Chapter 111: Death Aura
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe
Pu!
He thought that the other party would speak of some theory to convince him of it. Hearing his words, however, Apothecary Chen Xiao almost puked blood.
[Just because I’m not eating or sleeping well, you say that I’m going to die? You’re the one who is going to die, your family is the one who is going to die...]
Not just him, the other examiners also glared at him furiously.
Apothecary Chen Xiao was an esteemed figure in the circle of apothecaries and they had always respected him. Yet, this fellow dared to curse him straight to his face. [Do you dare to spout any more nonsense?]
"I have been an apothecary for many years. Even though I have been stuck at this level for very long, I have been working diligently and studying hard to improve myself! I might not be a talented genius, but I am well aware of my body's condition. The reason why I haven’t been sleeping well and eating well is because of the numerous miscellaneous affairs in my household I tend recently. There hasn't been anything off about my physical condition other than that. So, why do you say that I’m about to die?"
Apothecary Chen Xiao harrumphed.
Apothecaries often came into contact with medicinal pills and even though they were inferior to physicians in terms of diagnosing, they were still slightly learned in the aspect.
"You aren't wrong. There isn't anything wrong with your body!" Zhang Xuan calmly replied to the suspicions he rose.
"Nothing wrong? Then, what are you talking about?"
"How spiteful, how can you take these words as a joke!"
"This is a Pill Debate, not a session for you to curse Apothecary Chen Xiao!"
...
Upon hearing him admit that there was nothing wrong with Apothecary Chen Xiao's body, everyone started to bellow at him angrily.
If there was something wrong with his body, they could let this matter slip. However, since there was nothing wrong with his body, how could such nonsense be acceptable?
Feeling baffled, Ouyang Cheng and the others stared at him.
"Hehe!"
Zhang Xuan was completely nonchalant to the rebuke of the crowd. He simply smiled lightly and said, "Who says that one cannot die if there's nothing wrong with their body?"
"What do you mean?"
Upon seeing his calmness and confidence, Apothecary Chen Xiao felt goosebumps rising all over him. Just as he was about to continue questioning him, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Since you don't believe me, let's first take a look at the pill!"
At which, the eyes of the crowd fixated on the Tranquil Heart Pill Apothecary Chen Xiao had just forged.
"Apothecary Chen Xiao is a level-headed and calm person. He has reached a high level of mastery in his skills in forging pills and if I were to forcibly speak of a flaw of his, none of you will believe me. It would be troublesome to verify my claims as well!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "Since that's the case, I won't talk about the flaws in his forging method. I shall just talk about this pill here. Just like the one Apothecary Meng Yan forged, if this Tranquil Heart Pill is consumed by a cultivator, it would aggravate his anxiety and even cause his death!"
"What?"
"I have been examining Apothecary Chen Xiao's method in forging the pills closely and there isn't the slightest mistake in his actions. Furthermore, his pill has reached the level of Perfection, so how can it worsen one's anxiety?"
"This isn't a place for you to spout nonsense!"
No one believed Zhang Xuan's words at all.
The reason why there was a problem with the Tranquil Heart Pill that Meng Yan forged was because he killed his concubine, resulting in the killing intent in his body to billow such that even he was unable to curb it. On the other hand, Apothecary Chen Xiao had a calm nature, which was compatible with the state of mind one required to forge Tranquil Heart Pill. If so, how could it worsen one's anxiety?
[Even if you wish to spout nonsense, you should’ve had something better to say!]
"If you don't believe me, we can try it out! There are Pill Sample Beasts here!" Zhang Xuan pointed to the cage.
Other than the two that were exercising together, there were still other Pill Sample Beasts in the cage which were lying calmly by the side.
"Let's give it a try then!'
An apothecary who didn't believe his words casually picked up a Tranquil Heart Pill and placed it into the mouth of a Pill Sample Beast.
After consuming the Tranquil Heart Beast, the Pill Sample Beast didn't get agitated as the previous one did. It also didn't grab another one of its kind to exercise on it. Instead, it laid by a corner, not moving at all.
"How is it? A Tranquil Heart Pill can calm a person's mental state. The lack of movement in this Pill Sample Beast means that the pill is taking effect. What else do you have to say?"
The apothecary harrumphed.
The others also looked toward Zhang Xuan.
Previously, Zhang Xuan said that consuming this Heart Pill Beast would worsen one's anxiety. Now, it was clear that the pill was working as it should and there wasn't anything queer about it. They were curious to see how he would answer.
"Give it a moment!"
Zhang Xuan didn't say anything else and simply sat quietly on his chair.
After ten minutes, the Pill Sample Beast still didn't move at all. At this point, the apothecary who fed the Pill Sample Beast the pill couldn't hold it in any longer, "See, it hasn't moved at all. This clearly shows that the Tranquil Heart Pill is working as it should. Are you trying to waste our time by having us wait?"
"It's okay now!"
Zhang Xuan said.
"It's okay?"
The apothecary frowned, "What do you mean? It is clear that this Pill Sample Beast isn't anxious in the least given how it is still lying quietly by the corner. How do you want us to see?"
"The reason why it is lying quietly by the corner doesn't necessarily mean that the Tranquil Heart Pill has taken effect. It can also mean that... it is dead!"
Zhang Xuan said.
"Dead?"
The apothecary was taken aback. He immediately rushed forward, opened the cage and grabbed the Pill Sample Beast out. With a single glance, his eyes narrowed abruptly "This... This... How is this possible?"
The Pill Sample Beast in his hand had already breathed its last. Its body was already starting to turn cold.
How long had it been?
To turn cold within ten minutes, it meant that it had died a short moment after consuming the pill!
"It's really dead?"
"The Tranquil Heart Pill should only calm a person's spirits, so why would it kill a Pill Sample Beast?"
"A Pill Sample Beast's constitution is suited for testing pills, it is impossible for ordinary pills to kill it. What... is going on?"
...
A commotion broke out.
After eating a Tranquil Heart Pill... the Pill Sample Beast died?
If a cultivator were to consume it, wouldn't it mean his demise as well?
"This... This..."
Apothecary Chen Xiao's complexion darkened. He retreated several steps consecutively and disbelief could be seen in his eyes, "This is impossible... I followed the forging method strictly, there isn't the slightest error in it. Even if I fail to form a pill, it shouldn't turn into poison. Why was the Pill Sample Beast poisoned to death..."
It was a huge crime for an apothecary to poison someone to death through the pills he forged. He had never met with such an incident throughout his entire life, so why was all of these occurring now?
"Zhang Xuan, this... What’s going on?"
With a bewildered expression, Ouyang Cheng sought clarification.
At this point, everyone's gazes also focused on Zhang Xuan.
He was able to tell the problem in this Tranquil Heart Pill and he knew that the Pill Sample Beast would die. Who else was more appropriate to explain the situation other than him?
"I have already revealed the flaw in his forging method, so I should have already passed this test. Do I really have to explain it?"
Zhang Xuan didn't reply Ouyang Cheng. Instead, he turned to look at Apothecary Chen Xiao.
He was able to identify the problem in the pill and he successfully pointed it out. This bore testimony to his abilities and in this clash between him and Apothecary Chen Xiao, he could be considered to be the victor.
"If you explain the situation, I am willing to admit defeat!"
Apothecary Chen Xiao gritted his teeth.
Even if Zhang Xuan were to win in this clash, as long as Chen Xiao didn't admit defeat, he would be able to conduct a round of examination.
As the oldest one of the ten apothecaries, his surrender would cause the confidence of the others to waver. As such, this matter was of utmost importance.
"If that's the case, then allow me to speak more on the matter!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head, "There are no problems with the sequence and technique you forged the Tranquil Heart Pill with. In fact, you even infused your own tranquility into the pill. Rationally speaking, the pill should be of extremely high quality with high effectiveness. However, it’s a pity that... you are about to die. Your body is already filled with death aura and naturally, the pill you forge will come into contact with this aura as well. This is the reason why the Pill Sample Beast died upon consuming the pill you forged!"