Chapter 41: Word Problem Training (Part Two)

Chapter 41: Applied Problem Training (Part II)

"Not a bad choice."

Kurov glanced at the oil vial Xazo had produced, nodding slightly. "Foam oil. Friction-induced heat causes it to expand into a large volume of foam. However, it is far too sensitive to temperature; even the flame of a candlestick can trigger it. Moreover, the foam is mostly air with very little moisture, meaning it won't have a significant dampening effect on a fire."

Xazo realized his mentor was guiding him. Following the two key points raised, he thought for a moment, returned the foam oil to the box, and withdrew two other vials.

The first was insulating oil. It could shield against temperatures below boiling and was commonly used for the exteriors of teacups and the handles of soup ladles. Once applied and allowed to dry thoroughly, it formed a thin film tightly bonded to the object’s surface, leaving no lingering odor and resisting melting from contact with steam or hand sweat.

The second was water-rich oil. This vial contained tiny particles encased in bubbles. Under external pressure, the bubbles would rupture, allowing the particles to react with the liquid in the oil, rapidly generating a large amount of water vapor.

"Your logic is sound. Now, try blending these two," Kurov said, gesturing toward the alchemy bench.

Xazo rubbed the back of his head. "Professor, what if I make a mistake?"

Kurov chuckled. "If you make a mistake, you clean the alchemy bench. I won't expel you; this isn't the production of a lethal poison."

"That's a relief." Xazo shrugged with a smile.

He walked to the storage room, retrieved a grooved carrying rack, and followed the instructions in *The Blending of Oils* to secure the two vials into the grooves, preventing them from tipping and spilling during transport. He then returned to the storage room and emerged with a metal bucket. Its lid was a piece of transparent glass with a rubber seal. In the center of the lid was a circular hole, also sealed, through which a matching oil stirrer could be inserted, allowing him to mix the oils safely without any odors or liquids escaping.

After confirming all preparations were complete, Xazo looked at his mentor. Seeing Kurov nod, he donned his mask, removed the glass lid, and inserted the anchor-style stirrer into the hole.

The small bubbles in the water-rich oil were harder to burst than they appeared, yet the mixture still required gentle stirring. The anchor-style stirrer met this requirement perfectly; its paddles hugged the lower inner walls of the bucket, circulating the liquid from the outside in and from the bottom up. Therefore, the oil coming into direct contact with the paddles had to have excellent stability.

Xazo poured the more stable insulating oil into the bucket first, then used a glass rod to guide the slow addition of the water-rich oil. Two distinct, pungent odors wafted from the bucket. Resisting the urge to sneeze, he quickly and steadily replaced the glass lid and turned the stirrer handle gently.

The two-toned liquid inside gradually merged, turning a deep amber.

Every time the paddles were about to pass through the bubbles of the water-rich oil, Xazo turned the handle with even greater delicacy. Five minutes later, the two oils were fully blended.

The next step was to use a soft brush to coat the wooden planks. Or perhaps…

"Professor, could I soak the wood blocks in this bucket of oil instead?" Xazo walked to the table and leaned over to inspect the wood. "I could take them out to sun-dry afterward; perhaps the wood would absorb the oil even better if it were drier."

"The method you describe is called impregnation, which is introductory-level oil alchemy," Kurov said, pointing toward the storage room. "This is a journeyman-level lesson. Stick to using the brush."

"Understood, Professor."

Xazo entered the storage room and selected a brush made of short sheep's wool. Sheep's wool was the softest, perfect for delicate tasks.

He laid a grease-resistant cloth on the alchemy bench, placed the wood planks on a specialized support rack, and gently applied the oil with the brush. Once the front, back, and sides were coated, he used iron tongs to place them into the kiln to dry.

Ten minutes later, having been busy for over half an hour, Xazo finally finished the practical training.

"Professor, shall we test the fireproofing effect of these two pieces of wood?" Xazo asked hesitantly. Regardless of the result, he would still have to clean the apparatus and the area.

"Of course. Go find a deep brazier."

"Very well."

Xazo measured the wood with his arm and found the largest, deepest brazier in the storage room. He placed it on the stone floor of the alchemy room, used iron tongs to retrieve glowing coals, and added a bundle of dry firewood. Soon, a flame flickered in the basin.

He picked up the processed wood and, after a moment's hesitation, placed them into the brazier.

*Sssss—*

Water vapor appeared much faster than expected. Almost the moment the wood touched the flames, thick white mist erupted. A sour, foul odor permeated the room. Xazo covered his eyes and nose, coughing. "Cough, cough… Professor, does this count as a success?"

Kurov pulled a ring on a rope in the corner, opening the vents, and waved his arm to push the foul-smelling white mist toward the exhaust. He walked over to the brazier and glanced at the charred remains:

"The logic for solving this applied problem was correct, but the ratio of the oils was off. Cedar wood itself has high moisture content; you should have prepared a separate batch with a lower proportion of water-rich oil. Overall, out of 100 points, I'd give you about 80."

Xazo slapped his forehead in regret. His mentor had mentioned the difference between the two types of wood at the start, and he had completely forgotten that detail.

Seeing this, Kurov chuckled. "Just be more careful next time. Applied problems often contain subtle points. You can circle the keywords in each sentence and consider whether they are key to the solution."

"Yes, Professor. I'll remember that."

Kurov looked at the wall clock. "There's still time before dinner. Try making a batch with a lower proportion of water-rich oil."

...

At 5:50 PM, Xazo had attempted the blending three times. His score had risen from 80 to 98. His mentor noted that his temperament and proficiency were good, but he lacked experience with applied problems. In plainer terms, he simply needed more practice.

After the afternoon class, Xazo spent ten minutes cleaning the alchemy room. Although his mentor could have done it with a wave of his hand, Xazo felt guilty leaving it for him; after all, he was the student.

By the time he stepped out of the Poison Alchemy Zone and into the castle hall, it was past 5:00 PM. A graceful figure came bouncing toward him.

"You're finally finished with class!"

Xazo took her small hand. "Next time, go ahead and eat dinner; you don't have to wait for me."

"No way! I want to eat with you." Anjouer hugged his arm and rubbed her shoulder against him. "I don't have class tonight. After we eat, let's go to the Poison Alchemy Zone."

Xazo looked at her suspiciously. "You should be done with your self-study of *Alchemy Linguistics*, right? Why don't you have class tonight?"

"Well, there are too many people in the Oil Alchemy department. Professor Zhuolang has to teach the freshmen and the upperclassmen. We freshmen only get to schedule two or three oil-blending sessions per week." Anjouer twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Also, my talent isn't outstanding—I'm neither at the top nor the bottom. For the next two months, I only have three sessions scheduled for the week before exams; the rest of the time, it's only two."

*It's getting competitive…* Xazo thought. *Anywhere with enough participants inevitably leads to competition and internal strife.* With half the first semester gone, the atmosphere before the final exams was sure to become increasingly intense.

Xazo led the slightly troubled Anjouer into the dining hall and found a corner table. He scanned the room but didn't see his fellow provincials from Rosak—the miller's daughter Keli and the blacksmith's son Xiao Muben. They were likely off to class or studying in the library. Senior Mars had been preoccupied with Artifact Alchemy lately, rarely seen in the dining hall.

By comparison, Xazo felt the most relaxed. The small number of students in the Poison Alchemy department was one reason, but his "Golden Finger" and the *Perception* spell were his true sources of confidence for the finals.

After they sat down and ordered simple meals, Xazo handed Anjouer a glass of juice. "Did you know that besides multiple-choice questions, the final exam will also include applied problems?"

"Mmhmm, Keli mentioned it before lunch today. Professor Zhuolang brought it up in class this afternoon, too." Anjouer took a sip of her juice and said gratefully, "It's a good thing we weren't assigned to the Potion Alchemy department. Whether it's Madam Morton's supplements and healing branch or the Dean's functional potion branch, there are far too many students. The thirty-plus alchemy benches aren't nearly enough. Keli was complaining to me about it for a while."

Each alchemy bench took up about ten square meters, equipped with a furnace, crucible, bellows, two rows of shelves, and a ventilation hood. Thirty benches occupied at least 300 square meters. When they were all running, the scene was as chaotic as a cooking school.

Xazo worried about the quality of his classes next semester. In a few months, a new batch of freshmen would arrive—at least twice the current number of students. Anjouer would inevitably have to queue for a bench. And when he thought about the fact that the Poison Alchemy zone only had one bench… his scalp went numb. He wondered how Kurov would resolve that.

As their food arrived, they ate quickly and headed to the Poison Alchemy Zone before the evening class began. Under the bright lights, Kurov was resting quietly on a soft sofa.

Xazo stepped lightly, leading Anjouer around the sofa, and whispered, "The Professor is meditating, so let's keep it quiet. The applied problem for Poison Alchemy is the creation and identification of complex toxins. Tonight, I'll teach you to make 'Black Eye Toxin,' and you can identify it by referring to *Toxin Separation*."

Anjouer gripped his hand tightly, looking anxious. "What if I can't identify the Black Eye Toxin? Will Professor Kurov be angry? Every time a student performs poorly in class, my mentor gets so mad he jumps up and down."

"It's alright, as long as you don't make any serious mistakes."

Xazo paused to recall the refining process. The step of evaporating moisture was tricky. When the toxicity volatilized into the air, the pungent odor made one's nose sting. If one's Willpower attribute was weak, they might sneeze, ruining the entire batch.

Xazo checked his attributes: [Willpower] 5. He checked Anjouer's; it was also 5. The chance of an accident was low.

*Still, any mistake she makes might be blamed on me… I must be extra careful. If I mess up, I'll betray the Professor's kindness and perhaps even cause a rift between us.*

Xazo had an idea. He walked to the alchemy bench and had Anjouer stand half a meter behind him. "I'll demonstrate it first. If you can't handle the process, just focus on identifying the toxin; the exam won't require us to refine complex toxins by hand anyway."

"Mmhmm," Anjouer nodded and stood exactly where he pointed.

Xazo found two masks, put his on, then helped her with hers, carefully tucking her hair into her hood so no skin was exposed.

"When I start simmering it over low heat, the liquid in the crucible will evaporate. The smell is quite bad. If you feel like you're going to sneeze, step back a few paces, but don't bump into me."

"Okay!" Anjouer clutched her hands nervously, watching his every move.

"Here I go. First step: add fresh water until it reaches the one-fifth mark on the crucible."

Xazo picked up the ceramic pot and began, slowing his movements so Anjouer could see clearly. The first few steps were simple enough to explain while working. When it came time to simmer the brown liquid over low heat, he only had time to glance back with a "be careful" look before diving into the stirring.

This step required constant vigilance to turn off the heat at the right moment to avoid burning the pot. The ventilation hood above the bench hummed, drawing away the toxic brown mist, but a small amount still drifted into the room.

Amidst the bubbling sound, light footsteps came from behind. Anjouer seemed to step back, then moved closer again, but made no other movements.

Xazo felt reassured and continued to stir. About five minutes later, the brown liquid in the pot turned into a thick paste. He turned off the furnace, used a spatula to flip the paste, and stirred it like an omelet, using the residual heat of the crucible to evaporate the remaining moisture.