CHAPTER 559: PRETENDING TO BE A NEWBIE

Han Yu stepped out of the External Alchemy Hall with the same cold expression that Ju Fan would have worn.

But inside, he was buzzing with anticipation. His hands almost trembled with excitement, but to others it seemed like he was fuming with anger instead.

He could feel the future profit rolling toward him like a tide. Still, he had to remain calm. He had to appear like a clueless brute trying his hand at alchemy for the first time. If he acted excited, people might wonder why.

So he kept his posture stiff and indifferent as he made his way down the path and toward the Fifth Rib Peak, ignoring passing disciples and the chaotic noises around him.

Some of the sect members were shouting at each other in the distance. Others were sparring. A few stood around watching fights break out for no reason. This sect was wild and unpredictable, which only made blending in easier.

He reached his cave eventually and saw his newly bought furniture stacked outside.

"Ah, almost forgot about this." Han Yu opened the door and moved his furniture in.

After a few minutes, he shut the stone door before allowing himself to relax. Finally, he let a small grin appear on his face.

He set down the recently purchased supplies and examined them one by one. The cauldron was small, made from ordinary iron rather than refined spirit metal. It was the cheapest model available, meant for beginners who were expected to fail repeatedly.

The measuring tools were similarly basic. The storage jars were clay rather than glass, porcelain or jade. Even the stack of Flame Talismans were low grade ones, meant to simulate the heat of a weak alchemy flame.

Han Yu nodded approvingly.

"These look convincingly terrible."

He had played his part perfectly.

The moment he finished inspecting his supplies, he began setting everything up. He placed the cauldron on a flat part of the stone floor. He arranged his herbs to the side on a table he had just gotten.

He checked that the ventilation cracks in the ceiling would allow the smoke to escape. He even adjusted the lighting, placing two spirit lamps on the walls to brighten the chamber.

Then he began.

He activated a Flame Talisman and carefully heated the cauldron. The talisman flickered weakly, barely strong enough to boil water. But that was fine. He did not need or want strong flames right now.

He needed to look like a complete amateur. A single wrong move, and he would appear too talented too fast.

Han Yu began with Qi replenishing pills.

He crushed the herbs slowly, intentionally applying uneven force so the texture would be irregular. He heated them with inconsistent temperature. He misaligned the ingredients by small amounts. He even let the steam escape at times, causing the condensation process to weaken.

The result was expected.

The first pill came out lumpy and slightly scorched.

The second had cracks running through it.

The third looked like a pebble dipped in mud.

If an alchemist saw them, they would cry out in despair. If an herbalist saw them, they would faint. If a normal cultivator swallowed them, they would still work but taste like burnt rice and mold.

’Perfect.’

Han Yu made a full batch and tossed the results into a storage jar. After an hour, he made a second batch. Then a third.

By the end of the day, he had an entire jar filled with badly made pills.

The next day, he returned to the External Alchemy Hall. He showed no emotion and simply handed the jar over.

The disciple at the counter glanced at the pills, wrinkled his nose, but accepted them without saying anything. The quality was poor but still within acceptable conditions. They could still be sold to desperate disciples who did not care about medicinal flavor.

Han Yu received a tiny sum of merit points for the batch, which was exactly what he wanted. If he made too much too soon, suspicion would grow. But if he made too little, he would waste time. He had to strike the perfect balance.

So he repeated the cycle.

Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

He bought herbs. He made pills. He sold pills.

He improved slightly. He refined his skills bit by bit. The staff recognized him. The other disciples recognized him. People began to see Ju Fan as someone who was actually trying to learn alchemy and failing just barely enough to be believable.

One month passed.

His Qi replenishing pills reached average quality. People did not praise him, but they no longer insulted him internally either.

Two months passed.

His pills became slightly stable and consistent. Other disciples began to glance at him with curiosity, wondering how Ju Fan had found the patience to do something as delicate as alchemy.

Three months passed.

Han Yu added more pill types to his rotation. Basic vitality pills. Minor healing pills. Detoxifying pills. Common stuff. Nothing unusual. Nothing alarming. Nothing that would draw attention.

He finally reached the point where he could pretend to move to something slightly more advanced.

The Blood Flood Pill.

He bought the ingredients for the local version first. He pretended to study the recipe there in the hall. He asked a few questions aloud, just enough to make it believable. One disciple even scoffed, saying the Blood Flood Pill was too difficult for beginners.

Han Yu looked at him coldly and asked, "Is that a challenge?"

The disciple looked away.

’Perfect.’

Han Yu returned to his cave with both sets of ingredients, though he only intended to use the ingredients from his home recipe. The local ones were too expensive anyway. No one would know whether he used them or not anyways.

He arranged everything neatly. He cleared the space. He double checked the cauldron. Then he began preparing the proper batch.

Compared to the complicated recipes of advanced pills, the Blood Flood Pill was easy for Han Yu’s level.

Almost insultingly easy.