I Stepped on a Bug, and the System Says I Slayed a Dragon?-Chapter 128: Beast Tide? What’s It to Me?

The day after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The weather turned a little cooler and the summer heat had somewhat subsided, but a lingering dryness remained in the air.

Inside the rented apartment, the Alchemy Copper Furnace roared as the Beast Fire blazed within.

SIZZLE—

Steam hissed from the edges of the Furnace Cauldron, letting out a sharp whine.

Qin Yang had woken up extra early, before the sky had even lightened, to refine Elixir Pills. In what felt like a blink of an eye, he had already successfully formed several.

"It’s so hot, Master."

Xiaobai fanned the air with a small fan, its eyes darting about as it stared restlessly at the three Small Jade Bottles on the table. "Can I have one bottle, Master?"

"They’re not for you. They’re useless for you at the Innate Realm."

Qin Yang spoke calmly as he extinguished the Beast Fire. He then opened the furnace, removed three perfectly round Elixir Pills, placed them into the Small Jade Bottles, stoppered them, and noted their corresponding labels.

He would be giving these three bottles of Elixir Pills to Li Qinghe, Li Zixuan, and Xia He later.

’The anomaly in last night’s sky had been strange. I should prepare for a rainy day and make sure the people I care about have something to protect themselves. After all, the future is unpredictable, and I can’t possibly hover over them every day like a nanny.’

Qin Yang put away the three Jade Bottles and left with Xiaobai, heading for the library.

「A short while later.」

When he arrived at the library, the first person he ran into was Li Qinghe, who was clocking in at the entrance at the same time.

"Morning, Master."

Li Qinghe greeted him with a wide smile and walked over. "Any news on Grandmaster’s return today?" she asked.

"Not yet. He’s off wandering the world."

Qin Yang took out a Jade Bottle and tossed it to her. "I found some time to make something for you."

"Hm?"

"Elixir Pills? You made these for me, Master?"

Li Qinghe paused, stunned. She deftly caught the Jade Bottle, uncorked it, and took a whiff. A fresh, fragrant pill aroma wafted out.

She looked up at Qin Yang, her expression one of disbelief. "You even know Alchemy?"

’Judging from the aroma wafting from the Jade Bottle, its quality is Upper Grade. It’s also a Spirit Medicine meant to aid Postnatal Realm cultivators, something priceless on the open market.’

’And Qin Yang was just giving it to me, just like that?’

"Just a little."

Qin Yang checked Li Qinghe’s Realm and added, "Your Cultivation is still at the Postnatal Realm, so this Qi Storage Pill is perfect for you."

"This..."

Li Qinghe sniffed the fragrance from the bottle’s mouth, utterly shocked. "Sword Dao, Array Dao, Alchemy... Is there anything you can’t do, Master?"

At her words, Qin Yang simply smiled without saying anything. After dropping off the Elixir Pills, he didn’t linger, heading straight down the long corridor to the rest area in Section 1.

At that moment, Li Zixuan was sitting there with her head down, jotting down notes on the Sword Dao and pondering a few difficult problems. The instant she looked up, her eyes met Qin Yang’s.

"Senior Brother, what brings you here?"

Pleasantly surprised, Li Zixuan quickly rose from her chair. She was usually the one seeking him out for guidance or bringing him breakfast.

This was the first time Qin Yang had ever come looking for her on his own initiative.

"Don’t get up. I’m just dropping something off for you, then I’ll be on my way."

Qin Yang gestured for her to sit down, then took out a Small Jade Bottle and placed it in the center of the table. "You just broke through to the Innate Realm," he said softly, "so your Realm is still unstable. You need something to help you regulate your energy. I refined some God Consolidating Pills for you."

"Okay, thank you, Senior Brother. I appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to."

Li Zixuan cradled the Small Jade Bottle in her hands, her pupils shimmering with excitement.

She had always been deeply impressed by her Senior Brother’s skill in Alchemy.

It was thanks to one of his Elixir Pills that she had been able to smoothly cross the threshold into the Innate Realm during her last breakthrough.

"Take one of these God Consolidating Pills every day at midnight. Just consider it a return gift for the mooncakes yesterday, Junior Sister."

"Okay, I understand, Senior Brother."

After distributing those two bottles of Elixir Pills, Qin Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He returned to Section 1 and began his usual routine of slacking off on the job.

The last bottle of Elixir Pills was for Xia He, meant to save her life if need be.

With that in mind, Qin Yang pulled out his phone and sent a message to Xia He, asking her to lunch.

...

「Before he knew it, it was noon.」

The weather was cool and the autumn wind rustled. In the open-air rest area outside the library, Xia He parked her police motorcycle by the curb. She took off her helmet, having arrived at the appointed location right on time.

"What’s up, Old Qin? Why’d you call me over in the middle of the day?"

Xia He pulled out a chair and sat across the table from him, asking suspiciously, "Don’t tell me someone was giving you trouble?"

"No, I just wanted to give you something."

Qin Yang handed over the last Small Jade Bottle with a smile. "You’ve probably finished the Elixir Pills I gave you last time, right? Here’s a restock for you."

"Holy shit, more of them?"

A look of pleasant surprise crossed Xia He’s face. She quickly took the bottle and examined the Small Jade Bottle. "Old Qin, you’re a true friend! That bottle of Elixir Pills you gave me last time was seriously potent. The effects were amazing!"

"Glad to hear it helped."

Qin Yang nodded. Remembering their phone call from yesterday, he remarked, "Working overtime during the holiday... you guys at the Bureau must be busy."

"We’ve been swamped lately, Old Qin. The Bureau has a big mission, and we’re mass-recruiting from all over the city... Speaking of which, you wanna sign up?"

Xia He twirled the Small Jade Bottle in her hand. "I’m not even exaggerating, with your Alchemy skills alone, you’d be highly valued by the Bureau... So? What do you think? Any interest?"

"Join the Star Martial Police Bureau?"

Hearing this, Qin Yang shook his head and waved his hand dismissively without a second thought. "Forget it. Ask someone else. I’m not interested."

’Working day and night at the Star Martial Police Bureau, plus doing fieldwork...? How could that ever compare to my cushy library job?!’

"Alright then. If you ever change your mind, just let me know."

Xia He wasn’t surprised that Qin Yang had refused. Instead, she changed the subject, reminding him, "You should be careful lately, though. Don’t go wandering around the outskirts. I heard a Beast Tide is coming."

"A Beast Tide?"

Qin Yang’s brows furrowed as he caught the keyword.

His only knowledge of a Beast Tide came from books.

That was the Jianghai City Beast Tide from twenty years ago, which had been suppressed by a joint force of powerful masters.

"Old Qin, don’t go spreading this Beast Tide news around. It’s all internal intel from the Bureau," Xia He whispered. "I’ve only told you. I haven’t even told my own dad..."

The two of them chatted for a while longer.

Qin Yang made a mental note of the Beast Tide, but he didn’t dwell on it.

After all, a Beast Tide occurred once every twenty years; it was almost a routine event at this point.

The Star Martial Police Bureau had methods for dealing with it.

And he was just a regular citizen. ’It’s best for me to just live my life in peace.’

Time slipped by as they chatted, and soon it was time for his afternoon shift to start. Xia He stood up, tightened her belt, and then suddenly seemed to remember something. She leaned in close and whispered:

"Old Qin, since you’re so good at Alchemy now, could you make something for me? I have the recipe."

"What is it?"

Qin Yang asked, puzzled. "Depends on what it is."

"It’s... something for, you know, male enhancement. A buddy of mine wants some..." Xia He said, looking awkward. "Please... Old Qin..."

Before she could even finish, Qin Yang’s expression darkened.

"Get lost!"