Night of the Broken Gliph

Chui Yim was suddenly grateful that Chui Tin had forced him to read. If not for the book “Gentle Moon Legend”, Chui Yim wouldn’t have realised that the needles were similar to the description in the book and gained the treasure.

Despite seeing Ping Chi boil in anger, Chui Yim couldn’t give a damn. I’m… still a kid! And with Ping Ching as a witness, that old man won’t be so thick-skinned to snatch it back from me. 

“I’ll give… three, or five! I’ll exchange five items for them!” Ping Chi bargained, unwilling to give up. 

“I thought you wanted to research gliph mending? I’ve just shown you how to do it.” Chui Yim replied lazily. 

“What shitty method was that!” Ping Chi yelled, anger all over his skinny face. “That’s just using energliph to forcefully suppress it! Only gliphists of a higher stage can perform it!” 

“But it’s still a method, right?” Chui Yim retorted. “Just like how a glipher will source for a higher rank gliphist to tattoo their gliphs so the gliphist can suppress any sudden backlash. So this is still a method for higher stage glipheons. As for a technique universal to all… Gliphists and glipheons are rare to begin with and there’s no such thing as universal. Glipheons are rare, but a ten-gliphic gliphist who knows this technique can mend a gliph for one to two-chambered glipher. I don’t see anything wrong with it.” 

Hearing Chui Yim, Ping Chi was stupefied. He sat down, mumbling to himself. Chui Yim ignored him and whispered to Ping Ching. Both kids left the courtyard silently in no time, leaving the old man to ponder and mumble to himself. 

Ping Ching couldn’t stop staring at Chui Yim on the way out. The Ping Clan Leader’s son would become one an elite in the future, controlling one of the strongest clans in the world. Despite only being twelve, he had already seen much. 

But he had never seen anything like Chui Yim. 

When they first met, he behaved like a poorly educated child, speaking rudely to others. But after a long conversation, Ping Ching realised that he was very knowledgeable and mysterious. At least, he had never seen the cunning Ping Chi lose to anyone else. 

As if not noticing Ping Ching’s stare, Chui Yim happily rushed towards the Ping Clan’s Elixir Hall. 

The Elixir Hall was the name of a gigantic, palace-like building that was more than just a hall. However, it had a simple design, and there were faint gliph patterns on the front of the building. 

Immediately after entering the building, they were welcomed by the aroma of elixirs. “The Ping Clan’s Elixir Hall uses a gliph formation to isolate the aroma inside. There is also a defensive gliph formation to prevent intruders,” Ping Ching introduced the hall to him. As a clan member, this wasn’t his first time bringing a guest around. 

They walked into the Elixir Hall. There were eight long counters, and behind each counter stood a Ping Clan disciple. Next to it were sixteen long passageways leading somewhere unknown. 

Many elderly men and women stood before the counters as if completing some application. Chui Yim frowned and looked down at the ground. It was in the form of the eight divinatory trigrams but with a square in the middle that contained several gliph patterns and the round crest of Ping Clan. However, Chui Yim secretly felt that there was more to it than this; their crest, the eight divinatory trigrams and the square were placed in a sequence, looking like a gliph. Maybe it’s the defensive gliph formation Ping Ching mentioned. 

“Most disciples behind the counter are one-chambered state. They are in charge of assigning elixir stoves and reservations. Our clan has been around for centuries, and our system has been refined over the years,” Ping Ching said while bringing Chui Yim towards one of the sixteen passageways. A large “one” was written above the passageway. 

“After hundreds of years, we have more than five hundred alchemists, but only three hundred elixir stoves, so only great masters and above are given a personal stove,” Ping Ching continued calmly. “Every discipline is profound. We only have thirty great masters despite our strong foundation.” 

Chui Yim had a serious expression. He could feel how strong the foundation of a clan was. Great master was a rank that applied to every field; in Southary, the Chan Clan could act arrogantly just because they had one great master. Now, the Ping Clan had thirty of them! The difference was like heaven and earth. 

Ping Ching might only be twelve, but he acted just like a clan member should—calm, confident, and discreetly showing off their clan’s strength. He was well-rounded, making the guest comfortable while expressing his intention subtly. He turned and winked at Chui Yim playfully. “I might not be a great master, but I can still take the back door as a direct descendant of the main line.” 

Chui Yim laughed in reply. The both of them walked until they reached a section with numerous doors. Ping Ching stopped in front of one and took the jade from his waist. The jade lit up and the door opened with a rumble. “Please, brother Chui.” He wore a thin smile on his face. 

Chui Yim was now in another world. As soon as he stepped into the room, Chui Yim felt that he had entered another world. In front of him was a beautiful hill, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds above. But right before him stood a single stand and table, with a single huge elixir stove in the middle. 

The stove was pure white, with four legs that each looked like a leg from various beasts. Rather than an elixir stove, it looked like a piece of art. “This is my elixir stove, Frosty Flame,” Ping Ching introduced it to Chui Yim with a smile. 

“Frosty Flame…” Chui Yim hummed. “It is said that there was a strange beast named the Frosty Flame in the North Pole. Despite the cold living conditions, it could spit a blue flame. If one were to touch it, his entire body would freeze before shattering and end his life.” 

“Brother Chui is indeed knowledgeable. This stove is the product of a mixture of Frosty Flame and many other minerals. It gives cold type flames a boost. I cultivate a cold type flame, so I can get twice the results with half the work using this stove.” Ping Ching’s eyes lit up.