40:

“What in the name of the Guardian Lotus was that?” Lianhua asked, her cheeks flushed from a melange of anger, shock and just flabbergasted confusion as they finally found themselves in the privacy of Xiao Feng’s chambers.

“In my defense,” Xiao Feng offered as he allowed his body to go slack before lightly crashing onto the comfort of his bed. “This wasn’t exactly how I expected my day to go,” He explained, as his head found cushioning on a fluffy pillow that sunk in, molding to his form.

“He offered you a year. Why didn’t you take it?” Lianhua asked, her tone laced with an unexpected rawness.

Xiao Feng sat up as he realized that Lianhua’s tone was far more hurt than he had expected it to be

“You know what happened back there, right?” Xiao Feng asked, his tone coming out a bit confused.

“I don’t know the why but…,” Lianhua trailed off, as she reigned in the emotions that were seeping into her tone. “... Alchemist Zhi and his colleagues seem to have conspired against you. I have known him for a while now and his interactions with me have always been pleasant. I just can’t understand it.”

Xiao Feng blinked, his cheeks flushing a little as he confirmed that Lianhua believed him over a full-fledged alchemist who she had known for a while.

“I’m… honored that you believe me,” Xiao Feng replied, his tone soft and surprisingly vulnerable.

“Why would I not?” Lianhua asked, her tone sharp and demanding. She paused, before holding her fingers at her lips in embarrassment. A moment later, she shook off the confusion and hurt she was feeling and continued,

“Alchemist Zhi may have been right when he said that I had offered to teach you due to political necessity. However, you are my first disciple. The only disciple I have ever taken on until now. Our relationship may be a temporary one, but this fact shall not change. I am on your side, Xiao Feng.”

Xiao Feng felt his heart pound in his chest, as Lianhua’s warmth and kindness threatened to melt it.

“Besides, I do not think one of your stature and caliber would leave the martial division, where you would have been respected and admired for the rest of your days, just to engage in violence in the Alchemy Division. It would make even less sense than Alchemist Zhi’s actions,” Lianhua explained her thought process, which seemed well-reasoned to Xiao Feng.

His own reputation eclipsed that of Alchemist Zhi’s by many times, after all.

“Well, I would be pretty weird to leave all that behind in favor of brewing chai if I didn’t enjoy it. Though… I am still weird, aren’t I?” Xiao Feng asked, sounding horrified by the thought.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lianhua giggled.

“Well,” Xiao Feng began, his tone reverting to normalcy as he considered how to answer Lianhua’s question. “Since you brought up the martial division…,” He trailed off.

“Yes?” Lianhua asked, urging him to continue.

“You don’t expect them to just leave me, do you?” Xiao Feng asked, his tone conspiratorial.

“Did they not?” Lianhua countered, her tone sounding alarmed.

“They did,” Xiao Feng replied calmly. “However, you must understand. If I am a deadly spiritual beast then Elder Haoyun is my beast master. The more prey a beast hunts, the better reward the beast master can get for it. And he is far from the only beast master,” Xiao Feng used an analogy to explain the delicate situation his status as a war hero put him in.

“I don’t understand,” Lianhua replied, unable to see the connection between the martial division and his decisions before Alchemist Zhi.

“I cannot show weakness, Lianhua. If Alchemist Zhi seeks to frame and destroy me, then I must destroy him instead, on my own terms. Not just to prevent others like Alchemist Zhi from trying to mess with me again, but also to send a message to the Martial Division. To remind them that the Xiao Feng they knew is very much hale and hearty, that he is not licking his wounds in the alchemy division but rather honing an entirely new weapon,” Xiao Feng explained, his gaze sharp and scheming.

“Can you win, though? In a mere four months, do you think you can surpass an alchemist designate that has spent years upon years refining his dao?” Lianhua asked, her tone not biting but rather concerned and worried.

Xiao Feng’s lips curled upwards.

“Lianhua, can you tell me the three most important aspects required to become a successful alchemist?” He asked.

“Resources, practice and talent in that order of importance. Without resources you cannot practice, but with practice you can bridge a gap in talent,” Lianhua replied.

“Well, you see,” Xiao Feng menacingly chucked. “This Alchemist Zhi doesn’t quite understand what it means, to besmirch the honor of a martial division cultivator and then challenge him to a duel. I will spare now expense when it comes to training, even if it costs me a hundred gold taels. Besides, I don’t need to be a better alchemist than him. I just need to beat him at a single pill refinement. Four months is enough for that,” He revealed his plan.

“I still think you are underestimating him,” Lianhua replied, somewhat impressed by how far he was willing to go but not convinced.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Xiao Feng admitted. “But when has that ever stopped a cultivator?”

“That might be true,” Lianhua conceded.

“Erm, so,” Xiao Feng’s gaze lowered, as guilt flickered across his visage.

“Yes?” Lianhua queried, raising eyebrows at the sudden disappearance of his bravado.

“Well, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you about,” Xiao Feng revealed.

“You mean there’s something you’ve been hiding?” Lianhua asked, astute as always. “Does that something have to do with why Alchemist Zhi went this far? Injuring his own rib cage?”

“Oh. No, no, I have no idea why that buffoon did that. If anything, I would imagine he did that to get to you for some bizarre reason. I am new in the alchemist division and while I am quite wealthy, this Alchemist Zhi did not seem to covet my resources,” Xiao Feng hurriedly clarified, not willing to catch flak for something he didn’t do.

“So it is as I suspected. What does he get from humiliating me like this?” Lianhua mused, before shaking her head. “Nevermind that. What have you been hiding from me?” She asked, not having forgotten the revelation.

“Uhh… so I might be trying to get a beast egg that I found in the Alchemist’s Haven to hatch.”

“What?” The word escaped Lianhua’s lips almost reflexively.

“Yes ma’am,” Xiao Feng awkwardly replied, not sure what else to say.