In the Castle of the Ledal Empire, within Xu Min's room, Xu Fang stood close to the bed, holding Xu Min in his embrace. She had just confessed her feelings, and he accepted her, pulling her into a warm hug.
"Thanks for accepting me," Xu Min expressed, a smile lighting up her face.
"You're really brave. Most people wouldn't say what you did." Xu Fang commended her courage, his smile reflecting genuine admiration.
"You won't leave me alone again, will you?" Xu Min asked, tilting her head up from his embrace.
"Never. I promise," Xu Fang assured her with a serious expression.
"I love you," Xu Min confessed, a smile playing on her lips and a hint of blush coloring her cheeks.
"I love you too," Xu Fang responded, kissing her forehead tenderly.
"Let's meet an hour before dinner in my room. I have something to show you, okay?" Xu Fang suggested, indicating a desire for her presence.
"Alright, I'll be there," Xu Min agreed, and after a few moments, Xu Fang left her room, making his way toward the Ledal Alchemist Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon entering the alchemy chamber, Xu Fang spotted Shen Yin meticulously inspecting pills and organizing ingredient storage racks. He approached her with a smile.
"Mother Yin, today I'm here to win the bet you challenged me to," he announced confidently.
"What? Are you claiming you can already craft a flawless-quality pill?" Shen Yin, engrossed in her tasks, was taken aback by Xu Fang's assertion.
"Absolutely. You can pick any pill recipe up to Tier 2 mid-level for me to attempt," Xu Fang replied with a grin.
"In that case, here you go." After a brief pause, she gestured, and a pill recipe scroll materialized in her hand, which she handed to him.
Xu Fang accepted the pill recipe, wasted no time, and unfurled the scroll. His eyes focused on the contents, revealing a Tier 2 mid-level pill named 'Fury Enhancement Pill.'
The Fury Enhancement Pill, once ingested, triggered a surge of energy within the user's meridians, resulting in a 15% increase in attack power for 5 minutes.
With focus, Xu Fang began selecting ingredients and herbs from the racks one by one, gathering everything necessary to craft the Fury Enhancement Pill.
After a few minutes, Xu Fang settled in front of the pill furnace, ready to channel his Qi and commence the pill-making process. Shen Yin positioned herself nearby, closely observing his every move. The notion of a 14-year-old producing flawless quality pills seemed unbelievable to her.
In an attempt to showcase his 'Pills Refining Master' technique, Xu Fang decided to push his limits. He opened the lid of the pill furnace after heating it, and in a bold move, he added all four required ingredients for the Fury Enhancement Pill simultaneously.
Shen Yin was taken aback by this unconventional approach. Though tempted to intervene since Xu Fang's actions diverged from the pill recipe, she chose to remain silent, watching intently and carefully noting each step.
As Xu Fang immersed himself in the process of crafting the Fury Enhancement Pill, he elevated his Qi fire, extracting essences simultaneously from all the ingredients. These essences seamlessly mixed after refinement. Xu Fang then lowered his Qi fire, transitioning to the next step—forming the pill shape.
Once the pill took its form, Xu Fang increased the Qi fire again, initiating the final refining stage. It didn't take long before the Fury Enhancement Pill was successfully refined and ready for use.
"Boom~, boom~, boom~."
The distinctive sounds resonated from the furnace upon the completion of the pill. Xu Fang stood up, opened the lid, and carefully retrieved the pill from inside.
"Xu Fang, you're done already?" Shen Yin couldn't hide her astonishment. Xu Fang had managed to complete the entire process in less than ten minutes, a stark contrast to other alchemists, who typically took almost an hour for the same pill.
"Yes, Mother Yin. You can test its effects," Xu Fang suggested, offering her the newly crafted pill with a confident smile.
"It...it's flawless quality. How are you able to concoct flawless pills in just two months?" Shen Yin was perplexed. The realization that Xu Fang had only begun his journey in alchemy two months prior yet could produce tier-2 mid-level pills of such quality, left her utterly surprised.
"Hahaha... Now I've won the bet," Xu Fang exclaimed, excitement evident in his expression.
"Sigh, alright, you win. But can you please tell me your method?" Shen Yin sighed, conceding defeat, and curiosity overcoming her.
"It's a secret," Xu Fang replied with a mysterious smile.
"Don't be mysterious; share with me how you achieved flawless quality in pill refining," Shen Yin implored, her expression earnest.
"Mother Yin, as I've already mentioned, it's a secret. I can't divulge it," Xu Fang insisted, reluctant to share his unique technique.
"Xu Fang, you know I've spent my entire life trying to achieve flawless quality in pill refining, but I've never succeeded," Shen Yin revealed, her tone serious yet tinged with sadness.
"Yes, I'm aware, but sharing my secret is not something I take lightly," Xu Fang maintained his stance, still unwilling to disclose his method to Shen Yin.
"Tell me what you want in return for sharing your secret with me. I promise not to share it with anyone," Shen Yin proposed, attempting to strike a deal.
"Hahaha, Mother Yin, you already owe me a promise from our bet, and now you're offering me another. Your promises seem to be quite valuable," Xu Fang chuckled, finding amusement in her offer.
'I have to do something to get him to reveal his secret technique,' Shen Yin thought to herself.
"Sigh... okay, let's leave that for later. Now, tell me what you want in return for winning our bet." Shen Yin sighed, changing the subject and focusing on the current matter.
"I want you," Xu Fang stated, pointing his right hand's index finger toward her while employing his charm technique.
"What? You know I'm like your mother, even if not by blood, but I've been your mother," Shen Yin responded, visibly shocked. Despite her words, conflicting emotions stirred within her due to Xu Fang's techniques.
'What's happening to me? Why do I feel intrigued by what he just said?' Shen Yin wondered in her mind.
"You're right, but I still want you to be my woman," Xu Fang insisted with a smile.
"But... but it's not right," Shen Yin attempted to suppress the emotions welling up within her.
'Oh, I think I need to increase my sensitivity a little bit more,' Xu Fang added in his mind.
"Why? Is it because of our age difference? Let me tell you, I might be younger than you in years, but I'm determined to live with you because your company is invaluable to me. If you're talking about skills, then I'll catch up to your level of expertise in alchemy in a few years," Xu Fang reassured her with a charming smile, subtly increasing the sensitivity of his techniques.
'What is this feeling? It's as if I haven't lived without him for a moment,' Shen Yin contemplated her emotions.
"But..." Shen Yin attempted to express herself, only to be gently interrupted by Xu Fang.
"Yin Er, I know what you want to say. You don't have to worry about what others think. Their opinions won't be a problem. I suggest you ignore them," Xu Fang encouraged her, using her birth name. This caused Shen Yin's eyes to widen, tears welling up.
"What?" Seeing her reaction, Xu Fang stepped forward, gently wiping away the tears, and apologized with a concerned expression.
"Sorry if I said something wrong. Please forgive me," Xu Fang apologized sincerely.
"No, it's not your fault," Shen Yin assured him, her tone carrying a hint of sadness.
"Then why are you crying?" Xu Fang inquired, genuinely curious.
"Because only my mother called me by that name. After she died, you're the first person who called me by my birth name," Shen Yin confessed, revealing the reason behind her tears.
"If you like it, let me know. I can call you Yin Er from now on when we're alone," Xu Fang suggested with a warm smile.
"Can you call me again?" Shen Yin requested, a glimmer of happiness in her eyes.
"Yin Er, Yin Er, Yin Er," Xu Fang repeated her name three times, adding a playful tone to his voice.
"Thank you." Shen Yin expressed her gratitude, a happy expression lighting up her face.
"I think I should go now. If you don't want to live with me, I won't bring it up again. Please forgive me if I said something..." Xu Fang began to apologize and started to leave.
He wanted to leave her alone for now, and he thought to try again in the future. But Shen Yin interrupted him.
"Xu Fang, stop. Who told you I didn't want to..." Shen Yin spoke, then fell silent, blushing as she realized what she said.
"Really? Thank goodness. So, do you agree to become my wife?" Xu Fang, noticing Shen Yin's blush, decided not to tease her and asked with a sweet tone.
"First, can you tell me why you want me to be your wife? There are many beautiful young girls your age who could be your life partner," Shen Yin inquired, curious about his choice.
"Firstly, stop thinking of yourself like an old lady with a full face of wrinkles, unable to walk without a stick. You look like you're in your early twenties. Secondly, while there may be many beautiful ladies my age, I haven't considered them because I didn't get to know them like I did with you. How could I compare them to you?
Thirdly, I couldn't bear to see you live such a boring life. You're still young and deserve to live happily." Xu Fang explained with a loving smile.
"Xu Fang, you certainly know how to make ladies happy with your words," Shen Yin complimented him with a smile, to which Xu Fang responded in kind.
"I agree to live with you. Can you promise me something?" Shen Yin consented to living with him and added a request.
"If I don't promise, would you change your decision to live with me?" Xu Fang asked with a serious expression, aware that she had different intentions in her request, not wanting him to leave.
"No, no, that's not what I meant." Shen Yin clarified.
"Hahaha... I know what you mean. I'm just teasing you. Tell me what you want me to do?" Xu Fang chuckled, asking with a warm smile.