Chapter Fifty: The Art of Mastery at the Hearth

“Two qian of black bear gall, five qian of millennium Changbai Mountain snow ginseng, three qian of millennium Tianshan snow lotus, three qian of Min County century-old angelica, five qian of goji berries, five qian of highland cordyceps, five qian of Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade powder... Hey! Are you sure you've got all that down?”

As Taishang Little Lord recited the list, Hua Sheng scribbled furiously beside him. The two had found an old warehouse to begin planning their alchemical endeavor.

“This is really the recipe for Ninefold Rejuvenation Elixir, right?” Hua Sheng asked, pen still moving.

“How could it be wrong? I’ve memorized secret alchemical arts since childhood. I know them all by heart, backwards and forwards.”

“So the recipe is right. But where do we find these ingredients?”

“For any herb that exists in the mortal world, no matter how rare or precious, immortal arts can transform it into being.”

“They all sound extraordinary, but the world is vast—somewhere, we’re bound to find the raw materials,” Hua Sheng said, checking the list as he pulled a clean piece of silk from his satchel and spread it on the table.

Taishang Little Lord pointed at the table, and a medicinal herb appeared on the cloth. After more than ten gestures, an array of precious ingredients filled their sight. Each was a rare treasure seldom seen in a century, and soon the vast warehouse was suffused with a rich, invigorating aroma that refreshed the mind and spirit with every breath. Hua Sheng felt clarity and vitality after just a few inhalations.

“Incredible! Taishang Little Lord, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t even know where to begin hunting for these rare herbs.”

“But we’re still missing one.”

“Which one?” Hua Sheng compared his notes to the herbs on the table and quickly spotted the missing item.

Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade.

“What is this?” he asked in astonishment.

“It’s the spiritual treasure jade of the Celestial Palace—no such jade exists in the human realm.”

“Jade is an ingredient? I always thought it was just for decoration.”

“Of course jade is medicinal. Its powder can reduce internal heat, relieve agitation, aid the throat, nourish the hair, benefit the organs, calm the soul, clear the blood vessels, and improve hearing and sight. There are records of grinding jade into powder for consumption in ancient texts like the Divine Dragon Materia Medica and the Compendium of Materia Medica,” Taishang Little Lord explained. “Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade is even more precious. It can cure diseases instantly and bring the dying back to life. The amount needed is small—just a bit of its powder will do for alchemy. In the sanctuaries of Saint Pingning, this jade powder is always kept on hand for refining elixirs.”

“But we can’t return to Saint Pingning right now. Where can we find Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade?” Hua Sheng clasped his head in despair. “What are we supposed to do?”

Taishang Little Lord was silent for a moment, then reached under his collar and drew out a cord bearing a piece of lustrous, gentle jade. As soon as it appeared, the warehouse seemed to shine with a new radiance.

“Ah!” Hua Sheng exclaimed in shock. “Is that—?”

“Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade.”

Hua Sheng’s expression shifted from surprise and delight to a trace of sorrow.

“So you’ve worn this jade for a long time?”

Taishang Little Lord seemed to recall distant memories. “Many years. It’s been with me for a long while.”

“But if you grind it into powder, the jade will be lost, won’t it?”

“That’s right.”

For a moment, Hua Sheng was at a loss. He understood the value of jade. In any era, if you carry a piece of fine jade close to your skin, there must be a story behind it—perhaps it was a gift from someone important or a memento of unforgettable days.

Gazing at the softly glowing green jade, he couldn’t bear the thought.

“Maybe we can think of another way.”

“There is no Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade in the human world. The only one is right here,” Taishang Little Lord said with a helpless shake of his head, and Hua Sheng believed him.

“If we only need a little powder, maybe we can just chip off a small piece? The rest could be polished and kept?” Hua Sheng’s voice was full of regret.

“Polished into what?”

“Even if it’s missing a part, it would still make a beautiful pendant. Let me try? I was pretty good in my crafts class,” Hua Sheng ventured.

“This piece isn’t large to begin with. Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade contains the essence of heaven and earth, formed as one, indivisible. If it’s cut, the rest will shatter as well.”

“That’s such a shame,” Hua Sheng sighed. He reckoned that this jade couldn’t be measured by mortal values—it was likely an heirloom from an elder.

“How long have you worn it?” he asked.

“Since I was a child.”

“Oh! Was it from your parents?”

“No.”

“Your grandfather—the Grand Supreme Elder Lord?”

“No.”

“Not a gift from a senior?”

“No.”

Perhaps it was from a childhood sweetheart? That too would be hard to part with. Hua Sheng pondered how to ask, then after some hesitation, said, “Such a fine jade must have come from someone important to you?”

“No,” Taishang Little Lord replied, lifting his head. “Why should jade have to be a gift from someone else?”

Suddenly Hua Sheng thought of Dream of the Red Chamber, where Jia Baoyu was born with a piece of precious jade in his mouth. If that were the case, this jade was almost a part of Taishang Little Lord’s life itself. To break it would be a cruel thing for anyone.

“If it wasn’t a gift, then where did it come from?”

“I bought it,” Taishang Little Lord said.

“What? You bought it?” Hua Sheng, who had been speaking softly, suddenly raised his voice. “You said you’d worn it for years, and after all that, you bought it yourself?”

“Can’t I wear something I bought for years?”

“How old were you when you bought it?”

“I was seven.”

“A seven-year-old buying jade? How much allowance did your family give you?”

“It wasn’t expensive. I bought it during an outing organized by the Academy of Immortal Arts.”

Hua Sheng nearly fainted. “So this is a souvenir from a school trip?”

“That’s right! Wait, how did you know it was a trip?”

“I can’t believe I wasted all that emotion. I was embarrassed, thinking it was a family heirloom!”

“It wasn’t easy for me either. I saved up my allowance for months. Do you know how hard it is to save pocket money?”

“A school trip souvenir, and you’ve worn it for ten years? That’s frugal!”

“Why not? I like it. I used to sleep hugging it every night.”

“Even if you wear it every day, a souvenir is still just trinket-shop stuff. Time to get a new one! Look, the paint’s almost peeling!”

“Nonsense! Jade doesn’t have paint to peel!”

“Let’s hope it’s not a fake!”

“How could it be? You think Saint Pingning is like your tourist traps?”

“Let’s see it, then!”

With a look of helpless reluctance, Taishang Little Lord handed the jade to Hua Sheng.

Hua Sheng thought, At least it’s not some priceless treasure. If we use it for the elixir, the loss won’t be too great.

Taishang Little Lord said, “Be careful. I paid over a million for it!”

Hua Sheng nearly stuck out his tongue. “O-over a million?”

“What?”

“Now I feel bad about destroying it.”

“You mortals! You only think something is good if it’s expensive. That’s why you get cheated so easily.”

“So how much was it really?”

“I’m not telling.”

Whether or not the jade was really worth a million, Hua Sheng was still surprised by how it felt in his hand. He’d thought it was an ordinary stone, but it was clearly not of this world—smooth, warm, and seemingly alive with energy.

He held it up to the light and saw that the original lines on the pale green jade were actually slowly shifting and flowing.

The entire Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade looked like a delicate, translucent bubble filled with pale green vapor, ready to burst at a touch. No wonder Taishang Little Lord said it was indivisible—cutting it would be like popping a bubble, scattering the essence of heaven and earth within.

What’s more, the luster of jade depends on the nourishment it receives over years of being worn. Taishang Little Lord, with his immortal bloodline, had kept it close for ten years—even an ordinary stone would have become an extraordinary gem.

Thinking this, Hua Sheng realized this was no common trinket. But since everything was already in motion, he knew he had to press on with their plan. Otherwise, they’d stay stuck and solve nothing.

“So that means all the ingredients are ready!” Hua Sheng placed the Celestial Palace Exquisite Jade on the table. “What’s the next step in refining the elixir?”

Taishang Little Lord smacked his fist into his palm. “Here’s the problem!”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the alchemical method?”

“Impossible! Do you doubt an immortal’s knowledge of alchemy?”

“Then what’s the issue? We have all the ingredients.” Hua Sheng paused. “Wait, is it equipment? Damn! Why didn’t I think of that?!”

In unison, both exclaimed, “Alchemical furnace!”

Hua Sheng slapped his forehead. “What age are we in? Where do we find an alchemical furnace? A temple? No, nowadays temples just have incense burners—not likely to have an alchemical furnace. Even if they did, they were probably smashed during the old campaigns against the ‘Four Olds.’”

“True,” Taishang Little Lord agreed.

“Maybe we can make one ourselves? I remember reading that ancient Daoists built their own. We could use bricks?”

“Bricks? That’s just a stove,” Taishang Little Lord frowned.

“But in class at the Academy, Master Yuran said that in the old days, when resources were scarce, people built brick furnaces.”

“And look how many died from eating ‘immortal pills’ in ancient times! Without Saint Pingning’s support, even the emperor couldn’t refine true elixirs. Did you know the Ming Emperor Jiajing died of heavy metal poisoning from such pills?”

Hua Sheng fell silent, then reconsidered. “Still, science has advanced. Maybe we can find something. What about microwaves or induction cookers? They heat things—could they work?”

“You’re joking. You think alchemy is like making hot pot?”

“So many problems to solve!” Hua Sheng groaned, clutching his head. “What exactly does an alchemical furnace need? Is there a manual?”

Taishang Little Lord thought. “A stone furnace works, or a bronze one, but it must seal tightly and not be too small. The elixir’s essence needs room to circulate. But not too big, or the spiritual energy won’t concentrate and the pill won’t form. The interior must be clean—no industrial furnaces, or the toxins would ruin the medicine.”

“Stone or bronze... Neither will work! Hmm... Still no good.” Hua Sheng racked his brains.

“What temperature is required?”

“It must withstand true fire.”

“A thousand degrees?”

“About that.”

“Only a factory has furnaces that hot. But those are industrial—full of toxins, not for alchemy!”

“If we can get a high-temperature bronze furnace, I can reinforce it with talismans to withstand even higher heat. Then, using fire mastery, I’ll control the temperature. With luck, three or four hours will suffice to refine the Ninefold Rejuvenation Elixir.”

“Let me think,” Hua Sheng mused aloud.

“You grew up in the human world—you should be more knowledgeable than I am.”

Suddenly Hua Sheng’s eyes brightened. “Got it!”

“Where?”

“A coffee shop.”

“How can you refine elixirs with a coffee machine?”

“Not the coffee machine—the industrial coffee roaster!”

“Roaster?”

“Taishang Little Lord, have you ever heard of a place called Starbucks? Its English name is Starbucks.”