บท 16: Rea and the start of the Lesson

Right after waking up, Ace walked towards the direction of the Alchemist Association whilst carrying the three books about the basics of medicinal plants and pill concoction. Walking on the stone path Ace saw disciples on the side of the road talking about something to one another, but because that didn't matter to him nor did it involve him in any way Ace quickly went passed them and before long he was already in front of the Alchemist Association.

He entered the Alchemist Association and quickly went to find Lei-Lei. He walked up to the reception but he didn't see Lei-Lei anywhere and the one behind the wooden table was another girl who was wearing the uniform of the outer sect disciples.

"Excuse me but where can I find senior sister Lei-Lei? I was told to come here to give these books back and to meet senior brother Min Ren." Ace said.

The disciple girl was currently working through some documents that had the names of various low ranking medicinal plants and even after Ace spoke the disciple girl didn't even raise her head to look at him and just continued with the paperwork.

Seeing how she just continued on without even moving Ace thought that she must have missed what he had said so he spoke once more, this time a little louder than before.

"Hello Miss, can I please ask for senior sister Lei-Lei? I have to return the book that I borrowed from her and I also need to see senior brother Min Ren so I…" before he could even finish those words, the disciple girl closed the thick book that has various records on it and raised her head.

Upon raising her head Ace finally saw her face and he had to admit that the moment he saw her Ace was surprised that such beauty was actually acting as a receptionist in the Alchemist Association. It was not to say that senior sister Lei-Lei was unattractive but this girl had a different charm than senior sister Lei-Lei.

With her jet black hair and pearly white skin were beautiful and the men who were in that room had their eyes stolen from them, the disciple girl saw the people around her acting as such and without any hesitation, she looked at Ace and the other men before speaking.

"Stop looking at me at such ways you commoner, my beauty may be too attractive for you but do not get enchanted by yours truly for I am already engaged with my dear beloved."

This disciple girl was almost perfect that it is until she opened her mouth and arrogant words started coming out of her mouth, 'too attractive?' 'get enchanted?' her words were too much for Ace who was only standing there in front of the reception table.

'I didn't even say anything to her and I get this kind of treatment like I'm some kind of perverted scum? This is too much even for someone like her, whoever this girl will marry in the future I deeply feel sorry for him.'

Ace thought inside his head, he didn't want to argue with someone like this so after letting out an inward sigh Ace just went on to question.

"I apologize if I offended you in any way so can you please call out sister Lei-Lei or tell me where to find her?"

The disciple girl looked at Ace from top to bottom and remembered something from yesterday.

"Oh, you must be the one that sister Lei-Lei told that me about. Well, you have proper timing as I will also be able to start proper training with the senior today, sigh but you must have been really dumb to actually need six days just so you can memorize this books."

The disciple girl said with a grin appeared on her face.

Hearing this girl disciple mocking him in such manner, Ace was starting to get irritated and the more he hears the more he had the urge to smack her right across the face. Yes, he deemed her beautiful but every word that came out of this girl's mouth made Ace feel exhausted than fighting with ninth level disciples.

"Please just tell me where senior sister Lei-Lei, if she told you something then she must have told you something as to what I should do right?"

The girl disciple looked at him and spoke once again this time without any presence of mockery and arrogance it was more of irritation.

"My name is not 'you', it's Rea, and yes, senior sister Lei-Lei did tell me to guide you to senior Min Ren but she left me the final decision if I should let you meet him, oh, if you're too stupid to understand what I meant was if you don't meet this genius' standard I can just kick you out of here."

Ace didn't even want to answer back anymore and just wanted to leave this place and if not for the sake of learning how to become an Alchemist Ace would have long left this place just so he can get away from this girl.

"Alright just please make it faster."

Rea smiled and started giving him some questions, the questions were random but all of them naturally came from the three books he returned today showing Rea had also memorized the books as well.

"What is the content of page three hundred sixteen of the <<Records of the Medicinal Plants>>."

"Millennium Cloud Fruit, a Deity rank medicinal plant that appears every millennium, the Drifting Cloud Tree can only bear ten fruits every one thousand years and every fruit is said to contain heavenly essence so thick that it can create a mist that spreads for over ten kilometers."

This is the kind of questions given to him by Rea and every time he had to answer the information he needed would just flow naturally to his mind as if he was reading a book, making his descriptions accurate.

Rea nodded her head in satisfaction making her look like a teacher giving her student a passing grade.

"Come on I will guide you to senior brother Min Ren."

After getting satisfied by Ace's every answer, Rea stood up from where she was sitting and went to guide Ace up the next floor and into the hallway where the giant door of Min Ren stood tall and proud.

Rea walked up to the giant door and called out.

"Senior brother Min Ren, I have brought the other one with me."

"Enter."

It was Min Ren's voice, and after his voice rang Rea opened the door and entered the room together with Ace.

The room was still the same, the four pillars still stood tall and the pill furnace was still being used by Min Ren, it was as if he didn't leave last week.

"Ace greets senior brother Min Ren." Ace greeted Min Ren even though Min Ren's back was still facing him.

"You have done well to actually come back here as you have promised, if you are with Rea I trust that truly did complete the assignment I gave you that is good." Min Ren spoke and the pill furnace slowly started going down from the air.

The pill furnace was placed on the ground with a thud and Min Ren turned around to see Ace and rea standing side by side while wearing the same clothes. He already knew of Rea but Ace was new to her presence so before he started anything he decided to get them acquainted with one another, because they will be helping each other in the future.

"Ace, Rea, before I don't like wasting any time but the two of you are the only new recruits that I deem worthy of becoming Alchemist so I will tell you now that the Alchemist Association will work you to the bone to the point that you will not be allowed to sleep for days until you finish your jobs."

Min Ren's voice was still as serious as ever, it was intimidating but Rea and Ace showed no response to what he had just said, making him feel more pleased about the two.

"Good you are not phase by such minor trials, come and get closer." Min Ren beckoned the two of them to get closer to him and the pill furnace and after the two got was only ten meters away from him Min Ren continued.

"Ace, in this room you are the only one to have yet concoct a single pill so you must listen closely. I will only teach you the basics of Alchemy and even if you wanted me to teach you how to concoct a pill only you and your flame will be able to do so"

With that said Min Ren flipped both his hands and an orange colored flame appeared from inside his body.

"Every flame varies from every person, although there are people who have used the same type of flames its performance still depends on its user. A flame is the very life of an Alchemist, if you do not have ant flame in your body you will have to use earth flame which is only a slightly higher type of flame compared to mortal fire."

Min Ren moved his flame and lifted the pill furnace from the ground.

"This is the pill furnace where you purify the ingredients that will be used, the higher the quality of the furnace the higher the temperature it will be able to sustain and the more ingredients you will be able to purify at a time, a high-quality flame needs to be accompanied by a high-quality furnace if not you will not be able to show your full capability."

Min Ren's lecture started and Ace was listening so intently to it that he laid no attention to the heat.