Chapter 93: Classroom Connections
Xiulan trudged down the corridor toward Elder Wang’s alchemy classroom, her mind spinning with calculations. There were over a dozen different ingredients needed for the qi refining stage elemental pills she needed to make for herself and her friends.
She sighed. This little food cart business barely covered its ingredients, let alone make a profit. And after those jerks got face-fulls of burning eye root...
A small smile crept across her lips at the memory. Su Yin’s unexpected intervention had scattered Lei Shan’s friends like startled chickens. Still, the incident highlighted her isolation.
Gathering ingredients myself would be ideal, but when? Xiulan rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a hurrying disciple. I can’t just wander into the forest between classes. And missions with Ming aren’t focused on herb-gathering.
The trip to Themis and back had shown there wasn’t a lot of time for foraging for spiritual herbs and plants. Although they had collected the spirit stones from the fox’s lair.
Xiulan paused outside the classroom door. Master Qingfeng or Ming would help if I asked, but they think in decades, not months. She touched the small pouch containing her spirit beast egg, feeling its gentle warmth against her fingers. We don’t have that luxury.
She needed a breakthrough—not just for herself but for Feng Yu, Mei Chen, and Ren Chun too. Her allies. The people she trusted.
Five years seemed like plenty of time when I first arrived, but now... Xiulan pushed open the classroom door. Now it feels like sand slipping through my fingers.
Elder Wang stood at the front of the room, arranging materials on her demonstration table. The silver-haired woman looked up as Xiulan entered.
The elder’s smile pierced through Xiulan like a spotlight on stage. Emerald eyes sparkled with something that looked suspiciously like amusement. Xiulan straightened her posture and headed to her usual spot.
Tao Jun already occupied the bench, his slender frame hunched over a worn notebook filled with meticulously drawn herb diagrams. He glanced up and acknowledged Xiulan with a quick nod.
“Morning,” he murmured, sliding his materials to make room.