IWYTBW - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
If You Want to Gain Respect, Study Knowledge Properly.
Main Quest Completed!
Quest Name:: Negotiation
Task Rewards:
Skill Points x2
Bloodline Worms x10
Player, please choose to strengthen one aspect from strength, technique, or spirit.
“I’ll strengthen my spirit,” Yi Zhen pinched his nose, “My mental strength level can then be upgraded to C+.”
The points were successfully exchanged, and a refreshing, icy sensation seeped into his brain, as if dusting off ash, elevating his mental power to a higher level. In that moment, Yi Zhen’s vision became clearer, experiencing a sense of sudden enlightenment.
Main Quest Triggered!
Quest Name: Confrontation
Objective[e/n: this one sentence caused me grief… alternatives: You're in for a rough time.
There are no good fruits for you to eat.]: Can hard times get harder? If you fail this quest, they sure can!
Everything was in place; the only thing missing was the opportune moment. Under my exquisite negotiation skills, Rong Hongxue agreed to book the top floor of the StarFall Restaurant, and Ai Ling will invite her prestigious yet vicious classmates. Now, I have to think carefully about how to deal with these vicious princes and princesses. I, a proletarian [e/n: A member of the poorest class of a community; one who is without capital or regular employment] warrior, swear to smash the skulls of the ruling class!
Task Rewards:
Skill Points x2
Bone-Eroding Spirit Scorpion x1
Soul-Stealing Jade Bee x3
Upon seeing the latest task rewards, Yi Zhen’s heart couldn’t help but flutter with excitement.
Fantastic, it’s a new adorable poison!
[Congratulations,] Tai’a offered timely felicitations, [The negotiation took a total of 26 minutes, during which your mental prowess has improved, and you’ve also secured a promise for a restaurant’s private booking—an achievement that kills two birds with one stone.]
“Thank you,” Yi Zhen said, irritation lacing his voice. “Conversing with that little beast really shortens one’s lifespan. The sweat on my back has soaked through my clothes.”
[He possesses a super S-grade psychic power, while you have only just advanced to C+. The vast disparity in strength means that even though you are separated by an entire galaxy, Rong Hongxue can still exert a significant pressure on you. I find this to be quite normal.]
Yi Zhen removed his coat, deciding to change the subject. “Forget about that... Tai’a, what are the classes for this afternoon?”
[Alchemy, smelting, and sculpting.]
“Can I request a change in the schedule? I’d like to switch tomorrow morning’s class on distinguishing poisonous properties to the afternoon. I want to study this Bloodline Worm a bit more.”
His fingertips twirled a semi-transparent stone box, inside which a bundle of red thread was sealed with wax.
Tai’a responded, [Extra lessons can be added, but the current ones cannot be replaced.]
Yi Zhen gritted his teeth, “Fine, if we must add more classes, then we’ll add more classes!”
***
[......It’s worth noting that although alchemists were aware of the ‘form,’ or soul, of metals, the so-called alchemy they employed was still very backward and ignorant. Typically, they would fuse four base metals, namely iron, copper, tin, and lead, to obtain a substance that resembled an alloy. Then, in order to give it the form, or soul, of gold, they would try every means possible to add a golden color to the surface of this substance——]
Tai’a’s teaching resonated through the training hall.
“Even after obtaining the answers and beholding the essence of their quest, they couldn’t reach their ultimate destination. Thus, the ancient alchemists attempted a form of reverse engineering, seeking to derive the process from the outcome,” Yi Zhen interjected, twirling his pen.
“Entirely correct,” Tai’a said, simultaneously manipulating the holographic image before Yi Zhen to change. “Since around the 1st century, a person of no repute published the first treatise on alchemy under the guise of the ancient Greek sage Democritus, humanity has constantly been in pursuit of the illusion of gold amidst all things.”
Yi Zhen asked, “You don’t know who this unknown individual is either?”
[Correct, as there is no mention of his name in any records.] Tai’a replied, [But whether he was a madman, a genius, a demon, or a god, he brought to the world an absurd and miraculous discipline, the remnants of which have lasted to this day, thousands of years later.]
The holographic image flickered, displaying four different silhouettes: blazing flames, surging seas, howling winds, and firm land.
Tai’a continued, [Alchemists experimented for centuries but never managed to obtain gold from other substances. To break through this predicament, in the 8th century, a Persian alchemist named Jabir publicly announced, after analyzing the theory of the four roots proposed by the great ancient philosopher Empedocles, that all metals are the combined results of four properties: heat and dryness, cold and dryness, heat and moisture, and cold and moisture. Two of these are external characteristics of metal, while the remaining two are internal characteristics.]
Yi Zhen’s notes were endless, and Tai’a’s voice did not stop: [And according to En Shi’s four-root theory, heat and dryness are fire, heat and moisture are wind, cold and dryness are earth, and cold and moisture is water. All matter, including metal, is composed of these four elements.]
“Isn’t this just the standard ancient materialism in its simplest form?” Yi Zhen paused in his note-taking. “What value does this hold?”
Tai’a said, [The only value is that Jabir’s theory is the prototype of the modern chemistry substitution reaction.]
Within a moment, the holographic projection morphed once more, the elements of fire, earth, water, and wind dissipating like wayward grains of sand. Replacing them, an assortment of metallic ores emerged into view.
[The process of one metal undergoing a transformation to another through the application of heat, corrosion, or smelting, is named for the restructuring of these four essential elements.] Tai’a said, [Jābir believes that through the recombination of these four elements, even the most contemptible iron can be transformed into the noblest gold.]
Yi Zhen pondered, “How intriguing... Could this be considered a fortuitous accident?”
[It may be so, but it is also possible that it is not.] Tai’a gave an ambiguous answer. [When the end point is the same, even people walking on two opposite roads may meet each other by chance.]
Yi Zhen suddenly asked, “Gold, why is it always gold?”
[What’s always gold?]
“You’ve already mentioned this before,” Yi Zhen’s brow furrowed as he lowered his head, flipping through his notes fiercely, making the pages rustle. “You spoke of ‘a divine spark of insight, or an inescapable fate within destiny. In an era when humans used fire to fend off wild beasts, alchemists, albeit rudimentary in their understanding, precisely pinpointed the most critical aspect. Much like an unborn infant detects danger from outside the womb, they discovered that metals possess souls. And they immediately realized that this was the key to unlocking all secrets.’”
[En, I said it, so what?]
“That’s the key, ah!” Yi Zhen underlined those words. “They discovered that metal has a soul; in other words, it has a concept, and they knew that a concept can be extracted, and have been trying to extract the concept of matter. Having understood this much, why are they still so fixated on gold? Obviously, gold is the key in their eyes, but why?”
[Yes, why is that?], mused Tai’a slowly.
Yi Zhen: “...... Who’s the student here, you or me? I’m asking you a question.”
[Then let’s treat this as an assignment for you to think over carefully. How’s that?]
Yi Zhen was in a difficult position.
He racked his brains for a long time to no avail, and even took out ancient books from the museum, swiping through them page by page on his light brain.
“This makes no sense,” Yi Zhen muttered to himself, “it’s just a precious metal… Let me try this… No, still nothing…”
“Found it!” He was reinvigorated. “With admiration and wisdom, you should cheerfully extract the soil from the raging inferno… no, that’s not it either…”
At this moment, the light brain’s call request flashed. Yi Zhen was distracted: “Who is it?”
Rong Hongxue’s portrait popped and unfurled in the air, his handsome and pale face, as if innately carrying a dark spell, obscuring a section of the data page.
Yi Zhen never expected that he would meet him again so soon and was momentarily stunned.
What, were you scolded too harshly at noon, and now you’re seeking revenge in the evening?
“Oh, he’s studying now.” Rong Hongxue swept the room leisurely, showing no sign of the chilling intent he’d held towards Yi Zhen just a few hours earlier. “What’s he studying?”
Yi Zhen was not afraid of him finding out, since Tai’a’s shielding speed had always been the fastest.
“Postpartum care for sows.” Yi Zhen said as he moved the documents to the side. “Big Brother, let’s get down to business and not beat around the bush. I am very busy, and I am sure you have much to attend to as well.”
Rong Hongxue smiled as if he was in a good mood. “Xiao Zhen, to be honest, the Rong family is surviving because of me, and so are you. Since that’s the case, maybe you should improve your attitude a little. After all, if I say something, they’ll throw you out on the street. That would be rather unpleasant, wouldn’t it?”
Yi Zhen sighed impatiently, suddenly lifting his gaze to look directly at him, and said seriously, “I have a question for you.”
At this moment, Yi Zhen was willing to look at him directly, which sparked his intellect. He had quickly thought of over a dozen angles from which he could counterattack. Believing himself to be masterfully strategizing behind the scenes, confident of securing victory from thousands of miles away, he couldn’t help but compose himself with leisure. He made a “please” gesture and said, “Please, ask.”
“From the first century A.D. onwards, alchemists began to believe that metals were alive and had souls, with gold being the perfect and flawless pinnacle.” Yi Zhen picked up a page of notes, which was covered in numerous circles and annotations. “The theory of the four principles of the universe by the Persian alchemist Jabir, the research into the philosopher’s stone by the French alchemist Flamel, and the books written by Chinese Tao Hongjing, Zhengao, and Sun Simiao, Danfang Jueyao... Scholars from different times and countries have all focused their research on the transformation of gold.”
Rong Hongxue: “……………”
Yi Zhen: “Why? Gold is merely the most ordinary precious metal, there are many more that can take its place, so why is its position in alchemy so special? Look, even the term ‘alchemy[e/n: 炼金术liànjīnshù]’ itself carries a ‘gold[e/n: 金jīn]’ character.”
Rong Hongxue: “I...”
Yi Zhen focused on eye contact with him, his dark, sparkling eyes unblinking as he waited for his answer. Rong Hongxue discovered that he was being serious, this little sister in law really wanted him to answer this question.
“...Wait,” If he were to say he wasn’t feeling a little upset, it would be a lie. Rong Hongxue kept the smile on his face, asking, “Why did you think to ask me this? Are you studying alchemy?”
“You’re older than I am, so you should know more than I do, right?” Although Yi Zhen usually felt cheerful when he called the male lead a young punk, he still knew the age difference between him and the male lead, “Any clues?”
... Can any ordinary person make sense of this?
If he said he didn’t know, if he didn’t want to answer, he’d instantly be labeled as “getting older, not wiser”; but if he answered, the topic of modern alchemy wouldn’t be so bad, and he had at least a dozen pharmacists on his ship, but Yi Zhen had specifically asked about an ancient type of alchemy that was rotten to the core and convoluted…
He remained silent for a long moment, then lifted his hand to press it against the table. His spiritual power, as vast as the sea, directly pierced through the hull of the ship, weighing tens of thousands of tons. It propagated in a wave-like motion through the vacuum of space and, in the blink of an eye, reached one of the escort ships.
“Li Wenge, come here.”
The escort ship immediately veered off course, steering towards the docking port on the side of the main vessel. After what felt like an unbearably silent and awkward ten minutes, a man clad in a lab coat hurried over to Rong Hongxue, mopping his brow as he said, “Mr. Rong, did you need me?”
Upon seeing the situation in the room, Li Wenge was quite surprised. Rong Hongxue was sitting there in silence, seemingly sulking, with the communication screen in front of him displaying a handsome young man.
Recalling the gossip that had been wildly circulating since noon, this young man must be…
“Repeat your question,” Rong Hongxue said indifferently.
Yi Zhen did not nitpick and repeated the original words as they were.
Upon hearing Yi Zhen asking the question, Li Wenge initially didn’t take it too seriously, thinking that his superior was making a mountain out of a molehill. However, as Yi Zhen continued, Li Wenge’s expression gradually shifted, becoming visibly troubled. After the full explanation, Li Wenge furrowed his brows deeply, and after a long moment, he could only shake his head in distress.
“Apologies, Mr. Yi,” he started, clearly embarrassed as he made his apology. “It wasn’t until humanity evolved psychic powers that the theories of ancient alchemy could be employed and expanded upon. But that was only after we entered the great cosmic era, two millennia later. The issue you’re inquiring about... I’m terribly sorry, but it involves too many lost ancient texts and profoundly complex ideas. It’s simply not within the domain that applied alchemy can answer. I’m afraid I can’t be of help to you.”
Upon their first meeting, their initial conversation, this man apologized to Yi Zhen not once, but twice in quick succession.
“I remember, when you were promoted to the title of an A-rank Alchemist, the Azoth Empire had fewer than a thousand registered A-rank Alchemists,” Rong Hongxue said. “With your accumulation of knowledge and years of experience, are you truly unable to answer this question?”
Li Wenge lowered his head, seemingly still lost in deep thought. Yi Zhen, not wishing to trouble him further, quickly said, “Never mind, never mind. Don’t bother yourself with it; I’ll think it through on my own.”
“No!” Unexpectedly, Li Wenge immediately refused. “Mr. Yi, your question is excellent and profound. Please allow me to transcribe it. If possible, I would like to consult my teacher or other Grand Miracles and seek their assistance!”
Yi Zhen was well aware of what “The Grand Miracle” referred to. In the realm of alchemy, the initial Great Miracle pointed to the Philosopher’s Stone. Later on, alchemists who could concoct the Philosopher’s Stone were also hailed as Grand Miracles. Thus, by Li Wenge’s mention of a Grand Miracle, it was likely he referred to a universally acknowledged, highly skilled Grand Alchemist.
Having obtained Yi Zhen’s permission, Li Wenge felt as if he had acquired a priceless treasure and hurriedly took down notes.
“So, is there anything else you need?” Yi Zhen looked towards Rong Hongxue. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up first. I have many issues to research.”
Rong Hongxue suddenly felt a bit weary at heart.
He began to wonder if his recent preoccupation with the matters of the Crimson Cloak Galaxy had indeed driven him to a state of mental disarray, leading him to make such a bewildering video call.
“...I’m simply informing you that I’ve already notified the restaurant.”
“Not bad! Thank you. Is there anything else?”
Rong Hongxue remained silent for a moment before saying, “That’s all.”
This time, without waiting for Yi Zhen to say anything more, he closed the communication first.
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Next ChapterPeople Say the More You Know, the More You Resemble an Orphan of the World. qq remarksscheduled on may22,2024 ;'P
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