Equivalent exchange... Song Qing's mind was struck like a lightning bolt, as if his soul had been hit by something.

This kind of shock was like that of classical poetry to scholars.

Equivalent exchange is the unchanging principle of alchemy!

"Yes, that's right, it's like this..." Song Qing muttered to himself.

Whenever he successfully refined something, the corresponding raw materials would disappear or transform into something else.

This phenomenon had always existed, but few people paid attention to it. Or if they did notice, they didn't think too deeply about it.

"When our teacher taught us alchemy, he once said that the essence of alchemy is not 'transformation', but conversion!"

"So equivalent exchange, that's what it means..."

This concise sentence made the alchemy enthusiast Song Qing unable to stop trembling.

After calming his excited emotions, Song Qing began to ponder the meaning of the words "Edward Elric."

Is it a name?

Who has such a strange name?

Is it a code, or some kind of secret language in the field of alchemy?

Unable to figure it out, he became restless.

Song Qing took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and eagerly flipped to the next page, reading the distorted and ugly font with professionalism and patience.

The first sentence of the opening was: Enter the world of alchemy!

Is this teaching people how to enter the field of alchemy?

How arrogant! Song Qing thought.

Alchemy has always been taught through word of mouth, passed down from generation to generation. The talented could master it in a year or two, while the less gifted could spend thirty to fifty years without success.

Even to this day, the Bureau of Astronomy has no proper textbook.

But the opening preface gave Song Qing enough patience.

"Chapter One: Changes and Properties of Matter. There are many examples in nature that are invisible to the naked eye, which make up matter. There are many interactions between these matters, and they are constantly changing..."

"I classify these changes as chemical and physical changes..."

As Song Qing read on, he fell into contemplation.

What is chemistry?

What are atoms?

What am I reading?

Why can't I understand when I recognize every word?

The classics of the sages and their annotations, why is there nothing here?!

But Song Qing did not leave empty-handed. He keenly sensed that this was a one-of-a-kind book.

It explained the true face of the world and pointed out the most fundamental structure of all things.

Song Qing's body trembled slightly, and for a moment, he wanted to tear the book apart. This was a secret that only gods could know, and mortals should not pry into it.

But deep down, there was a force supporting him, the most primitive human desire for knowledge.

The alchemy room was silent.

The white-clad disciples looked at each other, not daring to disturb Song Qing's unpredictable expression.

"Is Senior Brother thinking about some unacceptable alchemy again?""Yes, last year he tried to refine the flesh and blood of a cat into a tree, so that even if it was cut off, it could grow back, but he was confined by the teacher of the Monitoring Bureau for a month."

Song Qing was immersed in his own world, both fearful and excited. As he read, his eyes suddenly lit up because he saw a detailed explanation of alchemy on how to refine tax silver.

Step one: filter the brine and purify sodium chloride (refined salt).

Step two: evaporate the brine and crystallize it, then melt it at a high temperature of 800 degrees Celsius.

Step three: Pay attention! This step is the key to refining tax silver, success or failure depends on this.

Song Qing was excited, finally, finally he would solve the problem that had been bothering him and his junior brothers for a long time.

This was truly a divine book.

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Song Qing realized he had reached the end of the page, he drooled on his fingertips and eagerly turned to the next page.

A blank page!

Song Qing: "???"

Nothing?!

There's nothing after this?

What is the third step, why is it not recorded? Who wrote this book? This kind of book written in fragments should be destroyed.

Song Qing spewed out a mouthful of old blood.

Song Qing opened his mouth, forgetting something, and said in a deep voice, "Who sent this book?"

"I didn't notice."

"I didn't hear."

"I forgot."

The junior brothers' answers were unusually honest.

Song Qing immediately went downstairs and found the disciple who had previously received Wang's head and asked him in detail about what had happened.

This was an exchange... Song Qing analyzed and came to this conclusion.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong with you?" The white-robed junior brothers followed him downstairs.

"What's wrong with this book?"

Song Qing's face was incomparably serious as he scanned everyone's face. "Listen to me, junior brothers. This is an opportunity that will make the Monitoring Bureau rise rapidly. It is a rare opportunity that alchemy may usher in unprecedented glory."

...

Mianyang Pavilion.

Two carriages slowly traveled on the official road, each carrying a scholar who had just finished speaking.

Xu Xinnian and his fellow students rode horses behind the carriages.

"I shouldn't have told the truth just now." Xu Xinnian regretted it.

The two scholars were arguing and about to fight. Xu Xinnian bluntly said that their teacher and Mr. Mu Bai only wanted to obtain an ancient poem.

The situation was once awkward.

Although Xu Xinnian prevented the two scholars from fighting, he also realized that telling the truth was not right.

"My mother was right, I've never been good at speaking, I have to change!" Xu Xinnian reflected on himself for the nth time.

He reached into his arms and touched the warm jade pendant. Xu Xinnian was enjoying himself when he saw a figure rushing towards him.

In a moment, the figure's silhouette appeared in his line of sight, it was his father, Xu Pingzhi.

Xu Xinnian was stunned for a moment, then urged his horse forward to meet him.

"Dad, why are you here..." After speaking, Xu Xinnian's heart sank. His father's expression made him realize that something was wrong, although he knew nothing about it.Xu Pingzhi quickly told Xu Xinnian about the incident.

The son of Zhou Shilang was harassing his sister on the street... and almost trampled Lingyin with his horse... His elder brother was taken to the Ministry of Justice... Xu Xinnian's blood boiled and his mind raced.

"Xinnian, it's up to you to save your elder brother's life."

"Don't worry, Father." Xu Xinnian quickly came up with an idea, turned his horse around, stopped the carriage, and shouted, "Teacher, Mr. Mubai, I have a request."

The curtain was lifted, and Zhang Shen and Li Mubai poked their heads out. "What's the matter?"

"My brother is in trouble, and I'm asking for your help, Teacher and Mr. Mubai." Xu Xinnian repeated what his father had told him.

Zhang Shen stared at him and said in a serious tone, "Is he the talented scholar who wrote 'Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for the whole world knows you'?"

His voice was solemn, as if this was very important.

"That's him!" Xu Xinnian nodded.

Zhang Shen was about to speak, but Li Mubai, who was in the carriage, interrupted him, "Xinjiu, leave your brother's matter to me. You and your teacher go back to the academy first."

"Hmph!" Zhang Shen snorted coldly, "Don't meddle in other people's business. I will handle my student's affairs."

Xu Pingzhi was overjoyed, never expecting his son to have such a big reputation.

"Teacher, Mr. Mubai, my brother has been taken to the Ministry of Justice. Please hurry and go there before something bad happens." Xu Xinnian urged anxiously.

At this time, there was no time for bickering.

PS: First, I wrote the wrong name for the building in the previous chapter. It's supposed to be "Observatory Tower," not "Star-Picking Tower," and it has been corrected.

Second, in the chapter about the Sheep Pavilion, the poem "Farewell to Dong" is a seven-character quatrain, not a seven-character regulated poem, which has four lines. I won't change the previous text, but I'm correcting it here.

Third, thank you to the esteemed "Poetry Cultivation" for the leader's reward.