I spent the rest of the day and night making pills. The next day, I went to visit the alchemy pyramid again. I meandered around the pyramid, taking control all of the plants in sight. I also found a few good spots to put my medicine shop.

I followed a trail of the strongest plants until I arrived at the entrance of the pyramid. Dense Qi filled the pyramid. Countless auras spilled out from within. I let my own aura leak, just enough to appear as a second stage cultivator.

I went into the pyramid looking for more plants. The hallways were built like a maze. Hundreds of rare plants and herbs sat in the open. I absorbed them into my memory with identify.

I was still exploring the pyramid when Hui Ming’s aura brushed against me. Why was she here?

I followed her arua and stopped in front of a closed door. Hui Ming’s Qi gushed from behind the door.

I sent my mana to take control of the plants in the room. A vine unlocked the door from inside. I pushed it open and stepped in. Light shined down from above. I looked up for the source of the light, only to find myself staring at the sun. The entire roof of this room had collapsed.

Hui Ming’s back faced me. I usually saw her in the maid uniform I made for her, but she always wore the same robe in the public. The bottom of her robe almost kissed the ground. Depictions of mythical animals were embroidered onto the waist and sleeves. Her body, thin but fit, fit right into it. A red string tied her hair into a bun.

She stabbed her knife into an apple-like fruit. She dismantled the fruit as if she was an assassin. She pushed her knife across the tabletop, sweeping and pushing the unuseable stem and skin off the table. She slid the knife under another pile of ingredients and scooped them into a cauldron.

She was so concentrated she didn’t notice me walk in. The back of her neck was beaded with sweat. Sweat soaked the the back of her robes, making the fabric stick to her skin.

Some vines rose to make a seat for me. I watched her back as she worked. Frankly, her alchemy was terrible. She was a beginner among beginners.

I mentally started to add her to the list of students I would help, before remembering she was already my servant.

I didn’t want to startle her, so I let the outer edges of my aura touch her. She recognized it and turned, smiling and lowering her head. A blanket of fire engulfed her clothes and the sweat evaporated.

“When were you interested in alchemy?” I asked.

“I’m a grandmaster’s servant, so I should know at least a little bit,” she replied.

I walked over and looked into the cauldron. I frowned. There was a third aura in the room with us. It was weak, so weak I hadn’t noticed it until now. It took me a few seconds to find its source, which was the cauldron on the table. “You got a spirit cauldron?”

“Yes, I bought it yesterday,” she said.

But for how much? I was afraid to ask. Any spirit cauldron could pay for a third of the shop I wanted to buy.

The cauldron was filled with ingredients, but not in a way that could make anything. A seed in my pocket turned into a myriad flame snake. It slithered out of my pocket and blew fire into the cauldron. The bitter smell of smoke poured out. She flinched as she watched her work go up in flames.

“Don’t worry, that batch wasn’t going to turn out well anyway,” I said. She still looked devastated. “What were you trying to make?”

“A salve for frostbite,” she said.

The dozens of herbs I burned turned into ideas in my head. They rearranged and connected with each other as I found the best way to combine them.

It was only a conception stage salve. There was no way I’d have any problems with this. “There’s a proper way to make it. Here, I’ll show you.” I put some seeds on the table. They grew into the herbs she was using before. “You don’t mind, do you?” She shook her head so fast I was worried it would fly off.

I guided her through the steps, falling into the role of a mentor like I was made for it. She did all the work, but I told her where she went wrong and what to change. She absorbed everything I said like a sponge.

At the end, she put a cap on a vial I pat her back, “We did it!”

She held up the vial, “this works?”

“Yep! I’m certain. I can teach you more when we get back, if you’d like.”

“But I’m your servant…”

I exhaled. “Who cares if you’re my servant? How bout’ this. Think about it like I’m practicing my teaching on you. That way it’ll be fine with you.”

“It’s not about me, it’s not in my place to take your time.”

“I think it’s a good use of my time. I’d like to spend more time with you too. You’ve been with me for three months now, but I still don’t know you very well. We should fix that.”

“If that’s what you wish,” she replied. She didn’t mean to, but she made me sound like I forced her into this. How was I supposed to respond?

She stared at me and maintained eye contact. I glanced away. “If you want to spend more time with me, then...you mentioned you wanted me to show you the pretty parts of the city,” she said.

Did I say that? Thinking back on it, yeah, I probably did. But it must’ve been an offhand comment. Sightseeing was never one of my top priorities, “You remember that?”

“I remember all your requests.” She spoke before I could tell her I didn’t have time for a trip. “If we have some time, I can to take you to the Black Library.”

“The Black Library?”

“It’s a beautiful place, and I’ll be there with you. I’m certain you’ll like it!”

I wasn’t excited, but I couldn’t say no after seeing how cheerful she’d gotten over this. Plus, I needed to visit a library sooner or later. I had asked Hui Ming about The Will Of The World, but she didn’t know much about it. I had been looking forward to putting it off, but I had to figure why it had interfered with Jing when she interrogated Mark.

“Sure, I’ll go.” I put another pile of seeds on the table. “Should I show you how to make another salve?”

“Ah, I meant to say we could go now.”

“Go now? To that library?”

She pointed to her left, “It’s not far from here. It’s only a few districts away.”

It was in this school? “Show me the way.”

“Then please follow me.”