"They're just standing there! Disciple, go tell them to get on with it. Also, if you aren't going to drink the tea, then let me have it."
You already took the first cup! If I wanted the tea, would you let me drink it?
Kenja tuned Snail out and focused on the match that had begun.
He was surprised when their auras disappeared.
He imagined they would, instead, have burst out further and enveloped the entire atmosphere around them, but now, the elders were only staring at each other with creepy smiles on their faces.
He would not know three high level experts were fighting if it were not for the vice elder's declaration and the thousands of spectators that now surrounded them in anticipation.
"Why did their auras vanish?" Kenja asked out loud to no one in particular.
"They didn't vanish. They condensed their fighting spirit and Qi into their own body. This way, their movements are harder to discern while increasing the sharpness of their own actions. It's the young and inexperienced that lack fine control over their own power."
At some point, Shimizu Mizutani had approached their table and answered Kenja's question.
Kenja's eyes shone with realization.
Their auras could telegraph their movements and attacks to their opponents ahead of time while simultaneously diluting their power.
"Thank you for the lesson. Senior sister is wise."
He had heard a similar thing from his neighbor and swordmaster Frederick where one should minimize the number of useless movements in a battle to conserve energy and hide one's intentions.
Accepting his praise, Shimizu Mizutani tilted her nose upwards with pride.
Due to the mysteries surrounding Hirai Hikaru, Hideaki Akiyoshi had warned her to be wary around Hirai Hikaru, but she obviously could not be a hidden expert if she did not understand how true experts fought.
She asked Second Elder Inazuma while pouting, "Can I sit here as well, uncle?"
Second Elder frowned in confusion, squinting his single eye as if trying to recognize her.
"Who are you?"
Shimizu Mizutani's smile froze on her face, causing Kenja to grow uncomfortable.
"Uncle is funny. It's Little Mizu. You gave me this as a gift, remember?"
She took out what looked like a wooden box and held it up for the Second Elder to see.
"Ah, the 100-in-1 Pill Box! You're Sixth Brother's little girl, Shimizu Hide, right?"
Shimizu Mizutani retained her composure without letting her smile falter, "Shimizu is correct, but my given name is Mizutani."
This must be around the twentieth time she had introduced herself to the Second Elder, but her master had warned her not to take offense as he only had tools and tea leaves where his brain should be. Every time they met, she would have to take out the spiritual tool she received from him as a reminder of who she was.
It was annoying that he had fused her name with her eternal rival, the Fourth Elder's disciple, Hirose Hide, but considering he remembered her surname, this was a noteworthy improvement.
"No matter! Sit. Aracha, tea for Little Mizu. Come, tell me about the pill box. Is it useful? It's still working, I hope?" He took the box away from Shimizu Mizutani and inspected it, opening and closing the lid while holding his monocle up as a magnifying glass.
Shimizu Mizutani did not bother answering his questions.
She, like many others, knew that the Second Elder had become completely engrossed in examining the tool. If she had any issue concerning the box, she would have to explain before handing the box over.
This was the desired outcome as she only wanted to sit at the table.
Because the Second Elder was seated here, it was the closest and safest seat for viewing the elder battle royale currently in progress.
Plus, she was curious about Hirai Hikaru.
If her master successfully recruited her as his direct disciple, they would become sister siblings in a familial sense. It was important to learn more about Hirai Hikaru earlier rather than later as well as firmly establish her image as the wiser, elder sister.
"Master has taught me how to refine pills. Does junior sister have an interest in such things?"
Kenja was excited by Shimizu Mizutani's words, "Pills? Very much so. Does senior sister have any advice for me?"
The past week, Kenja had learned many things about pills.
First and foremost, pills were important. They served many different types of purposes for cultivation and for healing injuries or illnesses. Some could temporarily enhance one's strength or serve as an antidote against a vicious poison. Occasionally, a special pill could help one gain insight towards an area of practice one has delved into, helping one achieve enlightenment in their meditation.
Everyone used pills for both practice and emergencies.
Second, pills were expensive.
The recipes were often private and varied from one alchemist to another; they would usually contain one or more difficult-to-procure ingredients, and lastly, pill refining required a huge investment in time, wealth, and effort.
Just using the one hundred Meridian Nourishment Pills he ordered a few days ago as a frame of reference, the catalogue had listed each pill at 240 sect credits which was approximately two-and-a-half spirit stones per pill.
Considering that a tribulation keystone amassed an average of one hundred credits per month, it would take a disciple almost three months to afford a single one of these pills which was not only the lowest quality amongst the grades of pills but also one of the least useful pills.
The main reason they were carried as stock in pill shops was due to the fact that the pill itself was a relatively cheaper recipe to practice for beginners in pill refining, so they could be found everywhere.
In contrast, a single Qi Accelerant Pill like the ones Sora Yu had purchased for his followers were four to six hundred credits a piece, based on their quality and efficacy. Half a dozen pills could take more than two years for a Qi Flourishing disciple to save up for, and they were meant to be used as a supplement, not a replacement, to spirit stones.
In other words, all cultivators wanted pills, but pills were not things obtained easily.
Regarding this, if Kenja could befriend a good pill maker, would things not be easier for him in the future?
Since the battle was at a standstill and the Second Elder had sunk into his own world, Kenja leaned towards Shimizu Mizutani with great interest.
Seeing Kenja's eager expression towards her, Shimizu Mizutani tilted her nose higher in satisfaction. "Naturally, I do. After my master, I'm the best alchemist in all of Ryuga. I can identify more than a thousand different plants by their leaves alone."
"A thousand? By the leaf alone? Amazing!"
Kenja hurriedly sidled his chair closer to Shimizu Mizutani and placed the freshly-filled cup of tea in front of her, as if a subordinate sucking up to his superior.
"Mmhmm. And I know more than four hundred different pill recipes," she continued bragging.
Kenja piled more praise onto her, his eyes sparkling, "Four hundred recipes…senior sister is incredible!"
Kenja wanted to establish a good relationship with a pill refiner.
The introductory books he read in Matsushita Hizumi's cave and the various pieces of advice from the pillars had stressed the benefits of knowing a good pill refiner for one's future cultivation. Unfortunately, due to their highly sought abilities, pill refiners often had eyes on the top of their heads, so they were tough to befriend.
Since Shimizu Mizutani had offered herself so easily, Kenja would do his best to secure this connection.
"I even have two pill furnaces of my own."
Furnaces were the most popular medium for compounding pills. They were expensive and required frequent maintenance, so most furnaces would be owned by the sect, not by an individual.
Only talented or advanced pill refiners would have their own furnace.
"Senior sister is a true genius!"
Kenja was secretly celebrating because he not only found a pill refiner to connect with, but if everything she said was true, she was a top-of-the-line alchemist.
"If junior sister is interested, you can come visit me," she hinted subtly.
Her master, the Sixth Elder, had warned her ahead of time that he might take Hirai Hikaru as his second disciple, so she was laying the groundwork for her master ahead of time.
If Kenja agreed, Shimizu Mizutani would privately instruct him in the art of pill refining.
Kenja was wide-eyed in amazement.
Did the ancient wills exaggerate the difficulty of mingling with a pill refiner?
He could not believe one would fall into his lap with such ease!
"If senior sister permits it, I will definitely visit." He nodded his head eagerly, looking at Shimizu Mizutani like she was a priceless treasure.
With a top-notch pill refiner in his pocket, he could acquire his future pills at a greatly discounted cost!
Shimizu Mizutani nodded with a smile as if everything had gone according to plan. Her master should praise her in the future for her actions here.
"Forget about expanding your harem, disciple! Those slugs are finally about to start."
Kenja withheld asking the several questions that popped in his head regarding pills and looked back at the three elders who were still standing there motionless.
Shimizu Mizutani was surprised by Kenja's sudden change of focus until she saw the Second Elder had also placed the pill box on the table and looked to the sparring match.
If the Second Elder had stopped fiddling with the box, he must have sensed that the three elders were about to start.
But Kenja had looked before the Second Elder, so did he notice the change before the Second Elder…?
Startled, Shimizu Mizutani turned her attention to the three elders while darting her pupils back to Kenja to look for any clue on whether it was just a coincidence.
…
Ariyoshi Miji exhaled a deep breath, immediately placing the other two elders on guard.
He lifted his right bare foot off the ground before vanishing from everyone's sights.
SMACK!
Kondo slid against the floor, his feet and sledgehammer digging three streaks through the grass and dirt in an effort to stop himself from flying away, his back bent backwards from the blow. Standing on his forehead, Ariyoshi Miji looked down at his bulky brother, tapping his ten toes repeatedly on his forehead.
Kenja blinked several times in amazement. To him, the Fourth Elder had teleported instantly on top of the Third Elder, but from the loud slam and ruined lines in the ground, this was obviously not the case.
"I saw a mosquito on you, brother. No need to thank me."