19. Elderberry Elixir

“Dean Wang, she left right after finishing the potion, but she should still be on campus. I’ll go look for her!” Teacher Zhao quickly volunteered. Since she was a student in his class, he couldn’t let anyone else find Ning Xuan first; he had to be the one to locate her.

The other teachers present, upon hearing that Ning Xuan wasn’t in the classroom but likely still on campus—and that this was her first time attending a first-year class—grew excited. The second-year teachers thought to themselves, “With her level, she could easily be placed in second-year classes. I have to find her and help her advance. She could catch up with the first-year curriculum in less than a month.” The third-year teachers shared similar thoughts.

To produce a potion of such purity, even if she couldn’t yet use an alchemy furnace, what did it matter? With such refined control over spiritual energy, it wasn’t impossible that she might one day craft pills by hand.

Meanwhile, Ning Xuan was intently studying her path to wealth on the Star Network. She had contacted a consignment shop, and after negotiation, the shop agreed to test the purity of her potions for free, charging only a 10% commission on sales.

After finalizing the deal, Ning Xuan felt she should discuss with Chen Nan whether he would allow her to use his identity information to sell the items.

She had found this study room on the highest, fifth floor of the Alchemy Department. The fifth floor was lined with rows of archives and study rooms. The one she occupied was quite secluded and easily overlooked, so few students came here.

While the entire academy was searching for her, Ning Xuan browsed the potion sales websites on the Star Network. Soon, she discovered a frequently out-of-stock external remedy known for its bone-setting and tendon-mending properties called the Elderwood Potion. Many people were seeking it online. She checked the raw material cost of Elderwood, which was only 1,000 star coins, yet a purified bottle sold for as much as 300,000 star coins—a huge price gap. Normally, many would be willing to produce this potion, but demand still far outstripped supply.

Apparently, purifying Elderwood, an exotic plant, was quite difficult. Maybe she should try making it tonight.

With this thought, Ning Xuan immediately ordered ten portions of Elderwood online. Since her own Star Network account only had a balance of about 300 star coins, being able to buy whatever she wanted now was thanks to Chen Nan’s support. The class was nearly over; she decided to find him and see how his lesson was going.

Ning Xuan rose and walked out of the study room, only to find Chen Nan standing outside. “What are you doing standing here?” she asked, frowning.

“I’m afraid of disturbing you, so I’m waiting here,” Chen Nan said, bowing respectfully.

“There’s no need to be so formal. We’re in a mutually beneficial relationship. You can relax,” Ning Xuan said as she approached him and suddenly leaned in. “Why are your ears so red?”

Ning Xuan’s sudden closeness made Chen Nan’s heart pound like a drum. Now not only were his ears red, but his face flushed as well.

He didn’t know why; from the moment he first saw her, he felt compelled to be near her. So he followed his impulse and came closer.

Ning Xuan was no naive innocent. In fact, before unexpectedly arriving in this world, she had cultivated for many years and ruled a city, naturally surrounded by men. Seeing Chen Nan’s shy reaction amused her.

“Master, master, many people have been looking for you outside. They all came to me, and I was afraid they’d bother you, so I stayed here to guard the place,” Chen Nan explained, annoyed by the persistent seekers and having come to hide.

“Looking for me? For what?” Ning Xuan asked in confusion.

“I asked around. You produced a highly pure Blue Flame Herb potion in your first class. They want to find you because of that!” The alchemist profession demanded high-level spiritual control. Some had low spiritual ranks but were naturally adept at controlling spiritual energy—they were the ideal candidates for alchemy. Most, however, needed persistent training to become alchemists.

“Because of that?” Ning Xuan thought of the little trick she had done on the potion filtering device—a secondary filter using adsorption principles. Could the school want her idea?

That was out of the question. Trade secrets were for making money, and now that she was so poor she depended on Chen Nan, there was no way she’d hand over her money-making formula.

Ning Xuan made up her mind instantly. If anyone inquired, she would bluff her way through and try to avoid making potions in public from now on.

“Let’s go home. I’ll cook dinner for you tonight!” Ning Xuan decided to evade those people and go home. Maybe by tomorrow, they’d forget about the whole thing.

Chen Nan couldn’t help but smile when Ning Xuan said she would cook for him. Her cooking was genuinely delicious. The Wild Hare meat she prepared was a hundred times better than the way Cui Mingche had taught him.

He could hardly believe it—her cooking grades at school had been average, even failing at times. He suspected she hadn’t taken the exams seriously.

“Ning Xuan! Teacher Zhao! Ning Xuan is here! I found her!” Luo Meng, who was about to leave school, spotted Ning Xuan approaching the gate. Excitedly, he rushed over, blocking her path and shouting loudly.

Seeing Luo Meng’s loud approach toward Ning Xuan, Chen Nan’s gaze darkened. With a swift kick, he sent Luo Meng flying. Turning back, he called out to Ning Xuan, “Master,” signaling that he could act immediately if she gave the word.

Ning Xuan waved her hand dismissively. She hadn’t done anything wrong—why run? Judging by Luo Meng’s excitement in stopping her, maybe he thought she had done something serious and was being chased by the whole school.

While she paused, many students preparing to leave the school gathered around. Teacher Zhao arrived, panting. “Ning Xuan, Dean Wang and all of us have been looking for you all day. Come quickly!”

“Teacher Zhao, school’s over. Whatever it is, can wait until tomorrow,” Ning Xuan said, feeling hungry and only wanting to go home to cook and eat.