Chapter 16: Alchemy

.........Qingmei sat cross-legged amidst a pile of books that had grown into a small mountain. "This isn't it, this one... isn't it either, this one... still isn't it. Where on earth is it?" Qingmei pouted and complained. Was finding an introductory book on alchemy really this difficult? In a fit of pique, she pushed the books aside, and right before her eyes, she spotted the very book she had been looking for: *Introduction to Alchemy*. Qingmei immediately pulled it out, flipped it open, and went straight to the section on pill refining: Spirit Origin Pill. Its function is to replenish spiritual power. Ingredients: Three-leaf Flower, and the spirit bone of a spirit beast of Tier 2 or higher. The higher the tier of the spirit bone, the better the effect of the pill. Qingmei took the book, went to find a Three-leaf Flower and a Tier 5 spirit beast's spirit bone in her room, and headed to the alchemy room.

The first step: place the spirit bone into the alchemy furnace and guide the fire to release it beneath the furnace. Qingmei followed the book's instructions and placed the spirit bone inside. Next, she released a small flame beneath the furnace—this was why an alchemist needed the fire element. Then, she used her spiritual power to try and dissolve it; only the wood element could dissolve objects imbued with spiritual power. Qingmei had one hand holding the book, so she could only place her other hand on the edge of the furnace to channel her spiritual power inside. Before long, the spirit bone dissolved bit by bit at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually turning into a pool of crystalline liquid. Then, she placed the Three-leaf Flower inside and dissolved it using the same method, which also turned into liquid. Next was the most important part: condensing the pill. Use your divine sense to guide the liquid to condense into a pill. Divine sense? What was that? Qingmei didn't understand what that "divine sense" thing was at the moment. She didn't care anymore; she closed her eyes, channeled her mental energy into the furnace, and used it to guide the liquid to condense. Before long, five pills were produced. If anyone else had seen this, they would surely be astonished; to be able to condense five pills on the first try was simply genius. An average alchemist usually condenses one or two pills; most of the liquid dissolved cannot be condensed, so a single furnace produces at most three pills—three was already the limit. However, Qingmei looked at these pills and didn't think they were very good. Unlike others' pills, which were crystalline and round, these five were black, pitted, and looked... not very good at all. Where exactly had things gone wrong? Qingmei couldn't figure it out, so she threw the pills away in disgust; they just looked unpleasant. She lay on the grass by the lake, looking up at the sky within the space, and couldn't help but think of Nan Qingcheng. That handsome face appeared in her mind. The corners of Qingmei's mouth curled up slightly; she had to admit, she actually missed him quite a bit.........

In the evening, Qingmei exited the space; it was almost dark. *Knock, knock, knock.* A soft knocking sound came at the door. "Miss, would you like to eat now? Ning'er has brought it for you," Ning'er asked from outside the room. "Mm, bring it in." Ning'er brought in a bowl of white rice, fish, and some vegetables, placing them on the table. Looking at the food, Qingmei's mood improved slightly; otherwise, constantly thinking about that evildoer Nan Qingcheng wasn't very pleasant. She had been the one to speak to Qing Zhining about this food; otherwise, running outside to eat every day wasn't a solution. Unexpectedly, when Qingmei mentioned what she had been eating every day, Qing Zhining was clearly surprised and even asked if it were true that she had been eating leftovers every day. It was clear that Qing Zhining hadn't known about this. There was no need to guess; this must have been the work of her second stepmother, Luo Silan, or her third stepmother, Fang Yun. They often treated her harshly in her daily life. After Ning'er sat down to eat with her and cleaned up, she left, leaving Qingmei alone in the room, thinking of someone once again.