Trapped in the Pill Master's Crucible

Baek Cheong's eyes widened like saucers. Her grandfather's proposal was beyond unconventional—it was downright shocking. He was suggesting they install the revered Pill Master of the cultivation world, known and respected by all, as a family retainer and her personal tutor.

"Wh-what did you say?"

Gok Elder, too, was caught off guard by the unexpected offer, coughing awkwardly in surprise. He had always believed that a Pill Master like himself, roaming free across the lands, would never tie himself to a single family—neither in the past nor the future.

"Mu-ae, my friend, that's going too far with the jokes. Even if we're close, asking me to settle down in one family and teach a child? To take a disciple, they'd naturally have to travel with me, digging heavenly herbs from the earth with their own hands..."

Before Gok Elder could finish, Baek Mu-ae smiled faintly and drove the nail home.

"I'll grant you full rights to study and use the colony of Zhu-eun-cho growing in our Baek family's northern herb garden to your heart's content."

"Ahem!"

Gok Elder's voice cut off abruptly. Zhu-eun-cho, one of the supreme spirit herbs, was infamous for its harsh growing conditions. The massive colony thriving in the Yeonha Baek family's northern Yeong-yak-won was an invaluable treasure. It was one of the materials Gok Elder had coveted for his new pill experiments.

"And moreover."

Baek Mu-ae piled on even more.

"We'll open the family vaults and provide unconditional support for all herbs needed for Cheong's cultivation and pill refining. You just need to lay the foundations for her—teaching her to handle fire and understand the properties of medicines. It's not like we're formally binding ourselves as master and disciple."

Gok Elder's goatee trembled faintly. The offer was too sweet to refuse. Unlimited access to the premium herbs he desired for his research, plus the chance to observe and instruct a genius prodigy who perfectly manipulated the five elements with delicate qi control—it was an irresistible temptation for any pill refiner.

"Ugh... If you're going that far, Mu-ae."

Gok Elder cleared his throat loudly once more, then nodded reluctantly.

"Very well. I'll stay with the Baek family for a while and teach this child the tricks of handling fire and the ways of spirit herb qi. But remember, this doesn't make her my formal disciple."

Sighs of relief and cheers erupted from various spots in the garden. Just having a Pill Master reside in the family would catapult the Yeonha Baek family's prestige sky-high in the cultivation world. Joy spread uncontrollably across the faces of Baek Mujin and the elders.

But amid the warm atmosphere, the one person sinking into despair was Baek Cheong.

I'm screwed...

Outwardly, she beamed innocently and expressed her gratitude, but inwardly, she was weeping tears of blood. Her panic at avoiding the boring, pedantic path of pill refining had been for naught—she'd been thrown straight into the tiger's den. A horrific future loomed where she'd sniff herbs daily, fuss over flame control, and never dream of gallery lurking.

"This is canned tutoring."

Back in her cheo-so after the banquet, Baek Cheong flopped face-down on her bed, burying her head in the pillow. Her shallow plan to plunder her grandfathers' wallets for easy spirit herbs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had backfired into a massive disaster.

"I wanted to roll around in my room, popping supreme-grade pills to grow my roots. Now I'm stuck fanning the pill furnace forever."

Frustrated, she channeled qi to access Moomyeongbang. The chat board buzzed as always, but today, the random posts didn't catch her eye. She started typing an aggro post to vent her stress but hesitated, then cautiously posted her real question.

Amid the varied reactions, Dou(88.4)'s "Three Sufferings" line stabbed at Baek Cheong's heart. Even in her past life, she'd hated hard work, glued to her computer. She had zero intention of slaving away in this world either.

"No way. Absolutely not."

Baek Cheong pouted and closed Moomyeongbang. She had to figure out how to slack off through the Pill Master's lessons and mooch pills anyway.

The next morning, Baek Cheong dragged her heavy feet to the Dan-yak-bang on the family's outskirts. The pill room reeked of herbs and acrid smoke. In the center loomed a massive bronze pill furnace, belching red energy.

Gok Elder, sleeves rolled up, was adjusting the flames.

"Ah, Cheong's here."

He greeted her with a kindly smile. Gone was the stern demeanor from the banquet; his eyes sparkled like a kid with a new toy.

"Your Ohang-sun qi control yesterday was astonishing. Pill refining requires finely tuning fire qi to extract essence from herbs, then wrapping and forming it with wood qi."

Without preamble, he pointed to ingredients on the table—grains, ground nuts, honey, mixed with withered herbs.

"These are for basic Byeok-gok-dan. Any cultivator can make them without a furnace. I'll demonstrate first—watch closely and follow."

Gok Elder summoned fire-attribute qi to his palm, toasting the herb. Astonishingly, it melted into clear liquid. He infused wood qi, smoothly forming the liquid and materials into spheres. Three Byeok-gok-dan pills completed in one breath.

"Your turn. Key is steady flame temperature."

Baek Cheong forced a smile and approached. Inwardly grumbling, What's the point of making ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠junk like this? she outwardly looked serious, picking up a herb.

She drew fire qi from her dantian, wrapping her palm.

"Ack!"

The herb charred to black ash instantly. She'd dumped qi like in Ohang-sun, overheating it.

"Haha, everyone's like that at first. Reduce fire qi to a tenth of before."

Gok Elder corrected gently, no scolding.

Baek Cheong tried again, focusing on control. But deep reluctance dulled her qi flow. Dozens of herbs turned to ash, filling the room with smoke.

"Cough, cough. It's tough, Grandpa Pill Master."

She coughed dramatically, playing pitiful to fake no talent and make him quit. But Gok Elder's eyes burned brighter.

"Clumsy control is just inexperience. The purity when you summon fire qi is tops among my past students. Don't give up—feel the flow."

He scooted close, meticulously guiding her meridians. Baek Cheong's scheme failed utterly. Her acting wasn't enough to fool a pill-obsessed old man.

By afternoon, she barely produced one lopsided Byeok-gok-dan. Bumpy surface, muddy brown hue.

"Oh ho! A first Byeok-gok-dan in half a day—truly astonishing talent! Quick learner, skilled hands!"

Gok Elder cheered at the mangled pill. Baek Cheong stared blankly into space, soul drained.

"Um, Grandpa? Can I rest now? My dantian's empty."

At her pitiful voice, Gok Elder slapped his forehead.

"Oops, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this old fool got excited and overworked a child. Go rest."

He pulled a red jade vial from his robe, pressing it into her hand.

"Supreme-grade Jeok-yeom-dan I refined. It'll boost your fire qi and refill your dantian. See you tomorrow morning."

Baek Cheong bowed, snatched it, and fled the Dan-yak-bang. Legs like lead on the way back, but eyeing the vial made her lips twitch.

Pill making sucks, but rewards are solid.

Home, she sat cross-legged and swallowed the supreme Jeok-yeom-dan. Hot energy surged down her throat, joining the five elements cycle. Dantian expanded; spirit roots grew faintly. Exhaustion vanished in blissful refreshment.

"This makes it bearable."

Reenergized, she logged into Moomyeongbang. Only place to vent the day's torment.

Baek Cheong cackled at the replies. Their back-and-forth was pure comedy banter.

"Puhuhu... idiots..."

But after the exhausting day, her eyes drooped unknowingly. Unaware, she buried her face in the pillow and drifted off to sleep.