Chapter 296: Night Raid
After sending Chen An back to the orphanage, Qin Shou did not get out of the car and drove straight back to Qing City.
Chen An, carrying a large pile of medicinal herbs, went to the kitchen by himself.
The orphanage’s kitchen was a classic countryside style, with no natural gas or stove, only a large iron pot and a stove.
Chen An chose this place, aiming for a down-to-earth experience.
Alchemy was a skill almost everyone possessed in the cultivation world, the only difference being their talent and specialization.
Cultivators who could calmly study the Dao of Elixirs for decades or even centuries were often sought after by everyone.
The path of alchemy required vast resources. Without the backing of a powerful sect, it was rare for rogue cultivators to gain any renown.
Chen An had not specifically studied alchemy during his cultivation, but he had refined some basic elixirs for fun when he had nothing else to do.
Most of the elixirs he refined were casually consumed like candy.
He planned to refine three types of elixirs: a beauty-enhancing elixir, a spirit-replenishing elixir, and a meridian-clearing elixir.
The beauty-enhancing elixir was to restore Chen Xi’s scorched half-face. The spirit-replenishing elixir was often used by Qi Refining cultivators to restore their spiritual energy.
However, for ordinary mortals, it was a miraculous elixir that could cure all illnesses and regenerate flesh and bone, perfect for treating Chen Xi’s eye condition.
As for the meridian-clearing elixir, it was to help her unblock her spiritual meridians and qualify her for cultivation.
However, the ingredients for the meridian-clearing elixir were not something Chen An could easily obtain by simply browsing the herbal market.
The effect of the meridian-clearing elixir was not as trivial as the beauty-enhancing elixir.
Its ability to unblock spiritual meridians for mortals, providing them with an opportunity to enter the threshold of cultivation, already guaranteed its immense value.
Especially since some of the spiritual grasses required were rather precious. Chen An estimated that he might only be able to find them in the deep mountains of Blue Star.
Alternatively, he could directly approach official organizations or powerful sects with a strong foundation like Mount Qingcheng. They would surely have some stock, which was also an option.
As Chen An pondered, he extended his finger and made a few gestures in the air.
The sealed medicinal herbs, upon being pointed at by him, began to fly into the air as if in a scene from a cultivation anime.
They floated around Chen An, spinning in circles.
Then, Chen An extended another finger, and a wisp of spiritual flame erupted from his fingertip.
The spiritual flame split into four and flew rapidly towards the herbs.
The moment they touched, the herbs quickly melted, transforming into masses of spiritual liquids of various colors.
This was undoubtedly a phenomenon that defied physics. If it were ordinary fire from Blue Star, no matter how high the temperature, dry burning would only result in useless ash.
But the spiritual flame Chen An used was different.
The very existence of cultivators was proof that overturned all theories.
Two smooth, jade-white elixirs soon appeared.
Chen An, without even breathing heavily, casually held them in his hand, his every movement exuding ease and grace.
Although his current realm was only the first level of Qi Refining, his proficiency would surely make cultivators in the later stages of Qi Refining feel ashamed.
The mastery of the skill was one aspect, but more importantly, the spiritual energy contained within Chen An was more than ten times that of cultivators in the same realm.
This was the benefit of breaking through and cultivating again.
If any other Mahayana Cultivator had destroyed their Spirit Platform, they would have likely died on the spot.
But Chen An’s immortal and indestructible nature gave him infinite possibilities.
He could take risks, constantly experiment, and find a viable path.
Chen An stood up, brushed off a bit of dust from his clothes, and walked out of the kitchen.
It was morning, and the sun was shining brightly.
In the open space of the yard, a group of children were running around, their laughter and playful shouts occasionally echoing.
Chen An stood in place for a while, observing them without disturbing them, and then walked towards the classroom.
As expected, in the back row of the classroom, a slender figure was sitting upright.
On her desk lay a braille novel, its opened pages filled with rows of raised dots.
The girl’s fair fingers slowly slid across the pages.
Chen An walked in.
He asked, “What are you reading?”
Hearing his voice, Chen Xi’s sliding fingers paused. She closed the novel and replied softly, “Notes on Blindness.”
Chen An was taken aback, “This book has a braille version?”
He sat down beside her and took a beauty-enhancing elixir from his pocket.
“Ah… Open your mouth.”
Chen Xi was a little confused but complied, lifting her head and opening her mouth into a small pigeon’s egg shape.
Chen An flicked his finger, and the beauty-enhancing elixir drew a parabola in the air, landing softly in the girl’s mouth.
Trusting Chen An, her older brother, Chen Xi did not spit it out immediately but instinctively took a bite.
It was crisp, slightly sweet, and with a hint of bitterness.
Chen An smiled, “I’m treating you to candy.”
Chen Xi, with her cheeks puffed out, slowly chewed. Her expressionless face was incredibly cute.
“What kind of candy is bitter…”
“Candy that will make you happy after eating it.”
Hearing this, Chen Xi extended her arm, and Chen An, accustomed to it, gently lifted her from the chair.
This was a gesture they often made when they were younger. At that time, Chen Xi had not yet adapted to being blind, so she needed Chen An’s help everywhere.
She whispered in Chen An’s ear, “As long as it’s candy from Chen An, I’m happy.”
…
…
It was late at night.
The orphanage shed its daytime liveliness and clamor, falling into silence.
Chen An, uncharacteristically, was not asleep.
He fumbled and got up in the darkness, making his way to the end of the corridor.
There was a small, independent room there, which the director had specially set aside for Chen Xi.
Given Chen Xi’s special circumstances, she was one of the few exceptions at the orphanage.
However, with Chen An’s financial support, the orphanage would likely be renovated soon, and the children would no longer have to squeeze together to sleep on the same beds.
Chen An walked to the door of the small room and gently knocked.
He was certainly not a pervert sneaking into his sister’s room. He had already agreed with Chen Xi during the day that he would visit tonight.
The bodies of mortals were different from those of cultivators. Without the baptism of spiritual energy, taking elixirs rashly could easily lead to various strange side effects.
Furthermore, without a cultivator to help catalyze the medicinal effects, the efficacy would be greatly reduced.
This was why Chen An came late at night.
As for why he chose the night, one reason was to avoid disturbing others, and the other was that mortal bodies were frail, and taking elixirs required intervals.
A faint sound came from inside the room.
Then, the door was opened from the inside, revealing the girl’s face.
She was wearing a thin nightgown, her long hair somewhat disheveled, and her eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, were vacant.
Combined with her half-human, half-ghostly face, under the moonlight, it was quite eerie.
(End of Chapter)
