The next day, Ye Qingtian woke up in his bed. He had slept little, having stayed up for a long time analyzing his knowledge of this world. With the books he was reading, he was also slowly creating his own cultivation technique for Ye Ziyun in the future.
Speaking of her, he looked to the side and smiled. Ye Ziyun was in an extremely sprawling position, her purple hair spread across the pillow, wearing snowflake-patterned pajamas.
"This girl..." Ye Qingtian shook his head. This was not uncommon for him. It started when Ye Ziyun decided she could sleep alone, at five years old. But that night she had a nightmare, and after failing to enter her parents' room, she ran to sleep with Ye Qingtian.
~~~~
Five Years Ago
That night, the rain was heavy, and darkness swallowed five-year-old Ye Ziyun's room, transforming familiar shadows into terrifying monsters for her.
A vivid nightmare gripped her, and she woke up, her heart pounding against her ribs, her small body trembling uncontrollably. "Daddy? Mommy?" she called, but her frightened voice was so soft no one could hear.
It was supposed to be her first night alone. She had promised her parents she was grown up, that she could sleep by herself.
But now...
Ye Ziyun trembled under the blanket. She hugged her white teddy bear tightly to her chest, already a little damp with her tears.
Suddenly...
A shadow in the corner of the room moved, or so she thought, and a sob escaped her lips.
The tears streamed even more, before she could try to hold them back. Silently, but bravely, she slipped out of bed, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor.
She went to her parents' room first, which was right next to hers. However, to her terror, the door was locked.
"...Mom?" she whispered, knocking gently. No response. No light. No footsteps. No comfort.
Then she did what her heart told her.
She ran.
She ran across the dark corridor with the bear in her arms and wet eyes, her messy hair swaying with each step. Upon reaching her older brother's bedroom door, she tried to open it.
Fortunately, it was open. There was moonlight there too, and a calm, familiar breath.
Ye Qingtian suddenly woke up to the sound of the door opening and raised himself slightly in bed, blinking slowly, watching that small, huddled figure holding the teddy bear.
"Ziyun?" he called, to confirm.
She said nothing. She just ran to him, jumped onto the mattress, and burrowed under the covers, curling up against his body with the bear clutched to her chest.
He was still half-asleep but hugged her automatically, feeling her body trembling and tears soaking his chest.
"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.
She just nodded, her face still hidden in his chest, finally calming down.
Ye Qingtian sighed and stroked his sister's purple hair. After that night, she always slept with him, or when she slept in her own room, she would wake up in the middle of the night to go sleep with him.
~~~
Present Time
Ye Qingtian shook his head and pulled the blanket up, covering her body. He first washed his face in a basin, then changed into something more comfortable.
After tying his hair with a white and blue ornament, he left the room, leaving Ye Ziyun in dreamland.
When he went down to the living room, he noticed that Ye Zhiqian and Ye Zhong were already present. Beside them was a middle-aged man with white hair and a thick beard. This was Ye Zhong's older brother and Ye Qingtian's uncle.
"Qingtian." Ye Zhong called him, in a serious tone. "I heard you're going to try the test to become an alchemist... is that true?"
"Yes, Father." Ye Qingtian admitted. "I've been studying for some time, and according to what I know, I'm 90% sure I can become an alchemist."
Ye Zhong looked deeply at him, before smiling and nodding. "Good, good, good. If you're so confident, let Ye Xiu accompany you there."
"Dear, where is your sister? Why hasn't she come down yet?" Ye Zhiqian interjected, noticing that Ye Ziyun hadn't appeared yet.
"She's in my room. Still sleeping." Qingtian pointed upwards, making the three smile bitterly.
"Very well then. Brat Qingtian, shall we go? I want to see where you get such confidence to become an alchemist. I'm warning you, it's not that simple. It requires a lot of knowledge." Ye Xiu suddenly said, catching Ye Qingtian's attention.
"All right, Uncle Xiu, I understand. I won't do something I'm not confident about." He smiled and then bid farewell to his parents.
"We'll see about that." Ye Xiu snorted, but a slight smile appeared on his face as the two left.
Ye Qingtian walked beside his uncle, Ye Xiu, towards the imposing headquarters of the Alchemist Association.
The city was bustling with the movement of merchants and passersby, all going about their daily routines.
"Remember, Brat Qingtian," Ye Xiu said, in a serious tone, "This profession isn't just about remembering formulas and techniques you've read in the library. It's about understanding the essence of both. So don't think you can become an alchemist just by remembering a few things you've read."
Ye Qingtian nodded, absorbing his uncle's words. He knew there might be an extra test, or something different, but he was prepared. Besides, for now, he only wanted to be an apprentice, so his current knowledge would be enough.
When it came to becoming an Alchemist Master, then a practical lesson and precise control of soul power would be necessary. But for now, that wouldn't be needed.
As they approached the Association, the grandeur of the building became evident. Tall columns supported the ornate ceiling, and ancient alchemical symbols decorated the outer walls. However, all this grandeur was empty, showing the current state of decline the association was in.
At the entrance, they were greeted by Xiao Lan, a young alchemist apprentice, who politely guided them inside the building.
Ye Xiu's presence immediately attracted the attention of the upper echelons, but upon seeing that he was bringing his nephew for the Apprentice test, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After a brief conversation and introduction, the three went to the main hall, which was filled with shelves of ancient books, flasks containing ingredients, and alchemical furnaces of various shapes.
Besides Xiao Lan, there was also an Alchemist Master sitting at the front of the hall, ready to correct Ye Qingtian's test.
Ye Qingtian first formally greeted him, then went to the place where he was instructed to take the test and sat down. Xiao Lan soon picked up a stack of sheets with several questions and handed them to Ye Qingtian.
"The alchemist apprentice exam consists of a single stage: a written test on alchemical theory. If your score is above 70%, you pass; otherwise, you can only try again in half a year."
"You have one hour to answer all the questions. Remember, read carefully." The Alchemist Master spoke gently, noticing that Ye Qingtian was the City Lord's son.
Ye Qingtian first read the questions slowly, making the Alchemist Master nod in appreciation, and seeing that all were relatively easy, he began to write. All were basic questions, entirely testing his prior knowledge of the subject.
He started by answering the most difficult ones, then moved on to the medium ones, and then the easiest. He didn't write like Nie Li, trying to finish everything quickly, but rather took his time.
In the end, almost at the end of an hour, he finally finished writing all the answers and stood up. "I'm done. Please, Master, see if it's correct."