Chapter 1: The Mirror of Wind and Moon

Tengshe Mountain, Feima Market.

Lying against the wall, William Grant's leg twitched slightly, and he suddenly jolted awake from a nightmare.

The first thing that caught his eye was a somewhat oddly-shaped brass alchemy furnace, a full meter tall, shaped like a teapot without a spout, with three frog-leg-like supports, and a brick-built pedestal beneath.

Below the pedestal was a fire chamber, with a flue connected to a chimney. More accurately, it was a rather complex wood-burning stove.

William Grant stared blankly for a while before sighing. This strangely designed alchemy furnace was his tool for making a living.

It had already been three days since he transmigrated. He had adapted to the new body and new name, but not to his new identity: alchemist.

William Grant stretched out his left hand and silently recited in his heart, "Mirror, come."

A bronze mirror of ancient design appeared out of thin air in his hand, with four characters engraved on the handle: Mirror of Wind and Moon.

This Mirror of Wind and Moon was basically a "Dream of the Red Chamber" merchandise item, a birthday gift from a friend, and somehow it had transmigrated with him.

At this moment, the smooth mirror reflected a handsome young face.

William Grant usually just read "Water Margin" fanfics and watched low-budget movies, so he couldn't think of any suitable words to describe his current appearance.

Sword-like brows and starry eyes, a face like polished jade—those were all too empty.

He could only say he looked a bit like a young movie star, handsomely upright and spirited. Especially those black eyes, sparkling as if they could shine...

It felt like there was a professional lighting technician shining a light at him from the front!

The only flaw was his pale complexion and dark circles, making him look rather unhealthy.

"If I had this face, how could I have been single for over thirty years!"

William Grant narcissistically stroked his own face, sighing at the thought of days when he could only rely on his own hard work.

This was the only thing he was satisfied with about transmigrating: a vibrant young body and a hopeful, handsome face!

Lines of text began to appear on the surface of the Mirror of Wind and Moon.

William Grant: Lifespan 24/66

Cultivation: Qi Refining, Level 2 (2/200)

Five Elements Technique, Level 2 Proficient (15/200)

Fire Manipulation, Beginner (88/100)

Water Manipulation, Beginner (80/100)

Cleaning Spell, Beginner (95/100)

Feather Flight, Proficient (99/200)

Clear Wind Sword Technique, Beginner (33/100)

First-Tier Alchemy, Proficient (29/1000)

Qi Recovery Pill, Proficient (55/200)

Essence Stabilizing Pill, Proficient (41/200)

White Dew Pill, Proficient (11/200)

William Grant had studied it for two days and basically figured out the uses of the Mirror of Wind and Moon.

This mirror could display his personal status, turning various abilities into data. The problem was, his alchemy skill was grayed out and unusable.

William Grant had tried many methods, but couldn't activate alchemy, nor could he change the data in the mirror.

According to the memories left by the original owner, he was the alchemist for a pharmacy!

The pharmacy provided the herbs, and he provided the pills.

He currently owed the pharmacy five hundred each of Qi Recovery Pills, Essence Stabilizing Pills, and White Dew Pills.

He also had a very big problem: the original owner had secretly exchanged a batch of pills he made for Red Blood Pills.

Red Blood Pills were a very potent type of Qi Refining pill. The original owner used them to break through to Qi Refining Level 2, but somehow died, leaving the body to him.

The large amount of herbs consumed in alchemy had become a huge deficit. How was he supposed to explain this to the pharmacy owner?

An even more serious problem was that the original owner's memories were incomplete, including those related to alchemy.

Even if he had enough herbs, he still couldn't make pills now.

By his calculations, he should have delivered the first batch of pills five days ago.

He didn't know what would happen if he failed to deliver, but it surely wouldn't be anything good!

As William Grant was racking his brains for a solution, he heard the courtyard gate bang open. He shivered and hurried to the window to look outside.

Through a crack in the window paper, William Grant saw the short, fat, pig-like Shopkeeper Clark, and behind Shopkeeper Clark, the tall, full-chested proprietress Mary Clark.

Standing together, there was nearly a two-foot height difference—one fat, one tall—making for an exceptionally striking pair. It also allowed William Grant to instantly recognize them.

William Grant sighed and tugged at his wrinkled Daoist robe. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to greet them.

"Big Brother Clark, sister-in-law, please come in and have a seat..."

William Grant put on the professional smile honed by twenty years as a middle-aged office worker, greeting them politely and enthusiastically.

"Xiao Gao, how's it going?" The chubby, big-eared Shopkeeper Clark asked with a grin.

William Grant replied a bit sheepishly, "Big Brother Clark, I was in a hurry to break through to Qi Refining Level 2, so the pills aren't ready yet. As soon as they're done, I'll deliver them to you right away."

Shopkeeper Clark smiled and said, "Xiao Gao, cultivation must proceed step by step. You mustn't rush. A single misstep could cost a life."

The proprietress beside him wore a cold, hard expression. She said nothing, but just standing there with a stern face was intimidating enough.