Plum Blossom Pill

Lu Chen drew back from his stance and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. His breathing was steady, as if he had merely swatted away a few flies.

He dusted off his clothes and looked at Master's Wife.

The whole courtyard fell utterly silent.

The mockery, disdain, and gossip from moments ago had all turned into invisible slaps, landing hard across everyone's faces.

Jin Ming's mouth hung open, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

The shock in Master's Wife's beautiful eyes slowly faded. She gave Lu Chen a long look, then parted her red lips:

"This bout goes to Lu Chen. The top place in this year's trial goes to Lu Chen."

Master's Wife took a small, plain white porcelain bottle, about as thick as her thumb, from her robes and held it out to him.

"Take it."

Lu Chen took it with both hands, pulled out the cork, and tipped out a pill about the size of a soybean. It was crimson all over and gave off a crisp, slightly bitter medicinal fragrance.

"This is the Plum Blossom Pill." Master's Wife looked at him. "Come with me to the main room. I'll teach you how to take it."

She paused, then added, "Its medicinal power is fierce. Take it the wrong way, and you'll only hurt yourself."

Lu Chen nodded. "Thank you, Master's Wife."

Just then, Master Deng, who had been slouched in his chair, stretched at great length and yawned repeatedly. "Finally, that's over... Liu Qi! Come on, let's go. I'm bored to death. Keep me company while I go find some fun!"

As he spoke, he stood up without even greeting Master's Wife and ambled out.

Liu Qi hurried after him at a trot.

Master's Wife was long used to this. Her face showed no particular reaction; she simply gave Lu Chen a slight nod. "Come with me."

She turned and headed for the main room of the martial hall, and Lu Chen followed silently behind her.

The two of them entered the main room, one after the other.

Master's Wife stopped beside the table and turned to look at Lu Chen. "Come here."

Lu Chen stepped closer as she asked.

Master's Wife suddenly reached out and, through his padded jacket, quickly pressed several spots on his shoulder, arm, and back, then squeezed his wrist bone.

Lu Chen's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't pull away.

A moment later, Master's Wife withdrew her hand, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "How strange. Your constitution is unremarkable. How have you improved so quickly?"

Lu Chen met her gaze, his expression open and honest. "Perhaps it's because I work harder than other people."

"Work harder?"

"That's right. When others train for an hour, I train for three. When they rest, I keep training. When they sleep, I'm still training. I believe diligence can make up for a lack of talent. Hard work is the path to success!"

"Foolishness!"

Master's Wife furrowed her delicate brows, her voice suddenly turning several shades sterner. "Training yourself to the point of death—are you eager to die? Your bones and sinews are like bowstrings. Stretch them too tight, and they'll snap! Do you know how many martial artists with decent talent have trained without restraint, accumulating hidden injuries, aging before their time, and even completely losing their cultivation?"

Lu Chen fell silent, then cupped his fists solemnly. "This disciple will remember."

Seeing that he had taken her words to heart, Master's Wife's expression softened a little, though her tone remained grave. "Now I'll explain the rules for taking the pill. You must remember every word. After taking it, you mustn't let a single drop of water touch your lips."

Lu Chen nodded. "This disciple has it memorized."

"That's only the first step." Master's Wife continued, lowering her voice a little. "After the pill enters your stomach, it will gradually dissolve. When that happens, you may hear some... sounds."

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Sounds?"

"Mm."

Master's Wife's gaze fell on the crimson pill, as if she were examining a living creature. "They might sound like insects chirping, like whispers, or even..."

She paused. "Like someone calling to you from inside your belly, calling you 'Mommy.'"

Lu Chen's brows drew together sharply.

"If you hear anything like that, remember: don't panic, and above all, don't answer. Drink some alcohol at once. Any kind will do; the stronger, the better. Once the liquor reaches your stomach, it can suppress the sound and force it back down."

Lu Chen's brows furrowed even more deeply.

This didn't sound like taking a tonic pill at all. It sounded more like... suppressing something.

"Master's Wife... what exactly is the Plum Blossom Pill made from?"

Why was the way to take it so strange—even sinister?

Master's Wife glanced at him and replied coolly, "The Plum Blossom Pill is the Plum Blossom Martial Hall's ancestral secret medicine, passed down only to the hall master through the generations. You need only remember to do as I say. That will let the medicinal power dissolve as fully as possible while minimizing the harm. As for anything else..."

She shook her head gently. "There's no need to ask."

Silence fell over the room once more.

The crimson pill lay in Lu Chen's palm, yet now it seemed almost alive, radiating an unsettling warmth.

Outside the window, dusk deepened.

Master's Wife's face was perfectly calm, even somewhat indifferent.

"If you're afraid, you can still give the pill back to me."

Afraid?

Lu Chen silently clenched his fingers, enclosing that small patch of warmth in his palm.

The word "afraid" had been chewed to pieces and swallowed the day he learned to clench his fist.

He tucked away the pill and had barely stepped over the threshold of the main room when several disciples who had once barely deigned to look at him came forward with ingratiating smiles, gathering in a semicircle around him.

Before, in their eyes, Lu Chen—the penniless ruffian from South City—hadn't been worth the loss of face it would take to exchange more than a few words with him. But things were different now. Everyone had seen how he'd fought four opponents at once.

With a little more tempering of his bones and some medicinal materials, a man like that would reach External Force sooner or later—within a year, even.

In this world, a hard fist was the final word.

External Force experts were crucial whether hired to guard wealthy households or to escort merchant caravans and their cargo.

If you didn't burn incense now, would you wait until the Bodhisattva was in the temple before you knelt to pray?

"Senior Brother Lu, you've really opened our eyes today!" A dark, skinny disciple was the first to cup his fists, squeezing a friendly smile onto his face.

"Brother Lu, if you're free tonight, you simply must join us for a drink at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion on East Street!" A tall disciple hurried to chime in, afraid of being left behind.

"Exactly, Brother Lu. We'll be counting on you to give us pointers around the hall from now on..."

For a time, flattery and invitations came pouring in, one after another, as hot and thick as steam.

"Heh, what are you all standing around here for?"

Jin Ming pushed through the crowd and strode over, wearing his usual smile.

"You all used to have your noses in the air and wouldn't even give Brother Lu the time of day. What, now that you've seen what he can do, you're all crawling over to cozy up to him?"

His words had a barb in them. The disciples' faces stiffened, and they awkwardly backed away half a step.

"I said," Jin Ming went on, lifting his chin slightly and waving them off, "scatter, scatter. Go find something useful to do. Isn't it a little late to come sucking up now?"

His words carried an air of natural familiarity and protectiveness.

The disciples looked embarrassed and drifted away reluctantly. Even after they'd walked some distance, they couldn't resist turning to spit toward Jin Ming's back, muttering, "What's he so high and mighty about?"

Jin Ming paid them no mind. He turned and slung an arm around Lu Chen's shoulders.

"Brother Lu, don't bother with them. Those people have their eyes on the tops of their heads, but they're quick enough to change their tune with the wind."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"But you've really made a name for yourself this time. From now on, people around the hall will be lining up to curry favor with you. If they get on your nerves, just pin it on me. I'll handle them for you, brother!"

Lu Chen let him keep his arm around him. He wore a suitably gracious smile and said nothing, only nodding.

"Come on. I'm in a good mood today. We're having another drink tonight, no matter what."

Without giving him a chance to refuse, Jin Ming pulled him outside. "My treat! We'll have a proper feast and celebrate you in style!"

That evening, they were in a private room on the second floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The table was covered with the seven or eight hearty dishes Jin Ming had ordered—chicken, duck, fish, and meat, fried, braised, and roasted—while the liquor was first-rate too.