"Huh? What's wrong with her?" Shu He asked with shock. 'Why on earth has Senior He come all this way to get me?'.
"Did something happen with Alchemist Tao?" Li Liling also asked curiously, she of course knew all the alchemists as they regularly sell to the pagoda, so she also knew of Tao Ru's rather eccentric nature.
"My apologies for barging in Manager Li, but it's become rather urgent, Tao Ru has locked herself in her room and hasn't answered for a long time, she's neglected her duties as well!" He Qiao explained, his annoyance was clear but there was also a hidden tinge of worry.
"Uhm, If you don't mind me being a bit rude… isn't that common of her?" Shu He couldn't help but say, he had been learning under her for just over half a year, so he had become used to her antics, after instructing him she'd usually go off and lock herself away for more than a week at a time concocting all sorts of pills, she was a bona fied fanatic.
"I know what you mean, but this time it's different, she's been locked inside that room for over 3 months now!" He Qiao scratched his forehead with annoyance, it's clear he had been trying to get her out for a while now. "The old man can't open the door either, she's locked it with the inside formations!".
'Old man… I guess he means Tower Lord Bo?' Shu He frowned, if even the Tower Lord couldn't open it then she was definitely up to something unusual.
"Wait, so she's been locked in there since I left?" Shu He spoke as he realised this point, he last used her tower room just a couple days before he went on his mission, so it probably wasn't long after that she locked herself away. "But why do you need me? If the Tower Lord can't open it, what can I do?".
"That's not necessarily true" He Qiao shook his head "You've been granted permission to use the formations in her room so you should be able to unlock it".
"Really? I thought she would have thought about that if she wanted to shut herself away…" Shu He expressed his doubts, he knew she wasn't the type to miss out on something like that.
"If she was trying to kill herself sure, you should understand that if she got the chance she'd work herself half to death while researching alchemy, she also understands her own flaw, so she'd leave herself an out" the black-haired man sighed, why did he pick someone so awkward as a rival?
"So my Teacher is using me as a time limit…? I don't know whether to be surprised or exasperated" Shu He also sighed as the two of them looked up at nothing in particular simultaneously. "Is there no chance she's just in closed door cultivation?" he murmured.
"Zero, the flow of Alchemic Qi into the room has been nearly constant" His idea was shot down immediately.
Shu He turned to Li Liling and bowed "My apologies Senior Sister, it seems I'll have to take my leave".
"That's fine, Junior Brother; We can't risk losing a Tier 2 Alchemist, can we?" She merely smiled in return "Come see me another day" she ended on before turning to He Qiao "Alchemist He, we'll forgive your rude actions on behalf of my Junior Brother this time, but please take care not to be so rude again in the future".
"Junior brother…?" He Qiao was slightly dazed for a moment before he bowed lightly "Thank you for your kindness, Manager Li, if you don't mind I'll be taking him now then".
Li Liling nodded before the two rushed out of the door, leaving her behind with the receptionist that had tried stopping him before.
"Tell everyone to remember this, make sure to accommodate Inner Disciple Shu He whenever possible, he is one of us" her tone of voice dropped to a commanding tone as the receptionist deeply bowed.
"Yes, mistress!".
…
Under half an hour later He Qiao and Shu He was rushing up the Alchemy Tower side by side at a gait pace, their minds should have been on Tao Ru yet He Qiao kept shooting odd glances at Shu He as they walked along, so much so that Shu He had became irritated from the silence.
"If you don't mind me asking Senior He, do you have something to ask me?" He said, trying to break the awkward silence. "Oh, hum, I was just wondering what relationship you had with Manager Li?" He Qiao eked out after clearing his throat.
Shu He sighed quietly 'It's good she didn't call me Young Master in front of the others, but Junior Brother was already bad enough…' he thought as he shook his head lightly "Do you fancy her or something?" he teased with a smirk.
In turn He Qiao scoffed "Don't tease your seniors, what man doesn't fancy her, she's beautiful and powerful the best combination! But she's also far out of reach, even for someone like me; That's why I was just curious why you seemed so close".
"We're just business partners, that's all" He shrugged his shoulders, he didn't know what else to tell him.
"And what business does a fresh disciple like you have to give her" he raised his brow in doubt before he paused and shook his head "No, never mind, I'm plying aren't I?."
Shu He just smiled lightly, thankful that the sect frowns on such actions, soon they came up to the floor where Tao Ru's alchemy room was and rushed across the hallway, when they came to the large double doors that went to her room there was a single person sat in front in a meditative position.
When Shu He glanced over the man with his territory he felt shivers dart up his spine, there was a large concentration of Qi circulating in the man's body that was primed and ready to use, it was like a cannon that was loaded and cocked to fire, he instinctively flinched as he felt the potential force behind it.
"Old m- Tower Lord!" He Qiao called out to the man, and the moment he did the Qi dissipated into the wind like an ethereal image as he stood up and turned to the two that had just arrived.
"Oh, you've found him! Good, I was thinking of blasting down the door if you took too long" the Tower Lord, Bo Yun chuckled lightly as his view shifted over to Shu He "I'm assuming He Qiao has explained the situation".
Shu He nodded lightly, gulping slightly as he finished reeling over the previous Qi concentration. 'I knew the Tower Lord was strong, but it seems he's another titan level figure…' he walked over to the door and placed his hand on it. "It should work like always, right?" He asked Bo Yun who stood next to him.
Bo Yun nodded "I doubt she's added a new formation on top of the old one, so it should be fine".
Shu He nodded slightly as he channelled his Qi into the door, he felt it siphon away into the formation like every time before as the formation lit up for a moment-
*Click*
The door opened; it was as simple as that.
Bo Yun pushed the door open as he strode in like he owned the place, Shu He and He Qiao followed along, the room was as messy and cluttered as ever with books and apparatus strewn across desks and the floor, in fact Shu He knew it was messier than when he left it last time.
"I remember cleaning this up before I left…" He muttered; it had been three months, but she had done a real good job on the place.
The problem was, she wasn't in this room, so she could only be in the Alchemy chamber which was sealed as well.
"Open it" The Tower Lord ordered Shu He who looked slightly nervous. "If she's in the middle of a concoction wouldn't it be dangerous to interrupt her?" he replied.
"No need to worry about that, the flow of Alchemic Qi stopped yesterday" He Qiao told him causing him to jump slightly "What?! Why didn't you say that before?!" Shu He planted his hand on the door, opening it immediately.
*PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST*
It was like opening an atmospheric container that was filled with gas, multicoloured smoke that blasted their senses with various medicinal smells hissed as it flew out of the room, the three covered their mouth and nose with their sleeve as they walked inside.
"Tao Ru!" "Teacher!" Shu He and He Qiao simultaneously called out, right next to the Alchemy Furnace was Tao Ru, but she was laying on the ground still and emancipated; Before they could even take a step Bo Yun was next to her and placed his hand on her, his eyes narrowing.
He then took out a vial from his robe and picked out a pill, from the pure white colour, the faint Qi halo and scent Shu He could tell it was of a high rank! He placed it in her mouth and conjured some water that he gently poured in her mouth to make her swallow.
After a few seconds her skin grew a dark grey colour before it began disintegrating and shedding until it turned to dust that dissipated into nothingness, afterwards her face seemed a little less pale than it had been.
"I got rid of her impurities, but she's completely devoid of Qi and her physical body needs rest, quickly move her to the Medical Division!" Bo Yun ordered.
"Got it!" He Qiao lifted her frail body in his hands as he carried her off without a second of hesitation, Shu He watched with wide eyes, his body unmoving.
It was all too sudden.
What had happened?
Would she be okay?
He felt a slight tug at his chest, why did this have to happen?
He then turned to follow He Qiao, he wanted to do all he could to help.
Just as he was leaving he felt like he heard Bo Yun whisper one last thing.
"This is my fault."