Chapter 4: Tiger Flame Grass
Time was always the best way to heal wounds.
No matter what how much chaos occurred, how many bumps on the road of life, how much darkness… time would always heal it. However it would leave behind an ugly scar to remind you of what happened. But eventually when you looked back at that scar, it would no longer hurt as much as it did.
Two years passed….
A slim, tall youth was sitting at the top of the bell tower. The distant light from the sun fell on the Clan Monument in the middle of the public square. A faint longing could be seen within the youth’s eyes.
“Brother Chen, as expected you are here again.”
Looking at where the voice came from, there was a slightly fat youth was gasping for breath. He jumped onto the bell tower and rushed towards the other youth, laughing, “Right, about the Tiger Flame Grass you asked me to help you find, my big brother coincidentally picked a bunch of them while he was out training.”
The youth’s eyes brightened, “Really? I can use Azure Flame Pills to exchange for them.”
The fat youth repeatedly shook his head, saying, “Return what, my brother already said brother Chen has a use for it. Otherwise if he kept it then it would just go into storage, and it’s not like it’s a very precious herb. It could only be used to exchange for merit points within the clan. Speaking of which though... brother Chen, you’ve collected so many good medicinal ingredients this year, is can’t be that you’re thinking of participating in the Medicine Competition right?”
The slender youth was precisely Yao Chen. Hearing what the fat youth said, he laughed, once again turning around and gazing deeply at the Clan Monument. His father had brought him there on the eve of his death. The meaning behind that was something that the now fifteen-year-old Yao Chen understood. He nodded his head, saying, “This is a good opportunity. If I can prove myself in the Medicine Competition, it’s possible that… hehe, Luo Shu, let’s go.”
This so-called Medicine Competition was one of the most important events within the Yao clan. It was held pnce every five years, and any member of the Yao clan under twenty-four years old could attend.
During the Medicine Competition, the younger generation would fiercely compete with another in their alchemy skills. The final winner would take the fame of being the number one alchemist in their generation. To the Yao clan disciples, this would practically be the most supreme honor they could ever obtain.
The slightly fat youth was Luo Shu who Yao Chen had grown up with from a young age. For some reason, Luo Shu liked to follow Yao Chen. Whatever Yao Chen wanted to do, he would do. If Yao Chen wanted to go east, there was no way Luo Shu would go west. Even his brother and father couldn’t convince him otherwise.
Luo Shu’s eyes glimmered slightly as he also looked towards the stone monument in the distance, his eyes revealing an admiring and passionate look.
In the Yao clan, any person, no matter if their surname was Yao or not, would treat the opportunity to carve their own name into the Clan monument as the ultimate highest honour.
However… Luo Shu rubbed his belly, saying, “Brother Chen, no matter how great the Clan Monument is, it’s not like it can fill our stomachs. Let’s go home and eat; I’ve been hungry for a while now.”
Luo Shu’s stomach matched his words as it started letting out grumbling noises.
Yao Chen laughed, nodding his head. He replied, “Let’s go back home.”
Luo Shu happily nodded. While walking home, he kept discussing what kind of dishes they were having for dinner, “Aunt Qing made simmer-fried fish today, as well as simmered rabbit meat. And there’s so much of it. Don’t eat it all; leave a bit for me to have as a midnight snack with some bamboo wine. Tch, it would really be perfect, ah, don’t be too unrestrained….”
“What restrained? As I see it you’re just going to get fat again.” Yao Chen shook his head, laughing.
Normally Luo Shu would not have any disputes with Yao Chen, however his weight and body was an exception. As soon as he heard the word ‘fat’, he would immediately start arguing, “Brother Chen, you just don’t understand, this is just my baby fat. Back in the day, my brother was even fatter than me, and now he’s a handsome and tall man.”
“I’m just too lazy to scold you.” Yao Chen shook his head.
As the two of them had arrived at a small lane that would bring them home, Yao Chen saw his mother standing outside the door, looking all around.
Speeding up his footsteps, Yao Chen said, “Mom, I’m home.”
“Aunt Qing, can we start eating now?”
Luo Shu’s mouth was already filling with saliva. Going to Yao Chen’s house to freeload for food was already one of his regular habits.
Yao Qing lightly laughed, “Have you washed your hands?”
“We washed them earlier, right brother Chen?”
Seeing Yao Chen nodding, only then did Yao Qing say, “Good, let’s eat then.”
Yao Chen and Luo Shu were in their teenage years right when their bodies’ were growing. They quickly completely cleared the table of all the food, like wind sweeping away clouds.
Looking at this empty table, Luo Shu held his stomach. Suddenly he remembered he originally wanted to leave a bit of simmered rabbit meat for a midnight snack.
“Aunt Qing…” Luo Shu anxiously turned around and looked at Yao Qing.
“Don’t worry; I left aside quite a bit inside the pot.”
“Ya! Yao Chen, let’s go to my house and play.”
Luo Shu jumped up, pulling Yao Chen outside.
“Yao Chen, don’t forget that tonight we’re going to examine your Dou Qi’s progress.” Yao Qing was laughing, but a trace of seriousness appeared on her face, and her voice was slightly stern.
When his father died, his once gentle mother had to become much more stern and strict. Especially when it came to treating Yao Chen’s injury to his cultivation base; two years ago, Yao Chen broke through to a new level, in just one night becoming a nine star Dou Zhe. But the repercussions threw his meridians into a mess for the whole past two years, so much so that even his innate talent and foundation suffered harm.
“Ok mom, I’ll come home quickly.” Yao Chen nodded, following Luo Shu and entering through their courtyard door.
Since it was dinnertime, naturally Luo Shu’s family were also eating. However in comparison the amount of food on their table was simple and pitiful. Other than some buns, the table was lacking even the most basic dishes. If you wanted to eat meat? Go out to the mountains and hunt for game by yourself. And even if you catch something, you have to eat it by yourself; no sharing. This could also be considered training. Looking at the Luo family’s traditions, if Luo Shu didn’t go freeload at Yao Chen’s house for food, then in his entire lifetime he would probably never eat good meat.
“You’ve returned home? Already eaten? Come, this can help you digest better if you take it after eating.”
The one speaking was Luo Bing. When he looked at Yao Chen his eyes would have faint traces of remorse and guilt. He took out a porcelain bottle and put it in Yao Chen’s hand.
“Thank you uncle Luo.” Yao Chen nodded. Not standing on courtesy, he opened the bottle. A strong and unique fragrance spread out of the bottle; inside was one thumb-sized medicinal pill. Yao Chen took it out and swallowed it in one gulp. The pill turned into liquid as it permeated into this heart. Medicinal strength started entering into his meridians.
This was the Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill, which was not just any pill. It had the effect of strengthening your Dantian’s rotation and raising the quality of the Dou Qi. Most Yao clan disciples would have the opportunity to take one out of the clan treasury once every month.
After the events from two years ago, Luo Bing resigned from the Iron Guards and was presently a guard caption amongst the Clan Protectors. With his previous identity as an Iron Guard along with his current prestige as a guard captain, he had the privilege of taking out five Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pills each month.
Supplying Yao Chen with the pills that he needed to consume was the only way he could think of to help. The clan supplied its many branch disciples with various pills for training. However after Yao Chen’s father died, his portion of pills became less and less. If it weren’t for his father’s brothers in the Iron Guards, the Yao Chen who had experienced his Dou Qi violently rise up and thus had his future injured might as well forget about training for the rest of his life.
It was only precisely because he had this help that he could recover in these two years.
Yao Chen closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. In a short while, he felt the medicinal energy enter into his meridians. Opening his eyes, he saw Luo Bing looking at him with a smile, who laughingly said, “Not bad, it only took the time for one incense stick to burn for you to absorb all the medicinal strength. Compared to this no-potential Luo Shu, the difference is huge.”
The slightly chubby Luo Shu laughed mischievously, saying “Anyways, in the future I’ll have brother Chen to cover for me, so might as well just give him my portion as well….”
“What is this blind nonsense!? Although the Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill is good, just taking two every month is already the limit. You think medicinal pills can just be randomly eaten?” Luo Bing glared at Luo Shu. To be completely correct, it wasn’t that you couldn’t consume it; it’s just that every medicine has its toxins and side effects, and medicinal pills were not an exception to this. If you didn’t have some kind of medicinal pill that could counter the toxins, then eating that many pills might let you rapidly increase in strength, but in the future it would cause you more harm than good.
The main bloodline’s disciples and those branch families with great power would of course have the pills to counter the toxins, but when it came to helping these ordinary branch family disciples, it was already not bad for them to give an extra Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill every now and then, let alone the much more precious pills that cure its toxins.
Yao Chen laughed, politely turning towards Luo Bing, “Thank you uncle Luo.”
Luo Bing nodded, patting Yao Chen’s shoulder. It looked as if he wanted to say more, but although his lips faintly moved, he couldn’t bear it. Instead he said, “It’s fine, I still have things to do so I’m going to leave now. You guys amuse yourselves.”
Once Luo Bing left, Luo Shu immediately went up to his brother Luo Shan, “Heehee, big brother, where’s the Tiger Flame Grass?
Yao Chen also looked hopefully towards Luo Shan. Ever since two years ago, Yao Chen had made many preparations for the upcoming Medicine Competition….
Actually, most of these preparations were all made by his father. It’s just that before his father had the opportunity to tell him about it, he already had left his side.
Of course, within the Yao clan, such preparations were not considered cheating. There were countless numbers of talented disciples within the Yao clan, and in order to stand out one had to have power. Just relying on the orindary herbs that the clan provided, you would only be able to refine ordinary pills. Even if one was the most godliest talented genius to be found under the heavens, you still wouldn’t be able to obtain victory without preparing in advance. Only by carefully preparing all kinds of rarer ingredients could you refine an extraordinary medicinal pill, show off your talent, and take first place.
In addition, Yao Chen’s family was just a branch family. With his father’s death, even if the clan’s assistance in his daily life actually surprisingly didn’t drop, it was incomparably difficult for him to gather the necessary medicinal ingredients as preparations for the Medicine Competition. Even though his father’s old brothers did everything in their means to help, after these two years Yao Chen was still missing quite a few rare ingredients.
Of the missing ingredients, the Tiger Flame Grass was the most difficult one to obtain. Even the clan treasury was very short on it and it couldn’t even be exchanged for with merit points. Inquiring around, the news was that a clan elder apparently needed large quantities of it to refine a certain medicinal pill. Therefore, all of the clan’s stores were all taken by him.
Luo Shan was Luo Shu’s older brother, and he possessed a very steady personality. This year he was just twenty years old. Within the Yao clan, this age was already sufficient to assume personal responsibility. After all, if a father is a lion then the son cannot be a dog, and Luo Shan followed after his father’s manner. At twenty years old he was already a nine star Dou Shi; at any moment he might reach the border of a Da Dou Shi. And not only was he strong, but he was also a calm-headed decision maker. Amongst his generation of clan disciples he would be considered a well known figure. All the missions the clan sent him to accomplish were all completed in a satisfactory and effortless manner by him. The other day he had already been selected to become a clan guard amongst the Clan Protectors, and with his training potential, in five years he would become a clan guard captain like his father. It wouldn’t even be a problem for him to have the opportunity to be promoted to become an even higher Iron Guard.
At the moment, Luo Shan looked at Yao Chen and laughed, “It seems your breath has some fluctuations. Now that two years have passed… it should be time for you to breakthrough to Dou Shi right?”
Yao Chen nodded his head. For a fifteen-year-old to breakthrough to Dou Shi, if speaking truthfully, would not be considered remarkable within the Yao clan. However, two years ago his foundation had suffered harm. The majority of his training wasn’t put on training Dou Qi, but on his Spiritual Perception.
In alchemy, the most important thing wasn’t the medicinal ingredients, nor was it the flame’s power, but instead it was having perfect control over the flame. In order to have this kind of control, one couldn’t rely on experience. If it was an everyday pill, then you could get the experience from refining it hundreds or even a thousand times, giving you a kind of instinct. But for higher tier medicinal pills, it was rare for you to be able to gather all the medicinal ingredients even after spending a whole year, so where would you be able to get the experience to refine it? When it came to this, the only thing you could rely on was your Spiritual Perception.
Since childhood, Yao Chen’s Spiritual Perception was different from a regular person’s. Therefore his father Yao Huo had also planned a strict training regime for his Spiritual Perception.
In order to train his Spiritual Perception, Yao Chen unwittingly fell behind in Dou Qi by a lot, however no matter how much he lagged in his Dou Qi training, he was still at least above average amongst the branch disciples. The only thing was that when compared to the main bloodline’s talents, the difference was like heaven and earth.
“Increase your strength. After all, Yao Feng and Yao Tong are the same age as you and are already three star Dou Shis.” Luo Shan nodded his head, taking out a semi jade box from his chest. This was a half stone half jade box that had the ability to maintain medicinal strength’s efficiency.
Luo Shu stuck out his tongue, “Big brother, Yao Feng is part of the main bloodline; who knows how many Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pills he eats every month? How can you compare him to Yao Chen who only gets to eat two a month? If you were going to say this, then why don’t you go compare yourself to Yao Wangui? Rumor has it Yao Wangui has already become a two star Da Dou Shi, right?
Luo Shan shook his head, gently hitting Yao Shu in the head. Not speaking any more words, he opened the semi-jade box. Inside were at least ten portions of strange red grass that were emitting a faint fiery strength. Upon seeing it one would feel a vague impression of a tiger figure jumping and moving.
Looking at the tiger figure, Yao Chen’s eyes lit up. Receiving the semi jade box, “This… this is top grade Tiger Flame Grass?”
High grade Tiger Flame Grass would have the tiger’s figure, but the tiger would be a dead one with no movement. Looking at the appearance of the tiger pouncing and moving, this was definitely a top grade ingredient.
Luo Shan nodded, “This time’s luck was pretty good. I managed to find quite a bit of top grade. Most of them were given over to the clan treasury, but I specially left some for you to encourage you at the Medicine Competition.”
“Brother Shan, thank you.”
Yao Chen felt extremely grateful; with the top grade Tiger Flame Grass he was even more confident for the upcoming Medicine Competition. He really didn’t know just what he could give him in return. The Azure Flame Pill… it was the only medicinal pill he could take out, but when comparing it to the top grade Tiger Flame Grass, their values were so incomparable that it would make no difference whether he gave him it or not.
“What thanks, your strength is something that other people are not clear about and even I am not entirely clear on it. I’ll just treat this as an investment. Once you become a fifth tier alchemist, you can just randomly refine some fifth tier medicinal pills for me and it would be worth it.
Luo Shu started laughing, “What fifth tier, brother Chen will definitely become a seventh tier alchemist.”
Hearing this, Luo Shan also started laughing, “Not bad, setting your goals a bit higher is pretty good. I guess I was looking down on you.”
Yao Chen smiled, “Well then if I wanted to set my goals a bit higher, why not become a ninth tier alchemist?”
Luo Shu and Luo Shan could no longer laugh at that. Within the entire Yao clan, the only person who was a ninth tier alchemist was the clan head.
“This… would that be a bit too distant?” Only now did Yao Chen shamelessly rub his noise.
“Just a little too distant!” The steady as a mountain Luo Shan also laughingly scolded him.
“This really is like… like not knowing how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is.” Luo Shu exclaimed.
Yao Chen only smiled. If he became intimidated by how high the heavens were and how deep the earth was, then how could he carve his name into the Clan Monument? Just how many names had ever been carved on the monument whose names were those that were born in branch bloodlines?
In the past ten thousand years, over a thousand names had been carved onto it but there were barely an insignificant ten names that were born in branch bloodlines.
The branch disciples, in order to carve their name into the Clan monument, not only had to be outstanding, they also had to invest more things… after all, the Clan Monument, in the entire Yao clan, was the most supreme honor.
Having obtained the Tiger Flame Grass, the pressure on Yao Chen to obtain the necessary ingredients for his alchemy lightened up a great deal. The other rare ingredients that Yao Chen needed were already located by him; he just needed to refine enough medicinal pills to exchange for them.
The three of them amused themselves for a while. Luo Shu rubbed his belly; although he wasn’t hungry, his mouth was lacking any flavors and he wanted to eat something. “Brother Chen, let’s go. The time for the midnight snack has arrived. Big Brother, do you want to come?”
Luo Shan shook his head, smiling, “Although I want to, I still have to complete my night patrol assignment. You guys go.”
“Let’s go.”
The two families were neighbours, and the path between them followed along the water, with the road not even being one hundred meters long.
Yao Chen grabbed the Tiger Flame Grass. While walking, he opened up the semi-jade box the check the Tiger Flame Grass’s condition. This kind of top tier Tiger Flame Grass was extremely finicky. After picking it, you had to drip some sweet dew onto it every now and then in order to maintain its top grade medicinal strength.
Looking at the herb, Yao Chen noticed the Tiger Flame Grass’ swaying figure had some anomalies to it. Knowing it was time to drip the sweet dew, he turned to Luo Shu and said, “One second, it looks like it’s the time to give it a drop of sweet dew. You go on ahead. I’ll go to the side and handle the sweet dew.
When it came to non Yao clan members, if they wanted to get some sweet dew they had to climb a mountain just as the sun was rising in order to obtain the dew. But for clan members, it was merely an issue of a medicinal pill.
The Sweet Dew Pill, a first tier medicinal pill. Yao Chen had long ago prepared it and brought it with him, so at this time he took a pill out from his robes and turned towards the aqueduct.
The aquifer was fed from the mountain springs, and using Dou waves at the core, it linked up to the Yao clan. It was already purified, and every family and every household was allowed to draw from this aquifer for their daily needs.
Using the bottle he used to store medicine, Yao Chen drew some water. Taking a Sweet Dew Pill, he pinched off and crushed a small part of it into powder, sprinkling it into the bottle, letting the medicinal strength dissolve. After a short while, the bottle’s solution had become sweet dew.
Once again, Yao Chen opened up the jade box, and extremely carefully using Dou Qi he placed a drop of sweet dew onto each of the Tiger Flame Grasses.
Right when he finished with the last Tiger Flame Grass, a bunch of voices came from a side road. Looking up, he saw a group of young men were walking over from the roads’ intersection. Yao Chen’s expression changed slightly; this group was in the same grade as him in the clan school, but the problem was that their relationship was not very friendly.
“Oh, Yao Chen?”
“Huh? Tiger Flame Grass! Top grade Tiger Flame Grass!”
The group was stunned seeing the top grade Tiger Flame Grass in Yao Chen’s hand, and some even rubbed their eyes into to try see clearer. Just what kind of person was Yao Chen? Within the clan school he was known as being a poor ghost; just where did he manage to get Tiger Flame Grass?
Unless he had exchanged for it from the clan treasury with merit points, but….
“That’s not right, I remember that the clan treasury’s Tiger Flame Grass was all taken by an elder in order to refine medicine and that there isn’t any more left to exchange for.”
“Oh, Yao Chen, just where did you manage to get this Tiger Flame Grass?”
“It can’t be... stolen right? Yao Chen, you’ve got some pretty big guts; to think you would steal medicinal ingredients from an elder!”
Young people were meddlesome by nature, and when they were bored, if they ran into any small fries they would definitely heckle him. At the moment, staring at the Tiger Flame Grass in Yao Chen’s hand, none of them could maintain their silence and all began to heckle him loudly.
The distant Luo Shu who had been waiting for Yao Chen heard them talking and immediately became angry. He bounced over, saying, “Bullcrap, your farts are really revolting! This was just obtained by my big brother from outside. You don’t have any proof yet you still make these accusations! If I informed the clan, you would definitely be punished.”
“Damned fatty, what are you saying?”
“Go punish yourself! Get him!”
Full of youthful vigor, yet trying to speak logic? Moving your fist first and talking after, that was logic! Whoever’s fist was stronger, logic would naturally stand by their side.
The group of people swarmed around them, their Dou Qi flashing. It wasn’t a free-for-all but a combined assault, forcefully isolating Yao Chen and Luo Shu, and then attacking.
These youngsters’ Dou Qis were merely at the level of eight or nine star Dou Zhes, but strength was found in numbers. Using the clan school’s instructions, they used combination techniques and immediately overwhelmed Yao Chen and Luo Shu, knocking them onto the ground.
Yao Chen angrily bellowed, and a powerful force surged out from his body. Two years ago, the sudden injury to his foundation had actually had a silver lining. These two years he had put a seal on his body, causing his body to store an extremely huge force.
“Go die!”
Luo Shu protected his head as he roared. Unexpectedly, he managed to grab one his attackers, and his huge mouth opened and bit down.
“WAah AHHH… he bites people!”
Yao Chen’s facial muscles twisted as he let out another angry bellow. Right as he was about to recklessly strike back….
“Just what are you guys doing!”
A scolding voice transmitted over from the side.
“Aunt Qing, save us!”
The just recently still bold and incomparably fierce fatty immediately loosened his mouth and shouted out loudly.
Coming to the scene was Yao Qing who had heard the shouts coming from outside.
When the group of youngsters saw that an adult had appeared they all scattered along the road, and in just a moment there was not a trace of them.
Yao Qing quickly walked over. After giving Luo Shu a quick examination, she walked over to Yao Chen, asking, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I just hurt my fist.” Yao Chen nodded.
Yao Qing still wasn’t assured. She grabbed Yao Chen’s wrist and examined his pulse. Only when she found no anomalies in his Dou Qi did she relax. “Before completing the last step, you absolutely must not take action. No matter how difficult, you still can’t personally fight.”
Yao Chen nodded, promising, “Ok, I know.”
Luo Shu was a still a bit muddle-headed, however turning his head and looking at Yao Chen, he said, “Brother Chen, it’s not fair! My face is all swollen now but you are completely fine?”
“The swelling is just your regular face’s fat.”
“But I also have all these bruises!” Luo Shu felt the back of his head. No matter how he thought about it, he still felt something was fishy.
药典, 典=Ceremony.
药会, 会=Gathering. However since it is a competition I changed it to Medicine Competition. Don't forget that Medicine is also the same word as the Yao in Yao clan.
Footnotes:
‘Musk’ is something that can be used as medicine in China.
Chapter 4: Tiger Flame Grass
Time was always the best way to heal wounds.
No matter what how much chaos occurred, how many bumps on the road of life, how much darkness… time would always heal it. However it would leave behind an ugly scar to remind you of what happened. But eventually when you looked back at that scar, it would no longer hurt as much as it did.
Two years passed….
A slim, tall youth was sitting at the top of the bell tower. The distant light from the sun fell on the Clan Monument in the middle of the public square. A faint longing could be seen within the youth’s eyes.
“Brother Chen, as expected you are here again.”
Looking at where the voice came from, there was a slightly fat youth was gasping for breath. He jumped onto the bell tower and rushed towards the other youth, laughing, “Right, about the Tiger Flame Grass you asked me to help you find, my big brother coincidentally picked a bunch of them while he was out training.”
The youth’s eyes brightened, “Really? I can use Azure Flame Pills to exchange for them.”
The fat youth repeatedly shook his head, saying, “Return what, my brother already said brother Chen has a use for it. Otherwise if he kept it then it would just go into storage, and it’s not like it’s a very precious herb. It could only be used to exchange for merit points within the clan. Speaking of which though... brother Chen, you’ve collected so many good medicinal ingredients this year, is can’t be that you’re thinking of participating in the Medicine Competition right?”
The slender youth was precisely Yao Chen. Hearing what the fat youth said, he laughed, once again turning around and gazing deeply at the Clan Monument. His father had brought him there on the eve of his death. The meaning behind that was something that the now fifteen-year-old Yao Chen understood. He nodded his head, saying, “This is a good opportunity. If I can prove myself in the Medicine Competition, it’s possible that… hehe, Luo Shu, let’s go.”
This so-called Medicine Competition was one of the most important events within the Yao clan. It was held pnce every five years, and any member of the Yao clan under twenty-four years old could attend.
During the Medicine Competition, the younger generation would fiercely compete with another in their alchemy skills. The final winner would take the fame of being the number one alchemist in their generation. To the Yao clan disciples, this would practically be the most supreme honor they could ever obtain.
The slightly fat youth was Luo Shu who Yao Chen had grown up with from a young age. For some reason, Luo Shu liked to follow Yao Chen. Whatever Yao Chen wanted to do, he would do. If Yao Chen wanted to go east, there was no way Luo Shu would go west. Even his brother and father couldn’t convince him otherwise.
Luo Shu’s eyes glimmered slightly as he also looked towards the stone monument in the distance, his eyes revealing an admiring and passionate look.
In the Yao clan, any person, no matter if their surname was Yao or not, would treat the opportunity to carve their own name into the Clan monument as the ultimate highest honour.
However… Luo Shu rubbed his belly, saying, “Brother Chen, no matter how great the Clan Monument is, it’s not like it can fill our stomachs. Let’s go home and eat; I’ve been hungry for a while now.”
Luo Shu’s stomach matched his words as it started letting out grumbling noises.
Yao Chen laughed, nodding his head. He replied, “Let’s go back home.”
Luo Shu happily nodded. While walking home, he kept discussing what kind of dishes they were having for dinner, “Aunt Qing made simmer-fried fish today, as well as simmered rabbit meat. And there’s so much of it. Don’t eat it all; leave a bit for me to have as a midnight snack with some bamboo wine. Tch, it would really be perfect, ah, don’t be too unrestrained….”
“What restrained? As I see it you’re just going to get fat again.” Yao Chen shook his head, laughing.
Normally Luo Shu would not have any disputes with Yao Chen, however his weight and body was an exception. As soon as he heard the word ‘fat’, he would immediately start arguing, “Brother Chen, you just don’t understand, this is just my baby fat. Back in the day, my brother was even fatter than me, and now he’s a handsome and tall man.”
“I’m just too lazy to scold you.” Yao Chen shook his head.
As the two of them had arrived at a small lane that would bring them home, Yao Chen saw his mother standing outside the door, looking all around.
Speeding up his footsteps, Yao Chen said, “Mom, I’m home.”
“Aunt Qing, can we start eating now?”
Luo Shu’s mouth was already filling with saliva. Going to Yao Chen’s house to freeload for food was already one of his regular habits.
Yao Qing lightly laughed, “Have you washed your hands?”
“We washed them earlier, right brother Chen?”
Seeing Yao Chen nodding, only then did Yao Qing say, “Good, let’s eat then.”
Yao Chen and Luo Shu were in their teenage years right when their bodies’ were growing. They quickly completely cleared the table of all the food, like wind sweeping away clouds.
Looking at this empty table, Luo Shu held his stomach. Suddenly he remembered he originally wanted to leave a bit of simmered rabbit meat for a midnight snack.
“Aunt Qing…” Luo Shu anxiously turned around and looked at Yao Qing.
“Don’t worry; I left aside quite a bit inside the pot.”
“Ya! Yao Chen, let’s go to my house and play.”
Luo Shu jumped up, pulling Yao Chen outside.
“Yao Chen, don’t forget that tonight we’re going to examine your Dou Qi’s progress.” Yao Qing was laughing, but a trace of seriousness appeared on her face, and her voice was slightly stern.
When his father died, his once gentle mother had to become much more stern and strict. Especially when it came to treating Yao Chen’s injury to his cultivation base; two years ago, Yao Chen broke through to a new level, in just one night becoming a nine star Dou Zhe. But the repercussions threw his meridians into a mess for the whole past two years, so much so that even his innate talent and foundation suffered harm.
“Ok mom, I’ll come home quickly.” Yao Chen nodded, following Luo Shu and entering through their courtyard door.
Since it was dinnertime, naturally Luo Shu’s family were also eating. However in comparison the amount of food on their table was simple and pitiful. Other than some buns, the table was lacking even the most basic dishes. If you wanted to eat meat? Go out to the mountains and hunt for game by yourself. And even if you catch something, you have to eat it by yourself; no sharing. This could also be considered training. Looking at the Luo family’s traditions, if Luo Shu didn’t go freeload at Yao Chen’s house for food, then in his entire lifetime he would probably never eat good meat.
“You’ve returned home? Already eaten? Come, this can help you digest better if you take it after eating.”
The one speaking was Luo Bing. When he looked at Yao Chen his eyes would have faint traces of remorse and guilt. He took out a porcelain bottle and put it in Yao Chen’s hand.
“Thank you uncle Luo.” Yao Chen nodded. Not standing on courtesy, he opened the bottle. A strong and unique fragrance spread out of the bottle; inside was one thumb-sized medicinal pill. Yao Chen took it out and swallowed it in one gulp. The pill turned into liquid as it permeated into this heart. Medicinal strength started entering into his meridians.
This was the Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill, which was not just any pill. It had the effect of strengthening your Dantian’s rotation and raising the quality of the Dou Qi. Most Yao clan disciples would have the opportunity to take one out of the clan treasury once every month.
After the events from two years ago, Luo Bing resigned from the Iron Guards and was presently a guard caption amongst the Clan Protectors. With his previous identity as an Iron Guard along with his current prestige as a guard captain, he had the privilege of taking out five Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pills each month.
Supplying Yao Chen with the pills that he needed to consume was the only way he could think of to help. The clan supplied its many branch disciples with various pills for training. However after Yao Chen’s father died, his portion of pills became less and less. If it weren’t for his father’s brothers in the Iron Guards, the Yao Chen who had experienced his Dou Qi violently rise up and thus had his future injured might as well forget about training for the rest of his life.
It was only precisely because he had this help that he could recover in these two years.
Yao Chen closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. In a short while, he felt the medicinal energy enter into his meridians. Opening his eyes, he saw Luo Bing looking at him with a smile, who laughingly said, “Not bad, it only took the time for one incense stick to burn for you to absorb all the medicinal strength. Compared to this no-potential Luo Shu, the difference is huge.”
The slightly chubby Luo Shu laughed mischievously, saying “Anyways, in the future I’ll have brother Chen to cover for me, so might as well just give him my portion as well….”
“What is this blind nonsense!? Although the Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill is good, just taking two every month is already the limit. You think medicinal pills can just be randomly eaten?” Luo Bing glared at Luo Shu. To be completely correct, it wasn’t that you couldn’t consume it; it’s just that every medicine has its toxins and side effects, and medicinal pills were not an exception to this. If you didn’t have some kind of medicinal pill that could counter the toxins, then eating that many pills might let you rapidly increase in strength, but in the future it would cause you more harm than good.
The main bloodline’s disciples and those branch families with great power would of course have the pills to counter the toxins, but when it came to helping these ordinary branch family disciples, it was already not bad for them to give an extra Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pill every now and then, let alone the much more precious pills that cure its toxins.
Yao Chen laughed, politely turning towards Luo Bing, “Thank you uncle Luo.”
Luo Bing nodded, patting Yao Chen’s shoulder. It looked as if he wanted to say more, but although his lips faintly moved, he couldn’t bear it. Instead he said, “It’s fine, I still have things to do so I’m going to leave now. You guys amuse yourselves.”
Once Luo Bing left, Luo Shu immediately went up to his brother Luo Shan, “Heehee, big brother, where’s the Tiger Flame Grass?
Yao Chen also looked hopefully towards Luo Shan. Ever since two years ago, Yao Chen had made many preparations for the upcoming Medicine Competition….
Actually, most of these preparations were all made by his father. It’s just that before his father had the opportunity to tell him about it, he already had left his side.
Of course, within the Yao clan, such preparations were not considered cheating. There were countless numbers of talented disciples within the Yao clan, and in order to stand out one had to have power. Just relying on the orindary herbs that the clan provided, you would only be able to refine ordinary pills. Even if one was the most godliest talented genius to be found under the heavens, you still wouldn’t be able to obtain victory without preparing in advance. Only by carefully preparing all kinds of rarer ingredients could you refine an extraordinary medicinal pill, show off your talent, and take first place.
In addition, Yao Chen’s family was just a branch family. With his father’s death, even if the clan’s assistance in his daily life actually surprisingly didn’t drop, it was incomparably difficult for him to gather the necessary medicinal ingredients as preparations for the Medicine Competition. Even though his father’s old brothers did everything in their means to help, after these two years Yao Chen was still missing quite a few rare ingredients.
Of the missing ingredients, the Tiger Flame Grass was the most difficult one to obtain. Even the clan treasury was very short on it and it couldn’t even be exchanged for with merit points. Inquiring around, the news was that a clan elder apparently needed large quantities of it to refine a certain medicinal pill. Therefore, all of the clan’s stores were all taken by him.
Luo Shan was Luo Shu’s older brother, and he possessed a very steady personality. This year he was just twenty years old. Within the Yao clan, this age was already sufficient to assume personal responsibility. After all, if a father is a lion then the son cannot be a dog, and Luo Shan followed after his father’s manner. At twenty years old he was already a nine star Dou Shi; at any moment he might reach the border of a Da Dou Shi. And not only was he strong, but he was also a calm-headed decision maker. Amongst his generation of clan disciples he would be considered a well known figure. All the missions the clan sent him to accomplish were all completed in a satisfactory and effortless manner by him. The other day he had already been selected to become a clan guard amongst the Clan Protectors, and with his training potential, in five years he would become a clan guard captain like his father. It wouldn’t even be a problem for him to have the opportunity to be promoted to become an even higher Iron Guard.
At the moment, Luo Shan looked at Yao Chen and laughed, “It seems your breath has some fluctuations. Now that two years have passed… it should be time for you to breakthrough to Dou Shi right?”
Yao Chen nodded his head. For a fifteen-year-old to breakthrough to Dou Shi, if speaking truthfully, would not be considered remarkable within the Yao clan. However, two years ago his foundation had suffered harm. The majority of his training wasn’t put on training Dou Qi, but on his Spiritual Perception.
In alchemy, the most important thing wasn’t the medicinal ingredients, nor was it the flame’s power, but instead it was having perfect control over the flame. In order to have this kind of control, one couldn’t rely on experience. If it was an everyday pill, then you could get the experience from refining it hundreds or even a thousand times, giving you a kind of instinct. But for higher tier medicinal pills, it was rare for you to be able to gather all the medicinal ingredients even after spending a whole year, so where would you be able to get the experience to refine it? When it came to this, the only thing you could rely on was your Spiritual Perception.
Since childhood, Yao Chen’s Spiritual Perception was different from a regular person’s. Therefore his father Yao Huo had also planned a strict training regime for his Spiritual Perception.
In order to train his Spiritual Perception, Yao Chen unwittingly fell behind in Dou Qi by a lot, however no matter how much he lagged in his Dou Qi training, he was still at least above average amongst the branch disciples. The only thing was that when compared to the main bloodline’s talents, the difference was like heaven and earth.
“Increase your strength. After all, Yao Feng and Yao Tong are the same age as you and are already three star Dou Shis.” Luo Shan nodded his head, taking out a semi jade box from his chest. This was a half stone half jade box that had the ability to maintain medicinal strength’s efficiency.
Luo Shu stuck out his tongue, “Big brother, Yao Feng is part of the main bloodline; who knows how many Musk Essence Foundation Strengthening Pills he eats every month? How can you compare him to Yao Chen who only gets to eat two a month? If you were going to say this, then why don’t you go compare yourself to Yao Wangui? Rumor has it Yao Wangui has already become a two star Da Dou Shi, right?
Luo Shan shook his head, gently hitting Yao Shu in the head. Not speaking any more words, he opened the semi-jade box. Inside were at least ten portions of strange red grass that were emitting a faint fiery strength. Upon seeing it one would feel a vague impression of a tiger figure jumping and moving.
Looking at the tiger figure, Yao Chen’s eyes lit up. Receiving the semi jade box, “This… this is top grade Tiger Flame Grass?”
High grade Tiger Flame Grass would have the tiger’s figure, but the tiger would be a dead one with no movement. Looking at the appearance of the tiger pouncing and moving, this was definitely a top grade ingredient.
Luo Shan nodded, “This time’s luck was pretty good. I managed to find quite a bit of top grade. Most of them were given over to the clan treasury, but I specially left some for you to encourage you at the Medicine Competition.”
“Brother Shan, thank you.”
Yao Chen felt extremely grateful; with the top grade Tiger Flame Grass he was even more confident for the upcoming Medicine Competition. He really didn’t know just what he could give him in return. The Azure Flame Pill… it was the only medicinal pill he could take out, but when comparing it to the top grade Tiger Flame Grass, their values were so incomparable that it would make no difference whether he gave him it or not.
“What thanks, your strength is something that other people are not clear about and even I am not entirely clear on it. I’ll just treat this as an investment. Once you become a fifth tier alchemist, you can just randomly refine some fifth tier medicinal pills for me and it would be worth it.
Luo Shu started laughing, “What fifth tier, brother Chen will definitely become a seventh tier alchemist.”
Hearing this, Luo Shan also started laughing, “Not bad, setting your goals a bit higher is pretty good. I guess I was looking down on you.”
Yao Chen smiled, “Well then if I wanted to set my goals a bit higher, why not become a ninth tier alchemist?”
Luo Shu and Luo Shan could no longer laugh at that. Within the entire Yao clan, the only person who was a ninth tier alchemist was the clan head.
“This… would that be a bit too distant?” Only now did Yao Chen shamelessly rub his noise.
“Just a little too distant!” The steady as a mountain Luo Shan also laughingly scolded him.
“This really is like… like not knowing how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is.” Luo Shu exclaimed.
Yao Chen only smiled. If he became intimidated by how high the heavens were and how deep the earth was, then how could he carve his name into the Clan Monument? Just how many names had ever been carved on the monument whose names were those that were born in branch bloodlines?
In the past ten thousand years, over a thousand names had been carved onto it but there were barely an insignificant ten names that were born in branch bloodlines.
The branch disciples, in order to carve their name into the Clan monument, not only had to be outstanding, they also had to invest more things… after all, the Clan Monument, in the entire Yao clan, was the most supreme honor.
Having obtained the Tiger Flame Grass, the pressure on Yao Chen to obtain the necessary ingredients for his alchemy lightened up a great deal. The other rare ingredients that Yao Chen needed were already located by him; he just needed to refine enough medicinal pills to exchange for them.
The three of them amused themselves for a while. Luo Shu rubbed his belly; although he wasn’t hungry, his mouth was lacking any flavors and he wanted to eat something. “Brother Chen, let’s go. The time for the midnight snack has arrived. Big Brother, do you want to come?”
Luo Shan shook his head, smiling, “Although I want to, I still have to complete my night patrol assignment. You guys go.”
“Let’s go.”
The two families were neighbours, and the path between them followed along the water, with the road not even being one hundred meters long.
Yao Chen grabbed the Tiger Flame Grass. While walking, he opened up the semi-jade box the check the Tiger Flame Grass’s condition. This kind of top tier Tiger Flame Grass was extremely finicky. After picking it, you had to drip some sweet dew onto it every now and then in order to maintain its top grade medicinal strength.
Looking at the herb, Yao Chen noticed the Tiger Flame Grass’ swaying figure had some anomalies to it. Knowing it was time to drip the sweet dew, he turned to Luo Shu and said, “One second, it looks like it’s the time to give it a drop of sweet dew. You go on ahead. I’ll go to the side and handle the sweet dew.
When it came to non Yao clan members, if they wanted to get some sweet dew they had to climb a mountain just as the sun was rising in order to obtain the dew. But for clan members, it was merely an issue of a medicinal pill.
The Sweet Dew Pill, a first tier medicinal pill. Yao Chen had long ago prepared it and brought it with him, so at this time he took a pill out from his robes and turned towards the aqueduct.
The aquifer was fed from the mountain springs, and using Dou waves at the core, it linked up to the Yao clan. It was already purified, and every family and every household was allowed to draw from this aquifer for their daily needs.
Using the bottle he used to store medicine, Yao Chen drew some water. Taking a Sweet Dew Pill, he pinched off and crushed a small part of it into powder, sprinkling it into the bottle, letting the medicinal strength dissolve. After a short while, the bottle’s solution had become sweet dew.
Once again, Yao Chen opened up the jade box, and extremely carefully using Dou Qi he placed a drop of sweet dew onto each of the Tiger Flame Grasses.
Right when he finished with the last Tiger Flame Grass, a bunch of voices came from a side road. Looking up, he saw a group of young men were walking over from the roads’ intersection. Yao Chen’s expression changed slightly; this group was in the same grade as him in the clan school, but the problem was that their relationship was not very friendly.
“Oh, Yao Chen?”
“Huh? Tiger Flame Grass! Top grade Tiger Flame Grass!”
The group was stunned seeing the top grade Tiger Flame Grass in Yao Chen’s hand, and some even rubbed their eyes into to try see clearer. Just what kind of person was Yao Chen? Within the clan school he was known as being a poor ghost; just where did he manage to get Tiger Flame Grass?
Unless he had exchanged for it from the clan treasury with merit points, but….
“That’s not right, I remember that the clan treasury’s Tiger Flame Grass was all taken by an elder in order to refine medicine and that there isn’t any more left to exchange for.”
“Oh, Yao Chen, just where did you manage to get this Tiger Flame Grass?”
“It can’t be... stolen right? Yao Chen, you’ve got some pretty big guts; to think you would steal medicinal ingredients from an elder!”
Young people were meddlesome by nature, and when they were bored, if they ran into any small fries they would definitely heckle him. At the moment, staring at the Tiger Flame Grass in Yao Chen’s hand, none of them could maintain their silence and all began to heckle him loudly.
The distant Luo Shu who had been waiting for Yao Chen heard them talking and immediately became angry. He bounced over, saying, “Bullcrap, your farts are really revolting! This was just obtained by my big brother from outside. You don’t have any proof yet you still make these accusations! If I informed the clan, you would definitely be punished.”
“Damned fatty, what are you saying?”
“Go punish yourself! Get him!”
Full of youthful vigor, yet trying to speak logic? Moving your fist first and talking after, that was logic! Whoever’s fist was stronger, logic would naturally stand by their side.
The group of people swarmed around them, their Dou Qi flashing. It wasn’t a free-for-all but a combined assault, forcefully isolating Yao Chen and Luo Shu, and then attacking.
These youngsters’ Dou Qis were merely at the level of eight or nine star Dou Zhes, but strength was found in numbers. Using the clan school’s instructions, they used combination techniques and immediately overwhelmed Yao Chen and Luo Shu, knocking them onto the ground.
Yao Chen angrily bellowed, and a powerful force surged out from his body. Two years ago, the sudden injury to his foundation had actually had a silver lining. These two years he had put a seal on his body, causing his body to store an extremely huge force.
“Go die!”
Luo Shu protected his head as he roared. Unexpectedly, he managed to grab one his attackers, and his huge mouth opened and bit down.
“WAah AHHH… he bites people!”
Yao Chen’s facial muscles twisted as he let out another angry bellow. Right as he was about to recklessly strike back….
“Just what are you guys doing!”
A scolding voice transmitted over from the side.
“Aunt Qing, save us!”
The just recently still bold and incomparably fierce fatty immediately loosened his mouth and shouted out loudly.
Coming to the scene was Yao Qing who had heard the shouts coming from outside.
When the group of youngsters saw that an adult had appeared they all scattered along the road, and in just a moment there was not a trace of them.
Yao Qing quickly walked over. After giving Luo Shu a quick examination, she walked over to Yao Chen, asking, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I just hurt my fist.” Yao Chen nodded.
Yao Qing still wasn’t assured. She grabbed Yao Chen’s wrist and examined his pulse. Only when she found no anomalies in his Dou Qi did she relax. “Before completing the last step, you absolutely must not take action. No matter how difficult, you still can’t personally fight.”
Yao Chen nodded, promising, “Ok, I know.”
Luo Shu was a still a bit muddle-headed, however turning his head and looking at Yao Chen, he said, “Brother Chen, it’s not fair! My face is all swollen now but you are completely fine?”
“The swelling is just your regular face’s fat.”
“But I also have all these bruises!” Luo Shu felt the back of his head. No matter how he thought about it, he still felt something was fishy.
药典, 典=Ceremony.
药会, 会=Gathering. However since it is a competition I changed it to Medicine Competition. Don't forget that Medicine is also the same word as the Yao in Yao clan.
Footnotes:
‘Musk’ is something that can be used as medicine in China.
