Chapter 01

Mount Tengshe, Flying Horse Market.

Gao Xian, who was leaning against the wall, twitched his leg slightly and suddenly woke up from a nightmare.

The first thing that caught his eye was a peculiarly shaped brass alchemy furnace, standing about one meter tall. It resembled a kettle without a spout, supported by three frog-like legs, resting on a brick-built platform.

Below the platform was a fire channel and a flue connected to a chimney. To be more precise, it was a somewhat complex firewood stove.

Gao Xian stared at it for a while before sighing. This oddly shaped alchemy furnace was his livelihood.

It had already been three days since he transmigrated. He had adapted to his new body and new name, but he still hadn't gotten used to his new identity: an alchemist.

Gao Xian extended his left hand and silently recited, "Mirror, come forth."

A bronze mirror with an ancient elegance appeared in his hand. The handle of the mirror was engraved with four characters: "Fengyue Baojian" (Wind and Moon Precious Mirror).

This Fengyue Baojian was a souvenir from Dream of the Red Chamber, a gift from a friend for his birthday. Somehow, it had traveled through time with him.

At this moment, the smooth surface of the mirror reflected a handsome, youthful face.

Gao Xian usually only read Water Margin fanfics and watched low-budget movies, so he couldn't think of any suitable words to describe his current appearance.

Terms like "sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes" or "face like jade" felt too abstract.

The best he could say was that he resembled a young male movie star, handsome in a dignified and heroic way. His black eyes sparkled as if they were catching light...

It felt like a professional lighting technician was shining a spotlight on him!

The only downside was his pale complexion and dark circles, which made him look somewhat unhealthy.

"If I had this face, I wouldn't have been single for over thirty years!"

Gao Xian narcissistically touched his face, reminiscing about the days when he could only rely on his hardworking hands, and sighed with emotion.

This was the only thing he was satisfied with about his transmigration—a youthful, energetic body and a hopeful, handsome face!

Lines of text began to appear on the surface of the Fengyue Baojian.

Gao Xian:

Lifespan: 24/66

Cultivation: Qi Refinement Level 2 (2/200)

Five Elements Technique: Level 2 Proficiency (15/200)

Fire Control Technique: Beginner (88/100)

Water Control Technique: Beginner (80/100)

Cleaning Technique: Beginner (95/100)

Feather Flight Technique: Proficiency (99/200)

Qingfeng Sword Technique: Beginner (33/100)

First-Level Alchemy: Proficiency (29/1000)

Qi Restoration Pill: Proficiency (55/200)

Solid Origin Pill: Proficiency (41/200)

White Dew Pill: Proficiency (11/200)

After two days of research, Gao Xian had mostly figured out the uses of the Fengyue Baojian.

The mirror could reflect his personal status and quantify his various abilities. The problem was that his alchemy skill was grayed out and unusable.

Gao Xian had tried many methods but couldn't activate his alchemy skill or change the data in the mirror.

According to the memories left by the original owner, he was an alchemist working for a medicinal shop!

The shop provided the ingredients, and he provided the pills.

Currently, he owed the shop 500 Qi Restoration Pills, 500 Solid Origin Pills, and 500 White Dew Pills.

He also had a major problem: the original owner had secretly traded a batch of pills for Crimson Blood Pills.

Crimson Blood Pills were a potent Qi Refinement pill. The original owner had used them to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement, but for some reason, he died, leaving the body to Gao Xian.

The large amount of medicinal ingredients consumed in alchemy had become a huge deficit. How was he going to explain this to the shop owner?

An even more serious issue was that the original owner's memories were fragmented, including those related to alchemy.

Even if he had enough ingredients, he couldn't currently refine any pills.

By his calculations, he should have delivered the first batch of pills five days ago.

He didn't know what the consequences of failing to deliver the pills would be, but he doubted it would be anything good!

As Gao Xian was pondering his options, he heard the courtyard gate slam open. Startled, he hurried to the window and peeked outside through a crack in the paper.

Through the gap, he saw the short and rotund Shopkeeper Zhu, and behind him, the tall and buxom Madam Zhu Qiniang.

The two stood together, their height difference almost two feet. One was fat, the other tall—a combination that left a deep impression. It also allowed Gao Xian to immediately recognize their identities.

Gao Xian sighed, tugged at his wrinkled robe, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open to greet them.

"Brother Zhu, Sister-in-law, please come in and sit..."

Gao Xian put on the professional smile of a middle-aged office worker with twenty years of experience, greeting them with both courtesy and enthusiasm.

"Xiao Gao, how's it going?" the big-headed Shopkeeper Zhu asked with a smile.

Gao Xian replied with an embarrassed expression, "Brother Zhu, I was in a hurry to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement, so I haven't finished refining the pills yet. I'll deliver them to you as soon as they're ready."

Shopkeeper Zhu smiled and said, "Xiao Gao, cultivation is something that should be done step by step. You mustn't rush. A single misstep could lead to a qi deviation, and that could be fatal."

Madam Zhu, standing beside him, had a cold and stern expression. She didn't speak, but her mere presence was intimidating.

Gao Xian felt a pang of guilt. His current body wasn't short—by his estimate, he was at least 1.85 meters tall. Yet, standing in front of Madam Zhu, he was still a head shorter.

In his memories, this Madam Zhu was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement and was exceptionally skilled at breaking bones. Her combat prowess was off the charts.

However, Madam Zhu had deep-set eyes, sharp features, and a wheat-colored complexion that was smooth and radiant. Her loose blue robe couldn't hide her ample bosom and long legs.

Her facial features were sharp, with slightly raised eyebrows and cat-like emerald green pupils that were strikingly beautiful.

Upon closer inspection, Gao Xian realized that Madam Zhu was quite attractive. Who would have thought that such a beauty could be found in this desolate, yellow-earth region?

Driven by male instinct and over thirty years of pent-up frustration, he couldn't help but take an extra glance.

Madam Zhu frowned slightly, her beautiful emerald eyes shifting as she gave Gao Xian a look that was hard to decipher.

"What does that look mean?"

Gao Xian didn't understand the meaning behind the look, but that didn't stop him from humbly explaining, "Brother Zhu, I was in a hurry to improve my cultivation so that I could refine better pills.

"The higher my cultivation, the better I can control the fire, and the higher the quality of the pills I produce."

Gao Xian smiled apologetically, "Brother Zhu, Sister-in-law, I didn't mean to delay. Please give me a few more days, just a few more days."

Shopkeeper Zhu waved his hand and said, "Even if it weren't for your master's sake, a few days' delay wouldn't be a big deal."

His chubby face was full of amiable smiles, as if this were truly a trivial matter.

"How about I give you ten more days? Will that be enough?"

Shopkeeper Zhu's accommodating attitude made Gao Xian breathe a sigh of relief.

He nodded with a grateful smile, "Yes, yes, ten days will be enough. I'll deliver them as soon as they're ready."

"Focus on refining the pills. Don't let your master down."

Shopkeeper Zhu patted Gao Xian's shoulder encouragingly, acting like a caring elder.

"If you have any problems in life, you can always talk to me... Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. No need to see me out."

Gao Xian hurriedly followed to see them off. Shopkeeper Zhu walked out the gate with a smile, treating Gao Xian with considerable politeness.

As she followed behind Shopkeeper Zhu, Madam Zhu gave Gao Xian a deep, meaningful look before leaving.

That look seemed to carry a complex emotion...

Gao Xian was puzzled. Did Sister-in-law... take a liking to him?

As the saying goes, "Nothing tastes better than dumplings," but he wasn't that kind of person!

No matter what he thought in his heart, Gao Xian maintained a respectful demeanor, bowing and saluting as he sent the couple off.