Chapter 34: The Vermilion Hill Alchemical Flame, A New Objective

"This is Cinnabar Flame."

Faced with Xia He's inquiry, Xia Ye offered a faint smile and explained, "It can refine and decompose all things in heaven and earth, including true qi, souls, and even emotions. It can transmute them into medicinal liquids and fuse them with herbs to forge pills."

Indeed, this was somewhat similar to Xia Ye's own abilities, though it was a weakened version. It only encompassed the alchemy aspect—lacking the ability to extract at will or see through things at a glance—yet it remained quite formidable.

He had not mentioned this in their previous discussions; in fact, the idea had only come to him during subsequent research, a spark of inspiration born from the title "Empress of Qingqiu."

The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records: "There is the land of Qingqiu. There is a fox with nine tails."

The nine-tailed fox, born in Qingqiu, is both a symbol of the nation's prosperity and its sovereign. Beyond the innate arts of the fox clan, it naturally holds the methods of Qingqiu.

In historical records, the land of Qingqiu is a place name from ancient Chinese legend, located near the upper reaches of the Si River, and its transmitted methods can be inferred from its very name.

Linguistically, the character "Qing" originally denotes a color, similar to black, green, or deep blue. The *Shuowen Jiezi* states: "'Qing' is the color of the East. Wood generates fire; it follows the generation of cinnabar."

Therefore, the character "Qing" actually serves as a substitute for "generating cinnabar through fire." Furthermore, the "Dan" (cinnabar) within the word "Qing" is a substance of miraculous transformations, capable of changing its form through constant refinement.

The saying "the blue (qing) comes from the indigo (lan) but surpasses it" reveals this process of change and refinement. The character "Jing" (essence), derived from "Qing," also carries the meaning of change and refinement—both draw upon the "rhythm of change" inherent in the character "Qing."

As for the character "Qiu" (hill), it needs little explanation; the land of Qingqiu is located upon a hill, referring to its topography. This hilly terrain is also highly suitable for the growth of medicinal herbs, which highlights the connection between the "Land of Qingqiu," alchemy, herb gathering, and even the medical arts.

Synthesizing these classics and texts, Xia Ye ultimately decided to bestow this "Cinnabar Flame" ability upon Xia He. It would diversify her methods while allowing her to become his "apprentice," permitting him to pass on the principles of alchemy.

He also considered that as more people gathered here, each requiring several stages of slow evolution, he would eventually be unable to manage everything alone. Cultivating an assistant would make things much easier.

"I see. Alchemy, is it?"

After hearing Xia Ye's explanation, Xia He smiled. "That sounds interesting. So, does that make you my master? Should there be an apprenticeship ceremony or something?"

"That won't be necessary. Your willingness to learn with heart is what matters most. After all, alchemy and medicine are quite monotonous in the beginning. I hope you can endure it," Xia Ye said with a gentle shake of his head.

***

Afterward, he instructed Xia He to demonstrate her newly acquired abilities, meticulously recording the results. Once he confirmed there were no issues with her physical state, he advised:

"You have just undergone a rebirth; rest well for now. The next step is to practice your techniques for a few days to settle and consolidate your foundation!"

With the inspection complete, Xia He retracted her nine fox tails, and her ears returned to normal. Seeing that her boss had other matters to attend to, she departed on her own.

Following this, Xia Ye sat at his desk, retrieved his computer from a hidden compartment, opened the "Experiment File No. 003," and began to edit:

[Experimental Phase: Initial (First Course)]
[Materials Used: Ice-Skin Jade-Bone of the Jade Bone Gate, Exquisite Aperture Heart of the Linglong Sect, Intestine-Piercing Poison, Seed of Calamity, Thunder Smoke Cannon, Fox Immortal Blood, Aura of Auspiciousness, Emperor's Intent, Lu Family Blood, Cinnabar Flame Seed of the Dan Ding Sect]
[Experimental Records:]
[Record 1: The subject showed no adverse reactions to the initial dose of Qingqiu Pill; body and medicinal properties are perfectly compatible.
"Ice-Skin Jade-Bone" successfully reshaped the subject's physique. Supplemented with body-strengthening medicine, the subject's physical strength and resilience have been greatly enhanced, comparable to hard-style qigong.
"Exquisite Aperture Heart" integrated perfectly, significantly boosting the subject's soul perception and the strength of their sexual energy, allowing for multitasking.
"Wine, Wealth, and Lust" successfully merged with the subject's true qi, advancing their innate ability. The new ability has been renamed "Heart Desire."
"Fox Immortal Blood" took effect, successfully allowing the subject to manifest as a nine-tailed fox woman. In this state, the power of "Heart Desire" is significantly amplified.
"Aura of Auspiciousness" took effect, successfully altering the subject's internal energy flow, enhancing their luck, and bringing them closer to the Dao, allowing them to commune more closely with heaven and earth.
"Emperor's Intent" took effect; the residual imperial aura from the First Emperor's tomb has had a significant impact. While there are no obvious changes yet, a subtle shift has begun, which will assist the subject in walking the path of "control."
"Lu Family Blood" and "Cinnabar Flame Seed" successfully fused. The newly born Cinnabar Flame has integrated with the power of the "Twin Hands," allowing for the refining of vital true qi with significant results.]

"Phew..."

After inputting the data, Xia Ye let out a long breath. Satisfied, he saved and closed the document, then opened "Experiment File No. 000."

Just as he had done with Chen Duo previously, he added a new entry after "Experiment II":

[Experiment III: Desire]
[Experiment III Progress: Observation Phase]

[Experimental Records:]
[Record 1: The Desire experiment has officially begun. The subject "Test Subject No. 003—Empress of Qingqiu" has entered the experimental process. The objective of this phase is—while ensuring the safety of the subject, to allow them to experience the changes in the desires of others and attempt to control them, to cultivate their sense of superiority, and to collect sufficient experimental data.]

With this, the test subject for the "Desire" category was finalized. Watching the file content grow, a sense of satisfaction rose within Xia Ye.

In his projections, this initial "Human" stage would require about ten subjects. Now, having found one-fourth of that number in just over a month, he felt the efficiency was quite high.

"Next, I wait for that fellow to send new information..."

Xia Ye felt quite at ease regarding the helper he had hired to track his targets. The person was a professional, and he expected to receive word before long.

In any case, Xiao Zizai and the others needed time to progress, so he was in no hurry. He closed his computer, put it away, and walked outside...

...

Following this, life in the medical clinic returned to a period of calm. Xiao Zizai and the others practiced methodically, and Xia Ye observed and recorded the changes in their data every day.

It is worth noting that due to her naturally high aptitude, Chen Duo learned the basic textbooks very quickly. In just one month, she had mastered Chinese, mathematics, and history from the nine-year compulsory education curriculum, grasping the most fundamental knowledge.

As for Xia He, after spending a few days consolidating her foundation, Xia Ye began teaching her the basics of pharmacology and alchemy. Her aptitude was also quite good, and she did not retreat despite the monotonous content.

As for Xiao Zizai, he would occasionally go out "hunting," killing a few pieces of human trash. He had developed a habit of keeping a constant watch on crime news; the entire "Wanted" section was like a buffet menu to him.

Just like that, another month passed. Aside from the occasional patient, there were no visitors to the clinic. It was like a deep pool, with only the undercurrents churning at the very bottom.

Then, on a morning one month later, just as Xia Ye finished his breakfast...

*Beep! Beep!*

He heard his satellite phone ring.

Walking into the treatment room to check it, he immediately smiled.

"Heh, it's here."