I waited as everyone gathered at the village head’s place, trying to compose everything that I needed to say. After the last person had joined, I closed the doors, before I began to address everyone.“Without too long a startup, I’d just like to say to the village head that all us here think of this place as a home for us. And in parts bear some responsibility for events to have turned out the way they have. So if you would wish that we leave the village, then now would be the time to speak up,” I said, feeling more than a few glances looking at me in surprise.The village head looked at me, taking a deep breath. “Yuan, to be truthful to you, there are people who have expressed such thoughts. They do not dare speak up, because despite how comforting and friendly all of you appear, it is hard to forget the difference between us, when we see you lift boulders with ease,” the village head said, and I tried not to sigh. I’d anticipated as much. Whispers carried on the wind far more than t

The long halls snaked across the manor, stretching on endlessly. For a moment she wondered if Bai Luo was taking advantage of her being unfamiliar with the place to make her be late for the banquet, but to her relief, they quickly arrived at the entrance to the hall.Bai Luo, as she’d expected, walked in first. Not paying it any attention, she followed behind the boy, entering the banquet. The wide hall stretched on endlessly, made wider than physically possible using great arts she could barely comprehend. Luxurious food dripping with essence lined the rows, so exquisite and rare Liuxiang felt herself absorbing wisps of essence just by being near them.She noted the people within the banquet halls, sensing many elders, and even some experts among the people within. The entirety of the Shie clan had joined in today to celebrate the rise of their Matriarch to divinity, and the reclamation of their position within the jade court.Making sure not to breach any of the etiquettes she’d bee

The granny snorted, stepping over a pile of stashed porcelain bowls and plates I’d asked Chen to deliver that I’d just left on the floor for some reason. “You need to keep your things better organised boy, or you’ll never be an Alchemist of any worth.”I grimaced at her words, taking a second glance at the chaos. “You’re right, I do. I’ve just been busy with everything.”“Excuses, bah,” the old granny said, rapping her fist against my chest. I smiled at her apologetically, watching Yin carefully walk around all the delicate items scattered around as she made her way to me. She carried a basket full of herbs in her hand that I’d specially requested from the Qi vein. Zhang or one of the others likely had taken that job.I took the basket from the girl’s hands, thanking her, before setting the basket on the counter behind me.“So, how has it been going?” the granny asked, glancing at the counter I’d set up.“Not good,” I said, turning back to the little pill I’d made. Taking the drugnade

I walked silently behind Yin, as she guided me back to her home. A thousand questions ran in my mind, all that I’d been wanting to ask the girl, but she’d insisted on taking me to her place, and seeing her resolute expression, I’d given in to her demands. The village swept by beyond my awareness, as my eyes remained set firmly on the back of the girl walking in front of me. I nodded absently to the village head as I walked into his home. The man squawked, looking at me nervously in confusion, and then at Yin. For a while he tried to stop me for tea, but I briskly refused the offer, thanking him once, as I continued to follow behind Yin. Stepping in the girl’s chamber, I waited for her to enter. Yin shut the door behind her leaning against the frame as she looked at me with beady eyes that seemed to still be staring in disbelief. “This is my chamber. Before me, it used to be my grandfather’s. He gave it to me in his will,” Yin said, in the Azure-Jade language, straightening her back

The past day had me spend hours talking with Yin about her grandfather and reading through the many notes the man had gathered over the decades. Guo Wei may not have shattered the heavens, but he was by no means a meagre man. The notes that I'd made were far more detailed and incredible than the childish messing around that I did with my own projects.He’d even worked with cultivators, alchemists, and other literary scholars on his travels to research how Qi worked. I recognised one of the names of the contributors as the author who’d written a book about Gu that I’d read back at the library. Though I saw no mention of Chi, they had certainly discovered the relation that tied Gu and Qi.Yet the discovery that interested me most was their attempt to quantify Qi. An unseen mystical energy that was so dependent on individuals that it seemed near impossible. I leaned back on my chair, looking at the notes scrambled around on my desk. Of them, Wei Guo’s book rested at the centre, with my o