Chapter 12: Protection and Cruelty

“Let’s go inside and talk!”

Linglong’s gaze lingered on He Pingsheng for only a moment before passing right over him.

Today she was in a good mood, so she wouldn’t bother with He Pingsheng.

“Ah…” At this moment, Hao Yun was like a dog, hunched over serving them, even more subservient than when Master Yu Xuan had come.

He Pingsheng found it a bit painful to watch, but he understood.

Enter the main hall!

Linglong clapped her hands and said, “Today I’m refining the [Qi-Condensing Pill]. Hao Yun, tell me—can this girl of mine refine an S-rank Qi-Condensing Pill?”

Uh…

Hao Yun was left speechless.

But he was a man who knew how to speak; after shifting his eyes a few times, he said, “Sister Linglong has extraordinary talent—surely you can refine a pill unlike any other. Recently, several senior brothers and uncles came here to refine pills, and their Qi-Condensing Pills were at best mid-grade!”

“I’ve never seen an S-rank pill before, but… Sister, you’re different—you’ll surely refine an S-rank one!”

This statement was half flattery, half mockery, meant to make Linglong face reality.

Sure enough, Linglong sneered coldly: “Don’t talk in that sarcastic tone… I get it—you’re saying S-rank pills are hard to refine, right?”

“No!” Hao Yun shook his head. “Granny, it’s not that S-rank pills are hard to refine—it’s that even A-rank ones are hard! I’ve served in this alchemy chamber for thirteen years and have never seen anyone refine an A-rank pill. Even mid-grade ones are rare—few and far between!”

“To be honest, Sister, over eighty percent of those who come here to refine pills blow up their furnaces!”

Linglong’s face turned icy; a blue treasure sword was instantly pressed against Hao Yun’s neck. “So you’re saying I won’t be able to refine a pill today?”

“Heaven and earth bear witness, Granny—I never said that!” Hao Yun’s survival instinct flared; he smiled ingratiatingly. “Sister, Sister… please move your sword back a little—I’m scared!”

“Hmph…” Linglong sheathed her sword. “Continue.”

“Yes!” Hao Yun kept smiling. “Refining pills has a success rate—no one can predict it. Usually, even experienced alchemists succeed in only one out of five or six attempts!”

“Then tell me!” Linglong said. “When will I succeed? How do I make it succeed?”

“That’s hard to say!” Hao Yun replied. “Success depends on heat control, herb quality, and the alchemist’s technique… and sometimes, luck too.”

“I don’t care!” Linglong’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Your name is Hao Yun—you must bring me good fortune. Let’s begin. If this pill fails, I’ll hold both of you responsible—your lives are on your own heads!”

Hisssss…

He Pingsheng and Hao Yun both drew a sharp breath: This was truly unreasonable.

But there was no choice!

They still had to work.

“Yes, yes, yes…”

The two began working.

First step: light the fire!

Then add water!

All these tasks were done by Hao Yun; He Pingsheng merely passed him firewood.

He Pingsheng watched as Sister Linglong added the herbs to the cauldron, one portion at a time.

Soon, a rich herbal aroma rose from the pot.

Of course, though Linglong was domineering, her wealth couldn’t compare to Master Yu Xuan’s—she had no storage pouch.

Everything was kept in a cloth bag.

An hour later, the herbal aroma grew even stronger.

“Hehe…” Linglong’s smile widened. “Almost there… another fifteen minutes, and my potion will be ready!”

“It’ll definitely succeed!”

Hao Yun nodded in flattery: “So far, eight out of ten chances it’ll work… Hey, Xiao He—go out the back door, turn left!”

“Opposite the trash pit, I’ve placed a few logs… remember—they’re jujube firewood!”

“Go get them!”

He Pingsheng froze. “Senior Brother, there’s jujube firewood right beside us!”

Hao Yun’s face darkened instantly. “Why so many questions? Just go!”

Linglong’s expression turned icy. “Go now!”

He Pingsheng had no choice—he gritted his teeth and stepped outside.

Beyond the alchemy chamber’s back door, he ran up the mountain path to the cliff’s opposite side—but found no jujube firewood.

He searched left and right—nothing.

Worried that returning empty-handed would earn him blame from Hao Yun and Linglong, he searched again and again.

He searched for half an hour—still no jujube firewood.

He Pingsheng returned with a frown.

The alchemy chamber was silent.

A smell of burnt herbs drifted out.

Oh no…

He Pingsheng’s heart jolted: Was this… a failed refinement?

He crept to the window at the back of the hall and peered inside—Linglong and her two male disciples were gone.

On the floor lay only Hao Yun.

“Senior Brother… Senior Brother…”

He Pingsheng’s chest felt choked as he rushed into the hall and helped Hao Yun sit up.

Hao Yun’s face was pale; blood kept dripping from his lips.

“Senior Brother…” He Pingsheng nearly wept. “You knew she’d fail—so you deliberately sent me away, didn’t you?”

“Hehehe…” Hao Yun chuckled. “One person getting beaten… is better than… cough, cough, cough… two, right?”

Puh…

As he spoke, another gush of blood spurted from Hao Yun’s mouth.

On his pale face, his eyes glowed with cold fury as he growled: “That damn bitch—she hit me so hard… damn it… fucking bastard, no reason, no mercy at all…”

He Pingsheng asked: “Senior Brother… how are you?”

“Are you okay? I’ll go get a physician for you…”

“Hehehe… puh…” Hao Yun spat two more mouthfuls of blood. “That bitch’s lackey isn’t weak—she smashed me twice. A few ribs are broken… it hurts, it hurts, it hurts…”

“Little Brother…”

“I’ll probably be bedridden for months.”

“You’ll have to feed me from now on.”

“And… help me empty the chamber pot.”

He Pingsheng was fine—but Hao Yun himself looked utterly defeated.

He Pingsheng couldn’t help but shed two tears. “Thank you, Senior Brother…”

If Hao Yun hadn’t sent him away earlier, the one lying on the floor today might not have been just Hao Yun.

It would have been two.

Hao Yun survived because he was older, stronger, and already at Qi Refining Stage Two.

What about him, He Pingsheng?

Could he have survived?

Calling this a life-saving grace wasn’t an exaggeration.

But the truth was… he and Senior Brother Hao Yun had no deep bond, no close relationship.

Why should he save him?

Thinking like this, it was truly just compassion.

Nothing more.

Senior Brother Hao Yun… was a good man.