34:

Once again, Xiao Feng found himself on the battlefield. He strode forward as if he was the scion of wind itself, his expression ferocious as his blade arced forward with explosive momentum.

The Demon that obstructed his path fell prey to Xiao Feng’s blade, even though the trajectory of his blade was poised to intercept Xiao Feng’s own. A slight flick of his wrists was all it had taken, yet it should have been impossible to pull such a move on an opponent that well surpassed his own speed.

Had he not predicted the motion of the attack with the aid of his Essence Cultivation Art, that logic would stand true for Xiao Feng as well. It was a gamble even then, for seeing through his enemy’s intent did not mean that it was enough to bridge the gap in their capabilities.

Yet, Xiao Feng had committed to the risky maneuver anyway and his blade had struck true.

Such was his focus. His determination. Most of all, his desire for vengeance.

The reward for his triumph came in the form of more breathing room, more space to continue his rampage.

In that moment, Xiao Feng felt the exact opposite of invincible. He was tired, his Qi reserves were down to half and the margins he was obtaining victory through were growing thinner and thinner as the enemies that came after him grew stronger.

Nevertheless, he moved forward. One step, a second and then… silence.

The silence of the attack that struck him was so unexpected. It’s speed surpassed the limits of his cognition. One moment, he was a foe to be feared on the battlefield, the next he was collapsing forward like a puppet with its strings cut.

There was no avoiding it. His essence cultivation art could not guard him against threats that he was too slow, too weak to deal with.

His heart filled with dread, Xiao Feng waited for darkness to claim him.

Then, he awoke.

Finding himself in his dorm room bed, Xiao Feng woke up with a jerk of his hands. His back seemed to be drenched in sweat and his heart was pounding at a place that could not be healthy.

Deep breaths, Xiao Feng thought, as he sat up and assumed a cross-legged posture. It took him a few minutes to stabilize his pulse rate, before Xiao Feng cycled Qi through his meridians.

Almost immediately, all traces of sleepiness left him and he felt refreshed, like he had just gotten done taking a warm shower.

“See,” He muttered in the direction of the wardrobe that housed the egg. “This is what happens when I don’t get my morning chai,” He complained.

The egg remained silent.

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“Well, time to do something about it then,” Xiao Feng hopped onto his feet, landing against the ground with a light thump.

After giving his appearance a once over in the washing area, he poured some bi-horn milk on the egg before leaving for the Junior Division.

As it turned out, there was a botanical shop that sold spiritual herbs and plants in the Junior Division as well, but as Xiao Feng stood before it, he could not help but think of it more like a storage room.

An alchemist designate was seated at the front of the store, her visage masked by tinted, metal-rimmed spectacles that seemed to serve a purpose, as she inspected a herb that had leaves fanning out in the general shape of a bouquet.

Behind her stretched out a passageway more than a shop, with identical four-storied storage racks lining either side of the walls until the end of the passageway. A door on the other end presumably led out of the store, also likely where the hundreds of herbs piled on the racks came from.

There were so numerous in quantity, Xiao Feng could not possibly feel guilty about buying as many as he wanted.

“Yes?” The alchemist designate asked, betraying a coldness to her otherwise professional tone that told Xiao Feng that she did not appreciate being disturbed.

“Hello. Are you Alchemist Jia-Rui?” Xiao Feng politely asked, determined not to give the alchemist a reason to find fault with him.

“I am indeed Alchemist Jia-Rui,” She replied, as gaze focused on him more keenly.

“Senior Alchemist Lianhua told me that I could purchase Moonlit Dew plants here. I would like to buy some if possible,” Xiao Feng said.

“Lianhua?” She repeated, before her gaze flashed with realization. “You’re that recruit, Xiao Feng?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” He replied.

“I…see,” She muttered to herself.

Xiao Feng wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it, but for a moment his senses picked up on malice in Alchemist Jia-Rui’s gaze.

“So, Xiao Feng,” She spoke, pronouncing his surname with a little bit more emphasis than required. “How many Moonlit Dew plants do you want?”

“Fifteen,” He replied.

“That will be thirty bronze taels.”

Xiao Feng offered a single silver tael. Only after Alchemist Jia-Rui took it and gave him his change did she move to pack the Moonlit Dew herbs.

“Thank you,” Xiao Feng offered, receiving the packet full of herbs with care.

He moved to leave, but Alchemist Jia-Rui’s words stopped him, “A word of advice, Recruit Xiao Feng?” She rhetorically asked, her emphasis on his rank blatant.

“Yes Ma’am?” He asked.

“You should stay away from Senior Alchemist Lianhua. Someone like you isn’t worthy of receiving instruction from a personage of her station,” Alchemist Jia-Rui finally took off the mask and said what she had been thinking.

Someone like you. Hm, Xiao Feng thought. She knows I’m from the martial division, but I don’t think she knows exactly who I am. Most alchemists seem to hold no deep interest in the goings-on within the martial division, so it’s not too much of a reach.

Xiao Feng swiveled his head to the side, so he could meet Alchemist Jia-Rui’s gaze, before speaking, “You have a very amusing sense of humor, Alchemist Jia-Rui. You should tell that particular one to Nascent Soul, Elder Haoyun. I’m sure he would appreciate someone trying to elevate the honor of a war hero.”

Turning his gaze away before he could study Alchemist Jia-Rui’s expression, Xiao Feng mockingly waved goodbye to her before heading towards the Cultivation Rooms.

I wonder if Alchemist Jun will like pudina chai, Xiao Feng mused, having already placed the interaction with Alchemist Jia-Rui out of his mind as he considered how he would tackle his second chai blend with the Moonlit Dew plant as it’s base.