⚗️Chapter 24: The Apothecary of Smoke and Science
🌍 May 15, 99 BCE – Late Spring 🌼
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Too bad Webnovel doesn't let me embed pictures in here like other sites do. 😉
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Lianhua—yes, Junjie's mother, eternal Caravan rogue turned valley apothecary—finally opened her shop, and it was everything you'd expect from a woman who'd once stitched up stab wounds in the back of a moving wagon.
From the outside, the place looked modest enough. Just another tidy structure nestled near the communal path, a painted sign with a blooming lotus carved into the wood. But step inside?
Bam—your nose got ambushed. The scent hit like a freight cart full of moss, spice, pine, and damp earth. Ten forests having a turf war, as Junjie put it. Bundles of dried herbs dangled from the rafters. Shelves were stacked high with jars of powders, roots, dried flowers, and glimmering oils. It was like walking into an alchemist's fever dream.
And speaking of fever dreams—Junjie had gone all-out for her setup.
Over at the glassworks, he'd cranked out vials, beakers, flasks, and other arcane-looking contraptions that looked straight out of some wizard's arsenal. No one in the valley had ever seen glassware like it—thin, smooth, precise. He even made a few elegant droppers and spiral coils for distillation. The guy had mad chemist energy, and honestly? He was loving it.
Not to be outdone, the pottery guild stepped up with old-school ceramic jars, all lidded, sealed, and labeled with neat painted calligraphy. They had a vintage vibe—perfect for gloopier concoctions and long-term storage.
Then, of course, there was Nano, who had to make things weird. As usual.
Working with Junjie, he devised a metal-infused, nanite-laced ink—pitch black with a faint iridescent shimmer. The idea was to paint a small, rune-like symbol onto the bottom of a jar. But here was the clever twist: the rune only activated when the container was opened. From that moment, it extended the freshness of whatever was inside for a day, keeping herbs crisp, oils smooth, and tinctures stable. But after that, once the container was resealed or emptied, the rune's effect faded. The nanites broke down harmlessly after the container was opened, rendering the symbol inert.
To the casual eye, it still looked like nothing more than Lianhua's brand mark—an artistic flourish from the apothecary's hand. No glowing, no humming, no suspicious magical signatures. Just a jar with a short shelf-life extension and no lingering trace.
Nano called it "disposable stealth tech." Junjie just called it "common sense."
Now that she had a real lab and storage space, Lianhua fully unleashed her knowledge, combining Caravan tricks with local herbs, Junjie's ideas, and Nano's enhancements. The results? Impressive didn't even cover it.
Lianhua's Apothecary Arsenal:
Healing Salve (Salve/Paste) –
• Speeds wound healing, reduces scarring
Poultice of Recovery (Poultice) –
• Draws out infection, soothes bruises
Elixir of Vitality (Potion) –
• Restores stamina and energy after exhaustion
Bloodroot Draught (Potion) –
• Stops internal bleeding, encourages clotting
Burn Cream (Ointment) –
• Soothes burns, prevents blistering and scarring
Moonleaf Tonic (Potion) –
• Enhances night vision for a few hours
Dreamdrop Elixir (Potion) –
• Induces vivid dreams or visions; excellent sleep aid or risky seer's brew
Tincture of the Third Eye (Tincture) –
• Temporarily enhances senses to borderline supernatural acuity
Antitoxin Elixir (Potion) –
• Neutralizes common poisons
Nightsbane Toxin (Liquid/Weapon Coating) –
• Paralytic agent, lethal in high doses
Serpent's Kiss (Powder) –
• Causes hallucinations, confusion; used in ceremonies or sabotage
Tear of Yggr (Potion) –
• Strong painkiller, highly addictive if abused
Etherbloom Tea (Tea) –
• Soothes nerves, eases tension
Calming Draught (Potion) –
• Reduces anxiety, promotes peaceful sleep
Clarity Tonic (Potion) –
• Sharpens focus, improves memory recall
Elation Powder (Inhalant/Tea) –
• Boosts mood, helps against depression
Some of these concoctions, like Healing Salve and Vitality Elixir, flew off the shelves. Others, like Serpent's Kiss or Tear of Yggr, were kept under lock and key in a sealed cabinet, with a stern warning posted nearby:
"Not for sale without Lianhua's approval. Don't ask twice."
The more experimental stuff—the dreamy, whispery tonics that flirted with spiritual trances—were offered only to the monks, mystics, or desperate.
Junjie was a frequent visitor, especially when brainstorming new formulas with Nano. The universal scanner helped him identify plants with weird chemical signatures, and he'd suggest combos no one else would dare to try. Some flopped. Others? Totally changed the game.
The villagers started saying Junjie must've gotten his mad scientist streak from Lianhua, and honestly? Fair.
With the apothecary up and running, Lianhua planned to take her concoctions to town, maybe even to the trade routes. Real silver coins in exchange for potions that could treat everything from snakebite to heartbreak. She kept a "town basket" of wares near the door—small batches of easy-sellers, tightly sealed with those strange black rune stamps.
And in a strange way, the apothecary had become more than just a shop. It was a sanctuary. People came with ailments, sure—but they also came for comfort. A sip of Etherbloom Tea, a whispered consultation, a calm voice and warm hands.
Lianhua had found her rhythm.