Yang Feng's POV:
My name is Yang Feng, and I am an alchemist. It is not to apparent due to my bloodline not being awakened, but I am from a great clan of dragonewts. However, due to my foolish uncle's mistake, we were forced out of our homeland and had to settle down on the inferior 2nd continent. I clearly remember how appalled I was when comparing our current residences to our old home.
I wanted to help undo the damage my uncle had caused, so I asked my father what I could do, and he told me to become an alchemist. Alchemy is a very lucrative profession with lots of additional benefits. Not only can I sell my cultivation pills refined from inferior products for a steep price, but I can also use pills of higher quality to boost my cultivation. Hence, after much deliberation, I was then sent to study with the inferior people of this continent as I learned the secrets of alchemy.
After much studying, and an abundance of talent, I am currently a high-ranking alchemist in Straw city, working directly under that cheapskate city lord who was so ashamed of my uncle he hid us in that small obscure valley with barely any servants.
My father recently sent a letter for me to come home.
"Though, I understand the need for secrecy as we are still wary of our enemies, I don't see why he couldn't just come explain the situation in person." I muttered to myself, while opening the letter.
The letter detailed a certain illegitimate daughter my uncle had made back when he was still able to walk. He wrote that grandfather had brought her to our estate out of pity, but she has been causing nothing but trouble ever since. She apparently caused uncle to lose his mind again.
He wanted to see if I could help him fix the damage my cousin caused, as she seemed to create more fires faster than father can extinguish them. He is asking me to help keep her away from uncle as she seems intent on playing at being a physician. She has apparently been taking advantage of uncle's mental state to feed him inedible things, while preventing him from taking his medication.
"*sigh* Seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" I muttered to myself.
To those not in the know like my grandparents, my uncle might have appeared to be an upright member of the clan in the past, but father has told me about many tales from their youth that would suggest otherwise. Father had spent all his time looking out for his troublemaking younger sibling, putting out many fires he had started and taking the blame as a result. Unfortunately, there came a time when father couldn't look out for him anymore and the result was the fall of our clan. Thankfully, father took charge soon after uncle lost his mind and led us to safety or we might have all perished.
As much as I hate what he did to our clan, I have long since forgiven him as he seems to genuinely regret his actions, while also being the one to be taking our defeat the hardest. I still recall how we had to stop him from killing himself out of despair when we first got here.
"Son! You finally arrived!" My father spoke as I got out of the carriage.
"I got your letter, to return father! Now, where is that estranged cousin of mine?" I asked.
"Hmph! That little quack has been manipulating the whole family into taking her side after she nearly killed your grandmother."
"WHAT?! What happened to grandma? Is she okay?"
"Of course she is! Thanks to your hard work, your grandmother has awakened!"
"WHAT? Grandma is awake?!" I asked in surprise.
The pills I had sent were only to help slow down grandma's decay. Though, I am not too familiar with how the immortal body operates as the knowledge on alchemy pills for immortal bodies is hard to come by on this continent. However, I suppose it is possible it could have given grandma enough time to recover on her own.
"Yes, but because of the tampering of that little quack, she has lost parts of her memory. What's worse, is that little quack, has been continually taking credit for the work of your medicinal pills to make everyone think she is some sort of genius physician!"
"What? Has she no shame?" I said in astonishment.
I spent years working to better the clan only for the fruit of my labor to be stolen by someone else.
"*sigh* Yes, and it has been making it difficult for me to keep her from going overboard as everyone seems to be letting her do whatever she wants because of that, but now that you are here, we can put an end to her charade!"
"I will not stand for her injustice! Father! I Yang Feng, swear on our clans honor I will open everyone's eyes and put my cousin in her place!"
"Good! The quack is currently bothering your uncle! She has been preventing him from taking his medicine, while feeding him garbage! I will go talk to your grandparents, while you feed him this!" Father said as he pulled out a light green soup, before dropping some of uncle's special white medicinal pills into it.
"Yes, father!" I said, as I grabbed the bowl and headed towards uncle's house.
I entered my uncle's room on the first floor of his house, carrying the bowl of medicinal soup. Inside, I spotted my pale uncle staring dazedly at his surroundings while a silver-haired child in a mask was painting whiskers on his face.
"Pft! Hehe, hey! Get away from him!" I chuckled out as I tried not to laugh at my funny-looking uncle.
"Hm? Who let a sheep in here?" The little prankster asked.
"Are you the illegitimate child of my uncle, little girl?" I asked, as I was not expecting the troublemaker to be so young.
"Hm? No, I'm the veterinarian of this doghouse! Also, visiting hours are over, so please leave or I will be required by law to neuter you!"
"If you are a servant here than please leave! I will be taking over my uncle's care from today onwards!" I said, gesturing for the little prankster to get out of here.
"*sniff**sniff* I see!"
"See what? Uh! HEY!"
Before I knew it, the soup I was about to feed my uncle had disappeared out of my hands without my notice. Looking over I saw the little girl sniffing the bowl of soup.
"GIVE THAT BACK YOU-!"
*Splash*
Before I could finish my sentence, the child threw the contents of the bowl out the window.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"I threw out your mind-blowing soup!"
"HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Okay, visiting time is over! Let's go!" She said as she tried to push me out the door.
"ENOUGH!" I screamed as I unleashed my orange stage aura.
"Wow! You're only at the orange stage? How lame!"
"Are you making fun of me mortal girl?"
"Yup! So, get out of here before I snitch to the cops about your soup-peddling operation!"
"WHY YOU-!"
*Thud*
Just as I was about to punish this little servant girl for her audacity, uncle Xing suddenly fell out of his bed while twitching uncontrollably on the floor.
"Crap! Another seizure!"
Then, before I could stop her, the child pulled out a set of needles and stabbed them into various parts of my uncle's body. She moved with no hesitation and practiced motion, as I saw her stab him in the chest, stomach, arms, and legs. I only just managed to grab her hand as she was about to stab him in the head.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" I screamed.
"Acupuncture!" She said, as she stabbed the needle she had hidden up her other sleeve into the corner of uncle's eye.
Seeing what she had done, I decided to throw her out before she could do any more harm. However.
*Pop*
Suddenly, as I was about to fling her out of the window, her arm popped off her body revealing itself to be a fake, as a new hand suddenly shot out from her sleeve.
After escaping my grip, she grabbed my uncle, showing a surprising amount of strength for a mortal child her size, as she violently threw a man more than twice her size into the bed.
"STOP! HAVE YOU NOT DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE?! WILL YOU NOT STOP UNTIL UNCLE IS COMPLETELY GONE?!" I screamed at her, after seeing the dark tears running out from the eye with a needle stuck in it.
I then moved to remove the needles from my uncle, but.
*Bang*
*Thud*
*High-pitched scream*
Just as I got to the side of the bed, the child stomped her feet in what I thought was frustration, but her foot ended up tipping down the edge of a loose plank in the floor, causing the other side to come flying up between my legs.
Even after we become nascent souls, there are certain parts of the body that we try to avoid enhancing with our qi. Our genitals are one such example, as actively channeling our qi into that place could cause us to become impotent or infertile. Even the transition from golden core to nascent soul will drop our reproductive capabilities immensely as the tribulation lightning causes an involuntary surge of qi throughout the entire body. That is why the crotch of a cultivator is much softer than the rest of our body.
"Go play doctor somewhere else spoiled sheep! I'm busy! Now eat this dumbass!" She spoke as she kicked my kneeling figure to the side before pulling out a plate of green insects.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up while enduring the pulsing pain between my legs as I tried to stop her.
"DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE UNCLE XING EAT WORMS?! GET OUT OF HERE AND NEVER RETURN!" I screamed as I threw the plate of insects out the same window she threw uncle's soup.
*Smash*
However, before I could grab the troublemaker, I was interrupted by an angry shout from outside.
"WHO THREW THESE WORMS AT ME?!"
Looking through the window, I spotted my aunt Ning, covered in the green worms I had just thrown, as she glared at us from outside.
Aunt Ning is a very unreasonable person. When angered, she doesn't care whether they be man, woman, or child, she will beat them senseless. Even if I told her, it was an accident, or that it was to protect my uncle, she would likely still beat me black and blue as punishment even though we are blood relatives.
"He/She did it!" We spoke while pointing fingers at each other.
This child needed to be punished anyways, so I do not regret putting the blame on her, and besides, the worms belonged to this little girl in the first place, so she is not innocent in all this. As her nephew she would obviously take my word over this servant girl's.
"FENG YOU BASTARD! STOP BOTHERIN THE PIPSQUEAK AND GET OUT HERE!" My aunt shouted.
"Huh? But it wasn't me! It was her!" I said, pointing at the little girl.
"Even if you didn't throw the worms, you're breakin the rules just by beein here without permission. Now come take your punishment like a man!" Aunt Ning said as she climbed through the window.
"WHAT PERMISSION? I AM A BLOOD RELATIVE! I DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO BE HERE!" I shouted in a panic as I backed away from the crackling knuckles of my brutish aunt.
While access to uncle's quarters was restricted due to the fragile state he was in, that rule mostly applied to servants, not blood relatives like myself.
"Huh? Haven't Ping told ya yet?"
"Told me what?"
"*Sigh* Only the pipsqueak over there is allowed near Xing now! Since you didn't know, I'll let you off the hook this time, so beat it!" She said before gesturing for me to go away.
"N-NO! I mean! Father gave me permission to treat uncle!" I stuttered out as I was worried what this troublemaker might do should she be left alone with uncle.
"Ping? What's that turd plotting now?"
"Huh? What do-?"
Before I could finish my question, I was interrupted by another shout.
"JUST LOOK AT WHAT SHE HAS DONE TO HER OWN FATHER!"
Slamming the door open was my father followed by my grandparents. Father was shouting and pointing at my uncle who was sitting on the bed, covered in ink and needles, while my grandmother was giving a weirdly familiar bloodshot glare towards the little girl and my grandfather just looked exasperated.
"JUST LOOK AT THE STATE MY BROTHER IS IN! THERE IS NO WAY THIS QUACK COULD HAVE BEEN THE REASON WHY MOTHER RECOVERED!" My father shouted, revealing that the troublesome child was in fact my troublemaking cousin and not an insolent young servant girl.
"Son! We have been over this! I saw little Nox heal your mother with my own two eyes! Why can't you just accept her as part of the family and make peace with your niece, instead of causing trouble for everyone?"
"Grandfather! If I may?" I spoke.
"Feng? Why are you here again? Shouldn't you be studying in Straw city?"
"Grandfather might not have heard, but I recently became a high-ranking member of the Straw city's alchemist guild!" I spoke.
"THAT'S RIGHT! MY SON HAS BEEN SENDING MEDICINAL PILLS TO TREAT XING AND MOTHER FOR YEARS! IT WAS FENG WHO SAVED MOTHER, BUT THEN THIS LITTLE WHORE CAME AND CLAIMED MY SON'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS HER OWN!" My father shouted as his face turned red from anger.
However, it seemed like they refused to accept the truth as all their faces clearly showed that they didn't believe my father's words.
"So, you've been feedin mom and Xing your runt's pills? This is the first I'm hearin bout it! What bout you dad?" Aunt Ning asked grandfather.
"I never heard this either! Ping, explain yourself!" Grandfather replied before giving a serious look to my father.
"Feng has been rigorously working to create medicine that would help my brother and mother's condition, but I knew you would doubt my son's genius and rejected it had I told you! So, for the sake of our clan, I took matters into my own hands and fed it to them in secret!"
"PING YOU BAST-!"
Just as my aunt was about to charge my father in anger, grandfather used his qi pressure to freeze everyone in their place aside from my cousin who was struggling to get out of my grandmother's embrace in the background.
"Ping! You know very well I am to be informed of any matter pertaining to your mother's recovery!" Grandfather spoke with hints of anger in his tone.
"Th-They were in a critical situation! I couldn't afford to wait for your permission!" My father said nervously, while struggling to stay on his feet in the face of my grandfather's pressure.
However, it seemed to have only pushed grandfather over the edge, as he began to furiously shout at my father.
"EVEN STILL! YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME AFTER THE FACT! YOU GAMBLED YOUR MOTHER'S LIFE ON MEDICINE MADE BY A FLEDGLING ALCHEMIST! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!"
"Grandfather! I *cough* am not a fledgling! *wheeze*!" I struggled to speak out, as my grandfather's pressure had pinned me to the ground while making it hard for me to breathe.
Grandfather finally calmed his anger as he lowered his pressure to a point I could stand back up.
"Feng! What rank are you as an alchemist now?" He asked me in an impatient tone.
"As I said, I am a high ranked official of the guild!"
"Not, your social rank! Your rank as an alchemist!"
Just as there are ranks for blacksmiths and enchanters, there are ranks to decide an alchemist's skill level. They are divided into 6 ranks:
Apprentice Alchemist Alchemist Master Alchemist Grand Alchemist Grandmaster Alchemist Divine Alchemist
The pills and medicine we create are often considered as a consumable artifact and graded as such. The ranks given to alchemists are based on what grade of pills they can produce. So, an 'apprentice alchemist' would only be able to create common grade pills and medicine, while a regular 'alchemist' would be able to create rare grades, and so on.
"M-My rank?"
"What is your worth as an alchemist?" Grandfather asked as his pressure began to increase again.
"FATHER!"
"QUIET PING! NOW ANSWER ME CHILD!" Grandfather spoke as I could feel my knees about to give out again.
"I-I a-am a-an n-normal a-alchemist!"
"Ping! What was the rank of the alchemists who looked at your mother when she first fell ill?"
"FATHER, WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHE-?"
"ANSWER ME YOU!" Grandfather shouted over my father's words.
"Grand alchemist." My father muttered under his breath.
"A GRAND ALCHEMIST! SOMEONE CAPABLE OF CREATING LEGENDARY GRADE PILLS COULD BARELY SLOW YOUR MOTHER'S DETERIORATION, AND YOU THINK YOUR SON, WHO ISN'T EVEN A MASTER, IS CAPABLE OF WHAT THEY COULDN'T?! I DID NOT RAISE YOU TO BE THIS FOOLISH!"
"But father, she-!"
"Save your excuses! You are not allowed to bother your niece again! Have I made myself clear!"