Jin Bao shoved the heavy coin pouch into Lei Feng's hands.
"Here! Take this! It should be enough to get a room at a high-class inn befitting your status for at least a fortnight! Please, you must take it!"
Lei Feng looked at the pouch, then at Jin Bao's pleading face. He scoffed, pushing the money back.
"Why would I need that?"
He turned and started walking away into the growing darkness, his hands behind his head.
"I'm not picky about where I sleep. Don't worry about me. Open the shop at the same time tomorrow."
Jin Bao was left standing in the doorway, clutching the money, completely confused. "Young Master...?"
Lei Feng, however, did not look back and kept walking forward. Soon he disappeared into the night.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight were just breaking over the city.
Jin Bao was outside his shop, sweeping the entrance. He had barely slept, his mind buzzing with excitement over the previous day's success and his master's mysterious ways. He yawned, looking down the empty street.
A figure appeared, walking with a lazy, unhurried pace. It was Lei Feng. He looked as if he had just woken from a perfect, refreshing sleep.
"Young Master! You're here!" Jin Bao shouted, waving excitedly.
Lei Feng just nodded and walked past him into the shop.
"Young Master, I was so excited I couldn't sleep!" Jin Bao followed him in, his round face beaming. "I already bought all the ingredients! I woke the merchants up myself!"
He pointed to a counter that was piled high with fresh mint leaves, baskets of freberries, and several large jars of honey.
"I spent 20 silver coins and bought everything I could find! We can make ten times the amount today! In the future, we will surely become rich selling this balm. Hahaha!"
Lei Feng looked on with an impassive face as the fatty kept on laughing.
When Jin Bao noticed that Lei Feng was not saying anything, he became slightly embarrassed.
"Young Master..."
"Stupid Fatty. Do you think I have nothing else to do other than make this stupid balm?" Lei Feng scolded the Fatty immediately.
"Young Master, I understand." Jin Bao's enthusiasm died down as quickly as it had bubbled up, and he started looking at the ground.
"Now don't make a face like this. Though I will not be making this balm, I will teach you how to make the balm. Then, you can make it yourself." Lei Feng continued.
"What? Really, young master? Will I be able to make this wonderous balm with these simple ingredients?"
On hearing Lei Feng's words, Jin Bao became excited again.
"Of course. Making a balm like this doesn't even need talent. You should be able to make it within a week tops."
"Young Master...Then what are we waiting for? Let us get started immediately!" Jin Bao immediately jumped and grasped Lei Feng's hands.
"Shoo.. get away from me otherwise people will misunderstand. Also, cook me 5 bowls of noodles first."
Jin Bao looked confused. "Noodles? Now, Young Master?"
"Of course. Consider it as your fee." Lei Feng said coolly without raising an eyebrow. "I am hungry. A hungry master cannot teach."
"Ah I see! Right away, Young Master! I will cook as much as you want."
Jin Bao, despite his burning eagerness to learn alchemy, knew did not dare ignore Lei Feng's words. He rushed to the stove and immediately started making the noodles.
Soon, five steaming bowls of his grandfather's special noodles were placed on the table.
Lei Feng sat down and began to eat, his expression as calm as if he were tasting a simple mountain spring. He ate slowly, deliberately, while Jin Bao stood by the counter, practically vibrating with impatience.
"Young Master... the noodles... are they good?"
"Yes… they are…," Lei Feng replied between slurps, not looking up. "Now stop distracting me, and let me eat in peace.."
After what felt like an eternity to Jin Bao, Lei Feng finished the last drop of broth from the fifth bowl. He let out a satisfied sigh and stood up.
"Alright. To the kitchen. And bring me that chair. I will sit while I watch."
Jin Bao eagerly led the way back into the small, clean kitchen. Lei Feng placed the chair in a corner, sat down, and crossed his arms.
"Now, watch carefully," Lei Feng ordered. "I will show you again, slowly. If you miss it, it's your own fault for being stupid."
Lei Feng picked up the ingredients. "The trash alchemists worry about fancy cauldrons and 'spirit flames'. While that does matter slightly while refining Tier 5 and above concoctions, it has no effect on getting started."
He held up a freberry. "This is hot. It has a 'driving' force. It wants to move."
He then held up a mint leaf. "This is cold. It has a 'calming' force. It wants to be still."
"The honey," he said, tapping the jar, "is 'neutral to slightly hot'. It is the mediator. In our case, it is the bridge that stops the hot and cold from fighting."
Lei Feng took the mortar and pestle. "First, the berries. Don't smash them like you're angry at them. You are releasing the force, not killing it. Gently, gently..."
Jin Bao watched as Lei Feng crushed the berries. It was not a violent smashing, but a slow, circular grinding that turned them into a pulp without splattering.
"Now, the mint. You tear it, to release the 'cold'. You add it to the 'hot'."
He added the leaves and ground them together. A sharp, sweet smell filled the air.
"See? They are mixing. But they are not fused. They are fighting. The paste is unstable."
"Now, the honey." Lei Feng poured the honey in, stirring slowly. "The honey's 'neutral' force surrounds the other two. It forces them to be calm and binds them to each other to mix their properties."
He placed the bowl in the wok with water, just as he had before. "The fire is just fire. The wok is just a pot. We use the steam to gently heat the mixture, and let the honey work its magic in balancing out the mint leaves and freberries."
He let it steam for ten minutes, then lifted the lid. The vibrant, translucent green balm sat in the bowl, smelling fragrant.
"There. A child could do it. Now, your turn."