The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Master Gu Yuan glanced at the contents of the letter and chuckled, "This old fellow is quite something. Alright, let's start with the mountainous areas of central and southern China then."

Xiao Fan nodded and put the map away. Outside the window, ginkgo leaves fell, and the courtyard was peaceful and serene.

He stood up, stretched his body, and his bones cracked and popped. After stretching his muscles and bones, he felt much more relaxed.

The Northern Ice Tower is alright, with Granny Miao overseeing the Southern Frontier's Embers, and the nodes in the central and southern regions also near the Dan Tower. At most, it will take half a month to clear out all the nodes.

Wei Huoshou postponed his challenge until after the New Year, but the Blackfire Sect's spies remained hidden in the shadows, carrying out their tasks methodically.

He put on his coat, pushed open the door, and entered. The autumn wind blew into his collar, bringing a touch of coolness, and the wind chimes on the eaves of the tower rang crisply.

In the study, the monk Gu Yuan and Han Fei were arguing fiercely about the horses, while Yun Ruoxi leisurely read a book, her fingers occasionally tracing the pages.

Every day is filled with trivialities, but every step is taken steadily.

By mid-December, the twelve checkpoints in the central and southern mountainous areas had been cleared.

It was very cold, and the snow in front of the Danta Temple was very thick.

On the night Xiao Fan returned, Jiang Yuanji hosted a banquet to welcome him back. There were only four or five people, the fire was blazing, a pot of yellow wine was burning red on the table, and icicles were covered on the windows.

Jiang Yuanji poured him a full cup of wine and asked, "What should we do with that batch of nodes?"

Xiao Fan picked up his wine glass to warm his fingers: "We've cleaned up all twelve places in the central and southern regions. There are only some remnants, nothing serious."

According to the figures on the ancient silk manuscript, there are approximately twenty remaining ember nodes within Daqing, distributed across the eastern and northern regions. We'll come again next spring.

Jiang Yuanji nodded, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then changed the subject, asking, "When are you going to see Wei Huoshou?"

"After the New Year," Xiao Fan placed the cup on the table, "we'll go find him again after we've cleared all the ember nodes. He's going deep into the Flame Abyss; the terrain there is complex, and during battle, he won't be able to care about anything else."

Master Gu Yuan sneered, "That Wei fellow is only able to suppress you because he is a second-grade Tribulation Realm cultivator. If we were to fight him in the Flame Abyss Fire Domain, wouldn't you be in control of the home field advantage of the Creation Fire Domain? It would be even better if he lost."

Xiao Fan smiled without speaking, but inwardly he hesitated. The difference between the first and second ranks of the Tribulation Realm was an entire major realm; even with the aid of the Creation Flame, there was no guarantee of success. He needed to skillfully fuse the Thunderfire Token and the Creation Flame.

After the meal, everyone left, leaving only Xiao Fan standing in the corridor, looking at the snowflakes in the courtyard.

The snowflakes were small but dense, falling from the dark night sky and landing on rooftops, branches, and steps, covering them with a soft layer of silver frost.

Yun Ruoxi came out from the other end of the corridor, carrying a thick cotton robe which she draped over his shoulders: "Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Xiao Fan adjusted the collar of his cotton robe and looked at her. The lanterns under the eaves shone on her face, making her look very gentle. Snowflakes still clung to her eyelashes, which he gently brushed away.

"After the New Year, we'll first go to the Eastern Territory to clean up those nodes, then go to Yan Yuan and meet up with Wei Huo. After that, we'll go to the Black Sand Sea in the Western Regions. Although the tower has been repaired, there are still a few 'Ember Nodes' nearby that haven't been cleaned up."

She listened quietly, then said, "I'll go with you."

Xiao Fan nodded, not refusing. The snow in the courtyard fell even heavier, quickly covering their footprints, leaving only a dim yellow lantern illuminating the two of them.

On New Year's Eve, the Danta was brightly decorated, and Jiang Yuanji generously took out several jars of Zhuyeqing liquor from the storeroom.

Master Gu Yuan, his face flushed from drinking, dragged Han Fei into the courtyard and started rambling on. Han Fei replied, "Senior, your horoscope is upside down."

Xiao Fan sat on a low stool, slowly sipping his wine and watching the snowflakes fall under the lantern.

Yun Ruoxi sat beside him, holding a cup of hot tea, and occasionally whispered a few words in his ear.

The fire blazed brightly, and the aroma of wine and smoked meat filled the courtyard.

Han Fei was completely drunk and fell asleep on the stone table, while Gu Yuan fell asleep on a pillar.

Xiao Fan got up, dragged her back to his room, and put her on the bed. When he returned to the courtyard, Yun Ruoxi was still sitting there. The tea had gone cold, and he hadn't poured her any more.

The snow had stopped. Moonlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, casting a silvery glow. Xiao Fan sat down beside her, remaining silent for a long time.

He thought of the New Year, of Wei Huoshou, of the Blackfire Gate, of the twenty ember nodes, and of the words written on the ancient silk scroll: "Though the moon has set, the embers remain." The road ahead was long; he could not afford to relax.

However, the fire in the courtyard was still burning, and no one was moving. In the distance, the wind chimes hanging from the eaves of the pagoda were gently stirred by the night breeze, making a clear and melodious sound.

He downed the last glass of wine in one gulp, stood in the snow, brushed the snowflakes off his clothes, and turned to go back inside.

The morning light shone through the window and onto the map spread out on the table.

Xiao Fan picked up a vermilion pen, drew a circle at several key points, made some annotations next to them, and then put down the pen.

Master Gu Yuan pushed open the door and entered, carrying a bowl of steaming porridge. Seeing him still slumped over the table, he shook his head and asked, "What time was it last night?"

"It's not that late," he replied.

Xiao Fan took the porridge, the steam rising from it dispelling the chill. "Since Granny Miao has already solved the problem in the Southern Frontier for us, let's stick to the original plan and head to the Western Regions first. Those are three relatively remote places; the sooner we resolve them, the better."

Master Gu Yuan sat down opposite him, picked up a sesame seed cake and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "The Western Regions are not peaceful now. I went there once when I was young, and the evil spirits and heretics there are not much less than in the Southern Frontier. Especially near the Black Sand Sea, there are no official roads at all."

While blowing on the porridge, Xiao Fan said, "I've looked at the map. Of the three nodes, two are deep in the Gobi Desert, far from the Black Sand Sea. Moreover, if the Black Fire Sect really has some foundation in the Western Regions, this trip will be a good opportunity for me to find out."

"Alright, I'll go pack the talismans now. That kid Han Fei, hearing we were going on a long journey, already put all his stuff in the car."

As Han Fei moved things, he hummed a little tune and kept muttering something to himself.