Chapter 16 – Learning Alchemy Under Mei

"I do, but I was 100% sure it was safe. I didn't tell you about it because I knew you wouldn't let me do it, denying me from becoming stronger."

His parents looked at him and hesitated. Although they didn't understand why their kid's mind worked so differently than normal kids his age, they understood he was implying that if they oppressed him now out of worry, they'd prove his point right.

They didn't know how he would proceed from there, but it didn't seem like they could restrain him much, judging by the current situation. After thinking a bit, Mei decided to ask her son directly.

"Why are you telling us now after hiding it?"

"Because I realized that with your help, I could improve much faster. I know you love me and that I can trust you, I was only worried about your overprotection."

"And how do you expect us to help you? You didn't even want our teaching and supervision."

His mom was quite sour about it. She understood where he was coming from, but she also didn't believe she'd limit her son's future. She also hated to imagine the consequences if he made one mistake in his cultivation.

"I want you to give me access to all information about cultivation and alchemy. Additionally, I need full permission to concoct pills by myself whenever I want to."

"Absolutely not!"

His mom replied without thinking. Alchemy was just as dangerous as cultivation. Without the right procedures, the cauldron could explode and endanger his life.

"Dear, let's hear his reasoning first. That's why he hid it from us, right?"

His father quickly intervened before his wife let her emotions get the better of her.

"Ken, why do you think we should give you free rein? Do you understand no 4-year-old child is allowed to do what you just said?"

"I understand, but how many of them are at my cultivation stage or have my intelligence? I hope you can grant my wish and trust me."

Ken made his points clear and waited for their judgment. From his time with them, he estimated they'd agree but leave some conditions. The first one to talk was his father.

"How about that, you can learn alchemy for a year, and after it, Mom will test your abilities safely."

"And I want to teach you the techniques myself."

His mother added right after.

"I already have all the theoretical knowledge I need. I've read it during the past 2 and a half years ever since you gave me free access to the libraries. Mom, you can show me the techniques and let me practice them."

"What happens if you mix Yellow Sand with Red Trapping Grass?"

"Depends on how ripe the grass is."

"If it's unripe?"

"It'd turn into poison that could kill normal humans and make cultivators feel unwell. As for ripe, their interaction would make a beneficial mixture that can be used for a few different rank 1 pills, like the Skin Renewing Pill which helps the body grow new healthy skin clean of scars, or the Nails Renewing Pill, which helps you grow healthy nails."

He didn't wait for her to ask about the ripe mixture and just provided her with a full answer. Mei was unprepared; she selected this mixture on purpose, as it was favored by female cultivators looking to regain their pre-fight beauty.

It was considered an easy method to test the knowledge of a new male alchemist as they wouldn't know it if they skipped the parts that didn't interest them.

But she didn't give up and asked 2 more questions, just to get perfect answers again. She had no choice but to admit defeat this time.

"Okay, you have the theoretical knowledge. But I will set the protection formations myself every day before you start."

"I don't mind."

The next day he went along with Mei and Sol to Mei's concocting room. Sol kept her head low through the whole journey; Mei was quite angry at her for keeping quiet about Ken's secrets.

Ken had to intervene and explain to his mom that he needed an assistant he could trust not to reveal his secrets, or she'd just be a hindrance.

"All right, memorize the technique. Let me know when you're done and I will demonstrate it for you."

Ken gave it a look. It was a book of basic alchemy techniques, and the book was 20 pages long. Mei wanted him to memorize only one technique at a time, but he found it a waste of time; he just memorized the whole book in a few minutes.

"I'm ready."

"Really? I just saw you skimming through the book. I won't show you again, so make sure you memorize it properly before my demonstration."

Mei squinted her eyes in suspicion and gave an empty threat.

"I'm sure."

"Fine, don't ask me to show you again."

Ken put his hand on his mom's thigh as he stood next to her and felt the way she channeled her Qi. For obvious reasons, he wouldn't ask her to do the skin-to-skin thing he did with Sol.

He concentrated both on her external and her internal movements. When she was done, she looked at him and found him concentrating.

'I guess he will need time to figure it out. I will offer to show him again after a few minutes.'

Mei thought to herself. But Ken was concentrating because he was coming up with ways to improve that technique, not because he was having difficulties. However, he chose to wait before improving it too much. There were still more advanced techniques to work on and add to the database in his brain.

"Okay Mom, I want to try."

"Sure, give it a try."

She placed a new herb inside the cauldron and let him do it. It was a simple technique that helped remove the unnecessary parts of the herb.

Because of its simplicity, it would waste between 30%-50% of the herb's essence. Ken used it and let his mom see the results.

"Only 25% wasted? How is it possible?"

Mei looked with surprise at the results. Although Ken didn't maximize the technique, it was simple for him to improve it significantly after a glance.

"I guess I'm a genius?"

He smirked and bragged in front of Mei.

"Of course my son is a genius, but it still shouldn't be possible objectively with this technique."

"I changed it a bit."

"Why would you do that?"

"It felt right."

She felt exasperated at her son's habits. How can she even guarantee his safety when he changes everything he sees?

She didn't try to ask him to explain the new technique since she didn't use such a basic technique anyway, she had better ones that would provide her with better results than 25%.

"It might be a fluke, show me again."

After getting the same result, she tried again and got the same results again.

"Alright, it's true, you did succeed on your first try. Fine, go memorize the second technique."

"I already memorized the whole book."

This time instead of arguing, Mei chose to just show her son how to do it. This time it was a technique that condensed the essence of the herb, so it'll be ready to be mixed with other herbs. It was meant to be used right after the former technique.

Again, after watching it once, he executed it better than her. After testing whether it was a fluke twice more, she moved to the next technique.

20 minutes later, she looked at her son with a shocked face. He got all 5 techniques described in the book right on his first tries!

She didn't know if to be happy for her son or be jealous. From whose genes did he get this monstrous talent anyway?

"Uhm, it's still early. Do you want to move to the second book?"

She asked awkwardly. She thought the first book would be enough for the next few weeks, but she used normal humans for this estimation, and Ken wasn't a normal human.

"Yes, prepare the third and fourth as well."

'Hmph, let me humble you then.'

Techniques had 4 grades – Basic, Sky, Earth, and Heaven. Each one of those had 3 subgrades – lower, intermediate, and higher.

The techniques she taught him earlier were barely qualified to be called lower basic grade, but now she took out a book of higher basic grade techniques. She did it mainly out of pettiness; her son was too outstanding!

This time it was around 30 pages and included 5 techniques as well. 5 minutes later, Ken asked her to demonstrate the new technique.

"Are you sure you understood everything written in the manual? Those techniques are much more complicated than the previous ones."

Mei said with a smug voice. She really wanted to see Ken mess up a little to make herself feel better.

"I'm sure, please show me."

Mei performed the technique while he observed carefully.

'Hmm, this technique is far more sophisticated than the previous ones. Maybe she figured out she shouldn't waste my time with the trashy ones.'