Caelan Thorne wasn't asleep. He was still working on his concoctions. Lumière always claimed that many herbs needed to borrow the moonlight, which forced him to stay up all night.
"Redfire Grass, only the top inch; Frostbloom Flower, just the core of the pistil. Add three drops of Golden Toad's secretion, then blend with Moonlight Dew, pounding repeatedly…""Caelan, for God's sake, don't use me as your personal mortar!" Lumière snapped."Be grateful I haven't fed you to toads yet! What kind of nonsense is Golden Toad's secretion? You mix that in and end up with itching powder, not a strengthening potion!""You don't understand, it's the balance of Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Messenger — yin and yang harmony…""Cut the crap! Last time you made me brew that Stone Skin Water, and whatever devil's dust you added made me itch for three days straight. And the time before that…"Lumière interrupted, totally unrepentant: "If you want tougher skin, you gotta endure what normal people can't. You think martial arts is just eating and sleeping?""I'm starting to believe you're out to get me!" Caelan grumbled, dripping three drops of the foul secretion and lifting the wolf-toothed mace to pound the pestle. He imagined pressing someone's head into the mortar, legs kicking outside — a little mental comfort.
"Caelan, you jerk!""Shut up, you foul stick!"
He'd been studying pharmacology and alchemy for a while now. As his knowledge deepened, Caelan had started suspecting some ingredients were completely unnecessary — just lame traps set by this d*mn talking mace to punish him for ruining its plan to possess the body. Even the whole "borrowing moonlight" thing sounded fishy; maybe it was all nonsense.But as an apprentice, he lacked the guts to defy his tutor, so day after day, he kept following Lumière's flawed recipes and getting burned.
Right now, Caelan was brewing a body-strengthening potion.Though he hadn't learned any true cultivation methods, he was practicing martial arts — the techniques weren't taught by Lumière but came with the body's original owner. He even had some secret manuals, but progress was slow. Meanwhile, Lumière knew plenty of advanced arts, even wielding the mace with skill.The original owner was a mediocre fighter, but his blood could open Lumière's strange pocket dimension. Caelan sensed something was amiss — the villagers' world wasn't as simple as it seemed. Lumière should know more but dodged all questions.Secrets stacked high, trusting this foul-mouthed mace was the last thing he wanted.
"Pound it eighty-nine times, make the potion evenly mixed, a pale red paste. Then heat the furnace to refine it?""Mm… refine, hell no…" the mace groaned, moving in and out of the mortar. "At best, make the raw drug core first. You're still missing Purple Lotus Root, the main ingredient."Caelan froze. "Purple Lotus Root?""You think this scrap mountain has every herb? Even the county town's crap can't compare. Time to get out of here — go to a real place, a land of immortal spirits. Nothing's here; dreaming of alchemy won't get you anywhere."
He paused, lips tight. After a long moment, he said, "I'll deal with the mountain problems first."
Without another word, he grabbed a bucket, mixed some Stone Skin Water with water, and prepared the strengthening liquid. Stripping naked, he sank slowly into the bath, letting the moonlight-infused potion seep into his skin.
No sooner had he settled in than the courtyard gate slammed open with a bang. Princess Aria Northcrest burst in, one hand gripping a spear, the other holding a wild rabbit."Fraud!" she snapped.
Before the words even finished, a water pouch hidden in the doorframe exploded, dousing her head with strange milky-white liquid. Instinctively, Aria tried to dodge, but the splash was too close — she was soaked from head to toe.
And that wasn't all.
As she lunged forward, her foot caught something. Thick vines wrapped tightly around her ankle. She struggled fiercely, but the strange water had sapped her strength. Her qi faltered, and the vines — strengthened by some unknown enchantment — refused to break.
With a sharp tug, the vines yanked her up, flipping her upside down, swinging her from the doorway. Two more vines shot out, binding her wrists securely.
"Cae—" Aria hissed through clenched teeth.The milky liquid dripped back into her mouth, muffling her words. Her eyes, blurred and smeared, caught a glimpse of Caelan — shrunk down in the bucket, staring at her dumbfounded.
From breaking in to being hung upside down took less than a breath. Even Caelan hadn't reacted in time before a girl dangled from his gateframe.
Yes. Definitely a girl.Her soaked form revealed a lithe, graceful figure, unmistakably feminine. Her long hair spilled down in wet waves. Her flushed face burned with anger; teeth clenched tight; eyes blazing with fierce defiance.
"What's with that righteous look?" Caelan shrugged, hugging his knees inside the tub. "I'm taking a bath in my own house. You just busted in to spy on me, okay?"
Aria glared furiously, silent and upside down.Fifteen years of her life, and she'd never been this humiliated. If she spoke, she might break down crying.
Caelan said nothing. The situation was awkward — she hung facing the yard, right across from his bath bucket. He couldn't stand up; he couldn't stay seated.
They stared at each other for what felt like forever. Finally, Aria ground her teeth. "Let me down!"
Caelan sighed. "Close your eyes first."
"Wh-what are you planning?"
He slowly lifted the wolf-toothed mace resting on the tub's edge.
Aria's anger mixed with embarrassment. She hadn't cried until now, but tears welled and spilled as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Lumière's voice echoed faintly in Caelan's mind: "This girl's entertaining."
Caelan ignored it; he wasn't ready for soul-talk just yet.
Water splashed quietly. After a moment, footsteps approached. Aria kept her eyes tightly closed, heart pounding. She dreaded Caelan's wandering gaze on her soaked body. Panic welled inside."You… don't do anything crazy! My brother's almost here — he'll kill you!"
Caelan tilted his head, admiring the beautiful girl hanging there, clutching her spear, clearly shaken.
Suddenly, Aria opened her eyes wide, glaring. Seeing Caelan fully clothed and two feet away calmed her slightly."Put me down!" she demanded.
Caelan struck a vital point on her arm."What?!" Aria gasped.
Slowly, Caelan began untying the vines. "Gotta be cautious. If you get down and stab me, I can't take the hit. No offense."
Aria's anger cooled. "You put Soft-Tendon Powder in the water, and now you're choking me? Seriously?"
"Better safe than sorry," Caelan said, pushing her shoulder gently, then dragging her foot. No inappropriate moves — just enough to right her body.
Aria braced for the worst but was surprised. The seemingly careless guy was more polite than expected. Her embarrassment simmered down a bit.
As soon as she landed, the vines vanished with a swoosh, like a dream. Aria rubbed her wrists silently, saying nothing.
At least this wasn't some ordinary villager — ordinary folks wouldn't set traps or magic wards at their front door.
Caelan pulled out a chair for her, stretching lazily. "Alright, lady who broke into my place — care to explain why?"