
"Your spell is less fast, how will the process of separating the ingredients be? Thats enough. Repeat from the beginning!" said *Mu Haocun to Mutong.
Mutong pouted, this was already the third time Mu Haocun said to repeat pill making from scratch.
Yet the girl did not dare to refute and obediently repeated making cultivation pills. Mu Haocun walked over to Liuzhi observing him for a while then said the same thing as to Mutong. Liuzhi groaning.
Changyi and Jiaojiao had experienced the same thing. Countless herbs they disposed of as it kept repeating the pill-making process to no avail.
Mu Lian who was looking from the sidelines looked in sympathy at her four best friends. Mu Haocun stopped his irrational request by noon.
After making a few pills. Changyi, Jiaojiao, Mutong and Liuzhi looked so tired that their faces were pale. They sat cross-legged on the grass while closing their eyes.
"Grandfather. Are they absorbing chi from their surroundings?" ask Mu Lian.
"Yes. But for Alchemists other than depleting chi, they were depleting spiritual energy," Mu Haocun replied. Seeing Mu Lian not understand the difference, Mu Haocun continued,
"If chi is useful for physical attacks; how much force your body can exert, then spiritual energy is like the strength of your soul; it shows your ability to handle a spell," Mu Haocun said.
Mu Lian nodded then observed her four companions again while dissolving in thought. A few minutes later Mu Lian shook her head, her face looking puzzled.
"Grandfather, a few minutes ago I sensed them absorbing chi from around us but now no," Mu Lian said. Mu Haocun looked at Mu Lian enthusiastically.
"You can feel it? How's the shape you feel?" ask Mu Haocun.
"Yes. Like the streams of water in a river, they flow little by little into the body," Mu Lian replied. Mu Haocun nodded in satisfaction.
"As grandfather said, Alchemists deplete spiritual energy as well. So now they were meditating to recharge their spiritual energy," Mu Haocun said in response to Mu Lian's question.
"How is it?" said Mu Lian.
"Get into your subconscious. Then meditate there, your spiritual energy will automatically recover. If you meditate using ordinary methods that will recover only your chi," Mu Haocun said. Mu Lian smiled shyly.
"Lian'er have you ever looked into your dantian? See your chi?" said Mu Haocun. Mu Lian shook her head.
"Alright I will guide you," Mu Haocun said as he sat in front of Mu Lian.
"Now sit in your meditative position," Mu Haocun said.
"Feel the chi around you into your body. Use the entire concentration to see where the chi is flowing. Push with all that concentration, Lian'er. Follow that flow of chi, don't let go" Mu Haocun said.
Mu Lian felt chi flowing into her body. He concentrated fully following the flow of chi.
Suddenly Mu Lian's originally dark gaze became bright. Like a zoom camera, Mu Lian's view felt being enlarged until finally her body was dragged into the panorama in front of her eyes.
Mu Lian's body floated. Mu Lian looked around her. Above is the sky and as far as the eye can see there is the sea.
No, it was possible that it was an ocean because the surface was dark blue and Mu Lian could not see the bottom.
Mu Lian was stunned by the panorama she saw. He breathed the air around him. Refreshed. Mu Lian widened her eyes. He was shocked until his concentration broke.
Mu Lian then felt her body return then opened her eyes and found Mu Haoucun was staring at her.
"How's it?" ask Mu Haocun.
"Ens. As far as the ocean" Mu Lian replied. Mu Haocun clasped Mu Lian's hand. Eyes sparkling.
"Good, good. This way I can do the next plan," Mu Haocun said to himself.
"En?" mu Lian said confusedly.
"Haha! it's nothing," Mu Haocun said suspiciously.
Mu Lian looked at Mu Haocun but was unable to see what he was hiding.
"You people! when it's rest, say dong. How dare to make your teacher wait," Mu Haocun said as he snorted at Changyi, Jiaojiao, Mutong and Liuzhi.
Mu Lian looked at her four best friends' glare then persuaded Mu Haocun not to be too harsh on them.
They were already too tired and also the time showed by late afternoon. Mu Haocun continued the class for up to two hours before disbanding it.
Five days later Mu Lian mastered the ability to see her own sea of chi without Mu Haocun's guidance.
Mu Lian practiced hard whenever she was free. During those five days Mu Lian became more familiar with Alchemy.
Whenever Changyi, Jiaojiao, Mutong and Liuzhi were making pills, Mu Lian always observed them enthusiastically. Mu Haocun happily explained what Mu Lian did not understand.
Every Alchemy expert had his own cauldron. The cauldron would be able to withstand the spiritual energy of its owner. Mu Lian was curious about it and observed the cauldron belonging to her companions.
Changyi, Jiaojiao, Mutong and Liuzhi's cauldrons were different from each other. Mu Lian borrowed the cauldron of her four best friends and studied it like a child discovering new things.
Mu Haocun occasionally explained. To Alchemists, their cauldrons were so precious, considered like their own hearts that they were usually so stingy as to lend their cauldrons to strangers.
However, Changyi, Jiaojiao, Mutong and Liuzhi happily lent their cauldron to Mu Lian. They were up to explain the specifications of their cauldron to Mu Lian.
When they first get it and how they feel when they get it. Mu Lian listened with a smile.
"You know? Liuzhi was the last person to get his cauldron between the four of us" Mutong said.
"Really, right! Geez she had to cry rolling around," Jiaojiao said with a laugh.
"I couldn't sleep for a few days because of the sound of her crying" Changyi said.
"You guys!" jerrits Liuzhi. Face reddened.
His four best friends then mocked each other in front of Mu Lian. Mu Haocun who initially watched from the edge finally complained how naughty his four best friends were to Mu Lian. Mu Haocun then requested that Mu Lian take care of the behavior of his friends.
One night Mu Lian who had just eaten with Mu Haocun, Meng Zhi and Meimei, heard the frenzy in front of the gate. The voices of some people sounded clearer when the gate opened.
Although the night lighting was less clear, it was only illuminated by lanterns, but Mu Lian recognized Master Yi entering through the gate shouldering two people on both shoulders.
Seeing the two people on Master Yi's shoulder, Mu Lian involuntarily pulled Mu Haocun's arm. Mu Lian looked at the two strangers from behind Mu Haocun's body.
"Haocun, please help me heal these brash people so that I can punish them again" Master Yi said.
"Yes? Hmm Okay. But don't punish them in front of Lian'er later he gets scared," Mu Haocun said as he got up from his seat.
Then calm Mu Lian and leave Mu Lian to Meimei. After seeing Mu Lian calmer, Mu Haocun went up to the second floor.
"Arrgh, forgive us.we just obey the command," said one on the left shoulder.
"Li Zizhou! hurry back to your room!" master Yi said firmly after seeing Li Zizhou pass through the gate.
The young man looked even thinner. The lines on his face grew sharper, his eyes cold.
Li Zizhou did not say anything, just crossed the grounds without looking towards Mu Lian, Meng Zhi and Meimei.
His path was a bit limp and one of his hands did not move, just hanging on his side.
"Ehem, sorry for interrupting your time," Master Yi said politely to Mu Lian, Meng Zhi and Meimei.
"It's okay, Master Yi," Meng Zhi replied as she moved from her seat and continued "I'm coming along. I'm interested in listening to your story this time"
Meng Zhi asked Meimei to wait with Mu Lian then went with Master Yi to Mu Haocun. Meng Zhi shouldered the person on the right shoulder of Master Yi.
It was not that Master Yi was not strong enough to shoulder the two people but that the stairs leading to the second floor were only enough for one person. So it would be very narrow and troublesome for Master Yi when climbing the stairs.
Meimei took Mu lian to the veranda on the second floor because the grounds were now deserted. They talked while observing the night sky.
But both of them looked awkward after the incident. Mu Lian dissolved in her mind while Meimei observed Mu Lian from the side.
"We better wait until things get calmer. I'm sure Master Yi will explain," Meimei said.
"Ens. Do you think we're checking on Li Zizhou?" ask Mu Lian.
"Hmm, you better leave him alone first" Meimei replied.
That night Mu Lian could not sleep. After a few minutes, he got out of bed and left the room.
Mu Lian observed the surroundings, after making sure there were no people, Mu Lian went to the kitchen preparing the food left over from dinner just now.
Mu Lian prepared it in one container then brought it to the front of Li Zizhou's room.
Mu Lian knocked on the door a few times, saying that she would keep food in front of the door then without waiting for the door to open Mu Lian left from there.
Mu Lian did not know when the two people were taken after being treated last night. At breakfast, there was no sign of Master Yi nor Li Zizhou.
Mu Haocun explained to Mu Lian that Li Zizhou had gone to practice and hunt spirit beasts on a nameless mountain near the Eastern Ufuk Valley.
Master Yi then accompanied the disciple while patrolling around the Eastern Ufuk Valley.
One day, two people from the Si country sect came to recruit Li Zizhou.
They intended to take Li Zizhou away from Master Yi. Fortunately Master Yi that day came home sooner and found his disciple was being dragged away by the two men. Master Yi ended up going berserk and 'punishing' them.
Before leaving with Mu Haocun to the south hill, Mu Lian placed breakfast in front of Li Zizhou's room.
Mu Lian looked at the empty container in front of the room, it turned out that Li Zizhou ate the dinner that Mu Lian had prepared yesterday. Mu Lian picked up the container then put down breakfast for Li Zizhou.
After knocking on the door and telling Li Zizhou for breakfast, Mu Lian set off towards the southern hill with Mu Haoucun.
Mu Lian's return found Master Yi standing waiting for Mu Haoucun in the grounds. Under his feet lay two men from the land of Si.
It seems that Master Yi has not been willing to let them go. Mu Lian greeted Master Yi then immediately went to concoct medicine, unwilling to linger near the mother bear who was angry that her child was being bullied.
Mu Lian concocted a topical drug that was efficacious to relieve muscle trauma and relieve fatigue in the muscles.
Although Li Zizhou could heal the injuries to his body using pills, Mu Lian still concocted medicine for Li Zizhou to recover faster.
Mu Lian put down the concoction and the food she had bought on the way home. Mu Lian then took out an empty container then knocked on the door and told about the concoction as well as the afternoon meal.
A few days later, Master Yi released the two men from the land of Si. Master Yi who was absent from dinner together for weeks finally joined Mu Lian and the others that night.
Seeing that Master Yi had calmed down as usual, Mu Lian was eating voraciously.Although Master Yi was someone who was very calm, the people around him could feel when Master Yi was angry.
Like the calm surface of a river but the currents on its very turbulent base, it was a parable that could depict Master Yi who was angry.
Li Zizhou finally came out of the room and joined dinner together a week later. The young man's words were still harsh yet not explosive like the first meet.
The injuries on his body healed and to his great surprise, he cooked dinner without his teacher's orders.
"Zhouzhou is eating a lot, you are still in your infancy" Mu Haocun said.
"Hey grandfather, it's all me cooking," Li Zizhou said as he rolled his eyeballs.
.........
Note:
* Somehow since chapter 4 and above the author mistyped the name of Master Mu. Mu Haocun should not be Mu Haoucun. So next chapter Mu Haocun ya