Blossoming Path

"Why would you think that?" Lei Ren finally asked, leaning back in his chair.

Jingyu Lian met his gaze unflinchingly, her spine straight, her voice steady despite the turmoil of emotions within her. "Master Lei Ren, your late entry into the judging panel was highly unusual. And throughout the assessment," she continued, her words precise and measured, "you consistently countered Elder Wei Lian's influence. It seemed... deliberate. As if you were there to ensure fairness. As if," she paused, trying to think of the right thing to say. "you knew Elder Wei Lian would attempt to undermine my efforts."

Lei Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of amusement playing at the corners of his lips. "And so what if I was?" he challenged, leaning forward.

She bowed her head, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "Master Lei Ren, I respectfully ask you not to interfere. Although I appreciate your willingness to help, I have no desire to win unfairly. I want my victory to be earned through my own efforts, not through manipulation."

For a moment, silence stretched between them, tense and expectant. Then, unexpectedly, the older man burst out laughing, a deep, hearty laugh that echoed throughout the room.

Her head snapped up, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "What is so amusing, Master Lei Ren?" she demanded, her tone sharper than she intended.

Lei Ren raised a hand, still chuckling. "Forgive me, young alchemist," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Your earnestness is... refreshing." His laughter subsided, replaced by a somber expression. "But let me assure you, Jingyu Lian, your father did not orchestrate my involvement in the Gauntlet."

"Then why...?"

Leaning forward, Lei Ren's eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity. "I was made aware of certain... advantages hidden within your envelope," he said, his voice low and menacing. "My task was to observe you. If you had succumbed to temptation and utilized those advantages, I would have exposed your dishonesty without hesitation. Your reputation, and that of your clan, would have been irreparably tarnished." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "But you did not," he continued, a hint of approval in his voice. "You proved yourself to be a true alchemist, one of integrity and skill. Therefore, I judged your work impartially, as was my duty."

Her confusion only deepened. Jingyu Lian's mind reeled. Someone had gone to great lengths to ensure a fair trial for her, but who? And why?

"Who orchestrated this, Master Lei Ren?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Lei Ren's expression softened slightly, a rare hint of warmth in his eyes. "I won't tell you who, but know this: it was someone with your best interests at heart. Someone who clearly had faith in your integrity and your skills."

Jingyu Lian's thoughts whirled. Someone believed in her so deeply that they went to such lengths to ensure her fair treatment. But who? She couldn't fathom who it might be, and Lei Ren's silence on the matter only added to the mystery.

"But in regards to your request... I'm glad to admit you won't have to worry about my, or anyone's interference in the finals. I can say that, at least."

She looked at him, searching his face for any hint of deceit; but there was none to be found. She clasped her hands together and bowed deeply; a form of respect to the retired alchemist.

"Thank you, Master Lei Ren."

"If only my son had your manners..." Lei Ren sighed, briefly transforming from a domineering authority figure to an exasperated father. "You are dismissed, Jingyu Lian. May you find success through your own merits."

She bowed once more, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as she exited the room. Who could have orchestrated such intricate measures for her benefit? The possibilities spun through her mind, each more baffling than the last.

As she stepped into the corridor, she was greeted by the familiar figure of her Senior Brother, Tian Zhan; the top genius of the Whispering Wind sect. His eagle-like eyes scanned her for any signs of stress, but were pleased to see her composed.

"Junior Sister," Tian Zhan greeted. "How did the meeting go?"

Jingyu managed a small smile, though her thoughts were still tangled. "Unexpectedly well. Master Lei Ren assured me that it wasn't my father who arranged his involvement in the Gauntlet."

Tian Zhan frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "If not your father, then who? It doesn't make sense. He's the only one with a motive to see you succeed in the Gauntlet. Aside from us, of course. I'm cheering you on!"

She rolled her eyes at the second-class disciple who shot her a thumbs-up. Despite being distant cousins, she likened him to an older brother of sorts. The closest thing she had to a family.

Her mind analyzed every option as they exited the inn. Who would do it? Who had the motive to protect her from Elder Wei Lian, but also expose her if she took her father's instructions and cheated?

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'Someone with my best interests at heart...someone who clearly had faith in my integrity and skill.'

Tao Ren? A fellow contestant, and one with a direct connection to Master Lei Ren. But she had never spoken to him throughout the entire competition. She dismissed it.

'Although, he was friends with...'

That was when another possibility struck her.

"Kai Liu...?"

SCENE BREAK

"...You're really asking for it. One of these days, Kai..."

I squirmed in front of Feng Wu. I had told him everything. It was hard not to when he gave me that disappointed look. His face seemed to drain of color the more I told him about Jingyu Lian and her father's conversation.

"Sorry, Feng Wu. I know I should've consulted you, but I knew we were pressed for time. It was--"

He shook his head and poured me a cup of tea, the fragrant steam curling between us. We had chosen the Spirited Noodle, its usual clamor providing a convenient cover for our conversation. The chaotic noise around us was almost comforting. Windy slithered around my robe, his cool scales brushing against my skin as he coiled around my arm, occasionally flicking out his tongue. Tianyi, perched delicately in her cage, sipped sugar water from a small dish provided by the attentive staff who recognized us from previous visits.

"No need to explain, Kai." He sipped his own cup, looking at the center of the restaurant where two men brawled. "You're close friends with Tao Ren. Seeking out someone of authority like Lei Ren to deal with them... I can see why you'd do it."

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Feng Wu pierced me with his gaze.

"But," He continued. "Putting yourself in between Wei Lian and Lei Lian's schemes? If at any point it had gotten wrong, you would've been facing one or both their ire."

I paused for a moment, and realized that Lei Lian was Jingyu Lian's father in this context. I swallowed, knowing he was right.

"I know, that's why I tried my best to be subtle about it. I didn't confront him at the restaurant for that reason. Do I look like I want to be involved in an 'accident' after overhearing a scheme that would ruin the Lian clan's reputation?"

Feng Wu's eyes softened slightly, a flicker of understanding mixed with concern. "Kai, I understand your intentions. Your heart was in the right place, and I can't fault you for wanting to do the right thing. But you must realize that the world of alchemy is fraught with political maneuvering and hidden dangers. One wrong step can cost you everything."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. "I know, Feng Wu. But I couldn't just stand by and watch Jingyu Lian be set up like that. She deserved a fair chance, just like everyone else."

He leaned back in his chair, studying me intently. "And what if your actions had been discovered? What if Wei Lian had found out about your involvement? He could have destroyed you, Kai. Your reputation, your future in alchemy—everything you've worked for could have been taken away in an instant."

"...I didn't think about that at the time. I just wanted to do the right thing."

"What's done is done. But promise me, Kai. Promise me that you won't do something like this again without consulting me first. It's not just your future on the line. You represent the Verdant Lotus Sect, and your actions have consequences for all of us."

"Promise, Feng Wu."

He shook his head, a mixture of exasperation and affection in his eyes. "You did a good job considering the situation. But remember, you can't always do everything on your own. It hasn't been that long since the incident with the Silent Moon. You didn't forget that either, did you?"

Despite the urge to bury myself in a deep hole in the ground, I mustered out a small affirmation before putting my head down, playing with my food. I could feel Tianyi flutter over to the top of my head, sensing my emotions.

"So," he continued, leaning forward, "what are your plans for this afternoon?"

"Well, I'll have to go back to the Million Books Pavilion to work on my quest. I need to complete it if I want to stand a chance against Jingyu Lian in the finals. To be honest, she is superior to me in terms of alchemy and I need every advantage I can get."

Feng Wu raised an eyebrow. "What's this quest about again?"

I took a deep breath, thinking about the daunting task ahead. "I have to improve upon a hundred alchemical recipes within my Memory Palace. The problem is that most recipes are already refined to their utmost limit. And if they aren't, I might not even realize how to improve them. I'm not at the level where I can just make them better in an instant."

If I had a year to do it, then I wouldn't have had a problem. But I wanted to finish this quest before the finals. If my reward for completing my first Mind Refinement quest was the Memory Palace, then whatever it had in store for me would be crucial to defeating her.

The second-class disciple leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What does the quest classify as an improvement?"

I paused. Checking the quest, it said nothing of what it considered as an improvement. Only to improve upon the processes of the recipe.

"I don't know, I just assumed it meant improving the effect of the end product." I replied. "But the quest doesn't specify any other criteria."

He nodded, a spark of an idea in his eyes. "What about reducing the cost of ingredients? Streamlining the preparation process? Making the recipe more accessible to less experienced alchemists? These are all ways to improve a recipe without changing the end result."

The simplicity and brilliance of his suggestions dawned on me. Why hadn't I thought about that?

"You're right. Those are improvements too. And the Million Books Pavilion must have countless forgotten recipes from different regions that might need those exact kinds of improvements."

Feng Wu smiled. "That's the power of having another mind to cooperate with. Remember, Kai, you're not alone in this. Use the resources and people around you. You'd be surprised at how much it can help."

"Thanks. Actually, I want to try it right now; see if your hypothesis is correct. Do you mind if I...?"

He shook his head and shrugged. "By all means, go ahead. I'll catch any errant bowls flying at you while you're there."

I closed my eyes and did my best to block out the chaos within the restaurant.

The towering trees of my mind's library shimmered as I materialized within my Memory Palace. My focus sharpened, filtering through the vast array of recipes I'd encountered, many of which I had deemed impossible to improve upon regarding the end product. Yet, with Feng Wu's advice echoing in my mind, I began to consider a different approach: efficiency and accessibility.

One recipe caught my eye—a simple herbal remedy for common colds and fevers, often used in local villages. The ingredients and methods were straightforward, almost rudimentary. I remembered my initial dismissal of it, thinking there was little room for significant improvement. But now, I approached it with a new perspective.

The original process involved multiple stages of preparation—soaking, boiling, and simmering the herbs at different intervals, which was both time-consuming and required constant supervision. As I reviewed the steps, I pinpointed an inefficiency: the soaking stage.

In the recipe, soaking the herbs for several hours was meant to soften them and extract their essence slowly. However, modern methods could accelerate this process. I imagined an infusion technique, using a gentle, continuous heat to expedite the extraction without losing potency. By adjusting the temperature and duration, the soaking and boiling stages could be merged, streamlining the entire preparation.

Satisfied with my improvement, I exited my Memory Palace. Opening my eyes, I saw Feng Wu watching me expectantly.

"Well?" he asked.

I checked the quest status.

Quest: Mind Refinement (Breakthrough)

Revise one-hundred alchemical recipes and improve upon the processes within your Memory Palace. (56/100)

Exhaling, a smile spread across my face. "It worked. Your idea worked. The Interface classified it as an improvement."

Feng Wu beamed, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "See? Sometimes, it's not about the obvious improvements. Efficiency, accessibility—those matter just as much."

I clasped my hands together and bowed deeply, my voice loud and clear despite the din of the restaurant. "This young master is eternally grateful for the wisdom imparted by Senior Feng Wu! Truly, your insight has illuminated the path ahead. May the heavens bless you with boundless fortune and everlasting enlightenment!"

The man chuckled, playing along with a mock-serious tone. "Rise, young one. Your gratitude is noted, but remember, true enlightenment comes from within."

We exchanged banter for several minutes, the weight of the earlier conversation lifting. With renewed purpose and a light heart, I felt ready to tackle my quest with fresh vigor.

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