An ancient leather binding creaked softly under Barnaby Holt’s calloused thumb.
Evening had settled over White-Lotus Mountain, cloaking the upper terraces in deep indigo shadows. Inside the small stone herb shed just outside Cold-Spring Grotto, a single oil lamp cast warm amber circles across the pine workbench.
Barnaby carefully smoothed flat the dark, weathered flyleaf of Claire Vance’s old recipe book. Beside him stood Alchemist Linnea, her round spectacles reflecting the faint silver runes that shimmered across the worn leather.
Across the table, Sera Thorne leaned against the wall, her dark leather brigandine unbuckled at the throat and her storm-pike resting in the corner.
“Look closely at the third stanza,” Barnaby said in a low, raspy whisper. “Master Ash never hid things where fools could find them. She pressed this formula directly into the cured dragon-hide backing before the book was even stitched.”
Linnea leaned forward, her fingers trembling as she traced the glowing silver watermark.
“Tier 4 Nine-Turn Lotus Renewal Pill,” Linnea read aloud, her voice tight with awe. “A legendary sovereign formula. It doesn’t merely soothe damaged meridians like a standard healing tonic. It completely re-knits a shattered Golden Core dantian from the root.”
Sera stepped closer, her sharp eyes studying the ancient script.
