117 Shaking Hands With the Devil!
Author's Note: Chapters are getting longer, huh? I'm trying to flesh out my characters somehow(Zhao Wei included). So the plot may get slow, then peak and then go slow again. As you might have noticed, I am concentrating on characters that were not given enough literary time. Also, I want to make Zhao Wei evolve character wise instead of just being a maniacal scholar that thirsts after knowledge. I enjoy writing about Yun Yao and all these side characters. They will be drama... a little bit, I swear (Drama-ma-ma)
[WC 2.01K]
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"Oh, I was just thinking about you. It seems I am unable to get you out of my mind. What kind of spell have I been afflicted with, I wonder?" Zhao Wei said jokingly while rubbing his chin, his sharp gaze never leaving the beautiful figure in front of him.
Yun Yao momentarily paused her steps as various expressions showed on her face: There was surprise, shyness, anger, and doubt.
She didn't know what to feel about Zhao Wei's reply. Even though she knew he was only merely joking as it was in his nature, Yun Yao's heart thought otherwise as it nearly missed a beat.
'I should really be strict with this naughty boy or else, I fear I am going to be swept away by his pace.' Yun Yao reminded herself as her demeanor and aura gradually shifted to an authoritative one.
The exhaustion that was initially there on her divine face could no longer be found as she sauntered towards the desk.
"Hmph, instead of going through the important books I gave you, I didn't expect you to be sitting around and wasting time!" She reprimanded angrily.
"And why is the student sitting on the teacher's seat? Shoo, get away!" Yun Yao, without warning, encased Zhao Wei's arm with her soft hand.
A look of surprise formed on her face as she got a feel of the purely defined strong muscles beneath the soft fabric.
Her surprise intensified further when she tried to gently pull him away from the seat.
Well, she couldn't. Zhao Wei's body was like an immovable ancient tree that was deeply rooted in the core of the universe. Overly stable and unshakable.
'What sort of physical strength is this? Is he some high-level demonic beast in disguise?' Yun Yao exclaimed in her mind.
She hadn't used her full cultivation strength but even if it was little, it was just enough to send anyone of the 1st Sky flying to the heavens.
Even though her battle strength wasn't on the same level as those who mainly pursued Martial Dao as their crucial path, she was still a bonafide Peak 6th Sky Ascended Realm expert.
And the gap between her and those of the 1st Sky was like an uncrossable chasm, impossible to bridge.
The curiosity of a woman can't be quelled easily and she, Yun Yao, entered a silent war with Zhao Wei's arm, much to the latter's amusement and intrigue.
Seeing her struggle to pull him away from the seat, Zhao Wei couldn't help but find Pill Master Yun Yao to be so small and cute. Well, there was nothing small about her two distracting peaks and her valley of a yet-to-be-unraveled bliss.
'They are humungous-aur…' Zhao Wei did an internal nod whilst enjoying the view.
"What's wrong, teacher? Am I too heavy for you?" Zhao Wei suddenly spoke before rising from the seat, an action that caught Yun Yao by surprise that she nearly fell onto his body.
Zhao Wei was quick enough to support her voluptuous body by holding her delicate shoulder in place or things might have derailed into a very terrifying situation. He was an extremely virile man after all.
The two looked at each other before Yun Yao's face flushed in embarrassment. She wished there was a hole around to hide her face.
Zhao Wei moved aside, away from her path, and comically gestured his hands to the now empty seat.
"Ugh!" Yun Yao groaned in frustration before dropping on the seat.
She then leaned her back on the comfy seat without caring for her image.
Zhao Wei was just too good. He had already gotten an edge over her in several situations but she was prepared to snuff out his ingrained arrogance and smugness.
"Find another seat and continue reading those books instead of standing there like a clueless idiot, Zhao Wei!" Yun Yao pointed her finger at the four neatly arranged books in front of her.
"Idiot? Wow, that hurts. But I don't think I need those anymore. Consider the little assignment as done. Now can't we just go straight to the main course?" Zhao Wei's initial playfulness was no longer there as he walked along the desk, his tall finger trailing its edges.
"What do you mean that you don't need them anymore?" Yun Yao asked in confusion.
Zhao Wei didn't answer immediately as he subtly changed the subject.
"Reality is often disappointing. In essence, the book «Ten Thousand Plant Illustrations» may take an average aspiring alchemist about 10 years to fully unravel all of its content." Zhao Wei put his hands behind his back.
"A normal genius may take maybe around 3-5 years, give or take. Rote memorization cannot help at all in understanding the book except if you have deeper comprehension."
Yun Yao was speechless as she listened to each word coming off Zhao Wei's lips. She wondered where he might be leading the conversation.
"Hmm, let me guess, you are a genius yourself, right, Miss Yun?" Zhao Wei smiled at her.
That panty-wetting smile was something that she really wanted to ignore.
"Um, I guess." Yun Yao answered, wondering why he asked such an obvious question.
'I have always been a genius, dummy.' She thought with pride.
"You took around 3-4 years to complete the «Ten Thousand Plant Illustrations», if I may take a guess?" Zhao Wei spouted random bullshit. If he wasn't embodying some random reincarnated bigshot that knows all types of phenomena, immortal diseases, and physique, then what could it be?
Yun Yao narrowed her eyes in uncertainty. "How did you know? Did Old Man Guan tell you?"
Zhao Wei arched his brows in surprise. "I was just taking guesses if you remember. And I had just met Old Man Guan today. The possibility of him telling me anything about you is almost zero."
"Hmm, not like it matters." Yun Yao sighed before giving the brazen young man a no-nonsense expression.
"Spit everything that you want to say!" She demanded like a tyrannical queen.
"Okay, okay. I have already comprehended the knowledge inside those books. I think it's high time that we jump into the practical side of things." Zhao Wei raised his hands in fake defeat as he dropped a bombshell.
"What? That's impossible!" Yun Yao almost sprung up from her seat, partly in disbelief and anger.
How she wanted to beat the living daylights out of him for bullshitting around her!
But seeing the serious and cold expression he was showing, Yun Yao had the vague feeling that the young fellow was speaking the truth.
Somehow, she found it quite weird that Zhao Wei could transition between expressions so fast like a chameleon. It was almost unnatural.
"Say, I believe you. Then my next course of action would be asking you the questions… wait?" Yun Yao stopped whatever she wanted to say and clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction as if she had suddenly realized something.
"Why do I feel as if you are leading me by the nose?" She tilted her head to the side with a smileless smile on her sexy face.
"You think too much, Miss Yun Yao. Just test me and you will get the answers that you wish for." Zhao Wei grinned while averting her concern.
'She really is sharp. The 'wow effect' has somehow lost its initial impact.' He thought nonchalantly.
"Tsk, okay. I am prepared to see you make a fool out of yourself, anyway." Yun Yao gave in as she took the massive book «Ten Thousand Plant Illustration» into her hands. She then opened a random page.
"Tell me all the details about the Clear Soul Crystal Grass. All the minute details." Yun Yao put emphasis on her last words.
Zhao Wei didn't flatter and went straight into answering.
"The Clear Soul Crystal Grass is a rare medicinal herb of the Yin attribute and it normally grows in places with strong Yin energy, death energy, or full of discarnate souls."
"It requires an average temperature of 3 degrees Celcius to 7 degrees Celsius."
Zhao Wei proceeded to enumerate all its ecological requirements, up to very minuscule details that could easily be ignored as unnecessary.
"It is a vital ingredient during the concoction of the Heart Stabilizing Pill which helps in preventing heart demons and clearing the mind of any lethal distractions during major breakthroughs. There is also the Clear Soul Pill which helps in nourishing the soul but it's only effective for those below the True Spirit Realm…"
Zhao Wei showed knowledge without hindrance, without impediments, effortlessly flowing out like a waterfall.
Yun Yao continued to ask a plethora of questions that she forgot herself, lost in Zhao Wei's expanding domain of knowledge and wisdom.
He was just like an all-rounded scholar, answering everything she threw at him without pause.
Was she a genius? Yes, she considered herself as such and it wasn't all self-proclaimed. She was legit. No, she was regarded as such by many due to her alchemical contributions. Additionally, she was one of the youngest master alchemists - if not the youngest.
The young man before him was simply beyond a genius.
How could she not refer to him as such when he was explaining some things that were even beyond the scope of knowledge of someone new to the world of Alchemy?
Crossbreed or hybridization of different medicinal herbs?
Hypothetical compatibility ratios?
No, she had to stop him.
"STOP!" Yun Yao shouted or her eardrums might be overwhelmed by the influx of knowledge.
Zhao Wei listened to her 'plea'.
Many thoughts ran through Yun Yao's mind as she began to incessantly tap her finger against the wooden surface of the desk.
He was certainly very precious with immense potential but she wondered if his skills were going to be as good as his knowledge.
Old Man Guan had given her around four days to give Zhao Wei a basic outline of the Dao of Alchemy and show him that it was as arduous as Martial Dao was, if not more.
Currently, she was considering if Zhao Wei could be stolen, no, that came off rather straightforward. She wanted to see the full potential of Zhao Wei in the Dao Of Alchemy. She wanted to be a part of that journey. She had a feeling that he was going to be an indispensable assistant during her Pill Concoction sessions. If Zhao Wei was as insightful as she gave him credit for, then wouldn't it be possible for her to use him to deduce those incomplete recipes lying around in her room?
As much as she admired and valued Zhao Wei, he was still Old Man Guan's disciple but… She was determined to know more about him during those four days.
Zhao Wei might just be the catalyst she needed for her own improvement in the Dao of Alchemy. It sounded silly but Yun Yao trusted her instincts. Knowledge and wisdom favored neither age nor status. Knowledge didn't discriminate and her Dao of Alchemy mattered more than most.
Leaving her seat, Yun Yao gracefully walked toward Zhao Wei and stood before him.
She didn't realize it but she was closer to him than she intended to.
Zhao Wei could smell her flowery scent. A scent that could very well be the essence of seduction.
Zhao Wei wondered if she had those legendary hidden physiques like the Bewitching Physique, Yin Cauldron Physique, or Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline. (Author's Note: Random Physiques that he had read from his past world's cultivation novels)
"I think I should really show you what true Alchemy is." Yun Yao finally declared in a confident alluring voice as she smiled at him, her small fair hand outstretched.
Her hazel-green eyes burned with the fiery embers of determination and visions of a bright future.
Zhao Wei smiled back and gently enclosed her hand in a slow, almost intimate handshake.
"I will be in your care!"
Her breath hitched in her throat.
Why did it feel as if she were shaking hands with the devil himself?!
***
//OnearmedImmortal//
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