Pill Complete

Chen Chong looked at the Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pill. Without much hesitation, he swallowed it.

When the pill entered his stomach, there was initially none of the explosive heat flow common to ordinary pills. Though the pills he had taken before also possessed immense medicinal power, they were like a wave of heat—fierce when they came, quick to disperse—carried by his qi and blood throughout his body, soaking into his skin, flesh, and fascia.

But the Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pill was different. It was like a steady, lingering undercurrent. Its medicinal power did not spread outward, but continuously pressed inward, inward, compressing and drawing together, as though it truly meant to force the medicine into his bones.

A warm, heavy medicinal force rose from his dantian and climbed up along his spine.

Whenever it reached a joint, it paused, slowly seeping in, pressing, filling it out. It was like pouring an invisible glaze over his skeleton.

The medicinal force flowed down through his limbs and bones, each inch steeped in that warm current.

Every bone endured a gentle yet unwavering pressure, as if an invisible hand were gripping it and tightening inward bit by bit.

Chen Chong closed his eyes and felt this strange transformation.

The medicinal power did not completely dissipate. It settled into the gaps within his bones, like sand sinking into a riverbed, slowly and continuously exerting its effects.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and brought up the panel.

His Tendon-Tremor Realm experience had risen by more than five hundred points. Chen Chong nodded in satisfaction.

The medicine was potent, but its most precious aspect was the medicinal force that subtly acted upon his bones. It imperceptibly improved his constitution, paving the way for the future Bone Tempering Realm.

The sensation was exceedingly subtle, like spring rain moistening the earth—unseen, yet he could feel the solidity welling up from deep within.

More than ten days passed in a rush.

Chen Chong stood in the courtyard, looking at the line "Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art (Great Perfection)" on his panel, and slowly let out a breath.

The feeling brought by bringing the Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art to Great Perfection was quite marvelous.

These past days, he had repeatedly imitated Dragon Stride, Tiger Roar. At first, it had felt awkward, and his twisting movements made him look like an earthworm.

But as he continued practicing, his body seemed to remember some ancient rhythm.

Now, there was quite the intent of a dragon in his gait. His strides were not large, but his rhythm was exceptionally steady. His center of gravity shifted like flowing water, and his posture was as light as a swimming dragon.

Yet once he erupted with full force, his fascia hummed in unison and his qi and blood surged. The explosive force in that instant was like dragon and tiger alike—heavy, fierce, and unyielding, sweeping away everything in its path like dry leaves.

It was as though a hidden dragon lurked in the abyss. Usually silent and dormant, but once it rose, clouds followed the dragon and winds followed the tiger.

He gave it a try.

With a light tap of his toes, his figure darted forward. His robes fluttered soundlessly, like a shadow gliding over the ground.

Then he stopped abruptly and threw a punch. The fist wind exploded, and the jujube tree in the corner of the courtyard shuddered violently. Several leaves were pulverized by the force of the punch and scattered down in a flutter.

Chen Chong withdrew his fist and nodded. The Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art truly had something to it.

He left home and headed for World-Aiding Hall.

As he drew near, the noise outside made Chen Chong frown. Many refugees passed before its doors, dragging along their families, carrying bundles, pushing carts, like a river with no end in sight.

They did not know where they were headed. They were merely pushed onward by some invisible force. Some looked around blankly, some kept their heads down as they hurried along, while others squatted beneath the walls to rest, their hollow eyes watching the passersby.

Su Hongyu was also standing at the entrance, watching the refugees move like ants relocating their nest. When he saw Chen Chong, he quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Demonic beasts have appeared outside the city." Su Hongyu lowered his voice, his tone carrying a complicated measure of restraint. "The county office has opened the city gates to settle these refugees. World-Aiding Hall will probably have to take in some as well."

There was a trace of displeasure in his tone. Chen Chong understood. Su Hongyu did not despise the refugees themselves; he simply loathed the chaos and uncertainty that might come with them.

When there were more people, there was disorder. And once disorder arose, anything could happen.

Chen Chong could not help frowning as well.

Step by step, the refugees seemed to be pushed into the city by invisible hands.

At first, they had merely set up camp far outside the city, their shanties still arranged fairly neatly. Later, as their numbers grew, the camp spread toward the city gates and the shelters became increasingly crude. Later still, there was no longer room outside the city, and people began sleeping at the foot of the walls and beside the ditches. Now, they had been driven straight into the city by demonic beasts.

From distant camps, to the vicinity of the gates, to entering the city—they retreated step by step and yielded step by step, as though pushed along by the tide.

Two or three days later, chaos came swiftly.

In truth, the very decision to let refugees into the city showed that the county office's control over the city was growing weaker and weaker. If they could settle them outside, why let them in? Letting them in meant the outside was no longer safe. But was the city safe?

The turmoil of the past two days seemed to have written the answer in plain sight.

Chen Chong often saw shops being looted in the streets. Groups of people would rush in, grab what they could, and flee, while the shop assistants could not stop them at all.

The constables hurried from one end of the street to the other, but by the time they arrived, the looters had often already blended into the crowd and vanished.

Within World-Aiding Hall, rumors flew everywhere.

Some said a wealthy household in the eastern city had been robbed last night. Some said people had been killed. Some said the entire family had been slaughtered.

In any case, each account sounded truer and more detailed than the last, as if the speaker had been standing there watching at the time.

There had been several such incidents in just these two or three days. And these were only the ones that had reached World-Aiding Hall.

What wealthy household in the city did not have high walls and grand courtyards, several servants, and one or two guards? How could ordinary refugees possibly break in? But if someone took the lead and martial artists joined in, that was another matter.

Things were becoming more and more chaotic.

A sturdy man came to World-Aiding Hall and knocked on Chen Chong's door.

Chen Chong said, "Come in."

The man pushed open the door and entered. He was around thirty, solidly built, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, dressed in an indigo short jacket with a leather belt around his waist. In his hand, he carried a large wooden case.

His steps were steady and silent, and his breathing was long and even. Chen Chong sensed the man's realm: the Tendon-Vibrating Stage.

This kind of perception had now almost become instinctive. The convenience brought by the Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art was immense.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Before he possessed such sensory ability, it had been far too difficult to judge a person's realm with the naked eye alone.

At most, he could roughly tell whether someone had practiced martial arts, whether they were sturdy or merely looked strong.

But with the art's perception, the fullness of another's qi and blood, the condition of their fascia, and the depth of their breathing were all as clear as if written on their face.

"Pill Master Chen." The man set the wooden case on the table and opened it. Inside were several medicinal ingredients wrapped in oil paper, along with three porcelain bottles.

"Ingredients for the Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pills, sent by the Li Residence. Miss Li instructed me to wait here and return only after collecting the pills."

Chen Chong nodded. The man retreated outside and stood motionless against a corridor pillar.

Chen Chong lit the furnace.

Refining Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pills was quite difficult. First, he dissolved the Earth Marrow Essence Milk in warm water. This ingredient was thick as honey and dissolved upon touching water, but if the water was even slightly too hot, it would damage the essence within.

Next came the Nine-Jointed Jade Ginseng. It had to be sliced into wafer-thin pieces, each one translucent enough to let light pass through. The Profound Frost Grass, meanwhile, had to be ground with a jade mill; the moment iron touched it, it would oxidize and discolor.

The medicinal ingredients entered the furnace. Controlling the fire required even greater precision than for the True Martial Pill.

He simmered it slowly over a gentle flame, allowing the medicinal power to release and merge bit by bit. When it came time to form the pills, the crucial step arrived. He needed to use force derived from his martial art to control the flow of the medicinal liquid.

The liquid rolled inside the furnace. He had to make it rotate and condense according to a specific trajectory, ultimately gathering it into pill pellets.

If he relied on the Fire-Control Technique for this step, he could only achieve the form; only by guiding it with his own force could he achieve the spirit.

It was a little unfamiliar the first time. The Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art circulated, and a long, heavy force seeped from his palm into the furnace, wrapping around the rolling medicinal liquid and slowly guiding it to rotate, contract, and solidify. At first, the liquid resisted somewhat, like an untamed wild horse charging about in every direction.

But the force of the Dragon Abyss Tiger-Subduing Art was vast and steady. It could suppress the liquid, and it could guide it. Gradually, the liquid yielded, its rotation became even, and it began to condense.

Chen Chong withdrew the fire and opened the furnace.

Five pills. They were jade-white, round and full, with fine jade-colored patterns over their surfaces like ice-crack lines on porcelain. Their fragrance was elegant and refreshing to the heart and mind.

Chen Chong placed three pills into porcelain bottles and handed them to the man waiting outside. The man accepted them, checked the count, nodded, then turned and left.

Chen Chong closed the door and looked at the remaining two Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pills on the table, unable to suppress his delight. He roughly knew that when other pill masters refined this pill, producing four was already considered good fortune. Most generally completed their task with three.

Yet on his first attempt, he had made five. And once he became more proficient, making six was not impossible.

After all, other pill masters did not possess his level of martial cultivation.

He put away the two pills and returned to his chair.

Outside the window, the assembly line in World-Aiding Hall's rear courtyard was still running. The sounds of slicing herbs, grinding herbs, and sifting herbs blended into a rhythmic melody.

But beyond that melody, the clamor from the streets was growing louder and louder.

The footsteps of refugees flooding into the city, the footsteps of constables racing about, and the occasional shouts all pressed in layer upon layer.

Chen Chong lifted his teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm, carrying a trace of bitterness.

The Li Family still had considerable strength. Even amid such chaos, they could send the ingredients for Jade Marrow Essence-Coalescing Pills on time, and dispatch a Tendon-Tremor Realm expert to deliver the ingredients and collect the pills.

He set down his teacup, his gaze falling upon the distant city wall beyond the window. Dusk was spilling over its crest, swallowing Dingshan County inch by inch.