Master of Ten Thousand Foxes-Chapter 96 - 80: The Frightened White Claw (Double Length!)
The sky was densely covered with dark clouds, and a fierce wind howled through the mountains.
On Fox Mountain Square, the alchemy had already begun.
The roaring fires boiled the potion within the tripod furnace, causing bubbles to rise and thick steam to roll upwards.
A high platform was erected directly above the tripod furnace.
White Claw squatted on this platform, flicking its tail, waiting to perform its task.
It glanced at the Roadside Flower beside it, which was already in bloom, with its petals tender and delicate.
Looking down from above, it saw fellow apprentices performing their respective tasks. Some were adding wood to the fire, some pounding herbs to extract juice, some were running back and forth, and others were stirring at the edge of pots.
It saw the master moving around the square, occasionally issuing various commands.
It recalled its task again... to keep an eye on the tripod furnace from above, and when a bubble the size of Big Head’s head emerged, it would pluck a petal and throw it down.
It craned its neck from the high platform, trying to see the bubbles rising in the potion below.
But it discovered something amiss!
The white steam rising from the pot obscured the water surface!
It couldn’t see the bubbles rising within!
"Awo?"
Just as it was panicking, suddenly a gust of wind blew away the white steam from the tripod furnace, revealing the water surface.
"Ying."
It looked down and saw Big Head holding a gigantic palm-leaf fan, fanning away the vapor beside the tripod furnace.
White Claw grinned.
Was this all within the master’s plans?
...
"Speed up, juice these black-veined potatoes, and pour the starch water into pot number two."
"When pounding herbs, don’t look at it. The steam from these herbs can hurt your eyes."
"Increase the fire on the tripod furnace further, put in a large piece of charcoal."
Bai Mo roamed around the square, issuing various orders to the apprentices.
This potion used the unconventional Roadside Flower, making the process a bit more complex, with new elements. He roamed the square, arranging tasks and checking for any issues.
...
The high platform above the tripod furnace.
White Claw tended to the Roadside Flower, craning its head to see the tripod furnace below. It noticed the potion had started bubbling! One small bubble after another popped up from the surface!
It furrowed its brow, squinting its eyes, and suddenly noticed something amiss!
The master had said to wait for a bubble the size of Big Head’s head. But it suddenly doubted its eyesight... Could it accurately judge the size of the bubbles?
"Awo?"
It suddenly saw Big Head fanning with the palm-leaf fan beside the tripod furnace.
Big Head’s head was right next to the tripod furnace, perfect for comparison!
"Ying."
White Claw grinned.
Was this within the master’s plans too?
...
More and more ingredients were thrown into the tripod furnace, the potion within continuously "glugged" as it boiled, its color changing from clear to white, then yellow to red, turning from clear to murky, from murky to thick soup, and from thick soup to an oily texture.
White Claw craned its neck from the high platform above, watching the potion’s surface, spotting a bubble in the center as big as Big Head’s head who was fanning beside!
It immediately drew its head back, extended a front paw to pluck a petal from the Roadside Flower.
Its eyes sharp and discerning, it saw every delicate vein on the petal.
Having plucked many petals before, it knew how to take hold and how to apply force.
Splat!
With a light, crisp sound, the Roadside Flower shook violently, and a whole petal was plucked off by White Claw.
It grinned and tossed the petal off the high platform, letting it fall towards the potion below.
There was a gap of several floors between the high platform and the tripod furnace, and the petal fluttered downwards, quickly absorbing the steam from the tripod furnace, becoming fuller, denser, heavier, and descending faster!
Splosh!
It fell into the tripod furnace, breaking the central bubble and dropping into the potion.
Above the high platform, White Claw grinned.
...
As time went by, the entire process had reached its final stage.
Most of the fox apprentices, having completed their tasks, stood by, waiting for the final completion.
Bai Mo sat down on a reclining fishing chair, waiting quietly.
Above the high platform, White Claw saw the Roadside Flower beside it was now bare, with only the last petal remaining.
It looked at the tripod furnace below; the potion was bubbling again, the bubbles as big as Big Head’s head.
Cautiously, White Claw plucked the last petal, extended it off the high platform, and let it drop.
The task was complete, and it hadn’t messed up!
It squinted, a smile spread across its fox face.
Just at this moment...
A sudden gust of wind in the mountains, as if by coincidence, and with intent, collided with the petal White Claw had just released!
Whoosh...
With the sound of the wind, the petal was instantly sent flying afar!
"Awo?"
With the last petal gone, could the potion still be completed?
Fox Mountain had prepared for so long, how could it fail?
How could it go wrong at the petal, with it messing up?
White Claw widened its eyes, instinctively stretched out its body, reaching its front paw to catch, to grab that petal flying with the wind... unable to reach, it tried harder...
It suddenly realized its body felt weightless, realizing that in its urgency, it had leaned too far out off the high platform! The entire fox began to fall down, about to plunge into the "gurgling" boiling tripod furnace!
"Ying?"
Was it about to fall into the pot?
White Claw’s heart was in chaos, its entire body rigid...
Swish!
The scruff of its neck was firmly grasped by a slender hand.
It was Bai Mo!
He had unknowingly arrived on the high platform, scooping up White Claw, holding it in his arms, looking slightly reproachfully at this clumsy apprentice.
