Zhou Lihua stared into her cauldron. She took several deep breaths, holding it, then breathing out slowly. Her hand hovered over a set of ingredients placed in little boxes to her left as she inspected each one with her chi. She could tell what kind of condition they were in simply from letting her chi hover over them.

Another deep breath later and Zhou Lihua tossed one of the ingredients into the cauldron. She held out her hands and pushed her chi outward, turning it into an alchemical flame that roared to life underneath the cauldron. With her eyes narrowed in concentration, she focused on the ingredient inside of her cauldron, working hard to refine it into a liquid state without burning it.

“Control your flame,” Wong Jiu said behind her.

“Yes, Master.”

Zhou Lihua’s flame was roaring and intense. The ingredient would burn like this. She focused on lowering the temperature, but she didn’t try to lower it too quickly. That would ruin the ingredients as surely as keeping up the heat would.

She had soon refined the ingredient into a liquid state, then added the next ingredient and worked toward refining that. Only one ingredient was added at a time. While she was now used to refining multiple ingredients at the same time, she was currently working on refining an alchemy pill that she not only did not have any experience refining but was also much harder to refine.

Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.

While it was technically a tier 4 pill, it was far more difficult to refine than any other alchemy pill of this tier. The only reason it wasn’t a tier 5 pill was because it didn’t require a unique flame to refine.

The difference between tier 4 and tier 5 lay not only in the difficulty it took to refine them, but also in the flames needed. A tier 5 pill required a unique flame. Normal alchemy flames like the one she used would not be enough to refine them.

Several hours had passed and Zhou Lihua had only managed to refine six of the seventeen ingredients required for this pill. Each ingredient required a different level of heat to refine into a liquid. Her current task right now was to figure out what heat each ingredient needed.

An alchemy master could tell how hot the flames needed to be to refine an ingredient, but Zhou Lihua’s understand of the Dao of Alchemy had yet to progress to that point. She could only learn through trial and error.

This was already her sixteenth time trying to refine this pill. She had used up several hundred thousand spirit coins worth of ingredients and gone through four cauldrons. This was the reason alchemists needed so much money. Wong Jiu had assured her that every alchemist suffered the same setbacks as her, and that she was actually better than the vast majority of alchemists.

Sweat poured from her brow. Some of it got into her eyes, but she refused to close them. She didn’t even blink and ignored the sting of salt water. Allowing her concentration to slip even a little would result in her cauldron going kaboom. She wanted to succeed this time so she could show off the fruits of her labor to Wu Jian.

Wu Jian… I still can’t believe he’s alive.

Zhou Lihua felt like her entire life had turned around ever since he revealed that he was alive. She was able to concentrate better, had more energy, her cultivation and understanding in the Dao of Alchemy had soared, and she was just happier. The man she had set her sights on was alive. It was enough to make her giddy.

“Don’t lose your focus!”

The words of her master snapped Zhou Lihua out of the daze she hadn’t even realized she’d fallen into. She focused on the cauldron. It was shaking and rumbling. The lid up top looked like it was gonna get blown off. Zhou Lihua’s eyes widened as she realized that, in her daze, she had cranked up the heat.

I have to get the fire back under control!

The ingredients were already done for, burnt to cinders, but she could at least save the cauldron!

She took a deep breath and remained calm as she willed the flames to slowly die down. The cauldron was a brilliant red and looked like it might melt, but it wasn’t cracked, so that was good. She didn’t let herself feel relieved yet. If she killed the flames immediately, the cold air would hit the cauldron and break it. She needed to slowly lower the temperature and let the metal adjust before killing the flames entirely.

“Phew…”

Zhou Lihua managed to save the cauldron. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Her relief was short-lived, however, as her master immediately lay into her.

“You let your mind wander again. I’ve told you many times now that you cannot afford to let your mind wander when refining pills. Even the slightest slip in your concentration can cause you to burn your ingredients.”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

Zhou Lihua had no excuse.

Wong Jiu sighed as he walked over to the cauldron and waved a hand, causing the lid to flip up and land on the ground. Acrid black smoke poured from inside the cauldron. He looked inside and grimaced.

“It’s going to take a lot of work to make this cauldron usable again. The ingredients are stuck to the sides.”

Zhou Lihua grimaced. Cleaning a cauldron was almost as bad as destroying a cauldron. In fact, she would rather destroy her cauldron and get a new one than be forced to clean them.

Wong Jiu turned back to her. “What’s on your mind? It’s not like you to be this distracted.”

Zhou Lihua didn’t know what to say, so she shrugged. “I guess I’m just a little excited.”

“Excited, huh? I did hear you’d be traveling with that princess friend of yours to the Saintly Sword Sect soon. Is that what’s got you so worked up?”

“Well… not exactly.”

Sure, she was excited that she had gotten permission to travel as the Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy’s alchemist, but that truth was that she was just excited to spend more time with Wu Jian. She didn’t think it was fair that Hou Jingshu got so much of his time and attention. It also galled her to think about how her friend was sleeping with him while she was forced to remain chaste. She wasn’t in a hurry to lose her virginity or anything, but she did wish she could be more intimate with Wu Jian.

I always feel like I’m one step behind everyone else. I felt this way when I was around Mei too.

Wong Jiu looked like he was about to ask a question, but someone suddenly knocked on the door.

“Young Miss, it’s Zhou Wen. I’m here to let you know that you should freshen up and get dressed. The funeral is starting.”

“Okay. I’ll head over to the bath now. Please bring me an outfit meant for funeral services.”

“Of course.”

Zhou Lihua stood up. Her legs wobbled a little. She couldn’t tell how long she had been sitting there, but if the funeral was happening now, then a day must have passed.

She looked out the window and saw a brilliantly green sky. Today’s vibrant weather presented a major contrast with the events that were soon to transpire.

***

Death came to everyone, and it marked both a beginning and an ending. While no one knew if people were truly reborn, there was a traditionally held belief among cultivators that those who lived righteously would be reborn, and that the good karma they had accrued would carry into their next life.

Wu Jian didn’t know if people truly were reborn after they died. What was a soul, exactly? Did humans truly have souls that could transcend the flesh? He’d never really thought about this before, but a lot of people, cultivators especially, feared death. That was the reason so many people cultivated. They wanted to live longer, but the longer one lived, the more they feared dying.

Perhaps the idea of rebirth had come about because of that fear. The idea that you might be reborn as another person held appeal to many because it meant you weren’t truly dead. Your soul might be cleansed, your memories gone, but you still lived.

Those were his thoughts as he walked alongside Hou Jingshu and Zhou Lihua.

All three of them were dressed in simple white garments. The white was meant to symbolize the cleansing of the soul. A soul that date became a blank slate, and white was the complete absence of color. The only difference in their outfits was that Wu Jian didn’t wear a headdress, while both Hou Jingshu and Zhou Lihua had an elaborate headdress.

They were following behind Yin Wuhan’s family. Aside from his mom and dad, he had several brothers and sisters along with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and nieces. The dad and uncles were carrying a large casket between them. The mom was crying.

If only I had been stronger…

It was the same thought he always had. He’d thought this way when his family died too. If only he had been stronger, then perhaps he could have prevented the loss of life. If he had reached the Asura Realm before they had to fight Sǐwáng Hou, maybe they would have been able to win without losing anyone.

A warm hand suddenly wrapped around his left. Then another engulfed his right. He didn’t need to look to know who those hands belonged to. He took a deep breath and allowed his mind to settle. He would always regret his weakness, but he knew lamenting like this would never accomplish anything.

It wouldn’t bring back the dead.

The most important part of the ceremony had already occurred. It was called the bathing ceremony. Relatives and friends poured water over one hand of the deceased. The body was then placed in a casket and the family carried it toward a temple where the ending ceremony for the funeral was held. Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua were part of the procession following the family. Behind them were fellow soldiers who knew Yin Wuhan, including Wu Yong and Zheng Yawen.

It had been a while since he’d seen his older half-brother. He had been avoiding the other man, not because he wanted to, but because he didn’t want Wu Yong to realize who he was. The necklace was almost broken. Wu Jian didn’t think it could withstand another person learning his identity. Still, it was good to see that Wu Yong looked to be doing well. He seemed to have grown closer to Zheng Yawen, which made him wonder if they were dating.

The streets they walked through had been closed for this event, so they made good time. It was not long before they reached the temple.

Shang Dynasty temples were marked by a stone staircase leading up to a building made of brick and stone. Two dragon statues guarded the entrance as if warding off intruders. Their purpose was, in fact, to ward off evil spirits.

They passed through the entrance building, which was small and marked by evenly spaced lintel posts, and soon entered a large courtyard where a single pagoda stood. This building was several stories tall. The red and gold paint made it look more ostentatious than it really was. It was more than just a temple. It was also a tomb meant to honor the dead.

The last rites of the ceremony took place on the first floor. The family placed the casket in the middle and opened the lid. Yin Wuhan had been dressed in white garments the same as everybody else, and his body had been properly prepared. It was important for bodies to undergo taxidermy to avoid rotting before the ceremony.

Everyone had a single flower in their hands. One by one, the people walked up to the casket and placed a flower beside it. The family went first. It was tradition. Even if the Emperor himself had been present, he would have gone second after the family. After the family all placed their flowers down, Hou Jingshu went up, followed by Yu Chenguang, Wu Yong, Zheng Yawen, the soldiers who worked alongside Yin Wuhan, then Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua. They were last because they technically were not friends of the deceased. Neither of them really knew Yin Wuhan that well. They were here because Hou Jingshu had asked them to come.

The entire ceremony was held in silence. The only thing to be heard was the crying of Yin Wuhan’s family. His mother, in particular, seemed inconsolable.

Yin Wuhan was not a noble. He did not come from a large clan. His family consisted of maybe twenty people total, which was still a lot, but they were just commoners. Yin Wuhan was the first cultivator within their family. He was certain his father and mother had been so proud of him when he broke through to the Hunger Realm and joined the Shang Kingdom’s First Company under the legendary Yu Chenguang. He wondered if they still felt that way.

No parent should have to bury their own child.

The funeral soon came to an end. Yin Wuhan’s casket was closed and lifted by Zheng Yawen, Wu Yong, and Yu Chenguang himself. They would take his body into the crypt beneath the temple. His body was going to be cremated in private and his urn given a place of honor for having sacrificed his life to save the nation’s only princess. Yin Wuhan’s family followed after them, though not before paying their respects to Hou Jingshu.

“My son… was very honored to have been selected as your bodyguard. I believe that he was grateful right to the very end,” said his mother through her tears.

She was probably trying to tell Hou Jingshu not to worry and that they didn’t blame her, but it was clear those words were like a dagger to the young princess’s heart. Her lips trembled as she smiled and thanked the mother, clasping both of the woman’s hands and pressing them to her forehead as she bowed. Her actions made the woman panic. She asked Hou Jingshu to raise her head, but the stubborn princess didn’t listen for several long seconds.

Once the family had gone into the crypt, leaving Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua alone in the crowd. Most of the First Company was with them, but they kept at a respectful distance.

Zhou Lihua drew her friend into a hug. Hou Jingshu said nothing as she buried her face in the older woman’s chest and hugged her back. The beautiful alchemist looked at Wu Jian from over the crown of the Shang Kingdom princess’s head.

“I probably won’t see you two until it’s time for us to leave for the tournament. Please, take care of yourself and Jingshu until then.”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

Zhou Lihua whispered something in Hou Jingshu’s ear, then released the princess and handed her off to Wu Jian. The three of them walked out of the temple. A pair of carriages were waiting. One bore the Zhou Clan crest, and the other held the Hou Clan crest. After saying their goodbyes, he and Hou Jingshu parted ways with Zhou Lihua, entering the carriage together.