Pill Concoction!

"Concoct the first batch of the basic Qi recovery pills yourself by using the recipe from that tome that you have read a few months ago," Liu Ri said. "I will teach you my recipe of the basic Qi recovery pill after that, and you will make the second batch using that recipe. For the third batch, you will be using your own recipe."

"I see," Drog said in his head to Liu Ri. "You want me to find flaws in your recipe and improve it."

"Wrong," Liu Ri said with clear annoyance in her voice.

"How am I wrong?" Drog said as he slightly tilted his head to the right.

"There are no flaws in any of my alchemy recipes."

"Then why do I need to create my own recipe for the basic Qi recovery pill?"

"Because," Liu Ri said. "Two pills of the same recipe and effectivity, have different results on different dantians."

Drog nodded his head in understanding and Liu Ri continued, "Now then, go ahead and make the first batch of pills."

"Alright," Drog said and thought, "There are five stages of pill concoction: ingredient preparation, cauldron preparation, concoction, cleansing and pill forming. I have two ingredients, but I only have to prepare one – the Yi grass."

Drog took the Yi grass into his right hand and the bowl that was sitting on the edge of the table into his left. He tossed the Yi grass into the bowl and took the small cudgel which was also resting on the table into his freed up hand. He smashed the Yi grass with that cudgel. When he finished, he stirred the smashed Yi grass within the bowl with the same cudgel.

"Ingredients are prepared and so the first stage is complete," Drog thought. "Now for the second stage." He walked up to the cauldron and extended his right arm, pointing his hand at the space below it. He used his fire Qi, and the flame blazed below the cauldron. He furrowed his eyebrows. "The flame is a little too strong." He concentrated and the flame weakened.

Drog waited for a few minutes, until the cauldron started to slightly shake. "The second stage is now complete," he thought and walked up to the table. From it, he took the Tchi herb and the bowl of Yi grass. He returned to the cauldron and tossed the Tchi herb inside the cauldron. Following which, he slightly increased the intensity of the flame and poured in the Yi grass.

Drog kept the intensity of the flame as it was, and just waited. He waited for fifteen minutes before gradually lowering the intensity of the flame until extinguishing it. He looked down into the cauldron and saw a brown liquid inside it. "The third stage is now complete, time for the fourth one – cleansing."

Drog extended his right arm and pointed it at the liquid. He used his fire Qi, and the liquid after some time got a lighter shade.

"Now for the last stage," Drog thought. He smacked the cauldron on the side with his palm. The liquid shot up into the air. He separated the liquid into ten parts and used both fire and wood Qi on them. The ten parts solidified and fell into the palm of his hand. He looked down at them.

"Out of the ten you made, the worse one is 32% effectivity and the best one is 53% effectivity," Liu Ri said. "Not bad for your first attempt."

Drog frowned and crushed the pills in his hand. He pulled out a Tchi Herb and Yi grass. "I will try again."

"There is no need," Liu Ri said.

"There is."

Drog concocted another batch of pills. This time, the worst one was of 54% effectivity and the best one was of 73% effectivity. He crushed them again and concocted yet another batch from his last ingredients. This time, he managed to make one pill of 97% effectivity. But he still crushed them in his hand.

Drog walked out of the building and left the peak. Ariving on the main peak, he made his way to the mission building and entered it. He walked up to an elder, but a different one as the one that he spoke to had another disciple speaking with him.

"I want to take on a mission," Drog said.

"I will need your identification insignia," the elder said.

Drog pulled out his identification insignia from his pendant and placed it on the counter, in front of the elder.

The elder took Drog's identification insignia and held it in his hand for a few seconds. "Very well," he said and placed it back on the counter.

Drog took his identification insignia and stored it inside of his pendant.

"We have three missions. Plant gathering, package delivery and magical beast core gathering. Which one do you want?"

"What kind of plant gathering mission?"

"There are three, one is Tchi herb gathering mission, the second one is Yi grass gathering mission and the third one Qin herb gathering mission."

"And the reward?"

"For each herb you find, two copper coins."

"I can choose Yi herb or Tchi herb gathering mission, doesn't matter which," Drog thought and said, "I will take Yi grass gathering mission."

The elder pulled out a sheet of paper from behind the counter and placed it on it. "Since you already completed a mission, I won't explain this to you."

Drog took the sheet of paper and stored it inside his pendant. "I will return shortly," he said and walked out of the building. He made his way to the bridge which led to the elder's peak and walked down it.