XuanHuan 10
The following day, Mo Tai completed the collection of herbs.
"Seventeen portions of the Sun Grasses, nine portions of the Fiery Hollies, eleven portions of the Red Flowers, eleven portions of the Split Radixes, thirteen portions of the Essential Lotus, and thirteen spirit cores of fire properties. Good. With these herbs, I can cook nine or ten Boost Pills," Nie Tian was very satisfied with the table of herbs.
It was no easy job for Mo Tai to collect so many herbs within one day. After all, Moyang City was a distant and underdeveloped place.
Walking out of the room, Nie Tian requested Mo Tai that no body was to disturb him.
Mo Tai promised and kept guard on the door by himself.
The Boost Pills were so important as it might even determine the fate of Moyang City, hence he could not afford to make any mistakes.
Nie Tian came back to the room and put the tripod and herbs in place.
The tripod before Nie Tian was very nice and was a third-level appliance at least. He wondered why there would be such a good tripod in the Magistrate's Mansion.
Then, Nie Tian assorted the herbs into nine portions. And the unused herbs went into the Storage Bag.
"Heavenly Fire Formula," Nie Tian spread out his palms and functioned his vital veins. Moments later, things went weird. There appeared a cluster of red flames on his palm.
The Heavenly Fire Formula was a fire-controlling formula practiced by Nie Tian in his previous life. It was an intimidating martial skill, for it could not only control the flames but also produce the flames with vital power.
Fire control was the fundamental qualification an alchemist.
People knew not how to control fire could not be recognized as the alchemist.
"There you go," Nie Tian turned his palms, sending the red flames into beneath the tripod.
Nie Tian transmitted his vital power to keep the flames from dying down.
The next step was to feed the herbs.
Due attentions should be paid here. It was the simplest step apparently but the most demanding step actually.
The sequence, the timing and the quantity of feed must be precise.
In this procedure, an alchemist was supposed to tap into his mental power to feel the changes of the properties of the herbs. Any mistake could explode the pills or even the tripod.
The Sun Grasses. The Fiery Hollies. The Red Flowers. The Split Radixes. The Essential Lotus, the first-level spirit cores of fire properties. Nie Tian fed these herbs into the tripod with great caution.
Any other alchemist would have shouted when he saw what Nie Tian was up to.
Nie Tian put the herbs to the tripod as per category rather than portion.
Generally, an alchemist cooked one portion at one go. But Nie Tian would cook the maximum pills one-time-off.
In fact, Nie Tian did not intend to do so. But his vital power was insufficient and could not cook two Boost Pills one after another.
To cook the Boost Pills as many as possible, Nie Tian had to take the risk.
Risk might be too strong a word, for Nie Tian had much confidence in his cultivation in the Way of Pills.
With his strong mental power and the rich alchemy experience in his previous life, he could make remedies whenever something went wrong halfway.
The herbs had been poured into the tripod by now. Along with the passage of time displayed Nie Tian a paler face.
To cook pills by fire control could exhaust the vital power. Nie Tian, at the second level of Vital Spirits, must recognize his limits.
Mo Tai and Mo Ruxi were waiting outside, sweating with nervousness.
A dozen of minutes later, Nie Tian's body began to shake and could barely stand where he was.
"Star Power." The vital power of the nine vital veins had depleted. So Nie Tian had to seek his last resort to the Star Power of the tenth vital vein.
He did not turn to the Star Power in the beginning, for he had no idea what impact would the Star Power have on the alchemy.
The Star Power seemed to breathe air into the red flames below the tripod. And there seemed to be something going on.
Nie Tian could feel that the scents of the herbs got thicker and that his face looked happier.
"It's done," Nie Tian cried out with a pleasant surprise, sweating heavily from another dozen of minutes.
The flame beneath the tripod dying down, nine Boost Pills popped out of the tripod and landed on the palm of Nie Tian.
"The Boost Pills seem to be stronger with the Star Power," Nie Tian noticed that the Star Power was not detrimental to the Pills at all, "It is now possible that Mo Tai can reach the fifth level of the Phenomenality." Nie Tian was very satisfied with the Boost Pills he cooked.
The father and daughter heard a voice in the room. They knew Nie Tian had finished the work and pushed open the door.
"These really are the Boost Pills!" Mo Tai was appalled to see the pills in the hand of Nie Tian.
"You know the Boost Pills, Mr. Magistrate?" Nie Tian was a little surprised.
"I saw them before," responded Mo Tai with a smile.
Nie Tian could see that Mo Tai was trying to hide something, so he did not ask more but hand the Boost Pills to Mo Tai, leaving four in his possession.
Nie Tian said, "Tomorrow marks the new Kung Fu Competition of Moyang City. I'll go back to my residence now. When the Competition was over, I will bring the Vital Spirits of the Nies here."
Finishing his words, Nie Tian turned around and prepared to leave, wasting no time.
"Nie Tian, are you gonna participate in tomorrow's Competition?" Mo Ruxi dragged Nie Tian and asked gently.
Nie Tian smiled back, "Tomorrow's Competition does not matter at all. But I have my business to take care of on that occasion, so I'm gonna participate."
Nie Tian had no intention to be a part of the Kung Fu Competition of Moyang City. But he had promised Tang the Thirteenth to kill Ba Ziliang. And the Competition was a golden opportunity, so he would bother to play a role in it.
He was confident to kill Ba Ziliang easily with all that he got.
"Then I'm in, too," nodded Mo Ruxi very seriously.
Nie Tian said jokingly, " M'lady, you aspire to defeat me, don't you?"
"So what?" Mo Ruxi stared at Nie Tian unyieldingly, "I am a Vital Spirits at the second level. And my vital spirit is very powerful. To defeat you is as easy as to turn my hand."
Nie Tian responded with a forced smile. He did not want to argue, but said, "I'll see you there."
The Competition was boring for Nie Tian after all. It would not go worse to play with Mo Ruxi.
"Alright, I'll beat you there," Mo Ruxi nodded heavily.
Nie Tian said no more and left immediately.
"Dad, what has he become?" Mo Ruxi looked up and asked Mo Tai, failing to see through Nie Tian's power.
Mo Tai sighed, "Vital Spirits at the second level."
"Vital Spirits at the second level!" Mo Ruxi was more than surprised. She curled her mouth, "I didn't realize that this shameless guy has awakened his vital spirit too."
"Ruxi, you are no match to him. If you encounter him tomorrow, don't flaunt your superiority." Mo Tai knew that Nie Tian would not harm Mo Ruxi, but he was worried that Mo Ruxi might become stubborn.
"Dad, I know," Mo Ruxi was not a unruly girl. She knew that tomorrow's Competition was not a big deal, but the cooperation with Nie Tian against the Bloody Bats was.
Nie Tian returned to the Nies and came directly to the Conference Hall.
Moments later, several patriarchs and deacons of the Nies got together.
Four Patriarchs and two deacons. The Vital Spirits in the Nies were here now.
"Family Master, it's great to see you back. Tomorrow there will be the Kung Fu Competition of Moyang City. We are looking forward to it that our family master will win the first prize of the Competition," Nie Tian said loudly at the sight of Nie Tian from afar.
Nie Tian nodded, "Is everything okay with the Nies these days?"
Nie Wenyuan answered, "No. And somehow, the Bas has remained quiet. They did not come find fault with the Nies."
Nie Tian shook his head slightly.
Of course the Bas would remain quiet, for they were waiting for the arrival of the Bloody Bats and the elimination of the Magistrate's Mansion and the Nie's once for all.
"Oh, right. Nie Santong is missing. And we don't know his whereabouts." Nie Wenyuan added.
"He might find a better a place to live in than the Nies. Just leave him alone," Nie Tian smiled. He would not admit that he had killed Nie Santong, for fear of setting off any panic in the Nies. Nie Santong had some influence on the family after all.
"Grand Patriarch, I have some announcement to make. Don't you get too thrilled." Nie Tian would come straight and let them know about the Bloody Bats.
"Sure." Nie Wenyuan had no idea what Nie Tian would like to say. But he did not look easy at the sight of Nie Tian's unnatural face.
Nie Tian scanned the crowd and spilled out the whole things of the Bloody Bats.
They looked at each other upon hearing the words. They could hardly believe what Nie Tian said.
Who could ever think that the tragedy of the Nies three years ago was an intentional act of the Bloody Bats, and a result of its collusion with the Bas.
Nie Tian did not spare much time for them to react, "tomorrow, after the Competition, you will come with me to the Magistrate's Mansion. And we'll fight a fatal fight against the Bloody Bats."
"Aye." Nie Wenyuan was the first one to get things straight and to stand out answering the call.
In the light of the fact that Nie Tian was the family master and that the Bloody Bats were the sworn enemies of the Nies, Nie Wenyuan must support him.
Now that Nie Wenyuan promised, the rest had to nod their heads.
It was then that Nie Tian took out the Boost Pills, handed them to Nie Wenyuan and made a brief introduction to its function.
The Boost Pills could be used to improve the power of the Kung Fu learner temporarily. But after the administering, there would be a month of exhaustion.
Nie Wenyuan left two pills to other two powerful patriarchs and one to himself.
Having made the arrangements, Nie Tian got back to his room. He needed a good rest to greet tomorrow's battle.
At the same time, something was going on at the Conference Hall of the Bas.
It was not Ba Wuli but Xiong Ba, a director of the Bloody Bats, who was now sitting on the major chair.
"My buddy, you have a great son. Ziliang is amazing and qualified to enter the general department on behalf of our branch." Xiong Ba laughed as he praised Ba Ziliang who just came out from the secluded cultivation.
"I'm flattered, Mr. Director," Ba Wuli bowed in reply and with full respect.
Ba Ziliang had reached the fifth level of Vital Spirits after he completed the cultivation and he looked even more powerful, "Mr. Director, as long as you help my family gain control of Moyang City, I will join the general department and fight for my branch."
"Bravo." Xiong Ba laughed again, "In return for your favor, I will give you two presents that could make you a shining star and a killing machine."
Xiong Ba turned his Temporal Ring as he said, and suddenly conjured up two objects.
"These are..." Ba Ziliang's eyes dilated as he saw them.