Chapter 31: Alchemy (Seeking Your Continued Reading)

After Li Guanxuan was kicked out, he intended to head straight for the main quarters, but to his surprise, Wen Rongxin was still practicing martial arts in the side courtyard, working to improve her physical condition.

As he drew nearer, he noticed Wen Rongxin’s delicate cheeks were flushed, her neck and the tips of her ears burning red; her fists trembled as she punched, her stance unsteady…

Knowing her as well as he did, Li Guanxuan immediately understood—his wife was awash with the rising tide of spring.

Without hesitation, Li Guanxuan strode over and swept her up in his arms, carrying her toward the main house.

“W-what are you doing…” Wen Rongxin stammered, her shyness making her voice as soft as a mosquito’s.

“Has the charm’s effect worn off again?”

“Mhm, mhm…”

“Oh, I remember now. I deliberately took it off before I went in, so you’d listen to a few more tunes.”

“You—you…” Wen Rongxin’s head shot up, her wide, almond-shaped eyes filled with embarrassment and annoyance. Seeing the mischievous grin on her husband’s face, even her gentle nature was pushed to the brink—she bit him hard on the shoulder.

Li Guanxuan inhaled sharply at the pain.

“I’m sorry, husband, I—I didn’t mean to…” Wen Rongxin, seeing his pained expression, immediately reached out to gently rub his shoulder, her oval face filled with worry and guilt.

“It’s nothing, as long as you bite me properly later,” Li Guanxuan replied with a teasing smile.

Over the past five years, a certain word had come up so often that, even with her naivety, Wen Rongxin now knew exactly what it meant. In a huff, she bit him again.

Li Guanxuan burst out laughing, carrying his bashful wife into the main room.

But as soon as he set her down, Wen Rongxin hurried to the door, took out a protective talisman, and affixed it firmly in place. Only after making absolutely certain did she scurry back, eyes shining with anticipation as she gazed at Li Guanxuan.

He was taken aback by her sudden cleverness.

When did his wife become so crafty?

“All—all done…” she murmured, beckoning him.

At her invitation, Li Guanxuan pressed her gently beneath him.

As the soft, restrained moans of endurance sounded in his ear, the old wolf-hair brush—so adept at painting—was somewhat displeased. The side room’s “painting” had been so exuberant, yet here in the main room, only muted sighs? Was someone acting there, or was the old wolf-hair brush lacking?

Without hesitation, the old wolf-hair brush increased its vigor, raising the volume, letting echoes linger, and switching through all manner of techniques and postures… until, at last, he painted a grand scene of waves crashing against rocks.

…

After a night’s revelry, Li Guanxuan showed no sign of fatigue. In fact, he was brimming with energy—no sore waist, no aching legs—a completely different man from the weakling he once was.

He made his way to the cultivation chamber.

First, Li Guanxuan took stock of his spoils: fifty-seven mid-grade pills, mostly Recovery, Marrow-Cleansing, and Vein-Protection elixirs, with only two Breakthrough Pills and a Nourishing Pill.

Nine magical tools—five mid-grade and four low-grade.

Five talismans: three fire, two ice… Clearly some had been used in the slums, or there would have been more.

One thousand three hundred and twenty-six pieces of low-grade spirit stones—a respectable haul.

Only one cultivation manual: the “Explosive Flame Art.”

Li Guanxuan read through it carefully and found it suited cultivators with a fire spiritual root. It allowed one to detonate fire mana shot forth… and if one wrapped it around an Exploding Spirit Talisman—well, that would be truly formidable.

“My fire spiritual root is nearly at high grade. If I cultivate this art, then blend in Qingxuan Qi and Exploding Spirit Talismans, I should be able to unleash devastating force in an instant.”

But he soon realized a flaw.

If he triggered an explosion at close range, he’d be caught in it as well.

So…

He needed to prioritize creating a puppet.

“Sigh, after obtaining the Velvet Blossom Spirit Tree, I’ve become even more protective of my life…”

He couldn’t help but muse. Who wouldn’t, after discovering that dual cultivation could grant immortality? Why bother fighting others for resources, when marrying a few wives and living peacefully was so much sweeter?

“Still, the physique of a seventh-layer Qi Refiner is truly beyond reach for an early-stage body cultivator. The flexibility… any difficult posture is child’s play.”

Li Guanxuan was even curious what Wen Rongxin would be like after reaching mid-stage body cultivation.

But despite all these years, Wen Rongxin remained bashful, never fully letting go in bed. He would have to coax her more, and perhaps have Qin Jiyue whisper a few things in her ear.

Best if she could teach her a thing or two.

That would be even more delightful.

“I’ll need to be attentive, too—can’t let Qin Jiyue leave me in the dust…”

Li Guanxuan thought of the velvet blossom within Qin Jiyue’s body.

With the golden finger, her cultivation would undoubtedly soar. Coupled with her top-tier talent—reaching sixth-layer Qi Refining at eighteen—establishing a foundation would be effortless.

One thing was certain: Qin Jiyue could never leave him.

After all, the velvet blossom dropped from the sacred tree, and only dual cultivation with him would work; with anyone else, it would be useless.

“Bah, what am I thinking… Oh, right—cultivation and immortality. That truly is serious business.”

Li Guanxuan took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and began refining the immortal qi within his body, checking the state of his fire spiritual root as he did.

Yes, it was robust. In another year or two, it would reach high-grade quality.

After settling his mind, Li Guanxuan took out a three-legged pill furnace and placed the ingredients for the Recovery Pill beside him.

He was intent on improving his alchemy.

As the saying goes, one can never have too many skills. Besides, he was still a ways from building his foundation; raising his talents now might earn him more spirit stones in the future, maybe even a better residence.

“Light the furnace—begin alchemy!”

Ambition shone in Li Guanxuan’s eyes as he ignited the flame with one hand. Once the temperature was right, he began adding herbs, one by one.

Refining Recovery Pills was no challenge for him—he’d been doing it for over twenty years.

But what he wanted was to raise the pill’s quality from low to mid-grade; that was the true measure of his skill.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a gentle medicinal fragrance filled the cultivation chamber. A trace of delight flickered in Li Guanxuan’s eyes.

Mid-grade, first-tier Recovery Pills—success!

He opened the furnace and counted: seven pills, all mid-grade, perfectly formed, with no defects.

The second batch was also Recovery Pills—nine pills, mid-grade, their aroma rich and mellow.

For the third batch, he chose Vitality Pills, beneficial for body cultivators.

His first attempt failed, but that was due to greed—he’d tried to force a mid-grade Vitality Pill without mastering the basics.

Starting with low-grade, he managed to produce three mid-grade Vitality Pills by afternoon, all of good quality.

As for the low-grade ones, he let Wen Rongxin have them.

In the evening, after refining another batch of Vitality Pills, he went to eat.

After dinner, as always, came affection and intimacy…

Such a dull, repetitive life continued into the next day.

Only now, he began refining other first-tier pills: Qi Nourishing, Marrow-Cleansing, Essence Fostering, and so on.

He only made a few talismans on occasion.

A month later, feeling confident that his alchemy could reliably produce mid-grade first-tier pills, Li Guanxuan began tinkering with puppet crafting.

But mastering the puppet arts was far more difficult than alchemy or talisman-making.

To refine a puppet, every component had to be crafted with utmost precision.

…

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