The success of his first attempt at refining fasting pills filled Xiao Qi with an inexpressible excitement and motivation. Although the three pills were truly unsightly in appearance—one could even call them "defective products" among fasting pills—they nonetheless represented a crucial step from nothing to something. He treasured that vial of pills like a precious jewel; even when going to the secret base to share food with the rabbit spirit, he couldn't help but glance a few more times at the small jade bottle tucked in his bosom.
That day, having just finished his afternoon cultivation session, he was preparing to go to the kitchen to begin his evening "fire control cultivation" and possibly another alchemy attempt, when halfway there he was intercepted by a familiar figure.
"Yo! Junior Brother, rushing along—where are you heading to make a fortune?" Second Senior Brother Luo Feng was still his usual unkempt self, hair tied haphazardly, his dao robe even stained with some ink and unidentified metal shavings. He grinned as he drew closer, sniffed hard, and his gaze accurately landed on the slightly bulging spot in Xiao Qi's chest.
Xiao Qi's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he covered his chest—where that "precious" vial of fasting pills was tucked away.
"Second… Second Senior Brother, I'm not going anywhere..."
"Don't hide it," Luo Feng chuckled, lowering his voice and speaking mysteriously. "I can smell it! A scent of... hmm, scorched bitterness mixed with a hint of herbal freshness, and a touch of... wok hei? Kid, have you cooked up something good? Quick, show it to your senior brother for appraisal!"
Seeing that he couldn't conceal it, Xiao Qi had no choice but to take out the small jade bottle and pull out the stopper. A medicinal odor—not exactly pleasant, carrying a scorched bitterness and a strange "pan‑seared" aroma—wafted out.
Luo Feng leaned over to look. At the bottom of the bottle lay three grayish‑white, rough, misshapen pills. He froze for a moment, then widened his eyes in disbelief. He picked one up, examined it carefully before his eyes, and pinched it with his fingers.
"This... this is a fasting pill? You refined it yourself?" Luo Feng's tone was full of astonishment, even a hint of... excitement?
Xiao Qi nodded somewhat sheepishly. "Yeah, tried... tried refining it with a wok. Failed countless times, only succeeded with these three. The quality is too poor."
"Poor? No, no, no!" Luo Feng shook his head repeatedly, his eyes shining like he'd discovered a new continent. "Junior Brother, your pills—although the appearance is woeful and the spiritual energy fluctuation is weak—this flavor... it's unique! Charred aroma blended with the natural taste of herbs, and an indescribable, almost smoky, profound depth! Completely different from those bland, monotonous fasting pills from the Alchemy Hall! This is... this is practically the 'heretic' of fasting pills—no, a 'treasure'!"
Xiao Qi was dumbfounded by Second Senior Brother's "grand exposition." How had his failed creation suddenly become a "treasure" in Senior Brother's mouth?
Luo Feng rubbed his hands together, a flattering smile spreading across his face. "Junior Brother, how about we discuss something? Out of your three... uh, 'uniquely flavored' fasting pills, how about giving two to your senior brother for a taste? I'll trade you something good!"
With that, without waiting for Xiao Qi's agreement, he pulled out a stack of crumpled yellow talisman paper with twisted rune patterns from his seemingly messy but actually well‑organized storage pouch.
"Look! This is my newly improved 'Breeze Talisman'!" Luo Feng introduced proudly. "Once activated, it generates a powerful thrust that instantly boosts your speed—you'll run like the wind! Although... ahem, the direction is a bit hard to control, occasionally spinning in place or crashing into walls, but at critical moments for escaping or... creating chaos, it's absolutely miraculous! Much more effective than the 'Gentle Breeze Technique' I taught you last time!"
Xiao Qi looked at the stack of talismans, his mouth twitching slightly. He was deeply familiar with the combination of power and risk in Second Senior Brother's "inventions." But this "Breeze Talisman" sounded like... in certain specific situations, it might actually be somewhat useful? At least better than relying on his own two legs to run.
He looked at Luo Feng's expectant eyes, then at the three truly unpresentable pills in his own bottle, and a thought struck him. Second Senior Brother was knowledgeable and had unconventional connections; maintaining a good relationship with him might bring unexpected assistance or information in the future.
"Since Second Senior Brother likes them, then... I'll trade two." Xiao Qi hesitated a moment, then poured out the two most "disastrous"‑looking pills and handed them over.
"Good man!" Luo Feng was overjoyed. He snatched the two pills, tucked them into his bosom like treasures, then shoved the stack of about seven or eight "Breeze Talismans" into Xiao Qi's hands. "Take them! Remember to save me a share of any new, weird things you refine from now on! Our 'strategic cooperation' is hereby established!"
Watching Luo Feng's satisfied back as he hummed a tune and walked away, Xiao Qi looked down at the stack of peculiarly‑styled talismans in his hand and smiled wryly. Trading two failed fasting pills for Second Senior Brother's "friendship" and a bunch of effect‑unknown talismans—he wasn't sure whether this deal was a gain or a loss.
However, through this incident, he did realize that his wok‑refined pills, despite their low quality, seemed to truly possess a somewhat distinctive "flavor"? Even someone as experienced (or perhaps with peculiar tastes) as Second Senior Brother was interested.
This gave him a bit more interest and confidence in continuing to study the art of alchemy. Perhaps this alchemical path relying on "vessel" and "control" could really be walked?
He carefully stored the stack of "Breeze Talismans." Although direction was hard to control, at critical moments they might just serve some unexpected purpose. This "deal" with Second Senior Brother added another touch of peculiar color to his already unpredictable cultivation life.