Chapter 226 – Pretending Not to Know Is Truly Hard; Malicious Recommendation Unexpected

Yu Xian’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, “Naturally, I understand that alchemy is a time-consuming path.”

Upon hearing this, You Xiaohua frowned slightly.

But before she could speak, Yu Xian continued, “I do have some minor knowledge of alchemy. To be frank with Elder Steward, I was originally a disciple of the Baiyun Sect and trained in their Alchemy Pavilion for several years. After Baiyun Sect’s downfall, I encountered the Sect Master by chance, who saved me. That is how I came to be part of Hao Tian Zheng Zong.”

Su Xiaoduo and You Xiaohua were both startled.

Yu Xian knew alchemy?

He had trained in Baiyun Sect’s Alchemy Pavilion?

Wasn’t he just a rogue cultivator?

But they quickly realized the logic of his words. The Baiyun Sect had shattered, its disciples scattered. That he was rescued by Hong Shao and brought to Hao Tian Zheng Zong made sense.

There was no need to probe further into the details.

Since even Hong Shao recognized him and brought him here, there was nothing suspicious.

Hong Shao glanced at Yu Xian and didn’t waste more words. She simply said, “The Baiyun Sect’s Alchemy Pavilion? I’ve heard of it. Their alchemy was decent. If you’ve trained there, you should understand the fundamentals. That saves me from teaching. Let me ask—what’s the highest grade of pill you can refine now?”

Disciples from the Medicine King Valley naturally looked down upon alchemists from the other five major sects.

You Xiaohua’s earlier compliment was mere courtesy; her indifferent tone betrayed her true disdain.

As for Yu Xian, he remained indifferent. After a moment’s thought, he hesitated and said, “I can probably refine… third or maybe fourth-grade pills.”

“Fourth-grade?” You Xiaohua’s lips curled into a smile. “Are you sure?”

“Cough cough…” Yu Xian looked slightly embarrassed. “I can barely manage. But third-grade pills are easy for me.”

“What kind of third-grade pills can you refine?” she asked flatly. “Refine a few furnaces for me. I’ll offer you some pointers.”

What can you even point out… seriously… Yu Xian grumbled inwardly but smiled and said, “I can refine Third-grade Enlightenment Pills, Dew-essence Pills, Detox Pills, Grain Spirit Pills…”

After listing over twenty pill names, he scratched his head and added, “That’s all for now…”

“Hmm, not bad. Many alchemy principles are interlinked. If you know these twenty-seven kinds, you can actually refine over a hundred others—just lacking the recipes.”

You Xiaohua nodded, then waved her hand. A cauldron flew out. “Refine the Enlightenment Pill. I’ll observe your techniques.”

This was within his expectations. Yu Xian nodded, “Then, the spiritual herbs…”

“I’ve got them.” As the chief steward elder of the alchemy division, she naturally had the authority and resources. Her storage pouch was top-grade, filled with herbs, pills, and tools for rewarding or punishing disciples.

She casually handed over a full set of materials.

Yu Xian’s brow twitched. “Then I’ll begin.”

“Go ahead.”

Yu Xian let out a breath and stepped in front of the cauldron with a solemn expression.

Su Xiaoduo hadn’t expected Yu Xian to know alchemy. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

As for You Xiaohua, she smiled faintly. His solemn expression only confirmed her suspicion: he’s clearly struggling with even third-grade pills!

Refining fourth-grade pills? That was clearly an attempt to save face.

But Yu Xian was indeed struggling…

Not with the pill itself—

But with pretending to “barely” know how to refine it!

This was even harder than refining a fifth-grade pill!

How to act it out? What to change?

He had to alter his hand movements. You Xiaohua was sharp—if she recognized his technique, she might link him to the mysterious rogue alchemist she once dueled!

And once suspicion formed, it would be as good as confirmation.

If she found out he was that alchemist, then the origin of the Lian Cao Cauldron would blow up his cover.

She would definitely report it to Hong Shao.

And Hong Shao… knew he had been to Ascension Island. She was aware of his fabricated background!

So how could he explain the cauldron?

The moment she pieced it together, it would all unravel. If Hong Shao got suspicious and tried to soul-search him, he would be finished.

These two identities must not collide!

The cauldron heated quickly. Yu Xian raised his hand and tossed in a spiritual herb after crudely activating its properties—barely 50% efficacy.

You Xiaohua’s brow furrowed. His technique was too rough.

But alchemic interruption was a taboo. Even if his method was flawed, she had to wait until the end to correct him.

A stick of incense time passed. Yu Xian was sweating, then suddenly shouted, “Out!”

Bang!

The lid flew open. A dim-colored pill shot out. He caught it.

A low-grade Enlightenment Pill.

Su Xiaoduo beamed. “Senior Brother is amazing! You really refined it! And it’s a third-grade pill! I’m still learning first-grade ones!”

“You’ve only studied for a few months—reaching first-grade already shows great talent,” said You Xiaohua flatly. “He, however, has been learning for years. Yet even with third-grade pills, he makes frequent mistakes. The result may be a pill, but it’s only low-grade.”

Yu Xian offered a sheepish smile. “Elder Steward, please don’t laugh.”

“I’m not mocking. Your mistakes in refining this pill are not severe and easy to fix. Overall, your timing was very accurate. That’s rare. If your timing was off, this batch would’ve been ruined.”

Yu Xian was slightly surprised.

Timing…

That was indeed difficult to fake. He hadn’t noticed it himself—his instincts had taken over. Something to be careful about.

In alchemy, timing was crucial—technique could be learned, but timing revealed one’s talent and insight.

Thus, despite his crude technique, You Xiaohua was quietly impressed. Without such timing, this batch would’ve failed.

“Thank you, Elder Steward.”

You Xiaohua didn’t waste time and got straight to business. “Let me tell you, for the first herb—Tongxin Grass—your activation method was flawed. You should do it like this…”

She explained everything in great detail. Yu Xian feigned interest.

Su Xiaoduo, although not fully understanding, was clever enough to grasp the essence.

So both Yu Xian and Su Xiaoduo ended up benefiting from You Xiaohua’s lecture.

She was clearly experienced in teaching and explaining alchemy theory, a true master.

Even if Yu Xian only learned a bit, it was still a worthwhile three-day lecture.

Su Xiaoduo, however, made huge gains—she now felt confident in trying third-grade pills.

But then, You Xiaohua suddenly stopped. Her expression shifted as she took out a glowing communication token.

She listened to a voice only she could hear, frowned slightly, then looked at Yu Xian and said, “The Sect Master wants to see us. Let’s go.”