21. Being Careful
Clay struggled to move his eyelids and when he opened his eyes, he realized he was lying on his bed.
The last thing he remembered was going for glass of water and before he knew it, his body collapsed. While trying to recall what transpired, his thoughts were distracted when he heard someone spoke.
“If you are awake, you should get up circulate Qi. Otherwise, the medicine I gave you will be wasted.”
When Clay he got up, he saw a middle-aged man wearing white robes looking through the window while sipping a cup tea.
Clay was not alarmed that there is a stranger in his room. Judging his condition and the bitter aftertaste left in his mouth, he reckons this man is a physician brought by Aunt Mabna’y and if he is correct, looking at the eagle design knitted at the back of this man’s shoulder, this person should be related to the guild.
“I thank this senior for taking care of me.” Clay remained seated on the bed while circulating his Qi. Inspecting his body, he can tell someone had intruded his meridians and forcefully help his body absorb whatever medicine given to him while unconscious.
“Is your master aware of the number of Qi Pathways you’ve opened up?”
Clay was not surprised upon hearing the man’s question.
“No, she is not, senior. Should I be worried?” Clay answered honestly but he is not aware that when the word “master” was mentioned, the man was referring to someone else.
“It is already miracle that you can still cultivate despite your condition.”
“Is senior aware of a solution?” Clay spontaneously asked. In fact, it just dawn to him how foolish his actions were when he could just have had consulted an experienced cultivator like he originally thought than waste pills by observing talentless individuals break through.
“There are no short-cuts on the path of cultivation. My advice, forget about advancing to Mid-Qi Condensation unless you want to live a life of a cripple. Go downstairs and eat. You must be starving.”
“Can this senior….”
“Go downstairs and eat.”
Clay was mid-sentence when the man spoke again cutting him off. The man’s tone is still calm Clay felt a ripple of energy as if warning him to keep his mouth shut.
“I thank this senior again for taking care of me.” Clay did not want to offend the physician so he got to his feet then sincerely bowed before leaving the room.
As Clay entered the kitchen, he saw Aunt Mabna’y preparing the table. Looking at the dark circles around the eyes his maid, it was more than a clue who stayed all night taking care of him.
Clay could not explain his feelings. For the first time since he came to this world, someone was genuinely concerned of his well-being. He did not know how to express his gratitude so he decided to ask something instead.
“Did you send them away?” Clay asked about the talentless individual Aunt Mabna’y brought.
“Yes, young master. You have been unconscious for three days and traded the pills you gave me instead to hire a Healer and pay for your medicines. Should I call them back?” Aunt Mabna’y continued working and did not show her face to Clay.
“No. There is no need to call them again in the future.” Initially, he wanted to observe if other talentless cultivators can breakthrough so he could isolate the issue why he is unable to advance but the physician just now answered the question. Apparently, he had prematurely opened all his meridians. So the question now is how he can undo it.
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Since the doctor refused to answer his questions, he will seek Sar Aran’s assistance later.
“Did Elder Ulvar visit the past three days?” Clay was suddenly curious why Aunt Mabna’y went to the guild instead of the Elves who owns him.
“I wanted to bring you over to them but I was asked by Elder Ulvar that regardless of what happens, be it you or the house, I was specifically instructed to never seek them out. He said he will visit when the time comes. As to when exactly, may this young master understand that even I do not know.”
For a moment, Clay forgot his worries and was even planning on maybe treating Aunt Mabna’y to a nice restaurant but Aunt Mabna’y reminded him again of his current predicament.
“And how long must your work for me again?”
“Young master, I was contracted to work for at least three years but it may be shorter depending on Elder Ulvar.”
Clay was silent as he ate breakfast. Who would have thought he passing out from exhaustion would reward him with some answers. If Aunt Mabna’y is contracted for three years, then it is only logical to speculate Elder Ulvar has plans within three years and he has a feeling Ulvar will cut ties with him within this period.
By now, if Ulvar had been observing him, he should have had gotten wind of his abilities especially that Aunt Mabna’y had already sold the perfect pills he concocted. And if the Elves wanted to keep him, then the past three days should have been a perfect time.
Unless concocting perfect pills is common but he doubts it as he had seen Alchemist Agda’s abilities. Or maybe Sar Aran kept all their transactions a secret.
Clay softly exhaled and decided to visit the guild later. In the mean time, he should worry about fully recovering.
“How much gold coins do we have left?”
Aunt Mabna’y wiped her hands with a towel then took two bank notes from her spatial ring then placed them near Clay.
“The guild was very generous and gave 10,000 gold coins in total. They initially wanted to shoulder everything but I insisted to exchange ten of your flawless pills to save young master’s face.”
Clay smiled as he looked at the designs of the checks. It really baffles him as this world clearly has clues of advance technology yet it is mind-boggling as to how this civilization developed. Assuming the calendar is correct, he finds it ridiculous that almost 30,000 years had passed yet people are acting like primitive cavemen.
As Clay’s thoughts were absorbed on the ways of this world, he was reminded it is the start of a new year on the next full moon which is in four days. As he has yet to reward his maid, Clay decided to give Aunt Mabna’y a full week of vacation.
“Keep these bank notes and consider it your bonus. Go home and you may return seven days after new year.”
“Young master, I wouldn’t dare….”
“I cannot afford to have distractions beginning today. Go home and enjoy the holiday.” Clay anticipated his maid’s response so he decided to interrupt her like a real master.
After breakfast, Clay waited until the doctor and his maid left the house. He did not like to be alone but some of his fragmented memories from earth include occasions of he enjoying year-end celebrations. As a working adult, what is better than being rewarded a hefty bonus and a week of vacation?
Clay sat on his bed as he gathered his thoughts. From what Aunt Mabna’y said, his estimate is that he has two years of living on this isolated house before Ulvar makes a move. There is a big chance that he will be sold as slave again and he is confident that if he invests on Aunt Mabna’y’s trust, she can buy his freedom later on but ever since the Buaki Siege, he had this inexplicable premonition as if death is after him.
The other day, he was thinking about escaping but he could not picture himself stepping out of the city. Who knows what kind of technique Elder Ulvar would perform to track him down but more importantly, what if he encounter other powerful figures?
Weighing his options, the best option is to wait.
At the same time, the physician who helped took care of Clay went back to the guild and is currently reporting to Sar Aran.
“So, are saying you are saying the mysterious master had not revealed himself despite the boy’s condition?”
“I have not slept since I got there and Alchemy room adjacent to the boy had Concealing Formation around it. It was easy to bypass but would you dare if it was you?”
“Goodness!” Sar Aran exclaimed. To this day, he is still convinced that there is a grand Alchemist hiding behind Clay. In order to not offend this mysterious master, he had not dared sending anyone to spy on Clay’s residence yet unexpectedly, Clay collapsed and Aunt Mabna’y sought help from their guild.
Initially, he wanted to refer Clay to someone yet when Aunt Mabna’y presented perfect pills as compensation, he was forced to send a doctor.
His entire lifetime, it is the first time he had seen such flawless quality and is now evident they are dealing with someone on par or maybe even higher than a Royal Alchemist in possession of Heavenly Flames.
For whatever reason this figure is hiding, it is not their place to question anything and he even instructed the doctor to return the pills as soon as this mysterious Alchemist reveals himself yet to his disappointment, the doctor could not even detect a sliver the man’s presence.
He hates waiting the most but they don’t really have any options but to further observe.