Jing Yi looked up at the gate of the estate and couldn't help feeling awed. Even from where he stood the whole place smelled like herbs and medicine. Since the outer sect of the Yun Zou Sect only had a small building for those who were interested in alchemy and since he wasn't allowed onto the peaks of the inner sect he had never experienced something like that.
"Jing He?" Niu Hai stopped and turned around when he noticed that the sound of steps behind him had ceased. "What is it? Have you reconsidered? Do you want to join our division of blades instead?"
Jing Yi shook his head. "No, I just wanted to take a moment to have a look around. It's really a nice place." In fact, he somehow felt drawn to this place as if he belonged here and should have come far sooner. "Let's go." He caught up to Niu Hai and followed him further inside.
There were different buildings in the estate and each of them had a plaque placed above the door with its name on it. Judging from the few he could see while following Niu Hai there seemed to be different branches to the Alchemy division. He had seen a plaque that read Supporting Alchemy, one with the words Healing Alchemy and another one that had Furthering Alchemy inscribed. All of that seemed to be things he might have learned in the Yun Zou Sect, too, if he was an inner sect disciple.
Before they reached their destination he finally got a taste of the evil ways of the Hei Dian Sect, though: They passed by a building that had a plaque with Deadly Poisons written on it above its entrance.
Jing Yi gulped. He really hoped he would never have to have anything to do with that. He didn't want to know anything about poisons.
They finally reached a building in the middle of the estate. Niu Hai looked back at him and smiled. "It's here."
Jing Yi nodded and followed him inside. He didn't know what he had expected but he was a little disappointed when he saw the hall before him. There was nothing that seemed like it had to do with alchemy, only the same things you might have expected in a hall that was used to receive guests at any other estate, too.
Niu Hai didn't seem to find anything strange. He led Jing Yi to a door at the side and looked into the room behind it. "Heh, anyone there? I brought a new disciple over!"
Jing Yi curiously leaned to the side and peeked past him. The room seemed to be a study, an extremely messy study. Books piled up until they formed stacks that were high enough to reach his hips, paper scrolls covered the table on the other side of the room and some had even fallen down and were rolling over the floor.
Jing Yi's brows rose. This definitely wasn't what he would have expected but at least it looked different from the study a normal house would probably have. Actually, the only study he had ever seen was that of Shao Hai's father so he probably couldn't judge how normal this one was.
"Uh … Senior Yue Lin?" Niu Hai cautiously tiptoed to the other side of the room and reached into the pile of scrolls. "Senior? Senior!"
A hand shot out of the pile and accurately grabbed Niu Hai's collar. "Who is it?! How dare you trespass onto the alchemy division's ground?!" The voice was distorted and sounded more like that of a demon than like the voice of a human being.
Jing Yi jumped back and hugged the door frame. What was this? Maybe he didn't want to become part of the alchemy division after all!
Niu Hai tried to pry the hand off his collar but just when he succeeded, the hand grabbed his throat instead. His face started to turn red from the strain. "Senior Yue Lin …"
Jing Yi watched on with dread. Shouldn't alchemists be more peaceful? Why was that person under the scrolls trying to strangle someone to death?
"Fire! The gardens … caught on fire!"
"What?!" The hand let go and a head jerked up from the table, scattering the scrolls everywhere.
Jing Yi stared at the person in a daze. Only half his hair was still secured on top of his head, the other half was sticking out in all directions. His face didn't look much better: There were red lines running across his skin and some ink stains on the right side while you could actually read some sentences on his left cheek. He looked like a complete lunatic.
The lunatic leaped to his feet, ignored Niu Hai and ran to the door. He grasped Jing Yi by the shoulder and stared into his eyes. "Where's the fire?"
Jing Yi looked back, his own eyes wide. That senior's eyes were completely blood-shot and there were dark circles beneath them. He probably hadn't slept for a couple of nights. No wonder he tried to strangle the person who woke him up.
"I … I haven't seen any."
"Hah? What do you mean you haven't seen any?" The lunatic's expression darkened.
In the meantime, Niu Hai had finally made his way back over. Breathing heavily he grabbed Yue Lin's shoulder and pulled him back. "Heh, Senior, calm down. I was just trying to wake you up. Nothing's burning. That's Jing He. He wants to join you alchemists." His expression clearly said that he didn't think of that as a good idea.
Jing Yi gulped. He also wasn't sure anymore if that idea had been a good one. Maybe he should really have joined the practitioners?
Yue Lin blinked and tried to take in Jing Yi's appearance. His eyes weren't really focused, though. After a minute of futile effort, his brows slowly rose and he seemed to wake up a bit more. "Eh, little Junior Martial Brother, you sure look like a hardworking person."
"Uh … Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Yue." Jing Yi lowered his head. Somehow, this man's gaze made him shudder.
"Mn. How about … you help me out a bit as your first assignment?" He didn't wait for an answer before he clutched Jing Yi's hand and pulled him over to the desk. "Look at this. We have to work all those scrolls over."
Jing Yi looked up at him and pressed his lips together. "Senior Martial Brother, I …"
"It's alright, it's alright!" Yue Lin blinked and tried to look less emaciated and more spirited. Unfortunately, he only managed to look even more like a madman. "You'll see that it's not that hard. And with the two of us, we'll be done in no time!"
"No, that's not it. Senior Martial Brother, I don't know how to read." He looked at the characters on Yue Lin's cheek. To him, they were still only fancy decorations. Some misplaced fancy decorations.