There was no need for Fang Lin to ask. He fully knew that Xu Shangao had a mishap during the pill refining process.
When Fang Lin first touched upon pill refining in his past life, he would often have his pill furnace explode. But he soon mastered the technique and had not experienced such incidents ever since.
With a scorched black face, Xu Shangao returned to the courtyard and paid no mind to the chuckling Fang Lin. His face was filled with frustration and vexation.
"Brother Xu, perhaps you should clean your face first," Fang Lin suggested after his laughing fit.
Xu Shangao sighed. After washing his face, he prepared to return to the Pill Refining Room.
This time, Fang Lin followed him in. Xu Shangao did not stop him. After all, there were no secrets in the pill room.
"Brother Xu, why is your pill furnace so poor?" Fang Lin glanced at the black pill furnace inside the room and commented curiously.
Xu Shangao was startled and asked, "What do you know about the quality of a pill furnace? Although mine is average, at least it shows resilience, surviving explosions.
Fang Lin was left speechless. From his perspective, this black pill furnace was inferior. Besides its firm endurance, it had no distinctive properties.
Though, it's not surprising. As Xu Shangao was just an inferior disciple, naturally, the pill furnace he could use would not be of premium quality.
The pill furnace was still emitting a trace of black smoke. The acrid smell of medicine lingered in the pill room and was somewhat pungent.
Fang Lin slightly twitched his nose, distinguishing among the variety of herbs from the burnt smell. He also understood what Xu Shangao was attempting to refine just now.
With a gloomy face, Xu Shangao cleared up the residues inside the pill furnace and sighed heavily.
"Brother Xu, why are you so downcast? Isn't it just a failed pill refining? If it doesn't work out, just try again." Fang Lin who could not stand it, advised.
Xu Shangao shook his head and said bitterly, "But I've failed many times. I simply can't refine the Heart Cleansing Pill."
Fang Lin grinned and said, "Isn't it just a Heart Cleansing Pill? If you can't refine it, then just forget it."
"You don't understand," Xu Shangao sighed. "As formal disciples, we have to undergo an evaluation every month. This month's topic is refining the Heart Cleansing Pill. If I can't refine it, I'll fail the evaluation."
Fang Lin was puzzled and asked, "And if you fail, then what?"
"Fail? If I fail, I'll have less time to study at the Pill Forest Academy next month, and the gap between me and the other disciples will keep getting bigger," Xu lamented.
"What exactly is the Pill Forest Academy?" Fang Lin asked.
Xu Shangao was filled with the urge to cry. At a moment of such low spirits, Fang Lin just kept asking more questions. Shouldn't he be comforting him instead of getting off topic?
Fang Lin realized he was asking too many questions. He patted Xu Shangao's shoulder and said seriously, "Brother Xu, you have to be realistic. Even if you go to the Pill Forest Academy, there will be a gap between you and the other formal disciples."
"···"
Xu Shangao regretted his decision. He felt he shouldn't have chosen Fang Lin as his Pill Apprentice. Did he come just to demoralize him?
Seeing Xu Shangao's gloomy and sorrowful expression, Fang Lin stopped joking. He said, "It's not the end of the month yet. Maybe you'll succeed next time."
Xu Shiagao shook his head and said, "It's easier said than done. I've tried refining the Heart Cleansing Pill five times now. I've failed at this step each time and I don't even know what the problem is."
"Then why don't you ask someone else?" suggested Fang Lin.
Xu Shangao gave a bitter laugh and said, "Most of the formal disciples are competitors, who would tell me?"
Fang Lin nodded. That made sense.
"Forget it. It's useless to tell you these things. Help me get these medicinal materials. If there's something you don't recognize, ask me," Xu Shangao passed a pill formula to Fang Lin.
Fang Lin took the pill formula. After a quick glance, he saw that all the herbs required for refining the Heart Cleansing Pill were in the yard.
Within a moment, Fang Lin had all the herbs ready.
Xu Shangao was somewhat surprised by Fang Lin's efficiency, but didn't think too much of it.
"You might as well stay here and watch since you're going to refine the pills in the future." He didn't ask Fang Lin to leave, instead, let him stay in the pill room to observe the refining process.
Fang Lin simply sat on a stool in the corner, calmly watching Xu Shangao's pill refining.
Xu Shangao composed himself, withdrawing the gloomy look from his face. He slapped the pill furnace, and a flame immediately rose up inside.
General pill refining required fire. Xu Shangao, a pill refiner at his level, used ordinary flames that were hotter than regular flames.
The pill furnace gradually heated up, and the entire pill refining room warmed up.
Fang Lin found it amusing to look at Xu Shangao's stern expression. It didn't seem like he was refining pills, more like he was preparing for a heroic death.
With the pill furnace heated, it was time to put various herbs into it.
Xu Shangao slowly threw the herbs into the furnace, causing Fang Lin to squint his eyes. A smile soon appeared on his face.
"So this is the problem," Fang Lin said softly, having realized why Xu Shangao was unable to successfully refine the pill every time.
Fang Lin knew Xu Shangao would fail again this time but decided to remain silent, quietly watching him.
As expected, a rumbling and dull noise sounded shortly after all the herbs were thrown into the pill furnace.
Upon hearing this sound, disappointment filled Xu Shangao's eyes. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the flame inside the pill furnace was instantly extinguished, followed by a large puff of black smoke, which smeared Xu Shangao's face with soot.
Fang Lin wanted to burst out laughing, but considering Xu Shangao's mood at the moment, he held back.
Xu Shangao was indeed upset, but he had anticipated his failure, so he seemed rather calm.
Without saying a word, Xu Shangao silently cleaned up the residue inside the pill furnace.
Fang Lin also kept quiet, quietly left the Pill Refining Room, prepared the herbs for refining the Heart Cleansing Pill again, and returned to the Pill Refining Room.
As Xu Shangao sat dejected in the corner, Fang Lin put the herbs aside and said, "Xu, try again. Maybe this is the one."
Xu Shangao shook his head and replied, "No, it would be a waste of herbs."
Fang Lin said with a twinkling smile, "Xu, as a Pill Refiner, how can you speak of giving up so easily? If you are disheartened after a few failures, should all those Pill Refiners who have failed hundreds, even thousands of times throw themselves into the river?"
At Fang Lin's words, Xu Shangao seemed slightly dazed.
Fang Lin continued, "Pill Refining involves continuous failures, but as long as you succeed once, all your previous failures are worth it. Don't you want the other official disciples to see you in a new light, Xu?"
As Fang Lin uttered these words, his thoughts inadvertently drifted back to his first experiences at Pill Saint Palace, prompting a sigh of nostalgia.
On hearing Fang Lin's words, the despair and despondency in Xu Shangao's eyes gradually faded as he rose to his feet again.
"Fang, I would never have thought that despite being a Pill Apprentice, you put an official disciple like me to shame. You're right. As a Pill Refiner, I should not fear failure. I still have a chance. I'll make those who have looked down upon me see me in a new light!" Xu Shangao declared defiantly.
Fang Lin looked at him approvingly. Xu Shangao might lack talent, good looks and Root Bone, but he did have the spirit of a Pill Refiner, which Fang Lin thought was commendable.
Regaining his composure, Xu Shangao returned to the pill furnace. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
"Fang, do you think I can succeed?" Xu asked abruptly.
Fang Lin smiled, "Absolutely."
Xu Shangao smiled back, "I'll borrow your luck."
When he began refining the pill again, Xu Shangao looked extremely serious, staring unblinkingly at the pill furnace.
When it was time to add the herbs, Fang Lin suggested, "Xu, perhaps if you put the Green Bright Grass in first and add the Heart Flower last, the results might be better."
Xu Shangao paused, looked at Fang Lin with furrowed brows, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and followed Fang Lin's suggestion.
He first put in the Green Bright Grass, followed by the rest of the herbs, and finally, the pink Heart Flower.
As he closed the pill furnace, Xu Shangao's face carried a look of nervous anticipation, fearing yet another failure.
Fang Lin was calm, thinking that if this attempt failed, he could just end his life as a Pill Sovereign.
Two hours, four hours, six hours...
Xu Shangao stared at the pill furnace, which showed no signs of erupting. Everything inside the furnace was normal, the Heart Cleansing Pill was slowly forming.
A look of wild joy appeared on Xu Shangao's face, and he was so excited that he almost jumped for joy.
"I did it! I've succeeded! I've refined the Heart Cleansing Pill!" Xu Shangao shouted excitedly.
Fang Lin said helplessly, "Xu, it's just a Heart Cleansing Pill, please tone it down. One must not be so lacking in ambition."
Xu Shangao suddenly looked at Fang Lin, puzzled, "How did you know to put the Heart Flower in last?"
Fang Lin said confidently, "Because I'm a genius."
"..."
Xu Shangao looked at Fang Lin deeply and said, "Fang, is it possible that you can also refine pills?"
Fang Lin nodded and said seriously, "Of course. I'm a genius. There's nothing about pill refining that I don't know."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shangao smirked and said, "Keep boasting."
Fang Lin shrugged; it mattered not if Xu didn't believe him.
After a brief pause, Xu Shangao said, "Still, I must thank you. Without your guidance, I might have been stuck in a rut."
After finishing, he bowed deeply to Fang Lin.
Fang Lin patted Xu Shangao on the shoulder and said, "You helped me save face earlier, Xu. Of course, I would return the favor."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shangao felt somewhat sentimental. He had chosen Fang Lin to be his Pill Apprentice out of goodwill. In turn, Fang Lin had helped him refine the Heart Cleansing Pill. Life's "an eye for an eye" nature was truly wondrous.
"Xu, there's something I want to discuss with you." Fang Lin said, smiling.