28:

“Hi,” Xiao Feng greeted Lianhua as he came to a stop before her.

The Senior Alchemist studied him with an odd expression on her visage, regarding him with clear curiosity in her gaze.

“I have been hearing rumors,” She opened her address with a revelation. “A lot of rumors. Just what have you been up to?” Lianhua asked, her tone more amused than demanding.

Oh, come on, Xiao Feng thought. Is there literally anybody who doesn’t know about me at this point?

“Uh…,” Xiao Feng trailed off, as he gestured with a quick swivel of his head in the direction of the peeking recruits. “Would you perhaps like to come in before I answer that question?” He asked her, resigned to the well of rumors his words would cause to spring up.

“Sure,” She replied, before she gave the peeking recruits a fierce glare. They scrambled out of Xiao Feng’s line of sight, but knew that it wouldn’t deter them for long.

Inside Xiao Feng’s room, Lianhua took a seat on the wooden chair placed before the study table, while he sat on his bed.

“So,” Xiao Feng began. “Before I explain everything, can you do me a favor? He asked.

“Depends on the favor,” Lianhua replied, her light-green eyes striking a stunning contrast against the azure, floral-imprint robes she was wearing.

“Well,” Xiao Feng got up, walked over to his pill furnace that he’d placed in one corner of the room before placing it on the table Lianhua was sitting before. “Can you heat that? Not too much, just a couple minutes at middle-layer Qi Gathering strength, if you could?”

“What’s in it?” Lianhua asked, her expression seeming a bit taken aback. “Did you try and refine a pill?” She asked, her tone carrying an edge of warning in it.

“No,” Xiao Feng replied. “I told you, I was going to make chai, didn’t I? That’s why I went to the alchemy vaults yesterday," he explained.

“Alchemist Jun let you into the alchemy vaults?” Lianhua asked, her tone surprised.

“You didn’t know?” Xiao Feng asked. “What were those rumors you mentioned, then?”

“I heard that a recruit who had recently joined our division bought enough spiritual herbs to start a herb garden of his own. Oh and that he is a serial womanizer who can’t stop asking out female alchemists the moment he lays eyes on them,” Lianhua explained, a teasing quality to her tone indicating that she didn’t fully put her stock in the rumors.

“Hey!” Xiao Feng protested. “I did no such thing. Alchemist Jun just helped me out with my concoction when I asked her to. That’s all. And she only let me into the vaults after I left my pill furnace’s lid outside. There’s no real risk to brewing concoctions, right?” Xiao Feng rhetorically asked.

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“Uh…,” Lianhua looked at him with confusion, her grace and poise nowhere to be found as she considered what he had just said. “Alchemist Jun helped you to brew concoctions?” She repeated, her tone sounding incredulous.

“Yeah?” Xiao Feng replied, not sure why that would be a cause for surprise.

“Alchemist Jun, the straight-laced bookworm who does nothing except research and ignores even my father’s requests unless they’re direct commands, helped you?” Lianhua asked, her tone seeking confirmation.

“Weeeell,” Xiao Feng considered, before answering, “I only invited her after I had finished brewing the chai, because I needed someone besides me to sample it. Though she did end up being incredibly nice and helpful by giving me her notes from her recruit days. That was very kind of her," he explained.

“Her… notes…?” Lianhua dumbfoundedly repeated.

“Yeah,” Xiao Feng confirmed, as he opened his desk drawer to reveal a well-worn, leatherbound notebook.

“So the rumors were true. Hmph,” Lianhua pouted, turning her gaze away from him in clear displeasure.

“Oh come on,” Xiao Feng protested. “Look, how about you heat the pill furnace and sample some chai for yourself, alright? Then you can test for yourself if her reaction was excessive,” Xiao Feng challenged.

“Those are some bold claims for a mere concoction based on a mortal drink,” Lianhua replied, though interest did sparkle in her verdant eyes. “You do remember that you are talking to the youngest senior alchemist in the entire division, right?”

“Well, if you’re going to play hard to get, then you should also remember that you are in the presence of the Hero of the Zheyan Pass, Xiao Feng the Undying,” He replied with a pompous tone that was deliberately exaggerated.

“I still don’t quite understand what draws someone like you to a place like this, but very well, bring it on, Xiao Feng the Undying,” She accepted the challenge with the same zeal it had been issued with.

Xiao Feng watched with fascination as Lianhua heated the side of the pill furnace with her blue Alchemist’s flame. As flames met metal, it was not the unpleasant, smoky odor that wafted out as one would expect, but instead a robust aroma that reminded Xiao Feng of a well-seasoned soup back on earth— warm, comforting and herbal. He wondered how the properties of the alchemist’s flame would modify the chai, but he did not expect a significant influence given how judiciously Lianhua was applying her alchemist’s flame.

“There,” She said. “All done.”

“Just a moment, Miss Senior Alchemist,” Xiao Feng replied, as he opened his cupboard and retrieved one of six cups that had already been placed there for his perusal.

He poured the Masala Chai for Lianhua with exacting care, careful not to spill even a drop.

Lianhua inspected the light golden hued liquid with clear curiosity, before inhaling deeply.

“Is that firedust I smell? And what are those sweet notes— don’t tell me, emberfruit gems?” She asked rhetorically and then kept going, “Hmm, the texture is light yet creamy. You put some bi-horn milk in here and a few other ingredients are too diluted for me to catch. Hmm, the hints of earth though…,” She trailed off, as she considered the answer.

“Humus root, maybe?” She asked.

“Damn,” The word slipped out of Xiao Feng’s mouth. “I guess I’ll have to add a lot of misleading ingredients in there if I want to keep my secrets.”

“Well, how do I drink it?” Lianhua asked.

“Small sips, try to savor it,” Xiao Feng replied.

Still seemingly skeptical, Lianhua decided to just go for it.

She took a sip and her cheeks flushed slightly red. There were no words exchanged as she took another sip. Beads of sweat started to build up on her forehead, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

“That is,” She said, her tone tinged with awe. “the most delicious waste of precious ingredients I have ever tasted.”