Chapter Three: A Heart of Curiosity
Chapter Three
A Youth’s Curious Heart
Inside the alchemy chamber of the Sacred Healer Hall, the Divine Herb Doctor looked just as he had ten years ago when he first met Li Hao. He seemed almost unchanged, still wearing a robe of purple and green, his long gray-white hair draped over his shoulders. He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, eyes closed in silent repose.
When Li Hao and Lu Yao entered, the restriction at the doorway automatically sealed itself. The scene before them was awe-inspiring: a three-legged cauldron, hundreds of feet tall, dominated the room. Inside the cauldron, tens of thousands of flame formations were etched, and raging fires spilled forth, raising the temperature in the chamber.
Around the room stood numerous bottles containing medicinal pills. Each bottle had a label with dozens of words describing the name, properties, and usage of the pill. Li Hao and Lu Yao gazed in reverence.
The Divine Herb Doctor smiled gently at them and said, “Hao, Yao, today your grandfather will not teach you anything.”
Li Hao and Lu Yao were puzzled by these words, but their intelligence kept them from questioning further, knowing that their grandfather would explain in due course. Their patience was rewarded.
The Divine Herb Doctor continued, “Today, I want you to become familiar with the various tools for alchemy. This cauldron was forged from hundreds of the finest crystal ores. Tomorrow, you will come here and learn the techniques of alchemy on your own. How much you comprehend will depend on your own fortune.”
There are many types of alchemy cauldrons, but the Divine Herb Doctor did not intend to elaborate. He simply brushed over the topic. Li Hao, curious, asked, “Grandfather Baicao, what are the finest crystal ores?”
The Divine Herb Doctor had not expected such a question and was momentarily taken aback, for the scope was vast and difficult to explain briefly. He gave a few examples: “For instance, the materials used to forge this cauldron were drawn from nature—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—each bearing the power of the five elements, blended with hundreds of auxiliary materials. Each material must be of the highest quality; the better the materials, the higher the quality of the finished product. When something stands unrivaled among its kind, it is the best.”
Li Hao seemed to grasp the idea, yet felt it difficult to become the best among peers, so he pressed on, “Grandfather Baicao, does it mean that someone who is invincible in the human world is the best?”
This was an even harder question to answer. The Divine Herb Doctor pondered and replied, “Not entirely. Strength alone does not make someone the best.”
He paused deliberately, letting Li Hao reflect on the concept of ‘best.’ Li Hao thought earnestly, but remained perplexed. He asked, “Grandfather Baicao, I still don’t understand why being invincible among one’s kind doesn’t make one the best.”
The Divine Herb Doctor explained, “There are many ways to judge a person. If someone is unmatched in power among humans, it only means his strength is supreme. But if his character is poor, no matter how strong he is, he will be despised by others. If his character is excellent, he will be respected even if he is not powerful. A person’s worth is measured in the little things. When everyone around you respects you, then you are the best. The fundamental principle is: never harm others, but always guard against being harmed. Some people, narrow-minded and inferior to you, may envy you and seek to harm you. These are the principles by which people are judged. You must guard against harm, but never harm others—that is the difference between good and bad.”
“If I don’t harm others, but others harm me, what then?” Li Hao felt this was unfair.
“When patience can no longer be endured, then resist,” the Divine Herb Doctor told Li Hao and Lu Yao.
Li Hao felt his grandfather’s wisdom was profound, only half understood, but he carefully committed every word to memory. He then asked, “Grandfather Baicao, where can we find the alchemy techniques you mentioned?”
The Divine Herb Doctor answered mysteriously, “You will know when you come tomorrow.”
He then led Li Hao and Lu Yao around the chamber, explaining the functions of the various tools. “This is the Holy Fire Cauldron of the Five Elements, as I just mentioned, forged from Five Element crystal ores and hundreds of others. The elements generate and overcome each other, allowing it to refine pills of any attribute. This is the Wind Gathering Fan, an auxiliary tool used to hasten the alchemy process. Here are many bottles containing pills of different attributes. I have annotated many of them; take your time to familiarize yourselves with the tools, and ask me if you have questions. Go ahead and explore.”
The Divine Herb Doctor returned to his cushion, watching the two as they examined the tools. He added, “The cauldron before you is a treasured heirloom. In ancient times, people had little understanding of medicine, and many fine herbs were wasted. Over the years, our ancestor observed nature’s changes in yin and yang, and from these patterns devised rudimentary formulas.
From that moment, our people continually researched medicinal properties and developed various formulas. In the beginning, they used ordinary pots and stoves. One day, an ancestor visited a place where artifacts were forged, and, inspired by the artifact forgers, imagined what might happen if a tool were created specifically for refining medicine. He acted on his idea, and after long research, finally simulated the structure of an alchemy cauldron. The ancestor spent centuries searching the universe for the finest crystal ores, and had the greatest artifact master of the time forge this cauldron. Later, others mimicked this cauldron, creating all kinds of alchemy furnaces. Thus began the study of alchemy, and from then on people received increasingly effective treatments.
Now, in our era, we have a history spanning tens of millions of years, and thousands upon thousands of formulas have been developed. Not only have the elders of the Lujiashan Star Domain created unique paths in life, but countless star domains across the universe are advancing. This is the grand transformation of an age.”
Li Hao and Lu Yao listened with admiration.
Soon, a new era would dawn. Extremes breed reversal—this is the law of nature that none can change.
Li Hao’s injuries had healed. He began learning various subjects at the age of three. Gifted, he mastered music, chess, calligraphy, and painting quickly; after four or five years of study, he had learned what most people could never hope to achieve in a lifetime. Many things were beyond the reach of children from poor families—such is the harshness of reality.
At eight, Li Hao began to follow the Divine Herb Doctor daily to identify all kinds of spiritual herbs. In two years, he memorized thousands of them. He was a child of extraordinary talent, beloved by the Divine Herb Doctor, who wished to take him as a personal disciple. But lacking the opportunity to discuss this with Lord Li Yang, he kept his intention hidden for the time being.
Although Li Hao’s injuries healed, the strange energy within his body lingered. Instead of harming him, it made his constitution unique.
The Nine-Headed Dragon, after encountering Lord Li Yang, often stayed by his side, learning many things. Yet this time, it was sealed within Li Hao’s sea of consciousness, unable to emerge until Li Hao attained the realm of Wandering. Before then, his sea of consciousness was fragile; entering or leaving could cause injury, so Lord Li Yang sealed it with a magical seal. When Li Hao reached the realm of Wandering, the seal would break.
The Nine-Headed Dragon, idle in Li Hao’s sea of consciousness, tried to devour the strange energy within. For reasons unknown, Li Hao’s consciousness and body were peculiar, and that energy even more so. It seemed to reside only within him, and only his body could contain it. Whenever the dragon consumed a trace, it brought excruciating pain, but after refining the energy, his body grew stronger each time.
Over ten years, Xiao Jiu’s physical body grew stronger, but his cultivation made little progress, perhaps because Li Hao was still too weak.
Li Hao and Lu Yao spent the day in the Sacred Healer Hall, memorizing the functions of every alchemy tool. As dusk approached, they went to bid farewell to the Divine Herb Doctor. Outside the hall, Lu Yao turned to Li Hao and said, “Brother Li Hao, yesterday morning, Sister Qin Yan said that tonight there will be a Gathering of the Worthies in Lishui City. I heard it’s great fun. Let’s sneak over and have a look before we go home, okay?”
Qin Yan, whom Lu Yao mentioned, was the eldest daughter of her uncle’s family, sixteen years old and strikingly beautiful—a blossom of Lishui City and the dream of many young men.
Li Hao replied, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If we come home late, Uncle Lu Feng and Aunt Qin might punish you, Yao.”
Lu Feng, whom Li Hao referred to as Uncle, was Lu Yao’s father, now the head of the Sacred Healer Palace and one of the Divine Herb Doctor’s successors. The Sacred Healer Hall presided over twelve palaces, with the Sacred Healer Palace being the largest. The others were the Palace of the Medicine King, Herb Palace, Palace of Ten Thousand Poisons, Battle Palace, Judicial Palace, Alchemy Palace, Book Sage Palace, Wealth Palace, Treasure Palace, Flower Sage Palace, and Administrative Palace. Each palace stood in one of the twelve most prosperous cities of the Lujiashan Star Domain.
Six palaces were managed by Lu Yao’s father and uncles, while the other six belonged to the six great families of the Lujiashan Star Domain.
The Treasure Palace was governed by Lu Yao’s uncle Qin An and was based in Lishui City, which was over thirteen hundred li from the Sacred Healer Hall.
Lu Yao said, “It’s fine—we’ll take a Seven-Colored Cloud Eagle and be there in no time.”
The Seven-Colored Cloud Eagle was not especially fast, flying thirty to fifty thousand li in a day. It could easily carry three to five adults without burden.
Its tail bore seven colors, feathers gray, body hundreds of feet long; people tamed them for daily transport.
Seeing Li Hao hesitate, Lu Yao clung to his arm, swaying and pleading, “Brother Li Hao, please take me out to play, just for a little while, I promise!”
Everyone possesses curiosity, especially girls.
Li Hao could not resist Lu Yao’s coaxing. In the end, he yielded to her request.