Chapter 5: Elixir

Chapter 5: The Elixir

At this moment, Danyangzi paid no heed to Li Huowang's thoughts, busy as he was lecturing his thoroughly terrified disciples.

"From now on, if anyone harbors treacherous intentions, remember to recall what you have witnessed today!"

Danyangzi's words made everyone's heart clench instantly, the fear in their eyes deepening all the more.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced with measured, square steps before his disciples, his hawk-like gaze sweeping across every face.

"Let this Daoist Master tell you, aiding another in achieving immortality is a great merit. If I ascend to the heavens, I shall naturally not forget your kindness. But if anyone dares to ruin my grand design! Hmph, hmph!!"

Hardly had the words left his lips when he suddenly halted before Li Huowang, scrutinizing the youth whose demeanor differed so markedly from the other disciples.

"You're nothing but a hallucination; why should I fear you? You are merely a fleeting thought in my mind!" Thinking this, Li Huowang met the gaze of his scabby-headed master with tranquil eyes.

As Danyangzi raised his right hand, its fingernails caked with grime, the atmosphere in the cavern grew somewhat heavy. The others cast their eyes upon this senior brother who dared to offend the master, waiting to see how the master would deal with him.

To their surprise, Danyangzi's expression suddenly softened. He lowered his raised hand to pat Li Huowang on the head, and the oppressive atmosphere vanished without a trace in an instant.

"Last night, those traitors invited you to flee with them. Why did you refuse?"

Though this question seemed directed at Li Huowang, it was, in truth, a commendation.

Just as Li Huowang was about to speak, he saw Danyangzi raise his right hand.

"Spare me the hollow flattery. Although you failed to report to this Daoist Master in a timely manner, compared to those wicked disciples with foul intentions, you have done quite well."

Lowering his hand, he continued, "I see you possess fine talent. You need not toil in the ingredient room any longer. From now on, you shall be a registered disciple of this Daoist Master."

Li Huowang was taken aback. Had his status just been elevated? But he quickly realized that with so many dying in the cave at once, this fellow must be short of helpers.

"Ah, yes. Since you have become my disciple and joined our sect, you cannot go without a Daoist name. Henceforth, your Daoist name shall be Xuanyang."

Li Huowang glanced at the round hole in the corner. The miserable fate of the previous Xuanyang flashed through his mind, and he thought to himself, "Wow, what an inauspicious name."

Though Li Huowang cared little for this preferential treatment, the others in the ingredient room were instantly green with envy, their eyes shining. Becoming a registered disciple of Danyangzi meant one would not have to die.

Yet, in Danyangzi's eyes, this was not enough. After the stick, one must offer a few more dates to keep people hooked. "Xuanyang, since you have just joined our sect, this Daoist Master should bestow a small token of appreciation."

Hearing his name called, Li Huowang hurried to his side, sensing from the tone that a gift was forthcoming.

Danyangzi poured five pitch-black pills from the gourd at his waist into Li Huowang's palm.

"Hold them well. These five are divine elixirs refined by this Daoist Master. Consuming them will not only add ten years to your lifespan but also grant you temporary divine strength to preserve your life."

Li Huowang frowned slightly as he held the pills before him. "Could these things also be refined from human beings?"

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Li Huowang suddenly saw one of the pills in his hand roll slightly, shifting from a perfect sphere to an oval, as if something were trying to burrow its way out.

Yet when he fixed his gaze upon it once more, he found the pill entirely unchanged.

"Damn it, am I losing my mind? Why do I care about things in a hallucination? It's all fake. I absolutely cannot let myself sink deeper into it."

Frustrated, Li Huowang slapped his own head with his hands.

Ignoring Li Huowang's strange behavior, Danyangzi turned to look at the rest. "See that? Opposing this Daoist Master leads only to a dead end, but those who aid me shall be rewarded, and rewarded handsomely!!"

Everyone's evasive gaze darted between Danyangzi and the elixirs. At this moment, each person was lost in their own thoughts, though what those thoughts were, only they themselves knew.

Seeing that his purpose was achieved, Danyangzi waved his filthy, long sleeves, dismissing everyone to return to their work.

Li Huowang no longer needed to return to the ingredient room. His Daoist name was Xuanyang, so everything the previous Xuanyang had possessed was now his: the status, the Daoist robe, and even that private little cavern.

However, he cared little for all that transpired in this hallucination at the moment; he was far more concerned with what he had gained.

Arms crossed, he stared at the two items resting on the white bedsheets of his ward: the jade pendant and the elixirs.

"My god, I actually brought them all out."

But now Li Huowang was troubled. An old problem presented itself before him once again, forcing him to confront it.

"If I take these elixirs out and they actually have an effect when I eat them, then is this place really just a hallucination? What on earth is happening to me?"

He had previously followed the doctor's orders with utmost seriousness, steadfastly treating everything on that side as a hallucination. Yet, with these objects undeniably materializing before him, his resolve began to waver.

If this truly was a hallucination, what caused these things to become physical, and what harm might they pose to me?

And if that side is another world, then...

The mad senior sister refined into pills by the master, Xuanyang devoured by the black cauldron—various horrifying and ghastly images flashed incessantly through his mind, making his breath grow ragged.

"Ah!! It's so frustrating, I don't even have anyone to talk this over with." Agitated, Li Huowang reached up with both hands to claw at his hair.

After venting his frustration, Li Huowang ultimately had to face reality. After pondering for a long while, he finally settled on a course of action.

On the hallucination side, whether it was real or fake, he would cooperate as much as possible, just as before, treating it entirely as reality.

If by some chance it was real, he could at least secure his safety and preserve his life.

If it was fake, then he would suffer no harm.

For now, he would first verify the authenticity and value of these items brought over before making further plans.

Having decided on his approach, Li Huowang took a deep breath and pinched one of the elixirs between his index finger and thumb, holding it before his eyes.

"No, it's too dangerous to eat it myself." His gaze shifted toward the patients sunbathing in the garden outside.

After only a brief second of inner struggle, he let it drop in defeat. They were poor souls just like him; how could he let them test the medicine? He would figure out a way to find a lab mouse when he had the time.

Next, Li Huowang turned his attention to the round jade pendant. Compared to the elixirs, dealing with this item would be much simpler.

"Tell me what this is about. I climbed over the wall to get here, so if this is a prank, hmph!" Yang Na clenched her fair little fist, threatening Li Huowang.

"Sis, your brother is asking for your help out of sheer desperation. You know I can't get out of here at all."

As he spoke, Li Huowang walked to the ward door, shut it tightly, and drew the curtains.

(End of Chapter)