Aoyang: The Reborn Alchemist Seeks Knowledge [Xianxia]

Baiyun woke up with a start, sending the blanket atop him flying as his body shot up abruptly.

He opened his eyes instinctively and looked around in confusion, though all he saw was pure darkness. Beneath his remaining hand was the soft bedding material, far more luxurious than what he was used to in his previous servant life. It didn't seem to match the bedding of the inn either, so he had no idea where he was.

It seemed the disciples had fled safely, placing him in a room he could rest in. Though unbeknownst to them, he had been fighting for his life the entire time, barely managing to restrain his frenzied body rejecting his soul.

Baiyun let out a long sigh. He had finally regained control of his body, but he was in no mood to rejoice. He sat in silence for a moment and wondered if he should lie back down. Even after lying down for so long, he felt the most exhausted he had been in this life.

But first, he needed to know where he even was. He opened his mouth and prepared to coax out a thread of divine sense-

!

He froze and sealed his lips, a drop of cold sweat running down his cheek.

The presence of spirits loomed over him, something he sensed in the brief moment the beginnings of his divine thread touched air. The surveillance of spirits meant only one thing; he was back in the WanLing sect once more.

Hah... his senses had really dulled. Before his body rejected him, even without divine thread extended, he could still navigate the sect solely from the aura of spirits he recognised.

Now, he couldn't even feel the presence of spirits until he opened his mouth, much less recognise which of them were about, and he even nearly revealed his secret.

Baiyun turned his head towards the ceiling and felt rather helpless. Without the freedom to use divine sense, he would functionally be blind while in the WanLing sect. Divine touch was his only spiritual sense that could evade the notice of spirits.

For another chance to leave the WanLing sect and use divine thread freely again... it didn't seem like it would come any time soon. Getting into Ying Shi's hunting party was already a miracle in its own right.

For now, he decided to examine the state of his body. From how he was no longer in excruciating pain, he could tell the disciples had taken good care of him.

The first organs he checked were his eyes. To his surprise, most of the mangled flesh had been resurrected, cellular death reverted by powerful elixirs. What could not be recovered had been regrown, making his eyes functionally "unwounded".

But while the cells had been restored... their arrangement was another story.

To put it bluntly, it was as if an egg had been scrambled then placed back into its shell. The only thing that could hatch was an omelette.

Baiyun was still blind.

He channelled divine sense into his eyes and formed a mental image of what they looked like. His pupils were dull and misaligned, surrounded by red streaks of varying lengths branching out erratically with no rhyme or reason.

Gruesome... but to even salvage his eyes to this extent would have taken quite the expensive elixir. He sighed lightly. It was probably Qinghe or Ying Shi who provided it, perhaps even Mohei. Whichever of them did, it seemed he would owe them yet another favour.

Next, he checked on what remained of his left arm.

A thin white leather skin had been sewn to his elbow stump with silver thread, fused directly to his flesh with alchemic meat glue. It was almost certainly Ying Shi's handiwork, judging from how he patched up Sanguang back in their first centipede den raid.

Baiyun sighed at the state of his body. There were elixirs and procedures that could restore his eyes and his arm, but those things were far out of his current reach.

Qi Gathering was far too weak, merely the 2nd tier of cultivation and barely above mortals.

For him to find a way to treat his wounds, at minimum, he would need to be at the peak of the 3rd tier: Elixir Condensation, equivalent to Foundational Establishment.

No, he was probably being too optimistic. He might need to reach the 4th tier: Golden Elixir, equivalent to Core Shaping first!

Baiyun laughed to himself mockingly. Cultivation without meridians was already hard enough, and now he had to do it while crippled.

He got up from bed and walked with slow and shaky steps, feeling the wooden boards beneath his feet. He could sense from essence within his body that he had been fed blood-replenishing elixirs while he was unconscious, but he still felt weak and dizzy.

Vital Heart brew was also good for improving blood production, so he reached for a bag and took out several bottles. He leaned his head back and gulped down the pungent green liquid bottle by bottle, wiping his mouth before stashing the empty containers away.

For now, he would aid his movements with subtle puppeteering from his soul. He held out his lone arm carefully, not wanting to slam face-first into something he couldn't see.

Baiyun walked forward slowly until his hand touched a nearby wall. His divine touch pulsed into it, roughly mapping out the layout of his room and finding the door.

He opened it with a slight creak as it swung on its hinges, the cold air of night washing over him and breaking the still air of the room. His ears seemed to hear the way the wind swirled around objects, giving him faint inklings of a bookshelf and table behind him.

The wooden floorboards were well-nailed and sturdy, yet he could feel and hear the faintest creaks from them as he walked. He focused harder and heard a indistinct sound in the distance that drew his attention.

Baiyun thought to himself that the human body was truly strange. Now that he had lost his sight, it was almost as if his body adapted and elevated its other senses. Even without divine thread to guide him, he was still able to make his way around.

Outside his room was a hallway of sorts, something he gathered from what Divine Touch revealed to him, and the way he felt the winds rush through it without resistance. With every footstep he took, his awkward motions grew a little more natural.

A faint orange blur suddenly entered his vision and Baiyun widened his eyes. He carefully walked towards it and held his hand towards it, finally discovering its identity as an orange lantern.

Hm... he mused to himself. It seemed he wasn't completely blind and could still vaguely perceive light. He wasn't really sure what that would be useful for however, it wasn't as if he needed help telling day and night apart; instincts alone were enough.

Baiyun walked around touching random objects like he was back in the Veiled Garden Workshop until he had a realisation. This was the inside of Ying Shi's mansion. It wasn't exactly a huge surprise, but it was good to know.

The strange sound grew clearer as he approach, and he realised they were faint sobs. It was a voice he recognised, Fei An's.

Baiyun froze. A moment passed before he looked down, a complicated look on his face.

Tsk. What was he doing acting like this? If he did not even have to courage to confront her...

He clenched his lone hand into a fist and marched to the door, pushing it open. It felt heavier than the last time he was here, despite his bolstered strength.

Creak...

Baiyun did not see anything, but he felt a gaze land on him. It wasn't something his basic senses alerted him to, more akin to instinct.

The wind swirled around two vague humanoid figures. One of them was larger, an adult, likely Yingtao. She was the only adult here, and he could hear her long hair swaying in the wind. The other figure, Fei An by process of elimination, was hunched as she sat on the ground cradling her knees.

Soft thuds echoed as Yingtao patted her on the back.

The faintest of clatters came from Fei An's fingernails, her hands shaking as she held a porcelain object. Something light as air but akin to dust could be barely heard swirling within.

An urn.

...

Baiyun grew silent.

Yingtao was the one who had been staring at him, but Fei An slowly raised her head and gave him a glance before turning back to the urn.

"Baiyun." Yingtao's voice finally spoke. "Are you feeling fine?"

Of course not. Baiyun wasn't sure how to answer for a moment, but he nodded. It wasn't as if his eyes and arm would regrow if he continued to mope.

"I'm here with Fei An right now." Yingtao said. "I know you're still wounded, but if you have any words to say... be gentle to her. She's lost a precious member of her family."

Baiyun felt the night was rather cold. Far colder than even the caverns beneath the servant mountains. All he could do was nod slowly.

He could feel Fei An's gaze turn to him again, more intense this time, but with what emotion he did not know.

A faint breath and the beginnings of a syllable hinted she was about to speak, but she silenced herself and turned away once more.

Had Yingtao told her about what he did to her brother? No... that seemed unlikely. Yingtao would know that would only cause conflict, and Fei An would likely be far angrier.

Then... Baiyun reached for his ruined eyes closed them. Perhaps the sight of them was simple far too gruesome.

But it was merely guesswork in the end. He had no way of knowing what she was thinking, especially without being able to see her face.

"If there's nothing, I'll leave you be." Baiyun said.

He didn't want to intrude on their moment. Besides, he didn't feel like he had the right to talk to Fei An after what he did.

Yingtao let out a long troubled sigh.

...

The three of them stayed silent for a moment.

"Was there something you wanted to ask?" Baiyun finally said.

He inhaled and prepared himself. While trying to save Jingfeng and Yingtao, he had shown some of his cards. All he could hope was that the explanations he thought up would suffice.

"Eh?"

But all that came from Yingtao was a confused sound, and Baiyun felt just as befuddled.

"Nevermind then." he said.

Yingtao patted Fei An's shoulder one last time before getting up.

"Will you be fine by yourself?" she asked gently.

Fei An turned to her before nodding slowly. Yingtao gave her a reassuring hug before walking toward Baiyun.

"You must be starving after all that. Come, let's head into the mansion and give Fei An a moment to herself."

Starving? Baiyun thought about it and realised it really had been a long time since he had ate. She was right, he spent so long writhing in the darkness, an entire day and night had passed.

He thought to himself that he really was terrible at remembering to eat.

...

The two of them entered the mansion, Yingtao shutting the door behind them. She tried to guide Baiyun around now that he was blind, but he seemed to still be able to find his way around, albeit a little slowly.

He could tell she was surprised despite her not saying anything about it. But she and Ying Shi already suspected he had a constitution with sharp senses, so it wasn't something that couldn't be explained.

The two of them took their seats at the round meeting table. Yingtao retrieved a teapot artefact from her bag and poured out several small cups of tea for him, then placed a box of steamed buns in front of him.

These were the same buns from before! Their savoury aroma wafted into the air and Baiyun felt his appetite rouse as he grabbed one of them. He nearly dug in voraciously before remembering himself, slowing his movements and eating with grace. Yingtao laughed slightly but it was weak as if her heart wasn't in it.

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"You don't have to hold back." she said.

But Baiyun continued to eat with "the dignity of an elder", leaving her speechless. He had been much more enthusiastic when he first faced those buns...

He ate his fill slowly, enjoying buns that were still warm and wafting with steam. The occasional sips he took from the teacups were filled with the gentle scent of flowers and herbs, infused with ample qi.

It was a pleasant and satisfying meal. Without sight or divine thread active, his focus was on the scent, the softness of steamed bread in his hands, the texture in his mouth, and the myriad flavours that danced across his tongue. Feeling more now that he had less, perhaps that was poetic in its own way.

The two of them talked as he ate, though it was casual and nothing of significance. Yingtao didn't say a thing about what happened in the centipede den, a gesture Baiyun appreciated. Though, he could still sense just how troubled she was.

"Should we offer something to Fei An too?" Baiyun asked as he held up the teapot.

"I already tried earlier. But she said she wasn't hungry or thirsty." Yingtao muttered. "She hasn't eaten since yesterday..."

"I see..."

The two of them felt the sombre mood sink upon their shoulders once more.

"Baiyun, I haven't told you yet since I didn't want you to exert yourself, but..." Yingtao suddenly said. "But somehow, you seem less worried about your injuries than I am, to the point where I feel silly, haha... You really are strong-willed, huh?"

Baiyun was silent for a moment.

"What was it you haven't told me?" he asked.

"There's someone who wants to meet you, right in the other room." Yingtao said. "I'll lead you there if you're up for it."

Baiyun was taken aback. What's with that vague wording?

He began to worry about the worst, wondering if it was an elder from Jingfeng's clan ready to dole out punishment.

No, that was unlikely. It didn't seem like Yingtao told anyone what he did, and an angered elder would have no interest in waiting for him to rouse. He'd probably be dead in his sleep if that was the case.

"I'll meet the person," he said firmly.

Still, he braced himself as Yingtao led him to the door. Perhaps it was an elder who knew to hold back in the face of anger, following legal procedures before execution... Urgh, why was he still thinking of the worst outcomes?

The door creaked open and Baiyun listened tensely.

...

No breathing could be heard, the slow air akin to dead silence. It was an empty room with nothing but furniture.

Huh? Baiyun was baffled.

But a voice from in front suddenly caught him by surprise.

"Baiyun!"

That voice... it was the light spirit!

A speck of light rushed towards Baiyun and circled him, but as he turned around in confusion, all he could see was his vision growing brighter whenever she flew by his eyes.

"Oh, how could this have happened to you!" she let out a mournful cry. "If I knew this would happen, I would never have let the martial elder take you in..."

She began to sob, before fury gradually crept into her voice.

"I knew something was wrong from the start! A group of young masters inviting an unsuspecting servant into their hunting party?" she yelled. "Who would believe they had any good intentions? They must have fooled with you, intending to throw your life away as cannon fodder!"

Baiyun sweated. When she put it that way...

"I even looked for lady Ren Hai to ask if I could serve as chaperone... But the elders of the Tranquil Ocean clan stopped me, saying sect spirits were forbidden to leave! Why did I back off back then? I should have snuck in to meet her while I had the chance..."

Lady Ren Hai? Tranquil Ocean clan? Baiyun had no idea what she was talking about, but he hurriedly waved at the spirit and interrupted her rambling.

"Wait! They didn't do anything to me, if anything, they-"

"They're deceiving you, you naive child!" the spirit yelled. "You shouldn't have believed them! Those arrogant bastards would never befriend a servant like you! To them, anyone who can't cultivate is nothing but worthless trash!"

Baiyun sweated as she continued ramble in a rage.

What was she saying? She might not intend to insult him, but a normal child would be traumatised by those words! He thought of trying to explain further, but seeing how fuming mad she was, he decided to wait until she ran out of steam.

A few minutes passed before the light spirit's anger ebbed, floating there in silence.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have yelled at you..." she said sorrowfully. "It's not your fault..."

"It's fine! You were just worried about me." Baiyun waved with a forced smile.

The air was unbearably awkward. He had no idea how to console someone in such a situation.

As he racked his mind trying to figure out what to say, a sudden thought entered his mind. He never had a name to call her by, didn't he? Another thing that was quite awkward. Perhaps he could at least distract her.

"Say... I know I asked a long time ago, but do you really not have a name?" he asked, before she could continue.

"You're asking me that all of a sudden?" the spirit sniffed.

"It's just weird not to have a name to call someone. We've known each other for years after all."

"I can only give the same answer as back then... The sect doesn't give us official names. We really aren't supposed to have them." she said. "Well... there are some of us presumptuous enough to name themselves anyway through."

The light spirit paused for a moment before continuing.

"Do you remember that bastard spirit, the one who dragged you into this mess to begin with?"

Baiyun nodded. Without that earth spirit, he probably would never have been accepted as a disciple by Martial Elder Guan Qiang, nor would he have met Ying Shi.

"That idiot named himself Earthquake! Ridiculous, isn't it? It's always the pompous ones that name themselves, coming up with the most arrogant of names!" the spirit huffed.

She began to complain about Earthquake, chiding his tendencies and telling stories about how much of a pain he was to work with, and the troubles he caused. Baiyun nodded as she rant and only spoke occasionally, simply glad the changed topic distracted her from beating herself up for now.

The spirit suddenly sighed.

"I wasn't sure at first, but the way you talk really has changed..." she said. "Perhaps what they say about hardship changing someone is true, though I didn't think it would be this fast..."

Baiyun could only cough awkwardly. After joining the hunting party and seeing the children there talk normally, he gradually relaxed his efforts in faking childish mannerisms and couldn't bring himself to do it again.

He began to wonder if he had stunted his speech more than necessary. A few painful memories of his bad acting in the past resurfaced but he quickly suppressed them, not wanting to think about it.

"I suppose a lot happened." Baiyun said.

He turned to the window and for a moment, his vision slightly brightened from the moonlight. The spirit followed his gaze.

"You've always liked to look at the night sky..." she muttered. "But it's been taken from you so cruelly..."

Hm? In the past, he had merely been searching for familiar constellations in the skies, trying to see if he could find a path to his old world. Only now did he realise it looked like he had the hobby of stargazing.

"You wanted a nickname to call me by, didn't you?" she said. "Then, I'll be 'Yue', for the moon amidst the skies."

Baiyun was surprised for a moment, but nodded. He thought she had been against naming herself.

"So you can replace the sight of the night sky?" he grinned.

Yue coughed.

"...Maybe it's too cheesy after all." she said, embarrassed.

The two of them paused for a moment before laughing together. Through efforts from both, the rage and sorrow in the air had somewhat melted, leaving behind relaxed melancholy.

"It's not. It fits you perfectly." Baiyun said.

He listened to the air as he stood, following the flow of wind to the moonlit window.

"Yue, I know you're worried about me, especially after what happened." he turned to her and faced her with his ruined eyes. "But I still have my path to walk."

Baiyun rushed towards the open window and vaulted across the frame, jumping out.

Yue cried out in alarm, but he landed on the ground smoothly, his body now strong enough to endure the impact even without the Thousand Wills Ring. He clenched his lone fist as he listened for swaying leaves and branches, making his way towards a small tree.

BANG!

With a single blurred strike, his fist slammed into the slender trunk! A loud crackle filled the air as wood splintered, bark splitting as the tree snapped, groaning as it toppled to the ground in half. The rebound sent Baiyun's light body flying backwards, but he angled himself mid-air and landed smoothly on the grass 3 metres away.

"Baiyun, you..." Yue gasped.

"How's that for cheesy?" Baiyun smirked.

"No... the tree is property of young master Ying Shi..."

Baiyun's face went blank as Yue began to laugh.

"I'll reimburse him later," he grumbled.

He made his way back towards the mansion, leaping high into the air and grasping the window frame before climbing in. Though, with a missing hand, it was more akin to shoving himself through and tumbling down awkwardly.

"Here."

Yue spoke as she floated a cloth towards his hand dripping with fresh sap, wiping it clean. Then, she sighed again.

"I suppose that's your way of telling me you've grown stronger. Aside from trying to out-cheese me..." she said. "But will you really be fine without your eyes?"

"You saw how I could find my way around while pulling those stunts, didn't you?" Baiyun said. "It'll be a little tough, but I'll be just fine. And who's to say I won't be able to find a pill or elixir to restore my eyes some day?"

"Maybe..."

Yue didn't sound very convinced and only sighed.

"In the end, he became a combat servant after all..." she muttered to herself.

Baiyun couldn't blame her scepticism. A procedure that could reconstruct his eyes was not something a servant could afford, even with a thousand years of what could barely be called salary.

Even he himself found this quite the conundrum, despite being able to restructure his body with his soul.

Back when he took the Black Earth elixir, he was able to take advantage of the reconstruction to further improve the fundamental structure of his body. But trying to do the same with his eyes was a hundred times more difficult.

Unlike flesh and muscle that were full of vitality and could take quite a beating, the soft tissue of eyes was extremely delicate. Even worse, an eye was so small, the area he had to work with was reduced by more than 50 times!

The way he restructured his body was bluntly put... extremely violent; there was a good reason why he bled so much. If he had the audacity to try the same procedure with his eyes, his excessive force would likely catapult straight to its closest neighbour: the brain, sending him straight to an early grave.

That was why he needed to be at the peak of the 3rd tier or perhaps even the 4th tier; to raise the durability of his body and unshackle his soul further until it was safe to rebuild his eyes.

Baiyun mocked himself for a moment earlier after realising he needed to reach such heights while crippled.

But he laughed at himself again.

What was he worried about? He was a Grandmaster Alchemist.