by Tinalynge
Even though these people looked at Hui Yue as though he were a money making machine, he did not care. He knew that although Gao Yan would find it confusing why Hui Yue came to visit a guest, he would soon be told by Wang Ju Long that it had to do with Sha Yun. By that time, he would be busy finding all the information he could about this unknown expert, Zhong Wei.
"Zhong Wei is on the third floor. His room is fourth from the stairs." The innkeeper said right away, not hiding anything from Hui Yue. Although Hui Yue's face was much more grim than usual, and a slight killing intent kept spreading from his body, it did not seem to matter to the innkeeper if a fight broke out. Hui Yue was capable of paying for the damage and the innkeeper owed nothing to Zhong Wei.
Hui Yue nodded towards the innkeeper and tossed him a gold coin before he moved upstairs. Although gold coins were not much to Hui Yue, for an innkeeper like him it was a decent amount of money. Even an innkeeper who was in charge of the Black Lion and its secret information service.
Hui Yue rushed up the stairs and halted only for a short moment on the second floor, unsure if he should inform Gao Yan first. Although he wanted to, he shook his head and continued upwards. This was because of him, therefore, it was naturally his job find and rescue Sha Yun.
Reaching the highest floor, the third floor, Hui Yue went to the door the innkeeper told him about. Standing outside the door he suppressed his killing intent back, and although his face was still full of anger, he knew that this young man was his only link to Sha Yun.
'I bet he is a part of the Frozen Brigade.' Lan Feng commented, and Hui Yue nodded. He had previously assumed that this young man had something to do with Zhong Fai, mainly because their last names were the same.
'I agree, but let’s not mention it when we speak with Zhong Wei. All we can do is wait and hear what he has to say.' Hui Yue decided as he heaved a heavy sigh before he knocked on the door a few times.
As he knocked on the door, he suddenly heard clattering sounds as though someone had risen swiftly and as a result had dropped various items on the ground.
The door opened moments after and Zhong Wei looked out with large eyes filled with excitement. "I knew you'd show up!" He said excitedly and Hui Yue was almost swearing. Of course, he would show up. This concerned the life of his best friend. He was not willing to risk anything.
"Come in, come in!" The eager young man in front of Hui Yue said with excitement while showing Hui Yue into the room. Looking around, he found that on the floor many medicinal herbs, pills, and ingredients were spread out. Vials were placed all over, and a heavy scent of medicinal pills assaulted his senses the moment he entered.
"Sorry about the mess, I am preparing for the alchemist's contest." He said with the same excitement as before.
"You being here, must mean you will be joining the alchemist's contest too! I guess that snake woman really means something to you after all." He laughed and although his voice did not contain any mockery, Hui Yue felt enraged listening to this idiotic person in front of him. He had no idea how much Sha Yun meant to him.
"I am here to join the alchemist's contest only if you can guarantee that Sha Yun will not be hurt." He said seriously, swallowing the anger he felt and constantly fighting to keep back his killing intent.
"She'll be safe as long as you do your best in the alchemist's contest." Zhong Hei laughed. "Don't worry my master is not someone who goes back on his word. Since he already said that he would keep her alive as long as you participate in the contest, then there will be no problems with Sha Yun, as you call her."
"Your master is Zhong Fai?" Hui Yue suddenly asked. He had intended to stay calm and not ask, but hearing his words, he could not help but suddenly ask the question. It was only after he had said it that he knew what he had done.
Zhong Hei's face turned as white as the face of a dead person when he heard what Hue Yue said. His eyes blazed with fury, and he grit his teeth. "My master's name is not something a person has the right to say!"
"That is not for you to decide. Your master told me his name was Zhong Fai, and he told me to call him by his name. Should I disrespect his request then?" Hui Yue asked with a smirk on his face. He was not lying. When he had met Zhong Fai in the Dungeons of the Divine he had indeed asked for Hui Yue to call him by his name, and Hui Yue had to admit that he enjoyed the hostility he saw in Zhong Hei's eyes. If he could he would taunt this young man into trying to kill him; Slaying him in self-defense would not be a bad thing.
'Calm down and don't insult him too much,' Lan Feng said with a sigh. 'We need him for the sake of the alchemist's contest. Without a guide, we will never manage to find the Frozen Mansion where the Frozen General and the Frozen Brigade live.'
Sighing, Hui Yue knew that Lan Feng was right, so he became quiet as he decided no longer to taunt the man in front of him. His white porcelain face had turned red from anger, and his eyes were dark with hostility, but he said nothing. He could not change a request that his master had made, even if it were something that he could not accept.
"Well since he is not here, let us just use his title, the Frozen General." Hui Yue sighed, and the tense atmosphere subsided. His taut body relaxed, and the anger that had been evident slowly subsided as well.
"I appreciate your efforts." The young man said as he sat down on the ground and Hui Yue found a chair to sit on.
"Well, this is simple. I will inform my master that you are willing to enter the alchemist's contest and he will ensure Sha Yun's safety. If you win, you can give the rewards to master and trade it for the snake woman's life."
"There are no hidden problems, no hidden schemes, just win and she will be safe." Zhong Wei said with a smile on his face again. It seemed as if his fit of anger from before had never happened.
"If that is all then I'll get going," Hui Yue said and left the room. He planned to rush towards the Alchemy Guild to enter into the alchemist's contest. Anyone who had become an alchemist in the last year was allowed to participate, so Hui Yue knew that he would need to do quite a bit of practicing before the competition.
"Why is master so keen on this particular individual. He is not all that outstanding," Zhong Wei said while looking out the window. His eyes were once more filled with hostility and a killing intent no weaker than Hui Yue's pulsed from his body.
"I am going to win the alchemist's contest, provide the rewards to master, and personally slay that disgusting snake woman back at the Frozen Palace. I want to see how he looks then." He said as a sinister smile appeared on Zhong Wei's face while he once more focused on the many ingredients on the floor in front of him.
Chapter 412 - Silvermoon's Pill
* * *
Chapter 412 - Silvermoon's Pill
Although Hui Yue planned to go straight to the Alchemist Guild to sign up for the alchemist's contest, he stopped when he reached the second floor. After a short moment of contemplation, Hui Yue rushed to the door behind which he knew Gao Yan was working.
Opening the door, Hui Yue went to Gao Yan's side and sat down in front of his desk. Looking up Gao Yan was surprised to see Hui Yue, but he instantly put away his things. It was clear that Hui Yue was in a terrible mood, something which was rare for this young man.
"Here," Gao Yan said as he handed Hui Yue a glass of wine. "Take your time and tell me what has happened alongside what you need me to do for you." There was worry in Gao Yan's eyes, and his voice contained anticipation. He was very curious, but also scared, about why his good friend was in such a foul mood.
"Sha Yun has been found." Hui Yue said with a voice so quiet that only Gao Yan could hear what was said. "She is being held by the Frozen General."
The words caused a sour expression to appear on Gao Yan's face. His job was to deal with information and know about everyone within the plane; he instantly understood just how bad it was for the Frozen General to be their opponent. He had a whole army behind him, not to mention his strength as one of the supreme experts in the world.
"I hav
e been told to join the alchemist's contest. If I win, then I can trade the rewards for Sha Yun's freedom. I will need you to get information about everyone who will participate in the alchemist's contest, and I need to know roughly what skill level I need to reach to win."
"Also, always have someone shadowing Zhong Hei as well, preferably your strongest man." Hui Yue ordered, but Ga Yan was not the least bit insulted, all he did was nod his head in agreement.
"Zhong Hei is not very powerful on his own, but he is without a doubt a part of the Frozen Brigade. He has been taught alchemy for a long time, so I assume that he is of great importance to the Frozen General. He might have strong allies protecting him from the dark. If he does then withdraw your spies, but if he does not, make sure to keep an eye on him."
Nodding his head, Gao Yan approved of what Hui Yue said. "I will do just that." He agreed, and instantly names were called out with an authority that Hui Yue only saw Gao Yan use when ordering his subordinates. Although he was not a noble, he definitely had a noble air about him. His personality changed from the cheeky, jovial person he used to be to someone who was grave and serious
"I'll excuse myself now. I need to work on my alchemy." Hui Yue said with a nod leaving the office. He left the inn and took to the sky on top of his flying sword heading towards the Alchemist Guild.
Looking around, he found that there were many experts using flying swords as well. It was clear that the Black Market Auction House had been selling quite a few swords since he had left them in their hands. Although they were simple weapons which could easily break, the inscriptions which had been engraved into them was so strong that they could easily be considered high ranked treasures.
The inscriptions were not able to make the weapon any stronger so none of them would be stupid enough to fight with their weapons; they only used them to fly.
Hui Yue could not help but chuckle as he thought about all these experts flying around as he knew most were only flying just because they could fly.
Hui Yue did not take the time to observe these experts flying around town; he just steered towards the Alchemist Guild. Like a gust of wind, he appeared in the front of the door and once more he showed his two flames before he was let in with great respect.
Hui Yue headed towards the counter where the examiner was seated. She was the one who did everything concerning exams and also tournaments.
"What can I do for you?" She asked when she saw Hui Yue, instantly recognizing him as the outstanding talent from yesterday. Even she was unaware of how he could have performed as well as he did, and Hui Yue had no intention of revealing the amazing properties of his cauldron when he saw how she looked at him. When one has treasured items, or skills, there is a tact understanding between cultivators not to ask about them because people wouldn’t tell them anyways. Letting people know that you have heaven-defying treasures was just courting death.
"I would like to sign up for the Alchemist’s contest that is coming up," He said seriously, and the woman nodded her head as she wrote his name down on the paper in front of her. "Drop your blood on top," She ordered, and Hui Yue let a drop of blood slid off his finger and land on the square where his name had been written down.
"I really am baffled by your skills in alchemy at such a young age, and I don't know who could have taught such an outstanding student. But I will warn you to be careful as there are some old fogies who have been training their apprentices for the alchemist’s contest for ten years or more. Many experts make their disciples wait to take the exam until it is time for an alchemist's contest. They are the true elites, and although you are good, you would need to be incredibly skilled to beat them at pill refining. Good luck, and train as much as you can." She said to Hui Yue.
"Thank you for the warning." Hui Yue said with a bow towards the woman before he left the room. The only thing on his mind was to return home so that he could train his alchemy skills. If he wanted to save Sha Yun he clearly needed to be far stronger in concocting pills than he was right now.
Returning home, Hui Yue ordered everyone to not disturb him then he headed to his room. Wang Ju Long was already aware of the situation, and she slowly informed everyone about what was going on.
From time to time, loud booms could be heard from his room followed by loud cursing only to be replaced later by jubilant, triumphant howls. Hui Yue was very busy creating one pill after another. He no longer attempted to make only pills from this world but also pills from other worlds as well in the hope of being able to astonish everyone in the contest. Since he was competing, he might as well make a name for himself as someone who had a powerful teacher who knew amazing pill formulas no one had ever even heard about.
The more powerful Hui Yue became and the stronger he seemed, the more likely it was that the Frozen General would not dare harm Sha Yun.
Day after day went by where Hui Yue did not come out of his room, and the only ones within were him and his fox, Huli.
"What do you think Huli?" Hui Yue asked satisfied as he looked at a golden pill with silvery lines in his hand. This pill had been incredibly difficult to create, so hard in fact that he had failed an outstanding seven times before finally succeeding.
Even with his cauldron it had been above his ability to create and refine it, but looking at the pill in question, Hui Yue was eager to improve his skill in making it.
This pill was known as the Silvermoon's Pill and when swallowed the energy would make it possible for anyone to reach the king rank from consuming it. This was a divine pill, and normally it should have been impossible for Hui Yue to successfully refine it as it truly was a heaven-defying pill the likes this world had never seen before. However, the cauldron he had obtained was truly magical, and he had only failed seven times when refining the pill.
These seven time attempts were not a waste of time, though. Trying to create the pill required Hui Yue to use his full power over and over again. This drained all his internal energy pushing his limits further and further causing his body to greedily absorb more and more energy from the surrounding world.
Having struggled for so long, Hui Yue was finally able to succeed. Not only did he manage to create the pill, but he had also managed to reach a bottleneck. He truly needed more energy to break through into the fifth star of the Emperor rank.
"Okay let’s try again." Hui Yue said with determination. "I am thinking of gifting one of these pills to Jo and Lao. They are working hard and raising their strength, and with the help of this pill, it will ensure that their cultivation base is balanced.
"I should refine a second one." He said as he took a deep breath. Sitting down on the ground, he closed his eyes. He thought back on the refining process, on the temperature he kept the herbs at and the order he added and merged the herbs together.
Opening his eyes, he kneeled down in front of the cauldron and picked up a golden root placing it within. Slowly, but steadily, the flame started to refine the energy within the herb; however, this time, Hui Yue using a blue flame rather than a red one. The flame he had chosen was many times stronger than the any he had before, and thus the refinement process was swifter as well.
Even though this method was faster, each attempt had taken hours, and the one pill which he had finally finished took him an astounding seven hours.
Reaching his most calm state, Hui Yue once more continued concocting the medicinal pill. This pill was the same as the Silvermoon's Pill he had just made, but unlike last time he had a certain degree of expectations now. He had succeeded once, and now he needed to repeat the process again.
Soon a large boom resounded from Hui Yue's room, shaking the entire mansion, and Hui Yue could not help but swear loudly as he looked at his hands.
The explosion had not damaged the cauldron in the least. However, both his hands had been burned beyond recognition. He had lost focus on his flame or a second and then it exploded right in his face.
Sighing deeply, Hui Yue closed his eyes and poured Wu Wei into his body to heal
his injuries. He also popped a red medicinal pill so that the energy he used was quickly replenished. After around ten minutes of rest, he was once again ready to try and refine another Silvermoon’s Pill.
Gritting his teeth, Hui Yue's fully focused on the herbs he was refining and slowly time went by. While Hui Yue was busy on his refinement, he did not notice that Huli kept staring at him with a strange look in her eyes. It was as though she wished to say something but could not.
Although Huli was looking at Hui Yue, the young man did not notice anything as he was fully focused on refining the herbs. Deep inside excitement bubbled up because so far things had been perfect. If he kept as focusing as he was it was only a matter of time before the pill would be finished. By then he could already imagine the excited faces of both Jo and Lao.
This Silvermoon's Pill originated from another world. However, Hui Yue had no idea which realm had come up with this pill which allowed a cultivator to instantly rise to the King rank. It was clear that the world had to be many times stronger than the world he was in now. Although cultivating in this world was easy because of the essence of the heavens and the earth cultivators were far from the pinnacle of techniques and crafts like pills and inscriptions.