Chapter 316 - One Hundred and Sixteen - They gather and talk about Alchemy (1/2)

Alchemy maintained an entangled place in the cultivation world bringing with it a mess of emotions from grudging respect to disdain, from greed to bitterness.  Alchemy was like the questionable white lotus in amongst a sea of mighty forces; always needing support, couldn't be let alone, yet treated like a treasure that those forces couldn't sully, no matter how they wished to.  It was a fact that Cultivators wanted and occasionally needed, the benefits that Alchemy brought to them.  It was just that the Alchemists themselves were often so weak.

The other group to be considered a 'support' occupation in the Cultivation World were Scholars, but their reputations weren't nearly as mixed as that of Alchemists.  This lie in the fact that Scholars could not be ring fenced as a completely non-combative class.  From Scholars rose exorcists, for example.  There were also those who focused their studies completely on, say, the sword; cataloguing it's variations, it's arts, studying the way that it is made, how to redesign or improve it, what crystals might work in conjunction with it and so on.  A Swordmaster Scholar might appear weaker than a Martial Artist focused upon the same weapon, but the mind of a Swordmaster Scholar might be indefinitely more frightening.

And thus, it was Alchemy alone that maintained the awkward position amongst the varying schools of cultivation.

To that end, purely Alchemic families raised subordinate families or had alliances with Martial Artists or Beast Tamers to protect them using money and pills to maintain relations.  Sects raised their own Alchemists and providing the necessities to them while claiming the bulk of the pills to raise their Mages, Martial Artists and other Cultivators.  Lone Alchemists were far rarer, but not unheard of and usually had their own forces to protect them or help them seek herbs and things they required, but also, these men and women were Masters above Masters whose ability was so brilliant that they had gained this option.

These people held some respect within their households, sects or thanks to that lofty position, but just like an idol who would have both fans and haters, Alchemists would never be universally liked, especially in a world where strength was placed above all else.  Alchemists, in general, were weak.  Becoming a top Alchemist and gaining the unmovable position of one was such a distant, nearly unthinkable goal that the majority of Alchemists could only stare at the Heavens in lament.  Many gave up, switched to becoming a Martial Artist or otherwise in order to become stronger faster... in truth, they would likely never become more than average in these fields also.

So why would one become an Alchemist?  Perhaps it was the only option available to them, perhaps it was in their blood, perhaps it was fate.  But it still remained true that the world of Cultivation would be at a loss without them.

As the most looked down on, therefore, when the opportunity arose, Alchemists would gather without hostilities to chat, complain and occasionally exchange tips.

At this moment, Teacher Sagi, along with Teacher Vine from the Inner School, was entertaining four Alchemy Teachers from the four visiting schools.  Greetings had already been exchanged as well as compliments for the extensive range of herbs in Teacher Sagi's garden alone, not to mention the fields of the outer school.  The Teacher from the Savage Red Sands Force lamented how pitifully small his own growing space was (though it was a stunning an oasis in their desert territory) and how poor a quality the herbs he had on hand were.  The Teacher from the Tower's of Wisdom school agreed softly, jokingly adding that despite this, wasn't the demand for pills still high and complaints that the Alchemists were not fast enough to fulfil quotas?

Even the Teachers from the Azure Height's Finishing School and the Qilin First Academy couldn't deny her words, despite the former having a plentiful pool of Alchemists compared to other schools and the latter having access to many high quality and expensive herbs.  All six Teachers sighed and chortled, smiles exchanged as the common ground uniting them was formed, despite all having very different backgrounds and circ.u.mstances.

”Have any Teachers here managed to pick up good seedlings this year?” The dark, sun-marked Teacher of the desert asked openly.

As expected there was a mixed response.  ”One or two,” the cold and elegant female Alchemist of the Finishing School responded, though there was a slight frown upon her face as if these girls were still somewhat unsatisfactory.