My Years as a Menace in the Sect

As dawn broke, smoke began to rise from the small courtyard of the medicine testing hall.

Wei Ping'an squatted down beside the dormitory bed, packing his luggage. There wasn't much to pack: a few faded servant's robes, half a herbal medicine guide with curled edges, over seventy spirit stones wrapped in three layers of oil paper, and the elm wood medicine shovel in the corner. He left the remaining half box of Qi-stabilizing powder to Zhang Erpang as payment for his hard work watching the shop these past few days.

"Brother Wei, are you sure you don't need me to help you carry it over?" Zhang Erpang squatted down beside him, helping him tie up the bedding, his fat face scrunched up. "I know that courtyard at the foot of Danfeng Peak, it's far from here. It'll be so tiring for you to carry the pot and all that stuff on your back."

"No need, I can manage with just this much stuff." Wei Ping'an tightened the Xuanwen pot against his back, the pot's body warm against his chest. "Take good care of the drying room business. I'll come back to see you once I'm settled. If there's anything you can't handle, go to Uncle Zheng. Don't try to tough it out."

"I know." Zhang Erpang hung his head, looking like he'd been hit by frost. "Don't forget me when you go to Danfeng. Come back and eat jujube cake whenever you have time. I'll save some for you every day."

As they were talking, Old Man Zheng came out of the kitchen, carrying a cloth bag, and placed it on Wei Ping'an's bundle. "Inside is my medicine grinder that I've used for half my life, as well as a few packets of antidote powder and heart-protecting pills. You're just starting out in alchemy, and you might make a mistake, so you'll need them."

Old Zheng, with a pipe dangling from his lips but no tobacco in hand, said, "Danfeng has many rules and its people are a mixed bag. Speak less and do more. Don't be a show-off or take it lying down. If you really run into trouble, go back to the Medicine Testing Hall. This old man of mine can still protect you."

Wei Ping'an felt a warmth in his heart: "I'll remember that, Uncle Zheng. Please take good care of yourself. Keep the Hundred-Year Ginseng Dew for yourself. My sect leader will distribute pills, so you don't need it."

"Just take it." Old Zheng stuffed the porcelain bottle into his arms. "At my age, it would be a waste for me to drink it. You're at the age where you're laying the foundation, so you'll need it."

When he finished getting ready and left, it was already broad daylight. The handymen from the Medicine Testing Hall stood at the courtyard gate to see him off. Zhao Sipang handed him a bag of fried spirit beans, saying, "Eat this on the way, Brother Wei. Don't forget us when you make it big in the future."

"What are you saying?" Wei Ping'an smiled and took it. "We all came from the same courtyard, how could I forget? I'll come back whenever I have time, and we'll continue drinking."

Carrying his bundle, he walked along the mountain path towards Danfeng. The morning breeze carried the scent of herbs. Disciples along the path greeted him from afar with clasped hands, addressing him politely as "Senior Brother Wei." Two months ago, who would have given a mere servant in the Medicine Testing Hall a second glance? Wei Ping'an felt a sense of gratitude but remained humble. He knew better than anyone that this politeness stemmed from his status as a Glorious Disciple and his position as a direct disciple of Headmaster Xie. One must take things one step at a time, and build strength little by little. Humility is always the best policy.

The courtyard at the foot of Danfeng Peak was far better than he had imagined. It had blue tiles and white walls, and a wooden plaque hung above the gate, yet no inscription. Inside was a small courtyard with a half-person-tall spirit peach tree in the center, its branches laden with green peaches. To the left was a quiet room with futons, and a spirit-gathering array plate embedded in the wall; the spiritual energy there was more than three times denser than in the medicine-testing hall. To the right was the alchemy room, with blue brick flooring and medicine shelves against the wall, leaving a large open space in the middle perfect for the alchemy furnace. In the backyard was a small, half-acre herb garden, its soil softly turned over, planted with the most basic Qi-gathering grass and silver-leaf grass.

"No wonder I'm being treated like a direct disciple." Wei Ping'an tossed his bundle onto the stone table and circled the courtyard. Before, in the servants' quarters, seven or eight people crammed into a single dormitory bed, making it difficult to even turn over. Now, he had his own courtyard, complete with a pill room and a herb garden—it felt like a dream.

First, he carefully placed the Xuanwen pot into the innermost cabinet of the alchemy room and locked it. Then, he placed the medicine grinder given to him by Old Man Zheng and his own medicine shovel on the medicine shelf. He hid the spirit stones in a secret compartment of the quiet room, spread the bedding in the bedroom, and it took him more than half an hour to finally settle down.

Sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard, the morning light bathed the entire space. From a refugee from Da Liu Village to a handyman in the Medicine Testing Hall, and now a glorious disciple and the personal disciple of the Dan Peak Master, he had stumbled and nearly lost his life several times, but finally managed to gain a foothold. However, he hadn't forgotten Elder Xuan Ya's words: the Xuanwen Black Gold Cauldron was still just a fragment, and his cultivation was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining; the road ahead was long. There might be other forces behind the Qi family, and Deacon Sun was also eyeing them covetously; he couldn't afford to be complacent.

Just as he was pondering this, there was a knock at the courtyard gate. Opening the door, he saw Xie Yunzhou standing outside, followed by a young apprentice carrying a wooden box. Wei Ping'an quickly stepped aside to bow and invited them into the courtyard.

Xie Yunzhou entered the alchemy room, glanced at the furnishings, and nodded slightly: "It's quite tidy. The most important thing in alchemy is a calm mind, and a clean environment makes it easier to concentrate." He gestured for the alchemist to place the wooden box on the alchemy table, opened the lid, and inside were three jade slips, three alchemy furnaces, and a small box of basic medicinal herbs, all neatly arranged.

"Keep these three volumes of cultivation techniques safe." Xie Yunzhou pointed to them. "The first volume is about the basic methods of fire control. In the Qi Refining Realm, you rely entirely on spiritual energy to control fire when refining pills. The second volume is about the compatibility of medicinal herbs and the steps of melting liquid and condensing pills, starting with Qi Gathering Pills and Yuan Nourishing Powder. The third volume records the medicinal properties and processing methods of three hundred common spiritual herbs. Memorize them first. Refining pills without understanding the medicinal properties is like a blind man groping his way."

Wei Ping'an picked them up one by one and scanned them with his divine sense. The contents were detailed and the annotations were meticulous, a hundred times better than the incomplete books he had secretly read in the servants' quarters. "Thank you for bestowing the teachings, Abbot." He solemnly put the jade slips away.

"These three alchemy furnaces are for you to practice with." Xie Yunzhou pointed to the furnaces and cauldrons. "The leftmost furnace is the most durable, with a high tolerance for error in controlling the heat, suitable for beginners. The middle one, the green iron furnace, is a low-grade magic tool with even heat conduction; you can use it after you've become more proficient. The rightmost one, the cloud-patterned bronze furnace, is a mid-grade magic tool with good heat-gathering effect; you don't need it yet, so keep it for now." The three furnaces were of different sizes. The first furnace was heavy and rough, the green iron furnace gleamed with a cold light and was exquisitely crafted, and the cloud-patterned bronze furnace was engraved with fine cloud patterns; it was clearly very valuable.

Wei Ping'an's eyes lit up. He used to only use earthenware pots to brew medicine in the Medicine Testing Hall and had never even touched a proper alchemy furnace. Now, he was using three of them right away. The sect leader was indeed generous.

"Alchemy is not something that can be accomplished in a day, so you must avoid being impatient and impetuous." Xie Yunzhou stood in front of the alchemy platform, his tone calm. "You have a foundation in testing and decocting medicines, and you are familiar with the properties of medicinal herbs, which is an advantage. But decocting medicines is a rigid method, while alchemy is a dynamic one. The timing, the timing, and the circulation of spiritual energy are all crucial; even the slightest difference can lead to drastically different results."

He paused, his gaze landing on Wei Ping'an, his tone suggestive, "I know you have a Xuanwen pot that can purify medicinal power and nourish your meridians. You can use it to process the herbs when refining pills, which can increase the success rate. But remember, external tools are only aids; the true foundation lies within yourself. Over-reliance on external tools will become a bottleneck when your cultivation level rises."

Wei Ping'an's heart skipped a beat; Sect Leader Xie really did know about the Mystic Pattern Pot. "This disciple will remember Sect Leader's teachings and will never seek shortcuts, but will cultivate steadily and surely."

"It's good that you understand." Xie Yunzhou nodded in satisfaction. "I'll give you your first assignment: Within seven days, use the alchemy furnace to refine your first batch of Qi Gathering Pills. The grade doesn't matter, just make sure they're successful. If you have any questions, you can ask me at the Medicine Fusion Hall, or you can ask other senior brothers and sisters for advice." After saying that, he gave a few more instructions and then left with the alchemist.

Only Wei Ping'an remained in the alchemy room. He circled the three alchemy furnaces twice, rubbing his hands together. "It's just a Qi Gathering Pill, right? I can make a fortune brewing medicine, how difficult can alchemy be?"

He first took out the third jade slip and carefully read through the medicinal properties and processing methods of the five herbs needed for the Qi Gathering Pill: Qi Gathering Grass, Spirit Root Flower, Ginkgo Kernel, Green Leaf Grass, and Xuanming Powder. Only after confirming that he had memorized them did he open the herb box. The herbs were clean and neatly arranged, categorized and packed in small jade boxes. After weighing them in the correct proportions, he moved the alchemy furnace to the center of the alchemy platform and carved the fire-igniting array patterns on the bottom of the furnace.

With everything prepared, he sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and a cluster of pale blue pill fire emerged from his fingertips. This was the most basic Fire Separation Technique for Qi Induction Realm cultivators; its temperature was not high, making it perfect for refining basic pills.

The fire ignited at the bottom of the furnace, slowly raising its temperature. Following the method from the first volume, he controlled the fire, warming the furnace for three breaths before adding the first ingredient, the Qi-gathering herb. The herb quickly released a faint herbal fragrance upon entering the furnace, and he carefully channeled spiritual energy into it, not daring to be careless. Initially, things went smoothly; the Qi-gathering herb slowly melted into a dark green liquid. However, a problem arose when he added the second ingredient, the spiritual root flower. The spiritual root flower was cold in nature, causing the furnace temperature to drop sharply after it was added. He quickly increased the output of spiritual energy, and the fire blazed up instantly.

My heart skipped a beat and I knew something was wrong. Black smoke was billowing from the medicine in the furnace, and a burnt smell wafted out from the furnace opening. I turned off the fire and lifted the lid; inside, it was all blackened dregs.

"It's the first time, that's normal," Wei Ping'an encouraged himself. "Practice makes perfect, let's try again."

After discarding the dregs and cleaning the alchemy furnace, I took a new batch of herbs and started again. This time, I deliberately slowed down the alchemical fire when adding the spirit root flower, gradually increasing the temperature. However, the spirit root flower melted too slowly and did not blend evenly with the Qi-gathering herbal liquid, resulting in flocculent sediment.

Trying to heat it up and fuse it, the Qi-gathering liquid at the bottom burned again. The third, fourth, fifth batches... either the heat was too high and it burned the bottom, or the heat was too low and it wouldn't solidify, or the medicinal materials clashed and bulged in the furnace. The more he refined, the more anxious he became, and the more anxious he became, the more mistakes he made. On the eighth batch, as soon as he poured in the Xuanming powder, a hissing sound came from the furnace, and a thin crack appeared on the furnace body.

"Oh no, it's going to explode!" Wei Ping'an reacted extremely quickly. His first thought wasn't to dodge, but rather... This was only the first day they moved into this new courtyard. If the alchemy room was destroyed, how many spirit stones would it cost to repair it? Despite his heartache, he didn't slow down at all. He grabbed the scorching hot alchemy furnace, rushed to the door of the alchemy room, and threw it with all his might into the open space outside the courtyard wall.

"Get out of here!"

The alchemy furnace flew out of the courtyard in an arc, then exploded with a loud bang, sending fragments and black dregs flying everywhere, and smoke and dust billowing high into the sky. Wei Ping'an peeked out from the courtyard gate, and just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he heard two coughs coming from within the smoke.

"Cough cough cough... What the hell?"

"Who is it! Throwing something into the furnace in broad daylight! Don't you have any sense of public decency!" As the smoke cleared, two outer disciples stood there, their faces covered in soot, their hair all frizzy, and their robes stained with medicinal residue, looking like they had crawled out of a coal mine.

One of them wiped his face, jumped up and yelled, "Who's in there? Get out here!"

Wei Ping'an sensed something was wrong, but he forced himself to push open the door, cupped his hands, and smiled apologetically: "I'm so sorry, senior brothers. I'm a beginner in alchemy and I couldn't control the heat. I messed up." The two men, who were initially furious, instantly lost their temper when they saw that it was Wei Ping'an.

Disciples of Glory, personally taught by Headmaster Xie, these two are not to be trifled with. "Oh...so it's Senior Brother Wei." One of them chuckled dryly, wiping his face. "It's nothing, it's nothing. Everyone's like this when they're first learning alchemy, I understand."

The other one quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, who hasn't blown up a few alchemy furnaces? Senior Brother Wei is busy, we'll be going now." With that, they turned and slipped away faster than rabbits. Wei Ping'an watched their retreating figures and scratched his head. So, the title of Glory Disciple could be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card?

He closed the door and returned to the alchemy room, looking at the remaining two alchemy furnaces and half a box of medicinal herbs, he took a deep breath. "Let's try again! I refuse to believe I can't refine a batch of Qi Gathering Pills!"

For the next few days, the foot of Danfeng Peak was quite lively. Wei Tiantian spent all his time in the alchemy room refining pills from morning till night, and the sound of the furnace exploding every few days would be heard. Sometimes two or three furnaces would explode in a day, sometimes one would explode in half a day, and black smoke would occasionally billow out of the courtyard as if a fire had broken out. He had also learned from experience; if he sensed something was wrong with the furnace, he would immediately throw it over the wall. The open space outside the courtyard wall was cratered and full of medicinal residue and furnace fragments. The disciples who passed by all learned their lesson and walked around his courtyard, fearing that one day they would be hit by a furnace falling from the sky.

"Have you heard? The new senior brother Wei, that glorious disciple, is always causing trouble in the furnace!"

"That's right, I almost got splashed with medicine residue yesterday when I passed by."

"How come Master Xie's personally taught disciple is so bad at alchemy? Is he just all talk and no action?"

"It's hard to say. He used to be a handyman in the medicine testing hall and had no experience with proper alchemy, so it's normal for the furnace to explode. It's just a pity that those medicinal herbs and furnaces were all provided by the sect. They don't seem to care about wasting them like this."

As gossip slowly spread, Wei Ping'an closed the door to refine pills, paying no heed to a word of what was being said outside. He knew that a furnace explosion wasn't the scary part; the scary part was not learning from it. After each explosion, he would review the process, noting whether the heat control was off, the order of the herbs was wrong, or where the spiritual energy circulation went wrong, noting it down in his notebook to correct next time.

The more times I fry the ingredients, the more skilled I become at controlling the heat. I started frying as soon as I added the second ingredient, but later I was able to hold it until the condensation stage before frying. I've made great progress.

That afternoon, there was another knock at the courtyard gate. Wei Ping'an had just finished blasting a pill furnace, his face still covered in soot. He opened the door to find Shen Qingyao there. She was carrying a food box and a roll of yellowed paper. Seeing his appearance, she couldn't help but smile. "I heard you've been blasting furnaces every day these past few days. I didn't believe it. You're practically a black cat now."

She walked into the courtyard and placed the food box on the stone table. Wei Ping'an touched his face, his hands covered in dust, a little embarrassed: "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Senior Sister Shen. I'm just a beginner in alchemy."

"That's normal. When I first started learning, I blew up more furnaces than you, and I even blackened a section of the alchemy room wall. My master scolded me for three whole days." Shen

Qingyao handed over the roll of paper. "This is my experience learning how to control fire. It explains when to use a gentle fire and when to use a strong fire, and how to control the fire when condensing the elixir. See if you can use it."

Unfolding it, one finds neat handwriting, densely filled with details on fire control and temperature adjustments for different medicinal herbs entering the furnace—more practical than what's written on the jade slip. "This is too precious, Senior Sister Shen. I have nothing to give you in return."

"Don't mention it." Shen Qingyao smiled. "Your Qi-stabilizing powder helped me a lot back then. Besides, you risked your life to save Senior Sister Su and the others, which saved everyone. What's a little insight like this?" She paused and added, "The most crucial step in refining the Qi Gathering Pill is the condensation of the pill. The pill fire must be kept steady, neither rushed nor interrupted. If you can't control it, you can use a wisp of spiritual energy to wrap around the medicinal liquid and slowly condense it. This will greatly increase the success rate."

"Really?" Wei Ping'an's eyes lit up. "I always fail at condensing pills; they either dissipate or the furnace explodes. I'll give it a try later."

The two sat down at the stone table, and Shen Qingyao went on to explain many common pitfalls for beginners: Xuanming powder shouldn't be added too early, the core of the spirit root flower should be removed, and the skin of the ginkgo kernel should be removed first. These were all practical details not written on the jade slip; without guidance, one could burn the furnace countless times without figuring it out.

They chatted for nearly an hour, with Wei Ping'an listening attentively and memorizing every detail. He used to think Shen Qingyao was aloof and meticulous, calculating every penny precisely, but after getting to know her better, he discovered that she was warm-hearted beneath her cold exterior and incredibly thoughtful. As he saw her to the door, she turned back and reminded him, "Don't stay up too late refining pills, it'll strain your mind. If you have any questions, you can come to Pill Peak to find me; I spend most of my time in the herb garden."

"Understood, thank you, Senior Sister Shen."

Returning to the alchemy room with his insights, he restarted the furnace following Shen Qingyao's instructions. The steps of warming the furnace, adding the medicine, and melting the liquid became much smoother. When it came to the condensation stage, he separated a wisp of extremely fine spiritual energy, enveloping the medicinal liquid, and slowly rotated it within the furnace, keeping the alchemical fire at its lowest setting for steady heating. The medicinal liquid gradually condensed, separating into five or six small droplets, which slowly rotated under the guidance of the spiritual energy.

"It's done!" Wei Ping'an was overjoyed, but his hands remained steady as he continued to maintain the fire, allowing the liquid droplets to slowly solidify. After three breaths, he gently withdrew the fire, and the moment he lifted the lid, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out. At the bottom of the furnace lay six round Qi Gathering Pills, their sizes uneven and their surfaces rough, two even bearing charred spots—but they were undeniably complete pills!

"It's done! It's finally done!" He was so happy he almost jumped for joy. He picked one up and smelled it; the aroma was pure. Although it was the lowest grade, it was still the first batch of pills he had personally refined. It hadn't been easy; he had blown up more than a dozen pill furnaces and wasted half a box of medicinal herbs, but he had finally succeeded.

He carefully stored the newly refined pills in a small porcelain bottle, planning to refine a few more batches, select the best ones to give to Old Man Zheng and Zhang Erpang, and also send a bottle to Shen Qingyao to thank her for her insights.

Before his excitement had even subsided, he suddenly frowned. He had sensed something was wrong while refining the pills earlier. The Qi-gathering herbs he used today were much weaker than those from the previous days, and there were many impurities when they melted, making the liquid very turbid. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had such a hard time condensing the pills, and he wouldn't have only managed to produce six low-grade pills.

Logically, the basic medicinal herbs issued by the sect should all be of uniform quality, so there shouldn't be such a large difference. He picked up the remaining Qi-gathering grass and brought it to his nose to smell it; the fragrance was very faint, with a subtle astringent taste. Normal Qi-gathering grass should have a pleasant fragrance and not have an astringent taste.

Feeling a vague sense of unease, he picked up the other medicinal herbs and examined them one by one. The petals of the Spirit Root Flower were wilted, the ginkgo kernels were a darker color, and the leaves of the Green Leaf Grass had fine yellow spots. These herbs looked normal, but their medicinal properties were significantly reduced, as if they had been soaked in water or stored for a long time.

But the medicinal herbs he received were those issued by the sect to its direct disciples, which should all be new stock from that year. Wei Ping'an's face slowly darkened. The first person he thought of was Deacon Sun. Back in the medicine testing hall, Sun had often made things difficult for him, withholding medicinal herbs, deliberately assigning him heavy work, and doing all sorts of unethical things.

This time, he rose to become the headmaster's personal disciple in one fell swoop, and Steward Sun probably hates him even more. Steward Sun has been managing the medicine storehouse for many years, and many of the managers are his people, making it too easy for him to tamper with the medicinal materials. An explosion in the furnace is a minor matter; if incompatible medicinal properties are added one day, a serious accident during alchemy could lead to a furnace explosion and severe injuries.

"Deacon Sun, oh Deacon Sun, you're really persistent." Wei Ping'an sneered, picking out the problematic herbs, wrapping them in paper, and putting them in the cabinet. Without evidence, making a scene now would only make him seem like he was making a mountain out of a molehill and alert the enemy. It was better to remain silent and see what the other party wanted to do.

He guessed correctly. At that moment, in the deacon's courtyard on the west side of Danfeng, Deacon Sun was sitting in a grand chair listening to his junior disciple's report.

"Reporting to Martial Uncle, as you instructed, we have mixed 30% old herbs into the medicinal materials we sent to Wei Ping'an. We selected herbs whose medicinal properties have not diminished significantly, so that most people would not be able to detect it." The junior disciple said with a smile. "He is just a novice alchemist and does not know anything about the quality of medicinal materials. If the furnace explodes, he will only think that his skills are poor and will never suspect the medicinal materials."

Deacon Sun took a sip of tea and smiled sinisterly. "Well done. What's a little bit of old medicine? Let him have a taste first. Once he lowers his guard, we'll give him a bigger boost next time." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "I'll make him famous for causing a ruckus, so the whole sect knows that this so-called honorary disciple is just a piece of trash who can't even refine basic pills. Once Sect Leader Xie is disappointed in him, his position as a personal disciple will be gone in no time."

"Uncle-Master is brilliant! Once he loses power, won't you be in control of the Qi-Stabilizing Powder formula at the Medicine Testing Hall?" Deacon Sun sneered smugly. What he wanted was far more than just the Qi-Stabilizing Powder formula. Wei Ping'an had made him lose face so badly and had even stolen the opportunity that should have belonged to his nephew, Sun Ming. This score would have to be settled slowly.

The furnace explosion is just the first step. In a few days, we'll add some other herbs that will make the alchemical fire blaze, and then the furnace will explode right there in the alchemy room. At best, it will cause serious injury; at worst, it will destroy the meridians. Let's see how arrogant this little servant will be then.

Night fell, and Wei Ping'an's courtyard was quiet, except for the light still on in the alchemy room. He wasn't refining pills anymore; he sat on a futon, toying with the Qi-gathering grass in his hand, the Xuanwen pot resting on his lap, its warmth flowing from his palm. He

Knowing that peaceful days were numbered, and that Deacon Sun wouldn't stop at simply adding the old medicine after taking action, there were bound to be more insidious tricks to come. But he was no longer the helpless servant he once was; he possessed the cultivation of the fifth level of Qi Induction, a basic level of the Profound Pattern Body Tempering Technique, and the trump card of the Profound Pattern Pot. If things really came to a head, the outcome was uncertain.

"Want to play, huh?" Wei Ping'an smiled. "Then I'll play with you properly." He put away the medicinal herbs and blew out the lamp.

In the shadows outside the courtyard wall, a dark figure silently retreated, heading straight for Steward Sun's courtyard.