Chapter 16: Are There Times When You’re Not Around?

Chapter 16: Are There Times When You're Not Around?

"Alchemy techniques?" Yao Lao raised his eyebrows, looking at Lu Bu with slight surprise. "You want to become an alchemist?"

"Is that not allowed?" Lu Bu smiled and replied, "Or maybe Senior Yao Lao would consider taking me as a disciple?"

"You're not someone I can afford to take as a disciple." Yao Lao chuckled and shook his head. He had accepted Xiao Yan only after observing him since childhood, through the trials of his Dou Qi vanishing, and after witnessing him grow through adversity. Taking in a stranger of unknown origin? That was not something he would ever do.

Disappointment flashed across Lu Bu's face. Although he had anticipated this outcome, he couldn't help but feel let down. This meant he could only rely on himself to climb the ladder of power, with no shortcuts available.

"Then, regarding our deal..." Lu Bu tapped the map lightly, smiling faintly.

"I can give you alchemy techniques, but not my personal inheritance," Yao Lao replied proudly. "My legacy... is not something just anyone is worthy of."

Hearing this, a smug grin tugged at the corners of Xiao Yan's mouth. How fortunate for him to be one of the chosen few.

"Does that include advanced alchemy techniques?" Lu Bu asked, deliberately ignoring the latter part of Yao Lao's statement it was unnecessary nonsense.

"Of course. My reputation wouldn't allow me to haggle over such trivialities," Yao Lao said with a sly smile.

"I have one more condition," Lu Bu added. "If I have questions, I want to be able to consult you without being refused."

"Fine," Yao Lao nodded. Answering a junior's questions wasn't much trouble for him.

"Then... deal!" Lu Bu handed over the map. Yao Lao took it, and in return, handed over a jade slip with a faint medicinal fragrance.

"Here's what you asked for. I came across it by chance, and it's a fair exchange for a fragment of a semi emperor's legacy."

The Medicine Valley Legacy!

Lu Bu's face lit up with joy as he reached out to grab the jade slip. Pressing it against his forehead, a massive wave of information surged into his soul, crashing into his mind like a tsunami.

With his eyes closed, Lu Bu quietly endured the torrent of knowledge. After a while, he let out a long breath, though his expression wasn't as pleased as he'd expected.

The alchemy techniques were indeed excellent, spanning from the first to the ninth tier, and the knowledge was directly imprinted into his mind through spiritual imagery essentially a step by step tutorial. With his exceptional control over soul power, he had already grasped part of the teachings.

However, there was one problem...

There were no pill formulas!

Not a single one!

Damn it, this old bastard scammed me!

As Lu Bu opened his eyes, Yao Lao smiled warmly and asked, "How is it? The alchemy techniques are good, aren't they?"

"You old geezer, you tricked me!" Lu Bu's gaze turned sharp.

"What do you mean?" Yao Lao looked completely innocent. "You asked for alchemy techniques, not pill formulas. Our deal didn't include anything about pill recipes."

With a mischievous grin, Yao Lao laughed aloud, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Lu Bu: "..."

This old man was clearly out for revenge!

Lu Bu snorted coldly. There must be times when you're not around, right? Just wait and see how I'll make Xiao Yan's life miserable!

"How about this: information on a Heavenly Flame in exchange for 100 pill formulas. Deal?" Lu Bu coughed lightly, suppressing his irritation. Without recipes, his newly acquired alchemy skills were useless. He had no choice but to negotiate further.

Since he wasn't paying out of his own pocket, Lu Bu wasn't stingy with his offers.

"A Heavenly Flame?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately straightened his back.

"One hundred recipes... You're really shameless," Yao Lao muttered, his lips twitching.

"Only for recipes below the seventh tier. I think a Heavenly Flame's information is worth that much," Lu Bu said.

"Including first and second tier recipes?" Yao Lao asked.

"Of course."

"What Heavenly Flame?"

"The fifteenth ranked Sea Heart Flame," Lu Bu replied with a sly smile.

"Deal!" Yao Lao instantly agreed. With a flick of his fingers, a pile of scrolls materialized, floating in front of Lu Bu.

"Ten tier six recipes, ten tier five recipes, and the rest are tier one through tier four," Yao Lao said frankly, deciding not to play any tricks this time.

Lu Bu nodded, delighted as he stashed all the scrolls away.

"Lu Brother... the Heavenly Flame's location…" Xiao Yan reminded him with a grin.

"Jie..." Lu Bu's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "It's in Medicine Emperor City in the Black Corner Region, with their city lord, the Medicine Emperor."

"So, it already has an owner?" Yao Lao's expression darkened, a trace of irritation in his voice. Was this kid playing me?

"Jie Jie Jie, that Medicine Emperor's name... is Han Feng," Lu Bu said with a wicked grin.

Boom! Yao Lao's expression instantly turned stormy, and a powerful aura erupted from his body. Xiao Yan, who had been observing passively, was blown backward by the sheer force of it.

"What happened? What's going on?" Xiao Yan asked, completely baffled.

"Jie, Senior Yao Lao, your temper seems a bit fiery," Lu Bu teased, activating a protective barrier around himself. This will teach the old geezer not to scam me.

"Humph, you're not very decent, boy!" Yao Lao snorted, his aura receding as he composed himself.

Lu Bu shrugged. I was just helping you clean up your mess. This was an act of kindness.

"Uh... can someone explain what's going on?" Xiao Yan timidly raised his hand, utterly lost. He'd been blown over, nearly injured, and still had no clue what had transpired.

"I'll explain it to you later…" Yao Lao sighed, his enthusiasm drained. Lu Bu's revelation had truly thrown him off balance.

Smirking, Lu Bu turned and walked into his cave, activating its defensive array to seal the entrance. He was eager to dive into studying alchemy techniques.

Yao Lao and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance but didn't dwell on it. They resumed training with the puppet. With more than a year of the three year promise behind them, there was no time to waste.

…

In Qing Shan Town, over a year had passed since Mu She's disappearance. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group had gradually recovered its strength. While they could no longer dominate the town, a seven star Dou Fighter paired with an eight star Dou Fighter was enough to ensure their survival.

As for why the third commander, He Meng, didn't leave the mercenary group… well, it was embarrassing. When Mu She was alive, He Meng had committed too many atrocities, earning the ire of Qing Shan Town's residents.

If he dared to leave the Wolf Head Mercenaries, his corpse would likely turn up in a sewer the very next day. Thus, He Meng had no choice but to hold the group together. Fortunately, Mu Li had managed a breakthrough at a critical moment, saving them from collapse.

After over a year of recovery, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group began testing the waters, cautiously reclaiming its former territories.

The atmosphere in Qing Shan Town grew increasingly tense. Though calm on the surface, there was an undeniable undercurrent of conflict brewing.

…

A few days later, deep within the Magic Beast Mountain Range, under the waterfall…

Xiao Yan and Yao Lao, sparring with the puppet, suddenly paused and turned toward the forest. Moments later, Lu Bu emerged from the trees.

Unlike his usual calm and composed demeanor, this time Lu Bu's clothes were stained with dirt, lending him a more rugged appearance.

"Is he… gathering herbs?" Xiao Yan wondered aloud, recognizing the signs from his own experiences collecting medicinal plants.

"It seems this kid is about to start refining pills," Yao Lao said with a smile.

After shutting himself in for days and rushing out to gather ingredients, this boy clearly had a lot of confidence in his abilities.

"Heh, but he doesn't have a cauldron," Xiao Yan remarked with a sly grin. He rubbed his chin, wondering how he could sell his broken cauldron at a high price.

Ignoring them, Lu Bu waved his hand, and several medicinal ingredients flew out from his storage ring.

"Fire Ganoderma, Clear Heart Grass, and Crystal Fruit… this kid's planning to refine Explosive Qi Pills," Yao Lao commented.

"Explosive Qi Pills?" Xiao Yan's expression shifted. This tier one pill could temporarily boost a Dou Fighter's strength by about 20% a powerful trump card in battle.

However, the pill was notoriously difficult to refine. Despite Yao Lao's guidance, Xiao Yan had failed when he attempted it.

Touching his brow, Lu Bu exhaled a wisp of spiritual fire. The invisible flames instantly enveloped the ingredients.

"Uh… isn't he going to use a cauldron?" Xiao Yan asked, dumbfounded. His plans to profit off his broken cauldron evaporated in an instant.

"Quiet. Just watch," Yao Lao instructed.

"What's there to watch? He's just a beginner," Xiao Yan muttered with a mischievous grin.

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen