Chapter 121: Vying to Be First

I asked you to answer the question, to find the flaw in my refining of the Meridian-Expanding Pill, yet you curse my concubine as not being human—what do you mean?

Even with Lin Mu's good breeding, he was somewhat displeased.

Not only did his face darken, but the others also looked baffled.

What was going on?

How did the conversation turn to insults?

“Alchemist Lin, don’t be hasty!”

Zhang Xuan seemed to anticipate his reaction, a playful smile on his face as he looked over. “Lately, Alchemist, have you been toiling diligently every day, even working without rest during the day?”

“Uh…”

Hearing this question, Lin Mu’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I just took a concubine… perhaps… perhaps I’ve been a bit strenuous!”

An old man with a young wife, and having married a beauty under eighteen, Lin Mu naturally doted on her, wishing he could stay in bed all day.

“Haha!”

“Alchemist Lin, I didn’t expect you to have such tastes!”

“Truly old but vigorous, an old man acting like a youth in his prime!”

“Impressive, I admire you!”

…

The other alchemists, hearing their exchange, couldn’t help but laugh.

Taking a wife and concubine—any man would do it. Having taken a concubine under eighteen and toiling day and night without rest… this Alchemist Lin certainly had quite the “interest.”

Hearing the laughter of his old friends, Alchemist Lin was full of embarrassment. He looked at Zhang Xuan. “This… there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that, right?”

The joys of love between man and woman, the union of yin and yang—coupled with his cultivation at the Meridian-Opening realm, even if he did it several times a day, it wouldn’t have much effect, would it?

Not to mention him; even ordinary people doing it several times a day was nothing.

“That alone is indeed nothing wrong, but… to be more vigorous in certain areas, Alchemist Lin, have you been taking some medicine you shouldn’t have?”

Zhang Xuan said.

“This…”

Lin Mu’s heart skipped a beat.

What he said was true. Although his strength was not weak, his age was a factor, and his physiological functions were not what they used to be. To better care for this concubine, he had indeed been taking some potent aphrodisiacs recently.

“These medicines were probably urged on you by your concubine, right?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Uh… yes!” Lin Mu nodded.

As an alchemist, he naturally knew that medicine had three parts poison and was reluctant to take it, but he couldn’t resist his concubine’s entreaties, so he took the medicine, which she provided. After taking it, he was indeed as fierce as a wolf and tiger, with unmatched power, which excited him for a long time.

“Your alchemy technique, sequence, and every aspect are correct, yet you can’t refine the Meridian-Expanding Pill.”

Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, walked around Alchemist Lin Mu, and stopped pursuing the topic of the concubine, instead returning to alchemy. “I watched for a while and couldn’t find the reason at first. I was puzzled, wondering if it was a problem with the furnace or something else, when I suddenly recalled a record in a book!”

“That book is called ‘A Brief Analysis of Pill Formation,’ left by the third-rank alchemist, Senior Mu Yang. It’s in the elementary library and lists hundreds of reasons why pills fail to form. One of them says, verbatim: ‘When one’s own qi is deficient and essence is not full, even if the technique is flawless, the pill is hard to form.’ The meaning is simple: when one’s essence and qi are depleted and hard to perfect, even if the technique is correct, it’s difficult to form the pill. This so-called pill is the Meridian-Expanding Pill!”

“Thinking of this, I came to you and indeed smelled the unique fragrance and rouge of a young woman on you, so I asked about the concubine! In fact, just taking a concubine and toiling day and night wouldn’t cause such depletion of essence and qi that the pill fails. The key is… you’ve damaged your foundation!”

“Damaged my foundation?”

Lin Mu was startled.

“Correct. A person has a foundation; damaging it is inauspicious. Any alchemist should have heard of this. Your mere day-and-night toil, with your cultivation at the sixth level of the Martial Path, the Meridian-Opening realm, is indeed nothing; half a day of meditation can fully restore you. But the key is that you shouldn’t have taken the tonic she gave you. That medicine is actually a toxin that stimulates the spirit and creates hallucinations. Taken for a short time, it indeed makes you vigorous and powerful, but the poison then flows through your body, harming your foundation!”

“As time passes, your body will grow weaker until death! From the outside, it looks no different from normal aging; even the most skilled alchemist wouldn’t notice! If I’m not mistaken, if you continue taking it, in half a year you’ll age a full cycle, and within a year you’ll be dead, beyond even the gods’ help!”

“The Meridian-Expanding Pill expands a cultivator’s meridians and is a highly nourishing pill. Your foundation is damaged; your essence, qi, and spirit cannot concentrate. Naturally, refining such a pill is unsustainable, and failure is normal!”

Zhang Xuan paused here. “This medicine, which even you, an alchemist, couldn’t detect, must be extremely precious. If I said your concubine was unaware… I’d find it hard to justify. That’s why I said she’s not a good person. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me!”

“This… this…”

Lin Mu’s body trembled, and he staggered back several steps.

The other’s words were reasonable and penetrating, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

After taking the medicine from his concubine, his strength had indeed increased. Previously, after one session he would have back pain, but now three or five times in a row was nothing.

He thought he was getting stronger with age, but he never expected to have been drugged!

How despicable! How despicable!

“That bitch! I doted on her so much, and she plots to harm me behind my back…”

Clenching his fists, Lin Mu’s eyes turned red.

“Alright, Alchemist Lin, if you think what I said is wrong, there should be a way to prove it. This question, I consider answered!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

“What you said is completely correct. I have learned from this. In this pill debate, I admit defeat!” Alchemist Lin Mu conceded without any hesitation.

The other’s analysis was incisive and logical, without a single error; he had no choice but to accept.

Moreover, he had recently noticed his body was gradually declining. He thought it was due to age, but it turned out to be the work of that concubine.

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and paid no further attention.

This was the other’s family affair; he didn’t want to meddle.

Then, he looked at the remaining three alchemists. “Just you three left. If you have any questions, ask them all at once!”

Of the ten alchemists, seven had already conceded. If these three also conceded, he would pass the pill debate and become a formal alchemist.

“Brother Zhang Xuan is truly talented. Well, I happen to have a question to ask!”

One alchemist stood up.

“Brother Lu, don’t be hasty. By age, it should be my turn. I just thought of a question too!” Another alchemist stood up.

“Don’t argue. If anyone should ask, it should be me first. After all, I became an alchemist earlier than you…”

The last old man also hurriedly rose.

“Huh?”

Seeing that these people, who had previously shunned him like a viper and dared not ask even after he had repeatedly invited questions, were now vying to be the first to ask, Zhang Xuan was utterly baffled.

Were they… all taking the wrong medicine?