NFBE Chapter 13 Learning Alchemy from Huixin to Pass the Time
Chapter 13 Learning Alchemy from Huixin to Pass the Time
Grandma Wang brought out several more plates of freshly stir-fried dishes, steaming hot, their aroma instantly filling the entire house.
The four of them sat around the table, just like a family, having a lively time.
Looking at the table full of dishes and the three laughing and joking people around him, Han Yi felt a warm feeling well up in his heart.
This is the taste of home! That familiar yet distant feeling has returned; he hasn't felt this warmth for a full eighteen years.
In the strictly regulated royal palace, Han Yi did not have to abide by etiquette and follow rules like the servants. However, apart from being able to have a meal with his father and mother on special holidays and enjoy a moment of family affection, he spent the rest of the time alone in the empty and desolate hall, eating at the huge long table.
Although he had many maids and servants serving him, no one dared to raise a cup and drink with him.
In the Prince's mansion, eating was merely a way for him to fill his stomach; there was no scene as warm and affectionate as this one.
At this moment, everyone is playing and laughing freely at the dining table, and their joyful voices echo in the air.
All of this was like the warm winter sun, shining directly into the deepest part of his heart.
"It feels so good to eat together as a family! I'd almost forgotten what that tastes like."
Han Yi couldn't help but sigh. Hui Xin, with her mouth full of food, mumbled, "Today is a good day, I should eat more."
The last rays of the setting sun slanted in through the window, falling softly on them.
Laughter echoed throughout the room, and the warm atmosphere, like a gentle spring breeze, softly caressed everyone's hearts, filling them with tenderness.
After dinner, Han Yi, like a spineless salted fish, wandered back to his small room and collapsed onto the tatami mat with a thud. The cold moonlight squeezed in through the cracks in the window and shone on him. Already lonely, he now appeared even more isolated. The moonlight did not warm his heart at all; instead, it seemed to add a layer of frost to his desolation.
He leaned weakly against the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, muttering like a wronged woman: "When will this miserable life on the mountain ever end! God, please open your eyes!"
After a long while, he finally deflated like a punctured balloon, let out a long sigh, dragged his feet to the table, grabbed a cup, and gulped down the water in one go, as if he wanted to wash away all the bitterness in his stomach.
Just then, Huixin slowly walked into the room carrying an ancient book. Seeing Han Yi's dejected appearance, she understood everything perfectly.
"Why don't you light a lamp? It's pitch black, are you trying to be a ghost?" With that, he slammed the ancient book on the table, flicked his finger, and several beams of light shot out with a "whoosh," as if they had eyes, accurately lighting the multi-branched lamp in the corner.
In an instant, a warm light spread out, and the darkness was chased away.
"Missing home?" Huixin stepped forward, looking at Han Yi with concern.
Han Yi slumped his head and looked up, his eyes full of frustration: "That old guy Xuan Kongzi is not human at all. Cultivating with him is pure torture!"
"What did I do in my past life to desecrate his ancestral grave? I'm suffering like this in this life." Huixin smiled slightly, patted his shoulder to comfort him, and said, "You'll get used to it. Go to sleep early. I bet you'll have to get up early again tomorrow and keep going. Just accept your fate."
Upon hearing this, Han Yi's heart sank instantly. He felt like an unlucky guy who had fallen into an ice cave, beyond saving.
Huixin's eyes darted around, a sly glint in them, and she spoke again: "Junior brother, would you like to learn alchemy from me?"
Han Yi curled his lip, his face full of disdain: "What's there to learn? I came to the mountain to just coast along. Why would I learn that stuff? It's just a waste of time."
Huixin earnestly advised, "You can't just drift along like this. Find something to do, and the days will pass quickly. You won't have to sigh all the time."
Han Yi scratched his head, thought about it for a moment, and felt that there was some truth to what he said. He then glanced at Huixin and asked, "Are you willing to teach me?"
Huixin thumped her chest loudly: "Of course! We're like brothers!"
Just as Han Yi thought his senior brother was quite reliable, Hui Xin blurted out, "Master said that the Dao cannot be easily passed on!" Han Yi glared at him and rolled his eyes, "Stop talking nonsense, just tell me how much it costs, don't beat around the bush with me."
Huixin immediately put on a serious expression: "Preaching is not about money, it's about fate!"
Han Yi grew impatient and waved his hand, "Fine, name your price, and stop dawdling."
Huixin grinned and held up one finger: "We're all brothers, a thousand ingots of gold, isn't that generous? This is a rock-bottom price."
Without saying a word, Han Yi fell asleep immediately, cursing Hui Xin's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind: "Go to hell, do you think I'm stupid? I'm not going to be a sucker. You think you can trick me? No way."
Huixin, however, persisted, clinging to him like a leech, urging him to reconsider, and confidently asserting that it was absolutely worth the price.
Han Yi retorted irritably, "Heh, senior brother, in my hometown, this kind of trick would be considered fraud, and you'd be handcuffed and thrown in jail for a hefty fine."
Huixin, however, pretended to be stupid and insisted that she was honest and trustworthy.
Han Yi was so annoyed by him that he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, a thousand ingots it is, I accept it."
He thought for a moment, since he was penniless anyway, he might as well agree first. After all, it was just empty promises and blank checks, so he wouldn't lose anything. Besides, debts are never a burden, and the one who owes money is the boss.
Huixin was overjoyed and hurriedly assured him, "Junior brother, don't worry, your senior brother will definitely teach you everything he knows, starting from the basics. I guarantee you'll get the hang of it quickly, and you'll be secretly thrilled from now on."
Han Yi said nonchalantly, "Then it's settled. Starting tomorrow, I'll spend my time refining pills with you."
He was secretly plotting something. If he learned alchemy, he could mass-produce medicine after going down the mountain and give each of his million-strong army a miraculous medicine like the one Huixin had given him. That would make them invincible and save countless lives. He would then be a living Hua Tuo.