Don't Come Near Me

Poor Bai Jingliang did not slowly regain consciousness until noon. The first thing he did upon waking was demand revenge against Hanyu.

He threw off the blanket, but the moment his feet touched the ground, his whole body toppled over.

He tried to crawl back up, only to discover that his legs had almost no strength to support him. Worse still, he felt completely hollowed out, utterly uninterested in everything in the world.

Hearing the commotion, everyone rushed over. Looking at the man sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, their expressions varied.

Bai Junya shook her head and scolded him teasingly. "Let's see if you dare eat random things again."

Linglan, meanwhile, looked at Hanyu with a face full of excitement and asked in a crisp voice, "Bad Medicine Master, do you have any more of those Qi Burst Pills? Sell me one."

"What do you want that thing for?"

Hanyu shot her a sidelong glance.

Clapping her hands, Linglan said eagerly, "Of course, to feed to bad people when I run into danger! I get your thinking now—support pills don't necessarily have to be taken by yourself. You can give them to your enemies too!"

Without the slightest concern, she pointed at Bai Jingliang on the ground as the perfect example.

"Look at that powerful loss-of-control effect, and that extreme period of weakness afterward. Good stuff!"

Hanyu wiped away cold sweat that did not exist. Damn, he had met a kindred spirit.

Unfortunately, he had no more of that pill. He did not know whether there would ever be another one either. In any case, over the past year, the pills spat out by the Glazed Bottle had never repeated.

Linglan was deeply disappointed when she heard there were no more.

Over the past two days, Hanyu had come to understand them somewhat.

For instance, Linglan was a disciple of the Star Sect. Bai Jingliang's older sister was called Bai Junya. Though he had clearly introduced himself, Linglan still habitually called him Bad Medicine Master.

The Bai siblings were probably born into wealth. Never mind their speech and manners—even this pleasure boat was not something an ordinary family could own.

Still, everyone stopped their conversations at the right point, tacitly agreeing not to pry too deeply into one another's affairs.

Hanyu was merely a temporary passenger on this vessel. Everyone understood that without saying it aloud.

Aside from the women's cabins, which were off-limits, Hanyu could go nearly anywhere on the pleasure boat. Still, he preferred lying in some inconspicuous corner of the deck and basking in the sun by himself.

Their statuses were different, and they had little to talk about anyway. It was better to enjoy peace and freedom.

Another day passed without his noticing. Hanyu lay on the deck, warm all over from the sun, when he suddenly began sighing.

Today's newly appeared pill needed another huge sucker to test it on, but with his feet not even touching the ground, who was he supposed to find?

Night-Blooming Epiphyllum Pill: This pill can forcibly raise the taker's innate aptitude to that of a dragon or phoenix. Its effect is powerful and must be diluted in one hundred parts water before consumption; otherwise, bear the consequences yourself. Side effect: At dawn, one becomes worse than trash.

The moment Hanyu saw its effects, he could not help drawing in a sharp breath. The pills produced by this Glazed Bottle were becoming more and more terrifying.

This thing did not seem easy to sell. A dragon or phoenix at night, a worm by day—he might end up making a mortal enemy.

He definitely could not take it himself. Who knew exactly how much worse than trash meant? What if he turned into a foolish cripple wandering the streets looking for dog shit to eat...

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became!

"Hey! Brother Han."

A furtive voice drifted over.

Turning his head, Hanyu saw Bai Jingliang creeping over like a thief.

It seemed he had recovered well after a day. Now he was lively and vigorous again.

Bai Jingliang sidled over and sat beside Hanyu. Only after checking that no one was around did he ask quietly, "Brother Han, do you have any more of those pills? I'll buy one."

Hiss!

Hearing that, Hanyu sucked in a breath. Covered in goosebumps, he scrambled and rolled away to the side.

Had this guy become addicted to running naked? He knew full well the pill would blow his clothes apart, yet he still dared ask for more.

"If you want to die, keep away from me. I can't afford to compensate you."

Bai Jingliang's flushed face and excited expression made Hanyu uneasy.

"You don't understand. After I recovered today, I discovered that my cultivation had risen by a huge amount. It was more than I could gain from a whole year of bitter cultivation."

"Brother Han, I'm not bragging. Your pill is divine."

As he spoke, Bai Jingliang raised a thumb in praise.

"Aren't you afraid of running naked again?"

Hanyu teased.

He had expected Bai Jingliang to become embarrassed and angry, but instead, the man was exceptionally calm. He waved a hand and said,

"Put it this way: if it were only running naked, then of course it wouldn't do. But if one pill from you could make me number one under heaven, then forget anything else—your brother here would first run naked all the way to White Emperor City and bring you back some local specialties."

Hanyu was so shocked by those words that his worldview shattered.

After a long while, he looked at Bai Jingliang with profound admiration. "With that state of mind, if you don't become number one under heaven, there really is no justice in this world."

"Unfortunately, I'm out of pills."

Hanyu sighed.

Bai Jingliang was not surprised. Instead, he said enthusiastically, "I heard Linglan say you must be a Medicine Master. If you're out, just refine more! I have money."

Where the fuck was he supposed to refine them from?

Besides, the Glazed Bottle would not take money in exchange for pills!

So Hanyu fobbed him off. "The materials for this pill are far too precious. This isn't something money can solve."

Hearing that, Bai Jingliang confidently pulled a fist-sized white crystal from his robes.

"I understand. How about this Spirit Stone as a deposit?"

Hanyu's look at him became increasingly strange. Who carried a chunk of Spirit Stone around when they went out these days?

Spirit Stones were indeed very valuable in cultivators' eyes, but one had to understand why they were valuable.

First, they did contain spiritual energy. Cultivators also cultivated through the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

But it was like the difference between water and seawater. You could drink water directly, but could you keep drinking seawater?

Spirit Stones contained spiritual energy, but they were minerals too! Absorbing them directly would definitely harm a cultivator.

Thus, Spirit Stones were mainly used by sects or Medicine Masters to cultivate spiritual herbs. Spiritual herbs were grown using Spirit Stones, taking in their spiritual energy while purifying their harmful effects. Only then were they refined into pills for consumption.

Seeing someone carry a Spirit Stone directly on his person, Hanyu could not help thinking of the demonic sects that had once been popular for directly consuming Spirit Stones.

According to the authorities, directly consuming Spirit Stones was highly addictive. The more Hanyu looked at Bai Jingliang now, the less he resembled a respectable person.

Hanyu considered whether he should report him to the authorities once he got off the ship.

"Let me tell you the truth! I only got those Qi Burst Pills through a fortunate coincidence. I can't reproduce them properly."

Hanyu's words instantly shattered the heart of a strong man that Bai Jingliang had just begun to nurture. He drooped his head and left in disappointment.

Another two agonizing days passed.

Why?

Because two more new pills had appeared. It was really killing him!

Staring inward at the two new pills spinning round and round in his mind, Hanyu wore a bitter expression.

Yin-Yang Reversal Pill: The Five Elements generate and restrain one another. Metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, and fire restrains metal. This pill can alter one's own attribute, converting wood-attribute True Essence into metal-attribute True Essence, and so on. Side effect: Gender reversal.

This... whoever took this, would they not fight him to the death?

Visage Reversal Pill: Those who take this pill can restore their appearance to the bloom of youth. Side effect: Cultivation is deducted according to the corresponding difference in age. Those without cultivation lose lifespan instead.

Honestly, this pill could not be released either. If someone had spent thirty years cultivating, and he restored their face to how it looked thirty years ago while wiping out those thirty years of effort in the process, he did not dare imagine the scene.

Still, if necessary, he could consume this one himself. He was young, after all. Either it would mature him, or it would have no effect. Even if it worked, it could not deduct many years.

As he thought this, Bai Jingliang's howling voice rang out beside his ears.

"We've arrived at Quantai Prefecture! We're almost at the Star Sect!"

Not long afterward, the ship docked.

Everyone bustled off the boat.

Once Hanyu set foot on solid ground again, the sense of security was beyond words. These three days of life aboard a ship had taught him one lesson.

He would never fucking take a boat again.

Arriving at Quantai Prefecture was equivalent to arriving at the foot of the Star Sect, because twenty li beyond Quantai Prefecture lay Qingyun Mountain, and the Star Sect stood atop Qingyun Mountain.

As a prefecture with flourishing waterways and roads, and one that bordered the Star Sect, Quantai Prefecture was destined to become ever more prosperous.

Beyond the docks stood rows of every kind of building. The main roads stretched in all directions, while clusters of shops sold all sorts of rare little trinkets.

Taverns were packed with guests, while applause sparked by storytellers rang through the tea houses.

"Candied hawthorns!"

A peddler carried a pole of candied hawthorns down the street, calling out his wares.

What a vivid picture of mortal life.

Having arrived in Quantai for the first time, Hanyu was deeply captivated by the place.

"Let's walk faster. We might even run into my Master. Today happens to be the day the sect comes down the mountain to buy supplies. My Master loves drinking, so he'll definitely sneak along."

Linglan spoke playfully from beside him.

The group wandered through the streets, taking in the sights. Having nowhere in particular to go, Hanyu simply followed along.

After walking for a while, Linglan suddenly stopped.

Up ahead, people crowded together as though someone was arguing, surrounded by many onlookers eager for a spectacle.

The group squeezed into the crowd, and Linglan's face filled with surprise.

"Master!"

Outside a cosmetics shop, a Taoist in his fifties faced off against someone with a group of sect members behind him.

One of those on the opposing side wore a pale purple gauze dress. Slender in build and heavily made up, it was impossible to tell his age. His movements were particularly cumbersome and strange, and upon listening more closely, they discovered his voice belonged to a man.

Beside him stood another man in his fifties, dressed in tight-fitting clothes with a rather burly frame. Yet deep wrinkles covered his face, and his hair was entirely streaked with gray.

"Chi Ling'er, I have yielded to you time and again. Do not push your luck. This is Quantai Prefecture, not your Ruthless Valley in Youzhou." The Taoist's expression was grim as he snorted coldly.

The youthful-looking Chi Ling'er laughed coldly for a moment. "Your disciple insulted me first. I am going to take his life."

The Taoist stepped forward, shielding his sect members, and sneered. "Was what my disciple said not the truth? Two men holding hands and behaving intimately in public—if that is not corrupting public morals, then what is?"

"And you, Chang Weiyang! It would be one thing if your cult leader disregarded all human ethics, but you are an old shameless thing too."

"You ox-nosed bastard, spewing shit from your mouth! I'll take your life!"

Unable to endure it any longer, Chi Ling'er roared and flew through the air toward the old Daoist, clawing at him.

After shoving his disciples aside, the old Daoist neither dodged nor retreated. He met the attack with a punch. When fist and claw collided, it thundered like wind and lightning, while the massive shockwave shoved the surrounding crowd several meters away.

Soul Scattering Hand!

Thunderous Shock!

Fists and claws flashed and interwove without pause. Both sides countered each move with another, moving so quickly that only afterimages could be seen.

The aftershock of their final collision violently collapsed the cosmetics shop beside them.

Both men retreated several steps, their chests heaving and their breathing disordered.

Chi Ling'er gritted his teeth and prepared to fight again, but Chang Weiyang hurriedly grabbed him and shook his head. "Ling'er, forget it. This is still Star Sect territory. Let's go!"

"No! It would be one thing if he insulted me, but he cannot insult you. No one can."

Chi Ling'er looked almost crazed. Chang Weiyang's heart ached at the sight, and he hurriedly embraced him.

"Hiss! Two men acting like that really hurts the eyes."

Bai Jingliang muttered softly from the side.

The surrounding onlookers wore much the same expressions. Two men so deeply devoted to each other—it truly was difficult to accept!

Only Hanyu stood to the side in thought, a gleam gradually appearing in his eyes.

"Let's go!"

After being soothed, Chi Ling'er shot the Taoist a vicious glare, then took Chang Weiyang's hand and prepared to leave.

At that moment, Hanyu pushed through the crowd and shouted,

"Stop! You are not allowed to leave!"