The unconscious merchant lay in a heap beside his caravan, his serpent-spine whip a discarded husk in the dust.

  The two villagers, their faces a mixture of awe and profound gratitude, gathered what they could, their movements quick and furtive.

  Bi Kan watched them, his eyes narrowing as he noted the specific items they chose, not coins or cloth, but herbs and roots, the tell-tale ingredients of alchemy.

  Could they be gathering this for an alchemist? he thought, his strategic mind immediately calculating the possibilities.

  But in a barren village like that? I have my doubts…

  Ying Xia, who had been busy prodding the unconscious merchant with her foot, finally noticed what the villagers were doing.

  "Woah, are you guys stupid?" she called out, her voice a bright, clear bell that cut through the tense quiet. "Why are you taking herbs and plants? Aren't those useless?"

  The two men flinched, exchanging a nervous glance before one of them stammered out a reply.

  "W-Well, we're gathering this for someone in the village… they can make healing salves with this. Powerful ones," he added, his voice dropping as if revealing a precious secret.

  "Even pills."

  Bi Kan’s eyes widened. So it was true. An alchemist, hidden away in these remote mountains.

  Was it a master seeking seclusion, or a talented disciple from another sect? "An alchemist?" he asked, his voice casual but his gaze sharp. "Is that person, by chance, strong?"

  The question, a typical cultivator's metric for worth, hung in the air. The two men looked at each other again, their reluctance a palpable wall.

  Before they could answer, Ying Xia appeared at Bi Kan’s side, her hands planted firmly on her hips, her chin held high. "Oi, I thought you weren't the type to ask about 'these things,'" she said, her brow furrowed. "Why would you be intrigued by something like this, huh?"

  Bi Kan let out a slight sigh, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "H-Hey, don't get so close, sto—" He paused, seeing her curious expression, and relented. "I'm an alchemist as well," he admitted, his voice low. "Not officially, but... I'm curious. If that person is a master, I might be able to learn from them. And maybe," he added, the words a tempting lure, "I can use their furnace for creating pills. It can help with our cultivation, Xia."

  Her eyes widened in a brilliant flash of comprehension. She smacked a fist against her open palm, the sound a sharp, decisive crack.

  "Oh! I see, I see! Why didn't you say so?" A wide, calculating grin spread across her face.

  Pills? she thought, the single word a universe of possibilities.

  I can get into the later stages? I'm at Stage 1 right now, and Bi Kan's at Stage 5! I wonder if I'll surpass him…!

  Bi Kan turned his attention back to the two men, who were still shifting their weight uncomfortably. "If you don't wish to disclose it, it's fine," he said, his tone making it clear it was not fine at all. "I'll just ask them directly when we arrive. It’s pretty much obvious they're an alchemist, no need to hide it."

  The two men let out the breath they had been holding in a synchronized rush of relief. "F-Forgive us, young master," one of them said, bowing slightly. "We were just being… wary and looking out for them!" Being wary? Bi Kan thought with an inward smirk. Yet you've practically exposed that you have an alchemist hiding in your village. It's not exactly well hidden.

  "It's fine, it's fine," he said aloud, waving a dismissive hand. "Now, come on, let's keep going."

  The two men straightened their backs and began to lead the way, their gratitude now mingled with a healthy dose of awe for the sharp-minded disciple. As they set off, Ying Xia snatched a small, ornate mirror from an open crate on the caravan. "Looks great!" she declared, peering into its polished surface. She fluffed her pink pigtails, making a series of comical faces.

  "What are you doing?" Bi Kan asked, raising an eyebrow.

  She perked up, flashing him a brilliant grin. "Just checking out how beautiful I truly am!"

  Uh-huh, Bi Kan thought, shaking his head. What a great reason to snatch that small mirror. If it's inside that caravan, it might be a special artifact. The thought was a fleeting one, a cultivator's instinct to see potential value in everything. He glanced at her, happily admiring her own reflection. Well, it doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't look like she'll be returning it.

  The transition was jarring. The oppressive gloom of the swamp gave way to an open, sun-drenched path where the trees were smaller, their branches heavy with ripe fruit.

  The swampy, clinging grass was replaced by a soft, dry bed of green, and the rising sun was no longer an unseen promise but a visible, brilliant orb in the clear sky.

  "Ah, that feels good," Ying Xia exclaimed, her voice ringing with a profound relief.

  She tilted her head back, her mouth open as if to drink in the beautiful, swaying breeze. After days of slogging through muck and decay, this clean air was a sweet elixir. "Mhm…"

  Bi Kan, however, eyed her with a flicker of secondhand embarrassment. She looked like someone who had just emerged from a cave for the first time, a frog who had finally leaped from the bottom of the well. His own experience, though limited, had taught him a certain stoicism she had yet to learn.

  "W-We're close!"

  Their focus snapped forward. Nestled in a gentle valley ahead, a village slowly came into view.

  "Hoh? Not bad…" Bi Kan murmured, his analytical gaze taking in the scene.

  This was no quaint collection of huts like Ying Xia’s home. It was a proper settlement, fortified with a sturdy wooden palisade and dotted with simple but effective guard posts.

  "Woah! That doesn't look like a hunter's village at all," Ying Xia breathed, her own eyes wide with a mixture of awe and a faint, defensive pride.

  "It's starting to look like a fortress of some sort!" A dozen guards patrolled the walls.

  Though most were mortals, a few pulsed with the faint aura of the Qi Sensing Realm.

  It wasn't a formidable force, but it was a world away from her own village's simple reliance on courage and sharp sticks.

  She caught Bi Kan’s gaze and glared. "Hey, what are you looking at?!"

  Why does it feel like he's pitying me somehow?! she fumed internally.

  Bi Kan cleared his throat, quickly looking away. "Nothing."

  She crossed her arms, letting out a defiant "Hmph!"

  Upon their arrival at the main gates, three guards stepped forward to block their path. The leader, a man in worn but well-maintained leather armor, radiated the quiet confidence of a Qi Sensing Realm Stage 2 cultivator. He held a long polearm, its iron head glinting in the sun.

  "Halt!" he commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative.

  "Who are these people you've brought with you? Their robes do not look like hers!" He glanced at Bi Kan's disciple robes.

  One of the two villagers quickly cupped his fists. "C-Calm down, Brother! These guys aren't bad! We were trying to steal from a merchant's carava—"

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "YOU WHAT?!" The guard’s roar was a physical force. He slammed the butt of his polearm against the hard-packed earth with a resounding thud. "What have you done?! You could get us killed!"

  The villager interjected, his voice a frantic babble. "P-Please! Calm down and listen! I have a good explanation for this! I swear!"

  The guard let out a long, exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Explain yourself."

  After the villager had breathlessly recounted the tale of the attempted robbery and their timely rescue, the guard’s posture relaxed.

  "I see, so that's how it went, huh?" He walked towards Bi Kan and Ying Xia, offering a formal, respectful bow.

  "I apologize if they have troubled you. To show our utmost gratitude, you are welcome in this village. Everyone will treat you as a guest of honor, much like the lady who has recently resided with us."

  Bi Kan’s eyes perked up. He tilted his head. "Oh? Assuming from your reaction earlier, and the mention of her robes, this lady you speak of must come from a sect different from ours."

  The guard, a man named Wen Renge, squinted, his expression turning wary. "We only ask of you, young master, to refrain from fighting within the village. Even if you hold a grudge against this… particular sect disciple, we are trying to uphold peace."

  The air grew tense. Before Bi Kan could respond, Ying Xia casually strolled past them, breaking the standoff. "Stop trying to scare them, Bi Kan." She stretched her arms high above her head, a gesture of profound weariness from their long travel. "He's just bluffing, don't mind him. He's stupid. He doesn't even know other sect names other than his own!"

  A small laugh escaped her, followed by a sharp twitch from the left side of Bi Kan’s face.

  "I-I see," Wen Renge stammered, his earlier suspicion melting away. "The young master really knows how to rile us up…" His gaze lingered a little too long on Ying Xia’s confident, smiling face.

  Bi Kan immediately stepped between them, cutting off the guard’s trance. "So, will you lead us to this so-called lady alchemist?"

  Renge cleared his throat, shaking his head slightly. "Apologies. I'll show you. Please, come with m—"

  "Wait! Bring these herbs to her!" one of the villagers called out, handing the pouch of stolen ingredients to the guard. "They must be high quality since they came from the caravan… hehe…"

  Wen Renge’s face contorted in an expression of pure exasperation. "Y-You…" He took the pouch, deciding to let it go for now, and led them towards a small hut set slightly apart from the others. The scent in the air shifted, the earthy smell of the village gradually being overwhelmed by the sharp, clean fragrance of medicinal herbs.

  "Definitely an alchemist," Bi Kan confirmed under his breath, a flicker of genuine excitement in his eyes.

  Wen Renge’s attention was now solely on Ying Xia, his earlier caution replaced by a hopeful, almost boyish eagerness.

  "You seem to be the only one truly interested in this lady alchemist," he said to Bi Kan, though his polite smile was aimed directly at the girl. "Perhaps this… young lady alongside you has better things to do? I can show you around."

  "O-Oh really?!" Ying Xia’s face lit up, her boredom with medicinal herbs instantly forgotten. "Can you also give me a weapon like yours?! That polearm looks so cool!" She grinned, her interest in alchemy completely evaporating in the face of potential combat.

  Didn't I just tell her that she'll benefit from this? Bi Kan thought, letting out a soft sigh that was more air than sound. Hahh… it doesn't matter. It's her own choice, anyway. "Be careful, Xia," he said, his voice carrying a note of paternal concern. "Don't go too far."

  She crossed her arms, her chin shooting up in a familiar gesture of defiance. "What's that? Don't forget I'm older than you, Bi Kan. Don't treat me like a kid!"

  Then why are you acting like one? he thought, but wisely kept the observation to himself. He stood by, a silent observer, as Renge eagerly led her away. Even if that guy has ulterior motives, Xia is more than capable of handling herself.

  The wind shifted, carrying the potent scent of herbs being crushed and refined, a fragrant current that pulled him from his thoughts.

  "This scent…" He followed it, his feet moving with a purpose of their own, towards the small, secluded hut. He pushed the simple wooden door open and stepped inside.

  The interior was surprisingly small and impeccably clean.

  The floor was swept, and upon the rough-hewn tables were rows of herbs he couldn't even name, their vibrant colors and strange shapes a testament to a knowledge far beyond his own.

  I'm a novice, after all, he admitted to himself, a wave of humility washing over him.

  Even if I seem great at alchemy, it was just… pure luck.

  His gaze was then drawn to the center of the room. A girl with short, golden hair sat on the floor, her eyes closed in absolute focus.

  The wind from the open window gently rustled her hair as she infused her Qi into a small, bubbling cauldron, her control over the refining process so precise, so effortless, it was like watching a master painter at work.

  Her expertise far eclipsed Bi Kan’s own clumsy, instinctual attempts.

  His process was a black box; he couldn't explain it, couldn't put it into words. It just sort of happened, as natural and unconscious as breathing air.

  She, on the other hand, was a true artist.

  His eyes widened further as he saw the finished products cooling on a nearby rack.

  The pills shimmered with an inner light, their surfaces smooth and flawless, their purity a palpable thing even from across the room.

  If the amateurish pills I made were that helpful to my cultivation, he thought, his heart beginning to hammer with a new, fierce ambition,

  what would a pill refined with such care be like? I want to know. I need to improve my knowledge of alchemy!

  "Woah! You have all sorts of weapons here!" Ying Xia’s voice echoed in the village’s small but well-stocked armory.

  A proud smile formed on Wen Renge’s face. "Yes," he said, gesturing to the racks of swords, spears, and axes. "They've been thoroughly gathered throughout the generations."

  Ying Xia covered her mouth, a soft giggle threatening to escape. "Hoh? You mean by stealing from trade routes or looting from dead bodies?"

  Renge’s eyes widened, and he quickly cleared his throat, turning away to inspect a particularly interesting shield. "W-Well…"

  Clang!

  The sharp sound of metal hitting the stone floor made both of them jump. "H-Huh?"

  "S-Sorry!" Ying Xia called out, a sheepish grin on her face as she hoisted a long, slender spear from the ground.

  "I was just trying to pick this up! Looks great! Hiyah!" She spun the weapon, its tip whistling through the air in a series of surprisingly competent thrusts.

  SHWOO! SHWOO!

  "Heh, it does feel great to use," she declared, striking a dramatic pose.

  "I can pierce through the heavens with this!" She paused, a thoughtful look on her face.

  Now I'm sounding a little like Bi Kan and other cultivators… they keep saying things like that.

  A grin returned to her face. "Can I keep it?"

  Renge nodded eagerly. "Of course, of course! This is the least the village can do for you two. Please, inform the Young Master he can also take anything he likes." Such a hospitable village! Xia thought, her eyes already scanning the racks for more treasures. "Oh! Then I'll grab these as well!"

  Hours passed. Bi Kan stood in the doorway of the small hut, a silent sentinel watching a master at work.

  He had been mesmerized, his own ambition a quiet, hungry thing as he observed the golden-haired girl’s every movement.

  With a final, delicate manipulation of her Qi, she let out a soft breath, and the intense heat from the small cauldron dissipated. A rich, pure fragrance, far more potent than anything he had ever produced, filled the air. She carefully extracted the fruits of her labor. Inside the bowl were three shimmering pills.

  Amazing, Bi Kan thought, his own breath catching in his throat. She refined these pills… a much higher quality than mine. They’re Qi Sensing Pills, but why? Her own realm is far beyond…

  In an instant, the world compressed. A phantom appeared before him, a blur of motion so fast his Qi-honed senses couldn't even track it. His back crashed against the rough wood of the wall with a jarring impact, and a hand, slender but strong as steel, clamped around his neck. His body was lifted from the ground, his feet kicking uselessly in the air.

  "K-Khk! Wait!"

  The girl’s eyes, a brilliant, fiery orange, narrowed down at him, burning with a cold, suspicious light. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice a low, dangerous hiss. "An enemy sect? Who the hell sent you?"

  I-I can't compete with her, Bi Kan’s mind screamed, the pressure of her aura a crushing weight that threatened to snuff out his own. Her realm is much higher than mine!

  "P-Please, let me explai—"

  "Speak," she cut him off, her grip tightening. "If you even dare to lie, your life is forfeit. Your path will end here."

  Bi Kan took a ragged, desperate breath, a single bead of sweat tracing a path from his temple down his chin. "I-I was sent… on a sect mission," he gasped out. "To… help three villages against… the ongoing bandit attacks!"

  Her hand loosened fractionally. "Judging by your robes, you're from the Jade Pathways Sect. You're lucky. Our sects aren't enemies. Yet." She let go. He dropped to the floor, landing in a heap as he gasped for air, the feeling of sweet, clean oxygen a dizzying relief.

  "Hahh… hahh…" he panted, rubbing his bruised throat. He looked up at her, a wry, pained smile on his face. "Does being this cruel come with the territory of being a great alchemist?"

  She scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Humor won't flatter me." Her gaze was analytical, dissecting him. "You’re trying to get me to teach you, aren't you? The way your eyes linger on my hands, on the herbs. You have an interest in alchemy."

  Bi Kan slowly pushed himself to his feet, straightening his crumpled robes. "Your deduction is quite sharp. I am indeed interested in alchemy. I’ve dabbled in it a few times, but my attempts were amateurish. Luck was constantly on my side when making them."

  A soft sigh escaped the girl's lips, a sound of weary understanding. "Luck is a factor," she conceded, "but you can always alter that luck with skill."

  Bi Kan folded his hands, bowing his head slightly. "Though we're from different sects, I, Bi Kan, ask this senior sister to guide me in the ways of alchemy. I wish to deepen my knowledge."

  She tilted her head, a flicker of contemplation in her fiery eyes. "Even if I wanted to, we don't have ample time. Like you said, you're on a mission, not here to be distracted by random events." A ghost of a smirk touched her lips. "Are you truly a disciple of the Jade Pathways Sect?"

  He scratched his head awkwardly. "T-That may be true, but I'm starting to paint a full picture of the situation. To handle the difficulties ahead, I need your help! Even if it's just for a week, it would help me greatly!"

  Another sigh came from her lips, this one carrying a note of finality. "Fine. I'll teach you the basics of alchemy. Since I assume you've just been mashing ingredients together like some arrogant prodigy, I'll teach you the fundamentals."

  Bi Kan straightened up once more, his own hope rekindled. "Thank you, Senior Sister!"