Chapter Forty-Four: The Personal Alchemy Acolyte
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Mingyue gazed imploringly at Feng Qingcheng, wondering how she might persuade him to waive the compensation he demanded. Perhaps she could stay behind and continue hauling bricks? Or become his alchemy attendant? She wondered whether either of those might make up for the losses she had caused.
“Are you full?” Feng Qingcheng glanced at her. “How do you intend to compensate me?”
“Ah... well...” Mingyue answered awkwardly. “I think I should stay in the Alchemy Hall and continue hauling bricks. I... I don’t have any money to pay you back.”
“There’s no need for you to haul bricks,” Feng Qingcheng replied.
Mingyue’s heart leapt at his words. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he would simply say that the matter could be forgotten and let her return to Shu Mountain’s Immortal Cultivation Academy.
Instead, Feng Qingcheng said, “You need not compensate me, but you must agree to my conditions. Otherwise...”
“Your... conditions? What conditions?” Mingyue asked cautiously. So long as he was not asking her to sign herself away, surely there would be room for discussion...
Feng Qingcheng looked at her and spoke each word distinctly. “From this day forward, you will serve as my personal alchemy attendant.”
“P-Personal... alchemy attendant?” Mingyue asked warily. “What exactly does ‘personal’ mean? D-Do I have to attend your bed?”
Attend his bed?
At her words, Feng Qingcheng exchanged a complicated look with Yan Dan. His expression became exceedingly strange, tinged with helpless amusement.
What on earth was this little girl thinking? He was recruiting an alchemy attendant, not a consort. Why would she need to attend his bed?
“No.” Feng Qingcheng was speechless. “I am not recruiting a consort.”
“That’s wonderful. As long as I don’t have to attend your bed, I can accept anything else.” Mingyue wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and smiled in relief.
Seeing how relieved she looked, Feng Qingcheng thought gloomily, If I really asked you to attend my bed, would it be so unbearable?
Grinding his teeth, he explained, “Being my personal attendant means that you must come whenever I summon you, assist me with alchemy and private affairs, and fulfill all my reasonable requests. You may not take leave or shirk your responsibilities for any reason. Without my permission, you are forbidden from entering any other elder’s hall.”
The more Mingyue listened, the more the arrangement sounded like a contract selling herself into servitude. Fulfill all his reasonable requests... Was that not a little excessive?
She stole a glance at Feng Qingcheng and rapidly weighed the pros and cons. If she refused these unequal terms, she would most likely be expelled from the Alchemy Hall, and perhaps even from the Shu Mountain Immortal Sect.
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It had taken her great effort to pass the entrance examination and enter the Shu Mountain Immortal Sect. She naturally had no desire to be expelled now. Besides, she had no home to return to and had long since come to regard the Immortal Sect as her own home. If she were cast out, she truly did not know where she would go.
Mingyue thought to herself, As long as I don’t have to attend his bed, I can endure everything else... I’ve shared a meal with him, and he seemed like a decent person. But what will he really be like once we live and work together? Will he deliberately make things difficult for me, like Sun Qinglai did?
Seeing her hesitation, Feng Qingcheng snorted coldly. “You should know that not just anyone is qualified to be my personal alchemy attendant. To serve me is an honor.”
He took another sip of tea and continued, “If you are unwilling, that is also acceptable. I will report the matter to the Disciplinary Hall and have your compensation handled according to the rules of the Immortal Sect...”
“Wait... I... I’m willing...” Mingyue gritted her teeth and hurriedly answered, “Elder, I promise I can certainly do the job. Hehe.”
She thought, I’ve already been registered with the Alchemy Hall as an alchemy attendant. If I am not his attendant, I will belong to someone else. What difference does it make whose attendant I am? The Immortal Sect has rules stating that disciples of the Immortal Cultivation Academy who refuse their assigned duties will be punished by the Disciplinary Hall. Serving as a personal alchemy attendant has to be much better than hauling bricks, right? Although this man looks rather difficult to serve, I should still be able to tolerate it.
Feng Qingcheng nodded with satisfaction, then ordered her with undisguised disdain, “You have been unconscious for three days and three nights. You are filthy enough to pass for a stray dog. Go wash and change into clean clothes first, then replace everything on the bed.”
Mingyue looked herself up and down and only then realized that she was still wearing the clothes she had worn while hauling bricks and doing hard labor. They were smeared with dirt and dust and seemed to give off a strong, sour odor.
She remembered that she had lain on his bed for three days and three nights in that state. The smell of the bedding was probably no better than that of her clothes. She wondered how disgusted he must be, and her pretty face flushed at the thought.
But the Alchemy Hall was filled entirely with men; there were no women there. Mingyue asked uncertainly, “I don’t have any clothes to change into.”
“Yan Dan, give her a set of men’s clothes for now. Tomorrow, go and get several sets of robes for female disciples.”
Yan Dan nodded and arranged for a disciple to take Mingyue to wash and change. He also sent people in to clean the room and replace everything on the bed.
Standing beside Feng Qingcheng, Yan Dan saw that he was in an unusually good mood and could not help smiling. “Elder, did you take Miss Mingyue in as your personal alchemy attendant to silence certain people? Ever since you became an elder of the Alchemy Hall six months ago, the various elder halls and even the imperial family have been trying to send people here. Miss Mingyue is young and innocent, and she has no complicated background or connections. She is indeed very suitable to serve as your personal alchemy attendant.”
Feng Qingcheng nodded. “If anyone tries to make such arrangements in the future, tell them that I have already made my choice. Have the room beside my sleeping quarters cleaned out. It will be hers from now on. I am going to see the Sect Master later. Make the necessary preparations.”
Feng Qingcheng changed his clothes, and before long he arrived at the Central Hall of the Shu Mountain Immortal Sect, the Hall of Cosmic Origin. It was the seat of the Sect Master and the central hub of the entire Immortal Sect.
At that moment, Feng Xiaoyao was in the Hall of Cosmic Origin handling sect affairs.
Feng Qingcheng bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Sect Master.”
“Qingcheng, how many times have I told you? When you see me in private, just call me Master.” Feng Xiaoyao looked at him with deep affection.
He regarded his proud disciple with immense satisfaction. Even when Feng Qingcheng had still been studying at the Immortal Cultivation Academy, Feng Xiaoyao had recognized that he was extraordinary. He had never expected the young man to surpass his hopes so completely. Feng Qingcheng’s achievements in alchemy and cultivation had far exceeded all his expectations.
“Yes, Master.” Feng Qingcheng answered respectfully, “I have come to report the punishment imposed by the Alchemy Hall for Sun Qinglai’s embezzlement.”
He then recounted, one by one, the evidence of Sun Qinglai’s bribery, embezzlement, and persecution of fellow disciples over the past several decades.
“According to the laws of our Immortal Sect, Sun Qinglai would not deserve fewer than ten trips to the Immortal Execution Tower. However, considering that he managed the affairs of the Alchemy Hall for many years, I propose that we abolish his cultivation and expel him from the Shu Mountain Immortal Sect, never to be recruited again.”
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Feng Xiaoyao sighed. “Everyone believes that cultivators are detached from worldly concerns, without desire or ambition. Yet among all living beings, who can truly escape desire? Cultivators are no exception. Qingcheng, you are the disciple of whom I am most proud in this life. All I hope is that you will devote yourself to cultivation and keep the people of the world in your heart. I am old now, and I do not know when I will ascend. The future of Shu Mountain belongs to your generation. You will one day inherit the position of Sect Master, so you must take care in all things.”
“Yes, Master. I will remember your teachings.” Feng Qingcheng bowed respectfully. “Your health is strong, Master. I will certainly refine a sixth-grade immortal pill as soon as possible to help you break through the limits of your immortal meridians.”
“Good, good, good!” Feng Xiaoyao said with satisfaction. “You may use any heavenly treasures in Shu Mountain, and command or select any disciple you need. Set your mind at ease and pursue your breakthrough. As for Sun Qinglai, proceed according to your recommendation and report the matter to the Disciplinary Hall afterward.”
“I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Master.” Feng Qingcheng answered sincerely. “The amount Sun Qinglai embezzled and accepted in bribes is enormous. The Disciplinary Hall will need to send someone specifically to confiscate his assets.”
Feng Xiaoyao nodded. “The families of the fellow disciples he harmed must also be comforted. Leave that to the Disciplinary Hall as well. Qingcheng, you have been in seclusion for half a month this time. How is your body? You enter seclusion for half a month every month. Hurry and find someone to help manage the affairs of the Alchemy Hall. Do not wear yourself out.”
“Master, there is no need to worry. After I enter seclusion once more next month, the remaining poison will be completely expelled. After that, I will be able to devote myself entirely to refining pills,” Feng Qingcheng replied.
“Back when you first entered our Immortal Sect, the poison in your body was so severe that it nearly cost you your life...” Feng Xiaoyao said. “More than ten years have passed. At every step, you have relied on your tenacious will to overcome hardship and surpass yourself. I am deeply gratified.”
The Sect Master patted him on the shoulder, like a father addressing his beloved son. “You must not be impatient when refining pills. Progress step by step. If you need help, tell me without hesitation. No matter what it is, I will do everything in my power to satisfy your needs.”
“Thank you, Master,” Feng Qingcheng answered respectfully.
When Feng Qingcheng first entered the Immortal Cultivation Academy, he had been deeply poisoned, and the illness had relapsed many times. After accepting him as an inner disciple, Feng Xiaoyao had personally treated him and purged the poison on numerous occasions. To Feng Qingcheng, the Sect Master was not merely his teacher; he was also the man who had saved and raised him.
Feng Xiaoyao said earnestly, “The Alchemy Hall has always been the most important elder hall in our Immortal Sect. As your alchemy improves, all kinds of influential families will do everything they can to force their descendants inside to benefit from your success. I will help you turn away anyone I can. For those I truly cannot refuse, you will have to decide how to arrange them yourself.”
“I will remember your teachings, Master,” Feng Qingcheng replied respectfully.
Feng Xiaoyao had lived for more than six hundred years, and his immortal power had long since reached the second layer of the Highgod Realm. Because the spiritual energy of this world was limited and high-grade pills were scarce, it had become extremely difficult for him to advance any further. Unless he obtained a high-grade sixth-tier pill to aid his cultivation, breaking through his current limit would be nearly impossible.
Very few people in this world had ever broken through from the High Immortal Realm to the Highgod Realm. Even among those who had, there were only one or two ancient cultivators who had reached such heights. Feng Xiaoyao was one of them.
He had already lived for more than six hundred years. Whether he lived a few years more or a few years less no longer held much meaning for him. Although the demon race had vanished from the world, the Shu Mountain Immortal Sect had endured for centuries under his guidance. More than anything, he hoped that after Feng Qingcheng succeeded him as Sect Master, the young man would continue to strengthen and advance the Immortal Sect.
Feng Qingcheng was the hope of his entire life. He had to nurture this beloved and exceptional disciple well.