Entry 1: Cycle 27, Day 12


    The mortar grinds against the pestle with a frustratingly familiar rhythm. I, Lin, am once again relegated to crushing dried herbs into a fine powder. The aroma of snakebloom and sunpetal fills the small alchemist’s shop, a scent I know like the back of my hand. Master Zhao, a man whose beard is as long as my arm and temper as short as my attention span, mutters incantations and pours various liquids into bubbling cauldrons. He’s preparing tonics for the Iron Fist Sect, another batch of strength enhancers and chi regulators.


    I try to focus on my task, but the distant sounds of the young disciples sparring echo through the town. They leap, they shout, they unleash dazzling displays of power, their bodies humming with cultivated energy. I, on the other hand, can barely lift the heavy stone grinder without aching. I had tried, in my early years, to cultivate the qi. The result was always the same: nothing, a void. It was deemed I had no aptitude for the path of the martial artist. So, I was assigned here. I am the simple alchemist’s assistant, destined to live a life mixing potions and cleaning up.


    Entry 2: Cycle 38, Day 2


    Master Zhao’s arthritis has flared up again, so he’s become more reliant on me. I’m now allowed to handle some of the simpler mixing, measuring, even the initial heat adjustments for basic concoctions. I''ve noticed a pattern to his methods. He follows ancient recipes, passed down through generations, always sticking exactly to the text.


    These herbs, these processes, they''re fascinating. They’re not just simple ingredients combined; they seem to contain hidden energies and reactive properties I’m beginning to grasp. I’ve started keeping my own small notes, sketching out the molecular structures as best as I understand them and jotting down my thoughts on their potential interactions. I’ve not mentioned this to Master Zhao, of course. He wouldn''t understand. He sees alchemy as a sacred practice, not something to be tinkered with. I, I see it as a puzzle.


    Entry 3: Cycle 45, Day 21


    I made a mistake today. Preparing a chi-enhancing elixir, I accidentally added a pinch more root of the fiery serpent plant than the script called for. The mixture turned a vibrant, almost alarming red. Master Zhao was furious, his face purple as a plum. He declared it spoiled, ready for the waste heap.


    But I couldn’t shake the curiosity. I discreetly collected a small sample after he had stormed off. Later, I tested it on a nearby stray, scrawny dog. It had been a weak, timid thing before. Within minutes of consuming a small dose, it seemed to vibrate with energy, its movements sharper than before. The dog displayed bursts of unexpected muscular power, briefly shattering a thick wooden plank I had used to test it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    This…this changes things. The effects, while uncontrolled, were clearly amplified. Even though Master Zhao would despise my methods, I believe my error could hold the key to something greater.


    Entry 4: Cycle 52, Day 8


    Master Zhao finally passed away. I inherited his shop and his small library of ancient texts. No one thinks I will remain. But I have other ideas. For a while, I followed Master Zhao’s methods, catering to the Iron Fist Sect. It kept the shop afloat and provided me with the materials and time to continue my own… experiments.


    My nights are now filled with study and experimentation. I''ve begun to move beyond the traditional formulas, using my notes to make subtle changes, introducing new ingredients, adjusting processes. I''m creating new tonics, enhancing speed, agility, and endurance in ways that weren’t possible before. They are more powerful, yes. But also, more unstable. More… interesting.


    Entry 5: Cycle 61, Day 17


    This day marks a great milestone. Today, I successfully created a stable, high-potency growth enhancer. I didn’t test it on the disciples. I used it on a newly hatched giant mountain boar that belongs to a local farmer. The piglet grew at an astonishing rate. Within weeks, it was larger and stronger than its brethren and moved like something out of nature''s darkest nightmare. The farmer, at first scared, is now awed by its power. He seeks more.


    This breakthrough highlights the immense implications. It’s not just martial artists that can benefit from alchemy. Creatures, beasts, the very world around us could be influenced. My research is no longer confined to human enhancement. Now, I am delving into the potential of beast strengthening.


    Entry 6: Cycle 70, Day 29


    The Iron Fist Sect is now a patron of mine. They do not understand what I do, nor do they truly care. All they want are results. They call me the “Mad Alchemist," but they also call me genius. My tonics for the disciples are far superior to anything they''ve used before. Their power has grown exponentially, and so has my reputation. I’ve developed elixirs that increase bone density, amplify sense acuity, and even promote rapid muscle growth, all without the unstable side effects of my earlier mistakes.


    I’ve also expanded my beast research. Local hunters seek my aid in strengthening their tamed beasts, making them faster, stronger, and more resilient. I’ve created elixirs for hawks that are sharper in flight, for wolves that can outrun the swiftest deer.


    I still have no natural gift for the martial arts, but it no longer matters. I am charting my own path, one of innovation, discovery, and the endless possibilities of alchemy. I may not be a warrior, but I am a force in this world nonetheless. And I am only just beginning.