As Ye Yuan continued to underestimate her achievements, Feng Ruoqing's self-assurance wavered, prompting a terrifying thought: Could Ye Yuan genuinely possess knowledge of the Yin-Yang Separation Flow Technique?
Attempting to dispel this improbable notion, Feng Ruoqing, in her usual cold demeanor, instructed Ye Yuan to assist her. "I summoned you to be my assistant, not to lounge. Move and begin preparing the herbs."
"Oh, right, coming." Ye Yuan staggered to his feet and approached the preparation area, scrutinizing the herbs arranged there. Curiosity compelled him to question, "Aren't you refining a Tier 2 Qi Returning Pill? Why are you using Tier 1 ingredients?"
Feng Ruoqing blushed slightly and retorted with a tinge of anger, "I told you to prepare the medicines; just do it. Why so many questions?!"
Observing the situation, Ye Yuan inferred that Feng Ruoqing had not mastered the Yin-Yang Separation Flow Technique and was utilizing Tier 1 medicines for practice.
Recognizing the prolonged commitment required for such training, Ye Yuan, mindful of his precious time, sighed and commenced with herb preparation.
Feng Ruoqing, meanwhile, retreated into the quiet chamber to meditate and attain the mental focus crucial for pill refinement. The intricate art of pill refinement demanded unwavering concentration, and even the slightest disturbance could mar the quality of the medicinal pill.
As Feng Ruoqing delved into her meditative state, striving to achieve the necessary mental equilibrium, an unforeseen interruption materialized—an insistent knocking on the quiet chamber's door.
This time, Feng Ruoqing found herself truly infuriated. Beyond the fact that Ye Yuan repeatedly avoided being her assistant—a role that any man in the academy would eagerly vie for—now that he was finally assisting her, he seemed to be causing more trouble than performing his designated tasks!
With no justifiable reason, she contemplated administering a severe beating and then hanging him for three days as a public deterrent.
The door slowly creaked open, unveiling the irate figure of Feng Ruoqing.
"Haha. I never expected Teacher Feng to open the door so hastily. You almost gave me a fright," Ye Yuan feigned a startled expression.
Unperturbed by Ye Yuan's reaction, Feng Ruoqing raised her right palm, with traces of essence energy flowing along it as if ready to strike at any moment.
"I instructed you to prepare the herbs! What are you doing?! Do you not realize that I'm in the middle of meditation?! Unless you have a valid reason, be prepared to face this palm!" Feng Ruoqing snarled.
"Don't! Teacher Feng, had you mentioned your penchant for violence, I wouldn't have become your assistant, even if it meant copying the 'Herbal Compendium' a hundred times back then! The herbs are all prepared. I even finished refining two sets of medicinal essences before coming over to call you. I didn't expect you to take so long to meditate!" Ye Yuan jumped away with a loud exclamation.
"What? The medicinal essences are already refined?"
Feng Ruoqing struggled to comprehend his words. Only about 15 minutes had passed since she entered the quiet chamber. How could Ye Yuan have not only prepared numerous herbs but also refined the medicinal essence?
"That's correct. Is this reason acceptable? I don't want to be smacked to death," Ye Yuan responded gloomily.
Lowering her hand, Feng Ruoqing issued a cold humph and warned, "If I discover that you're fabricating stories, a single palm will be the least of your worries."
Having said this, Feng Ruoqing proceeded to the operating stage and was promptly taken aback.
Two sets of medicinal essences were neatly arranged in jade containers, their colors exceptionally pure. It was evident that they had been superbly refined, with all extraneous medicinal impurities meticulously removed.
Feng Ruoqing glanced at Ye Yuan, opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged.
"Teacher Feng, is there something you want to say? Are you not going to smack me to death? At most, I'll remember to call you later next time. How long do you usually take to meditate?" Ye Yuan innocently inquired.
. . .
Feng Ruoqing remained speechless.
After a brief silence, she finally took a deep breath and questioned Ye Yuan, "Did you really refine these medicinal essences?"
Ye Yuan looked around and asked playfully, "Are there others present?"
"But how did you do it so quickly?"
Ordinary Alchemy Apprentices would devote an hour solely to herb preparation, not to mention the additional time required for refining the medicinal essence. In total, the process usually spanned at least two hours.
Herb preparation was not merely about pairing herbs together; it demanded precision in weighing out the quantities. Even the slightest error was unacceptable.
Thus, an alchemist's assistant usually approached herb preparation with great caution, consuming a significant amount of time. Even Feng Ruoqing herself needed over an hour to refine the medicinal essence of a Tier 1 pill.
Yet, Ye Yuan had accomplished it in a mere 15 minutes. Such efficiency was unheard of!
"Why spend so much time on such a simple task as refining the medicinal essence of a Tier 1 pill?" Ye Yuan casually questioned.