Chapter 213: Home Tutor

“Is this a reward after a test?” Lu Xingzhou chuckled. “I don’t find it very interesting. If you believe I’m still worth helping, then please teach me some alchemy knowledge. That’s the most important topic between us, yet it’s ironically the one we discuss the least.”

Ye Tinglan was taken aback, not expecting Lu Xingzhou to react this way.

She had assumed he’d be overjoyed at the prospect of revenge. Indeed, he was different from ordinary people; outwardly gentle, but remarkably untamed within.

Lu Xingzhou was genuinely displeased. After all, they had truly acknowledged their mentor-disciple relationship, and Madam Ye had explicitly called him a disciple.

At least, from the moment she instructed him on the method of bone permeation, Lu Xingzhou had sincerely respected her.

However, everything she had shown seemed to be either for the Yama Hall, or tests of his character—to see if he would disregard everything for revenge, or how he viewed the emperor’s actions, and so on. What he hadn’t seen much of was a teacher’s guidance and care for a student.

Testing before accepting a disciple was normal; but to continue testing *after* accepting one made the so-called mentorship seem disingenuous and distrustful.

Lu Xingzhou could understand, especially since she had just learned that he was responsible for Yama-jun’s descent into demonic cultivation.

Yet, understanding didn’t equate to approval. “If you consistently distrust me, you didn’t have to accept me as a disciple. I didn’t force you; why bother with such pretense? If taking me in is merely for close control and surveillance, then I will request the Pill Academy to assign me a different mentor.”

Ye Tinglan gazed at him steadily for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, “You’re young, but you have quite a temper.”

Lu Xingzhou remained poker-faced, silent.

“Alright,” Ye Tinglan stood up and gently reached out to straighten his collar. “Let’s say I was wrong, okay?”

Lu Xingzhou was momentarily stunned. He was used to seeing her with a cold, aloof demeanor, as if she were stepping on his chest with high heels. This seemed to be the first time he’d witnessed such gentle, elder-like warmth from her—a rare moment of a "big sister next door" vibe.

She actually apologized…

Ye Tinglan said, “As for surveillance, there was some before, but there isn’t now. As for control, no, that’s not it; you’re not someone who can be controlled. Rather than control and surveillance, it’s more about understanding you up close.”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t reply.

“Your past is filled with too many incidents. Without any caution or scrutiny, it would be irresponsible to both myself and others. I believe you would feel the same from my perspective. We are both the kind of people who have many concerns and find it difficult to easily confide in anyone.” Ye Tinglan paused here, then suddenly smiled. “At least my caution is evident. If it were you, you’d be cautiously on guard without showing it, all while making people think you’re incredibly kind.”

Lu Xingzhou was speechless.

*When you put it that way, it seems true.*

“If we’re speaking like that…” Lu Xingzhou, feeling her warm fragrance so close, slowly replied, “My dissatisfaction is also evident. I’m not flattering you to make you think I’m honest, while secretly holding a grudge inside.”

“Ha…” Ye Tinglan chuckled, “So, we’re both being frank?”

“At least so far, I haven’t hidden anything from you. Whatever you asked, I answered. I believe I’ve done everything a disciple should.”

Still, he was essentially calling her an unqualified teacher. Ye Tinglan, with a slight smile, calmly said, “Wanting to drink my water is also something a disciple should do?”

Lu Xingzhou was dumbfounded. Was she really going to bring *that* up?

“You yourself are unruly and haven’t shown me much respect. You’re well aware of how aggressive your gaze can be,” Ye Tinglan said, sizing him up with a smile. “Are you like this with Yama-jun too?”

With “aggressive gaze” brought up, Lu Xingzhou became much more subdued. Especially with the mention of Yama-jun… if she implied he was kicked out for that, it might just be the truth.

“Are you still blaming me for being cautious? Shouldn’t I be?”

“Being your ‘Yu Guan’ (imperial official/advisor) can actually be interpreted in many ways. I’m a guide on your path of alchemy, yet we’re not truly mentor and disciple. How is that not a form of ‘Yu Guan’?” Ye Tinglan settled back into her chair and calmly continued, “I’ve received your complaints. From today onwards, I will do what a mentor should.”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t know how to respond for a moment. He had just stated with a stern face that he could request a different mentor; now, saying something like “Thank you, Teacher” would be too obsequious, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

*That old woman sure has a thick skin.*

“Besides what you acquired from the Incense Pavilion, you must have obtained the alchemy notes of a powerful alchemist on your own, notes superior to those in the Incense Pavilion. But you have no one to explain them, so self-study is relatively arduous, isn’t it?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“If it’s inconvenient to show me the entire inheritance, you can transcribe the difficult points you find perplexing, and I’ll explain them to you.”

“Now?”

“Of course, while I have time today.”

Lu Xingzhou no longer dwelled on trivial matters; acquiring knowledge was, after all, the most important thing. Glancing at the paper and brush on the table, he picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and swiftly wrote down several difficult questions.

Ye Tinglan crossed her right leg over her left, leaning back in her chair and observing Lu Xingzhou as he wrote.

She had to admit, this "dog-headed strategist" indeed possessed a certain charm. Just standing there and writing, he exuded an aura of elegance and grace, with his brush strokes flowing like dragons and snakes. No wonder that shameless Sheng Yuanyao had brazenly inserted her personal bias into the New Talent List, with the comment: “Like jade among the fields, a young master without peer in the world.”

When the New Talent List was first released, this fellow was still in a wheelchair, and that comment had been widely ridiculed. However, no one dared to openly mock Sheng Yuanyao for her infatuation, out of respect for Sheng Qingfeng. But Ye Tinglan now felt that once Lu Xingzhou stood up, perhaps slowly, no one would laugh at that comment anymore; everyone who saw him would think he deserved it.

His little outburst today was quite endearing… She mused that her caution towards him had indeed been a bit harsh, but then again, he was the one who led her sister astray.

Still, Elder Xu was right; blaming a low-ranking disabled person who merely offered advice seemed a bit excessive. Yuan Muyu herself wasn’t exactly an honest person. It was just a cunning strategist meeting a seductive enchantress…

But now, the Yama Hall was truly troublesome… it was almost becoming a major scourge.

Ye Tinglan sighed softly, her thoughts drifting aimlessly.

“Teacher? Teacher?” Ye Tinglan snapped out of her thoughts to see Lu Xingzhou standing before her, holding the paper with a strange expression.

*That momentary lapse in attention just now—he wouldn’t think she was staring at him in a trance, would he?*

Ye Tinglan’s expression remained unchanged. She reached out and took the paper, and Lu Xingzhou stood beside her, pointing and asking.

“‘The Gate of Three-Five is only the Sun and Moon, clearly Mao and You are the beginning.’ What does ‘The Gate of Three-Five’ refer to? All I know about ‘five-three’ is the conscription system where three out of five men are drafted…”

“There are many interpretations for ‘The Gate of Three-Five.’ It can refer to the fifteenth day of each month, where ‘three-five’ indicates waxing and waning. It can also signify a minor change at thirty years old and a major change at five hundred years old. Furthermore, it can refer to the ‘Three Rectifications and Five Elements,’ implying that the Heavenly Dao is not far, and ‘three-five’ returns again.” Ye Tinglan calmly explained, “Considering this line alone, it simply refers to the fifteenth day of the month.”

“…Then why did he write ‘The Gate of Three-Five’? Couldn’t he just write ‘the fifteenth’? Why bother making his own notes sound so profound?”

“Because they were highly educated, references came naturally to them; it wasn’t necessarily intentional. These are personal notes, not meant for the convenience of future, less educated readers.”

“Then what does ‘Mao and You are the beginning’ mean?”

“‘Mao’ and ‘You’ represent positions of longevity. ‘Mao’ signifies the birth of Yang energy, while ‘You’ signifies the sitting position of Yin energy. This line emphasizes the timing for alchemy: the fifteenth day, during the Mao (5-7 AM) and You (5-7 PM) hours,” Ye Tinglan explained. “Some special elixirs require specific times for refinement, and even certain cultivation techniques or meditation practices have similar precise timing requirements.”

“That’s not scientific at all.”

“What?”

“Nothing. So, how does one determine which elixirs require specific hours? Is there a fixed list?”

“Since your alchemy has reached the stage of customized prescriptions, you should naturally understand that anything fixed is of lower grade. Which elixir corresponds to which hours is something you need to comprehend and master yourself. That’s why alchemy has always been a field that demands the most experience. While you can refine third-grade elixirs, if assessed for your grade, you wouldn’t be considered a third-grade alchemist; you’re too specialized.”

“So, for a third-grade alchemist assessment, even the mastery of timing is evaluated?”

“Precisely. Even how long it takes to refine an elixir has a set time. The scenarios where you used to finish before others will never happen again.”

Lu Xingzhou: “Then this line: ‘Having met the three flowers, now they liquify again; the nine transformations can complete the work of ages.’ Do these ‘three flowers’ refer to ‘three flowers converging at the crown’? Essence, Qi, and Spirit? But who refines elixirs without essence, qi, and spirit? Why record it specifically? It can’t mean capturing a ‘Three-Flower Lady’ to refine, can it?”

“…It refers to fire.”

Lu Xingzhou was confused.

He now just wanted to drag Maha, wherever he was hiding, out for a good beating.

*You’re writing notes for yourself, just say fire! Why ‘three flowers’? Besides, what’s so special about needing fire for alchemy? Isn’t that obviously crazy?*

“Of course, this fire isn’t just any ordinary fire; it doesn’t mean any flame will do,” Ye Tinglan explained. “Or, to put it another way, it’s called ‘Samadhi Fire’.”

Lu Xingzhou’s expression finally turned serious.

*I misjudged you, Maha.*

If it was the Samadhi True Fire, then it was certainly worth recording. It was just that people used different terms, and it was his freedom to prefer “three flowers.”

Ye Tinglan’s expression was also somewhat serious. “Where did you get these notes? This person is already attempting to refine a Nine-Revolutions Golden Elixir. This level is extraordinary. He was trying to ascend to immortality…”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, “Most likely, he failed his ascension and left this convenient legacy for me.”

“He was a Super-grade Alchemist,” Ye Tinglan stated with certainty. “He was already seeking knowledge of Samadhi True Fire, which is beyond the comprehension of a first-grade alchemist. This line is quite valuable to me. This person believed that refining a Nine-Revolutions Golden Elixir required Samadhi True Fire, and perhaps I could…”

She had intended to say, “I could conduct this experiment,” but then realized that saying so would reveal too much of her true strength. As a “first-grade alchemist” (which was what she had presented herself as), she wasn’t qualified to dabble with Samadhi True Fire. So, she continued, “Perhaps I could also explore this direction…”

In reality, Lu Xingzhou’s mind wasn’t on her at all. He didn’t notice her change of words. Having several long-standing perplexing questions suddenly resolved felt incredibly satisfying, like relieving long-term constipation. “Then, Teacher, what about this line…”

Ah Nuo sat to the side, chin in hand, watching the two of them with their heads close together, studying. She thought the scene was quite beautiful.