Ch. 3 - Because it's not sweet enough.

In the furnace, twelve round green pills lie quietly at the bottom, each one wrapped with three golden stripes.

On top of the grading system, pills can also have stripes. The stripes are divided from lowest to highest quality through the three colours white, red and gold, plus the number of stripes themselves are also an indicator.

In other words, the three golden stripes are the highest possible quality a pill can have.

The system is feeling rather sluggish today. According to its calculations, with the current alchemy materials and the host’s wood spirit level, even with the system’s help the most extreme result would only produce a red pattern. The system was about to highlight its own ability by explaining to the host how to gain a red quality, but that’s not needed anymore.

Where did the three gold stripes come from? What's more, the system still didn't see how the host refined the pills because it was too busy panicking about the explosion. Is it the licorice and sugar?

So the system shamelessly asks, “Host, why did you want to add licorice and sugar?"

Kong Wuying makes a face. “Otherwise, it’s not sweet enough." He pulls out one of the Wooden Essence pills and eats it. “Oh, still needs more."

The heart of the system is broken, it can’t bear to love this host who only cares about making candy!

Although he is not very satisfied, Kong Wuying still eats the pills. At least it tastes better than the Invigoration pills.

Kong Wuying just finishes the last one, when the system’s fussy voice comes from his ear: "How come you've finished it! You can't eat so many! Do you have any common sense at all?"

Wooden Essence is a pill specially designed to improve the spirit level of the pill master. It’s very powerful and takes at least half a month for ordinary people to digest it properly before they can have the next.

And this guy ate a whole pot! Will he explode? The system observes the host carefully and finds that his breathing is even and he doesn’t look uncomfortable. Then the system observes the amount of wood spirit in his body.

Yes? Seventeen? A Wooden Essence pill can increase the amount of wood spirit by 1 point, so host has absorbed the twelve pills completely? In a minute?

The system is disbelieving. “Are you a genius? Why was your spirit so low before if you can digest these pills so fast?”

Kong Wuying pauses. “Family is poor?”

Although the reasoning seems a bit strange, the system is happy that their host is a genius, this is a good thing! It means their future is even brighter.

While the system is happy, it quickly gives the reward to Kong Wuying. “The task is completed, the reward is given; the first volume of the herbal atlas, and all the first level pill recipes are unlocked."

Soon after, the system issues a second task. “Task: become a master of first level pill making. Reward: unlock all the second level pill recipes, and get the second volume of the medicinal materials atlas."

Kong Wuying nods. The reason he was able to absorb the pill so quickly isn’t natural talent, but his control over his strong mental power. It’s also the reason for his near-instant refining. After all, a soul puppet requires great control as well as mental power to maneuver. Refining a first level pill is nothing.

Yunyue city is a small town on the edge of Mohe kingdom. There are not many grand events in ordinary days. Today, the teacher thinks that the tide of people on the edge of the platform is particularly lively.

Today is the Master’s Oath competition, which is a rare event, likely to happen once in ten years. The challenger is also Master Huang Xun, who is a commemorated alchemist and his appearance carries a lot of weight. Naturally, ordinary people are flocking towards the scene in droves.

The crowd gathers around the large competition platform and happily chatters with the others surrounding them.

"Is that Master Huang Xun? As expected, he’s extraordinary. If I could be accepted as his disciple, I would wake up laughing every day.”

"Do you see that young man over there? I heard he has a gold and wood body, and he will become a second grade pill master in his lifetime. This is a real genius!"

"Oh my, a genius master and a genius student, this is fate! Which poor man doesn’t have the eyes to see how hopeless it is to compete with Master Huang Xun!"

"You know, the other guy is just an intermediate alchemy apprentice. Will he even show up?"

"He’s not here yet! That scum dares to let Master Huang Xun wait for him!"

"It's not only Master Huang Xun that’s going to be here! In order to judge the competition, the vice president of the Alchemy Association, the principal Teacher’s Association, and also a lot of influential people in the industry.”

"He won’t show up."

"I think so too, the whole thing is a joke. The alchemy apprentice won’t compete with first-class alchemists. It's like breaking stones with eggs."

Kong Wuying is passing by the group of people mocking him for being late and steps up onto the platform.

"Teacher!" A boy in pale blue runs up. He’s young at about fifteen to sixteen years old with a head of black hair tied into a ponytail. Big watery eyes give him a frail, innocent appearance.

The young man’s expression was set into firm determination. “Teacher, you can rest assured, no matter the result, I will not leave you!"

Kong Wuying looks at this student and smiles, his hand coming up to gently pat the youth on the cheek. “You’re a good boy."

Kong Wuying has such a handsome smile on his face, plus his tone and hand are so gentle. For some reason, the young man shivers.

On the other end of the platform, someone murmurs, “There is love between the teacher and student.”

A middle-aged man nearby says, "Mr. Yue is right, but if this teacher is really good for his students, he should let go. It's just selfish." He sighs. "This boy is born of gold and wood. I heard that young master Yue went south this time to select excellent seeds for the Longyue Alliance. I don't know..."

The young master Yue is only twenty-four or -five years old. He's dressed in white, and his bearing is naturally elegant. The young master laughs. "Don't worry, I won't rob people from you. It's just a gold and wood body, it's not qualified to join our Longyue Alliance."

When Vice President Wan of the Alchemy Association hears this, his face becomes even more bitter. He shakes it off soon after because if the young master really likes Han Xiu, there would be generous compensation for the recruitment. Although cultivating an excellent student is beneficial to their reputation, it can't be compared with rich resources.

What's more, Han Xiu will likely not spend his life in this small border town. Don't look at Huang Xun's fierce competition, in fact, they can't keep the boy at all!

He invited young master Yue to here to sell Han Xiu, but the young master doesn't care about a body of gold and wood, let alone the middling, mediocre Master's Oath competition.

Thinking about this great young master, Vice President Wan quickly and ruthlessly glares at the old, white haired principal. "Dean, this Ning Zhao is a teacher of your college, but he's unexpectedly so ignorant, letting young master Yue wait for him!"

The vice president is very dissatisfied. Not about Ning Zhao being late, but that Ning Zhao refused to let the matter rest in the first place and instead called the Master's Oath competition to waste everyone's time.

Feeling the eyes of Vice President Wan stabbing into the side of his head, the principal of the alchemy college is calm. He's surprised that Ning Zhao doesn't know what's good for him - the head even sent someone to advise Ning Zhao, but he still dares to take the challenge!

So the principal bows his head to Vice President Wan. "I'll give you a satisfactory account of this matter."

As soon as Kong Wuying is on the competition platform, an old man with a magnificent white beard appears in front of him, his face flushed red as he hisses, "Ning Zhao!"

Kong Wuying blinks. "Yes?" Who is this?

Seeing that Kong Wuying doesn't salute the principal, the man glares. "Ning Zhao, it is a lucky thing for Master Huang Xun to teach your student. You are so ungrateful. I advise you to admit defeat and leave the scene quickly to stop our college's and your own embarrassment from growing even further."

Kong Wuying pauses for a moment, then raises his voice. "I've already told you that we can fake the match, but the compensation can't be anything small. I can't believe you're being so frugal about this!"

The principal can hear people within ear shot immediately start gossiping while Master Huang Xun's face has twisted up in anger. The principal scolds this ridiculous teacher. "Nonsense, starting rumors and trouble. Ning Zhao, do you want your job?"

Kong Wuying shrugs. "Are you going to fire me? Sure, what's the redundancy payout like?"

The principal splutters at Kong Wuying's blatant provocation and straightens up. "I will let the finance department settle the accounts for you. From today on, you will no longer be a teacher of Xingchen college!"

Kong Wuying nods. "How is the emotional compensation calculated?"

"You have gall to ask for emotional compensation!?"

"Of course," Kong Wuying deadpans. "The college dismissed me without any reason, which has seriously hurt my mental health. I'm afraid that the trauma will affect my alchemy work. As a pill genius, the loss can't be made up for. The compensation is 10,000 gold coins."

"Ahahah!" On the high platform, the guard behind young master Yue is eavesdropping on such serious nonsense, and finally can't hold back his laughter.

Young master Yue shakes his head. "Talking is also a talent I suppose but how vulgar to speak of money ahead of alchemy."

The vice president waves him off sharply. "You will receive 100 gold coins, take it or leave it!"

"Sure, that's not bad."

“……”

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