He turned and left the room, walking briskly until he was out of the building. Once he was sure no one was watching, Li Wei allowed himself to run. His feet kicked up small clouds of dust as he hurried down the path, away from prying eyes.
Safely alone, he reached into his pocket, seeking the cloth-wrapped ember he had taken a risk to steal. He unwrapped it carefully, finding the ember still alight, a tiny glow of life within the ash. A gentle blow coaxed a faint white glow from the ember, reaffirming its presence.
With a surge of relief, Li Wei wrapped it again and pressed on, moving as fast as he dared. He needed to reach the safety of his cave. The path seemed to stretch endlessly before him as he hastened his steps, driven by the urgency of his task and the fear of being caught.
Back in his cave, Li Wei's hands shook slightly with anticipation as he set the ember down on a bed of dried grass. His breaths were measured, his focus absolute as he blew gently, nurturing the ember's warmth. The grass caught with a faint crackle, the flames timid at first, then growing bolder, coaxed into life by Li Wei's persistent breaths.
The glow intensified, casting a flickering light against the rough walls of the cave. Li Wei added small sticks, gradually building up the fire. His eyes were fixed on the flames as they danced and shifted, the white core of the fire growing stronger with each addition.
He whispered to himself, a murmur lost in the crackling of the fire, "Finally, Bone Fire." The words were a quiet triumph, a private acknowledgement of his success. The fire before him was no ordinary blaze; it was the sacred White Flame, capable of purifying bone essence.
Li Wei thought of the ceramic cup left behind by the former occupant of his body. It was an unremarkable piece, plain and slightly chipped at the rim, yet it was the only vessel he had that could possibly withstand the intense heat of the Bone Fire.
He placed the cup carefully atop a couple of stones he had arranged in a circle, creating a rudimentary stand. Within the cup, he poured the bone ash, its grey-white powder a stark contrast to the darkened interior of the cup.
The White Fire, once a mere flicker of hope, now blazed steadily, providing the necessary heat. Li Wei leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he considered the task ahead.
This was a delicate operation, one typically performed within the controlled environment of a pill furnace. Yet necessity was the mother of invention, and Li Wei had no such luxuries at his disposal. The ceramic cup would have to suffice.
With his Qi gently guiding the flames, he sought to coax the impurities from the ash to refine it into a substance that would aid in his cultivation. It was a poor man's alchemy. Li Wei could only hope that the makeshift setup would yield the results he so desperately needed.
Li Wei observed with bated breath as the heap of bone ash began to dwindle under the influence of the white flame. It was akin to watching the slow withering of foliage in a flame, except here, the ash was surrendering its impurities to the purifying fire.
His heart thundered in his chest, a silent accompaniment to the shrinking mound of ash. Panic crept into Li Wei's mind as he saw the quantity of ash rapidly decreasing. His heart beat faster, a silent drum echoing his rising fear. "No, no," he murmured to himself, a prayer to whatever spirits watched over desperate cultivators. "Please, leave enough."
When the reaction ceased, he exhaled a sigh of trepidation mixed with relief. What remained was a meagre pile, approximately a third of its original mass. In his estimation, it was close in weight to a few taels. The amount was significant, yet the stark reduction served as a sober reminder of how much had been lost to impurities. Now, all Li Wei could do was hope that the essence preserved in that reduced pile was potent enough to justify the risks he had taken.
Li Wei observed the powder remaining in the cup, now a pure, brilliant white, unlike the dull grey it had started as. The colour reminded him of the bone pills he had seen once, coveted by many in the sect for their pure essence.
Turning the cup in his hands, Li Wei's thoughts sharpened. The sect must know of this method, he realised. They would use it to create the bone pills, selling them at a price far beyond what the raw materials cost. A mere twenty coppers had bought him the mortal ash, yet a single bone pill fetched a silver piece. With this purification, he had gained what seemed like the benefit of many bone pills at a fraction of the cost.
The disparity was stark, and Li Wei felt a cold understanding settle within him. The sect's control over the outer disciples was not just through rules and discipline but through resources. They doled out the essentials sparingly, ensuring the disciples remained reliant, always grasping for scraps that the sect threw their way. It was a system designed to keep them in line, a method of control as potent as any physical restraint.
Li Wei set the ceramic cup down carefully, its contents still radiating a faint warmth from the white flame. He stepped outside into the brisk air, his strides purposeful as he headed to the nearby mountain stream. The water coursed by, clear and cold, oblivious to the gravity of Li Wei's mission. He filled his bucket, the water's icy touch a stark contrast to the heat of the white flame he had harnessed.
Back in the cave, Li Wei poured a measured amount of the stream water into the cup, cautious not to flood the precious bone ash residue. The thought of boiling crossed his mind, but he dismissed it swiftly; the risk of losing more of the substance to the vapours was not one he was willing to take. With the water added, he grasped a pair of chopsticks — plain, unadorned tools that had seen many a meal — and began to stir.
The chopsticks moved with precision, turning the mixture gently, ensuring the water touched every grain of ash.
Li Wei brought the cup to his lips, its contents now a cloudy suspension of bone essence and water. He drank, the liquid sliding down his throat, not a sharp pain but a pervasive heat spreading throughout his body. It was a warmth not the scorch of flames or the ache of injury.
When the bone essence reached his stomach, Li Wei felt unexpectedly satisfied, the usual hunger he experienced now kept at bay. It was odd to find sustenance in such an unorthodox way, far different from the usual satisfaction of eating a meal.
With the essence inside him, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his Qi. The energy within him stirred, roused by the presence of the bone essence. Li Wei directed it in the patterns he had learned, the paths of circulation that were etched into the very fabric of his being. He felt the Qi move, a gentle tide within him, washing over the barriers between levels.
Li Wei winced suddenly as a sharp sensation pierced his bones. Around him, the cave was still; the only sound was his own ragged breathing as he focused on the flow of Qi. It was different now—unhindered, rushing through his channels with newfound freedom.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, turning viscous and dark as it slid down his skin. The urge to expel grew overwhelming. He doubled over, expelling the bitter, acrid contents of his stomach onto the cave floor. Then, his bladder demanded release, expelling a similarly tainted stream.
Stripping off his soiled clothes, he stumbled outside to the stream. The water, a rush of clarity against his tainted skin, enveloped him in its icy grip. He scrubbed fiercely, watching the taint of his ordeal disperse into the current.
When he stepped out, the chill of the night air hit his wet skin. But inside, warmth pulsed through his meridians. He raised his arms, flexing his fingers, feeling the strength of his Qi. It was not a thought but a palpable shift, an inner expansion. The stream, his witness, flowed on, uncaring and pure, as Li Wei stood beside it—a cultivator reborn at the third level.
Li Wei could sense a newfound strength coursing through him, a tangible surge of vitality that made his previous state seem feeble in comparison. As he contemplated his next steps, the sound of his name pierced the air, "Li Wei!" The voice was familiar, and a sense of urgency tinged its tone.
As Li Wei approaches the cave's entrance, Jia Long is visibly taken aback by Li Wei's imposing figure, "Wow, Li Wei, big cock!"
"Thanks," Li Wei responded, his eyebrows raised in question. "But what brings you here at this hour?"
Jia Long shifted his weight, looking slightly uncomfortable with the direct question. "You told me to come back. I thought you might want some more mortal ash," he said, a hint of hesitation in his voice as though unsure of his welcome.
Li Wei's pulse quickened at the thought of Jia Long spotting the bone fire flickering inside his cave. "Yes, just wait here," he said quickly, fishing out the silver coin from his dirty clothes.
He pressed the coin into Jia Long's hand. "Five pouches, please."
Jia Long's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow," he said, "that's a lot. I usually recommend just one pouch; this stuff can be dangerous."
Li Wei forced a smile, the confidence he didn't feel seeping into his voice. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Jia Long shrugged as he handed over the five pouches of bone ash. "Your life, my friend," he said casually.
Li Wei nodded in thanks, curiosity prompting him to ask, "Senior Brother Jai, how do you get hold of mortals? I thought we couldn't leave the sect."
Jia Long looked around before lowering his voice. "We can leave on sect missions; we just have to make sure we come back because of the bone curse. But I don't go outside. There's a market further down the mountain. They sell all sorts, including bones from mortals and low-level cultivators."