106 - Dungeon Growth Log

Suluxi, Alchemy Room. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for crafting Hundred Souls Pill *3, Points +3] [Ding! Hundred Souls Pill proficiency 100/100, Reward: Ten Thousand Souls Pill Recipe] [Pill Recipe Mall is now open!] Carefully placing the Hundred Souls Pills into the sealable pill box, Xia Ge threw the remaining herbs into the furnace, a barely noticeable hint of green in her eyes. Initially, there were a few failures in refining the pills, but as her proficiency increased, the failure rate dropped to nearly zero. However, Soul Pills consumed far more soul power, which was essentially mental energy, compared to other pills. It's best to sleep after refining Soul Pills to avoid issues like dizziness and memory loss due to mental fatigue. But Xia Ge didn't have time to worry about such mental issues. "Creak—" The door to the alchemy room was quietly opened by someone. Without even glancing over, Xia Ge remained focused on the flickering flames in the furnace. The visitor didn’t disturb her, quietly placing something on the table before standing still nearby. After watching Xia Ge finish refining the Hundred Souls Pills and place them in the box, the visitor finally spoke. "I thought you refused the Sword Peak people’s request for pills?" Xia Ge raised her head, seeing Mao Qing placing the food basket on the side table. She looked at the redwood table beside the furnace, which was filled with alchemy materials and boxes, the faint fragrance of pills in the air, all of which were the Hundred Souls Pills Xia Ge had refined in recent days. Xia Ge: "…I'm just practicing. Hey, are your injuries healed?" "The soul poison's cleared, only external injuries remain, which will heal with time." Mao Qing seemed unconcerned, then looked at Xia Ge with a half-smile, "The Sword Peak people have been looking for you for days like they're begging their last hope. Aren't you planning to respond?" Xia Ge: "…" Mao Qing: "Did you really refuse them?" Standing up and dusting herself off, Xia Ge replied, "I have no obligation to save them." Mao Qing chuckled, "I thought so too." After a brief pause, Mao Qing added, "The soul poison in the injured disciples of Dan Peak and the villagers has mostly been resolved. Master asked me to thank you on his behalf and said… ‘Thank you for your hard work, Master of Orders.’" Xia Ge shivered, grabbed some herbs, and tossed them into the furnace. "It's good that the poison's gone. No need to thank me." Mao Qing: "Still refining? How many are you going to make?" Xia Ge: "With so many herbs, not refining them would be a waste, wouldn't it?" Mao Qing observed her for a while. Xia Ge's gaze wandered. After a moment, Mao Qing smiled slightly, "Xia Wuyin, do you enjoy saving people?" Xia Ge: "…Since when do I enjoy saving people? You're talking nonsense." "You saved me before." Mao Qing set the food basket on the table next to Xia Ge, "Hmm, more than once." Xia Ge replied casually, "Maybe because you're good-looking." Mao Qing: "…" Sincerely, Xia Ge said, "I like saving good-looking girls and boys." System: "…" Please stop, this is too real! Mao Qing responded, "Oh… is that so." Xia Ge glanced at the food basket, "You're bringing me food again?" With the Hundred Souls Pill proficiency at one hundred percent, her success rate was also one hundred percent. This meant that no matter how distracted she was, she wouldn't fail, even if she took a break to eat. Such was the magic of the system's cheat. However, reaching this one hundred percent proficiency took Xia Ge four or five days of sleepless refining. Mao Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, acting as if she were about to take the food back, "Not welcomed?" "Hey, hey, who said you're not welcomed!? You are!" Xia Ge hurriedly said, "Let me finish this batch of pills first." After finishing the current batch and placing them in the box, Xia Ge opened the food basket. Inside were rice, steamed buns, and a plate of delicious-looking sweet and sour ribs, the aroma filling the air. Xia Ge: "Wow, it's always so sumptuous. The dining hall on the mountain doesn't serve meat…" Without blinking, Mao Qing said, "You’re the Master of Orders now, of course the food would be better." Eating the meat happily, Xia Ge remarked, "So that’s how it is. Great, let's eat together." System: "…" Cursed capitalism. Mao Qing: "I already ate earlier." "Ah, have some more." The ribs were tender and slightly sweet, with a fragrant juice. Xia Ge took a bite and felt her life was complete, "If only we could eat meat every day!" Mao Qing shook her head, resting her cheek on her hand, watching Xia Ge eat, "It's fine, I don't eat meat." After eating heartily, Xia Ge remembered Mao Qing's waist injury, "I'm done eating. You should go rest now. You’re still recovering. There's no need to bring food; I can manage alone here." Mao Qing smiled, "Maybe Master thought others weren't as familiar with you. It's fine, I'm not tired. I'll just stay and watch." After saying that, she closed the door and lazily found a chair at a nearby table. Unable to persuade her to leave, Xia Ge didn't mind and continued to focus on her alchemy. The system quietly asked her, "Are you really not planning to help Sword Peak?" With Mao Qing nearby, Xia Ge couldn't respond openly, so she thought to herself: {Not exactly.} System: "I knew it… but didn't you decide not to save the world?" {…Senior Sister gave me the Master of Orders' token.} Xia Ge stared at the flickering flames in the furnace, {So sometimes I think, if Senior Sister were here, she would save them no matter what.} After a pause, {Xia Ge can be suspected of being a demon sect spy, be angry, be willful, and disregard life and death.} {But Master of Orders Xia cannot.} The system was silent for a moment, "…But your Senior Sister wasn’t suspected of being a demon sect spy." Xia Ge: {Exactly, so I’m not planning to give them the pills.} System: "Hmm?" Xia Ge: {Seeing the faces of the Sword Peak people just makes me uncomfortable. So, let's make them wait a bit longer. Master has plenty of pseudo-mystic Hundred Souls Pills anyway.} {Once these pills are ready, they’ll go to the pill storage. The decision will be up to Master.} System: "…" Master, although highly protective of his own, would ultimately prioritize the greater good. Even if he delayed Sword Peak, he would eventually give them the pills. Xia Ge: {And Chu Yao… I'll consider it repaying her for that meal.} After finishing the conversation with the system, Xia Ge completed the batch of pills. Feeling mentally drained from days of refining, she decided to rest. Although Mao Qing remained quiet by her side, she wasn’t idle. Seeing Mao Qing working on something, Xia Ge asked, "What are you drawing?" Holding a brush, Mao Qing smiled lightly without looking up, "The White Dream Cave." "The White Dream Cave?" Xia Ge was stunned for a moment. Her mind, dulled from refining, took a while to remember, "The place you mentioned before?" Mao Qing’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if recalling something, then relaxed, "Yes, the one I mentioned before." Xia Ge moved closer to look. The simple ink wash depicted a round cave filled with clouds and mist. The detailed brushstrokes created a layered effect, with a beautiful butterfly spreading its wings within the misty clouds, its translucent wings appearing vivid and soft, a mesmerizing blend of black-and-white yet somehow colorful in its delicacy. It flitted through the dreamy embrace of the cave, enchanting in its beauty. It was a sight that took one's breath away. "You said you were drawing it?" Xia Ge gaped in disbelief, "This is the White Dream Cave? My god, Mao Qing, I would never have guessed you could draw so well!" Stimulated by the dreamlike yet brilliant image, Xia Ge felt her spirits lift. "The White Dream Cave looks like this? The cave has clouds? And butterflies?" she asked curiously. Mao Qing's lips curled slightly, her eyes sparkling with an unconscious enchantment, "Yes, and no." Xia Ge, absorbed in the painting, overlooked her expression, "What do you mean, yes and no?… You draw beautifully." "‘Yes,’ because this is how the White Dream Cave appears in my dreams." The table in Suluxi Dan Pavilion was equipped with writing tools. Mao Qing placed her brush on the brush holder, her gaze both amused and contemplative, "I had a dream that day. The cave was shrouded in mist with no end in sight. Not far inside, a plaque saying ‘White Dream’ appeared." "And ‘no,’ because… no one knows the true appearance of the White Dream Cave." Xia Ge: “Ah, I see. Your dream is beautiful… So, did you see this butterfly in the dream?" Mao Qing shook her head, "No." Xia Ge was puzzled, "Then why draw a butterfly?" Mao Qing explained, "It's said that the White Dream Cave is the dwelling of the Dream God, whose original form was a butterfly." Xia Ge let out a sound of understanding, fisting her palm, "I see." Mao Qing nodded, then smiled, "Is it beautiful?" Xia Ge nodded earnestly, "It's extremely beautiful." The two chatted about the White Dream Cave for a bit longer, helping Xia Ge regain some of her energy. Rubbing the token in her pocket, Xia Ge suddenly felt a bit down, boredly musing, "I wonder when Senior Sister will return." Mao Qing: "Do you miss her a lot?" "Of course," Xia Ge replied. "With Senior Sister around, I'd never be falsely accused." She pointed to the doll at her waist, "Look at this. I didn't tell you before, but this was given to me by Senior Sister." Mao Qing raised an eyebrow, looking at the doll. The doll had a cheerful smile, its eyes sparkling with embedded cat's eye stones, full of life and spirit. "They all say that puppet doll is mine," Xia Ge said earnestly. "As long as Senior Sister comes back, she'll definitely prove my innocence." System: "…Keep spinning your tales." Mao Qing placed a paperweight on her drawing, smiling slightly, nonchalantly saying, "Then let's hope she returns soon." With that, she paused, "I need to head back." She turned to leave. Xia Ge glanced at the half-finished drawing, "Hey, you’re leaving without finishing the drawing?" Mao Qing: "I’m tired. Need to rest." Xia Ge: "Ah, in that case, you should go back… Let me walk you out." Mao Qing: "No need." So direct. Did I say something wrong just now? Xia Ge scratched her head, "Hey, I'll bring the drawing over to you once it's dry, okay?" Mao Qing turned back to look at her. Hands behind her back, Xia Ge said innocently, "Such a beautiful drawing, it would be a shame to leave it here." Mao Qing looked at her for a moment. Xia Ge blinked at her. After a while, Mao Qing's lips curved slightly, "It would indeed be a shame." She paused, "You can bring it to me when you leave." Xia Ge smiled, "Leave it to me." After Xia Ge had finished refining enough Hundred Souls Pills for the Sword Peak disciples, she felt a headache from overusing her soul power. Staring at the large stack of boxes, Xia Ge rubbed her temples, enduring the dizziness, and let out a long breath, "Ah, it does feel rewarding." System: "…So you've really decided, huh? This is quite a loss." "I think so too," Xia Ge thought for a moment, pulling out her token, "But… I believe Senior Sister would do the same." "…If that’s what she would do." "Then I have no reason not to." System: "…Whatever makes you happy." After resting for a while, Xia Ge opened her alchemist board and saw the newly received pill recipe, the Ten Thousand Souls Pill. "This… is an earth-grade recipe?" Glancing through it, Xia Ge was astonished, "...What kind of materials are these…" Earth Vein Fire? Ten thousand unjust spirits? Ice Crystal Phoenix Grass? Living Skeleton? "The Earth Vein Fire is one thing, but what are ten thousand unjust spirits?" And a living skeleton? This is too much. "They are the spirits of ten thousand unjustly dead souls, thus called the Ten Thousand Souls Pill," the System explained matter-of-factly. "This is why earth-grade alchemists are vastly different from mystic-grade alchemists. Without specific guidance, it's impossible to achieve this with one's own power." One of the differences between mystic-grade and earth-grade alchemists is that mystic-grade alchemists are still confined to using furnaces, whereas earth-grade alchemists can completely dispense with the need for a furnace, using the heavens as their furnace and the earth as their fire, harnessing infinite spiritual energy to create pills. Xia Ge found this intriguing, "By your account, how did the first earth-grade alchemist manage then?" System: "On Fengyue Continent, there wasn't the first earth-grade alchemist, but the first Alchemy God." "Huh?" The System educated her, "The first heavenly-grade alchemist wasn't human but a deity." "It’s said that the heavenly deity, out of compassion for the suffering of the living beings from illnesses, descended to the mortal realm to write an alchemical scripture. From then on, people began to learn the art of medicine and pills, cultivating pill veins step by step until they became earth-grade and eventually heavenly-grade alchemists." "I see," Xia Ge mused. "Dan Peak has never taught us this." System: "Because those historical records were burned." Xia Ge: "…Alright then." "Wait, historical records? So, there really were deities in this world?" Xia Ge suddenly realized. System: "Take a guess." Xia Ge with a deadpan expression: "I won't guess." Just like no one knows if Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly, who knows if the legendary first alchemist was truly a deity. Delivering the pills to the pill storage, Master looked at her with a peculiar expression. Stroking his goatee, he said, "…Master of Orders won’t deliver them personally?" Xia Ge glanced at him, "I didn’t say I was giving them. These were materials you gave me, so it should be your decision, shouldn’t it?" Where's the logic in that? Master couldn't help but laugh. Even if the pills were placed in the storage, whether to give them to Sword Peak was ultimately up to the Master of Orders. Initially, he acted because he didn’t know the token was in Xia Ge’s hands. But ultimately, the injuries at Sword Peak couldn't be delayed any longer. Chang Lan was in a frenzy, yet no one could corner Xia Ge. They could only hound him day after day. Despite everything, since the Master of Orders felt this way, he might as well go along, pleasing everyone. After all, in critical times, unity was the most correct approach. "Then leave it to me." Master nodded, agreeing. Walking away, Xia Ge suddenly turned back, "Oh right, Master, don’t forget to tell them. Helping Sword Peak with alchemy is our duty, but I hope Sword Peak respects Dan Peak as part of their duty too." Pausing, Xia Ge smiled lightly, "After all, a demonic sect spy making pills for people looks at personal feelings, not duties." Author’s Note: The writing block was terrible. (Pulling hair) Recommended: The Same Sex Attraction GL by Xiao Xiang Cong, if you’re interested, check it out. = = Gu Gui threw a landmine at 2018-08-07 00:23:38 Little White Meow Meow threw a landmine at 2018-08-07 00:28:27 Thank you to the little angels for the landmines!!