Chapter 85 The Inner School's Hopeless Aesthetics
"Senior Brother Du Ci, you don't need to say anything. I love alchemy, and I will never give it up."
“We’ve known each other since we were kids, would I ever harm you? Your spiritual root aptitude is indeed more suited to Spirit Herb Peak, your senior brother wouldn’t harm you. Otherwise, let’s just ask a passerby and see if water and wood spiritual roots are more suitable for alchemy or cultivating spiritual herbs.”
"It's none of your business."
“I know my behavior is annoying, but I promised your parents that I should persuade you to take a more suitable path.”
Sensing that someone was watching them, Ruan Chaoxue and Du Ci turned their heads at the same time.
Song Yin's appearance is currently disguised; at first glance, she appears to be a bright and elegant mature female cultivator.
Seeing that he was a stranger, Ruan Chaoxue felt humiliated and immediately shook off Du Ci and left. She had gone out to purchase spiritual herbs, and upon returning to her sect, she locked herself in her room and focused on her practice. Encountering Du Ci was purely accidental and unlucky.
Song Yin took out the list and immediately crossed out Du Ci's name.
“Fellow Daoist, you are not her, so why do you have to interfere in other people’s lives? If her choice is wrong, she will naturally turn back after hitting a wall.” Song Yin put away the list and said casually.
Du Ci, with a painstaking and well-meaning expression, said, "I'm an old acquaintance of hers, and I really can't bear to see her go astray. Besides, it's also her parents' wish. What's your name, fellow Daoist? Are you a friend of Ruan Chaoxue? Why don't you come with me to persuade her?"
Song Yin: "My name is Song Le. I don't know the girl from earlier. I just said it casually because I didn't like your behavior."
"You don't even know them, yet you interrupt. You're just wasting your time." Du Ci sneered, not wanting to say anything more, and walked away.
After Du Ciren walked away, Xia Xining asked Song Yin, "What was that list just now?"
Song Yin: "We will include them in the list of new talents for Danque Peak in the future, but the list has not been finalized yet. We will take our time to select them to avoid misjudging people and ruining the reputation of Danque Peak in the end."
Xia Xining: "After all these years, I thought Elder Qi had stopped recruiting, but it turns out he's still in the selection phase."
Song Yin: "I didn't have time before, but I plan to finalize the selection soon." Then she turned to Shi Heming and said: "I will pay you back as soon as the shop makes a profit and earns the spirit stones."
Shi Heming: "I don't have any urgent need for spirit stones, so there's no need to rush." He had already lent out some of his spirit stones and still had quite a few left. Over the years, Song Yin had accumulated just as many spirit stones as he had.
"How many spirit stones did you spend to have your natal sword forged?"
Upon hearing this, Song Yin immediately felt sorry for him and said, "Shh, let's not talk about this sad thing. Money is just an external thing, I believe that once it's spent, it can be earned back."
How much did it cost? It was naturally hundreds of thousands of top-grade spirit stones; my heart was bleeding. But for my powerful, handsome, and gorgeous wife, enduring a period of financial hardship isn't out of the question!
This price was already half off because the other party brought their own refining materials and the Grandmaster personally intervened. To persuade Elder You to agree, the Grandmaster even promised to give him an eighth-grade pill. That's an eighth-grade pill! An eighth-grade pill!
It would take several days for the shop to be completely reorganized, so Song Yin went directly to the inner sect academy after returning to the sect.
She blended in with the disciples of alchemy, and because of her magical artifact, no one recognized her.
"Who are you, fellow Daoist? I've never seen you before."
As soon as Song Yin arrived, she was stopped and questioned by a disciple who had been at the school for many years.
Song Yin: "My name is Song Le. I've been training away from home for many years and just returned to the sect a few days ago." She pointed to the area in front, which was completely surrounded. "Do you know what's going on up there, fellow Daoist?"
"Several fellow disciples are having a pill-refining competition in class later, and everyone wants to join in the fun."
Song Yin: "Thank you for informing me. May I ask your honorable surname, fellow traveler?"
"My surname is Han, but you may call me Han Changyu, Fellow Daoist Song." Han Changyu was rather thin, but quite tall, appearing to be over 1.8 meters. Half of his hair was tied back, giving him the look of a frail scholar, yet he was holding a plate of melon seeds while watching a play, which greatly diminished his overall demeanor.
"Do you know who is competing?" Song Yin asked him, while observing the man discreetly.
Han Changyu, the last person on the list.
"Ding Ruchun, Liu Ren, Wei Fulin, and Du Ci said that whoever won would teach more people."
Song Yin: "Willing to teach others? What a kind person!"
Han Changyu handed Song Yin a handful of melon seeds from his plate. "Did I? I didn't say that. Meeting is fate. This handful of melon seeds is a welcome back to your sect, fellow Daoist."
Crunch, crunch, Song Yin popped the sunflower seeds one after another. "These sunflower seeds are delicious. Chew, chew, chew. Where did you buy them?"
Han Changyu: "If I can't buy it, I grow it myself and cook it myself."
Standing next to Han Changyu, Song Yin asked, "Have they always been this popular?"
The roads are so congested that they severely disrupt traffic.
Han Changyu: "That's natural. Some people want to be guided by them, while others want to use them to get on Danque Peak."
"Get on board Danque Peak?"
Han Changyu: "Fellow Daoist Song, you must have been traveling for a long time, right?"
"It's been a long time," Song Yin lied through her teeth.
Han Changyu: "Senior Sister Song Yin of Danque Peak is rarely seen, and Elder Qi only comes to the academy a handful of times a year. The four of them not only know Senior Sister Song Yin of Danque Peak, but are also said to have a very good relationship with her. Naturally, many people will try to get on good terms with them because of this."
Huh? I know them? I'm on good terms with them?
Song Yin didn't know what to say for a moment, and just laughed in exasperation.
After the Foundation Establishment Competition, when she first moved into Danque Peak, she would occasionally go to the inner sect academy. Later, she gradually stopped going to the academy altogether.
Because he rarely appears in public, some people with ulterior motives have taken advantage of the situation.
"Are you trying to squeeze in too?" Han Changyu called out to Song Yin.
Song Yin: "I also want to get to know Senior Sister Song Yin."
"You know what, maybe Senior Sister Song Yin will really remember you. Your names sound like sisters." Han Changyu went along with what the other person said.
It's a real shame; I thought she was sensible. If you examine Du Ci and the other three's methods closely, you'll find that their so-called acquaintance with Song Yin was nothing but a scam. Over the years, who has actually caught Song Yin's eye because of them?
"After traveling for so many years, I still got scammed." Han Changyu sighed and shook his head. "Hopeless."
Song Yin squeezed into the crowd.
"Don't rush, everyone. We'll help you with anything you need for alchemy." Du Ci raised his hands, gesturing for everyone not to crowd. "Elder Qi will be here soon. Please go inside first."
To my surprise, my master came to give a lesson. Today is really lively.
"It's you?" Du Ci spotted Song Yin in the crowd. "You're an inner disciple? Why have I never seen you before?"
"Does Senior Brother Du know her?" someone asked.
Song Yin: "After traveling for many years, I didn't expect to return to the sect in such a lively atmosphere. I heard about Daoist Du's good deeds. I also have many questions about alchemy. I wonder if you could give me some pointers?"
Du Ci: "I can offer guidance, but I don't know your name yet."
"Song Le".
Du Ci's eyelids twitched. "Fellow Daoist Song."
"What are you all doing standing at the door? Anyone who's not going to learn, get out." A stern and imposing voice rang out from behind the crowd.
The newcomer's hair was neatly combed back, his lips were pursed into a straight line, and he looked young, but his eyes were as calm as an ancient pool, and one could tell from his eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, that he was very old.
He arrived silently, and his words immediately silenced the noisy and chaotic scene. The disciples all bowed their heads and dared not make any rash moves.
"Greetings, Elder Qi."
After bowing, Du Ci humbly said, as if seeking credit and reward, "Please don't blame everyone, Elder. They gathered here to discuss alchemy. It's also the disciples' fault for not paying attention to the time and blocking the door, which affected the formal lesson."
Qi Zibo scanned the crowd, his gaze settling on one person's face.
The traitor looked much older and rather ugly after his disguise. His eyes were strangely upturned at the corners, like a fox demon, and his lips were an unnaturally red; one might mistake them for blood from swallowing a live prey.
She's not as pretty as her original face. Of course, his wife is the most beautiful.
Song Yin tilted her head back, showing off her meticulously sculpted, mature, and glamorous face, complete with carefully designed makeup.
When Song Yin accidentally bumped her arm into the female cultivator next to her, she looked down and saw that the female cultivator's gaze had shifted away and her ears had turned red.
Song Yin was even more satisfied upon seeing this.
Du Ci thought Elder Qi was looking at him, so he suppressed his excitement and tried to appear more composed, but his back gradually straightened.
Qi Zibo felt his eyes were irritated by the ugliness and looked away, unwilling to look at the unfortunate thing any longer.
"Aren't you going to go in and wait for me to invite you in?"
A group of people rushed into the room, causing severe congestion at the entrance.
Qi Zibo remained silent.
Song Yin went in last, and by then the room was already packed with people.
In the middle was a large alchemy furnace, as tall as an adult, with flames roaring. Qi Zibo stood beside the furnace, selecting the spiritual herbs to be used that day.
"Didn't Fellow Daoist Song want to get to know Elder Qi's disciple? Why are you standing on the very edge instead of squeezing in?" Han Changyu appeared next to Song Yin without her noticing and whispered, "Look at Du Ci, Ding Ruchun, Liu Ren, and Wei Fulin, they're all standing in the closest positions to Elder Qi."
Song Yin: "Elder Qi's alchemy skills are unparalleled, and his alchemy techniques are superb. Even from a distance, one can learn a lot. However, since no one is speaking now, if you speak directly to me, be careful the elders might hear you."
Hearing his rebellious disciple praise him, Qi Zibo suppressed a laugh and continued to demonstrate for the others.
Sigh, it's so much easier and more rewarding to teach that rebellious disciple. She only needs to demonstrate once for pills of the same grade, and she can immediately apply what she's learned to other pills and understand them all. Everyone else has to be demonstrated again and again, and the knowledge and precautions have to be explained in detail. Even so, some people still can't understand, can't learn, and can't remember.
Du Ci nodded to Wei Fulin and the others, and the three understood.
During his demonstration, Qi Zibo explained the effects of combining various spiritual herbs, the consequences of different orders, and the signs that indicated the successful refining of the elixir.
When it was the disciples' turn to refine pills, Du Ci and the other three skillfully handled the spiritual herbs and controlled the fire to refine the pills.
Qi Zibo was pacing back and forth in the classroom.
As Du Ci and his companions opened the alchemy furnace after the pills were completed, they secretly threw several pills into the furnace without anyone noticing.
Du Ci opened the alchemy furnace to show it off, "Elder Qi, this disciple has refined a total of ten pills in this batch, five of which are of superior grade."
Wei Fulin: "I am not as skilled as Du Ci. I only managed to refine nine pills, but fortunately, like Du Ci, five of them are of superior quality."
Ding Ruchun: "Disciple has refined ten pills, four of which are of superior quality."
Liu Ren: "Disciple has refined eight pills, five of which are of superior quality."
Four people successively declared that they had completed the task and achieved excellent results, while the others began to lose focus.
"My God, they refine pills so fast! So many top-grade pills, that's amazing!"
"Oh no, my fire went too low."
Qi Zibo: "Alchemy requires a calm mind. Have you forgotten what I taught you last time?"
The distracted disciple immediately lowered his head and fell silent, focusing intently on the alchemy furnace.
Han Changyu skillfully completed the alchemy process and asked Song Yin, "Why doesn't Fellow Daoist Song start refining the pills herself?"
From the very beginning, Song Le never brought out her alchemy furnace. What was she up to?
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Author's note: Qi Zibo: It's an eyesore, really ugly.
Song Yin: You tasteless old man. [Eye roll]
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[Empty bowl]
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