After Bai Jing escaped from the room, he went about his usual activities, cleaning up, sweeping the yard and fetching water from the river.
When he entered the house, he was surprised to see that Ye Cheng was still home. Usually, Ye Cheng would've left for the guild already.
Even after preparing breakfast, Ye Cheng showed no sign of leaving. Bai Jing eventually couldn't suppress his curiosity: "Are you not going to the guild today?"
"I am"
"Then why are you still here?"
Ye Cheng glanced towards him: "Do you want me to leave?"
Bai Jing immediately shook his head: "No, I was just asking."
Ye Cheng nodded and returned his attention to what he was doing.
After they both had breakfast, Ye Cheng suddenly asked: "The refining manual on the table, did you write it?"
Bai Jing stiffened, his fingers tightened around his sleeve: "How did you know? You said you didn't touch my things."
Ye Cheng responded indifferently: "You told me in your sleep."
Bai Jing silently cursed at his bad sleeping habit. Thinking that it really wasn't a good idea to sleep together. He might end up exposing himself and getting hung early in the morning for being an imposter.
"Where did you get the technique?" Ye Cheng continued to ask.
Bai Jing lowered his eyes. He knew this question was coming sooner or later. But he couldn't exactly tell Ye Cheng about the system, or the fact that he was a transmigrator from another world.
After hesitating, he decided to tell the truth: "I... I can't reveal the source," Bai Jing said, looking down at his hands: "It's a secret I swore to keep. But what I can tell you is this: as long as we have enough silver coins, I can obtain other skills, techniques, and manuals as well. Not just for refining, but for anything regarding cultivation."
Ye Cheng's eyes widened. A manual of this quality was worth a fortune. Even the lowest-grade authentic manual in Lingshui City could cost dozens of gold coins, yet Bai Jing was speaking of acquiring them with mere silver.
"How much did this cost you?" Ye Cheng asked.
Bai Jing hesitated, then mumbled: "Ten silver coins."
Ye Cheng's frown slightly. Ten silver coins must have been all the savings Bai Jing had managed to accumulate from the mushroom sales. Even he himself doesn't have that amount yet.
He remembered how pale and cold Bai Jing had been last night, his spiritual energy was completely drained.
There were so many things he wanted to say, but the words couldn't come out. In the end, he sighs: "Thank you, I will return your money and make it up to you. But never endanger yourself like that again," Ye Cheng whispered, his thumb lightly brushing Bai Jing's cheekbone. "No technique, no manual is worth your life. Do you understand me?"
Bai Jing nodded dumbly, his heart pounding in his chest. "I understand."
How did it turn out like this?
Ye Cheng pulled his hand back, clearing his throat to mask his embarrassment. "There is one more thing. Do you have any of that Spiritflame Herb you used for the fish?"
"Yes, I have some dried in the kitchen." Bai Jing said: "It's in a small clay jar. What do you need it for?"
"I want to test something."
Bai Jing didn't think much of it."
Ye Cheng went to the kitchen and took a handful of the dried spiritflame herb. "I'm going to experiment with its purification properties during refining today. The annual members' trial is taking place at the guild."
"The trial? What's that?"
"It's a yearly test that one needs to pass to become an official guild member, and a level 1 refiner." Ye Cheng said, putting the herbs into his pouch: "It is the only way to gain access to better materials and commissions." He paused: "I have been a struggling trainee for four years. Today is my last chance before they expel me."
Bai Jing immediately panicked: "Really? Oh no, I should've given you the manual earlier. Have you had time to read it? I'm sure as long as you follow the instructions exactly, you'll do just fine. Don't worry too much. Quick, why are you still standing there? Start reading!"
Ye Cheng was speechless. He didn't expect Bai Jing to react like this. He looked at him for a long moment, and smiled: "It's alright, I read it last night. Rest well. I'll be back before sunset."
Looking at the smile in Ye Cheng's eyes, Bai Jing was stunned for a moment before slowly becoming embarrassed of his own reaction.
...
The guild was busier than usual. Today was the members' trail. For ordinary trainees, it was a big deal, the most important day of the year. Once they become members, they would get monthly pay as level one refiners and they would also be allowed to sell their finished product on business day.
This is everyone's dream because the difference between a member and a trainee is very huge."
As soon as Ye Cheng entered the hall and walked toward his assigned station at the back, whispers and snickers broke out among the gathered trainees.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," a trainee named Chen Jing sneered, nudging his friend.
"The four-year senior himself. Tell me, Ye Cheng, did you bring your blanket today? Or are you planning to fail so spectacularly that you'll need to take a nap to recover?"
"Recover from what? Another four years of utter humiliation?" another apprentice cackled, stepping forward with his arms crossed.
"Everyone knows today is the deadline, Ye Cheng. The Guild Masters aren't going to tolerate your useless presence anymore. Fail this trial—which you obviously will—and you'll be thrown out on your ear before sunset!"
"I heard he got kicked out of the Ye family," a third apprentice whispered loudly, making no effort to hide his cruel amusement.
"A useless bastard who couldn't even keep his own family's backing trying to become a refiner. He couldn't even control his spirit flame last year—nearly blew up his forge and ruined Master Lu's materials! Why does the guild even bother letting him participate today?"
"To make an example of him, of course!" Chen Jing barked with laughter, leaning in closer to Ye Cheng's face.
"The Guild Master needs to show all the new apprentices what happens to talentless dead weight. Four years of wasting fine iron, four years of making a fool of Master Lu... today's expulsion is long overdue. You might as well pack your tools now and save yourself the embarrassment of melting another piece of scrap!"
Ye Cheng ignored them. Four years of failure, being mocked and pushed to the margins, he was already used to it. When he first arrived, some people were wary of him because of the Ye family name. But that disappears when they realize he wasn't valued by the Ye family. After years without producing a qualified spirit weapon, even that little respect attached to his surname vanished.
He didn't look at them. Instead, he walked to his station and took out his materials.
One trainee looked at the materials Ye Cheng was carrying and sneered: "Still trying to make a sword? It would be easier if you make a pot instead, it doesn't require spiritual energy. That way, you won't embarrass yourself."
The others laughs
"Leave him alone. He's under enough pressure already. Maybe today's the day a miracle finally happens."
The laughter became even louder. Although they were mocking him, Ye Cheng also believed that today was miraculous for him. He was confident that not only would he not be thrown a day.
"Silence!" one of the examiners shouted, the pressure from his voice, immediately silenced the trainees.
"The annual members' trial of the Liyu's branch Crimson Flame Refinement Guild begins now! You have two hours to refine a basic iron ingot into a Grade Zero spirit weapon. Only those who produce a weapon with stable spiritual circulation will pass."
"Begin!"