"My home is at number twenty-two Baolu Lane, by the East City Gate in Liangxia. Tell my wife that under the bed, in the hidden compartment of the third pickled vegetable jar, there are two small gold fish. If she uses them sparingly, they should last until Bao'er is grown."
A pockmarked middle-aged man, his face etched with dread, suppressed his terror as he whispered his last words to Li Huowang.
This was today's Medicinal Guide for the Pill Room. Li Huowang could do nothing but commit the man's final words to memory.
Watching the trembling figure step into the Alchemy Room, Li Huowang turned and walked away, his expression irritable.
That was the eighth person. As time wore on, the number of people in the materials storeroom continued to shrink. What tormented him even more was the fact that he seemed to be getting used to it. The guilt from sending people to their deaths was steadily weakening.
He was being assimilated by Master Danyang, that repulsive bastard. He refused to let that happen.
Li Huowang was desperate to escape this twisted, torturous situation. He searched for a solution, but none was forthcoming. Relying on himself and the few disabled men in the storeroom, going up against the unfathomable Master Danyang was all but impossible.
The only things he knew for certain were that Master Danyang's "Lord You," which supposedly monitored the temple on the first and fifteenth of each month, didn't actually exist—it couldn't spy on them. Furthermore, Master Danyang was illiterate, and someone inside the Qingfeng Daoist Temple was reading the Heavenly Book for him.
Should I go to Master Danyang's quarters, find that person, and kill him? Among all the disciples in this cavern, I'm the only one who can read. He'd have no choice but to have me translate the Heavenly Book! When that happens, won't killing him be a piece of cake?
The idea had barely formed before Li Huowang dismissed it. He knew which cavern Danyang lived in, but he had no idea what traps might be inside. Moreover, he didn't know how strong the person reading the Heavenly Book was. If he just blundered in, he would probably die without ever knowing how.
Poison his alchemy ingredients? No. He taught me everything I know about alchemy. Trying to outsmart him in his own field would be suicide.
Li Huowang kept walking, his mind racing as he searched for a new way to deal with Master Danyang.
Just then, a sullen-faced young man in a Daoist Robe and a square-topped cap approached from the opposite direction. Li Huowang recognized him as Zhengkun, one of Master Danyang's Inner Sect Disciples.
Li Huowang didn't know much about him. Aside from the occasional meal, Zhengkun was practically invisible. Unlike Li Huowang and the other registered disciples, he wasn't burdened with the temple's daily chores. Li Huowang had no idea what he actually did with his time.
The two men passed each other. As Zhengkun's shoulder lightly brushed against his, Li Huowang bumped into him. For a moment, it felt like running into a block of cold iron.
Zhengkun stopped abruptly, turning to face him with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Xuanyang, you've been quite the standout in the temple lately. I hear Master is very pleased with you."
Li Huowang furrowed his brow, gave the man a glance, and turned to leave without a word.
But he had only taken two steps before a massive force slammed into his back, sending him stumbling forward. Li Huowang staggered for several steps and only just managed to keep himself from falling flat on his face.
"What's wrong, Junior Brother Xuanyang? Am I not worth listening to anymore?" With his arms crossed, Zhengkun stepped forward until he was right in Li Huowang's face.
"Senior Brother Zhengkun, I still need to sort the alchemy ingredients for Master," Li Huowang replied, his expression calm.
"Don't fucking use Master to pressure me. When I was on the run with him, you were still god-knows-where! Listen up, Xuanyang. Do your job quietly and keep your mouth shut about everything else. Don't be so clueless." Zhengkun's tone grew even harsher.
Li Huowang didn't get angry. Instead, he stared blankly at Zhengkun, his mind working. His temper is just as foul as Xuan Yuan said. But doesn't that also mean he's impulsive?
"Well? Cat got your tongue? Say something!"
Li Huowang's previously wooden expression suddenly came to life, a mocking lilt entering his voice. "Master values me for his own reasons. Even if he decided to teach me the Immortality Cultivation Technique, that would be his business. I'm afraid there's nothing Senior Brother Zhengkun could do about it, is there?"
Zhengkun froze, unable to immediately process that someone would dare speak to him like that.
When he recovered, his face twisted with rage. Forming a hand seal, he jabbed two fingers out like a small chisel, stabbing through his robe and deep into Li Huowang's left ribs.
"You? You think you're worthy? Master never even taught me the Immortality Cultivation Technique, and you think he'd teach you? Who the hell do you think you are? You're nothing but alchemy dregs!"
The intense pain nearly made Li Huowang pass out, but a grin spread across his face. He had guessed right.
"Heh... If Master didn't teach you, maybe it's because your aptitude is too low, Senior Brother Zhengkun. Immortal Cultivation is all about talent. Since you don't have any, you should stop letting Master waste his time on you."
These words seemed to touch Zhengkun's reverse scale. His fingers shot out again, stabbing Li Huowang three more times. "You alchemy dreg! Are you trying to die?!"
Despite the agony, Li Huowang's laughter only grew louder. "Hahaha! Go on, kill me! Let's see how Master reacts when he finds out his disciples are killing each other right here in his Daoist Temple!"
Watching Li Huowang's laughter grow from loud to manic, Zhengkun kicked out, sending him flying into the wall. "Hmph! You suicidal lunatic."
Li Huowang lay on the ground for a long time, struggling to catch his breath. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a pair of large hands reached down and helped him up.
"Hey, Junior Brother Xuanyang, why can't you just listen? I told you to be respectful to Zhengkun. Why did you have to go and provoke him?"
The speaker was the good-natured Xuan Yuan. Thanks to his easygoing personality, he was the only person in the Qingfeng Daoist Temple who would talk to Li Huowang.
Clutching his side under his arm, Li Huowang gritted his teeth. "So what? Is he going to kill me? Master's 'Lord You' is always watching. If any more disciples die, this temple won't be able to function."
"Lord You?" Xuan Yuan looked puzzled.
He doesn't know? A thought flashed through Li Huowang's mind. Is it possible the others don't know how Master monitors the entire Qingfeng Daoist Temple? Considering two of the recent deaths were Inner Sect Disciples, it's very likely they have no idea.
"It's nothing. I'm just saying he wouldn't dare."
"It's not that simple. He's an Inner Sect Disciple, and you're just a registered disciple. He wouldn't dare kill you, but he can make you 'wear tight shoes,' if you know what I mean. Making your life difficult would be effortless for him."
"Haha, I have small feet. I was made for tight shoes."
As he spoke with Xuan Yuan, a sly smile touched Li Huowang's lips. Zhengkun just let something slip. Even as an Inner Sect Disciple, he isn't qualified to learn the Immortality Cultivation Technique. That bastard Danyang doesn't trust anyone. But that's not the main point. The main point was the look in Zhengkun's eyes. When I claimed to have learned the technique, I clearly saw the intense resentment in his gaze. A disciple raised by someone like Danyang could never be truly loyal. This might be something I can use. I have to test it.