Chapter 008: Mastering Fragrance

"Elder brother, is this fellow the one who helped Lord Sang Hongyun with the stone quarrying?" Xu Nan asked softly

However, the current Xiao Hong is powerless to change anything. He can only strive to seize every moment, covering one end of the bamboo tube over Yu Xiang, while positioning the other end towards his mouth. Then, he closes his eyes, calms his mind, and begins to utilize the breath training method to train his control.

It seems that I still need to enhance my knowledge reserves. Xiao Hong continued to mutter to himself, then carefully took out the two mysterious magic pattern beads from his bosom. Using the dim light of the fire, he turned them over and over, observing the patterns on them, which seemed to have become a habit for Xiao Hong

Having said that, Xiao Hong spread his hands and placed ten silver coins on the sales counter

Of course, what Xiao Hong is most curious about now is that dark greenish-black magic pattern orb. Although he cannot control it, it appears to be a successful magic pattern. What exactly is its purpose?

With just a slight glance at Xu Qing, Xiao Hong no longer paid any attention and slowly walked to the sales counter, then said to the pharmacist: "Two taels each of Can Yin Sha and Zhu Xiang"

Without any excessive pauses, Xiao Hong began to process the materials he had collected throughout the day one by one. He mixed the sand into the vessel, heating it to melt, ground the crystal sand into powder, and either extracted the juices from various herbs or crushed them. All his movements appeared both light and swift, clearly indicating that Xiao Hong was already an experienced hand in the art of potion-making

"Sandwich steel ... ..." Xiao Hong murmured to himself, his mind spinning wildly, as if a new idea for solving the problem had emerged.

Carefully putting away the remaining mixed sand and other materials, Xiao Hong eagerly fixed the incense holder onto the wooden box, placing it beside the bed. Sitting at the head of the bed, Xiao Hong had a bamboo tube hanging around his neck, with both ends directed towards his mouth and the incense holder, allowing him to better absorb the smoke from the incense.

The more I think about it, the more feasible it seems; the more I contemplate, the more I feel there is a way. As long as the interactions between the drugs are well managed, it may even be possible to allow two types of drugs to react with each other, forming a more powerful substance that enhances control.

After about an hour, Xiao Hongcai had mostly recovered. He then crawled out of bed, while his mind continued to ponder, and began to clean the nearly lifeless fish in the large basin.

With two fingers carefully pinching the large test tube filled with pink liquid, Xiao Hong's expression became even more focused. With his other hand, he had already pinched a small amount of crystal powder and was cautiously adding it into the test tube.

Otherwise, a ten-minute training session requires over an hour for recovery, which naturally significantly reduces efficiency. Over time, this is also detrimental to the body. Moreover, spending 15 silver coins, equivalent to 1,500 copper coins, for just ten minutes is excessively extravagant

After mixing thoroughly and shaping it for drying, Xiao Hong found himself holding a plate of deep red substance, resembling incense coils, but far more expensive. This single plate, with all the materials combined, was worth at least 15 silver coins, and Xiao Hong named this medicine "Yu Xiang".

Ah, this is really burning money. Just thinking about how I am about to spend 15 silver coins makes Xiao Hong feel a pang of regret. Throughout his life, he has never done anything so extravagant. However, in order to enhance his strength and save himself, he can no longer afford to care about such matters.

As for Xiao Hong, Xu Qing would have never paid any attention to the lowly miner in the past. Although he had done some things for the renowned Sang Hongyun, what difference did that make

The turmoil in his heart flashed for just a moment before being suppressed by Xiao Hong, who endeavored to maintain a state of tranquility within himself, for this breathing technique is most effective when both body and mind are as relaxed as possible

Gently placing the fish pieces into an iron vat, Xiao Hong pushed open the door and stepped outside. He built a fire at the entrance of his home and set the iron vat filled with water and fish meat over the bonfire, preparing to simmer a bowl of fish soup

Effective

The blade is bright silver in color, while the edge is a light gray. This knife was left behind by Xiao Hong's father; it is not particularly special and cannot be considered valuable. The blade material employs a layered steel design, which essentially means that high-hardness steel is sandwiched in the middle, surrounded by a layer of lower-hardness, more ductile steel. This design ensures both the hardness of the blade and the toughness of the body, making it sharp while also resistant to breaking.

Continuing to observe the test tube, a violent reaction suddenly erupted, resembling boiling water, with bubbles rolling out in abundance. A few seconds later, as the liquid inside the test tube gradually calmed down, it transformed into a thick, red substance, akin to syrup.

No longer hesitating, Xiao Hong utilized his control power to ignite the incense through the Fire Demon Pattern. However, at this moment, Xiao Hong's eyes widened slightly as he observed that the burning rate of the incense was much faster than he had anticipated. He had originally estimated it would burn for an hour, but at this rate, it would last no more than ten minutes

Bang

As the faint smoke entered his nostrils and circulated through his body with the airflow, Xiao Hong's expression suddenly changed, feeling as if the power within him was gradually increasing, akin to bamboo shoots sprouting after the rain

With such an idea, a surge of immense happiness suddenly filled Xiao Hong's heart, accompanied by a subtle sense of accomplishment. After all, regardless of whether others had thought of this method, it was indeed he who had conceived it, and it appeared that the results were quite satisfactory.

Half an hour later, more than twenty types of materials had been processed and placed in various containers. The next step is to mix them, which is undoubtedly an extremely meticulous task. Any slight error could alter the efficacy of the medicine or even lead to complete failure

If one were to wrap another layer of different substances around the exterior of the incense, thereby reducing the burning speed of the incense and ensuring that one does not become intoxicated by the smoke, what would be the outcome

"Indeed, it is still a side effect." Lying drowsily on the bed, Xiao Hong murmured to himself. Clearly, while this fragrance control had noticeable effects, it was not perfect. At present, the two most pressing issues were to eliminate this side effect and to find a way to improve the efficiency of fragrance control.

However, the idea is good, but accomplishing it poses some difficulties, at least given Xiao Hong's current level of pharmaceutical expertise

Upon quickly returning home, Xiao Hong locked the door, drew the curtains, and opened the box containing pharmaceutical tools. Inside were various bottles and jars, both new and old. The new ones were purchased with his own money, while the old ones, along with these books, were picked up from near the academy at www.hetushu.com.

Once everything was settled, Xiao Hong habitually plunged the small knife in his hand directly into the cutting board. However, just as he was inserting the seemingly worn-out knife into the board, his gaze shifted slightly. He then quickly withdrew the knife and carefully examined the blade.

Ten minutes can be described as fleeting. As Xiao Hong slowly opened his eyes once again, a glimmer of joy flashed in his gaze. In just a brief span of ten minutes, his control had increased by five units, reaching a total of 143 units, which is quite efficient.

However, Xiao Hong did not pay much attention to it. In his view, to survive and to earn the respect of others, ultimately, only strength speaks. Enhancing one's strength is more important than anything else. With his current strength, it is simply impossible for him to compete with Xu Qing.

What should I do? Xiao Hong continued to talk to himself, which was a habit of his thinking process. Meanwhile, his hands were not idle; he still held a small knife, scaling the fish, removing the entrails, and then cutting it into pieces

This was not yet finished. Once the bubbles in the test tube had completely settled, Xiao Hong poured the viscous liquid into the powder mixture of sand and red incense.

Regarding the conversation within, as well as the glances exchanged during their discussion, Xiao Hong could surmise that they were likely talking about him, and not in a favorable manner

Reducing costs, improving efficiency, and eliminating side effects are the pressing issues that Xiao Hong needs to address; otherwise, it cannot be regarded as a sustainable training method

"So what? It's just that Lord Sang Hongyun used him like a dog for a while." Xu Qing scoffed and then ignored Xiao Hong. In his eyes, Xiao Hong was merely a dying miner. A year later, without Lord Sang Hongyun's charity, he did not believe that Xiao Hong could survive.

However, in the next moment, a hint of pain subtly flashed across Xiao Hong's face, which had been filled with joy. The instant he opened his eyes, he felt as if everything before him was spinning continuously, and symptoms such as dizziness and nausea began to manifest.

Although most of the patterns above were still incomprehensible to Xiao Hong, he was nonetheless eager to learn a thing or two about the smooth and profound carving techniques within them

Sitting on the threshold, gazing at the ever-changing campfire before me, leaning against the door frame, my mind continues to ponder the question from earlier

With everything ready, Xiao Hong slowly picked up the Fire Demon Rune beside him and aimed it at the Fragrance Controller

The direct causes of this phenomenon are brain hypoxia and the entry of nicotine into the bloodstream, resulting in mild poisoning. Although Xiao Hong is not suffering from nicotine poisoning, it is quite similar. However, there is no serious concern, and a short rest will suffice to recover

Although his mind remained foggy, Xiao Hong did not cease his contemplation

The pharmacist was merely a worker. Glancing at the ten silver coins on the table, he did not react excessively like Xu Qing. With a blank expression, he began to collect the money and prepare the goods. In just one minute, two small medicine packets were placed in front of Xiao Hong.

From beginning to end, the expression remained calm and focused

Xiao Hong also showed no intention of staying, picked up his waist bag, and left directly

Unable to help himself, Xiao Hong, sitting at the head of the bed, retched a few times before collapsing onto the bed. He was quite clear about the nature of these symptoms; it was nicotine intoxication. Those who smoke excessively often experience dizziness, nausea, and weakness in their limbs.