I exited seclusion and walked into the building’s main hall. A small pill furnace sat on a stone plinth in the middle of the room. Along both the left and right walls were boxes and cupboards of various sizes storing medicinal ingredients. The back wall had stairs leading up to the second floor.


    The Master Alchemist was not in the room at the moment, so I moved to the side and knelt to await his arrival. I was unsure about the etiquette of cultivating here, but the master had shown interest in me improving, so I decided to cultivate while I waited.


    The wait was not long. It was only the next day when the master arrived downstairs. When I noticed his arrival, I immediately stopped cultivating but made no other move. He spent some time checking the various herbs in the room, then finally addressed me.


    “Good, maybe you can be taught.”


    Inwardly I brimmed with excitement.


    “First, it would be best for you to understand some things. I am not the most skilled alchemist in this clan. No, I am, technically, only a Disciple Alchemist. I have yet to advance to Master Alchemist. Do you know why that guardsman that brought you here was so polite and always referred to me as Master Alchemist?”


    I was unsure if I was supposed to speak, but his look seemed to give me permission. Still, I did not really know the answer to his question.


    “Because all alchemists are respected?” I asked.


    He scowled. “If you do not know, say you do not know. Do not make guesses.”


    I nodded.


    “He was so respectful because of my potential. I am the only alchemist with a high eight-star affinity in this entire clan. The elders are terrified I will leave this backwater. There are many powers outside the Wastes that would happily welcome a powerful alchemist such as myself. My destiny is not tied to this tiny clan. I hope you understand.”


    He gave me a significant look.


    I gave a deliberate nod. Where should my allegiances lie? With a clan that had done nothing but murder me time and time again? No, I must be truly loyal to this promising young master that I could follow to greatness. The answer was clear.


    “I believe we understand one another. Now, let me be clear. Your affinity is trash. When you compare yourself to commoners, you might think yourself amazing, but a nine-star affinity of any level is worthless. You will never be able to reach even my current level of alchemy for the rest of your life. Still, that doesn’t mean I have no use for you. Perform well and when I eat meat you will get to drink the soup.”


    I grinned widely and gave a deep bow.


    “Here is your first task. There are one hundred fifty-seven herbs in this hall. They are all common herbs used for either Rank 1 or Rank 2 pills. This,” he said, handing me a worn brown leather book, “contains all the information about which herbs are which and how to maintain them for ideal medicinal potency. You will study this book and diligently maintain these herbs.


    “This is a task I have been doing myself. Common servants are not to be trusted here. After you have memorized everything, return. After I test you, you can take over these duties. Also, remember to be diligent in your cultivation. Dismissed.”


    I gave a deep bow and returned to my room.


    <hr>


    Memorizing over a hundred herbs and how to maintain them was a challenge. Maybe spending so many points on my affinity was a mistake. It cost so much and was still worthless. It would have been much better to spend those points improving my memory.


    Maybe I could purchase this knowledge directly? Then, I would have a perfect grasp of how to maintain the herbs for the master. That might mean not being able to spend them on things the master will need in the future, though. For now, better to study diligently.


    Only shortly after the end of the first month, I hit Martial Disciple Level 5. This was a bit later than usual. The high affinity made cultivating faster, but because I spent most of my time studying, I did not progress as fast as I had previously.


    At the seven-week mark, I finally reached Martial Disciple Level 6 for the first time. The acupoints in my chest, both upper arms, and both upper legs had been opened. All that was left were my lower arms and lower legs.


    This was when I hit my first major hurdle in cultivation. The remaining limbs could be opened in any order. I chose to focus first on my right forearm. The combined repulsive effect of the qi in my body seemed to have been amplified several times. Drawing in even meager amounts of qi was exhausting. Moving up to level 7 would be much more difficult than I had imagined. Still, I would persevere.


    At the end of two months, I believed I had the herb manual memorized. I returned to the main hall to await the master.


    After only a few hours the master appeared.


    “What are you doing here?” he asked.


    I held up the book to him. “Master, I have completed memorizing this book as instructed.”


    “Do not call me Master,” he instructed dismissively, “you are not my disciple. Call me Teacher. If others are present, you will call me Teacher RuDi. If someone from outside the clan is present, you will call me Teacher Su.”


    He turned around and walked towards the cabinets on the left side of the room. Returning, he placed five different herbs on the table.


    “What is this?” he asked, holding up what looked to be long chips of wood.


    “Astragalus root.”


    “What is the correct procedure to maintain it?”


    “The root should be properly dried after harvesting. Then it should be placed in a dry, cool place with some airflow. For maximum potency, it should be used within two years.”


    “What is this?” He was holding a red fruit that was slightly larger than a cherry.


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    “Hawthorn berry.”


    “What is the correct procedure to maintain it?”


    “The berries should be dried and stored in a bed of hawthorn leaves. They should be kept in a dark, dry environment. The temperature should be cool, but not cold.”


    Teacher continued asking about the other three herbs he had selected. After each answer, he spoke not a word of praise or rebuke.


    “You will take care of the herbs in this hall. Do not enter if I or others are inside. If anyone enters the hall while you are tending the herbs, you will return to your room. Dismissed.”


    I bowed proudly to Teacher.


    <hr>


    Another month passed quickly. I began making progress toward Martial Disciple Level 7, but it was still far in the distance. Teacher wanted me to progress quickly, and I was failing him in that. Fortunately, he never spoke a word of condemnation for my failure.


    Fortunately, my work tending the herbs was much more successful. To my admittedly amateurish eye, the herbs remained in pristine condition. Teacher had never praised my work, but I knew I was making him proud.


    One day, while I was taking care of my tasks, Teacher came down the stairs. I began to take my leave as normal when he spoke.


    “Stay.”


    He walked over to the largest chest in the room. It was one that held hundreds of flowers.


    “What is this?” he asked calmly.


    “Blue peony, Teacher.”


    “What is it used for?”


    “I do not know, Teacher.”


    “Good, you should not know the uses of any herbs yet,” he said with a slight nod. “Go and pick a blue peony.”


    I walked over and looked into the chest. I did not see anything to suggest choosing one over any other, so I just picked up one at random.


    “When you take a peony from that chest, you will mark it down on this ledger,” Teacher said. “Each flower costs five silver. They are expensive medicinal ingredients. You will pay back every silver you owe.”


    I nodded and went to mark the ledger.


    “Follow me.”


    He took me into a side room that I had yet to enter. It was bare except for a small table upon which sat a battered old pill furnace. He placed his peony into the furnace and started the fire.


    “You must get the furnace extremely hot. The impurities in the flower will quickly burn away. Control the qi inside the cauldron, do not allow the flower to catch on fire.”


    As I watched, a black smoke began to rise from the peony. Shortly after, the entire flower collapsed into a blue dust.


    “This is Qi Gathering Powder. It is useful for low-level warriors. When you have time, come here and practice. It will take you many attempts to do this correctly. Mark each flower you take. Training an alchemist is expensive, but even you should be able to earn it back in the future. There are ten small cloth bags on the table. If you are successful, store your powder in one of them. After you have completed all ten portions, tell me.”


    I bowed as Teacher walked away.


    <hr>


    With Teacher’s abilities, creating Qi Gathering Powder was effortless. For me, it was anything but.


    The first several times I tried, the flower caught on fire nearly instantly. I was at a complete loss for how to keep that from happening. After half a dozen attempts, I decided to stop. Charging ahead recklessly was simply a waste of valuable resources.


    How could I stop them from catching fire? Teacher said to control the qi in the cauldron, but everything happened too quickly. What should I do?


    I needed to control fire qi in the environment. When cultivating, I was only controlling it within my own body. I had not yet tried to touch environmental qi.


    I lit the fire of the furnace, but I did not put a flower inside. Right now, concocting the powder was beyond me. I watched the flame as it heated the furnace. I needed to control the fire through qi. My affinity was only a trashy high nine-star, but I could do this.


    It took me weeks, but in the end, I was successful. I could, to at least a minimal degree, control the fire qi within the cauldron. It took me another week, and a dozen attempts, before I was able to stop the peony from catching fire.


    It was another week before I found the temperature where the black smoke was released from the flower without it burning. All told, it took 28 flowers before I successfully concocted a single dose of Qi Gathering Powder.


    After using a total of 47 peonies, I had completed my task.


    <hr>


    The next day, I presented my powders to Teacher.


    “Follow,” he said, bringing me to another side room. This one had several boxes. More significantly, it also had a small door leading outside.


    “This box contains cloth bags. This one has jade bottles. Any powders or pills you create will go in this box,” he said, pointing to several different places. “When you make a deposit, mark it on this ledger. The value of your product will be deducted from your debt.”


    I nodded, happy that I could finally start repaying Teacher.


    “The Qi Gathering Powder is useful only to the weakest, poorest cultivator. Because of how it is created, it has the beneficial property of containing no pill toxin. All the toxins are completely burned away. Unfortunately, in doing so you also burn away the majority of the medicinal power, making it nearly useless.


    “As I said before, blue peonies are worth 5 silvers. A portion of Qi Gathering Powder is worth 10 coppers. You concocted 10 portions, which is 100 coppers, or 1 silver. You consumed 47 blue peonies. At 5 silver a piece, you currently owe 2 gold, 34 silver.”


    I was stunned. I wasted so many precious resources, and even if I succeeded, I would still be wasting money. What was the point? Would I forever be burning Teacher’s money? I couldn’t do that to him.


    “Good, you understand. Qi Gathering Powder is a failed product. Come.”


    He took several peonies and brought me back into my workshop. He put one of them into the pill furnace and began working.


    “Use a less intense flame. With a weaker flame, the medicinal power of the flower will not be burned away, and the flower will not turn into powder. Wrap the fire qi around the flower like a ball. Equal heat should be applied from all directions.”


    As I watched, the entire flower melted. It turned into a silvery-blue liquid.


    “After it becomes liquid, increase the temperature. Burn away the impurities. But keep it cool enough not to harm the medicinal power.”


    Black smoke began to rise from the liquid.


    “Finally, use your qi to apply pressure from all directions.”


    The liquid solidified into a small pellet.


    Teacher took the pellet and put it to the side. Then, he began concocting again. This time, significantly more black smoke was released. After forming the pellet, he took it and set it aside. The third time, almost no smoke was released from the liquid.


    “This,” he said, holding up the first pellet, “is a Rank 1 Basic Qi Gathering Pill. Rank 1 pills are suitable for Martial Disciples, and the Basic Qi Gathering Pill is best used by Martial Disciples 1 to 3. Better pills are beyond you, do not worry about them for now.


    “The medicinal power of a pill must be at least 80%, or it is considered a worthless pill and must be discarded. I estimate this pill retains about 87% of its medicinal power. Grandmaster Alchemists can make pills with 100% power, but it doesn’t matter, that won’t affect the price. A difference of 87% and 100% is not enough for people to pay a meaningful premium. However, you should always strive for the highest medicinal power possible.


    “What pills are truly graded on is purity. A Low-Purity Qi Gathering Pill contains significant pill toxin and will only sell for 1 silver. A Mid-Purity one, where much of the toxin has been removed, is worth 5 silver. A High-Purity one, where most has been removed, is worth 10 silver.


    “When making this pill,” he said, pointing to the second one, “the temperature was too high, and the medicinal power was significantly depleted. For this third pill, the temperature was too low, and nearly all the toxin remained. Both are completely worthless.


    “These two pills are useless trash. Never create something like them. Instead, when you make such a mistake, quickly turn the temperature up high and turn the contents into Qi Gathering Powder. The powder is a failed product, but it is useful and can be sold to recoup some of your losses.


    “This is a High-Purity Rank 1 Basic Qi Gathering Pill,” Teacher said, pointing to the first pill he made. “It is worth 10 silver, doubling the value of the ingredients. Once you can make these, you will begin paying off your debt. Until then, you will work diligently. If you successfully concoct a pill, place it into a jade bottle before depositing it. Someone from the clan will grade its purity to ensure it is assessed fairly.”


    I gave a deep bow, grateful for everything Teacher had given me. I was deeply grateful that he was willing to invest so much into my education.


    “I will be traveling in the near future,” he said, “so I will not be around. Do not concern yourself with this. Just cultivate, tend the herbs, and practice alchemy diligently.”


    Saying this, he walked away.