The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 43

Medicinal Fragrance

By now, this stalk of Yangxin Grass had already withered. The life force within its roots and stem had died out, and even the energy it contained had all returned to this world. Zhang San could only sigh, pull it out, and toss it onto the courtyard soil.

Now, its greatest use was simply to return to the earth, providing some faint nutrients for the surrounding plants. Tossing it out also freed up a pot, which could be used to plant some other herbs.

            

Zhang San finished writing what she hadn’t completed, then handed the Xuan paper​¹ to Song Linlin. Song Linlin took the paper and glanced down at it; most of what was recorded were the names of plants she didn’t recognize at all.

“Go collect what’s written on the paper first. These are all basic materials and shouldn’t be hard to gather. Once you’ve prepared these things, tomorrow morning I’ll start teaching you some basic knowledge of alchemy,” Zhang San explained slowly.

Song Linlin nodded. She just needed to buy according to what was listed; it wasn’t anything complicated. Since she didn’t know what to do each day anyway, having a proper task now seemed pretty good. Song Linlin agreed, “Okay.”

            

Since there wasn’t anything else for the two of them to do at Ziting Residence, and Song Linlin still had to collect materials, she said goodbye to Zhang San and left with Chi Qianning.

Closing the courtyard’s main gate, Song Linlin softly exhaled. That stalk of Yangxin Grass really had died strangely. They hadn’t known the herb’s characteristics beforehand, only for it to die after Chi Qianning touched it once.

Fortunately, Zhang San hadn’t noticed anything. Paying for one herb wasn’t a big deal; Song Linlin had saved enough money these past few days to buy one. Her main fear was that Zhang San would suspect something, but thankfully Zhang San was also the laid-back sort and obviously hadn’t seen anything amiss.

            

Next up was buying the items on the list. These were all very basic alchemy materials and weren’t difficult to collect. Except for the simplest beginner’s alchemy cauldron being a bit pricey, Song Linlin even bought extras of the other items as spares. After all, to her, the prices for these things were practically dirt cheap​².

Song Linlin returned home carrying a pile of things. Seeing her struggling, Chi Qianning gave her an empty Qiankun Ring to store everything. Otherwise, lugging such a large bag around tomorrow would look rather unsightly.

That night, lying in bed, Song Linlin unusually didn’t fall asleep right away. She was looking forward to learning alchemy the next day, already starting to fantasize about the wonderful life she’d have after becoming a famous alchemist.

            

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The next morning.

Song Linlin got up early as usual. After washing up, she started yawning as she prepared to head to morning class. Truthfully, she could have slacked off and skipped getting up early every day, but she had developed a biological clock now. Once it was time to get up, she couldn’t fall back asleep. Besides, being idle was boring, so she might as well go to class to wake herself up.

After morning class, Song Linlin headed towards Ziting Residence, ready for the first alchemy lesson of her life.

            

Pushing open the main gate, she found Zhang San already waiting inside the living room, seated on a cushion. Song Linlin promptly sat down beside her.

She took out the items she had bought yesterday one by one, arranging them neatly in front of her. While she was at it, Song Linlin also handed over the replacement Yangxin Grass stalk to Zhang San.

Once the preparations were complete, Zhang San nodded. “Alright,” she said, “Next, I’ll explain some of the most basic principles of alchemy to you.”

            

This was all theoretical knowledge. Although there were parts Song Linlin only half-understood, she still forcefully committed it all to memory. She was, after all, someone who had reached the Golden Core stage; short-term memorization wasn’t an issue. As for retaining it long-term, that would require regular review.

Even the most basic theoretical knowledge in the art of alchemy was complex and extensive. It was impossible for Zhang San to teach all of it to Song Linlin in such a short time. For now, she could only provide a general overview to give her a basic understanding. If Song Linlin wanted to delve deeper, it would depend on her own diligent study.

Song Linlin hadn’t expected to become a Master Alchemist in just a few days anyway; learning the basics was enough for her. The two spent the entire morning on fundamental explanations and teaching Song Linlin how to identify the properties of plants, and the like.

            

Come afternoon, Zhang San prepared to let Song Linlin get some hands-on practice.

Having just eaten, Song Linlin now sat on the cushion, looking at the materials before her and feeling a bit nervous. Although she had grasped a fair amount that morning, when it actually came time to get hands-on, she couldn’t help feeling apprehensive.

Zhang San, sitting beside her, noticed her lack of confidence. She reached out and patted Song Linlin’s shoulder, reassuring her, “Don’t worry. Strictly speaking, what we’re doing today isn’t even proper alchemy. As long as you know a bit about medicinal properties and simple alchemy techniques, even Qi Refining stage cultivators can concoct it.”

            

“With me here watching over you, plus the fact that you have Golden Core stage strength, you’re definitely better off than those who just fumble around on their own. You can certainly make it!”

Her words did give Song Linlin a bit more confidence. She nodded, gave herself a silent pep talk, then turned to the relaxed Zhang San beside her and asked, “Okay! So, what am I making this afternoon?”

Zhang San reached into her pocket, took out three strips of paper, and said slowly, “I’ve prepared three options for you. These are all very simple recipes, the easiest for beginners to get started with. You can pick one to practice.”

            

“The first is Blood Coagulation Paste. It’s a healing paste popular among the lowest-level Qi Refiners. The materials are common, and the concoction process isn’t difficult. It’s very popular in the outside world.”

“The second is the Qi Nourishing Pill. This is considered a simplified version of the Qi Restoring Pill. It can restore Qi, though it’s only suitable for Qi Refining stage cultivators. The concoction process is slightly more complex than the first.”

“The last one is the least difficult. The steps to make it are simple, and it uses the fewest materials. Although its price isn’t high, its range of users is extremely broad.”

            

“Oh?” Hearing it was the simplest, Song Linlin naturally wanted to choose the simplest one. Plus, the broadest range of users—didn’t that mean it had the largest market? So Song Linlin quickly pressed, “What’s the last one?”

Without batting an eyelid, Zhang San uttered an unexpected name: “Hehuan Powder​³.”

Song Linlin froze, momentarily unsure if she’d misheard. She repeated, “Heh… Hehuan Powder?”

            

Isn’t that stuff basically an aphrodisiac?!

Before joining the sect to cultivate, Song Linlin had at least lived among the common folk, so she was naturally familiar with the name Hehuan Powder. It was the most common type of aphrodisiac; the price wasn’t high, and its effects were reportedly quite good. Even if the authorities officially forbade its sale, some pharmacies definitely sold it secretly under the table. After all, Hehuan Powder had a large market, and its uses were plentiful—whether employed by people of all stripes​⁴ for nefarious purposes​⁵, or kept by certain individuals for personal use, Hehuan Powder was often the top choice for such matters.

Song Linlin stared at Zhang San in astonishment. Yet, the other woman wore a calm expression, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Instead, her bright, clear eyes looked back at Song Linlin with confusion. Zhang San asked, “Is something wrong? Even ordinary people without cultivation can make Hehuan Powder. It’s very suitable for beginners to practice with. I used it for practice myself back then.”

            

“Er…”

Song Linlin looked at Zhang San, deeply suspecting the other didn’t even understand what this stuff was for. She asked, “Do you know what kind of medicine this is? What its effects are…?”

“I don’t know.” Zhang San shook her head, her expression candid. She stated frankly, “I’ve never used it. Back then, I just used it for practice a few times and haven’t made it since.”

            

“Alright then.” Song Linlin nodded. So Zhang San really didn’t know Hehuan Powder’s effects. Naturally, Song Linlin felt too awkward to elaborate, lest it become embarrassing.

Zhang San, however, asked hesitantly, “Is there some problem with this Hehuan Powder?”

“No, no!”

            

Song Linlin quickly waved her hands. Explaining it would be far too awkward; it was better to let the other remain ignorant. Otherwise, Song Linlin wouldn’t be able to bring herself to say it.

She just wanted to forcibly change the subject, diverting Zhang San’s attention away from Hehuan Powder. Song Linlin immediately continued, “Let’s make Hehuan Powder today then! There’s no time to lose, I’ll start right now!”

“Okay.”

            

Seeing her so motivated, Zhang San stopped thinking about the Hehuan Powder issue. She handed the slip of paper with the recipe to Song Linlin and patiently explained some of the details and steps involved—advice drawn from her own experience when she had concocted it back then.

After quietly listening to the details, Song Linlin nodded, committing the instructions to memory. Then, methodically, she began preparing to concoct the Hehuan Powder step by step.

First, she ground some herbs into fine fragments, using small saucers to hold them. Then, Song Linlin lit the cauldron flame, pouring Qi into it while carefully monitoring the heat, and added the prepared herbs in sequence.

            

The temperature inside the cauldron steadily rose. While reading the recipe and listening to Zhang San’s explanation, Song Linlin hadn’t thought concocting pills was particularly hard. But once she actually started, even knowing the steps and key points, she gradually couldn’t stop herself from becoming flustered, ultimately burning the herbs to ashes.

Her first attempt failed before long. Song Linlin looked at the pile of black ashes in the cauldron and couldn’t help but sigh as she silently discarded them.

“It’s alright. Failing on the first try is very common. Just keep accumulating experience and continue trying!” Zhang San encouraged her from the side.

            

Song Linlin nodded. She naturally understood this principle; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people wanting to become alchemists while the actual number remained so low. Still, she couldn’t resist asking curiously, “Zhang San, how many tries did it take you to succeed back then?”

“Me?” Zhang San thought back for a few seconds, then said, “I think I succeeded on the first try.”

Song Linlin: “…”

            

That statement was truly capable of inciting envy, yet the speaker looked completely innocent. As expected, people were different; the gap was just too vast. Fortunately, Song Linlin’s mindset had always been quite resilient. She was just a passerby female supporting character; encountering this kind of situation was perfectly normal.

Thankfully, because the materials were cheap, Song Linlin had bought extra. Wasting just one set wasn’t a big issue; the pile she’d purchased was enough for her to use freely.

After burning through several more batches of materials, Song Linlin finally started to get the hang of it and found the knack. This time, while heating the herbs, her concentration was exceptionally sharp. She managed to scrape through​⁶ the step where she had previously failed. Song Linlin couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief; she had finally completed the initial herb-heating stage. The next step was to fuse the resulting herb powders and liquids within the cauldron.

            

Reaching this stage, Zhang San also nodded in satisfaction, praising Song Linlin, “Well done, the initial step is finally complete. However, the upcoming steps will be even harder.”

“You need to find a way to balance the conflicting properties of different herbs, and also continuously use the flame to refine them, removing the excess impurities. This is considered one of the most difficult steps in concoction. Keep it up!”

Song Linlin nodded. There were no convenient shortcuts for this step either; she could only rely on constant practice to figure out the technique.

            

As the flame continuously flickered and burned, a faint scent gradually began to permeate the air from the cauldron. The smells of various herbs mingled together; it smelled quite aromatic, yet it vaguely made one feel a bit dazed.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot.” Smelling this aroma, Zhang San immediately reached into her pocket again and rummaged around, retrieving a small square bottle. She uncapped it and tilted the opening, pressing her finger against it as the liquid inside flowed out. It was a pale, light green and carried a rich, fresh scent. As this fragrance spread, Song Linlin instantly felt her mind clear considerably; even her concentration became sharper.

Song Linlin was busy watching the alchemy cauldron and didn’t have a free hand, so Zhang San dabs the light green liquid from her finger onto the tip of Song Linlin’s nose. Her nostrils filled with the refreshing scent, masking the original medicinal fragrance completely.

            

“This is Qingxin Dew​⁷. It can help shield you from the scents produced during herb refining. That aroma can disturb one’s mind; smelling too much of it isn’t good,” Zhang San explained, applying some to herself as well.

The odors produced during the concoction of certain pills cannot be ignored. These smells arise from herb evaporation and possess the same effects as the herbs themselves, albeit perhaps weaker. When refining certain poisons, the gases produced are often inherently toxic. Some unlucky alchemists might end up poisoning themselves to death before even successfully concocting the pill.

Song Linlin nodded. Although the medicinal aroma was faint now, over a long period, smelling too much might very well lead to strange effects. She certainly didn’t want to accidentally dose herself with a mild aphrodisiac while trying to make pills.

            

The afternoon passed quickly. Song Linlin kept busy the whole time, finally managing to produce a batch of rough, uneven pills just as dusk fell.

Strictly speaking, this definitely didn’t count as successfully concocting Hehuan Powder; it was merely a batch of rejects. The efficacy and whatnot would certainly be much weaker. However, having finally managed to produce something pill-shaped, Song Linlin was already very satisfied. She estimated she could definitely master this item completely tomorrow.

“I’m off, Zhang San! I’ll come find you again tomorrow!” Song Linlin called out her farewell at the door.

            

Zhang San nodded. “Mm, see you tomorrow!”

Song Linlin left Ziting Residence in high spirits. She had clearly made significant progress in alchemy. Although she didn’t even qualify as having entered the gate yet, she was still very pleased. At least she could now produce a pill shape—that was a good start.

Returning to her lodgings with light steps, Song Linlin pushed open the door. Her voice carried her cheerfulness, with a lilt at the end, “I’m back!”

            

She sat down in a chair, poured a cup of tea, raised it, and downed it in one gulp. Quite content, she announced to Chi Qianning, “I feel like I had a really fulfilling day today!”

Chi Qianning, however, looked at her and couldn’t help but frown slightly. Smelling the scent lingering in the air, she subconsciously sensed something wasn’t right. “What’s that smell on you?”

The aroma was sickly sweet, like some seductive floral fragrance that induced a sense of dazedness, even making one’s body feel slightly warm.

            

“Hm?” Confused, Song Linlin raised a hand to sniff herself but detected no unusual odor—only the faint, fresh scent still lingered from the Qingxin Dew.

Wait, an unusual odor? Only then did Song Linlin remember using the Qingxin Dew. It could block other scents, so naturally, she wouldn’t smell anything amiss.

However, she had been concocting Hehuan Powder all afternoon. Being closest to the alchemy cauldron and without special protection for her clothes, she had inevitably ended up absorbing those mind-altering medicinal scents. Wasn’t this effectively like using Hehuan Powder as incense and steeping herself in it all afternoon? Song Linlin suspected she must be thoroughly steeped in the scent by now.

            

This didn’t bode well. She remembered Chi Qianning had a very sensitive nose, and moreover, the other girl was currently in heat. Especially sitting so close, the scent surely couldn’t be faint.

“Uh… are you… alright?” Song Linlin turned to look at Chi Qianning, feeling rather guilty.

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