Han Yu had just finished polishing the blade of his new glaive—freshly nad "Dual Fury" after a bit of soul-searching and a snack—when he heard an all-too-familiar voice behind him, carrying the light scent of herbal powder and the heavy weight of passive aggression.
"So. You do rember the sect still has alchemists."
Han Yu flinched.
He turned slowly to see Li i, arms crossed, a tiny porcelain box in one hand and an expression on her face that could sour spirit wine. She was dressed in her usual alchemist’s robes, slightly stained from long hours in her cauldron room, and her long sleeves twitched like she was debating whether to throw the pill box at his head or shove it down his throat.
"Senior Sister Li!" Han Yu put on his brightest, fakest smile. "I was just about to visit you! I was—uh—recovering from mortal injuries! Trapped in illusions! Nearly eaten alive! All for the sect!"
Her glare intensified.
"You were gone for twenty days, returned with a new weapon, sparred in the arena, and yet couldn’t be bothered to visit the one person who pays you in spirit pills and cultivator-grade nutritionals."
Han Yu winced. "When you put it like that..."
She thrust the box into his hands. "You’re testing this. Today. Now."
Han Yu opened the box cautiously. Inside were three dark green pills with faint golden specks across the surface. They glimred faintly with alchemical runes.
"...They look potent," he said nervously. "Or possibly like insect eggs."
"They’re Qi Stabilizing Detox Pills, thank you very much," Li i said, sniffing. "A new formulation. They stabilize your qi flow while also purging residual impurities. They should clear out any lingering effects from battle fatigue, spiritual injuries, or... being lazy."
"I don’t know, they sll like anxiety."
Li i ignored that. "You’ll take one now. I need live data."
"N-not here!" Han Yu quickly shook his head. "At least in soplace private. I don’t want to start croaking in front of others." He pleaded.
"Fine." Li i accepted before they headed back to her place.
Once there Han Yu sighed, accepted his fate and popped one pill in his mouth before swallowed.
For two seconds, nothing happened.
Then a rush of warmth blood through his limbs, followed by a strange tingling sensation in his dantian. His ridians vibrated slightly—as if they were humming in tune—and a faint, comfortable pressure swept over his body. His qi felt... smoother. Less jagged from overuse and battle strain.
"Oh," he blinked. "That’s... actually kind of nice."
Li i raised an eyebrow. "See?"
"But also my left ear feels itchy and I’m not sure if that’s the detox or so spiritual hallucination."
"That’s within expected side effects," she replied without missing a beat. "Your body’s internal qi structure is always weird anyway."
Han Yu held up the second pill in the box. "Are all three the sa?"
Li i nodded. "I want you to test one now, one after you train, and one after a battle. I’ve included a jade slip that can record qi-compatibility feedback and more data in the pouch as well—record your personal comnts or responses. And if you vomit stuff that slls like lotus petals again, I need pictures."
"Wait, again?" Han Yu squinted. "When did I do that?" He wondered if he had mory loss from one of the trials or sothing.
"Just go."
Before he could protest, she turned on her heel and marched off toward the Alchemy Pavilion, her sleeves swishing with authority and the faint sound of annoyed muttering.
Han Yu stared at the pill box in his hand, then at the Jade Slip in his other. It glowed faintly with a rune of assessnt.
He muttered, "I should really stop agreeing to these..."
Still, as he stood there, his qi continued to feel better than it had in the last few days. His aches were gone, his energy was sharper, and his thoughts clearer. Perhaps the pills were another bizarre win.
He chuckled to himself, pocketed the box, and walked off.
"Alright. Let’s see if I can survive the next two doses without sprouting another tail."
Over the next few days, Han Yu committed himself—reluctantly—to the sacred duty of being Li i’s personal walking alchemy experint.
Ard with the first successful dose under his belt and a growing suspicion that his body was becoming less of a temple and more of a testing ground, Han Yu decided to follow her instructions to the letter.
Test 1: Post-Training Use
He waited until he had finished a long session in the training grounds, refining his Falling Leaf Strike and running footwork drills with his new glaive. By the ti he was done, his qi was turbulent, his robes were soaked, and his glaive was poking him accusingly in the back for being overused like a cheap broom.
Back at his quarters, he sat cross-legged, placed the second green pill in his mouth, and swallowed.
The effect was imdiate. Not as dramatic as the first ti, but noticeable. The chaotic circulation of qi in his body began to smooth out, like turbulent waters settling after a storm. The fatigue in his limbs ebbed away like morning mist. A refreshing sensation ran up his spine, straight into his brain, which buzzed like soone had just wiped clean a foggy mirror.
"Okay... still a bit tingly," he mumbled, opening one eye. "But no vomiting lotus petals slling puke. That’s a win."
He picked up the Jade Slip, which glowed faintly and pulsed with a rune.
Qi Stabilization: 86%
Impurity Expulsion: 34%
Side Effects: Temporary neural stimulation, minor skin sensitivity.
Han Yu stared at the last line a bit too long than he should have.
"...So that’s why my fingers feel like I dipped them in chili oil," he muttered.
Still, the clarity it gave was impressive. He felt more alert, focused, and clean inside. Not spiritually ascended or anything, but at least like soone who could ditate without falling asleep halfway through.
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