You Old Man! . . .
Master Bai's countenance remained tranquil as he extended a space ring toward Cha Eun Xiao. His words bore a note of generosity as he spoke, "Here. You'll find enough materials within this ring to produce a thousand stoves of Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan. Assuming each stove yields three dan beads, you have the potential to create a total of three thousand dan beads."
His smile held a subtle quality of satisfaction as he continued, "Yet, I require only three. This quantity is sufficient for my purposes."
Cha Eun Xiao widened his eyes in astonishment and responded, "Three thousand dan beads? You need only three? How extraordinarily generous of you. I don't believe you anticipate my success every time. You seem to be suggesting that I'll claim two thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-seven dan beads from you… I mean, Old Bai."
Master Bai raised an eyebrow, his demeanor reflecting a hint of irritation at Cha Eun Xiao's jest. "Old Bai? What manner of address is this?"
Cha Eun Xiao replied casually, "I've called you Old Bai because, well, you're not particularly youthful. I believe it's a suitable appellation, don't you agree?"
Master Bai appeared slightly perturbed by the moniker, which was unusual for him. Cha Eun Xiao seized the opportunity to rib him further, entertained by the unusual spectacle of Master Bai experiencing a semblance of frustration.
[This man has an unexpected penchant for maintaining his youthful appearance!]
"I'm demonstrating kindness by not referring to you as an old coot. You are an elderly gentleman, and anyone with functioning eyes can see that," Cha Eun Xiao declared, taking possession of the space ring containing materials for one thousand stoves. He surveyed its contents with his spiritual sense, reveling in the array of high-quality components it housed.
These materials surpassed any ordinary standards, featuring exceptional quality. For instance, while White Hair Ginseng could be thirty years old, the ginseng specimens in the ring had clearly far exceeded this milestone, some having fruitified into human-shaped forms over a thousand years of age.
Indeed, the entire inventory was of a superior grade, devoid of any mundane components. Cha Eun Xiao's scrutiny led him to a conclusion: the formidable difficulty of producing the Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan had been amplified several times by the use of such high-quality materials.
However, this did not faze him, as he had no intention of personally crafting the dan. The challenge lay in the process itself.
"Old coot... elderly gentleman..." Master Bai refused to let the matter drop, his irritation apparent. His exasperation compelled him to ask, "Feng Monarch, your choice of words is grating. Could you not exhibit the vigor and sophistication befitting a supreme cultivator?"
Cha Eun Xiao's keen sense of observation had discerned a vulnerability within the renowned master. The facet Master Bai wished to conceal was similar to that of a woman—he disliked being referred to as old. He cherished his youthful appearance.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but notice the conspicuous importance Master Bai placed on his youthful appearance. It was a universal aspiration—both beauties and heroes alike dreaded the inexorable advance of time. With a sigh, Cha Eun Xiao remarked on this commonality, saying, "Beauties and heroes, they all don't want to get old."
Master Bai's response was a deeply furrowed brow and a stern, disapproving glare.
Unperturbed, Cha Eun Xiao continued, "You've shared your counsel, but it isn't the most pleasant to the ear. Sage advice can indeed be akin to bitter medicine." He leisurely toyed with the space ring in his hand. "You seem to approach the creation of supreme dan beads with a cavalier attitude, as if it were as simple as swallowing vegetables. You've provided one thousand materials, which ostensibly translate to three thousand dan beads. A lofty claim, to be sure. However, I must confess the recipe for the Heaven Seizing Dan came into my possession through a fortuitous accident. I've never concocted one before. While I am confident in my abilities, I also view this as a challenge and an opportunity to advance my career in dan-making."
"Of the materials you've so generously provided, the initial thirty percent will be reserved for experimentation and for acquainting myself with the intricacies of creating this particular dan. The subsequent thirty percent will be allocated for method adjustments, and another thirty percent to determine the best combination of materials. I'd wager that approximately half of the remaining quantity will be lost due to the occasional stove explosion, which yields a hopeful success rate of fifty percent in the final ten attempts. It's worth noting that the outcome may not strictly align with the legendary Heaven Seizing Dan. In other words, if I succeed in producing two stoves out of the thousand, it should be considered a stroke of good fortune."
"Moreover, there's another consideration—let's be candid. Even if I do manage to create two stoves, I'll need to endure dan punishment twice. Under such circumstances, I'll be reduced to ashes. In effect, only one stove will remain. Even in a best-case scenario where I craft a second one, I would be compelled to surrender it."
Cha Eun Xiao glared at Master Bai, his voice laced with frustration. "Old Bai, your mathematical acumen is undeniable! In the end, there will be but one stove of dan, producing no more than three dan beads. You intend to claim them all, leaving me with nothing. And you have the audacity to suggest that I would take advantage of you. Does this align with the 'vigor and sophistication' of a superior master cultivator you mentioned earlier?"
Master Bai brushed his nose and offered a bitter smile. "You have exposed my ignorance of dan-making. I am truly ill-informed."
Unconvinced, Cha Eun Xiao exclaimed, "You plead ignorance, yet you dared to mention the number 'three'—an act that implies you are not as uninformed as you profess. We are both intelligent individuals, so there's no need for pretense. Why play the fool in this matter?"
The situation prompted Cha Eun Xiao's anger, and he couldn't help but fume. "Why the deception?"
Master Bai was left with no choice but to acknowledge Cha Eun Xiao's astute observations with a rueful smile. He realized the precariousness of his situation.
[With a single command, I could turn him into a pile of flesh. Yet here he is, openly displaying his anger and raising his voice to me... Does he have any concept of what death entails?]
"Considering the quality of the materials provided, using one dan bead created from these resources has already pushed the limits. It would be wasteful to utilize more," Cha Eun Xiao exclaimed with evident frustration. "With the dan beads, it's a supreme dan that comes with dan punishment, after all. I trust you understand this. I'd prefer not to listen to any unwarranted discourse. I must be candid with you; there's a substantial probability that all one thousand batches will result in failure. It is best to be prepared for this eventuality. You are well aware of the risks, aren't you?"
In response, Master Bai could only manage a bitter smile.
Of course, he was aware.
Why else would he have assembled the materials for one thousand stoves of dan?
The production of supreme dan beads was already a daunting task, akin to reaching the heavens. Crafting the Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan was a level of difficulty that transcended even that. It bordered on the miraculous.
[For him to successfully create even a single stove of it, he would need to be an extraordinary master dan-maker with exceptionally good fortune...]