Destiny in Cinders

The orthodox technique? Everyone looked at An Jing in surprise and delight and a loud hubbub suddenly filled the space.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother!"

"Have you already mastered the mental and martial techniques, Senior Brother? You're so fast!"

"Of course! He's our senior brother..."

In an instant, the training ground buzzed with congratulations and praise. They were all happy for An Jing. After all, An Jing genuinely taught everything he knew and hid nothing from them; whether they absorbed his teachings was an entirely separate matter.

What harm was there in An Jing learning the orthodox technique ahead of them? Those without talent were unaffected. For those who did have the aptitude, An Jing's early grasp would enable him to better guide them. In fact, it was better to let him get an early start; he would then have more experience when he came to mentor the others.

Of course, some people were jealous. But what good was jealousy? Martial training was unlike studying. If you were outmatched, you were outmatched. No amount of defiance could change the facts, and talking back would only earn them another beating.

An Jing bowed respectfully in acknowledgment of their kind words and followed Instructor Li to the apothecary, feeling a swirl of complex emotions. He was happy of course. He had mastered Abyssedge Stake Aura Refining and Armorpierce Impetus to near perfection with relative ease. How could he not be delighted by the prospect of a more advanced orthodox technique that could propel him to the next level? Yet the other half of him felt a mix of curiosity, worry, suspicion, and an underlying sense of calm. He hadn't expected such recognition.

Despite the disruption to his plans, he could always change them, and this new turn of events presented an opportunity. Ever since hearing the strange noise in the apothecary, An Jing had been paying attention to Direlife Manor's central area. Unfortunately, the five-day inspection intervals were too brief. He still had to lead the team, which left him no time to carefully observe his surroundings. But this time, he might have a chance.

The beast flesh and herbal brew underwent initial processing in the apothecary before being sent to the kitchen for the final preparation. He had determined that today was a "meat day." With luck, he might catch a glimpse of the unprocessed beast flesh and herbs. The moment of truth was at hand.

Soon, Instructor Li paid his respects to the manor lord while An Jing remained waiting at the entrance to the apothecary.

"Well, if it isn't our star disciple. Congrats! Not many people get to the orthodox technique before the trial starts. Nice job, kid."

The apothecaries passing through the building immediately recognized An Jing. Those who knew him well from conducting his physical examinations even greeted him with a smile. He returned their greetings, his eyes moving casually over his surroundings and the apothecaries moving in and out.

There were seven apothecaries studying under the manor lord. They were busy moving herbs, collecting those drying outside and carting load after load into the building. An Jing recognized most of the herbs as the main components of the concoction they regularly drank. Others, however, were unfamiliar to him, and he couldn't determine their function.

Large water vats lined the open space on both sides of the apothecary. This made sense to An Jing. There were no water supply systems in this world, so they had to store plenty of water for preparing medicine.

As An Jing waited, he observed servants carrying vats out of the apothecary and moving vats from the yard inside. The only strange thing was the pungent medicinal odor that smelled both sweet and fishy wafting from every single vat. Some of the vats swayed under their heavy weight, suggesting they were full.

Could some of these vats be used to store medicine? An Jing was surprised at first, but it seemed perfectly reasonable once he considered how many people the apothecary prepared concoctions for.

Hmm? He was about to mentally catalog the herbs to identify them with Gu Yeqi later when he abruptly stopped his observation. A slight frown creased his brow as he sniffed the air, and instantly recognized the familiar smell of meat. There it was.

A large shadow loomed over the entrance as two sweat-drenched apothecaries strained to push an enormous, heavy supply wagon out of the gate, followed by three instructors barking orders. A potent meaty odor wafted from within. When An Jing focused his gaze on the source, he was instantly astonished.

What filled the wagon wasn't general supplies, but a massive load of cleanly shaved bones of various shades.

What animals do these belong to? An Jing could discern that the bones came from wolves, tigers, jackals, and leopards, along with a large set of bull horns and the distinct wing bones of birds. Piled into a small mound, the neatly scraped animal bones were so extensive that it took a wagon and several strong men to move the load.

"It's stuck!"

The wagon got halfway through before lodging in a small indentation in the stairs. An Jing knew it was his chance and quickly approached them.

"Can you manage, An Jing?" The instructors were preparing to lift it themselves, and chuckled when An Jing stepped forward to help. "Don't hurt your back."

"I won't."

As he drew near, An Jing realized just how unusual the bones were. Their scent alone carried a strange energy that kindled a restless anger within him, which he quickly suppressed before exerting his strength. Channeling Armorpierce Impetus, An Jing effortlessly lifted the entire wagon, leaving a noticeable dent into the ground beneath his feet.

"Impressive!" The instructors couldn't help but praise him. "You've completely internalized Armorpierce Impetus to the point where you can apply powerful force from your entire body. It's no surprise the manor lord wants to teach you the orthodox technique. Alright, we need to get back to work. You're lucky, kid."

An Jing watched them push the wagon away, noting the instructors' deep envy when they mentioned the orthodox technique, and wondered, have none of these instructors learned the complete orthodox technique?

These instructors were likely disciples who failed to master the martial techniques and were subsequently eliminated. In all likelihood, Instructor Li didn't receive the complete orthodox technique either. But this became unimportant the moment An Jing approached and saw the unusual nature of the bones.

The bones are covered in these weird, dark-gray patterns that make me dizzy just looking at them. An Jing mulled over the strange details of the bones, muttering quietly to himself. An inexplicable wave of anger surged through him for a moment, only to subside rapidly, putting An Jing immediately on alert.

Are those patterns making everyone roar like that?

Was suppressing the urge to roar a test they needed to pass to remain at Direlife Manor?

This isn't ordinary feral-beast meat. I've eaten that before. Could it be fey flesh?

Instructor Li came down just as An Jing was deep in thought.

"Go in," he said, his one eye betraying his deep envy. "The manor lord is waiting for you."

Snapping back to reality, An Jing quickly nodded and went upstairs.

The manor lord spent little time in the apothecary, preferring instead to make his rounds, inspecting the herb fields and observing the children's training. The only times he confined himself to the apothecary all day were during the children's physical examinations and when meat was on the menu.

An Jing knew it was common practice for many instructors to address the manor lord as the vice apothecary. Direlife Manor was merely a branch of a larger organization, with the manor lord serving as a supervisor whose official title was "vice apothecary." The "vice" in his title implied a chief apothecary also existed. Beyond training new members, the manor's primary function was the refinement of medicine.

An Jing quickly reached the fifth floor. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Little An." The manor lord was currently seated at his desk, reviewing applications. Before him sat a dark-gold dish, emanating an unusual luster. He glanced up as An Jing paused in the doorway and said, "Come in and have a seat."

Noticing An Jing's quiet, respectful demeanor as he sat on the other side of the desk, the manor lord remarked, "You're very calm. You already know the orthodox technique is yours, so why aren't you happy about it? You're nothing like a child at all."

"Because with privilege comes greater expectations." Lowering his head, An Jing said with a hint of seriousness. "I'm grateful that my abilities have been recognized by the manor lord, instructors, and lecturers, but I'm fully aware that it comes with a responsibility that I intend to take very seriously."

"Yes." Without changing his expression, the manor lord pulled an ordinary book from his desk drawer and handed it over to An Jing. "Read it."

An Jing's gaze flickered toward the manor lord as he picked up the book.

"Imperial Sky Seethrough Nurturing Art."[1]

1. In a more general sense, 皇天 (Huáng Tiān) refers to the heaven above. In Chinese theology, it's a respectful name for the supreme ruling god also known as 玉皇上帝 (Yù Huáng Shàngdì), the Jade Emperor, and 老天爷 (lǎo tiān yé), or Olden Heavenly Father. ☜