"It's nothing special," Wei Zian finally said. "Now your work... that's impressive. I get the impression that you're on an entirely different level from the rest of us when it comes to alchemy. Even Zhao Hong can't surpass you most of the time, and he seems to be excelling at everything these days."
The white-haired boy smiled mildly. "Zhao Hong doesn't have the passion for the subject. Alchemy requires a craftsman's touch and a great deal of patience, and no matter how extensive his knowledge is, Zhao Hong simply doesn't have the temperament for it. You do. If you had as much practice with alchemy as Zhao Hong apparently does, you'd surpass him for certain."
"Ah, so you also think he has prior experience?" Wei Zian inquired.
"I do not know him as well as you and the rest of your peers, having only recently joined your cohort. Still, one does not become as proficient in this field as Zhao Hong apparently is in a matter of months. He works with the practiced ease of someone who has been practicing alchemy for years."
"Like you," suggested Wei Zian.
"Like me," Bai Ke confirmed. "I hope you'll forgive my rudeness, but are you finished here? I'd like to create something myself today."
Wei Zian apologized to the boy for the delay, which the spirit race youth dismissed as unimportant, and bid him farewell.
As he walked away, it occurred to Wei Zian that he should have probably made some kind of sleeping elixir for himself while he was at it, he needed to get plenty of rest tonight, because he certainly wouldn't get any tomorrow.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Wei Zian grumbled, striding toward the door. What was with all the frantic knocking? Who was so desperate to disturb his meditation? He yanked the door open to find himself staring at Ao Jiao's disapproving face. "Ao Jiao? What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that," she said. "Why are you still in your quarters? The Celestial Connection Ceremony is—"
"Two hours away," Wei Zian interrupted. "I can reach the Grand Hall in ten breaths."
"Honestly, Wei Zian, why do you always wait until the last possible moment? Don't you realize what poor example you're setting for other disciples?"
"Time is precious," Wei Zian said. "And I will repeat my question: why are you here? I doubt it's your habit to seek out disciples who aren't early enough to satisfy your standards."
"Senior Sister Yun told me to find you," Ao Jiao admitted.
Wei Zian blinked. It seemed Senior Sister Yun wanted to ensure he didn't "forget." Hah. While the thought had occurred to him, he knew that would never succeed.
"She also said you couldn't find a partner for the ceremony, so that will be me for the evening," Ao Jiao continued in a more subdued tone, suddenly finding the doorframe interesting enough to merit examination.
Wei Zian scowled. How does "refuse to bring a partner" become "couldn't find a partner"? It seemed that Senior Sister Yun, like his mother, had a tendency to "interpret" his words into whatever was most convenient for her purposes. The two of them would get along wonderfully, he suspected.
"Anyway, get dressed properly so we can go," she said, suddenly regaining her confidence. "You might be content with cutting things close, but I'm not."
Wei Zian stared at her for a full breath, trying to decide what to do. He was half-tempted to slam the door in her face and refuse to participate in this farce, but he supposed it wasn't Ao Jiao's fault that she got pulled into this. In all likelihood, she had more pleasant plans for the evening than accompanying a surly disciple who despised the whole affair. He gestured her into his quarters and went to his washing chamber to change into his formal robes.
He had to admire Senior Sister Yun's manipulation skills, though, if it was just him attending this ceremony, he would have arrived in plain robes, spent the absolute minimum time required before leaving, and avoided interaction like a plague ghost throughout the entire evening. Now? He didn't want to ruin Ao Jiao's evening, which meant he would have to make at least a token effort. Yes, Senior Sister Yun and his mother would get along like twin spirits in a dual cultivation technique...
The walk to the Grand Hall was a quiet one. Wei Zian refused to initiate conversation, despite sensing that Ao Jiao found the silence uncomfortable. The silence suited him just fine, and he knew he would be comfortable with very few things this evening. He would enjoy the peace while it lasted.
Which wasn't long, the hall that the sect had designated for this event was about ten minutes' walk from his residence building. As they approached it, they were greeted by the sight of a large gathering in front of the entrance, full of excited disciples engaged in animated discussions.
Wei Zian paled slightly at the sight of the dense crowd, he was getting a qi disturbance headache just from looking at them.
Sadly, no matter how much he pleaded with Ao Jiao, she refused to let them wait at the edges of the gathering until the start of the ceremony. As revenge, Wei Zian "accidentally" managed to get separated from her when they were ushered inside and deliberately lost himself in the crowd. He smiled to himself, wondering how long it would take her to find him again. He'd be surprised if it was less than half an incense stick's time, since he was quite skilled at avoiding particular individuals at gatherings without attracting attention from other attendees.
For a supposedly simple sect ceremony, the entire event was surprisingly lavish. The tables were overflowing with spirit fruits and delicacies, many so exotic that Wei Zian couldn't identify them, and the hall was decorated with high-quality spirit beast paintings and formation-animated carvings that moved in predetermined patterns. Even the table coverings were made of complex cloud-patterned silk so soft they must have been woven from thousand-year silkworm threads. Many of his fellow disciples were openly gaping at their surroundings, and even Wei Zian, who had attended many such events before, was somewhat impressed. Then he shrugged and did his best to blend into the crowd so Ao Jiao couldn't find him.