Chapter 120: Not a Decent Person

"Since I answered the second one correctly too, what's the third question? Just say it all at once!"

Seeing the other party admit it, Zhang Xuan didn't want to waste any more time.

"I concede! Those were the two hardest questions I could think of. If I asked more, it would only add to the ridicule!"

Alchemist Jin Chen shook his head.

The other party had listed so many book titles in one breath, completely crushing his confidence. He knew that continuing to ask would only bring more shame to himself; it was better to stop and at least save face.

"Not asking anymore?"

Zhang Xuan was startled, then suddenly understood.

Even the hardest questions he could think of were easily answered; asking more would only be more embarrassing!

He had to admit, this Alchemist Jin Chen was quite decisive.

"Your turn!"

He turned to look at Lin Mu.

Seeing him look over, Alchemist Lin Mu gritted his teeth and said, "To be honest, I don't have an answer to my question myself. If you can't answer it, you won't lose! Of course, if you can answer it, there's no need to ask the remaining two questions, because I know asking more would be useless!"

In a pill debate, the questioner must ask a question to which he knows the answer; otherwise, if you don't understand it yourself, how can you judge whether the other party is correct?

Alchemist Lin Mu directly said he couldn't answer the question himself. In principle, this exceeded the scope of a pill debate, and Zhang Xuan could choose to refuse to answer.

Doing so would not count as a loss.

"Go ahead!"

Zhang Xuan said casually.

Refuse? No way. Being able to answer two fewer questions was certainly a good deal.

"I've been studying the [Expanding Meridian Pill] recently. I've prepared everything—technique, materials, furnace—without any issues, but I still can't form the pill. I hope you can tell me what's wrong!"

After hesitating for a moment, Alchemist Lin Mu said slowly.

"What kind of question is that?"

"That's a bit unreasonable!"

"Yeah, if you can't form the pill yourself, you should find the reason yourself. Bringing it up now, how is anyone supposed to answer?"

...

Hearing Lin Mu's words, everyone was stunned, then their expressions turned strange.

In a pill debate, you should ask questions the other party can answer. Asking someone how many moles they have on their body, how many meals they ate yesterday, or how many women they've been with... even a god couldn't answer that!

Now Lin Mu was doing just that, directly saying he couldn't refine the Expanding Meridian Pill—how was anyone supposed to answer?

"Ahem, Alchemist Lin Mu, questions must have a basis. This question is inappropriate; you'd better change it..."

Ouyang Cheng, who was hosting the pill debate, couldn't stand it anymore and couldn't help speaking up.

"I was too rash..."

Hearing what everyone said, Lin Mu realized he had been a bit rash. He shook his head and was about to speak when he heard Zhang Xuan across from him say, "It's not too rash. How about this: refine the Expanding Meridian Pill for me to see. Without seeing the process, I can't tell just from a description."

"Alright!"

Unexpectedly, the other party agreed. Lin Mu nodded and walked to the furnace.

In fact, raising this question was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Recently, he had been trying to refine the Expanding Meridian Pill but never succeeded. He studied various books and techniques, exhausting all methods, but still couldn't do it! Seeing Zhang Xuan casually point out the flaws in others' alchemy, he couldn't help but speak up.

As long as he could find the flaw, he believed that with his alchemy skills, he would surely succeed.

He had thought this reason was indeed rude and the other party would refuse, but unexpectedly, he agreed.

Whoosh!

The furnace fire blazed, and various herbs tumbled and flew.

Lin Mu's ten fingers moved like plucked strings, waving continuously. From a distance, it looked less like alchemy and more like playing a moving piece of music.

With just one glance, Zhang Xuan knew that this man had immersed himself in alchemy for many years, his technique already perfected.

With such a technique and a flawless sequence of steps, yet still unable to form the pill, it was indeed bewildering.

"There's no mistake at all!"

"With his technique, he could even refine a Strength Pill successfully. How could the Expanding Meridian Pill fail?"

"Yeah, it's really strange..."

As Alchemist Lin Mu began refining, everyone focused their attention, growing more puzzled the more they watched.

Just as he said, whether it was the herbs, technique, or other methods, there was no mistake. Under normal circumstances, it should at least form a pill, maybe even a full one!

Failing to form a pill... impossible!

Unfortunately, the fact was right before them. Soon the fire died down, the lid opened, and a pile of black dregs appeared before everyone.

Failure!

"It doesn't make sense!"

Ouyang Cheng on the side also furrowed his brow deeply.

As the guild president and the highest-ranked one-star mid-grade alchemist, he had the sharpest eye. After watching for a long time, he thought the same as everyone else—that it would definitely form a pill. Yet the result was like this, leaving him puzzled and unable to understand.

"Sigh!"

Looking at the pitch-black dregs in the furnace, Alchemist Lin Mu sighed and shook his head, then looked up at the young man before him: "This is my question. If you can answer it, I'll concede directly! If not, I'll ask other questions, and it won't affect the pill debate!"

"Can't answer?"

Zhang Xuan laughed, walked over to the furnace, circled it, carefully examined the dregs, then looked up at Alchemist Lin Mu with a strange expression: "Alchemist Lin, you're still vigorous in old age—I didn't expect that!"

"Vigorous in old age?"

Lin Mu was taken aback.

I'm failing to refine a pill, and you're telling me I'm vigorous in old age?

What does that have to do with anything?

The other alchemists also looked on in confusion.

In the past, they would have started questioning or cursing, but after seeing his erudition and ability earlier, they knew there must be a deeper meaning.

"Yes, when I walked over, I smelled a fragrance unique to women on Alchemist Lin. Moreover, the scent is fresh, pure, and full of vitality. If I'm not mistaken, she should be under eighteen, right?"

Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes, I just took a concubine, not yet eighteen this year!"

Alchemist Lin Mu's face reddened.

He was already sixty or seventy, nearing the end of his life, yet he had taken a concubine of only seventeen or eighteen. Although it wasn't a big deal in this world, being called out in front of so many alchemists was still embarrassing.

"Could it be... that my failure to refine the Expanding Meridian Pill is related to my taking a concubine?"

Soon, Lin Mu looked over in confusion.

If there were no connection, given Zhang Xuan's previous behavior, he wouldn't have brought it up.

But... what did taking a concubine have to do with alchemy?

They were completely unrelated!

"Exactly... If I'm not mistaken, this concubine of yours... is not a decent person!"

Zhang Xuan thought for a moment and said calmly.

"Not a decent person?"

Lin Mu was first stunned, then frowned, slightly angry and displeased: "How can you curse at me?"