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The cogs in Song Qing’s mind spun at full speed. His brain searched through all the variables that differentiated the success from the failures.

The initial steps were the same but the last step was crucial—the lightning!

How was the lightning different?

Realization struck Song Qing in the chest. He exclaimed, “I know! I know! Xu Ningyan, you are a genius! Although you never witnessed our attempts, you knew the reason behind our failures.”

‘No, I don’t, but please tell.’ Xu Qian smiled at the rambling man.

“What is the key? Brother Song, did you figure it out?”

“Brother Song, come on! This transformation has plagued me for the past month.”

The white-robed alchemists urged Song Qing to quickly reveal his observations.

Song Qing let out a cough and looked at his disciples. “It’s the strength of the lightning strike.”

He turned to Xu Qian for confirmation.

Xu Qian smiled and nodded. “I call it voltage.”

The voltage needed to purify sodium from molten sodium chloride was 6 to 15 volts.

Voltage?

Song Qing was stunned. He had never heard of that word being used in relation to electricity.

It was an incredible piece of knowledge, just like the profound writings in the blue-covered book.

One of the white robes stepped forward and bowed before Xu Qian. “Please enlighten us. What is this voltage you speak of?”

“Please.” The other white-robed alchemists followed suit.

Standing in the corner, Chu Caiwei watched in silent envy. She was fond of being an educator but as a seventh-ranked Feng Shui master, she was unqualified to take in students.

‘Voltage—also known as potential difference—is the difference in the amount of energy that charge carriers have between two points in a circuit. Of course, none of you would understand that.’ Xu Qian coughed and put on a stern expression.

“Electricity is like water, it’ll flow towards a low point.”

Xu Qian picked up a teacup and poured out the tea. “The water that fell from this cup wouldn’t hurt anyone but a waterfall can break bones and take lives. The same principles apply to electricity. I call it voltage.”

He used a simple example to explain the concept of voltage.

The white robes of the Imperial Astronomers entered a state of deep thought. They could not fully grasp Xu Qian’s words.

Song Qing said excitedly, “Is that why lightning strikes trees? Because the trees are at a lower point, the same applies to humans. A weak electricity will only cause minor paralysis whereas a lightning strike can cause death. The lightning from the sky is like a waterfall whereas electricity is like the water from the cup.”

The white robes were enlightened by Song Qing’s explanation. It opened their eyes to the wonders of the world. They turned to Xu Qian with inquisitive looks.

‘Huh, is that correct? I thought trees being struck down by lightning was due to water conductivity? What did my high school teacher say?’ Despite his unsurety, he smiled and said, “You are promising.”

A young white-robed disciple asked curiously, “Was this written in that old alchemy text you found?”

“Yes. Only I have read and researched that text. The contents in the book that I sent over were only a drop in the ocean.”

After a pause, Xu Qian continued saying, “That ancient text not only had knowledge and facts, it also contained many never-seen-before alchemic processes.”

A collective gasp sounded from the room.

Xu Qian chuckled and gave the white robes a promise. “I have decided to share the contents of the ancient text with the Imperial Astronomers.”

Whoa!

There were 20 alchemists on scene that were shaking with excitement.

“The blue book that I gave you was a gift in return for the rescue. As for the guidance on the fake silver transformation and the knowledge on voltage, those are not for free. The same applies to the rest of the ancient text.”

Xu Qian intoned dramatically, “Never forget, the first law of alchemy is equivalent exchange!”

Song Qing nodded. He agreed with the man’s reasoning. “How much do you want?”

“Blasphemy!” Xu Qian deepened his voice and said, “Alchemy cannot be weighed in silver.”

‘There are things harder to obtain than money.’

…

In the side hall of the Changle County Courts, Xu Lingyue cradled her sleeping sister. She dabbed the handkerchief to her eyes as tears continued to fall.

Watching the pretty girl cry, the constables of the swift class felt their hearts break—who knew Xu Qian had such a beautiful sister.

Even Constable Wang—who had been to the Entertainment School—was charmed by the girl’s appearance.

The mood in the room was disheartening and the constables were of no help in lifting the spirits.

Constable Wang poured a cup of tea and placed it before Xu Lingyue. The girl had been crying non-stop for half a day. ‘Women are really good criers.’

“Please, be calm. Your father will know how to save Ningyan.”

The other constables chimed in with words of consolation and curses for the young nobleman.

The raw emotions in the room took Xu Lingyue by surprise. She did not expect her brother to have such a good relationship with his colleagues.

Constable Wang noticed her surprise and smiled. “Ningyan is a worthwhile man.”

‘Really?’ Xu Lingyue’s eyes widened. She sniffled and asked softly, “Constable Wang, can you tell me more about my brother’s case?”

Constable Wang sighed. He lowered his voice and said, “To be frank, there are few in the courts who have clean hands. The basic decency is not troubling the common folk but we do collect pocket money from the rich merchants.

“But your brother, he’s good to the common folk and the merchants. Never abuses his power. After the case, I figured the Xu family needed some financial help and brought him along…” Constable Wang’s expression went from concern to awkward to ashamed to respect.

“He gladly agreed to come with me, and at the end of the trip, I split the money we obtained. I found out he returned the five silver maces to the family. Being a goody-two-shoes rarely gains you friends but Ningyan gets along well with everyone. When trouble finds a good man like him, we can’t help but jump to his defense.”

The head constable’s words slowly changed Xu Lingyue’s image of her eldest brother—taller, brighter, more steadfast.

...

Since young, Xu Lingyue had always admired the scholarly Xu Xinnian as education was the pillar of their society. Her mother had enforced the notion that the scholar would one day lift the Xu family from obscurity.

Her admiration for Xu Xinnian peaked when he passed the autumn imperial provincial exam.

However, right after his successful candidature, the Xu family was thrown into jail. Xu Qian was the one who saved them from the cruel fate.

Since then, Xu Lingyue had paid closer attention to her eldest brother.

The constables had given her a glimpse into Xu Qian’s personality—he was a reliable man at work which substantiated his efforts to save his family a month ago.

Xu Lingyue’s gratitude for her eldest brother only grew from then.

Seeing Xu Qian save Xu Lingyin was enough to make him and Xu Xinnian equals in her eyes.

Then, Constable Wang’s praise only improved Xu Lingyue’s impression of her eldest brother—a stalwart man of principles—to the point of surpassing Xu Xinnian.

At that moment, the door to the side hall opened, and in came Xu Pingzhi and his son. They were relieved to find the girls safe.

Tears streamed down Xu Lingyue’s face as she said, “Father, you have to save brother. I don’t think I can live with myself if he’s gone.”

...