Chapter 109: Miss Qu

For the following days, Fang Cun did not go to the Academy. He confidently requested leave.

After all, news about Second Young Master Fang being attacked by remnants of the Devouring Sea Gang had already spread throughout Willow Lake City. Thus, Second Young Master Fang taking leave to recover at home seemed perfectly reasonable. Even if everyone in Willow Lake City knew Second Young Master Fang actually didn’t suffer any injuries, when Second Young Master Fang said he was frightened and needed a few days’ rest at home, could the Academy instructor deny his request?

The prestigious White Xiang Academy was certainly not an unreasonable place.

Of course, the main reason was they simply didn’t dare…

After all, that was a daring person who would even kick the Academy Head’s goat…

…

“Elder Qu, please look! Everything required for refining the Treasure Pills is assembled here!”

Second Young Master Fang, who wasn’t going to the Academy, had invited Elder Qu to stay in a small courtyard within the Fang Manor.

This courtyard had been specifically cleared out. Earlier, Fang Cun had visited the Night Market to invite Elder Qu to help refine a batch of Treasure Pills for Elder Fang. Following the custom among Qi Refiners for refining pills, one could either offer payment and collect the finished pills later, or request the alchemist visit personally, providing accommodations and meals to ensure they could focus exclusively on the task.

Second Young Master Fang opted for the second approach. Not only was Elder Qu welcomed into the estate, but his granddaughter, Young Miss Qu, accompanied him. A quiet, secluded courtyard was provided, and Fang Cun even commissioned an expensive, intricate Furnace specifically for Elder Qu.

“So many fine ingredients! The Fang Family truly managed to gather them all in such a short time. That’s truly rare…”

Elder Qu showed little interest in the new Furnace or the courtyard prepared for him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the materials Fang Cun had assembled. There was thousand-year-old snow ginseng, lingzhi fungus from the peaks of mountains tens of thousands of zhang high, even precious lotuses that had endured nine-hair rains seven times. Item after item were all top-grade ingredients. Not just enough for one batch of Treasure Pills, but easily sufficient for three.

Elder Qu looked very satisfied. He smiled at Fang Cun. “Must have been quite an effort to gather all this?”

“All went smoothly. If these materials suit you, Master, then we respectfully request your invaluable effort!” Fang Cun responded humbly, thinking inwardly: ‘They were all piled under the garden shed. If I didn’t bring them out to air now, they’d start molding…’

Elder Qu waved dismissively. “No need for formalities. An alchemist crafting pills for pay is common practice, and besides, Young Master Fang is paying handsomely!”

Fang Cun smiled. “Even with money, one must still secure the services of a skilled alchemist. Moreover, I confess my motives aren’t entirely pure. Inviting Elder Qu to reside here and assist with the pill refining serves two purposes. Firstly, it’s simply convenient. Secondly, it affords me the chance to frequently seek your counsel and perhaps learn a skill or two…”

Hearing this, Elder Qu blinked, then his face lit up with pleasant surprise. “Young Master Fang wishes to learn alchemy?”

Ever since they met at the Night Market, the old man had deeply admired Fang Cun’s exceptional talent. While he hadn’t entertained formally taking him as a disciple, he had harbored a strong desire to provide guidance. Yet, he hesitated to bring it up himself, knowing that for Qi Refiners, cultivation techniques and enhancing one’s cultivation base were the orthodox path. Alchemy, Gu arts, talismans, and formations, while not inherently crooked paths, were often regarded as specialized sidelines. Hearing Fang Cun express interest himself filled him with delight.

Fang Cun put on a sincere expression. “I never intended to learn originally. Yet witnessing Elder Qu’s profound mastery stirred my ambition!”

“Ha! Ha-ha! Good, very good!” Elder Qu boomed with laughter. “Young Master Fang, whatever puzzles you in your studies, feel free to ask this old man at any time…”

He turned to his granddaughter. “Later, bring over my alchemy notes for him to copy…”

Young Miss Qu’s cheeks flushed as she took out a notebook bound in blue leather, visibly well-cared for, and offered it to Fang Cun.

‘I meant for you to COPY a set for him, not give him my original!’ Elder Qu’s eyes widened almost comically. He desperately wanted to voice this but feared embarrassing his granddaughter, so he stayed silent, secretly agonizing.

Fang Cun smiled gently towards the young girl who stood with lowered head, seemingly wanting to look at him yet not daring. “Elder Qu’s private notes shouldn’t be casually perused by outsiders. Miss Qu, whenever it’s convenient, please copy a set for me…” Hearing this, Elder Qu felt immensely gratified. His satisfaction deepened when Fang Cun added warmly, “But as a beginner, merely reading the notes may leave me with many unanswered questions. If Miss Qu wouldn’t mind, I do hope she might personally offer me some pointers…”

‘Young man and woman… this tutoring… is it appropriate?’ A flicker of unease passed through Elder Qu’s mind. He coughed lightly, interjecting, “Su’er will be occupied assisting me with the pill-refining…”

His words hadn’t fully settled when Qu Su’er softly murmured, almost inaudibly yet distinctly, “That’s fine…”

Elder Qu: “… …”

…

The pill-refining arrangement was thus confirmed. Fang Cun arranged a carriage and personally accompanied them back to the Night Market, helping move Elder Qu’s belongings from his thatched cottage. Surprisingly, Elder Qu opted not to use the fine new Furnace Fang Cun had provided. Instead, he insisted on bringing his old copper Furnace, darkened and scarred from years, perhaps decades, of use.

Starting that very day, Elder Qu began analyzing the medicinal properties and preparing for the refinement. He meticulously examined every ingredient, then instructed Old Steward Huang to purchase supplementary items. Furthermore, he personally checked the pulses and assessed the physiques of both Elder Fang and Madam Fang. Not only would he refine the Treasure Pills, but according to Fang Cun’s request, he would tailor the batch specifically to the couple’s constitutions, making it infinitely smoother and easier for them to absorb and utilize its energy.

Professionalism showed in the details.

A great master produces outstanding disciples. Given Elder Qu’s alchemical prowess, his own granddaughter naturally held respectable talent herself. Particularly after hearing Fang Cun’s expressed intent to learn alchemy, the young girl diligently took on the mantle of tutor for Second Young Master Fang’s introduction into the Art.

Thus, while Elder Qu was occupied with the pill refinement within the core courtyard, a frequent scene unfolded inside the Fang Manor’s garden.

Within a shaded gazebo, the slender, gentle Miss Qu paced slowly, holding an alchemy scroll open in her hands. She strove to explain clearly, meticulously, each word and principle of the alchemical methods, afraid to misstate even a single character.

Fang Cun and the Little Fox Girl sat beside her on stone stools, each with their own notebooks open before them.

“Miss Qu explains so well. Simple yet profound, and very clear. You truly deserve praise,” Fang Cun remarked after she finished an explanation, straightening up and nodding with heartfelt appreciation.

Qu Su’er had already been his tutor for several days, yet her tendency to blush hadn’t diminished. However, she seemed more at ease nonetheless. When Fang Cun praised her, she merely turned away slightly, revealing a faint, shy smile, then faced him properly. “Learning the Way of Alchemy is challenging at the start. There are so many principles and herbs to memorize and understand. Have you… managed to grasp the lesson?”

The Little Fox Girl on the neighboring stool eagerly bobbed her head in affirmation.

Fang Cun smiled gently. “I still have a few questions…”

Miss Qu immediately focused her gaze on him. “Please ask, Second Young Master. I’ll see if I can clarify!”

Fang Cun met her eyes directly. “How old are you?”

Qu Su’er blinked in surprise. Her cheeks instantly bloomed crimson once more. After a moment’s pause, she murmured softly, “Fifteen…”

“That’s not very young anymore,” Fang Cun replied, his gaze lingering on Qu Su’er with a small smile.

Qu Su’er blushed so intensely she seemed on the verge of fleeing. She looked utterly flustered.

’Mustn’t go too far…’ Fang Cun thought inwardly. Shifting back to a more cordial tone, he asked, “Miss Qu is only fifteen yet possesses such profound alchemical knowledge. That commands deep respect. Forgive my curiosity, but how did such a young lady master such accomplishments?”

Praise like this flustered Qu Su’er even more, though she couldn’t deny a faint ping of pleasure. “I… I’m not clever,” she began, her voice practically a whisper. “When I first started learning the alchemical texts as a child, I wasn’t nearly as quick as the Young Master is now. I truly… I only learned because I watched my grandfather and my uncles refine pills since I was little. I became familiar with it over time. Honestly… my current skill is still not sufficient compared to my uncles…”

“You are genuinely remarkable!” Fang Cun praised sincerely. He then inquired, “Is your Destined Scripture the ”Herbal Canon“?”

Qu Su’er lightly shook her head. “No. My Destined Scripture is the ”Classic of Martial Arts“!”

As she spoke, she casually, almost delicately, squeezed the carved stone table before them. Crack! A substantial piece of solid blue stone snapped off in her grasp, as if it were mere clay.

The fur on the tail of the Little Fox Girl beside them instantly stood on end.

Fang Cun’s heart gave a noticeable thud. Instinctively, he adopted a considerably more serious demeanor. Clearing his throat with deliberate force, he sat up straight and addressed Qu Su’er directly. “Sister Su’er, as you are like family and possess such refined alchemical knowledge, I do have a matter of legitimate study to inquire about. Would that be acceptable?”

Qu Su’er, hearing him address her as “Sister Su’er” and the shift to a serious tone upon her revelation, quickly nodded with much more composure. “Of course, Young Master. Please ask!”

Fang Cun nodded. His gaze flickered almost imperceptibly towards the Little Fox Girl.

At that moment, the Little Fox Girl was utterly fixated on the prominent chunk missing from the solid blue stone table.

Fang Cun cleared his throat pointedly. When that yielded no reaction, he cleared it again, much louder this time. The fox girl snapped out of her daze and stared blankly at Fang Cun.

“You must associate less with Meng Zhixue!” Fang Cun instructed first, his tone firm. Then, he gave her a sharp look. “Miss Qu has been teaching us for half the day. Shouldn’t you go prepare some tea?”

“Wha—?” The Little Fox Girl glanced from Fang Cun to Qu Su’er. Comprehension dawned. “Oh!”

Only after watching the fluffy tail vanish into the flower bushes did Fang Cun turn his attention fully back to Qu Su’er. He adopted a composed expression, his previous levity restrained. “These past days, listening to Miss Qu instruct us on alchemy, I’ve heard mentioned countless varieties of pills. Beyond the common classifications – Spirit Pills, Treasure Pills, Divine Pills, Immortal Pills – there are also medicine pills for healing and venomous pills meant for harm. All vastly different. Yet, I wonder,” he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering a fraction, “has Miss Qu ever heard of a specific kind of pill? A pill designed to conceal a Gu Insect inside? Sealed, rendered dormant but not dead, preservable for a very long duration. If ingested by a target… would it lie low within the heart cavity… only to activate upon command?”

Qu Su’er had been waiting shyly, unsure what Second Young Master Fang intended to ask. Upon realizing it was a genuine inquiry about a specific and unsettling technique, she was startled. Nervously, she confirmed, “Such pills do exist. What Young Master describes are called ‘Pill Gu’. They are an extremely sinister concoction. Though classified under pills, true alchemists rarely create them. They are more the domain of Gu practitioners who delve into their refinement.”

Fang Cun pressed immediately, keeping his voice low. “Then, Miss Qu, would you happen to know the method of their refining?”

A visible wave of hesitation washed over Su’er’s face.

Fang Cun leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady and penetrating, meeting her uneasy eyes. He infused his quiet words with a blend of earnestness and something compelling. “Could you… please help me?”

Qu Su’er felt her cheeks rapidly burn. For a moment, conflicting thoughts flickered, but she dipped her head in a small nod, her voice barely rising above a breath. “Alright, Young Master…”