15 A Safe Place for Alchemists

*Knock Knock*

Raden opened the door.

"Mister Liang you're invited to the seven families banquet."

A guard gave him a letter.

'Oh?'

It was obvious that his actions would have caused some ruckus, but he didn't expect that the most powerful families of the viscounty would give him so much attention.

He was invited to the wedding of the princess of the Li clan that would be held in three days. Usually, those events would be an excuse for the families to forge alliances and recruit new members.

'The Li clan...first between equals. Do they really value me so much?'

The Li clan was the one that administered the Academy. Holding the title of viscounty, they would try creating some balance between all the other clans: by inviting some talents in such a big event they could check which clan would recruit who.

'It's going to be interesting...'

'Well, it's time to take my cauldron!'

**********

*Knock Knock*

No one opened the door.

'Ah, well he's probably teaching or something...'

'What if I were to-' 'Nope. I respect personal privacy and wouldn't do anything like entering into houses without permission or something...'

Yet it was so tempting...

Then Raden thought about his teacher Qi Cultivation level.

'He's at least a Dantian Opening'

In comparison, a Dantian Opening was as strong as a Mid Second Stage Body. Actually comparing the two would be difficult since Body Cultivation had arbitrary distinctions between realms and stages, lacking bottlenecks or breakthroughs

'The library! I should look there for Body Cultivation Arts!'

...

*Knot*

Raden put his Red Badge on his chest proudly. He obtained it at the end of the trial, situated in the screen room.

He entered the library, displaying his badge at the supervisor, an old man, he seemed in his seventies bald and with a long white beard.

"Oh, I see you're the famous Jin Liang."

"Yes, I am." Jin Liang said proudly.

'...'

"Yes, I am." Raden said.

"Eheh, truly the new generations shall surpass the old. Here you can borrow books from the third floor."

"Thanks." The library, as most things in the academy, was divided into five floors, each one for a student rank.

Raden was walking away when he heard...

"Ah, be careful in the noble meeting!"

'How does he k-?'

"Yes, I'll be. Thanks, elder."

He laughed stroking his beard, giving the impression of a grand sage.

'I want to do it too!' He thought instinctually. 'A shame I have no beard...'

He went up to the third floor directly.

'What a nice elder, I really want to check his background.' Raden smiled.

He starting browsing through Alchemy books and found disappointed that there were no high-level books.

'It seems that my teacher is really powerful...'

He started browsing through Body Cultivation Arts, searching for the higher grades ones.

He finally stumbled upon one.

<<Mid Earth Grade Book>>

A book like that would be sold at five thousand gold coins!

He started reading it.

'The cell needs some energy to function, a surplus would make the cells become more powerful, this is the basis of the Body Path! Naturally, this process occurs in Qi Cultivators in little quantity: some of their energy nourish the cell when circulating through the pathways, but this technique will allow you to strengthen your body faster...'

...

<<Wuxia Body levelled up!>>

'Beautiful, I was so immersed than I completely forgot to be in a library!'

'Wait...was it because it was so beautiful that I was immersed?'

"Oh, did you notice something boy?"

"AH!"

It was the library supervisor.

"We're closing for the night."

*Coff Coff* "Sure. Can I ask you something?"

"Feel free to ask."

"Why was I so immersed in that book?"

The librarian smiled.

"It is for the writing."

"Please, enlighten me further."

"The writing, you know the book was written by a Writer!"

'Wow, I absolutely didn't expect that!' He thought sarcastically.

"Don't undervalue the Writer profession! In that profession, you write books that contain a trace of your understanding of the world. The clarity of the message and the understanding of it depends on a writer. Why were you so immersed in that book and not in Alchemy one, for example? It's for the writer!"

'He must be a Writer...'

"And I am one, boy!"

'I knew...still I'm interested.'

"Do you want to know about my profession?"

"..."

He smiled in excitement.

'What is he doing?'

"Ahah! I'm happy to teach you! The Writer is an occupation based on Soul Traces: those excite your Soul and make you feel immersed. The quality of the writing material is also important.."

'Is he giving me a lesson? Did I accept or something?'

"For example writing on Jade boost your Soul Traces and..."

'Well...I might as well learn.'

...

'HE TALKED ONLY ABOUT THE 'GLORIOUS HISTORY' OF WRITING!!!!' Raden was exasperated.

"Ahah, boy! I didn't talk to a person for so long from ages!"

'And I understand why...'

"Feel free to return here, I'll teach some new lessons on Writing!"

"Yes, elder. Goodbye."

"Ah, by the way, my name is Ping Zui, goodbye!"

As Raden walked out of the crowd he heard some whispers.

"Did he really stand up one of his lessons?"

"A hero, a great hero!"

"He must have some problems..."

'...'

**********

*Knock Knock*

"Oh, Jin Liang! Please."

"Ah...Where's my cauldron?"

"You boy care only about material things and not about my hearth!"

"Yes, that's true."

"Good, I do it too. I've sent some servants to transport the cauldron to your new home!"

"New home?"

"Yeah, the Red Disciple home..."

"Ah!"

The Academy was organized in a concentric manner: the lower rank disciple on the outside and higher rank inside with each ring protected by guards. In each ring, there would be the schools and markets, while the Ki Tower and the teacher houses would be outside. Ai Bai was the only teacher who had his house in the Unranked ring!

"Hey what happened to my pill?"

"Pill, what pill?"

'You!'

"The perfect one, I want to sell it!"

"Ahhh" Ai Bai sighed. "You must understand something, kid. What do you think that will happen if they found that such a strong alchemist has such a low-level cultivation base?"

"Strong alchemist?"

"No one under Qi Manifestation was able to create a perfect grade pill! Not counting the fact that you're so young."

'It makes sense...but-'

"So, it is safer in my belly." He said maintaining a serious face.

"You!"

"Ahah, boy. Too late!" "Then I gave you a cauldron as compensation!"

"Ah" Raden sighed. Well, he shouldn't care too much for a pill. He'd be able to create more in the future.