Chu Xingchen's words made Ah Nian instantly doubt her earlier diagnosis.
After all, it was hard to imagine that someone on the brink of death, with only a breath left, would react so violently to a pill they had swallowed.
It was as if swallowing this pill was more terrifying than death itself.
Zhao Wanqing reacted quickly, rushing forward to pin down her brother's only movable left hand.
This pill was their last hope. Even if he died today, he would die with the pill in his system!
Li Yingling, on the other hand, sighed and shook her head as she watched the scene unfold.
Her master's alchemy skills seemed to have reached a new level.
Not in terms of efficacy, but in the realm of being utterly unpalatable. After all, the man before them might only have to endure this once, but as his disciple, she…
From now on, she would have her junior brother taste-test all the pills their master concocted…
With his only movable left hand pinned down, Zhao Zhengyang could only tremble in place, his face twisted in agony.
Ah Nian quickly stepped forward, swiftly probing the condition inside Zhao Zhengyang's body.
Soon, she breathed a sigh of relief. The medicinal liquid was effective. She could clearly sense that Zhao Zhengyang's injuries were gradually healing, and it wouldn't be long before he recovered enough for her to treat him properly.
Ah Nian quickly said, "Hold him down. He's getting better now."
With a casual wave of his hand, Chu Xingchen released a surge of spiritual energy, immobilizing Zhao Zhengyang completely.
"Thank you, Senior," Zhao Wanqing said, letting go of her brother's hand, her face filled with gratitude.
Chu Xingchen, however, showed no joy, nodding coldly. "It's nothing."
Zhao Wanqing tried to comfort him, "Senior, there's no need to… After all, good medicine is bitter."
Chu Xingchen raised his hand to interrupt her, "It's fine… If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
He was exhausted. The young man's reaction had truly embarrassed him.
Today's incident had also been witnessed by Li Yingling. He wouldn't be surprised if his mischievous disciple started calling him the "Deadly Alchemist" behind his back.
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior. The spirit stones will be delivered to your residence shortly."
Zhao Wanqing hurriedly escorted Chu Xingchen and Li Yingling out of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Ah Nian watched their retreating figures before trotting over to the cauldron Chu Xingchen had used to refine the pill.
Her curious gaze fell on the residual medicinal herbs inside, and she carefully identified each one.
She recognized all the herbs used. None of them were particularly expensive, so why did the pill refined with this method seem so much more potent than those made with conventional techniques?
This new method was something she might have to try herself.
Unlike Zhao Wanqing, who had tasted the pill, Ah Nian thought Zhao Zhengyang's violent reaction was due to the pill's overwhelming potency.
She reached out her small hand, intending to sample the leftover dregs to understand the medicinal principles at play.
Just as she was about to do so, Zhao Wanqing, who had just returned from seeing Chu Xingchen off, stepped into the clinic and saw Ah Nian's reckless act. She immediately shouted,
"Stop!"
Ah Nian turned her head in confusion, but her finger had already dipped into the cauldron.
Zhao Wanqing walked over, her expression serious. "Whatever you do, don't taste it!"
"Why not?!" Ah Nian asked, puzzled. "I've never seen this alchemy method before, and the effects are so powerful."
"Because the pill is a bit…" Zhao Wanqing thought for a moment, struggling to describe the sensation. It wasn't just the bitterness, but the overwhelming sense of revulsion it caused.
Zhao Wanqing carefully chose her words, "The pill is a bit… sinister!"
Sinister?!
Ah Nian had never believed in such things. Hearing this, she didn't hesitate to put her finger in her mouth.
She recognized every herb used, and none of them were poisonous. How sinister could it be? It wasn't like it could kill her.
Soon.
Ah Nian understood exactly what "sinister" meant.
A scream erupted from the Demon Suppression Bureau's clinic:
"Mom! Help!!! I'm dying!!!"
On his way back, Chu Xingchen was unaware that his single attempt at pill-making had left two people in despair.
At the moment, he was lost in thought, brooding over how to improve the taste of his pills.
Li Yingling, with a gentle expression, looked at her master with warmth in her eyes.
Chu Xingchen frowned, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm encouraging you, Master!" Li Yingling nodded, offering praise.
"Encouraging me? Didn't I cure the illness?"
"Of course you did! Master, you're amazing!"
Her tone sounded eerily similar to the way he sarcastically praised her.
Chu Xingchen glared at her, "You rebellious disciple! How dare you mock your master?!"
Li Yingling, of course, couldn't admit to it. She put on a serious expression, "Even you can't accuse me of that, Master. I would never dare to mock you."
Chu Xingchen seized the opportunity, "In that case, congratulations, Li Yingling, my dear disciple. From now on, you will be the first to taste all the pills I refine."
Li Yingling's face fell instantly. This was a matter of life and death. She quickly begged for mercy, "I was wrong, Master! I admit it!"
Chu Xingchen ignored her pleas completely.
Smiles are contagious.
This time, the smile transferred from Li Yingling's face to Chu Xingchen's.
And so did the joy.
Ignoring his disciple's continuous pleas, Chu Xingchen walked back to the courtyard with a spring in his step.
"Surely the best master in the world will forgive his disciple's careless words, right?"
At the courtyard gate, Li Yingling was still trying to salvage the situation. This was no joking matter. If her master was serious, Li Yingling felt her future was doomed.
Her master's pills… well, those who tasted them knew.
As Chu Xingchen pushed open the gate, he chuckled, "Guess."
"Guess what?"
The response didn't come from Li Yingling but from Yaoqin, who was sitting on a stone chair in the courtyard.
Chu Xingchen turned, surprised, "What brings you here?"
"Not welcome?" Yaoqin replied, casually tossing a spirit stone in her hand.
Chu Xingchen's eyes lit up. Could she be here to deliver the spirit stones?
"Of course, you're welcome. I just didn't want to be a poor host."
Chu Xingchen quickly sat down on the stone chair, "Are you here to settle the spirit stones?"
Yaoqin shook her head, "The spirit stones I owe you will take a bit more time."
Chu Xingchen glanced at the spirit stone in her hand, "…Then why are you waving that around? Are you teasing me?"
Yaoqin retorted, "This is the blood-qi spirit stone you gave me."
Chu Xingchen's eyes lit up again. Compared to the spirit stones in his spatial ring, the ones Yaoqin owed him were insignificant.
"You succeeded?"
"Mhm. The incident at the Zen Forest Temple yesterday gave me some inspiration. I tried it out when I got back, and to my surprise, it worked."
Yaoqin lifted her chin proudly, as if waiting for Chu Xingchen's praise.
Inspiration from the Zen Forest Temple?
A terrible suspicion suddenly crossed Chu Xingchen's mind.
He asked cautiously, "Don't tell me… you used faith power to solve it?"
Yaoqin nodded, "Exactly. Faith power worked wonders on the blood-qi."
Hearing this, Chu Xingchen felt like he'd been punched in the gut.
How was this any different from not solving it at all? Where was he supposed to get enough faith power to purify all those spirit stones?
Holding onto a sliver of hope, Chu Xingchen asked again,
"How much faith power does it take to purify one spirit stone's blood-qi?"
"About half and half, but the faith power consumption is slightly less."