Regarding the events of the mythical era, the novel had not yet delved into them in detail, so Liu Buli, as a reader, naturally had little understanding.
However, he did jot down the name that Qiyu mentioned.
God of Slaughter...
A deity presiding over war and slaughter, it sounded incredibly powerful.
If he ever had the chance to meet him, perhaps he could ask him to guide Lu Wuming. Then this foolish disciple wouldn't be such a worry for him.
Liu Buli mused silently.
Lu Wuming, on the other hand, was oblivious to social cues and wanted to hear the story to its conclusion. As Qiyu reached this point, he directly asked, "Then what role did you play in the story? Did you also join the other gods in cornering the God of Slaughter?"
The moment he heard this question, Qiyu's expression faltered.
But in the next second, she regained her composure. She even nodded frankly, admitting, "Yes, because I was too cowardly and truly too weak. Compared to the gods with high cultivation, immense divine power, and various formidable techniques, I was merely an auxiliary role in alchemy. If I hadn't followed their orders, I feared they would have classified me with Xi Chi. I didn't have his courage, nor his strength. I was incapable of resisting everyone, so I chose to comply. Yet, even compliance didn't lead to a good outcome."
As she spoke, Qiyu gave an awkward tug at the corner of her mouth, her expression filled with helplessness.
She had assumed that, given Lu Wuming's personality, he would have reprimanded her for her cowardly answer.
In fact, she wasn't afraid of any scolding.
Or rather, after so many years, she had been yearning for someone to criticize her. To tell her that her choice back then was wrong, that she should have fought to the bitter end and stood with Xi Chi.
However, the expected words never came. After hearing her explanation, Lu Wuming simply gave a dry "Oh" and said nothing more.
Qiyu waited for a long time, but receiving no response, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Do you... have anything to say about it?"
"No," Lu Wuming replied curtly. "It's your own business. I was just asking. Because my master is definitely curious, but also too shy to ask, so I'm asking on his behalf. Honestly, I don't care. It has nothing to do with me, so why should I comment?"
Qiyu froze.
And Liu Buli, who had been pointedly mentioned, was so embarrassed that he covered his face.
He admitted that his foolish disciple always became so thoughtful and meticulous when it came to his affairs. But after being thoughtful, there was no need to be so blunt! Didn't he feel any embarrassment at all?
Before Qiyu could ask anything, Liu Buli preemptively raised his hand and said, "Master, I fully understand and support your choice. If I were in your position, I would have chosen the same path. There's nothing wrong with it, because you and that God of Slaughter had no particular friendship. In that case, living on is the most important thing."
Qiyu wasn't sure if Liu Buli's words were genuine or merely meant to comfort her. After a moment of silence, she smiled and replied, "Thank you. I wasn't mistaken; my little disciple, you are indeed a very gentle person."
Liu Buli smiled and said nothing.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, he appeared very gentle, but that was merely an appearance, unrelated to his true self.
As for his actual personality, he was a pure egoist. Anything that benefited him and Lu Wuming, he would do without hesitation. Therefore, his answer to Qiyu was actually the truth, with no excessive comfort included.
However, he had no intention of revealing such things to Qiyu. After another moment of silence, he changed the subject. "Master, I feel there is still much to learn. The flow of time here might be different from the outside, and we can't be sure. So, why don't we set aside idle chat for now? I can give you a demonstration of my current level, so you can determine where to begin teaching. What do you think?"
After all, the purpose of becoming a disciple was to learn skills, a goal Liu Buli absolutely would not forget.
Upon hearing this, Qiyu naturally nodded in agreement.
Perhaps fitting for her status as the God of Alchemy, behind the magnificent golden hall, a colossal alchemy furnace could be seen.
Liu Buli didn't hesitate and presented the most proficient and, at that moment, the most advanced pill recipe he knew.
After showing it to Qiyu, she slowly furrowed her brows.
Liu Buli immediately grew nervous. "Master, is there a problem with this recipe?"
"There's no problem with the recipe itself," Qiyu shook her head, her expression complex. "But isn't this just an introductory recipe? You don't know anything more advanced?"