Chapter Thirty-Nine: Seeking Someone to Test the Medicine

After treating Old Madam Yao and having dinner, it was time for everyone to cultivate again. Seeing that the three members of the Shi family had already gone to the back mountain, Tang Wei also entered the space. She took the offensive techniques that Xiaoling had found for her and practiced them over and over, but it was just the same few moves—utterly boring. She thought it would be better to refine some pills instead! Forcing herself to practice offensive spells in the space for two days, Tang Wei finally asked Xiaoling for medicinal herbs, closed the door, and began her journey of pill refinement in the alchemy room.

Soon, Tang Wei emerged from the alchemy room, looking much the same as the day before, except this time her face was beaming with a wide smile. Had something good happened?

Xiaoling, full of curiosity, put down little Yaya and walked up to Tang Wei, shaking her head as she looked her up and down with a grin. “Sister, you must have some good news today. Look how happy you are! What is it? Did you manage to refine a pill in such a short time? It seems you really do have a talent for alchemy!”

Tang Wei burst out laughing, her face all teeth and no features. If it weren’t for the sound, you’d hardly know she was laughing at all. She stretched out two pitch-black hands holding two slightly gray pills toward Xiaoling. “Look, Xiaoling, these are the Origin Spirit Pills I just refined. What do you think—are they real? Although the color isn’t quite the same as the one you showed me.”

Xiaoling took the pills from her nervously and sniffed them. A scent unlike that of the Origin Spirit Pill wafted up. Carefully, Xiaoling asked, “Sister, did you add any other herbs to this? Why does it smell different from the one I gave you?”

“Of course not! All the herbs in my alchemy room came from you; I don’t have any of my own, so how could I mess it up?” Tang Wei answered with certainty.

“This probably isn’t the Origin Spirit Pill, is it?” Xiaoling didn’t dare to deny it outright, so she could only put it gently.

Tang Wei understood her well; since Xiaoling put it that way, it surely wasn’t. After all that effort, had she failed again? Her back seemed to droop with disappointment.

Xiaoling, unable to bear seeing Tang Wei so crestfallen, thought up a mischievous idea and suggested, “How about we find someone to try it?”

Tang Wei’s eyes lit up. “Right! We can find someone to try it. But who?” It seemed another poor soul was about to meet their doom.

After thinking it over, Tang Wei felt Zixuan and Tang Jun were best suited. First, they were young and robust, able to withstand whatever might come. She couldn’t ask her parents to test pills—at their age, who knows if they could handle it. Second, she was familiar with them, so there’d be no need to lose face outside—imagine asking someone from the Shi family to test pills and bringing shame to their household! Third, both of them had a solid cultivation foundation; besides Tang Wei herself, they were the highest in cultivation, both at the sixth level of Qi Refining. If anything went wrong, they could at least resist a bit and wait for Xiaoling to save them. She certainly couldn’t ask the Li siblings; that could be fatal!

What? Tang Wei should try it herself? Absolutely not! As the pill refiner, she ought to see the effects on others!

Just then, while Zixuan and Tang Jun were cultivating in meditation, they both suddenly felt a chill all over. Impossible—since they started cultivating, they’d never felt cold. Something was wrong. Had something happened? Both thought the same thing and stood up involuntarily, walking straight into the jaws of danger.

However, since Tang Jun couldn’t enter the main hall, he was spared a little longer and could only wait for disaster in the small manor. Zixuan, though, walked right in. He soon arrived at the main hall, where he saw Xiaoling and Tang Wei deep in discussion and immediately went over to greet them.

Tang Wei’s eyes locked onto Zixuan as soon as she saw him. Zixuan asked curiously, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hehehe…” Tang Wei grinned slyly. Xiaoling, unwilling to watch the inevitable, hurried away, thinking, “Since I can’t bear to watch, I’ll just make myself scarce!”

Seeing Xiaoling dash off, Tang Wei quickly asked Zixuan in her sweetest voice, “Zixuan, if I really needed a favor, would you do it for me?”

“Of course! If you need my help, I’ll do it without hesitation!” Zixuan answered firmly.

“Well… I just… refined two pills… Could you… try one for me?” Tang Wei, seeing his decisive answer, felt embarrassed herself and could only hope nothing would go wrong with the pill.

“Sure! No problem, give it to me. I’ll try it!” Zixuan replied, fearless as ever, not realizing the ordeal that awaited him.

“Here you go!” Tang Wei, delighted, handed the pill over at lightning speed.

When Zixuan saw the pill, he finally understood Tang Wei’s earlier expression. But regret came too late. Looking at the grayish little pellet in his palm, he realized that even pill testing required real courage.

Seeing Tang Wei’s pitiful face, Zixuan took a deep breath and made up his mind. If he was going to die, so be it! He called out, “Xiaoling, come here a moment!”

Xiaoling immediately appeared, nervously asking, “Brother, what is it? Just so you know, I have nothing to do with being a pill tester!”

Zixuan put on a manly face, full of bravado. “It’s nothing. I just want you to observe, in case anything strange happens!” It seemed even the bravest of men feared death and didn’t fully trust Tang Wei’s pill, yet had to find a roundabout way to say it.

With an air of heroism, Zixuan popped the pill into his mouth and sat down to sense its effects. A surge of pure spiritual energy spread from the pill. He realized it was even more potent than the Origin Spirit Pill Xiaoling had given him. After circulating his energy and finding no adverse effects, he stood up and joyfully said to Tang Wei, “Weiwei, your pill is really good—richer in spiritual energy than the one Xiaoling gave me. You really can’t judge a pill by its appearance. Congratulations!”

“Really?” Tang Wei looked at Zixuan, hardly daring to believe it. Once he nodded his confirmation, she jumped up and hugged him in excitement!

With Zixuan’s silly grin, it seemed that, as long as Tang Wei hugged him like this, even if she handed him poison, he would swallow it without a second thought.

After Tang Wei had celebrated enough, she asked Xiaoling to find a jade bottle, carefully stowed the remaining pill away, and prepared to clean herself up before continuing her great endeavor.

Suddenly, she saw Zixuan’s face contort in pain, his eyes and nose scrunched together, hands clutching his belly as he squatted down. Xiaoling hurried over, asking, “Brother! What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Zixuan struggled to answer, “My… stomach… hurts. I need… the restroom. Hurry… take me… I can’t… move! It’s… about… to come out! Quick!”

Tang Wei hadn’t caught on, staring blankly as she asked, “Ah? What did you say?”

“Hurry up, Xiaoling, take me!” Zixuan didn’t have time to explain and could only urge her on in panic.

With just an “Oh!” from Xiaoling, the two disappeared in a flash.

Tang Wei figured they must have gone to the restroom in the small manor and quickly darted over to wait—she had to find out what was going on!

In the end, Zixuan remained in the bathroom right up until it was time to leave the space, squatting there as if his intestines were about to fall out.

Luckily, there were no other side effects. But with so many pills in the alchemy room, not a single one could stop diarrhea!

Tang Wei refused to believe it. Clearly, her pill was full of spiritual energy—it must have been something Zixuan ate earlier, or perhaps he’d been injured and couldn’t withstand the surge of energy. So, she insisted on having Tang Jun try it.

Tang Jun, after seeing Zixuan’s miserable state, flatly refused no matter what. Heaven help him—he valued his life too much!