Chapter 595: Medicines Should Not Be Taken Recklessly

The Captain’s voice reached Xu Qing’s ears. Xu Qing remained silent, feeling that this scenario was somewhat familiar.

He recalled encountering a formidable cultivator in Niyue Palace who claimed to possess a body invulnerable to all poisons. After their transaction, Xu Qing had repeatedly warned the person not to swallow the pill directly. Later, that individual never reappeared, and Xu Qing, busy refining pills on Li Youfei, hadn’t paid attention.

“The same person?” Xu Qing murmured inwardly.

“This guy must be in an extreme hurry, judging by the extremely generous rewards he’s offering.”

The Captain pulled out a peach, took a bite, and continued speaking. “With Grandpa around, if they’re setting a trap, we won’t be in any danger. If it’s a genuine plea for help, Little A-Qing, your mastery of poisons should resolve it easily.”

“For us, it’s like picking up money.”

As the Captain spoke, he took out an apple and handed it to Xu Qing. “How about it, Little A-Qing, are you in? Even if you can’t enter Niyue Palace, it’s alright, your Senior Brother is here!”

Xu Qing took the apple, thought for a moment, and agreed. He intended to go see if it was indeed that person. If it was, he could certainly resolve the poison easily. After all, the curse information the other party provided was genuine, and since his own poison pill caused the problem, he felt it necessary to help.

Seeing Xu Qing agree, the Captain was secretly delighted. He glanced at the Prince meditating in the distance. “It would be too wasteful not to use the God of Incantation while he’s here.”

In fact, the Captain had another objective: to gain fame in Niyue Palace. Since joining, he had understood its structure, realizing that reputation was extremely important in such a shop-like mountain. Unwilling to sell his own belongings, he decided to forge a new path, creating his own aura by helping others.

“Also, there’s Master Dan Jiu. Too many people wait outside his temple every day; I can’t even squeeze in. I need to figure something out.” The Captain’s thoughts churned. He looked up at Xu Qing and suddenly spoke. “Little A-Qing, how’s your curse research coming along?”

“I have some ideas.”

Xu Qing’s gaze lingered on the Captain. The Captain’s pride and boastfulness about joining Niyue Palace made Xu Qing decide not to reveal that he had also joined, as it would instantly erase the Captain’s joy.

“It’s fine, curses aren’t that easy to undo. But when you have time, you could also research the Difficulty-Solving Pill.” The Captain said, his eyes filled with longing. “Oh, Little A-Qing, you don’t know, the Difficulty-Solving Pill means so much to the people of Niyue Palace.”

“Didn’t I tell you about a big event that happened recently in Niyue Palace? A Master appeared, who is my closest friend.”

Xu Qing nodded upon hearing this.

“This person is extraordinary, a prodigy in alchemy. He can produce Difficulty-Solving Pills in large quantities. I was fortunate enough to meet him recently; we had a long, deep conversation. I admire his talent, and he appreciates my extensive knowledge. So, we became ‘Demon Reversal’ friends.”

“Through that conversation, I came to know the profound depth of this Master’s talent.”

The Captain’s eyes showed reminiscence, looking emotional.

Xu Qing blinked, saying nothing.

“Little A-Qing, don’t be discouraged. It’s alright, I’ve spoken to the Master, and he promised to give me a Difficulty-Solving Pill. I’ll bring it for you to study, and we’ll see if we can crack it and produce some for export.”

The Captain’s words caught the attention of Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu. Li Youfei also looked over curiously; they hadn’t joined Niyue Palace and weren’t aware of what was happening inside. However, upon hearing the words “Master” and “producing Difficulty-Solving Pills in large quantities,” Li Youfei instinctively stole a glance at Xu Qing.

Ning Yan couldn’t help but ask from the side, “Second Ox Senior Brother, is that Niyue Palace Master really that powerful? Can he produce Difficulty-Solving Pills in large quantities?” After arriving at the Moon-Worshipping Grand Domain, Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu had learned about the value of Difficulty-Solving Pills through the Yin-Yang Blossom Sect’s bounty, and they were astonished by the Captain’s words.

The Captain lifted his chin, smiling proudly. “More than just powerful!”

“When Master Dan Jiu appeared, his temple vibrated for two months, emitting supreme Dao sounds. His neighbors were lucky; their curses were suppressed after hearing it.”

“So some speculate that this Master was proactively invited by Niyue Palace itself.”

At these words, Ning Yan gasped, Wu Jianwu’s eyes widened, and Li Youfei was also moved.

Seeing their reactions, the Captain’s enthusiasm for conversation grew. “And the most astonishing thing is his Difficulty-Solving Pill. Its price is only about ten percent of the market price, and its effects are astounding. Every buyer is shocked.”

“You aren’t Niyue Palace members, so you haven’t seen the hundreds of people waiting outside the Master’s residence every day!”

“As soon as the Master releases a pill, countless cultivators scramble to get their hands on it instantly.”

“The scene is truly magnificent.”

The Captain sighed emotionally. Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan were shaken to their core. Only Li Youfei’s heart began to churn; the more he listened, the more he suspected this Master was Xu Qing.

Xu Qing thought for a moment and also put on an incredulous expression.

“However, fame brings trouble; my friend is very distressed now,” the Captain coughed, sighing. “His Difficulty-Solving Pill’s price is too low, affecting others’ business. Before, due to his high popularity in Niyue Palace, those people, despite their displeasure, didn’t dare say much.”

“But the Master hasn’t released any pills for a while, so those whose interests were harmed seized the opportunity. Now, bad rumors are circulating.”

“And some former alchemy masters have also emerged. Some praise, some belittle, some say it’s a counterfeit with huge hidden dangers, inferior to true Difficulty-Solving Pills.”

“Others say the Master hasn’t put out pills for so long because he didn’t personally refine them, but acquired them through dishonest means, and now has none left.”

“Even more, some rumor that this Master must have an identity related to the Red Moon Divine Temple, and that this could be a hidden, malicious pill from the Red Moon Divine Temple.”

“Opinions vary widely.”

The Captain sighed with emotion. Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan’s hearts were also stirred. Li Youfei remained silent.

Xu Qing sighed softly. He hadn’t been to Niyue Palace for a while and didn’t know much of what the Captain was saying, especially the slander from others.

“The tree desires calm, but the wind does not cease. One needn’t pay attention to what outsiders say,” Xu Qing said softly.

“Exactly, that’s what I told my friend. And thanks to my persuasion, he has a great mindset and isn’t affected by the outside world,” the Captain raised his head, full of emotion.

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain again and nodded.

The Captain was pleased and about to continue, but then the parrot on the Prince’s knee opened its eyes, haughtily scanned Xu Qing and the others, and shrieked.

“What are you all chatting about? Aren’t you working?! So-and-so Ox, it’s too hot, aren’t you going to fan my Grandpa?!”

The Captain glared, but noticed the Prince had also finished his cultivation at that moment. He sighed inwardly, put on an ingratiating smile, and hurried over.

The parrot was contemptuous, continuing to scold others, even its own father.

Ning Yan, Wu Jianwu, and Li Youfei quickly got to work upon hearing this.

This was the daily routine for everyone inside the sun.

Xu Qing watched all this, sighing inwardly. He felt that the parrot might not have a good ending.

Indeed, a few days later, during one of the Prince’s breaks, the Captain, with Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu, approached Xu Qing. As soon as he arrived, the Captain gritted his teeth and said, “Great Sword Sword, that parrot of yours needs a good lesson. That bird is so annoying!”

Ning Yan nodded heavily, his eyes showing killing intent. His resentment towards the arrogant parrot had surged these past few days.

Li Youfei lowered his head, silent. He knew it wasn’t his place to speak, but he agreed wholeheartedly.

Seeing this, Wu Jianwu was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, looking sorrowful, and softly recited a poem. “This wicked son, Heaven-detested, makes his father’s heart grieve. I didn’t see anything, I don’t care what anyone thinks!”

He was also annoyed by that wicked son. The parrot had been too rampant these days, ordering him around with no filial piety whatsoever. Wu Jianwu felt that if this continued, one day this wicked son might make him call him “Papa.”

So they began to discuss, but with the Prince present, the parrot was always by his side, making punishment difficult. However, in the Captain’s plan, they decided to act upon reaching the Bitter Life Mountain Range.

Time passed like this. When they were half a month away from the Bitter Life Mountain Range, at the Captain’s coaxing and request, the Prince agreed to adjust their route. So the artificial sun’s direction changed slightly, heading towards the White Cloud Mountains. This was where the Niyue Palace cultivator, who practiced an ‘invulnerable to poisons’ body, was hiding.

The White Cloud Mountains are in Tianshui Commandery, separated by two commanderies from Qingsha Commandery. The vegetation here is lush, looking vibrant from the sky. Such an environment led to many sects and clans. Also, with the Red Moon Divine Son seriously injured and in seclusion, resistance had risen everywhere, so various forces in the White Cloud Mountains were also stirring.

Similarly, this was one of the areas the Red Moon Divine Temple intended to suppress. As Xu Qing and the others approached, Xu Qing sensed the Red Moon Divine Temple’s fluctuations from afar. The Captain also noticed.

As they proceeded, hidden, a massive Red Moon Divine Temple soon appeared on the distant horizon. Unlike the construction Xu Qing had seen previously, this Red Moon Divine Temple was built upon a giant eyeball. The eyeball was filled with dark blood vessels, emitting investigative power, scanning the ground as it moved forward. Numerous meteorites floated around it, many cultivators on them, all exuding murderous intent. Wherever it passed, silence fell on all sides.

Noticing this, the sun, hidden in void, slowed down. The Captain inside felt anxious. “The Divine Temple is here too? Has that unlucky fellow’s location been exposed?” As he spoke, he quickly took out a mirror and entered Niyue Palace. Soon, he returned and spoke quickly to Xu Qing.

“I contacted that unlucky guy from Niyue Palace. His desperate rescue mission he put out earlier must have been secretly reported to the Red Moon Divine Temple by someone with ulterior motives.”

“So now he doesn’t dare tell us his exact hiding spot.”

Just as the Captain finished, Xu Qing looked up at the distant Red Moon Divine Temple and noticed it suddenly changed direction, speeding towards a specific point. “The Red Moon Divine Temple seems to have found him ahead of time,” Xu Qing’s gaze sharpened, he said gravely.

Hearing this, the Captain immediately controlled the sun to speed through the sky, following closely. They soon saw the Red Moon Divine Temple stopping above a valley. The enormous blood-red eye emitted an eerie glow, locking onto the valley below. Then, a red light burst from the eye. Countless blood vessels shimmered, forming a runic seal that dropped into the valley. The earth trembled, rocks shattered, the valley collapsed instantly, raising immense dust that spread around. The ground where the valley once stood now formed a deep crater, revealing a massive underground cave.

Inside, a cave clearly existed. Amidst the falling rocks and dirt, an altar was vaguely visible. A person lay on it, seemingly trying to struggle but unable to move, with large amounts of poisonous mist spreading from their body. Especially around the altar, puddles of black blood were visible, some dry, some fresh. Clearly, this person had been here for a long time and had spat out many mouthfuls.

Upon seeing this, Xu Qing sighed inwardly. He recognized his own poison.

The Captain blinked, finding the poison a bit familiar, so he suspiciously glanced at Xu Qing. But now was not the time to ask questions; he quickly looked at the controlling Prince, an ingratiating smile on his face.

“Old Grandpa,” the Prince was teasing the parrot, pretending not to hear.

The Captain was helpless, giving Xu Qing a meaningful look.

Xu Qing turned, bowed respectfully to the Prince, and softly spoke. “Senior…”

The Prince heard this, lifted his eyelids, and spoke indifferently. “Call me what?”

Xu Qing blinked, immediately replied. “Old Grandpa.”

The Prince smiled, glanced outside. The next moment, the Red Moon Divine Temple floating above the valley suddenly shook throughout its body. The numerous meteorites around it suddenly exploded at that moment without any warning. A deafening roar instantly spread in all directions, and the cultivators on those meteorites lost consciousness, falling to the ground like dumplings into a pot. Immediately after, the Red Moon Divine Temple on the blood-red eye tried to struggle, but calmed down in just a breath, its blood-light dimming.

The main gate opened, and a middle-aged divine emissary in a golden-red robe stepped out. This emissary had a resolute face, awe-inspiring without anger, and his aura fluctuated, appearing quite extraordinary, clearly someone of high status in normal times. But now, his eyes were vacant, his face expressionless, his whole being numb, stepping out like a puppet. Behind him followed three divine servants similarly dressed in red divine robes, two men and one woman. Their expressions were identical, their movements exactly alike, stepping in unison. Further back were dozens of divine slaves, also walking in the same manner, as if invisible strings were pulling each of them. There was a faint sense of a ritualistic dance about them.

This group reached mid-air, stood still, motionless.

The strangeness of this scene made Wu Jianwu and Li Youfei tremble violently. Although they knew the horror of the God of Incantation, they actually had little concept of how powerful he truly was. Witnessing it now, a realization involuntarily rose in their minds. “Like a deity…”

As the two trembled, Ning Yan sighed, wiping the floor even harder.

The Captain was overjoyed. After giving Xu Qing a congratulatory glance, he leaped out, flying straight towards the large pit in the valley floor, shouting, “Three Seven Nine Five One, is that you?!”

The Captain’s voice echoed. The figure within the poisonous mist on the altar twitched a finger, weakly opened its eyelids, tried to struggle but could not. Only its mouth could barely move normally, emitting a faint sound. “The Red Moon is not eternal…”

“What time is it, and you’re still doing secret codes? Are you Three Seven Nine Five One?!” The Captain approached, looking at the figure in the mist.

“I am…” The figure in the mist weakly replied.

As they conversed, Xu Qing also stepped out from inside the sun. He looked at the mess on the ground, then gazed down into the cave through the large pit. As he walked closer, he saw the black blood around and the misty figure.

“I told him long ago not to swallow it whole…” Xu Qing muttered to himself.

And now, after confirming the other party’s code, the Captain squatted in front of the mist, asking curiously. “How did you get yourself into this state? Didn’t you cultivate an invulnerable-to-poisons body? This won’t do.”

Hearing this, the figure in the mist felt grief and indignation, wanting to speak, but the accumulated injuries burst forth with the fluctuation of his emotions, so he directly spat out a mouthful of black blood and fainted.

“He’s not dead, is he?” The Captain was startled. Xu Qing also quickly approached, raised his right hand and waved, and the poisonous mist dispersed, revealing the true appearance of the unlucky fellow inside. This was an old man, wearing a wrinkled dark blue robe, his hair completely gray, a high forehead, and a large frame, giving him a proud feeling. He must have been a decisive and authoritative person in his daily life, always getting things done. His face full of wrinkles not only didn’t highlight his old age but intensified his prestige, clearly a significant figure. But now, superimposed on all this, there was a deep sense of sorrow. His tightly furrowed brow expressed the helplessness of life, and his entire being radiated a feeling of “life is not worth it.” Especially the black blood at the corner of his mouth, which was shocking to behold. And his tightly clenched fists, as if trying to crush all the unwillingness in his heart, but clearly… he could not.

Xu Qing watched all this, sighed again inwardly. He raised his right hand and waved, and a pill flew out. As it landed before the old man, the pill suddenly burst open, transforming into wisps of white gas that entered the old man’s seven orifices, beginning to detoxify him. Soon, most of the poison in the old man’s body was resolved by Xu Qing. The Captain witnessed this, his expression becoming even more suspicious, looking at the old man then at Xu Qing. He felt that this poison was too easy to cure, almost as if… it was Xu Qing who administered it. But he thought this was impossible. Little A-Qing couldn’t enter Niyue Palace, and they clearly didn’t know each other before, so poisoning him in reality was unlikely.

This left the Captain puzzled. At this moment, the old man also slowly awakened as the poison was neutralized, looking around in confusion. But the next instant, his eyes sharpened, and he suddenly sat up. Noticing that much of the poison in his body had dissipated, he was immediately moved, looking at the Captain and Xu Qing.

“How did you undo my poison?”

Xu Qing said nothing, retreating a few steps expressionlessly. The Captain, however, chuckled, sizing up the old man. “Three Seven Nine Five One, first tell me, how did you get like this?”

The old man fell silent upon hearing this. Having held high positions for a long time, he rarely encountered Nascent Soul cultivators who dared to speak to him as an equal. Considering that they saved his life, could undo his poison, and appeared from within the Red Moon’s encirclement, many thoughts arose in his mind, along with suspicion. Especially since he didn’t know what was happening outside at this moment.

Thinking of this, the old man suppressed his thoughts. He just wanted to leave quickly, so he stood up, straightened his robes, and an air of authority returned. He spoke solemnly. “Thank you, young friends, but let’s not mention private matters. This is my own calamity, and I don’t wish to tell others.”

As he spoke, he took out a storage bag and threw it to the Captain. “Inside is the promised reward. This place is not suitable for prolonged stay. We will meet again someday, and I will repay you further.”

With that, the old man’s body swayed, and he ascended into the sky, no longer paying attention to Xu Qing or the Captain. He activated his cultivation, heading directly outwards, prepared to fight. But just as he rushed out of the cave, he saw the situation outside, and his steps involuntarily paused. What he saw before him stirred a huge wave in his heart, and his expression instantly turned astonished and doubtful. As far as his eyes could see, many Red Moon Divine Temple cultivators lay scattered about, unharmed but unconscious. What truly frightened him was seeing the Red Moon Divine Emissaries standing motionless in mid-air.

“What in the world is going on?!”

This scene made the old man’s heart churn. He noticed the Emissaries in mid-air seemed to be frozen. Besides his shock, he couldn’t help but glance back behind him, secretly thinking what had happened outside during the two months he spent fighting this poison to the death, and what kind of background these two people had.

He hesitated. Thinking about his previous attitude, he turned around and returned to the cave, shedding all his previous authority and becoming incredibly polite. “Earlier, I was anxious and spoke somewhat presumptuously. Thank you, fellow Daoists, for saving my life. As for outside…”

The old man looked at Xu Qing and the Captain, tentatively asking. He could sense the strangeness about the Divine Temple personnel outside, but he could not imagine what kind of background or ability could render all the cultivators of the Red Moon Divine Temple, including the Emissaries, unconscious.

Xu Qing was expressionless. The Captain, however, smiled and spoke. “No need to worry about outside, Three Seven Nine Five One. Your poison injuries are so severe, were you harmed by an enemy?”

He was full of curiosity about the old man’s poison injuries. The old man looked at the two in front of him, then glanced at the shocking scene outside, pondering inwardly. Then he sighed and chose to reveal the story.

“It’s nothing much.”

“How so?” the Captain asked curiously.

“Two months ago, I bought a pill from someone in Niyue Palace,” the old man slowly began.

“And then?” the Captain pressed.

“The pill was very cheap, and I didn’t pay much attention to it,” the old man shook his head.

“The pill had a problem?” the Captain asked quickly.

The old man fell silent, then continued. At first, he simply said a few sentences, but after three or five sentences, with the Captain’s cooperative responses, the grievances he had accumulated over time turned into a desire to confide. “I thought it was just an ordinary poison pill, but who the hell could have imagined that little brat would play dirty tricks on me! When I first swallowed that pill, it felt fine, nothing special, but who knew its after-effects would grow stronger and stronger, finally exploding? I didn’t even react before I was poisoned!”

“That outrageous!” the Captain exclaimed, glancing at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was expressionless. The old man’s face was full of indignation. “Yes, utterly outrageous! I couldn’t move at all during this time, putting all my effort into resisting and neutralizing it. I barely survived to your arrival; this is not something a human would do!”

“I suspect that little brat was sent by a shamanic enemy. I was careless, it was too malicious!”

“The most outrageous part is that the pill was a mixed poison, a *mixed poison*! Those are incredibly expensive, yet he sold it to me so cheaply, just exchanging it with a bit of information. It was so insidious!”

The Captain again cooperated with an exclamation. The old man’s urge to confide grew stronger, but Xu Qing’s brows furrowed with each “little brat” uttered by the other party.

“And that little brat, before leaving, feigned kindness by warning me not to swallow it whole, but to scrape it into powder, just to mislead me! Looking back now, it was clearly meant to provoke me!” The more the old man spoke, the more grief and indignation he felt, finally letting out a long sigh. “It’s also my stubborn nature to blame; I swallowed it whole…”

“Tell me, if this isn’t an enemy, then who is it? Someone who understands me so well, planning everything specifically to target my personality. I must find this enemy!”