Chapter 23: I Have a Brilliant Remedy

Fragmented words drifted from the outer courtyard into the bathhouse.

Lin Wanyi held the Zhenglun Sword in her left hand, leaning against the bathtub, her eyelashes twitching, then slowly opening her eyes—filled with confusion.

How did I fall asleep?

Did detoxifying drain me too much…?

Just now I dreamed—Xie Jin was standing in the room, and like a spirit possessed, he muttered nonsense, and I somehow let him touch me…

Why did I dream something like that?

Could it be that what I think of by day appears in my dreams at night…?

Lin Wanyi was filled with doubt; after a brief pause, her awareness slowly returned to clarity.

And the noise that had woken her now grew clearer:

“Which room is my aunt in? I’ll go take a look…”

“Mm…”

?!

When did Xie Jin come back?

How did Lin Zisu get here too?!

Lin Wanyi looked down and realized she was naked in the bathtub—panic surged through her, her heart pounding as if she’d overindulged in self-gratification, passed out, and woken to find all her aunts and cousins gathered around…

Sensing the danger, Lin Wanyi quickly responded, fumbling to pull on her skirt, her face flushed crimson.

Halfway through, she heard her maid’s idle chatter:

“Wow! Meiqiu~ come here, come here!”

“Guh~”

“So beautiful—this much? Even a whole pot might not hold it…”

“Gukji?!”

…

Lin Wanyi was still dazed; only after dressing did she force her composure, assuming her usual composed demeanor, and gritted her teeth as she opened the door.

Creak~

In the outer courtyard, Lin Zisu sat holding Meiqiu and chatting with Xie Jin; hearing the sound, she turned and saw her aunt’s skin glowing pink beneath its pallor—as if thoroughly nourished—her gaze turning peculiar:

“Auntie, you’re done bathing?”

“Mm. Xie Jin went out on official business, so I stayed here to rest and washed up.”

Lin Wanyi didn’t know how she’d fallen asleep—she was mortified, and swiftly changed the subject:

“Zisu, are you confident in refining the Dragon’s Blood Pill?”

Hearing the word “elixir,” especially a major one, Lin Zisu perked up instantly, carrying Meiqiu over:

“Dragon’s Blood Pill is too mediocre—it takes a whole month of taking and soaking to show results, too slow. I’m working on a new formula: ‘Vitality-Reviving Pill’—one pill, instant effect, potency over ten times that of Dragon’s Blood Pill…”

“What?!”

Xie Jin had just gone to fetch two stools for the two women to sit on; hearing this, he froze, then turned back:

“Really?!”

“Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

Lin Wanyi immediately pinned down the troublemaking girl, speaking with grave seriousness:

“All medicine carries some toxicity. The Dragon’s Blood Pill has been refined over generations of alchemists to become the ultimate body-strengthening formula—add even a fraction more dosage, and you risk damaging the foundation. Tenfold potency, instant effect—do you dare refine it? Do you dare take it?”

Why wouldn’t I dare?

Xie Jin was being hunted across the entire city, desperately seeking a way to escape this crisis.

If he could gain tenfold potency with a single pill, his cultivation might soar—he could retreat and seal himself in Lingxian, or flee with A Piao. Wouldn’t that solve everything?

But tenfold potency with instant effect might just turn it into a “Legs-Flung-Eyes-Staring Pill”…

Jia Zheng, standing by the door, seeing his mistress stirring up trouble again, interjected:

“Miss’s alchemical talent is unmatched in the Jingzhao Prefecture, but her skills are still unrefined. Last time she concocted some ‘Cultivation Surge Pill,’ claiming it would instantly double one’s power, and even made Li Jing test it.”

“Li Jing swallowed it and unleashed ‘A Single Sword Chill Covers Thirty-Two Provinces,’ even brushing against the Supergrade threshold!”

Xie Jin had heard of Li Jing—the Vice Principal of Danyang Academy, a genuine Grade-One swordsman—and his eyes widened:

“So brutal?”

Jia Zheng sighed:

“Brutal it was—but the pill’s flaw was it scrambled the mind, blurring friend from foe. Li Jing went mad, laughing hysterically, screaming ‘Mu Lao’er, die!’ and chased Master Mu through the entire academy. Had Master Mu not been so profound in his cultivation and knocked him unconscious with one slap, he might have torn Danyang Academy apart…”

Lin Zisu, hearing her own glorious exploits, explained earnestly:

“I think Old Li just wanted to kill Master Mu—the pill was just the trigger.”

“What about Iron Phoenix, Iron my lord?”

Lin Wanyi pushed Zisu into a chair and scolded:

“Iron my lord is busy with official duties and has a violent temper—he suffers from liver qi stagnation. The academy asked you to prescribe him medicine to regulate it, and you gave him ‘Constant Smiling Powder’—now the mighty Wang Fu’s Commandant has been grinning like an idiot for three days straight. His nickname ‘Iron-Faced Yama’ became ‘Big Fool Zhang’…”

Lin Zisu stroked Meiqiu, utterly unrepentant:

“Iron my lord’s face is always sour—how could he not have liver qi stagnation? Just tell me, was it useful or not?”

Neither of them questioned that.

If her pills only had shocking side effects and no outstanding results, Lin Zisu’s nickname would be “Deadly Poisonous Nanny,” not “Poisonous Hand Alchemist.”

Her entire philosophy was simple: if you swallow it, the ailment must be cured—whether you survive afterward depends entirely on how strong your fate is.

Xie Jin was in a state of drinking poison to quench thirst; even knowing this little alchemist was unreliable, he sat beside her and asked:

“What are the side effects of the Vitality-Reviving Pill?”

Lin Zisu dragged her small stool closer, eagerly explaining:

“Whether it’s Dragon’s Blood Pill, Meridian-Strengthening Pill, or even ‘Transformation Demon Pill’—their effects are fundamentally the same: body strengthening. The difference lies only in ingredients and dosage.

“The Dragon’s Blood Pill formula is conservative, with wide safety margins, so it never fails—but its potency is never fully unleashed.

“And practitioners of the demonic path usually outpace other schools by half a realm. Do you know why?”

Xie Jin pondered: “Do demonic cultivators use stronger ingredients?”

“It’s not just the ingredients—it’s their methods, techniques, everything—no limits whatsoever.”

Lin Zisu continued like a little master:

“Whether Daoist, Buddhist, or demonic—all were born of flesh and blood, drawing from the same heavens and earth, using the same rare treasures—there’s no essential difference.

“Daoists, warriors, monks—all must ensure their cultivation doesn’t damage the mind, alter the body’s structure, leave permanent injuries, or exceed human tolerance.

“But demonic cultivators don’t care. The ‘Transformation Demon Pill’ exists solely to strengthen the body—they’ll use anything, desperate to squeeze twelve-tenths of potency from one ingredient. Success? Body rivals demonic beasts. Failure? Become a monstrous half-human, half-demon thing. Can such a forged body be weaker than others?”

Xie Jin finally understood:

“So Miss Lin’s ‘Vitality-Reviving Pill’ is essentially a Transformation Demon Pill?”

Lin Zisu shook her head quickly: “Impossible.”

“Good…”

“The formula I’ve developed is even more extreme than the Transformation Demon Pill! If it succeeds, Master Xie’s muscles will rival true dragons and tigers, his bones and blood like phoenix and qilin!”

?

So… not human anymore, right?

Isn’t that just an upgraded Transformation Demon Pill?

Xie Jin took a slow breath, thinking of his current predicament, and asked seriously:

“Then what’s the cost?”

Lin Wanyi, also an alchemist, sat beside him, combing her damp hair:

“The cost? If it fails, you either explode into dust—or your body mutates into a demon. With your current strength, you’d likely become a Grade-One or Two demon.”

Jia Zheng nodded: “Based on the Miss’s track record, failure is guaranteed—she’s never succeeded once.”

Lin Zisu bristled: “That’s only because I never had the right herbs—insufficient potency, how could it not fail?”

“You never said that before. Every time you swore on your life—when did any of those ever work?”

“I had to promise results to get the herbs! The academy has so few rare herbs—if I didn’t swear, why would my masters give them to me?”

Here, Lin Zisu began to coax Xie Jin:

“Master Xie, if you can sneak me one stalk of the six-hundred-year-old Jiazi Lotus from Zihui Mountain, I’ll refine the pill for you—guaranteed tenfold potency, instant effect!”

“….”

Xie Jin truly needed a miraculous elixir to break his current deadlock.

But drinking poison to quench thirst still requires you to quench the thirst first—when the odds of failure are one hundred percent, how could he dare?

What if he turned green and sprouted two giant fangs? He’d be stuck marrying a non-human bride for the rest of his life.

But the “Cultivation Surge Pill” sounded useful—mindless, indiscriminate slaughter—perfect for when the whole world turns against you.

And if he was exposed, he’d surely end up in that situation…

Thinking of this, Xie Jin asked:

“Miss Lin, how much silver per pill for your Cultivation Surge Pill?”

Lin Zisu blinked: “Auntie won’t let me sell it—says it’ll cause a martial world catastrophe. But if you want it…”

Lin Wanyi sensed Xie Jin was about to be conned; she pulled Zisu up:

“Don’t believe anything she makes—what if you die? It’s late—I still need to prepare your Dragon’s Blood Pill. We’re leaving.”

Lin Zisu reluctantly rose, but before leaving, she secretly raised one finger behind her back…

(End of chapter)