Under Yue Yingying’s expectant gaze, Ling Xiaodong braced himself and forced down the two indescribable dishes.
“How is it? Tasty, right!”
Yue Yingying eagerly leaned close to Ling Xiaodong, awaiting his praise.
Ling Xiaodong barely curled his lips into a smile, struggling to suppress the discomfort in his stomach, and forced out, “Delicious!”
“As expected of me! Such a trivial thing as cooking could never stump me, Yue Yingying!”
Yue Yingying’s beautiful eyes curved happily, her eyebrows raised with pride.
Beneath the candlelight, Yue Yingying looked exquisitely beautiful, her delicate smile enchanting, her eyes bright—outshining countless beauties.
Ling Xiaodong was momentarily dumbfounded by her charm.
“Since you’ve eaten your fill, come, let me teach you alchemy!”
“Alchemy? We have an alchemy furnace here in the sect?”
The impoverished Qingfeng Sect usually conserved even their candlelight, so how could they afford the extremely expensive alchemy furnaces and chambers? Ling Xiaodong often used this as an excuse to visit Xiaoyan and Aunt Yun there.
“You’re here now, so come!”
Yue Yingying grabbed Ling Xiaodong’s hand and led him toward the kitchen.
Pushing open the door, the kitchen still smelled strongly of something burnt, with soot from black smoke covering the stove.
Yue Yingying pointed at the large black pot on the stove.
“This is where the alchemy happens!”
“An iron pot can be used for alchemy? Isn’t an alchemy furnace and special fire necessary?”
Ling Xiaodong stared at the black pot he’d always used for cooking in shock.
Could it be that this unremarkable pot was actually forged from some celestial mysterious iron?
“That’s only because those alchemists lack skill. Am I some mediocre nobody?”
Indeed, she was referring to Ye Yiyun.
“If Ye Yiyun can teach you, what can’t I? Just watch!”
With that, Yue Yingying raised her sword finger and began chanting the incantation.
“Heaven and earth’s mystery, the radiance of sun and moon. The motion of the Five Elements, fierce fire from all directions. Red fire of heaven and earth, blazing flames of the fire god. True fire of the heavens, flaming and soaring. Five-directional thunderfire, dense smoke and blazing flames. Fire immortal general, fire emperor’s golden bell. Flowing gold casting fire, transformations endless. Swift as the decree!”
A golden flame suddenly rose from the bottom of the pot, hot tongues of fire rolling and licking the black iron.
Yue Yingying’s slender index finger continually shifted, her fingers weaving different magical seals.
“Summon the law of water! Sun’s brilliance flowing crystal, moon’s glow streaming light. Sweep away evil, extinguish all calamities. True officials and generals, spreading power like thunder. The law of water spreads four ways, bringing blessings and good fortune.”
Spirit water poured endlessly into the pot until it filled halfway before ceasing.
Yue Yingying then added the ingredients one by one: three taels each of ginseng and Dipsacus root, five taels each of motherwort powder, stalactite powder, white Poria, and Biota seed, four taels each of chrysanthemum, peach blossom, and rose petals, five taels of raw rehmannia, and ten taels of Atractylodes.
After dumping all the herbs into the pot, Yue Yingying covered it and sat down on a small kitchen stool, pulling a book from her bosom to read.
Ling Xiaodong asked incredulously, “Is that all?”
“What else? When the timing is right, the medicine will be ready.”
While reading, Yue Yingying occasionally glanced at the pot’s base. Only when the lid could no longer contain the rising steam did she rise and command the golden fire, “Recede!”
The golden flames twined back into fine strands, flowing into Yue Yingying’s palm.
Lifting the pot lid, mist and the fragrant aroma of herbs filled the room.
Ling Xiaodong leaned in and saw a pure white mass of medicine paste inside, semi-fluid in form.
Though this was alchemy, no pills could form perfectly spherical shapes directly inside the pot; usually, the medicine was first refined into a paste, then rolled into balls by hand, cooled, and finally coated in wax for preservation and portability.
“What kind of medicine is this?”
Ling Xiaodong asked in surprise. Though the process looked like cooking, the master really did create a pill.
Yue Yingying placed her hands on her hips, pride shining in her eyes.
“Beauty and Whitening Pill. It not only nourishes and whitens the skin but also removes scars and birthmarks. Try it!”
Ling Xiaodong picked up a clump with his chopsticks and tasted it.
The pill melted instantly, the medicinal power flowing from throat to limbs, warming him all over and bringing a gentle, spring-like comfort.
He hurried to the nearby water basin to check for effects.
But the reflection in the water remained unchanged, still the same as before.
“This is useless!”
The immortal fetus was already flawless; a mere beauty pill couldn’t improve it even slightly.
“How is that possible!”
Yue Yingying fixed her gaze and, though seeing no change, refused to admit failure. She stubbornly said, “Clearly you look better! You’re just blind!”
After speaking, she stretched and yawned, covering her mouth.
“All done with the lesson. I’m exhausted. Figure it out yourself; I’m going to sleep.”
Ling Xiaodong remained alone in the kitchen, staring at the reflection in the water basin, stroking his newly grown beard and hesitating.
“Maybe… it is a bit whiter?”
He didn’t care much either way, rolling the medicine paste into balls, dipping them in melted white wax, then removing them so the pills were encased in a white wax shell.
He placed the dozen or so Beauty and Whitening Pills into a bottle, glanced up at Yue Yingying’s room, and saw the candle had been extinguished.
Ling Xiaodong chuckled and closed the kitchen door, heading straight to Qingfeng Sect.
Of course, with such a wonderful item, he had to offer it to Aunt Yun for testing.
If Yue Yingying, fast asleep now, knew her painstakingly crafted pills had been taken by her unruly disciple to flatter another woman, she’d probably be furious enough to wake up.
Ling Xiaodong skillfully climbed over the high walls and entered the bamboo grove where Ye Yiyun lived.
Seeing the candlelight had gone out, he quietly pushed open the door and slipped into bed, reaching inward to embrace.
But his hand grasped only empty air.
He opened his eyes and found the room empty, though the warmth of the bed remained—someone had only just left.
Where had Aunt Yun gone?
Ling Xiaodong’s curiosity stirred, but since he was still within Qingfeng Sect, he didn’t worry.
As the saying goes, since he’d come all this way, he couldn’t leave empty-handed.
With the mindset of a flower thief unwilling to depart empty-handed, Ling Xiaodong turned to find Xiaoyan’s room.
Mi Xiaoyan’s room was still brightly lit, showing she hadn’t rested yet.
Ling Xiaodong tiptoed outside the door, a mischievous smile already playing on his lips.
Still awake this late? She must be punished!
Just as Ling Xiaodong imagined pinning Xiaoyan down to spank her, urgent calls came from inside.
“Xiaoyan, Xiaoyan, wake up! Don’t scare the master!”
Ling Xiaodong’s expression instantly darkened, his smile vanishing as he pushed the door open.
Inside, Ye Yiyun sat beside the bed, holding Xiaoyan in her arms, while a small novice nun stood awkwardly nearby.
Ye Yiyun’s face was filled with worry, her eyes red and brimming with tears.
Mi Xiaoyan lay pale as paper in Ye Yiyun’s embrace, lips devoid of color, weak and lifeless.