"Hahaha..." An evil snicker resounded within the room as a youngster dressed in light green robe kept adding strange herbs and materials to a small brown cauldron.

His face clearly showed a creepy smile as he continued to add a green leaf to the bubbling mixture as he occasionally looked over at a book beside him.

"I am one step closer to making the top grade magic pill.." He was sweating from his forehead as he tried to measure and determine the amount of purple liquid to add in the boiling mixture.

"Then its game over for you my brother...WAHAHAHA.." He looked at the liquid in the hand.

It required a lot of concentration because if one was to mess the quantity even by a small bit there was no doubt all the hard work from before will be similar to pouring water in the sand.

In the morning blossom pavilion, inside one of the quarter of the inner court disciple, a youngster was seemingly cooking something.

"Ming Jiu, where are you?" An Lin came inside the room without knocking opening the door with a loud sound.

After all they were sworn brothers even in the moment of life and death so there was no restriction for them to enter and invade each other's privacy whenever they wanted.

BOOM!!

Black smoke covered the room as the liquid from Ming Jiu's hand fell down from his hand and to his horror it fell right inside the cauldron.

"NOOOO~~~" As if in a slow motion, his eyes widened until they were almost as round as the orange that grew in the backyard while with his hands, he tried to grab the falling liquid but his effort went all for naught.

"Cough...Cough..Cough...." He started coughing violently as the black liquid invaded his nose.

"What was that sound?" An Lin looked at the upper floor of the quarter from where the booming sound came. Worried he ran upstairs and threw open the door in a single movement.

"This..." He looked horrified at the room filled with black smoke and blocked his nose, pinching it with all his might but it was too late.

The disgustingly smell of a rotten fart entered his nose. That was the moment he knew he did the biggest mistake of life for entering the room of an apprentice alchemist.

"Ahemm...Yuck...." An Lin coughed in unison with Ming Jiu who had his face blackened by the ash and soot that flew after his small cauldron burst.

"Don't tell me you are still working on that impossible pill of yours?" An Lin asked after his breathing was restored to normal and the room cleared off.

"It's not impossible An Lin." Ming Jiu looked at his workplace and applauded himself for just breaking another cauldron.

Ming Jiu was trying to refine a pill that he had researched himself. Although he could refine up to mid grade magic pill he was hoping to create one on his own no matter how low quality it was, something only he knew how to make and refine.

Sadly he did not have access to higher level in the library so he had been experimenting from whatever books he could find on the 2nd floor of the library.

"So why are you here?" Ming Jiu looked calm despite having failed his experiment. He opened all the windows letting in the fresh air. He walked to the fireplace and cleaned the mess using a piece of rag.

"Sister was the one who sent me." An Lin took a seat in the cleanest place and looked warily at Ming Jiu.

"She wanted to know if you could refine 50 mid-grade healing pills by the day before tournament." An Lin asked.

"The training is going to be rough. She wants to use most of the time and train the participating candidates." An Lin spoke in all seriousness.historical

After knowing that there were few people who were coming, everyone had gotten more fired up than before.

"Only 2 days are left. It will be hard since I will have to gather all the materials." Ming Jiu looked thoughtful as he could not ask other for help since everyone was busy with their own cultivation.

"You can ask the juniors to help you. It will be helpful for them as well." An Lin suggested.

"Hmm..I will do that." Ming Jiu agreed. Dusting off hid dress, he walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" An Lin asked as he was hoping to ask him to train with him for a bit.

Putting on his slipper, Ming Jiu answered vaguely.

"The library. I need to look up something."

Without waiting for his response Ming Jiu walked out the door thoughtful and An Lin did not mind it. Whenever he was doing serious thinking Ming Jiu tended to be absent minded even while holding conversation.

"Looks like I should go and train myself." Standing up he was about to leave when the trash can attracted his attention.

Along with the broken pieces of the cauldron, ashes and waste herbs, there were small black pills.

"Hah..I feel like he is going to make it." He smiled in approval.

Although the progress was very slow, he could see little bit of change than the last time he saw.

*

"If I use the spring water from the thousand years old lotus flower instead of the nectar of the budding lotus dew..." Ming Jiu was contemplating as he made his way to the library when he stopped abruptly when he saw someone standing on the entrance.

"Isn't that the new student?" He noticed the robe and was hit with realization when he figured it was the infamous new disciple.

But considering how she was able to make Song Yang taste dust in defeat just in the morning, she was not so new anymore.

People rarely visited Library since they could always get help from the seniors and teachers.

"Why is she stuck there?" He wondered when something struck his mind making him give a smirk.

"Hey, young lady, are you just going to stand in the entrance?" He spoke cheekily as he approached her from behind.

Le Fangling turned behind as her thought was interrupted by someone.

"Oh..It's a senior disciple." Le Fangling recognized the dress he was wearing.

Also as to how he had screamed out to her to kick Song Yang in his ball, he was a memorable person, at least to her.

"Hello senior." Extending her hands forward she gave a light bow.

"Sorry for blocking the way." Giving an apologetic smile she moved sideways since she knew it was her fault for blocking the way.

'Oh..she is strangely polite.' Ming Jiu thought looking at the well behaved person before him. Well rumors are rumors. He waved off all his impression of her from just the rumors.

It's not like he had any kind of enmity with her or her family. Those who had could go and drown themselves in their hatred for all he could care.

"Are you here for something?" He wondered if she was stuck there unable to find the thing she was looking for.

"Ahh, yes senior. But you don't have to worry. I don't want to bother you." Le Fangling replied politely. She was better off by herself since she did not want many people knowing whatever she was doing.

And thinking about Nagina who was waiting for her, she certainly did not want to get caught in conversation that could delay her leave.