Wandering Cultivator 6 (Wandering Cultivator of the Broken Empire) by Robyn Wideman

Author:Robyn Wideman [Wideman, Robyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 28

SONG

Liam.

She swallowed thickly, her momentary burst of surprise turning to anger. She’d actually liked him, despite his blatant advances towards her, a supposedly engaged woman. But clearly, Yanmo Liam was just like Zei: charismatic, disarming, charming, until he stabbed you in the back.

She didn’t even realize she’d lifted her jian into a high guard until the blade caught an errant flicker of torchlight. Freezing, she cast a furtive glance from her hiding spot, fearful the other cultivators had seen the flash.

They hadn’t, and she quietly slid it back home, flexing her fingers and quieting her pulse so she could hear. She was in more danger here than she ever had been while locked away in the Blood Gate Sect’s den; she had to keep her wits about her.

A slow in breath, and her calm returned. A hunter never lets herself become prey.

Zei and Liam were moving to one of the workbenches that hadn’t recently been covered in hacked-up beasts. This one was littered with glass apparatuses and little flames and grinding stones, decanters, and cauldrons and extractors. Song recognized the jars she’d seen Scowl collect from the refinery cavern.

“You said this formula’s more potent?” Liam said, reaching out a hand to touch the glass tube connecting a condenser to a catch flask.

Zei batted his hand away. “It’s delicate work. Don’t touch.”

Hefting one of the jars of refined silverstone, Zei cut the tapered neck off with a knife, then, with practiced fluidity, inverted the jug over a metal funnel. It connected to a glass tube, which shone and flashed as the silver, sparkling liquid sluiced through and entered a series of ports, flasks, and all manner of alchemical processes until it terminated at a black sphere with a spigot at its end.

Is that some sort of alchemy cauldron?

He seemed content as the possible-cauldron did its work, but Liam was starting to look impatient. “I did not come all this way to watch you play alchemist. Whoever blew up the refinery cavern is due for retribution, and I can’t waste my time on frivolous—”

“That’s not what I hear,” Zei said, his attention still on the cauldron. He plucked a vial from a nearby rack in patient expectation. “You’ve been wasting quite a bit of time on that Elodie woman.”

Song, who was already flush against the tunnel wall, flattened some more.

“My spies say she’s beautiful and very talented.”

She felt an overwhelming relief that he’d yet to lay eyes on her. He’d been too busy with his work, apparently, and the ruse of the butterfly talisman had held. She could sense his core, so that meant they were of a level similar to each other, and since he’d known her quite well in her past life, he could’ve very well seen through her disguise if he’d taken the time to look. The irony that it was the very experiments that had corrupted her core that were keeping her safe now was not lost on her.

“She’s not for you, Zei,” Liam said darkly.

For a moment, Song thought she detected a protective note in Liam’s voice.

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