"Here."

Lan-Yin and Wang Jun looked cautiously at the two pills I presented to them, both of them eyeing the small, round objects like they might suddenly explode.

"What are these?" Wang Jun asked, a hint of wariness creeping into his voice. His breath hung in the frosty air, the chill of the winter morning seeping into the training ground around us. The sky was a pale gray, and the snow, packed under our feet, crunched with every shift of weight.

I stretched, rolling my shoulders casually as I tossed them each a pill. "Pills for you, obviously. Don’t ask too many questions, just be grateful and kowtow before me in thanks for my superior alchemical prowess."

Lan-Yin raised an eyebrow, smirking at my dramatic tone. "Oh? You want us to start worshipping you now?"

"Absolutely," I said, grinning as I dusted off my robes. "But seriously, I made these for you both. Took your elemental affinities into account, so they should work well for your cultivation."

Wang Jun and Lan-Yin exchanged a glance, their skepticism palpable.

Lan-Yin gave the pill in her hand an experimental sniff. "And just how do you know our elemental affinities, oh wise and powerful alchemist?"

I crossed my arms, adopting my best haughty expression. "It''s an educated guess, of course. But if you check your Interface, it should say. I made Wang Jun''s pill with Metal and Fire in mind."

Wang Jun blinked, looking down at the pill in his hand before raising an eyebrow. "Metal? Fire? What, just because I spend my days hammering metal, that’s my personality now?"

"Pretty much," I shot back with a grin.

"And me?" Lan-Yin interjected, holding up her pill. "Let me guess—Water?"

I raised my brow. "Am I wrong?"

They looked at each other, their faces carefully kept blank. It seemed I was right.

"Well, you shouldn''t base your guesses on careless stereotypes." She muttered.

"Well," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck, "it’s not a perfect science. But your affinity is usually determined from the beginning and dictates much of your personality and future career. And I can’t be entirely sure, but based on everything I know about you both, it seemed like the best guess. Worst-case scenario, if I’m wrong, they just won’t be as effective. But you won’t die, if that’s what you’re asking."

Wang Jun gave me a flat look. "I was about to ask exactly that."

I rolled my eyes. "Relax. It’s not poison. If your elemental affinity doesn’t match the pill perfectly, it’ll just have a weaker effect. No big deal. I’m not here to kill off my only friends."

Lan-Yin twirled the pill between her fingers, her expression thoughtful. "So, if I take this, I’ll get stronger, right?"

"That''s the hope." I leaned back against a nearby post, my breath fogging the air in front of me. "Think of it as a boost to help you push through the next level of cultivation."

They both stared at the pills in their hands for a moment, the early winter sun barely peeking through the clouds as a gentle wind swept through the courtyard. The cold bite of the air was starting to creep into my bones, but I didn’t show it. I wanted them to take the pills, to trust in what I’d made.

"Well," Wang Jun finally said, flipping the pill up and catching it in his palm, "here goes nothing." He popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed without hesitation, before lurching over and making a disgusted face. "Ugh! It tastes like blood! What''d you put in this?"

"I didn''t say it''d taste good!"

Lan-Yin, a little more tentative, followed suit, though she made a point of shooting me a mock suspicious glance before swallowing hers. "You’d better be right about this, Kai."

I waved them off, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "Just sit down and start circulating your qi. You’ll feel the effects soon enough."

They both grumbled a bit, but did as I instructed, crossing their legs on the snow-covered ground, their breaths still visible in the chilly air. Wang Jun closed his eyes first, settling into his cultivation stance, and Lan-Yin followed soon after, her expression softening as she focused inward.

I smiled at Elder Ming’s words, giving a grateful nod before turning away, the cold air cutting through my robes as I made my way back to the shop. His reassurance settled into me, quieting the doubts that had lingered. Still, there was always more work to be done. Always another step to take.

As I scanned the village on my way back, the absence of the Narrow Stone Peak disciples gnawed at me. They’d been persistent before, always hovering around the square, trying to convince the villagers. Perhaps they were taking the day off, or better yet; left the village. The unease prickled at the back of my neck, but I pushed it aside. For now.

Seeing Windy patrol the garden, I waved at him with a smile. For some reason, the Five Fists of Narrow Stone Peak gave him a wide berth. Although it didn''t stop their leader, Wei Long, from coming in to recruit me. Good thing Tianyi could move like lightning when she needed to, so she hasn''t been exposed yet.

As I stepped inside the warmth of the shop, the familiar scent of herbs and oils greeted me. The light from the small hearth flickered against the walls, casting long shadows across the shelves packed with ingredients and tools. I let out a sigh, feeling the tension from the day slowly ease from my shoulders.

I walked over to my workstation, where the pills I’d prepared for myself sat in neat rows. They had taken time to craft, but now that I had them in front of me, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I’d been waiting to take these for a while now, especially since I hadn’t fully incorporated the effects of the beast core elixir yet.

I held up one of the pills, studying its polished surface in the flickering firelight. This particular pill wasn’t just for strengthening my qi; it was designed to target the pill residue left in my body from the beast core elixir.

"I suppose it''s a good problem to have."

Pill residue was a subtle but serious problem. It blocked the circulation of qi, diminishing the effectiveness of future pill consumption. Even though my pure qi cultivation method meant I had far less residue than most, it still accumulated over time.

This pill would cleanse that residue, unblocking my qi channels and allowing me to absorb future medicines more effectively. It was a small step, but a crucial one.

I glanced over at Tianyi, who had been sitting quietly in her human form, reading one of the many books I’d gathered for her to keep busy. She looked up as I walked toward her.

"Guard me while I cultivate," I said with a playful grin, knowing full well I didn’t need a guard in my own shop.

She nodded, her large eyes unblinking as she did so. "I’ll keep an eye out for any intruders," she said, mimicking a warrior’s salute.

Perhaps Liang Feng''s works were a good way for her to learn the ways of a human.

I chuckled and settled down in my usual spot, crossing my legs and centering myself. I held the pill between my fingers for a moment, then swallowed it in one smooth motion. The taste was bitter, but familiar, like iron and earth mixed together.

Closing my eyes, I began to circulate my qi, feeling the pill dissolve and release its essence into my system. Slowly but surely, the energy began to flow, cleansing the remnants of old elixirs, burning away the impurities that had clogged my channels. It wasn’t painful, but it was intense like a deep, internal scrubbing.

Time slipped away as I immersed myself in the cultivation process, focusing entirely on the flow of qi. I could feel the effects taking hold, the smoothness of my channels returning, my body slowly regaining that sharp, efficient edge that residue dulled.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, Elder Ming’s words lingered. It wasn’t about proving anything to anyone, it was about knowing that I was doing my best, that I was growing in my own way.

But still... there was always the push, the hunger to reach higher, to become stronger. I couldn’t shake that drive. Not entirely. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to.

The night deepened around me, but I didn’t stop. The fire within me had been lit, and I had no intention of letting it dim.

The room had long since fallen into a deep, tranquil silence, the crackling fire in the hearth casting warm, flickering shadows across the walls. Tianyi sat in her corner of the shop, legs tucked beneath her, a thin strand of hair slipping loose from her cascading locks. She glanced at Kai, who was deep in meditation, his breathing steady, his face relaxed but focused.

But something else tugged at her attention, a nagging sensation at the edge of her consciousness.

Tianyi’s delicate wings, though hidden in her human form, tingled faintly as she stared at the lone strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek. It twitched slightly, as if disturbed by the faintest breath of wind, though the room was still.

Her neck turned suddenly, her movements sharp and graceful. Her sharp senses, honed over a lifetime of surviving in a world that often treated her as prey, pricked at something just beyond her immediate awareness.

A faint rustle, like the brushing of leaves. The room was silent, but the world outside wasn’t. Her gaze flicked toward the window, and a whisper escaped her lips.

“Someone’s near.”