Chapter 37: Zhang Yida, the Alchemy Prodigy

The first rays of dawn had just pierced through the clouds when Lin Chuan arrived at Zhang Lin's doorstep.

"Knock, knock, knock."

No sooner had the sound of his knocking faded than the courtyard gate creaked open. Zhang Lin’s face appeared in the gap, filled with surprise; upon seeing Lin Chuan, he immediately broke into a smile.

"Brother Lin, you’ve come so early! Please, come in!"

A few people were already gathered in the courtyard. Aside from Zhang Lin’s wife and Wang Tie-zhu, there was a stranger present—a young man of about twenty-six or twenty-seven. He was lean, dressed in a faded brown robe, and was currently tinkering with a bronze tripod.

"This is my cousin, Zhang Yida," Zhang Lin introduced. "Yida, this is Brother Lin Chuan, the one I told you about."

Zhang Yida looked up, revealing a face with sharp, well-defined features. His eyes were peculiar, with pupils of a faint, cyan hue, as if they had been soaked in medicinal liquids. Lin Chuan noted that his fingers were long and powerful, with calluses on the knuckles from years of grinding herbs.

"Brother Lin," Zhang Yida said, rising to clasp his hands in a respectful salute. His voice was deep and steady. "My cousin tells me you are in need of an alchemist?"

Lin Chuan did not answer immediately. Instead, he circled Zhang Yida, his gaze sweeping over him like a blade. The action made everyone in the yard nervous; Zhang Lin’s wife even began wringing her apron in anxiety.

"Practicing medicine at eight, ten years an apprentice..." Lin Chuan spoke suddenly. "Brother Zhang says you’ve been chasing your dream of becoming an alchemist for eighteen years?"

A flash of surprise crossed Zhang Yida’s eyes, but he replied candidly, "Seventeen years and four months, to be precise. I first helped someone set a bone during the winter I turned eight."

"Why do you want to be an alchemist?" Lin Chuan pressed, his tone sharp—less like an interview and more like an interrogation.

Zhang Yida was silent for a moment before pulling a cloth bundle from his chest. He opened it carefully to reveal a withered herb.

"When I was seven, my mother fell ill with the Cold Poison. The village doctor said only the 'Fire Spirit Herb' could save her, but it couldn't be bought anywhere in the county. By the time I sold all our possessions and reached the provincial capital, she had already..." His voice choked, his fingers unconsciously stroking the dried herb.

Lin Chuan noticed that it wasn't a Fire Spirit Herb at all, just a common red-flower weed.

"So you want to become an alchemist who can refine every type of pill?" Lin Chuan’s tone softened suddenly.

Zhang Yida took a deep breath, the sorrow in his eyes hardening into resolve. "I want to ensure that in this world, no medicine is ever again impossible to find!"

"Good!" Lin Chuan clapped his hands and took a sheet of paper and several packets of herbs from his storage pouch. "This is the formula and the materials for a Spirit Gathering Pill. Prove it to me."

Zhang Yida took the materials, his eyes ablaze with intensity. Without a word, he crouched down and ignited the fire-stone beneath the bronze tripod. The vessel soon began to glow with a red hue.

"Cousin, the heat!" Zhang Yida shouted without looking up. Zhang Lin rushed to the tripod, skillfully controlling the flame.

Lin Chuan observed with interest. Zhang Yida’s movements were fluid and natural; the timing of each ingredient added was precisely, almost unnervingly, accurate. He didn't even look at the formula, operating entirely from memory.

"This kid has some real talent," the voice of Xiao Pang echoed in Lin Chuan’s mind. "His control over the heat is better than most Profound-tier alchemists."

Half an hour later, a crisp, refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted from the tripod. Zhang Yida’s forehead was covered in sweat, but his hands were steady as stone. With a sharp slap against the side of the tripod, five round, glossy pills flew out, which he caught securely in a jade tray.

"Three superior grade, two medium grade." Zhang Yida could not hide his pride as he handed the tray to Lin Chuan. "Brother Lin, please take a look."

Lin Chuan picked up a pill and held it to the sunlight. It was deep green with delicate, cloud-like patterns on the surface—truly a superior-quality pill. Yet, instead of showing appreciation, his brow furrowed.

"Don't you wonder..." Lin Chuan said slowly, "why there were leftover materials after you finished refining the Spirit Gathering Pill I asked for?"

Zhang Yida froze. He subconsciously looked at the remaining herbs on the ground, then back at the pills he had refined. Suddenly realizing something, he hurriedly picked up the paper that had been cast aside. After a single glance, his face turned deathly pale.

"This... this formula..." Zhang Yida’s voice trembled. "Who gave this to you?"

The Spirit Gathering Pill formula recorded on the bamboo slip was vastly different from ordinary ones. Not only had the main ingredient been swapped from the common "Green Spirit Grass" to the cheap "White-Beard Root," but the refining technique was also entirely different. Most astonishingly, according to this formula, one could theoretically refine ten pills, all of which would be at least superior grade!

"What? Is there a problem?" Lin Chuan asked with a cryptic smile.

Zhang Yida’s hands shook uncontrollably. "This formula could cut the cost of a Spirit Gathering Pill in half! And the success rate and quality... this is simply..."

"Cheating?" Lin Chuan finished the sentence for him.

"No! It’s a revolution!" Zhang Yida’s voice cracked with excitement. "Brother Lin, where did this formula come from? If this were promoted, the cultivation speed of every cultivator in the world would increase by at least thirty percent!"

The courtyard fell silent. Everyone was stunned by Zhang Yida’s reaction; even the usually slow-witted Wang Tie-zhu realized this formula was extraordinary.

Lin Chuan did not answer directly. Instead, he pulled three more rolls of bamboo slips from his storage pouch. "I also have improved formulas for Energy Recovery Pills, Bone Strengthening Pills, and Heart-Clearing Pills. Do you want to learn them?"

Zhang Yida’s breathing quickened, the longing in his eyes almost tangible. But he quickly calmed himself and asked warily, "What are the conditions?"

"Smart!" Lin Chuan snapped his fingers. "I want you to sign a soul contract to work for me for ten years. During this time, I will provide more improved formulas, and eighty percent of the profits from the pills you refine will go to me."

"A soul contract?" Zhang Lin exclaimed. "Isn't that a bit too..."

"I’ll sign!" Zhang Yida interrupted his cousin without hesitation. "But with two conditions: first, after ten years, these formulas belong to me; second, you must help me deal with the trouble at the Sky Eagle Martial Arts Hall."

A flash of appreciation crossed Lin Chuan’s eyes. "Deal!"

He drew a golden talisman from his robes and bit his finger to write the terms upon it. Zhang Yida likewise cut his palm and pressed his blood-seal onto the paper. The talisman ignited without a flame, turning into two streams of golden light that vanished into the space between their brows.

"The contract is sealed," Xiao Pang reminded Lin Chuan in his mind. "If this boy has any ulterior motives, his soul will suffer the pain of being scorched."