[ Note : All of the plant and medicine that I will write here is random or it's not even exist]
"Young lad! Wake up!"
The voice of the old master thundered through the air.
"W-what? Earthquake?!"
Xi Youran jolted upright, hair disheveled, half-asleep, and half-panicking. Grandpa Yan stood beside the bed, cackling like a villain in an opera.
In the corner, her white cat yawned lazily, completely unbothered.
"GRANDPA YAN!!!"
"Hohoho! What? You looked so peaceful, I thought you were dead!"
"YOU—OLD—DEVIL!"
Xi Youran launched herself after him, chasing the old man around the room like a wild boar on caffeine. The house shook with running footsteps and laughter until she finally gave up, out of breath and fuming.
"Ugh… forget it."
She stormed toward the small lake behind their cabin. The morning mist curled around the surface, shimmering under the rising sun.
The cold water touched her fair skin, and she exhaled in relief.
Without another thought, she stripped down and leapt into the lake.
Splash!
The water glimmered around her as she swam freely, letting the exhaustion melt away.
"Ehem…"
A polite cough came from behind her.
She didn't even turn around. "If that's you, Grandpa Yan, I'll throw this lake at you."
But the voice that replied wasn't the old master's.
"You're quite shameless for a lady…"
That voice. Lazy, smooth, and teasing.
Xi Youran froze. Slowly, she turned—only to see a half-naked young man with long black hair, a devilish smirk, and eyes that gleamed like molten gold.
"Y-you—you!!! PERVERT!!!"
She nearly drowned herself trying to hide behind a rock, cheeks blazing red. Grandpa Yan was laughing so hard nearby he almost fell into the lake himself.
"Hahahaha! So that's your true form, eh, Hiu?"
The mysterious man stretched lazily, his tail flicking behind him. "Tch. So you knew."
Xi Youran's jaw dropped. "H-Hiu…? My cat!?"
With a soft puff of smoke, the handsome man vanished—replaced by the same sleepy white tiger cub she knew.
[Hiu:I was enjoying my nap before all this chaos…]
Xi Youran fainted dramatically. Again.
Grandpa Yan sighed. "Third time this week."
Later, after she'd regained consciousness (and pride), Grandpa Yan clapped his hands. "Alright, enough fooling around. Training begins now."
"Training?" she echoed weakly.
"Yes. Go pluck some Green Herb and Morning Flower from the backyard. Your first task is to make a low-grade potion."
And just like that, he vanished into the house, leaving her dumbfounded.
"...This old man."
The backyard was a miniature jungle. Herbs grew wildly, tangled with weeds that looked like they could fight back.
"How am I supposed to know which is which?!"
Before she could complain further, a rush of information flooded her mind — names, shapes, scents, and properties of countless herbs.
She blinked. "Did… someone just download an encyclopedia into my brain?"
Regardless, she began plucking herbs quickly. Within minutes, her hands were full.
"Grandpa Yan! I'm back!" she called, walking into the clearing.
A thick cloud of smoke billowed nearby. The old man emerged from behind a cauldron, soot all over his face.
"Ah, good timing," he said cheerfully, as if explosions were normal. "This is where you'll learn to control your essence while mixing. Until you reach Fifth-Rank Alchemist, you'll use this stove and rely solely on your internal Qi."
He gestured toward the glowing cauldron.
"When you reach Sixth Rank, you'll begin using your Dou Sheng energy for higher-level potions. But first—you must learn martial balance. Your Dantian, as I told you before, is… complicated."
Xi Youran froze. His words reopened an ache in her heart.
My family… my home… they must be worried.
Her fists tightened. But I won't walk that same path again. Never. Not after TianZi… that bastard.
Her eyes darkened.
"Begin!" Grandpa Yan barked.
She snapped out of her thoughts. "Right!"
Thus began her torture.
On her first try, the potion exploded.On her second, it caught fire.On her third, Hiu had to jump out the window to save his fur.
And still—she persisted.
By the end of the week, Grandpa Yan sighed deeply. "You're hopeless with cauldrons. Time for martial arts training."
Her next three months became a blur of sweat, bruises, and… occasional explosions.Her body struggled to adapt to the Qi storming inside her.A Dou Saint's power in a mortal body—if not trained properly—would destroy her from within.
[Three Months Later]
Xi Youran stood before the lake again, now stronger, calmer, her aura controlled but fierce. The once-naive girl had turned into someone sharper, eyes gleaming like cold jade.
But far away… her name still lingered in worried hearts.
"Where could Youran have gone…"
Jiang Youen sighed, looking out over the courtyard where his daughter once played.
"She didn't even leave a letter," her mother, Xi Mei, whispered. "What if she was kidnapped?"
Neither could speak the truth—they couldn't tell anyone that their daughter had vanished without trace.
Meanwhile, TianZi was fuming.
"It's been two weeks! Are you lying to me again, Jiang Youen?!"
"She… left to improve herself," Jiang Youen lied through his teeth. "She said she cannot stand beside Prince TianZi without proper qualifications."
TianZi's anger faded instantly. His eyes softened. "R-really?"
Deep inside, he was practically glowing. She's working hard for me…
At that exact moment, in a cabin far away—
"ACHOO!"
Xi Youran sneezed so hard she dropped her potion.
Boom!
"Damn whoever's talking about me!!" she yelled, covered in green goo.
Elsewhere, a shadowed figure stood under the moonlight.
"Xi Youran… ran away?"
JianZi's voice was low, dangerous.
"I know you too well, Youran. You wouldn't run away for love or pride. There's something else…"
He turned to the masked man beside him. "Find her. I've watched her for two lives. I won't lose her again."