Chapter Sixty-Four: A Gift of Elixirs

The wooden box was as black as ink, its surface painted with lines of talismanic bird-script. There was no lock; instead, a single crimson jade chain was tightly wound around it as a binding. Though each box was no larger than a palm, it seemed as if within them raged a wild, unbroken steed, battering the wood with a resounding clatter, so much so that even the dark-faced Daoist could barely keep hold of them, and they threatened to leap from his grasp at any moment.

“Crafted from a hundred-year-old yin locust, the box is anchored by the essence of jade and spirit. At dawn, the yang fire is kindled and then quenched in what is called a cleansing; at noon, the yin talisman is withdrawn, the fire stilled—also a cleansing. This is a most refined method of sealing and nurturing a pill,” said Wei Lingjiang, her flawless features showing a trace of surprise. “These two objects must never cease their breath, inhaling and exhaling in turn. By seizing this moment of cleansing, the spirit and breath are harmonized. When the vital force is full, the barrier is broken—the pill is complete… I have only heard that the Master of Huaiwu Cave is of vast powers, having subdued three great demons when ascending to the Cave Profundity, compelling them to reform. Yet I did not know your esteemed master possessed such methods of alchemy. I am humbled.”

The outer alchemy of gold and yellow also adhered to the principles of ruler, minister, assistant, and courier, nurturing the embryo for ten months. If the timing was insufficient and the three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—were not gathered, forcing the furnace would not only ruin the cinnabar cauldron but also doom the pill. Clearly, this box held a newly formed elixir, not yet matured, not ready for consumption. Such a configuration nourished the true seed and preserved its medicinal nature—a truly superior sealing and nurturing technique.

The dark-faced Daoist was even more startled by these words, his expression growing solemn. “You have a keen eye, my friend! Clearly, you are well-read in the Daoist texts, far beyond my own learning. Yet, this method was not devised by my master—he never practiced alchemy. It was the handiwork of my mistress,” he said with a shake of his head and a smile. “My mistress is the daughter of the Great General Lingzhao Xianying, who serves under the Dragon Lord of the Eastern Sea. The general once trained with the Jade Immortal Sect and gained many exquisite methods, which he then passed to his daughter.”

“What? The Jade Immortal Sect?” Chen Heng was slightly taken aback. Was it truly the Jade Immortal Sect, one of the Eight Sects and Six Schools? Was the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea on such close terms with such a profound sect that even one of its generals could enter the Jade Immortal gates to study?

“Great General Lingzhao Xianying? That’s a formidable name! Ha! I should give myself one like that!” Qingzhi’s eyes sparkled, but after a moment, her expression fell. “Wait, is it that one? Even he—” Before she could finish, Wei Lingjiang, her face expressionless, pinched her plump cheeks, squeezing them into the shape of a goldfish so that she could only puff her lips and not utter a sound.

“Um, what’s wrong with this little one?” The Daoist was at a loss, finding her pouting and bubbling rather comical.

“It’s nothing. Her ailment has acted up again—if she goes three days without a beating, she feels unwell and grows a rebellious bone at the back of her head,” Wei Lingjiang replied blandly. “Please continue, Daoist brother. I have never heard these secrets and am most curious.”

“Oh, not at all! If my rambling does not bore you, let me speak a little more!” The dark-faced Daoist was delighted, swelling with pride at the fascination his sect’s stories inspired.

Chen Heng, too, had never heard such tales and was happy to listen and gain some insight. Only Wei Lingjiang, after releasing Qingzhi, mused to herself, “Great General Lingzhao Xianying… I recall that’s an old flood dragon. When Qingzhi secretly slipped off to the Eastern Sea, she encountered him—he was wild and unruly, and she beat him soundly a few times. But that old flood dragon was once subdued by Master Junyao after some offense and used as a beast of burden to pull his cart. How could that count as entering the Jade Immortal Sect to study? Clearly, the tale is exaggerated.”

Yet even as a beast of burden, the old flood dragon did not last long. After six months of hauling the cloud carriage, he was released and sent back to the Eastern Sea because he was too slow and the load too heavy. How this story transformed into rumors of him learning Daoist arts at the Jade Immortal Sect was anyone’s guess.

“But wasn’t that old dragon notoriously miserly? Qingzhi intervened because he treated his offspring too harshly… Has he grown so generous now, willing to pass on such secrets of pill-sealing?” Wei Lingjiang gently shook her head and let the matter drop. Perhaps the old dragon had changed, or perhaps this Daoist’s mistress was especially favored. Whatever the case, speculation was pointless.

Meanwhile, the dark-faced Daoist and Chen Heng had struck up a lively conversation, parting with much left unsaid.

“If you wish to purchase anything, ‘Treasure Gathering Pavilion’ is the best place. It’s an old merchant house, handed down for centuries. The shopkeepers are all cultivators of the third rank, honest and upright—they won’t cheat you,” the Daoist said cheerfully. “To be frank, even my master sends me there for rare ingredients. Once, I even saw a wondrous artifact on display—truly extravagant!”

“Thank you for your advice, Brother Luo. I will remember it,” Chen Heng replied with a bow. From their conversation, he learned that the dark-faced Daoist’s name was Luo Zhang, one of the many disciples of the Master of Huaiwu Cave.

This alchemist was famously open-minded, accepting disciples from all walks—noble or pauper, so long as fate allowed, one could enter his tutelage and pursue the Way of longevity.

Because of this, the Master of Huaiwu Cave had hundreds of disciples, and if one counted those not yet accomplished, nearly a thousand.

“No need for such formality, Brother. It was mere idle talk,” Luo Zhang said with a squinting smile. “But back to business! In these two wooden boxes are two Crane Embryo Pills. My master asked me especially to deliver them to you both. Please, do not refuse, or I will be in a difficult position!”

“I fear this is not proper,” Wei Lingjiang demurred, shaking her head. “The Crane Embryo Pill is among the finest for practitioners of vital energy. Even a single pill can advance one’s cultivation greatly. I have done nothing to deserve this kindness.”

Luo Zhang was momentarily flustered. According to him, the Master of Huaiwu Cave had come in person to the Golden Mist Boat after meeting them, entrusting the pills to him for delivery. If he failed, it would be a small matter to be scolded, but wasting his master’s kindness was another thing entirely. So Luo Zhang set aside pleasantries and pleaded earnestly until at last, the two accepted the pills, and his face broke into a broad smile.

“That’s better, that’s better,” he sighed in relief. “My master is the most easygoing of men, always speaking of fate and affinity. Both of you are exceptional—were you not already committed, he might have gained two more disciples!”

Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang both offered their thanks. Only Qingzhi was disgruntled, as there were only two pills and none for her, whether by oversight or intent.

“Your body has not yet reached the embryonic breathing stage. The fire of your body and the fire of the medicine are not in harmony. If you took it, it would burst you from within—stop being petulant…” Seeing her sulking, Wei Lingjiang could only comfort her gently until at last, her frown faded.

Just as Wei Lingjiang breathed a sigh of relief, she once again met a pair of eyes brimming with curiosity.

“…Not again,” Wei Lingjiang felt a sudden, inexplicable weariness.

“Senior sister, what did you mean earlier by ‘using cleansing to harmonize the spirit’? And about the body and medicinal nature—”

“I’ll explain when we return. Don’t ask now!” Wei Lingjiang snapped, instantly regretting the ambiguity of her words, but it was too late to take them back. She glared at Chen Heng.

“Understood. I await your instruction,” Chen Heng replied with a bow, a hint of a smile at his lips.

To Wei Lingjiang, that smile could only be one of mischief or schadenfreude—infuriating! She clenched her hands in her sleeves, wishing she could smash her fist into that sanctimonious face!

Luo Zhang managed to suppress his laughter, stopped the Golden Mist Boat at Floating Jade Lake’s Red Leaf Isle, and handed each of them a token before departing with a few more words.

These tokens served as proof of lodging on the isles—those who possessed them could freely choose a room at the “Immortal Guesthouse.” With the opening of the “Golden Valley Market” approaching, even with hundreds of isles, there was not enough space for so many cultivators. The guesthouse rooms had long been booked; those without could only sleep on their own boats or carve out a cave in the surrounding mountains.

It was customary for any orthodox sect, upon establishing itself, to bestow gifts widely to demonstrate goodwill with its neighbors. Even Ai Jian, who once slaughtered his way through righteous and demonic sects alike, showered wealth upon every Daoist who came to witness the founding of the Xuan Zhen Sect.

The Master of Huaiwu Cave was, of course, even more generous. The “Golden Valley Market” was a place where fortunes changed hands daily, and the old master was known for his largesse—his gifts would only be greater.

Thus, many free cultivators came from afar, some bringing their entire families, hoping for a share. Even with many isles, demand far outstripped supply. Some, too proud to sleep on boats or in rough caves, would pay exorbitant prices for even the smallest room, driving prices ever higher.

Luo Zhang had reserved many rooms months in advance, intending to sell them at a profit. But out of goodwill for Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang, who had earned his master’s favor, he generously offered them tokens, insisting they accept.

Had it been up to Chen Heng, he would have carved out a cave and owed no favors. But since Wei Lingjiang’s token had already been snatched up by Qingzhi, he could only accept for now and repay Luo Zhang later.

…

“It’s just lodging, but I heard some pay fifty or sixty talisman coins for a superior room,” Chen Heng remarked, glancing around. “These Daoists are truly wealthy.”

“Do you think the rooms are just for living?” Wei Lingjiang replied coolly. “The spiritual energy here is far richer than elsewhere. I suspect the ‘Immortal Guesthouse’ and others like it are arrayed with spirit-gathering formations, distributing energy according to the grade of the room. What they fight for is not the room, but the qi itself.”

Ordinary spirit-gathering arrays did not compare to true spirit veins or the miraculous Jade Mother Pools, but they could still draw in spiritual energy. Such arrays required constant maintenance by experts and were far less convenient than a Jade Mother Pool, which was almost an artificial spirit vein, touched by Heaven’s own rhythm.

Within the Xuan Zhen Sect, only the elders and chief stewards had spirit-gathering arrays in their abodes—Chen Heng had never set foot in them himself.

“Is that so?” Chen Heng frowned. “It seems I owe Brother Luo quite a favor.”

“You dislike owing others?” Wei Lingjiang asked.

“And do you, Senior Sister?” Chen Heng shot back mildly.

“Yet you owe me a favor, don’t you, junior brother?”

For a moment, a faint smile blossomed in Wei Lingjiang’s eyes, as radiant as petals kissed by dew. “How will you repay the favor you owe me?”

Red leaves burned like fire, dazzling and beautiful. This isle, named Red Leaf Island, was planted with great maples that never shed their foliage. As the wind stirred, fiery leaves shimmered in the air, a truly lovely sight.

The exquisite young lady, dressed in a gown trailing on the ground, her eyes bright as autumn water, her smile unguarded at last, was breathtaking. Carefree and elegant, she was the picture of grace beneath the trees.

Chen Heng looked at her quietly and said, “What does senior sister mean?”

“May I ask your name?”

“Why not tell me yours first?”

“I…” Wei Lingjiang hesitated for a heartbeat. “I am Wen Ning.”

Chen Heng caught the flicker of hesitation in her eyes and replied coolly, “Chen Baxian.”

“…”

Wei Lingjiang glanced at him, her smile vanishing. Without a word, she turned and strode into the nearby “Immortal Guesthouse.”

“Are you two idiots? If either of you ever finds a Daoist partner, I’ll take your surname,” Qingzhi laughed, spreading her hands. “But one can only bear a single surname, not two.”

Chen Heng, unmoved, followed after her into the “Immortal Guesthouse.”

…

The next day, at Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The steward in purple stared in shock at the dozens of storage pouches laid before him, stunned. “How many did you—”

“Nonsense!” The steward kicked the talkative attendant aside and said politely to Chen Heng, who sat across the table sipping tea, “This is monster-slaying, demon-cleansing! Your skills are extraordinary indeed!”