Chapter 149: Chen the Monkey?

A day passed silently.

Inside the Alchemy Furnace, there was no movement.

At first, the shouting and screaming—big brother's voice was truly pleasant, gut‑wrenching, even more pleasant than some women's voices.

At least Chuyang greatly appreciated big brother's scream; his hand never wavered, the Pill Fire output steadily. Later, without Chuyang's deliberate control, the Formation inside the Alchemy Furnace refined automatically; Chuyang only needed to keep his gaze on it.

Big brother could no longer let out his wretched scream—perhaps his voice was hoarse, or for other reasons—but it was certain that big brother was not dead; he was still alive.

Chuyang kept his eyes fixed on big brother inside; his Spiritual Sense remained on him, and under any circumstance, nothing could escape Chuyang's shifting Spiritual Sense.

"Chuyang, my good younger brother, can you let me out?"

The voice was very weak, almost only he could hear it.

Lying on the ground, his whole body was scorched by flames; those flames burned steadily, tempering his body. The Item and the melted material clung to his skin, enveloping him, seeping through his flesh into his body, altering his bodily strength.

The Item repaired wounds, damaging a bit, repairing a bit.

Meanwhile, the liquid from the melted materials continuously strengthened his flesh, solidifying his foundation.

They proceeded almost simultaneously.

Burning, damaging, repairing, and strengthening all at once.

This step required extremely delicate control; each move was under Chuyang's command, maintaining a balance so big brother would neither die nor collapse. Yet, as a result, big brother had to endure pain multiplied dozens of times, a pain far exceeding that of bone shattering.

He was in constant pain, constantly bearing it.

Big brother was about to be unable to endure.

It should be said he had long been unable to endure, holding on with a single breath.

"Chuyang, big brother really can't take it."

"Can you let me out?"

His pleas and his cries received no response.

Chen Chusheng fell into despair; he knew the second brother would not easily let him out, and at least until this treatment was completed, he could not leave.

Lying on the ground, letting these flames burn him, he was truly going mad.

A day and a night passed, and he didn't know how he got through it; the long day and night, the long years, felt as if ten years had passed.

The pain he had endured before now seemed trivial at this moment.

Another half day slipped by.

The massive fire Alchemy Furnace continued to blaze.

Shang Hongxue went up the mountain.

She crept behind Chuyang, covering his eyes with both hands, playfully saying, "Guess who I am?"

"Hongxue, you're here."

"Boring, every time you find me."

Shang Hongxue pursed her lips and released her hands; each time she tried to surprise Chuyang, Chuyang discovered her.

As long as she went up the mountain, he would find her.

Even so, Shang Hongxue remained delighted.

Chuyang, fully aware of this, still teased her.

"Brother Chuyang, are you refining pills?"

"No."

Shang Hongxue blinked, looking at the Alchemy Furnace before her.

What else can the activated Alchemy Furnace do besides Pill Refining?

"Then are you Refining Spiritual Artifacts?"

"Not that either."

Chuyang turned his head, glancing at Shang Hongxue; after a few days apart, the girl seemed even more lively.

Her complexion was rosy, and she seemed to have put on some flesh.

Her qi and blood were abundant, no longer the previous sense of weakness.

Shang Hongxue sat beside Chuyang, very close; it was deliberate, to lean against Brother Chuyang.

"Then Brother Chuyang, what are you doing?"

Shang Hongxue curiously stared at the Alchemy Furnace, wondering what inside could make Brother Chuyang value it so much.

Usually Brother Chuyang refined pills in his room, never here.

She looked for a while but saw nothing.

Shang Hongxue grew even more curious.

"Your guess."

Shang Hongxue continued to observe, even walking up to the Alchemy Furnace to inspect; her little head leaned in, not daring to get too close, as the furnace emitted an intense heat, very scorching.

Touching it would peel off a layer of skin.

"Help."

"Save me."

Shang Hongxue blinked, had she misheard?

Someone was shouting for help.

She turned back, looking at Chuyang; Brother Chuyang was smiling.

That smile was very wicked.

Shang Hongxue moved a bit closer, her tiny pupils trying to peer inside, but the Alchemy Furnace was sealed, invisible.

She watched for a long while, still seeing nothing inside.

"Chuyang, save me, I'm dying."

The voice sounded again.

A very faint cry for help.

Shang Hongxue could tell it wasn't an illusion; it was real.

There's someone inside the alchemy furnace—who could it be?

Why was he thrown in by Brother Chuyang? Moreover, she heard clearly that the person inside was calling Brother Chuyang's name.

That voice sounded somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

Bringing her doubts, Shang Hongxue returned to Chen Chuyang's side and asked, 'Brother Chuyang, who is that person inside?'

"Why is he in the alchemy furnace?"

Chen Chuyang laughed and said, "He's my older brother."

"Huh?"

Shang Hongxue turned in shock, thinking she had misheard, and asked again, "Your older brother? Elder Brother Chen Chusheng?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Eh?"

Shang Hongxue was stunned beyond words, her mouth agape, dazed.

She just stared at Chen Chuyang for a long time before she came to her senses.

"Brother Chuyang, are you going to kill the older brother?"

"No, that's your older brother; you can't kill him for power."

"Brother Chuyang, spare him—he's your older brother; if Uncle Chen found out, he'd be heartbroken."

Brother Chuyang's older brother—that's my older brother; Shang Hongxue has placed herself in his position.

"What are you thinking about?"

Chen Chuyang reached out, pressing on her head—what's going on in this girl's head? All kinds of chaotic thoughts.

"You, Brother Chuyang, wouldn't do something like this; besides, I have no interest in the position of head of the Chen Clan—I'm just helping my older brother solidify his foundation and boost his strength."

Shang Hongxue blinked, a big question mark over her head.

Putting a person in the alchemy furnace to bake with fire—are you sure you're not trying to burn the older brother?

Are you sure you're not trying to kill Chen Chusheng?

Too cruel.

Shang Hongxue doesn't want Brother Chuyang to do such a thing, nor does she want him to fratricide.

Chen Chusheng treats Chen Chuyang well, and hasn't let him down.

"Brother Chuyang, you should let him out—he seems to be dying."

The reluctant Shang Hongxue felt a little afraid; if Chen Chusheng died, Brother Chuyang would bear the infamy of killing his older brother, and she didn't want to see that.

For Brother Chuyang's sake, she also had to stop him.

"All right, girl, just a bit more—my older brother hasn't finished absorbing completely."

"Once he's done absorbing, I'll let him out."

"Moreover, he's been in there for a day and a half; a little more or less doesn't matter."

Shang Hongxue jumped up.

"What!"

"A day and a half, and the older brother isn't dead yet?"

Shang Hongxue met Brother Chuyang's eyes, realized she had misspoken, and quickly corrected herself.

"No, I don't mean that—I'm not wishing him dead, I just—?"

Flustered, Shang Hongxue didn't know how to explain, and grew anxious.