"Yes, but it doesn't matter."
"Alchemical concoctions don't always need to be hard pellets," Lei Feng said with a smile. "The final product is determined by the reaction. This batch is turning into a Muscle-Ease Balm. It's perfect for any body cultivator who needs to reduce muscle soreness."
Time slowly passed by, and Lei Feng stopped explaining more. Jin Bao also became quiet, unwilling to disturb Lei Feng.
After ten minutes, Lei Feng lifted the lid. He used a wooden spoon to check the bowl. The mixture had thickened further. He turned off the flame and carefully lifted the bowl out.
"See?" Lei Feng held up the bowl. The mixture was a perfect, translucent green. "
"What do you think?"
Jin Bao leaned over, taking a look at the bowl of mixture in Lei Feng's hands. A faint aroma emanated out of bowl.
"This.... This seems like a medicinal concoction!! Brother, you really did it! And from the looks of it, it seems it could be in the middle of tier 1!"
"Of course. A hundred percent success rate, using only common ingredients. Alchemy is simply understanding the nature of things."
Jin Bao was still spellbound, looking back and forth between the bowl and Lei Feng. He was still unable to process what was going on.
Lei Feng came forward and handed the bowl to Jin Bao. "Now, this is your first gift as my underling. Rub it on your arms and shoulders, especially where you feel stiff."
"Me? Should I really use this? If it were genuine, it could fetch a good price." Jin Bao immediately refused.
"Nonsense. Do you think I cannot make more of it if I wanted?" Lei Feng snorted.
Jin Bao hesitatingly took the bowl. The aroma hit his nostrils once again, this time even stronger than before.
He scoped a small amount began to rub a small amount of the balm onto his right arm, which sometimes ached from kneading dough.
A warmth spread immediately across his skin.
His arm felt loose, and the tension that always pulled at his shoulder lessened and the arm started feeling much more relaxed.
Jin Bao's eyes widened at the immediate impact. He could not stop the feeling of awe from showing on his face.
"Brother... I feel it working," Jin Bao whispered. "This feels like an illusion. How is this possible?"
"It's just an application of the principles," Lei Feng shrugged. "Now, do you still think I was joking about the alchemists being trash?"
Jin Bao stared at his relaxed arm. He touched his shoulder, rotating it fully. The chronic, dull ache from years of kneading dough was gone.
He looked at the small bowl of green balm. He looked at the bored expression on Lei Feng's face.
"Broth... Master!!"
Jin Bao's legs trembled. He fell to his knees, his hefty frame hitting the wooden floor with a loud thud.
He pressed his forehead flat against the planks.
"Master! Please accept this Jin Bao as your disciple!" His voice was thick. "From today on, I will follow you till the ends of time."
"Please, teach me this path!"
Lei Feng recoiled, a look of disgust flashing across his face.
"Master?" he snapped.
'That word...' Lei Feng thought, a sudden image of an old man scratching his feet and picking his nose appearing in his mind. He visibly shuddered.
"Get up. Stop that."
Jin Bao looked up, confused, but remained on his knees.
"Do I look like a decrepit old man to you?" Lei Feng demanded. "Never call me that. It reminds me of a... degenerate."
"Then... then.. what should I call you?"
"How about you continue calling me Brother Lei?" Lei Feng proposed.
"Absolutely not. In this world of cultivation, seniority must be maintained." Jin Bao resolutely shook his head.
Lei Feng rubbed his chin. "Hmph. 'Young Master' will do. It sounds much better."
Jin Bao's face lit up. He immediately slammed his head back to the floor. "Yes! Young Master! Disciple Jin Bao greets Young Master Lei! Please accept my kowtows."
"Enough, get up."
Jin Bao scrambled to his feet, his face red with excitement. He looked at Lei Feng as if he were looking at an immortal. "Young Master, that balm... you are a true alchemy god! To make a Tier 1 balm from simple honey and leaves..."
"Stop getting excited over scraps." Lei Feng cut him off, waving his hand dismissively. "This is just a basic Muscle-Ease Balm. It's nothing."
He tapped the bowl. "If you follow me, in the future, even a Tier 5 Heavenly Pill won't be an impossibility."
Jin Bao's breath caught in his throat. 'Tier 5?'
He did not even know that there were levels above tier 3. In fact, even the entire city had rarely seen Tier 3 pills.
And yet, Lei Feng claimed to be able to make Tier 5 pills?
"Young Master..."
"But," Lei Feng said, his tone shifting. He looked around the poor kitchen. "Even I cannot make pills from air. We need proper ingredients. Those Fire-Heart Grass and Jade-Stem Roots I mentioned. They cost money."
The excitement on Jin Bao's face vanished, as if a flame doused by cold water. 'Money...'
He had no money, and it seemed that his master's financial situation was.. also tight.
They needed to earn more money somehow.
His eyes snapped back to the bowl of green balm in Lei Feng's hand. A new spark ignited.
"Young Master! The balm! We can sell this!"
Jin Bao pointed toward the door. "The Azure Dragon vendor market is open! Body cultivators and laborers are always there. A genuine Tier 1 balm... it could fetch at least a few silver coins!"
Lei Feng looked at the bowl. 'Sell this? It's like selling mud.' He thought for a second. 'But I suppose some people could find this useful.'
"Master. Stop hesitating. This balm of yours with an instantaneous effect will certainly sell for a high price. Even though this is a Tier 1 balm, other Tier 1 medicines probably won't even come close to its efficacy."
"Hmph. It is a slow way, but we need a starting fund," Lei Feng finally said. "Fine. Stop wasting time. Let's go."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Jin Bao grabbed the bowl, placed it carefully into a small wooden box, and snatched his outer robes from a hook.
"Please, this way."
Soon, the duo reached a bustling street.
One could easily hear shouts from other vendors and customers haggling, the clucking of chickens, and the clang-clang-clang of a nearby blacksmith.
A dense crowd pushed through the narrow alleys.
"Excuse me! Pardon me!" Jin Bao, carrying a small, folded table under one arm and the box in the other, squeezed through the people.
Lei Feng followed close behind. He looked left and right, his usual boredom replaced by a flicker of curiosity. 'So many people. So loud.'
Jin Bao found an empty space between a stall selling live rabbits and another selling cheap pottery. He unfolded the rickety table, setting it firmly on the dirt-packed ground. He opened the box and placed the single ceramic bowl of green balm in the center.
"Young Master, this is a good spot," Jin Bao said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Lei Feng just grunted. He stepped away from the stall, his hands clasped behind his back. He drifted toward a neighbouring stall that was selling strange, dried roots and colourful, glittering stones.
Jin Bao watched him go for a moment, then turned back to his table. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and used all his lung capacity.
"Medicinal Balm! Freshly refined! Cures sore muscles and joint aches! A genuine Tier 1 Muscle-Ease Balm!"