"My family lives at 22 Baolu Alley, near the East City Gate in Xialiang. Tell my wife that there are two little goldfish in the secret compartment of the third pickle stand under the bed. Use them sparingly; they should last until Bao'er comes of age."
A middle-aged man with a face full of pockmarks struggled to suppress his fear as he whispered his last words to Li Huowang.
He was the Medicinal Guide sent to the Pill Room today, and Li Huowang couldn't do anything about it except commit these last words to memory.
Watching the man, trembling uncontrollably, enter the Alchemy Room, Li Huowang turned and left, his expression a mix of irritability and resignation.
This was the eighth person already; as time passed, the number of people in the ingredient chamber dwindled. What pained him more was that he seemed to have grown accustomed to this—his guilt of delivering people to death was fading steadily.
He was being assimilated by Master Danyang, that nauseating man, and he didn't want that.
Li Huowang was desperate to escape his current torturous predicament. He was looking for a solution, but it was not easy to find. Relying on himself and some disabled individuals from the ingredient chamber, it was almost impossible to confront the enigmatic Master Danyang.
The only things he knew now were that the "Lord You" that Master Danyang controlled didn't exist on the first and fifteenth of each month, leaving them unwatched, and that Master Danyang was illiterate, depending on someone within Qingfeng Taoist Temple to read the Heavenly Book on his behalf.
"Should I go to Master Danyang's dwelling, find that person, and kill him? I'm the only one among his disciples who can read. He would have no choice but to rely on me to translate the Heavenly Book! Then, wouldn't killing Master Danyang be within easy reach?"
No sooner had this thought sprung to mind than Li Huowang immediately dismissed it.
Even though he knew the location of the cavern where Master Danyang resided, firstly, he didn't know what kind of traps were inside, and secondly, he was clueless about the strength of the entity reading the Heavenly Book for Master Danyang. Blundering in rashly, he'd likely die without even understanding how.
"Poison his alchemy ingredients? No, he taught me everything I know about alchemy. To try such a clumsy ruse would be suicide."
Li Huowang continued his way, his mind racing for new methods to deal with Master Danyang as he walked back.
At that moment, a gloomy young man in a Taoist robe and a square cap approached from the opposite direction. Li Huowang recognized him; he was Master Danyang's Inner Sect Disciple, Zhengkun.
Li Huowang didn't know much about him, other than occasionally seeing him at meals. Ordinarily, Zhengkun's presence was scarce.
And unlike Li Huowang and the other introductory disciples, Zhengkun wasn't burdened with the day-to-day management of Qingfeng Taoist Temple. What he did in his usual time was unknown to Li Huowang.
As they passed by each other, Zhengkun brushed against Li Huowang's shoulder, causing Li to collide with him, feeling as though he had bumped into a solid piece of iron.
Zhengkun abruptly stopped and turned, looking at Li Huowang with a smirk. "Xuan Yuan, you've been very active within the temple lately, cheerfully fooling our Master, haven't you?"
Li Huowang frowned slightly and, without saying a word, turned to leave.
But he had barely taken two steps when he felt a sudden, forceful shove from behind, pushing him forward.
Li Huowang stumbled for a few steps and steadied himself after a moment, managing to avoid falling flat on his face.
"What's the matter, Junior Brother Xuan Yuan? Does my word no longer carry weight?" Zhengkun asked with crossed arms, stepping closer to Li Huowang.
"Senior Brother Zhengkun, I still need to prepare the Alchemy Ingredients for Master," said Li Huowang calmly.
"Cut the crap about the Master; you know, back when I was fleeing from pursuers with him, you didn't even know where you were! Let me tell you, Xuan Yuan, you'd do well to just quietly do your job. Better keep your mouth shut about the rest, or you'll find yourself in trouble," Zhengkun's tone grew harsher.
Li Huowang didn't get angry but stared blankly at Zhengkun, as if contemplating something. His temperament was indeed as Xuan Yuan had described—volatile; but didn't this mean that the man was rather impulsive?
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Speak up!"
Li Huowang, who had been expressionless all along, began to come alive, his tone now laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"The Master's favoritism towards me is his own plan, even if he decides to share the secrets of Immortality Cultivation Technique with me, that's his business. I'm afraid Brother Zhengkun, you have no say in it."
Zhengkun was stunned for a moment, unable to react immediately; to his surprise, the other dared to speak to him in such a manner.
When he snapped back to reality, his expression twisted into a grimace as his fingers came together in a single-handed gesture, stabbing through the Taoist robe like a small chisel directly into Li Huowang's left ribs.
"You think you're worthy? Even I haven't been told the Immortality Cultivation Technique by the Master, and he would tell you? What do you think you are? Herbal dregs!!"
The intense pain nearly caused Li Huowang to faint from the agony, but instead, a smile spread across his face; he had guessed correctly.
"Heh, if the Master hasn't shared it with you, perhaps it's because your comprehension is lacking, Brother Zhengkun. Cultivating immortality is all about innate talent, and since you're lacking it, you shouldn't waste the Master's time with your body."
These words seemed to strike a nerve in Zhengkun; his fingers withdrew and then plunged into Li Huowang's body three more times. "You herbal dreg! You're begging for death!!"
Amid the overwhelming pain, Li Huowang's laughter grew louder, "Haha, come on, kill me and see what the Master's reaction will be when he learns that disciples within the Taoist temple are slaughtering each other."
Watching the transformation of Li Huowang's laughter from a loud guffaw into a maniacal cackle, Zhengkun kicked and shoved him against the wall with his right foot. "Humph! A lunatic who doesn't know the meaning of death."
Li Huowang lay on the ground for a long while before he could regain his strength; some time later, a pair of broad hands reached out to him, helping him to his feet.
"Ah, Brother Xuan Yuan, why don't you heed advice? Didn't I tell you to show some respect for Brother Zhengkun? Why provoke him again?"
The speaker was the universally liked Xuan Yuan, known for his affable nature, and the only person in Qingfeng Taoist Temple who could actually hold a conversation with Li Huowang.
Clutching at his armpit and enduring the pain, Li Huowang retorted, "What? Can he kill me? The Master's esteemed Mr. You is watching over us; if more disciples die in the temple, it won't last much longer."
"Mr. You?" Xuan Yuan looked puzzled.
He didn't know? A thought suddenly flashed through Li Huowang's mind—could it be that the others didn't know of the Master's method for monitoring the entire Qingfeng Taoist Temple?
Remembering that among those who had died earlier, there were two Inner Sect Disciples, Li Huowang realized they might indeed be unaware.
"It's nothing. I just mean he doesn't dare to make a move."
"That's not how you should look at it. He's an Inner Sect Disciple and you're just an honorary disciple. Even though he wouldn't dare to kill you outright, making life difficult for you would be child's play to him."
"Haha, I have small feet; I was born to wear tight shoes."
While talking to Xuan Yuan, a smile crept into Li Huowang's eyes. Just now, Zhengkun had revealed something—that even as an Inner Sect Disciple, he still wasn't entitled to learn the Immortality Cultivation Technique.
Master Danyang didn't trust anyone,
But that wasn't the point. The important thing was the look in Zhengkun's eyes; during their confrontation, when he mentioned having learned the Immortality Cultivation Technique, he could clearly sense Zhengkun's strong frustration.
Disciples taught by Master Danyang couldn't possibly be unfailingly loyal.
Perhaps this was a leverage point. He wanted to try it out.