Chapter 2165 — A Question with No Answer

"Not that. I won these in the Hidden World Families Summit competition," Wei Zhao said.

"Huh? So this whole chest of things—you won all of it?" Gu Mengyao was taken aback. "Earlier you said you were only helping them with the racing. You actually won this much?"

"That was the plan at first, but things changed along the way." Wei Zhao gave a wry smile. "I won just about all of it..."

"Won all of it?" Gu Mengyao stared at him in astonishment. "What happened?"

"Yeah, Arrow Brand Bro, tell us!" Shen Yushu's interest was piqued at once.

Wei Zhao smiled faintly and recounted the competition to Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu. He kept it brief, skipping straight past a good many of the details—nothing like Shen Yushu's vivid storytelling—yet even so, the two of them listened spellbound.

"Arrow Brand Bro, you're amazing! How on earth did you pull it off? It almost feels like all those contests were rigged in your favor," Shen Yushu said in wonder.

"Not at all. It was just luck," Wei Zhao said. "All right, it's getting late. Best get some rest."

"Mm..." Gu Mengyao checked the time. It really was late, and they still had school tomorrow—no sense in talking half the night. She took Shen Yushu by the arm and started upstairs, but halfway up she turned back. "Oh, right—Wang Xinyan called, asking where you'd gone. I didn't explain in detail. I wasn't sure whether I should tell her... And Han Jingyi asked too. I just said you'd gone out. You can explain to them later."

"Oh? All right..." Wei Zhao nodded, somewhat surprised. Gu Mengyao had spoken of it so evenly, without a trace of displeasure. The eldest young lady, it seemed, had never much cared for him getting tangled up with other women—especially Wang Xinyan. But ever since that trip to the Lion-Tiger Park, her attitude seemed to have changed...

Gu Mengyao went on upstairs without another word. It was only when they reached the second floor that Shen Yushu lowered her voice. "Yao Yao Jie, that Han Jingyi seems a little interested in Arrow Brand Bro too. Between the two of them, who would you rather see as his first wife?"

"Whoever he chooses, that's who it'll be. Why fret over it so much? So long as she's a good person, that's enough," Gu Mengyao said indifferently.

"I'd say Wang Xinyan—she's a good person, but she seems a bit too clever. And Han Jingyi, well, she seems a bit silly, but not really silly either. It's a hard choice between the two!" Shen Yushu said.

"You really have too much time on your hands. Why worry yourself over such things?" Gu Mengyao gave Shen Yushu a light smack on the head. "I say you just step up and take the job. Aren't you the little wife? Get promoted and you'll be the first wife."

"Me..." Shen Yushu seemed tempted for a moment, but then shook her head. "I'd better not. Being the first wife comes with too much fuss and trouble, and it's not even a desirable post. The little wife's better! How about you take it, Yao Yao Jie?"

"I'm not discussing questions with no answers with you. I'm going to sleep," Gu Mengyao said with a yawn, and headed for the bedroom.

Shen Yushu sighed softly. A flicker of bitterness crossed her face, gone in an instant, and she hurried after her. "Yao Yao Jie, wait for me!"

Wei Zhao checked the time. It was too late to call Wang Xinyan and Han Jingyi now; better to wait and see them tomorrow.

Back in his room he showered first, then began sorting his spoils of the trip into their proper categories. After that he turned on the computer and started studying the scientific alchemy mnemonic verses Han Jingyi had compiled.

Lately Wei Zhao had been busy raising his cultivation, with no time to look into such other matters. Now that his strength had broken through to the mid Earth Rank, another breakthrough in the near term was out of the question, so he meant to settle his mind and study alchemy.

His showing in the Hidden World Families Summit's alchemy contest had been pure luck. If the secretive You family hadn't been so paranoid as to raise the bar to third-grade pills, they might well have been the victors. But being unable to refine pills was, after all, a weakness. Remembering his promise to the little Bingtang girl, Wei Zhao calmed himself and began condensing alchemical fire according to Han Jingyi's method...

He had to admit it: Han Jingyi was a genius. She had applied modern medicine and a number of physics formulas wholesale to the mnemonics for condensing alchemical fire, trimming Zhang Lifeng's original verses into something short, lean, and potent.

Following Han Jingyi's mnemonics, Wei Zhao condensed first-grade alchemical fire with ease—faster than before, even. But when he tried to alter the fire's intensity and temperature, something happened that nearly moved him to tears: the alchemical fire went out again!

Wei Zhao frowned, unwilling to accept it, and began a second condensation. This time he made an adjustment. It was still first-grade alchemical fire, but this time he condensed a flame of greater intensity and higher temperature.

To his delight, this time it condensed just the same, and the flame burned perfectly steady, the temperature meeting his requirements. So he tried lowering the fire's temperature—and this time, too, tragedy struck: the alchemical fire abruptly snuffed out the moment he lowered the temperature.

Both times the fire had died without the slightest warning, as though the mnemonics left him with no staying power once the flame was lit. If he kept it running smooth and even, there was no problem at all; but the moment he changed the manner or speed of the operation, the fire went out. Faster or slower, stronger or weaker—none of it worked.

In other words, if he maintained a constant rate, a fixed temperature, and a fixed intensity, the condensed alchemical fire was perfectly fine. Change anything, and it failed.

This strange state of affairs left Wei Zhao utterly baffled, and yet there was nothing he could do about it. Condensing the fire was certainly no problem—he simply couldn't sustain it. And alchemy was impossible without changing the flame's intensity and temperature; even refining a first-grade pill required adjusting the fire several times along the way.

He tried the same with second- and third-grade alchemical fire, with identical results. He could condense them steadily; so long as he did not alter intensity or temperature, the flame was even and fine. But change anything, and it was sure to die.

Ah—was he really not cut out for alchemy? Wei Zhao shook his head in disappointment and took out the jade bangle for calming the spirit and quieting the mind that he had prepared in advance, and slipped it onto his wrist.