Story 9 - Nothing Bad Ever Happens at the Alchemy Convention (9)

Story 9 - Nothing Bad Ever Happens at the Alchemy Convention (9)

I turned to Violet and smirked. “I’m just that good. Actually, considering your advanced age gave you a head start, isn’t tying a loss for you? You should have spoken less nonsense.”

Muahahaha! The look on her face was priceless. A vein popped on her forehead and she glared at me with such animosity that one of the Nascent Soul security guards had to take a step forward before she cooled her expression.

“You both tied,” Lina said, putting a stop to our argument.

Violet fanned herself. “Then, let’s have a tiebreaker since we still have some time before the Azure Pill Saint’s lecture ends.”

“What do you have in mind?” I needed to be extra careful here. Violet enjoyed setting traps.

“While a lecture is an effective way to teach many students simultaneously, it’s worthless if they learn nothing from it. So, we should compare our teaching abilities and let the discerning, brilliant minds of our audience be the judge.” She smirked. “Since I have more experience, and I’m better in every way, I’m certain everyone here will make the right choice.”

This bitch always tried to be superior to me at everything! She succeeded in my last life, but like hell would I allow her to do it in this one!

“If you believe that, then you severely underestimate my teaching skills.” I placed my hands behind my back like the little master I was and smirked down my nose at her.



Violet chuckled while looking like she wanted to wrap her hands around my neck and squeeze.

Alright, before I agreed to this tiebreaker, I had to make sure of something.

I glanced at Little Spring. ::You’re sure what you found was nothing?::

::I already took care of it.:: He stood straighter and grinned, obviously proud of what he’d done.

I frowned. ::Then why did those two run off?!::

::The Pill Saint and our junior wanted to take a look.::

Well, if it was just that, then I couldn’t let go of my chance to earn high-tier spirit stones and fuck over Violet while I was at it.

“Alright,” I said. “Let’s do this: each of us will choose a student and have them tell us about a pill they’ve been having trouble with, then we’ll help them through the concoction process. Whoever helps their student the most wins.”

“Just what I was thinking.”

I knew this bitch’s disgusting thought process. Her age, wealth, and seemingly good — albeit deeply corrupt — business acumen had earned her many admirers. The fact that the surrounding crowd practically doubled in size since our first fight also meant that those new audience members hadn’t heard her nonsense lecture. If I let things continue, she’d have the upper hand.

“But,” I said, “we can’t be arbitrary about this. Instead of having the crowd vote, we should have a panel of judges.” I gestured to White Lily and Pill Otaku. “Fortunately, two excellent ones are right here.”

Violet’s lips twitched. “While I agree that Senior White Lily and Senior Ruthless Divine Medicine are very good, you have to admit that they’re fond of you and can’t be unbiased.”

“I assure you that I can be impartial,” Pill Otaku said.

I nodded. Both of them could, actually.

Violet shrugged. “Fine, but if you choose two judges, then I should as well.”

Frankly, I didn’t like that idea. It was a chance for Violet to fuck me over, but it would be okay. Aside from her, I couldn’t see anyone in the area who currently hated me enough to sabotage me since I was practically unknown in this lifetime.

I crossed my arms. “Then pick two from our current audience.”

Violet looked around the growing crowd. From her deepening frown, it seemed like she couldn’t find the people she was looking for, likely friends or acquaintances who owed her favors.

Of course, that was when Noxious Fangstrike, that stinking snake, stepped out from behind a few tall alchemists in the back. He sent me a look that was both amused and hostile. “I’ll judge!”

Fuck! I’d almost forgotten about him. When had this asshole joined the crowd? What the fuck did I do to him to have him repeatedly screw up my vacation?

“And who are you?” Violet asked him.

“Poison Master for the Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect, Grandmaster Alchemist Noxious Fangstrike.”

So he was a rare poison master. That was a subject that I had little experience with. In this universe, while every alchemist had trick pills for their own defense, actually mastering poisons was seldom done. In fact, by the time I tried to ascend, the art had essentially been lost. Mostly because only Unorthodox and Demonic cultivators practiced it and they had been almost wiped out by then.

This brat was such a good kid.

She stroked her pill beast and smiled with the charm of a harem protagonist’s wife. “But you wouldn’t be fighting against her. You’d be learning from a wealthy and intelligent genius like me while showcasing your sister’s alchemy and teaching prowess... if she has any.”

Little Spring glared. “She’s the best teacher!”

Aww, this kid. How could he say something so brave yet so true?

Violet smirked as if she’d got him. “Then prove it. Come up here and be my student.”

Little Spring walked through the crowd to her side, taking her bait.

Goddamn it.

Well, this would be good for him. I just hoped that his fucking protagonist halo didn’t help that bitch.

Violet sent me a triumphant smirk.

Alright. If she was going to play it this way, then I could fuck her over as well!

I pointed to the only child around Little Spring’s age. “I choose Fellow Daoist Bright Flame to be my student for this lecture. Or, perhaps I should call you Five Leaves Bright Flame now that you’ve solved one of the great mysteries of alchemy?”

The child’s upturned eyes grew round, then darted over to Violet.

She looked like she had swallowed something sour, then she smiled humbly.

“Little Bright Flame did solve that problem. He is a true genius. But, of course, I was also there to provide input and helped him and my team come up with the completed solution.” The way she said that last part made it seem like she was just pretending to be humble in the same way she did for the Pill Saint.

His shoulders relaxed. Maybe slumped was a better description.

What exactly did she hold over him?

“We’re team members, but he can choose to do what he wants. That said, his alchemy issue is also a difficult one, but I haven’t looked into it much. I doubt Alchemist Lin here can help solve it in the short time we have, so I think she should choose a different student.”

I snorted. “My alchemy is logical and my logic can help anyone.” I grinned at the child. ‌”I have more experience concocting pills and finding solutions than you can imagine. All thanks to my master’s teaching method. I can help you. Violet can’t.”

She scoffed.

Bright Flame, however, walked over to me and bowed. “I hope you can, Senior Alchemist Lin.”

***

The convention staff, who knew us alchemy nerds well, had already set up isolation arrays in the rest area that just needed to be activated. These would isolate the cauldron from the crowd to prevent tampering and also protect the crowd in case of an explosion.

Bright Flame set up his cauldron and work table while Little Spring borrowed mine. Huh, I should make him his own set. It had never been an issue since we shared the alchemy equipment. And every time I asked if he wanted something, he asked for more cooking supplies instead.

Maybe if I ran into the right material, I could repurpose Old Smokey. But that would be for later.

I turned to this young genius.

“Violet mentioned that there was something you’re currently having trouble with.”

He nodded and brought out a nostalgic pill, the one I first learned the technique to solve Five Leaves Breakdown, the Calming Heart Yin Yang Pill. This was used to help some younger cultivators when they first learned how to meditate. It was essentially cultivator Adderall that rich young masters took if they couldn’t get into the cultivation mindset quickly enough.

The pill he had handed me was a cloudy lime green. The pinnacle quality version was supposed to be a clear chartreuse yellow. Because there were several issues that could cause this, I examined it with my divine sense to narrow the list.

Ah. As I suspected.

To think that this kid came up with the solution to Five Leave Breakdown, finally improving this prescription from ever getting above high quality, but he ended up only increasing its effectiveness but not its purity. Because of that, it didn’t reach its pinnacle quality like it should have. Bright Flame must have been very confused.

“Alright. I see where your problem likely is.”

“You do?” The child’s upturned eyes narrowed at me.

I grinned. “First, we have to rule some things out. Set your ingredients up and we’ll start.”