After speaking with Armorer Dian, Liang Xiong made his way across the sect to one of the smallest buildings within the sect's sprawling grounds. While the Tower of Mending was small by the standards of the Inner Sect, the luxurious materials used in its construction and the powerful formations that protected it in times of danger were a testament to its importance.
No army could function without healers and the Purple Thunder War Hall knew that very well. While most sects in the Inner City had invited a number of Guest Alchemists to see to the concocting needs of their own sect, Liang Xiong's sect had gone further, establishing a branch of the sect dedicated to training and raising their own alchemists.
It wasn't easy for a martial sect to attract Scholars away from the more prestigious alchemy sects like the Jade Cauldron Sect without offering something substantial in return. For much of the sect's history, it struggled to provide a reason for talented alchemists to enter the Purple Thunder War Hall as a method of advancing their craft. The sect's Tower of Flame had become home to second-rate alchemists at best, choked with Scholars who had reached their limits and could no longer advance their cultivation.
Worse, while the Scholars of the Tower of Flame might be second-rate alchemists, many of them were unwilling to expose themselves to danger. The Purple Thunder War Hall prided itself on being able to subjugate everything from powerful bandit gangs to rebel armies from upstart, would-be kings within the territory of the Paragon Sword Sect.
Yet when the sect beat the drums of war, the cloistered alchemists of the Tower of Flame were reluctant to leave the secure confines of their powerful tower. Certainly they concocted healing elixirs and pills by the wagon load, but they could never be relied on to tend to the injured on the field of battle itself.
That all changed a few centuries ago when one of the sect's grand elders took matters into his own hands and transformed the struggling Tower of Flame into the Tower of Mending. The change in name signified a shift in focus for the study of alchemy in the Purple Thunder War Hall. No longer would they attempt to compete for talents by setting themselves next to traditional alchemists like the classic alchemy sects.
Instead, the Purple Thunder War Hall worked to gather the best experts in the healing arts that they could assemble. Acupuncturists, Surgeons, and all manner of healing professionals were brought under one roof to emphasize the practice of alchemy in a way that served the needs of an army. Other sects might have better concoction methods or deep coffers filled by selling their mass-produced elixirs and pills, but the Purple Thunder War Hall's Tower of Mending boasted the most skilled healers in all of Silver Sword City.
Now, whenever the sect sent out a war band, whether the campaign was large or small, they were able to dispatch at least an Alchemy Initiate to tend to the wounded during a campaign. During larger campaigns like the Battle of Soft Grass, an Alchemy Novice might be dispatched with several Initiates under their command. The standards adopted by the sect allowed even Alchemists to acquire treasured campaign beads for their leadership of healers who went to the battlefield.
When Liang Xiong entered the tower, he inquired with the servants about the whereabouts of one of the Alchemy Novices before following the servant's instructions to a small concocting lab on the second floor. He was afraid that he might have to sit outside the chamber for several hours or even days if his friend was actively concocting. Fortunately, when he arrived at the small lab, he found the spirit crystal mounted in the door to be dull and lifeless, indicating that no energies were circulating within the room.
As a reawakened Scholar, Liang Xiong could have chosen to enter the Hall of Mending himself to study the skills of a healer but he was self-aware enough to recognize that he lacked a healer's heart and passion to use knowledge that way. Instead, Liang Xiong had dedicated his scholarly pursuits to the study of war and strategy.
Still, he knew enough about the practice of alchemy to know that disturbing an alchemist in the middle of concocting could have explosive consequences. No matter how urgent a person's business was, it was always better to let an alchemist finish their work before asking for their attention.
"Senior Brother Bo," Liang Xiong called softly as he knocked gently on the door, hoping he wasn't interrupting any preparations. "Do you have a few moments to talk?"
A few moments later the door opened to reveal the soot-streaked face of a man whose handsome visage never failed to draw attention from young maidens when he appeared outside the Tower of Mending. At the moment, however, Bo Gau's face was not only streaked with soot but his dark hair hung in disarray, and dark circles under his eyes spoke of several days spent with little if any sleep.
"Junior Brother Laing," the Alchemy Novice said, a tired smile appearing at the corners of his lips. "What brings you to the Tower of Mending? You didn't injure yourself training again did you? I warned you last time that you shouldn't spar for at least five days while your ribs regain their strength."
"Senior Brother, it's already been seven days since then," Liang Xiong said, entering the lab when Bo Gau waved him in and looking around in concern. Not only was his senior brother's handsome face streaked with soot, but much of the lab lay in disarray. On the central work table, an intricately decorated bronze cauldron lay on its side at the center of a ring of soot. Shards of porcelain vials were strewn across the table and the crystal lanterns in the room hung askew.
"But no, I'm not injured," Liang Xiong added, his attention turning from the damaged room to his disheveled senior brother. "I have something else to discuss with you today. That is, assuming you're well enough to speak today. You look like you could use some rest," he finished, his brows lowering in concern for his senior.
"Seven days? Not four? Really?" Bo Gau said, scratching his head and adding even more soot to his disheveled hair in the process. "No wonder I failed at the end, the medicinal essence must have lost potency after spending so long in the bottle after being extracted. So that means I... No, I'm sorry," he said, interrupting himself and shaking his head. "You didn't come here to listen to me prattle on about my failures."
"You can if it would help you organize your thoughts," Liang Xiong offered. "I may not understand but I know that sometimes, just explaining your own thoughts to someone else can help to find your own solution."
"No, this isn't that kind of problem," Bo Gau said, all but falling into a comfortable chair in one corner of the lab and sprawling in it in an undignified manner that spoke of just how exhausted he was.
As much as Bo Gau hated to admit it, he wasn't currently struggling from a lack of knowledge, he was struggling with a lack of skill. If it was a question of errors in a formula or the refining of a new ingredient, talking about his challenges might help. As matters stood, however, he knew that his methods were correct because he'd watched his teacher demonstrate them several times.
The problem Bo Gau suffered from wasn't that he didn't know what to do, it's that when he tried, he lacked the deftness and mindfulness to succeed. His concoction had failed because he hadn't properly regulated his flames and he'd been too imprecise in combining his ingredients.
While he appreciated a sympathetic ear, if all he was going to do was complain about his shortcomings to Liang Xiong, he'd prefer to do it over a full tankard of ale rather than in his sooty lab.
"Since you're not injured," he finally said, turning his attention fully to the young Soldier. "How can I help you Junior Brother?"