"Come on, let's talk inside!"
Linglong's gaze lingered on He Pingsheng only briefly before passing over him.
She was in a good mood today and would not stoop to squabbling with He Pingsheng.
"Of course..." At that moment, Hao Yun was like a dog, bowing as he attended her, even more servile than when Martial Uncle Yuxuan had visited.
He Pingsheng found the sight a little painful to watch, but he understood.
They entered the main hall!
Linglong clapped her hands and said, "I'm here today to refine Qi-Gathering Pills. Hao Yun, tell me, can I make supreme-grade Qi-Gathering Pills?"
Uh...
Hao Yun was struck speechless.
But he had a way with words. His eyes shifted a few times before he said, "Senior Sister Linglong, your talent is extraordinary. You're certain to refine pills unlike anyone else's. Several Senior Masters and martial uncles came here to refine pills recently, and even their Qi-Gathering Pills were only middle-grade at best!"
"I've never seen supreme-grade pills myself, but... you're certainly different, Senior Sister. You're bound to make supreme-grade ones!"
His words were half flattery and half mockery, while also nudging Linglong to face reality.
Sure enough, Linglong gave a cold smile. "Enough of those barbed remarks... I get it. Supreme-grade pills are hard to refine, right?"
"No!" Hao Yun shook his head. "My dear lady... it's not just supreme-grade pills that are hard to refine. Even high-grade ones are difficult! I've served in this Alchemy Hall for thirteen years, and I've never seen anyone produce high-grade pills. Even middle-grade ones are rare, as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!"
"To tell you the truth, Senior Sister, over eighty percent of those who come here to refine pills end up blowing up their furnaces!"
Linglong's lovely face turned frosty. A blue-green sword landed against Hao Yun's neck. "Are you saying I won't even manage to make any pills today?"
"Heaven and earth bear witness, my dear lady, I never said that!" Hao Yun's will to survive was brimming over. With a fawning expression, he added, "Senior Sister, Senior Sister... could you move your sword back just a little? I'm frightened..."
"Hmph..." Linglong put away her sword. "Go on!"
"Yes!" Still wearing a broad smile, Hao Yun continued, "It's just that pill refinement has a success rate. No one can say for sure. Generally speaking, even an experienced alchemist only succeeds with one batch out of five or six!"
"Then tell me!" Linglong said. "When will it succeed? What do I have to do to succeed?"
"That's hard to say!" Hao Yun replied. "Whether pills form depends on the heat, the quality of the medicinal ingredients, and the refiner's techniques... and of course, sometimes luck plays a part too!"
"I don't care!" A hint of slyness flashed in Linglong's eyes. "Isn't your name Hao Yun? You must be able to bring me good luck. Let's begin. If the pills don't form later, I'll hold both of you responsible. Whether you live or die is up to you!"
They sucked in sharp breaths...
He Pingsheng and Hao Yun both gasped inwardly. She's so fucking unreasonable.
But there was nothing they could do!
They still had to get to work!
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The two began working.
The first step was to light the fire!
Then add water!
Hao Yun handled all those tasks. He Pingsheng stayed beside him, doing little more than passing him firewood.
He Pingsheng watched Senior Sister Linglong add the medicinal ingredients in her hands to the pot, one portion at a time.
Before long, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out of the pot.
Of course, domineering as Linglong was, her wealth was nowhere near Martial Uncle Yuxuan's. She did not have a Storage Bag.
Everything was kept in a cloth bundle.
An hour later, the medicinal fragrance from the pot was growing ever richer.
"Hehe..." The smile on Linglong's face grew wider too. "Almost... in another quarter of an hour, my medicine will be ready!"
"The pills are sure to form!"
Hao Yun nodded and flattered her. "Judging by things so far, there's an eighty percent chance of success... you there... Little He... go out the back door, head farther back, then turn left!"
"Opposite the rubbish pit, I've left a few pieces of wood... remember, they're large jujube wood logs..."
"Go fetch them!"
He Pingsheng froze for a moment. "Senior Brother, there are large jujube wood logs right here!"
Hao Yun's face immediately darkened. "Why all the pointless chatter? I told you to go, so get moving!"
Linglong's expression suddenly turned cold as well. "Go!"
He Pingsheng had no choice but to steel himself and leave!
After leaving through the Alchemy Hall's back door, he ran along the mountain path. When he reached the spot opposite the cliff, he found no large jujube wood logs.
He searched all around, but still found nothing.
Worried that Hao Yun and Linglong would scold him if he returned empty-handed, he searched several more times.
He spent a full hour searching without seeing any large jujube wood logs.
He Pingsheng could only return with a frown.
The Alchemy Hall was utterly silent!
A scorched smell drifted toward him.
This is bad...
He Pingsheng's heart jolted. Did... did the pill refinement fail?
Stooping, he peered through a window at the back of the main hall and discovered that Linglong and the two male disciples she had brought were already gone.
Only Hao Yun lay on the floor.
"Senior Brother... Senior Brother..."
Feeling as though something had lodged in his chest, He Pingsheng ran back into the main hall and helped Hao Yun sit up.
Hao Yun's face was pale, and blood kept trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Senior Brother..." He Pingsheng was almost crying. "You knew her pill refinement would fail, so you deliberately sent me away, didn't you?"
"Hehehe..." Hao Yun chuckled. "Well... well... one person getting beaten... is better than... cough, cough, cough... two, isn't it?"
Pfft...
As he spoke, Hao Yun spat out another mouthful of blood.
Against his pallid face, his eyes flashed with a chilling light as he said viciously, "That damned little bitch hit so hard... fuck... that goddamned piece of shit, she's unreasonable, completely unreasonable..."
He Pingsheng said, "Senior Brother... how are you feeling?"
"Is it serious... I'll go get a doctor to take a look..."
"Hehehe... pfft..." Hao Yun spat out two more mouthfuls of blood. "That little bitch's lackey is no pushover. He slammed me with two punches... broke several ribs on this side... it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."
"Junior Brother..."
"I may have to stay in bed for several months now!"
"You'll have to help me with my meals from now on!"
"Mm... and empty my chamber pot too..."
He Pingsheng was taking it well enough, but Hao Yun himself was the first to look as though he had nothing left to live for.
Two tears slipped down He Pingsheng's face before he realized it. "Thank you, Senior Brother..."
If Hao Yun had not sent him away beforehand, Hao Yun might not have been the only one lying on the floor today.
There would have been two of them!
Hao Yun had survived because he was older, physically strong, and already at the second level of the Qi Refining stage.
But what about He Pingsheng?
Could he have survived?
Calling this a life-saving debt would not have been an exaggeration.
The thing is... Senior Brother Hao Yun and I aren't especially close. Our relationship is nothing special.
Why would he save me?
Thinking it over, it really was simply because the man had compassion!
Nothing more.
Senior Brother Hao is a good man!
Before you continue