Chapter 9: Life 16, Age 16, Martial Disciple 4
I exited seclusion and walked into the building’s main hall. A small pill furnace sat on a stone plinth in the middle of the room. Along both the left and right walls were boxes and cupboards of various sizes storing medicinal ingredients. The back wall had stairs leading up to the second floor.
The Master Alchemist was not in the room at the moment, so I moved to the side and knelt to await his arrival. I was unsure about the etiquette of cultivating here, but the master had shown interest in me improving, so I decided to cultivate while I waited.
The wait was not long. It was only the next day when the master arrived downstairs. When I noticed his arrival, I immediately stopped cultivating but made no other move. He spent some time checking the various herbs in the room, then finally addressed me.
“Good, maybe you can be taught.”
Inwardly I brimmed with excitement.
“First, it would be best for you to understand some things. I am not the most skilled alchemist in this clan. No, I am, technically, only a Disciple Alchemist. I have yet to advance to Master Alchemist. Do you know why that guardsman that brought you here was so polite and always referred to me as Master Alchemist?”
I was unsure if I was supposed to speak, but his look seemed to give me permission. Still, I did not really know the answer to his question.
“Because all alchemists are respected?” I asked.
He scowled. “If you do not know, say you do not know. Do not make guesses.”