> > Strange World Alchemist Chef – Chapter 9
Chapter 9 Recognise ingredients
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The insides of the Elixir Pavilion resemble a large Chinese medical hall, and there are even scents of various medical products. The first floor of the build is wide and there are more than 10 cupboards stacked against the wall. Each of the cupboards had many drawers, and all of these are clearly labelled so that the staff there could find things quickly.
Within the drawers, there are many boxes and flasks, with a label on them, indicating what it contains.
At this moment, there are many Wu Family Clan disciples who were choosing their elixirs. Each disciple was different in their cultivation, and the type of elixirs that they like is different as well. The higher level disciples find the basic elixirs to be practically worthless for their cultivation and will not desire a body strengthening elixir. They desire some stronger elixirs that could improve their cultivation.
This Elixir pavilion is very tall as well - it is four stories tall. The elixirs at the higher storeys are better in quality and are more expensive than the elixirs in the first story.
Most of the disciples would have 3 elixirs a month to help them improve their cultivation.
The disciples with higher levels of cultivations could receive 3 higher priced and higher quality elixirs for free a month.
Of course, the people with the most elixirs are the alchemists employed by the Wu Family Clan. As an alchemist, they could freely use a large number of ingredients to practice their craft. Should they succeed, the elixirs belong to them. If they fail, they could always get more the next month to try again.
Becoming an alchemist may mean that you have better entitlements, but it does not mean that all alchemists are equally valuable. If you are just the first grade alchemist, all you could create are common elixirs, and you are practically worthless - there are a bunch of these alchemists. Only by continuous experiments and practice could you achieve a breakthrough in your alchemy skills and create higher level elixirs, and prove your worth.
Higher level alchemists are welcomed and respected almost everywhere.
"These are two body-strengthening pills. You should take them back and dissolve them in your bath water. Then bathe in the waters. It may not cure your blocked meridians, but it will strengthen your body and is beneficial to you." The 9th elder looked very strict as he said this. He seldom smiled.
But today, he smiled as he handed over a container containing the pills to Wu Xuan, "Please do not use this elixir to cook! This is an elixir and not a cabbage!"
Wu Xuan grinned as he accepted the elixir and smiled at the joke that the 9th elder had cracked. This 9th elder is a nice man, and did not look down on him just because he could not cultivate in martial arts.
"9th Elder, please be at ease. Your disciple dares not to do so ever again!" Wu Xuan opened the flask, and mouth-watering aroma whiffed out. Just one elixir could strengthen the body. What an amazing product!
He immediately took out one elixir and examined it. His hand sudden glows white but it is not as obvious as before. Suddenly, his brain was swamped with information regarding the elixir.
Grade one elixir, Body Strengthening Elixir. It could be used to strengthen the body. Main ingredients are Silver Flower Grass, Fallen Flower stem and [Jue Xin Zi].
Wu Xuan forced himself to remain calm, but he was elated in his heart. Whoa! He had not expected that he could find out the composition of an elixir. When he managed to identify the properties of the icy dragon grass, he had wondered if he could identify elixirs as well.
Never did Wu Xuan expect the power in his hands to be able to identify elixirs as well, and also tell the composition of elixirs.
Wu Xuan had a weird thought - he thought that alchemy and cooking are similar. Both of them require a set of process to turn ingredients into final products.
For example, if you forget to add salt to a dish, then the dish would not be very tasty. Similarly, if you lack an ingredient, then the effect of the elixir will not happen. It may result in no effect, or adverse effect, or even become poison!
Wu Xuan could use spiritual plants to cook, but he does not know which ingredients could be combined with other ingredients to achieve a certain effect. Therefore, he could not create a dish that would bring out the best in the ingredients.
If he could understand the properties of many spiritual plants, maybe he could create a dish that had the effect of an elixir without the need to understand the recipe for creating the elixir.
The sad reality is that he did not know anything about spiritual plants. He does not have a clue about other spiritual plants other than the icy dragon grass.
Therefore, he could only put this matter aside… until now. Now that he had the ability to find out the composition of the elixir with but a touch, he need not worry about this limitation anymore.
Regardless if it is the recipe for cooking dishes or the recipe for creating elixirs, all these are kept a top secret [2].
With the ability to distinguish the composition of elixirs, it is quite easy for him to get the recipe for creating elixirs.
The only limitation for him now is that his body had insufficient energy.
The 9th elder did not know what Wu Xuan is thinking about. He just advised, "Your body is too weak and could only withstand this grade 1 body-strengthening elixir. After using it, you should become stronger."
"9th Elder, may I take a look around? Your disciple had always marvelled at the spiritual medicine and plants. I would like to examine the elixirs. May I?" Wu Xuan suddenly asked. He wants to examine more elixirs to find out the composition. Then he could create a dish with similar effects to an elixir in future.
The 9th elder was surprised at this request. He had not anticipated that Wu Xuan will request this. He was annoyed that Wu Xuan had wasted an icy dragon grass, but his dish had increased his mood by a lot and made him felt much happier. After mulling it over for a minute, he agreed, "All right. You may look around on this floor only. And you cannot stay for too long!"
Wu Xuan nodded his head and thanked the 9th Elder, "Thank you 9th Elder! I will not take too long!" He immediately rushed out and take a look around. Wu Xuan was afraid that the 9th elder would change his mind.
The 9th Elder shook his head. He had given Wu Xuan permission because of the food that he had made. It increased his mood and today, he had a nice chat with other elders as they joked about Wu Xuan cooking the icy dragon grass. While his heart aches at the waste of a perfectly good ingredient, it is not every day that he could enjoy a lively conversation with the other elders. This increased his good mood somewhat.
If not for this, he would not have agreed to Wu Xuan's request.
"En, Grade one spiritual restoration elixir, helps to recover 30 % of spiritual energy quickly. Made from [Jing Hua Moss], [Green Silver Grass]…."
Wu Xuan examined the elixirs in the pavilion. There are many kinds of elixirs and all of these are Grade one elixirs. He would touch them, and get the information of what each elixir is made up of, and quickly memorised them.
When he walked to the end of the corridor, a box suddenly caught his attention. Grade 2 elixir Body Refining Elixir!
This is the first time that he had seen a Grade 2 elixir. The effects of Grade 2 elixirs are much stronger than that of a Grade 1 elixir. Just looking at the effects of this elixir made him raised his eyebrows in surprise.
This elixir can allow a lower-grade martial arts cultivator to jump one grade! It is effective for all martial arts cultivators who are weaker than basic level 3!
The effect of this medicine is not bad, but it had a limited use: It could only increase the cultivation of someone who is less than basic level 3. Therefore, it is placed on this floor instead of higher floors.
For someone like Wu Xuan who could not cultivate, it is of no use to him.
Wu Xuan could not help taking the elixir and placing it in his palm. However, this time there is no information available.
"What is going on? Why doesn't it work?"
He frowned. Wu Xuan does not believe he could not see the composition. He willed himself to try hard, and his hand glowed white. Then the information flowed into his brain:
"Grade 2 elixir Body Refining Elixir - allows a cultivator less than basic level 3 to be promoted to the next grade. It is made up of ……"
"Yi? What are looking at the Body Refining Elixir for?" the 9th Elder thought that Wu Xuan had stayed too long and walked in to take a look.
At this time, Wu Xuan was perspiring heavily. He could feel all the energy being drained from his body. He fainted and toppled in exhaustion. Seeing this, the 9th elder quickly caught his hand, and asked, "What happened to you?"
Wu Xuan discovered that if he focused his will and wants to find out the properties of this pill, he needs to have sufficient energy. But his body is weak and lack the required energy. Therefore, after draining the energy from his body, he will be in a weakened state. The worse thing is that despite all his efforts, he had not yet discovered the composition of this pill. Already, he could feel himself about to lose consciousness.
It appears that right now, he could only identify the Grade one elixirs. If he wants to identify higher grade elixirs, it is not possible without a higher level of cultivation.
He had no choice but to give up. That he could identify the icy dragon grass may be just a coincident - or that the icy dragon grass is nearer to a Grade one ingredient.
"I am all right. I just feel a bit dizzy just now. Right now, I am much better."
Wu Xuan stood up. He sighed.
Right now, even if he knows the composition of this elixir, he still does not have the spiritual plants to cook it and experiment with it.
"I have already seen the elixirs, and thank you for granting me my wish." Wu Xuan did want to stay. He had already seen most of the elixirs, and have nothing left to do here.
After saying his goodbyes, Wu Xuan left the Elixir Pavilion. The 9th elder immediately looked at Body Refining Elixir.
He could not figure it out – Wu Xuan was fine just a moment ago. Why did he fall sick after seeing this elixir?
Wu Xuan thanks you for reading this chapter at prosperous food dot com.
Notes[1] A friend of mine remarked to me privately that Wu Zixin’s behaviour of blaming Wu Xuan instead of the elder is normal in most places and still continues to this day. The boss asked him to take over a colleague’s work as that colleague had taken a long time and still could not complete it.
So he took over the task (he did not have any say in this matter – after all, he is employed by the boss).
But the colleague found out and blame him for taking his work away instead of the boss who ordered him to do the work. This behaviour is typical in real life, and not just in the novels.
[2] Although the internet had enable the sharing of recipe, many recipes are still kept a commerical secret. E.g. KFC’s 11 herbs and spices.
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