Five

Li Wei leaves the previous shop behind, making his way back down the street lined with various herb shops. His eyes scan the surroundings, searching for something that might prove more useful or accommodating than his last encounter.

He notices another shop further down, less grand but well-maintained, with a simple wooden sign that reads Qinghe Apothecary. The entrance is modest, but something about the place feels more inviting. He decides to give it a try.

Stepping inside, Li Wei is met with a different atmosphere than before. The scent of herbs is still strong, but there's a more organised feel to the space. The shelves are neatly arranged with labelled jars, each containing various herbs and ingredients. Behind the counter stands another inner disciple, an older man with a calm, focused expression.

Li Wei approaches the counter, this time with a more measured approach, hoping for a better outcome than his last attempt.

Li Wei steps into a different herb shop, scanning the shelves as the shopkeeper greets him.

"Welcome, brother. What may I get for you today?" the shopkeeper asks, his tone polite but with an undercurrent of curiosity.

"I need Bloodroot Essence, Ironwood Shavings, and Ember Lotus Petals," 

The shopkeeper's eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Is that... for a Strength Potion? Are you a new disciple of Elder Guo? I haven't seen you before," he says, his interest clearly piqued. "I can provide these ingredients for free if you agree to sell exclusively to my shop in the future."

Li Wei hesitates for a moment, tempted by the offer but unwilling to bind himself to any long-term obligations. "Yes, I'm a disciple of Elder Guo, but I'll just buy the herbs, please."

The shopkeeper leans in, lowering his voice slightly as if making a more personal offer. "How about this? I'll give you the ingredients for free this time, but you'll favour my shop in the future when you sell any successful potions."

Li Wei considers the offer, weighing his options. "That sounds reasonable. Give me two sets of ingredients, then. I'll pay for the second one."

The shopkeeper's face lights up with a satisfied grin. "Alright, 150 rank 0 pills. Give me a moment," he says, moving swiftly to the back of the shop to prepare the bundles. The clinking of jars and the rustle of bags can be heard as he works with practiced efficiency. After a short wait, he returns with two neatly tied bundles, placing them on the counter.

"This should be enough for twenty tries," he explains, sliding the bundles toward Li Wei.

Li Wei inspects the bundles, noting their precise preparation. He hands over the pills as payment for the second bundle. "They are already prepared like this?"

The shopkeeper nods. "Yes, the disciples of Elder Guo are the sole potion manufacturers of the sect. My shop is one of the only suppliers they rely on."

Li Wei glances across the street at another shop, recalling his earlier visit. "What about that guy across?"

The shopkeeper's expression darkens. "That fucking prick? Don't go to him, brother. He'll scam you faster than you can blink."

Li Wei raises an eyebrow but remains neutral. "May I have your name?"

The shopkeeper straightens slightly, sensing an opportunity to establish a connection. "Zhao Ming."

Li Wei nods curtly. "Li Wei. I'll take my leave then."

With the ingredients secured, Li Wei exits the shop, already planning his next steps.

Li Wei returns to his cave, frustration lingering from the encounters at the herb shops. The sense of unease has settled into determination, and now he must focus on his task: brewing the strength potion. He eyes the bone slave, pondering whether it could assist in the process. However, after observing its slow and clumsy movements, he quickly dismisses the idea. "I'll use it to pass things around, but the actual brewing has to be done by me."

Li Wei surveys the old apparatus left behind by the previous owner of the cave. The equipment is worn but functional, made of glass with intricate tubing and spherical chambers that seem designed for delicate alchemical processes. The setup has coils and flasks connecting in ways that suggest careful regulation of heat and pressure. Dust clings to the surfaces, but beneath the grime, the craftsmanship is undeniable.

This equipment can still be of use. The glass is reinforced, likely to withstand the volatile reactions that potioneering often demands. There's a peculiar mechanism at the bottom—a rotating disc that Li Wei guesses is meant for precise temperature control. It all seems overly complicated for what he needs, but the precision of the apparatus might give him the edge he needs for success.

Li Wei meticulously arranged his ingredients and equipment, mentally reviewing each step of the process. His workbench was a reflection of his organised mind: vials of Bloodroot Essence lined up beside tiny jars of Ironwood Shavings, gleaming in the dim light of his workshop. He had enough materials for 20 attempts at brewing the Strength Potion. 

Li Wei meticulously cleans all of the glass apparatuses before beginning his work. He wipes down each chamber, ensuring that no residue from past failures remains. Every piece of equipment must be spotless; any contamination could ruin the potion before it even begins.

Li Wei sets up his workstation, carefully arranging the Bloodroot Essence, Ironwood Shavings, and Ember Lotus Petals. Confident in his preparation, he begins by adding 3 drops of Bloodroot Essence to the glass chamber. The liquid shimmers, and he keeps the flame low to avoid premature evaporation. Next, he crushes the Ember Lotus Petals into a fine powder, sprinkling them into the essence and stirring slowly as the mixture begins to glow faintly. Feeling optimistic, Li Wei increases the heat slightly using the rotating disc. The mixture simmers, and he watches for any changes. However, distracted by his progress, he lets the flame rise too high, causing the Bloodroot Essence to react too quickly. Bubbles form, growing larger than expected.

He quickly adds 7 pinches of Ironwood Shavings, stirring with precision, but the excessive heat takes its toll. The shavings dissolve unevenly, and dark streaks form in the mixture. Frantically, he lowers the flame, but the damage is done. The potion thickens too fast, its vibrant glow fading into a dark, congealed mess. Staring at the failed potion, Li Wei realises the mistake—poor fire control had ruined the delicate balance of the process.

Li Wei meticulously followed the instructions, but the central challenge he faced throughout the process was controlling the fire. The rotating disc, designed to regulate the heat, often proved to be his downfall. Different stages of the brewing process required precise adjustments to the heat levels—sometimes a steady, low flame, other times a stronger intensity. His early attempts failed because the fire was too intense at critical moments, causing the Bloodroot Essence to evaporate too quickly and destabilize the potion. When he tried to compensate by lowering the heat, it would often drop too much, causing the reaction to stall and leaving him with nothing but an inert liquid. The balance between these shifting heat levels was critical, and each misstep taught him just how unforgiving the process could be.

Beyond fire control, other minor issues also contributed to his failures. In some attempts, the Ironwood Shavings clumped together due to improper stirring, or the potion solidified into a useless mass when the balance between temperature and pressure was off. However, Li Wei quickly identified and remedied these problems, learning from each mistake.

Li Wei spent the next three days in near isolation, entirely focused on brewing the Strength Potion.

After fourteen unsuccessful tries, the fifteenth attempt was finally a success. This time, the fire remained under precise control, ensuring a steady, consistent heat throughout the process. The result was a swirling, vibrant Strength Potion—the first true victory. Li Wei, coldly focused, was determined to follow this up with five more successful attempts, driven by the need to perfect his technique.

Unfortunately, the next five attempts brought failure once again. The primary issue remained fire control. Slight variations in heat led to disastrous outcomes, from the potion boiling over to the reactions stalling entirely. Even when he corrected minor issues, these failures emphasised that true mastery of potion brewing required unwavering precision with the fire.

Li Wei began to understand the complexity of fire control more deeply. It wasn't just about reacting to the flame; he had to anticipate it. If the fire picked up slightly, he needed to close the valve immediately. If the flame dropped, he had to open it, but not too much. The real challenge was not overcompensating—any exaggerated adjustment could destabilise the entire brew. Even when he did everything right, the process could still fail, a reminder that random variables and unforeseen shifts could ruin even the most carefully executed attempts.

Li Wei, still disheartened, calculated the disappointing results in his head. Only 1 out of 20 attempts had succeeded—that's just 5%. The weight of failure hung over him as he made his way back down to the Qinghe Apothecary, his thoughts consumed by the shortcomings of his efforts.

The bell above the door chimed as he stepped inside. Zhao Ming glanced up from behind the counter, his expression turning from polite curiosity to recognition. "Hello, what can I—oh, it's you again? Back so soon. Had any success?"

Li Wei wordlessly handed over the vial containing the Strength Potion. "Only one success, unfortunately," he muttered, his voice flat with frustration.

Zhao Ming took the vial, inspecting the potion inside with a practised eye. After a moment, he nodded approvingly. "For a new guy, that's not bad at all. Most fail completely on their first batches. A Strength Potion like this one could easily fetch 20 grade 1 pills on the market."