Chapter 121: Vying to Go First
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe
'I asked you to look for the flaws in my method in forging the Meridian Expansion Pill, yet you insulted my concubine, saying that she wasn't a person. What do you mean by that?'
Even though Lin Mu was good-natured, he was still displeased by those words.
Not only did his face darken, the others also had bizarre expressions on theirs.
What was going on?
Why did he suddenly start insulting others?
"Apothecary Lin, please calm down!"
Zhang Xuan seemed to have guessed that the other party would react like that and he looked at him playfully. "Have you been working hard every day, not resting even during daytime?"
"Er…"
Upon being posed with such a question, Lin Mu's face reddened and he was a little embarrassed. "I just married my concubine, so I might have… might have… worked a little hard!"
An old man like him married a young wife, not to mention a beautiful lady who wasn't eighteen yet, so it was no wonder that Lin Mu would shower plenty of love on her. If he could, he would be in bed all day long.
"Haha!"
"Apothecary Lin, I didn't expect that you would still be so active!"
"You are truly vigorous, truly an old man with the zeal of a youngster!"
"Impressive, I am truly impressed!"
……
Upon hearing the conversation of the duo, the other apothecaries couldn't help chuckling.
It was common for men to bring in concubines into the household, but for him to bring in a concubine who hadn't reached eighteen yet and work hard every day, both day and night…. This Apothecary Lin Mu had way too much "drive."
Upon hearing the laughter of his old buddies, Lin Mu felt embarrassed. Looking at Zhang Xuan, he said, "There… should be nothing wrong with that!"
It was perfectly normal for males and females to be in love with one another; it was a natural phenomenon of complementing the yang with yin. Furthermore, his cultivation had reached Pixue realm, so it wasn't a big deal for him to go at it several times in a single day!
In fact, it wasn't a big deal for ordinary humans to go at it several times every day either.
"If that was all, there would be nothing wrong with the situation. However… in order to become more fiery, did you consume some medicine that you shouldn't have?" Zhang Xuan asked.
"This…"
Gedeng. Lin Mu's heart skipped a beat.
The other party was correct. Even though he possessed a high cultivation realm, he was still advanced in age, so his physiological functions weren't working as well as they had before. In order to take better care of his concubine, he consumed some medicine to boost his stamina and strength recently.
"If I'm not wrong, your concubine persuaded you to consume that medicine, right?" Zhang Xuan continued.
"Er… You're right!" Lin Mu nodded his head.
As an apothecary, he knew that all medicine was poisonous in a way or another, so he was reluctant to eat it. However, he was unable to stand his ground against the persuasion of his concubine. As such, he could only consume it. The medicine was provided by the other party, and after which he felt like a wolf, full of incomparable vitality. Furthermore, it left him excited for quite a period of time.
"Despite your correct forging method, sequence, and such, you are still unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill!"
With both of his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan circled around Apothecary Lin Mu. Choosing not to pursue the matter about his concubine, he continued to talk about pill forging. "Initially, I was unable to find the reason and that left me puzzled for a moment. I even wondered if it could be a mistake with the cauldron when I suddenly recalled a certain line in a book!
"The book is known as 《Discussion on Pill Formation》. It was written by a 3-star apothecary, Senior Mu Yang. The book is in the basic tier book collection vault, and written within are several hundred reasons why a pill might fail to form. Of which, there was a certain line and quoting directly from it, 'Upon losing one's breath, one's spirit would be incomplete. Even with perfect skills, it would be hard for the pill to form!' The meaning is simple. It means that if one's essence is lacking, even if the forging technique and sequences are completely correct, it will be difficult for the pill to be successfully formed. This formation of pill here refers to Meridian Expansion Pill!
"Upon thinking of these, I walked over to you and caught the scent of the fragrance of the body of a young lady and rouge. As a result, I asked you about your concubine! Actually, just by marrying a concubine and working day and night, you shouldn't have lost your essence to the point that the pill wouldn't form. The main problem here was that… you have lost your core!"
"Lost my core?"
Lin Mu was taken aback.
"That's right, humans have a core and losing it results in catastrophic effects. Given that you are an apothecary, you should have heard of it. If you have just worked day and night, given your strength as a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, it wouldn't be anything much. You should recover fully by resting for half a day. However, you shouldn't have eaten the tonic she gave you. Those tonics were actually poison that stimulate your spirit, making you imagine hallucinations. It is true that it grants you overwhelming vitality and battle power in the short run, but the poison also flows about your entire body and damages your core!
"As time goes by, your body will gradually grow weaker and weaker. In the end, you will die! On the outside, it looks no different to the usual aging process and even more accomplished apothecaries would find it hard to tell the difference! If I'm not wrong, if you were to continue consuming the pill like that, you would age swiftly and—within a single year—you will definitely die! Even deities would find it hard to save you then!
"Meridian Expansion Pill is a medicine that can widen a cultivator's meridians and can be considered to be a tonic. Losing your core, you are unable to focus your spirit, breath, and psyche, and as such, it is difficult for you to forge such a pill. Failing to forge the pill was very normal!"
At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment. "For this kind of medicine to even fool an apothecary like you, it must be incomparably precious. It would be hard to imagine that… your concubine is unaware of the matter. That is why I said that she is not a thing. If I have offended you, I hope that you can forgive me!"
"This… this…"
Lin Mu shuddered and he staggered backward.
The words of the other party were completely rational, such that it felt like he had witnessed it all happening.
It was true that he felt his battle power rising upon consuming the medicine by his concubine. In the past, he would feel his back aching right after a single go. Yet, after taking the medicine, three to five times was an easy feat for him.
Initially, he thought that he was slowly growing stronger. Never would he have thought that he was being drugged!
Dammit! Dammit!
"That bitch, to think that I showered her with so much love. She actually tried to backstab me…."
Clenching his fist tightly, Lin Mu's eyes turned red.
"Alright, if Apothecary Lin thinks what I said is not true, there should be a way to verify what I just said! I have finished answering this question!"
Zhang Xuan gestured.
"What you said is completely true, I thank you for your guidance. I admit defeat for this Pill Debate!" Without any hesitation, Apothecary Lin Mu admitted defeat.
The other party's words were spot-on and his analysis completely rational. Given how he was unable to find a single mistake in what he said, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
Furthermore, it was true that his body condition had slowly been deteriorating recently. Initially, he thought that it was due to his age. To think that his concubine was the cause of it!
Zhang Xuan simply smiled faintly, choosing not to interfere in Lin Mu's affairs.
It was the other party's problem. He found it bothersome to get involved.
Afterwards, he glanced at the three remaining apothecaries. "You're the only ones left. Just ask any problems that you have all together!"
Of the ten apothecaries at the start, seven had already admitted defeat. As long as these three did so as well, he would pass the Pill Debate and become an official apothecary.
"Genius Brother Zhang Xuan, if that's the case, I happen to have a question that I need to inquire of you!"
An apothecary stood up.
"Brother Lu, don't be too anxious. Going by seniority, I should be the one to go first. I happen to have thought of a question as well!" Another apothecary stood up.
"Both of you, stop arguing. I should be the one to ask first. No matter what, I became an apothecary earlier than you two…."
The last elder also hurriedly stood up.
"Eh?"
Just a moment ago, they were still cowering in his presence. He had asked them to pose their questions many times previously just to receive a silent response. Yet now they were all vying to ask him questions. Zhang Xuan was bewildered.
Did they… take the wrong medicine today?