Pure Jade

by Patrick Laplante

  I’ll need to get rid of all these plants at some point, he thought. Wait. I’ll just replace them with succulents. Those things take forever to grow and are practically impossible to kill.

  Cha Ming exited the guild premises, nodding slightly to everyone he passed. Now that he was a master artist, those of lower rank were expected to bow in greeting. Not that he cared much for this sort of formality, but he accepted their gestures nonetheless. Doing otherwise would have been disrespectful and boastful.

  It was the second day of the week, a busy day in Quicksilver. The first day of the week was quiet and reserved, usually due to the vast number of meetings that took place. Today was when people did work instead of just talking about it. Delivery carts traveled from business to business, restocking and resupplying them. Various temporary stalls had been erected with people hawking various wares. Cleaners cleaned, and craftsmen crafted.

  Naturally, it wasn’t the best day to visit the alchemists. They would have already booked orders for the week. However, this was beyond Cha Ming’s ability to control. The test had occupied him until today, and he could hardly visit the Alchemists Association again without a better bargaining position.

  Cha Ming only had to walk for an incense time before reaching the large yet plain building. He walked through those familiar doors before arriving at the secretary’s desk. She was the gatekeeper, the person who decided whether one could meet with the alchemists in the first place. They had chosen the right person for the role. She scorned gifts and bribes and was known as an iron lady. Fortunately for Cha Ming, this meant she would respect his status and at least provide the opportunity for a meeting.

  “Hello, my dear,” Cha Ming said in a flattering voice. The secretary, used to this fawning treatment, grunted and looked at Cha Ming from top to bottom.

  “You’re back,” she said. “And with a shiny silver badge. I suppose you’d like to meet those alchemists I said you couldn’t meet before?”

  “You’ve read my mind, of course,” Cha Ming said. “By the way, you’re looking particularly beautiful today.”

  It was a bald-faced lie of course. The secretary was hideous by any person’s standards. However, this didn’t stop the lady from blushing slightly before regaining her composure.

  “I only obey the rules, you know,” the woman said. “Please wait here while I go ask them. There are six master alchemists you are now qualified to meet with.”

  Cha Ming sat and prepared tea for himself by using a complimentary teapot and boiling water from a limitless pitcher. He had his own tea leaves, obtained from a fine merchant stall in Central Square. Wang Jun’s tea habit had rubbed off on him, and he now had great difficulty drinking lower-quality teas.

  Half an hour passed, and the secretary returned with an awkward expression. “My apologies, but they have all stated that they are otherwise preoccupied this week.”

  Cha Ming frowned. “Could you please ask them what their availability is in the next month?”

  “Of course,” the secretary said. “Please wait, and I’ll be right back.” This time, she returned in less than fifteen minutes with a flustered expression. “My apologies, but they have said that they are otherwise occupied for the next half year. They said that you are welcome to come back at that time to discuss.”

  Cha Ming sighed. He suspected the Wang family had a lot to do with it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure where else in the city he could find an alchemist. While Cha Ming thought hard to find a solution, the secretary fumed.

  “Those good-for-nothing geezers,” she muttered under her breath. “Give me a moment. I’ll get to the bottom of this. Do they really think they can keep something from me, the guild leader’s sister?” Stomping sounds ensued as she traveled upstairs toward the guild leader’s office.

  “How frightening,” he said, whistling through his teeth. “If anyone upset her, they would basically have to accept a life without medicinal pills.” He was suddenly very glad for his not-so-subtle but effective flattery. As far as he knew, no person was completely immune to it.

  An hour passed. The secretary had been gone the entire time, leaving Cha Ming to drink tea in peace. The silence was only broken when a client came to pick up orders. A small number of people also lined up at the secretary’s desk, patiently waiting their turn with not a hint of anger. Clearly the fact that she was the guild leader’s sister wasn’t a well hidden one.

  An incense time passed again before the door behind the secretary’s desk creaked open. The ugly secretary crawled out with a smile plastered on her face. “The guild leader will see you now,” she said.

  Cha Ming raised his eyebrow and followed obediently. Apparently, flattery went very far with this particular woman.

  He followed her up a plain flight of stairs built from a reddish wood. She led him down a plain wooden hallway made from the same material. “This red wood is from our hometown,” she said proudly. “Everyone in the city fancies stone and metal, but that’s just too cold for my taste. A proper building is made of wood.” A little further down, Cha Ming saw a modestly sized painting. He immediately recognized the work as Jun Xiezi’s work.

  “Did Grandmaster Xiezi visit your hometown as well?” Cha Ming asked. The painting contained a multitude of trees whose colors were the same shade of red as the hallway.

  “Naturally,” she said. “He painted this after visiting Redwood Forest. Redwood Forest in the summer is ranked the third most beautiful natural attraction by the Gold Leaf Association. It’s not uncommon for well-known artists to visit. My brother once made Grandmaster Xiezi a pill to help him break through to the peak of core formation. He created this painting of our hometown in return.”

  “This is a town?” Cha Ming asked, looking at the painting more closely. To him, it looked like nothing more than a forest with gigantic trees. Naturally, the painting contained chirping birds and fluttering leaves. He even saw tiny people wandering at the bases of the massive trees.

  “You won’t be able to see it in this painting,” she said. “There are stairs at the roots that travel within the tree trunks. They lead all the way to the canopy, where the village is built.”

  Cha Ming whistled in amazement. One day he would travel the continent, and Redwood Forest was definitely a must-see location.

  After walking a little further, they passed through two large wooden doors the width of the hallway. It led to a waiting room, which the secretary bypassed directly to take him to a much smaller door that led to the guild leader’s office.

  “Thank you for everything,” Cha Ming said. “However, I don’t even know your name.”

  “Yao Ling,” she said shyly. “Do make sure to visit often.”

  Seeing her blushing expression, Cha Ming was forced to suppress a shudder. He had been friendly and charming, but surely she didn’t think he had been hitting on her. His emotions suppressed, he steeled himself and entered the office. It was far different than what he imagined.

  It didn’t have the cozy feeling of an office. Instead it was filled with marble benches and glassware as well as various herbs and concoctions. It was an accident waiting to happen.

  “Come in, come in,” a voice yelled near the back. A short, balding man was busy performing what looked like a titration. The stirred flask below the titration apparatus was bubbling and hissing as the liquid dripped down.

  Cha Ming’s curiosity was piqued. As the clear liquid dripped one drop at a time, the bubbling liquid below began to turn purple for a fraction of a second. With each drop, the duration increased. It wasn’t long before the solution stayed purple and the titration was completed.

  “What can I do for you today?” the guild leader said, taking off his gloves and goggles. Afterward, he grabbed a clear bottle and took a draw from it. Cha Ming’s face twitched when he saw the unlabeled bottle.

  “Are you sure it’s wise for you to be drinking in the lab?” he blurted reflexively.

  The guild leader scowled and took another drink in prote
st. “My lab, my rules. You sound just like Ling Er.” He then put the beaker down and motioned for Cha Ming to take a seat in one of the two chairs in the lab.

  “Naturally I have a good reason to come see you,” Cha Ming said. “But before that, I have a question for you. Why are you performing a titration? Doesn’t alchemy specialize in using flames to manipulate herbs and their properties?”

  The guild leader’s eyes lit up. “It’s because of the Royal Proclamation of Science and Engineering,” the guild leader said. “There are physical principles in this world that can be measured and evaluated. Alchemy is not the only way to obtain results—chemistry is one such method that doesn’t use qi. What I’m trying to do is incorporate chemistry into alchemy in order to reduce the amount of low-level labor. I mean, why should we waste half our time doing something just anyone could do?”

  “Quite right,” Cha Ming said. “Though it seems that not everyone agrees with this approach.”

  “Backwards people with no vision,” the guild leader said. “Take the Spirit Doctor Association, for example. They don’t even treat the common people, but every year they prevent countless commoners from practicing a lesser version of their craft. All in the interest of the ‘common good.’” The guild leader basically spat these words. “Fortunately, the blacksmiths and alchemists are fairly reasonable. And so are the geomancers. The blacksmiths, despite their reputation, aren’t very fond of pounding iron and other metals all day. The alchemists hate processing herbs they don’t have to, and the geomancers are just sick and tired of arguing with the architects. With more engineers among the commoners to argue on their behalf, their life has become much less stressful.”

  Cha Ming nodded. “Fair enough. It’s great to see progress. The reason I am here is because I’m looking for people to craft medicinal pills for me. I cultivate five elements with traces of creation and destruction qi. The last time I came, the lower-tier alchemists said they couldn’t help me. Even though I’ve obtained my talisman-master qualification, the upper-tier alchemists still refuse to help. They say they are otherwise preoccupied for the next half year. Forgive me for being blunt, but that seems very unlikely.”

  The guild leader shook his head and fished out a letter from a messy pile on his desk. “Here. Read this,” he said. Cha Ming scanned through the contents of the letter written by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. It was signed by the branch leader and stated that if a member of the Alchemists Association sold alchemical products to a man called Du Cha Ming, there would be severe consequences. It then reminded the association that eighty-five percent of all their business was conducted through the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate.

  “There you have it,” the guild leader said. “There’s someone in their group who hates you, and I’m helpless against them. Not just that, they’ve threatened the individual alchemists. If they don’t obey, it will be very difficult for them to sell their products regardless of whether they do so through the association or individually.”

  “Is there any other way for me to obtain the pills I need?” Cha Ming asked.

  “There are three options,” the guild leader said. “The first option, but the least likely, is to have a royal alchemist make something for you. They are beyond reproach by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. Unfortunately, many of these alchemists are in their pocket as well. It is also difficult to secure their services, as you would need a royal sponsor to make it happen.

  “The second and third options are to contact the Obsidian Syndicate or the Alabaster Group respectively. Both organizations have transcendent cultivators as senior partners, so they don’t care what the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate wants. The Obsidian Syndicate has two alchemists of sufficient tier, and they will help anyone with money. Unfortunately, this also means that you must be wary of their products. There is a chance that the Wang family has paid them to poison you if you purchase their pills. The price for guaranteeing no poison may be prohibitive.

  “The Alabaster Group, on the other hand, only has one alchemist who can help you. As long as you are vetted as a well-meaning person, you can request his services. Unfortunately, he is always very busy with his research. He is the revered alchemist, Mo Tianshen, and he is constantly researching low-tier pills for the good of the common people. To secure a meeting, you would need to be a member of their organization. Even then it might be difficult. I should know; I am his student. I only get to see him every three years or so.”

  Cha Ming’s head began to ache. “I don’t suppose it’s easy to get into the Alabaster Group?”

  “It’s very difficult,” the guild leader said. “It’s by invitation only, but they do gather evidence in the form of introductory letters. I can write you a letter of recommendation, but I must warn you—if the Wang family has gone through all this trouble, they have likely secured letters of scorn, which will make it very difficult for you to be selected. The Wang family definitely has members in the Alabaster Group who will try to keep you out.”

  “Thank you very much for telling me this,” Cha Ming said. “I would be in your debt if you wrote me a letter of recommendation.”

  “No problem at all,” the guild leader said, shrugging. “This is a partial apology at best.”

  Despite not having achieved his goals, the day wasn’t a complete loss. Cha Ming was able to secure a letter of recommendation and further evidence of the Wang family’s interference. After returning to the Talisman Artist Guild, he immediately asked the branch leader to write a letter of recommendation. Afterward, he continued producing least-grade talismans, both to improve his success rate and to arm himself in the event of a battle.

  The sun set quietly that night, and just as quietly, an envelope was slipped beneath Cha Ming’s door. It was pitch black, and when he opened it, he was greeted with polite words.

  Dear Du Cha Ming,

  You are hereby invited to join the Obsidian Syndicate as a junior member. Your skills in talisman crafting are highly valued. In the Obsidian Syndicate, we believe in capitalizing on value above all else.

  As I understand it, you are currently looking for medicinal pills. Should you join us, we would be happy to arrange such transactions with a guarantee on quality. You will find that no other organization is as far-reaching as ours in the continent. Our vision is mighty, and our resources are limitless.

  This is naturally an important decision in a cultivator’s life. Therefore, I invite you to come to our association for a tour two hours after dawn. I am certain that you will find our facilities to your liking.

  Sincerely,

  Yang Mubai, Senior Partner

  * * *

  1 The cycle of reincarnation.

  Chapter 18: A Familiar Face

  It was a cloudy day in Quicksilver. The sun was completely obscured by the thick cloud cover, causing the city’s appearance to change drastically. The colors, which were usually accentuated by the persistent sunshine, were now drab and faded. Metallic decorations lost their luster, and the public fountains no longer glittered with iridescent tones.

  Cha Ming normally wouldn’t have noticed this, if not for his destination. The Obsidian Syndicate’s building was black as sin—no, that wasn’t accurate. Cha Ming knew now that sin was yellow, and evil was ochre. However, he couldn’t help but shiver when he saw the obsidian building and its black spires. In the sunlight, it would have been glasslike in appearance. But beneath the cloud-covered sky, it was blacker than the deepest shadows. An oppressive feeling of unease washed over him as he walked to the doors.

  “May I help you?” a beautiful attendant in a black dress asked in a suggestive manner. Her tone implied that she would help him in any way he wished. Not wanting to get caught up in anything unnecessary, he presented his invitation. The woman looked it over while huffing in disappointment.

  “Right this way, Master Du,” she said, walking through the ebony doors. Her hips swayed as they entered an entrance hall as massive as the exterior suggested. A mosaic of black and white granite covere
d the walls. The white was there to accentuate the black—after all, the existence of light is what made the darkness so frightening.

  They passed a dozen black-marble desks, each accompanied by an equally beautiful attendant. Each desk had a different symbol adorning it. One had an alchemical cauldron and another a talisman. One had a formation and another a hammer. These were clearly for requesting services from professions. There were many other symbols like pills, herbs, and ores. One was in the shape of a sword, likely for hiring mercenaries. The last one had a question mark.

  Is it for miscellaneous services or for more questionable services? Cha Ming felt an itch, so he rubbed his eyes. Is there such a thing as allergies for cultivators?

  They left the entrance hall through a pair of ebony doors. There, Cha Ming saw what looked like many storefronts. Various attendants waited on customers and fetched goods as requested. Others operated more like workshops, proudly displaying men forging weapons, painting talismans, or preparing pills. Of course, these things took place behind thick panes of protective glass. Any disruptions could ruin a creation. They sought to strike a balance between displaying skill and exercising practicality. His vision blurred as he looked on, which was curious given he had entered the bone-forging realm.

  “Is everything all right?” the guide asked.

  “It’s nothing,” Cha Ming said. “I finished my examination yesterday, and I’m likely just tired.” He couldn’t focus. It was as though he’d spent weeks awake and couldn’t make out finer details.

  “Very well,” the guide said. “Each craftsman is provided with a storefront and assistants. They may also hire others to assist them, but naturally our businesses thrive on premium services. We have very few customers, but they are all very rich. Only those with sufficient means are allowed inside.”