Chapter 00106: Easy to Wake from Beautiful Dreams
# Easy to Wake from Beautiful Dreams
Chapter 106
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 106: Easy to Wake from Beautiful Dreams
"How bitter, how bitter I am."
A few afternoons later, Ji Jue could finally no longer hold back and let out another wail.
When he awkwardly crawled out of the library, he was already panting heavily.
He felt like a child who, before the end of summer vacation, foolishly wished for the school year to start.
The initial joy vanished without a trace and was once again crushed under the weight of academic demands.
He used to think that he at least grasped the basics of modern alchemy.
However, Professor Ye demonstrated through relentless questioning and pressure that no, he was far from it.
After some tests, the professor threw a paper graded at a polite 59 into his hands, along with an extensive list of books that could bury Ji Jue alive.
She told him his task for the next few months was to read all of them and write reports based on his understanding, with random checks from her along the way.
The books included titles such as "A Brief Discussion on the Four Elements of Alchemy," "Debates on the Ascension Path," "Fundamentals of Modern Alchemy I, II, III, IV," "Analysis of Past Exam Questions from Registered Craftsmen," and "A Few Discoveries on Waste Recycling in Water Quenching Processing."
At first, Ji Jue worried about how to find these books in the vast library, until Ye Chun led him to a corner and pointed to several shelves, saying he didn’t need to search—just read them all from that spot.
Realizing Ji Jue's understanding was finally sufficient for self-study, Professor Ye's teaching style became much harsher.
It turned into a forced feeding approach: she would stuff information into him, and where he faltered, she would apply pressure until he floundered.
Ji Jue began to dream of solving problems and memorizing the materials even in his nightmares.
Now, every time he smelled the library, Ji Jue felt like he was suffering from PTSD.
What kind of cruel alchemy was invented by someone…
His daily schedule was now filled with various forms of torment.
First, he would endure Professor Ye's teachings in defense and attack at eight in the morning.
At ten, he was subjected to questioning in lectures.
From noon to afternoon, he faced theoretical attacks in the library.
In between, he squeezed in a few rounds of separation techniques.
It was nothing but torture everywhere.
Ji Jue felt utterly worn down, lying on the ground, while grimacing, "Life is always about getting beaten up, or is it just during the apprenticeship?"
"You young ones shouldn’t be disheartened just because you’re getting beaten at first," Ye Chun comforted while patting a dog’s head.
"Eventually, you'll get used to it."
"I don't want to! I still have my youth..."
Ji Jue covered his face and wailed, "Sister, save me!!!"
"Sister has already been crushed to death by your papers!"
Ye Chun, who was staying up late to finish her thesis, messed with her disheveled hair and coldly chuckled, "You chose this, idol!"
"When you were pressuring others, didn’t you think about today? This is the fate of the student getting crushed! Dying tragically, absolutely tragically!"
In her rage, she couldn't help but grab Ji Jue by the neck and shake him vigorously.
"One day, I will scatter your ashes in Tianmen Lake!!!"
In the living room, the sound from the television filled the air, while a curious little creature peered out of the cart’s front, its small bird perched on top, watching the scene of the two torturing each other.
Soon, the creature lost interest and returned to its seat in front of the TV to watch a cooking show, completely absorbed.
"That looks delicious," Gloria said, her eyes glued to the roast chicken coming out of the oven, swallowing her saliva.
Hearing this, the little creature rolled its eyes and looked up at the alchemical creation above, which seemed similar to those in the TV show, nodding eagerly.
As Ji Jue was distracted, the two little ones sneaked closer to his backpack, hoping to grab his phone and order takeout.
Ji Jue saw this, sighed, but did not stop them.
At least it was better than when they tried to sneak a plastic model at midnight, thinking Gloria could hide inside to order food, and ended up scaring the waiter into fainting.
Thanks to them, another story of a terrifying food thief haunted the tales of the North District…
And besides, he was hungry!
Waiting for the takeout to arrive so he could snatch it from their mouths would surely be more satisfying.
Ji Jue was under pressure, so Ji Jue went first!
The reason he had recently become so 'extravagant' that he even dared to casually order takeout stemmed largely from the fact that his financial situation had finally escaped the brink of bankruptcy.
At least the trip out wasn’t wasted.
Considering his finances, Professor Ye had lent him some less valuable materials from what he had left, materials that weren’t urgent.
The funds had just arrived yesterday morning.
Now, after paying off his and Lu Ling's student loans, he still had over seven hundred thousand left.
If he saved a bit, it was enough for Ji Jue to live comfortably for another ten years.
For the first time in his life, he had such an outrageous sum in his account.
His uncharacteristically generous side had him buying gifts for everyone in his family and even getting a family membership card for the massage shop at Old Zhang's.
He originally had to deduct the debt he owed to Sister Laila, but they kept insisting on just helping friends.
Since it was a favor from a friend, Ji Jue didn’t argue much and pragmatically accepted the goodwill, thinking he would return the favor later.
In his bitter, forced-learning life, sweet money had become Ji Jue's mental pillar.
Every time he was beaten down, he would pull out his phone to check his balance, unable to contain his happiness.
"Ah, here we go again."
Ye Chun rolled her eyes, glancing at Ji Jue as he stared at his phone and foolishly smiled, shaking her head in exasperation.
Forget it, forget it.
It’s better if he drools while being healed.
Good dreams are scarce; let him sleep a little more.
Eventually, a brutal reality would come and smack him in the face.
After lunch, Ye Chun received a phone call and sent Ji Jue out to pick up some goods with a cart.
At the workshop entrance, a well-dressed man got out of a black van, his smile warm and friendly.
He greeted Ji Jue with a handshake and handed over a business card, even offering him a cigarette.
His attitude overflowed with enthusiasm as he helped load a small sealed jar onto Ji Jue’s cart, waving until Ji Jue entered the workshop before driving away.
"Is the sales competition really that intense now?"
Curiously, Ji Jue examined the heavy sealed jar, which was the size of a person’s head.
"What’s inside?"
"You said you wanted to practice fluid alchemy, right?"
Ye Chun glanced over.
"This is purified mercury ordered by Aunt from the Balance Trading Company. It’s hard to find, and it just arrived today."
It must be said, after the fusion and transformation of the mercury, working with it was much easier than the simple transformation mercury Ji Jue himself had dealt with.
Ji Jue merely had to stretch out his hand to handle it, and it acted like an extension of his arm.
Like a snake charmer, he flicked his wrist casually, and the mercury began to rise, writhing in the air.
At times, it seemed to take on Ji Jue's face, and at other times, Ye Chun's.
Incredibly agile.
"How convenient!" Ji Jue's eyes lit up.
"I need to get some at home too! This little bit won't be enough."
"That’s a bit troublesome; if the order amount is small, the Balance won’t be willing to deal," Ye Chun warned, chewing on her pencil without looking up.
"It’s about half a kilogram minimum."
"Are you kidding? Who do you think I am?" Ji Jue sneered, waving his hand.
"Get me ten pounds!"
"Oh, alright. With Aunt's gold membership card, it's seven thousand per gram," Ye Chun pulled out her phone and pointed the screen at him, smiling gently.
"Just scan the payment code."
"What the?!"
"Huh?" Ye Chun looked puzzled until she realized and checked the PDF order form on her phone.
"Sorry, I got it wrong—it's actually seven thousand six hundred thirty-six, but if you buy over a kilogram, there’s a discount, roughly bringing it to seven thousand two hundred per gram."
Ji Jue's hands shook as he held the jar, trembling once more.
If he calculated correctly, his balance seemed to only be enough to buy sixty-nine grams?
Damn it, no wonder the delivery guy was smiling so enthusiastically!
If it were Ji Jue, he would have smiled even brighter than that!
What kind of scammer is this!
He carefully set the mercury jar, weighing at least seven or eight pounds, on the ground, securely closed the lid to prevent evaporation, then wiped his cold sweat and asked, "Is it really that expensive?"
"Yes. What did you expect?"
Ye Chun glanced at his clueless expression.
"Once something involves alchemy, the price just skyrockets, you know? Most craftsmen buy raw materials and process them themselves. This kind of mercury is rare because the processing equipment is too niche; it’s not worth buying unless to meet Aunt's order."
She pointed at a vacuum cleaner in the corner.
"Now you know why we have to wear work clothes when entering the warehouse? Just the waste left behind from your practice is valued at over four thousand federated coins per hundred grams. Items on the market are sold in hundred-pound lots and sell out instantly due to overwhelming demand. As for other workshops, if you, an unestablished apprentice, were to ask for the job of sorting through waste materials like this, you won’t even be able to get a chance! Do you understand?"
You must remember that the ash left after a alchemical item collapses is still useful.
Because it exceeded its processing limits, these ashes have turned into residual substances that do not easily react with other materials.
After being collected, they are often made into special bricks, used for storing certain materials that require aging or creating tombs for certain chosen ones who easily resurrect.
For example... a prison.
In every large city of the federation, there’s at least one entire building made from such materials.
Not just the cost of materials is high, but the overall costs with internal restraints and various equipment add up to astronomical figures that Ji Jue, barely escaping poverty, wouldn’t dare dream of even.
The path of ashes is like that; while it makes money, it also means ten or a hundred times the costs of other paths.
In comparison to other paths, the ascent road demands inspiration and comprehension, the way of celestial principles requires understanding oneself, the path of the white deer needs to conquer with the weak against the strong, the path of ruins requires closeness to the essence of the world, and wisdom needs a clear understanding of one's own nature…
The path of ashes is much simpler—just pay.
Spending money may not make you stronger, but without spending money, you definitely won’t get strong!
More than ninety percent of chosen ones in this path come from humble beginnings.
It’s not that they didn’t have a chance to become formal craftsmen; it’s just that they couldn’t afford the high costs.
Training a registered craftsman requires an immense upfront investment.
But even with such investments, there’s no guarantee of success.
Compared to other beginners who have nothing, Ji Jue's starting line is incredibly fairytale-like.
He has an understanding and flexible teacher, an older sister who gives pointers whenever he needs advice, and an entire warehouse of waste materials to experiment with.
But if he wants to see progress, especially to speed up, he must face the bottomless pit of demand.
Once you enter a workshop, it’s like jumping into a scamming scheme.
A matured apprentice must learn to examine themselves three times a day: Is the account balance sufficient? Can I still use my credit card? Have I exhausted all small loans?
Even, is it fine for friends and family to lend me money?
Do the godparents still need something?
Confronting this dilemma, Ji Jue wasn’t without options.
After all, having just disassembled the mercury workshop and brought back numerous materials meant that, even if it was high-end, he could still downgrade and make do.
But, do you really need to add precious materials collected by wise men just for the sake of enhancing legendary weapons?
"So, you need to recognize your place, Ji Jue."
Ye Chun patted his shoulder, earnestly.
"In the past, I wouldn’t argue with you, but you need to understand the gap between us—you, a mere apprentice, dare to compete with me, the direct heiress?"
With that, she raised her chin, pointing at the refrigerator, commanding, "Go, bring me a Coke! It must be sugar-free."
Ji Jue obediently rushed over and returned holding the Coke in both hands.
"Here you go."
Ye Chun clicked her tongue and shook her other empty hand, "Chips, the wasabi flavor."
Ji Jue readily complied, returning with a pile of snacks, smiling obsequiously, "There are three types of wasabi flavor. Which one do you want?"
"Hmm, let's go with the barbecue flavor today."
Leaning on the couch, Ye Chun drank her Coke and munched on chips, directing Ji Jue to massage her legs and shoulders.
After indulging, she wiped her hands and with a tone full of flavor said, "Alright, if you have any wild thoughts, just say them."
Ji Jue pondered for a moment and tentatively asked, "Do you think, with my skills, if I open a studio and help people create prosthetic arms and legs, wouldn’t it be easy money? Is there a market for it?"
"Regrettably, that’s not possible."
Ye Chun firmly shook her head and raised three fingers again.
"First, the Taichi Ring prohibits unlicensed alchemical products from being sold publicly, regardless of the processing ratio, if there’s considerable spiritual matter and non-standard materials, it counts as such. Secondly, to get the review application and license, the creator must first become a registered craftsman and have a workshop for guarantee. Finally, there aren’t that many people who can afford them."
"What the hell?" Ji Jue exclaimed in shock.
"Without a registered craftsman’s qualifications and workshop guarantees, surely a prosthetic wouldn't be priced at a level unaffordable for people?"
Ye Chun didn’t answer.
Instead, she pulled out her phone, tapping on the calculator, then raised the screen for him to see the result: "Based on conservative calculations, the basic cost for the type of prosthetic you’d make is about three hundred eleven thousand per unit."
"What?!" Ji Jue exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"Is it that expensive? Is that what you’re trying to say?" Ye Chun smiled.
"It’s clear that the materials add to barely a few hundred coins, even the machining and electricity won’t exceed seven or eight dimes… right?"
"Uh, yeah, it does feel a bit."
Ye Chun nodded and asked, "Did you factor in Aunt’s technical authorization?"
Ji Jue froze.
"Did you compute your time and labor costs?"
Ye Chun pressed on, seeing him hesitate, and waved her hand, interrupting the silence.
"You want to say your time isn’t worth much and your effort isn’t that labor-intensive? But you’re no longer that broke university student, Ji Jue."
She sighed, "Now, do you really want to sacrifice your most precious time to waste on these half-hearted endeavors?"
Ji Jue could find no words in response.
From any angle, the time he currently had was a golden opportunity for a theoretical learning period as an apprentice.
In this stage, even slightly better-conditions apprentices wouldn’t let themselves get distracted, let alone open a studio to establish sales and sell products.
Moreover, he’d barely mastered modern alchemy, let alone fluid alchemy.
"So for those things you make, as someone who grew up in a workshop, the only advice I can give you is: gifts are fine, but if you want to talk money, double the cost price for sale. Reducing it even a bit is disrespecting yourself."
Ye Chun reached out, giving Ji Jue’s shoulder a comforting pat.
"I know this sounds materialistic and harsh, but this is the state of the market. Don’t let your relationships become cheap, and don’t allow yourself to become someone who seems cheap in others’ eyes; otherwise, endless troubles will follow."
Without needing Ye Chun to say it, Ji Jue understood this truth too.
No matter how strange or complicated the market might be, one must remain realistic.
Those who recklessly opposed the market had long met their demise.
What qualifications did Ji Jue, who hadn’t even passed the registered craftsman exam, have?
A price tag of six hundred twenty thousand basically meant he could wave goodbye to the market.
After all, the treatment for regenerative surgeries was roughly around two hundred ten thousand, and some clinics for the chosen even offered buy-two-get-one-free deals.
"So, forget about all those assumptions."
Ye Chun finally handed him a can of iced Coke, giving him the uneaten chips again, reminding him of the harsh reality.
"After you finish eating, be obedient and get back to work. Master Ji, it’s time to deal with the waste materials again."
Fifteen minutes later, after waking from the beautiful dream, Ji Jue wiped at his small pearl and pushed open the workshop door again, gazing at the twisted long sword marred with scratches and cracks on the workbench.
In the absolute silence, even the sounds of his breath and heartbeat became acutely clear.
Ji Jue took a deep breath and slowly raised both hands.
As he manipulated the spiritual matter, the intricate circuit of the offensive techniques became even more pronounced.
Staying calm, he summoned the spiritual matter, maintaining stability, and finally triggered the transformation.
"Practice more!!!"
In that instant, his eyes suddenly shone brightly as he slammed his hands down on the scrap sword on the table.
—Take my separation technique!