The trio stepped out of the classroom.
Li Fengyuan walked at the front, his pace unhurried.
Zhao Dazhu trailed beside him, stretching his arms and muttering about food, while Jia Hao was nowhere to be seen.
Actually, Li Fengyuan gave some tasks to Jia Hao which he went to carry out.
Li Fengyuan's destination was not the martial practice grounds nor the training fields.
Instead, Li Fengyuan led Zhao Dazhu deeper into the academy, where the scent of herbs and the faint crackle of fire filled the air.
This was the Pill Pavilion!
Zhao Dazhu wrinkled his nose immediately.
"Ugh, it stinks here! Why'd we come to this place?"
Li Fengyuan didn't even spare him a glance.
(Of course to refine pills!)
Well, not like he would believe him even if he said that.
Rather he should focus on his task which was to find a quiet Room for Alchemy before Jia Hao arrives.
Before coming here, he had already pulled Jia Hao aside and entrusted him with a carefully written list of herbs to buy from yesterday's market.
He couldn't entrust this task to Zhao Dazhu as he knew that he would get himself scammed or perhaps even wouldn't bring the complete list of ingredients.
Unlike Zhao Dazhu, Jia Hao was no fool with money.
Growing up as a commoner, he had learned the art of haggling. So, he was much more at ease sending Jia Hao than Zhao Dazhu.
Of course, the pouch itself had been filled with Zhao Dazhu's coin.
Li Fengyuan remembered that he used to get a quite substantial amount of money from the clan but was cut the allowance to One-Third of what he used to get due to him not studying and causing trouble for the clan.
Not to mention, he didn't even know what he had done, but the allowance he was given had almost dried up.
And the last of it had already been spent on the bracelet he bought for Xiao Mei and Shen Yuyan, which had cost nearly 300 Gold.
Well, he had to impress Xiao Mei one way or another, and missing such an opportunity was such a waste.
He could easily earn money but such opportunities would rarely come.
Anyways, there was still Zhao Dazhu, who had quite a bit of savings.
After thinking about the Cultivation Technique given to him, Zhao Dazhu didn't think much about the money being borrowed by Li Fengyuan.
Even if he had to give all of it without getting back, he would have gladly done so.
Compared to the priceless Cultivation Technique he was given, this was nothing.
The further they walked, the thicker the herbal fragrance became, until the very air seemed steeped in medicine.
The Pill Pavilion stretched wide before them—rows of pill furnaces, stacks of dried herbs, stone courtyards filled with simmering cauldrons.
Apprentices moved with hurried steps, carefully measuring roots, powders, and extracts, while mentors oversaw their refinements with critical gazes.
It was a world apart from the clang of weapons or the roar of training cultivators.
Here, everything pulsed with fire, smoke, and the scent of medicine.
And into this world stepped Li Fengyuan.
The change in atmosphere was immediate.
!!!
Conversations stuttered. Movements slowed. Then came the stares.
The infamous young master of the Li Clan had appeared in their domain.
Whispers rippled through the alchemists like a breeze through leaves.
"What's he doing here?"
"That arrogant peacock actually stepped into the Pill Pavilion?"
"Is he planning to create trouble?"
Disdain flickered in their eyes.
It wasn't just his reputation as a spoiled noble that drew their scorn—it was the clash of professions.
Alchemists and cultivators had always shared a strained relationship.
Alchemists believed it was their pills, their painstaking craft, that allowed cultivators to advance at the speed they did.
Without elixirs to heal wounds, replenish Qi, and push past bottlenecks, how far could cultivators truly go?
Cultivators, on the other hand, scoffed at such claims. What use were pills without those who fought on the frontlines?
While alchemists sat in safety, shielded by walls and flames, it was cultivators who bled, battled Demon Beasts, and held back the tide threatening to crush Liangzhuo City.
Both sides were right, and both sides were wrong. They were both very much needed for the safety of Liangzhuo City.
But pride was louder than reason, and so the disdain remained.
Now, with Li Fengyuan standing here—the disdain thickened like smoke.
Some sneered openly. Others turned their noses up, returning to their furnaces with audible scoffs.
Zhao Dazhu scratched his head, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere.
"Oi, Fengyuan… They're all staring at us! Why are we here anyways? We should probably complete your task as quickly as possible and leave."
Zhao Dazhu said, cowardly. While his body would make him look fierce, his actual personality was opposite.
Li Fengyuan's lips curved faintly. His stride never slowed, his eyes steady as he took in the rows of courtyards.
"Keep walking," he said calmly, his voice firm but low. "We have a room to secure!"
And with that, the pair stepped deeper into the heart of the Pill Pavilion, the weight of countless eyes following their every move.
Just as Zhao Dazhu tugged nervously at his sleeve, a voice rang out from the side, oily yet enthusiastic.
"Oh! If it isn't Young Master Li himself!"
A middle-aged man in pale-green robes strode quickly toward them, his smile wide and ingratiating.
His thin mustache twitched as he bowed deeply, hands clasped in respect.
"I had never expected to be blessed by your presence here in the humble Pill Pavilion!"
He said, almost tripping over his words in his eagerness.
"May I ask—what brings you here today? If you seek pills, whether it be for healing, cultivation, or breakthrough, this humble Sun Huai will certainly accomplish it. After all—"
He puffed out his chest, his voice swelling with self-importance.
"I am a Grade-2 Pill Alchemist. For me, such matters are but a simple wave of the hand."
Zhao Dazhu blinked, unimpressed, while the nearby apprentices snickered quietly at the teacher's boasting.
Sun Huai was well-known for his partiality towards Noble Clans, and his humble attitude could be understood as Li Fengyuan was from the Li Clan, one of the Twelve Noble Lineages.
Li Fengyuan gave him a glance, then spoke in his usual calm tone.
"I don't need pills to be refined."
The man froze, mid-bow, his ingratiating smile faltering for the briefest moment.
"Ah? Then… May I know what Young Master seeks?"
"A room," Li Fengyuan replied. His voice was firm, cutting through the murmurs around them.
"I want an alchemy room!"