Chapter 611: You and I Are Still Fellow Travelers

Among the crowd, Master Sheng Luo stood blankly, listening to the surrounding cheers, momentarily lost in a daze.

"Can it really... reduce a curse?" Sheng Luo murmured, a strong reluctance rising in his heart. Even now, even after the Fourth Hall Master had verified it, he still found it hard to believe.

Throughout history, no one had ever achieved such a feat.

His own ability to improve the Difficulty-Resolving Pill was an extremely difficult achievement, costing him half a lifetime of effort and countless hours poring over ancient texts and curse-related literature left by his predecessors.

The more he understood curses, the more he realized that only a miracle could permanently lower them.

As Sheng Luo’s mind churned and his eyes grew faintly red, Xu Qing, standing not far away, glanced at him. He raised his right hand and, with a flick of his wrist, sent a Curse-Dispelling Pill directly towards Sheng Luo.

Sheng Luo was startled, instinctively caught the pill, and looked at Xu Qing.

Others also turned their gazes, their thoughts varied. Master Sheng Luo’s followers, in particular, felt a bitter pang in their hearts, certain that humiliating remarks would soon follow.

But Xu Qing offered none. He calmly looked at Sheng Luo and spoke softly.

“Master Sheng Luo, you and I are both cultivators of the Pill Dao. Therefore, we understand better than most that within this Sacrificial Moon Great Domain, those of us who primarily cultivate the Pill Dao harbor a shared dream in our hearts.”

“When others cultivate, we research curses. When others seek pleasure, we delve into ancient texts. We do this because we wish to unravel curses. Even if we cannot, we record our research, preserving it for future generations, placing our hope in the times to come.”

“This is the mission of pill cultivators within the Sacrificial Moon Great Domain.”

Xu Qing’s gaze was clear, devoid of any mockery. He truly understood Sheng Luo.

Sheng Luo’s body trembled. He looked at Xu Qing, opening his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. His mind had fluctuated many times that day—initially pride, then shock, followed by intense doubt and resentment. But now, all these emotions intertwined, forming a profound complexity.

Xu Qing’s words had articulated his deepest feelings. He did indeed value fame and fortune, but beneath that desire lay his own profound dream.

“Master Sheng Luo, I offer you this pill. The path to resolving curses is not one I can walk to its end alone. Let us strive together…”

Xu Qing cupped his fists and bowed.

Sheng Luo felt Xu Qing’s sincerity, and it stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him, his thoughts churning, giving rise to shame. Around him, his followers were all visibly moved, their hearts filled with mixed feelings.

The Fourth Hall Master in the sky also cast a few more glances at Xu Qing, his expression showing respect. He could clearly see that Master Dan Jiu’s words were not mere rhetoric; they were genuine reflections of his aspirations.

Sheng Luo took a deep breath. With a solemn expression, he walked a few steps forward, looked at Xu Qing, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply.

“Master Dan Jiu, previously it was this old man who… Alas.” Sheng Luo shook his head and bowed again.

Xu Qing nodded, said no more, and turned to walk back towards his temple.

He didn't particularly enjoy such enthusiastic situations. If Sheng Luo hadn't deliberately sought trouble earlier, he wouldn’t have acted so conspicuously. In a flash, Xu Qing returned to his temple.

As usual, he took out ten Curse-Dispelling Pills, placed them in the luminous orb within the temple, and chose to return. Before leaving, he also fulfilled his promise, giving each of his followers a Curse-Dispelling Pill.

His departure did nothing to quell the excitement within the Reverse Moon Hall. Indeed, the ability to lower curses had never before been seen in the entire history of the Sacrificial Moon Great Domain.

What truly impressed everyone was the profound vision revealed in Master Dan Jiu’s subsequent conversation with Master Sheng Luo.

Soon, the members of the Reverse Moon Hall, with deep reverence in their hearts, entered Xu Qing’s temple to check the price of the Curse-Dispelling Pill. This price… made the respect in everyone’s hearts even stronger.

The price was not much different from that of the previous Difficulty-Resolving Pill, requiring only some herbs and historical documents.

“This is truly a master…” someone, it was unclear who, sighed softly after seeing the price, the words echoing in the hearts of all cultivators present in the Reverse Moon Hall.

From that moment on, the name of Dan Jiu became increasingly deeply rooted in the hearts of the Reverse Moon Hall. It was imaginable that as Xu Qing continued to produce pills in the future, and as more and more people consumed his pills, his influence would be etched into their very souls.

Xu Qing had anticipated this, but he paid it little mind. Back in his apothecary, he focused on his research into the Golden Crow.

He had been pondering the essence of Imperial-grade cultivation techniques and how the Golden Crow could be tapped into more deeply. However, the clues were vague, and the process was not smooth. Yet, Xu Qing could feel that with his research, and as the Golden Crow underwent more changes, the time he could endure inside the bead significantly increased.

From dying instantly at first, after the seventh attempt, he could now endure for more than six breaths.

“But… only two more chances remain.”

Several days later, in the early morning, Xu Qing, sitting cross-legged in his apothecary, opened his eyes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. After taking a pill and swallowing it, an uncontrollable irritation rose in his heart. This emotion was rare for him. Repeated failures were nothing, but if the subsequent two attempts still didn't reach a satisfactory level, on the tenth attempt… he would lose the Golden Crow.

He could feel that the malice and greed of the Black-Eyed Senior inside the bead were growing increasingly intense towards him.

“If it truly doesn’t work, I can only stop at the ninth attempt.” Xu Qing took a deep breath, got up, walked out of the back room, and entered the apothecary’s main hall. He wanted to clear his mind.

As soon as he stepped out, Xu Qing saw Ling’er doing accounts. It seemed Ling’er had an endless stream of accounts to calculate. Xu Qing had noticed this before and found that most of Ling’er’s joy came from the repetitive task of balancing ledgers.

Ning Yan was wiping the floor, Li Youfei was organizing pills, the Captain was on guard, and Wu Jianwu stood beside the Young Master, reciting poetry to him.

“Grandpa opens his eyes, the world lights up, you bimbos of guards, don’t get wild!”

The Young Master was drinking tea. Hearing this, he glanced at Wu Jianwu and smiled faintly.

Wu Jianwu quickly bowed and scraped, his face full of fawning, then squinted at the Captain next to him and You Jing, who was boiling water, a look of arrogance in his eyes. He had finally found a way to curry favor with the "old grandpa" during this time: reciting poetry to him every morning. Day after day, he felt his efforts were remarkably effective.

Having finished speaking, he quickly ran to the doorway and continued reciting poetry amidst the wind and sand.

Xu Qing was accustomed to the daily routine of the apothecary. After nodding to Ling’er, he sat beside the Young Master.

“Any leads?” The Young Master looked at Xu Qing, and the parrot on his shoulder also looked proudly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing shook his head. “Senior, what exactly is an Imperial-grade cultivation technique?” Xu Qing asked. This was the first time he had inquired of the Young Master in days.

The Young Master didn’t speak. His gaze moved from Xu Qing and landed on Chen Erniu, the Captain. Xu Qing also looked over.

The Captain, holding his sword, didn't pay attention to Xu Qing's and the Young Master's gazes. He glanced at Wu Jianwu outside, muttering “filial son” in his heart, and didn't bother to quibble over his own behavior. At this moment, he stared at You Jing and began to scold her.

“You boil water every day, and you still haven’t gained any experience! Why are you so slow? Why don’t you blow on it with your mouth!”

You Jing’s body trembled. Her patience with Chen Erniu had reached its limit. She wanted to burst out, but constrained by the Young Master, she could only grit her teeth inwardly. Her mind kept fantasizing about how to slice that damned Chen Erniu into a thousand pieces.

“One day, I will tear him into two halves. One half I’ll make him boil water, the other half I’ll knead into meatballs, and then chew them savagely in my mouth! While chewing, I’ll make this brute scream, and finally when the water boils, I’ll boil him and drink the soup.”

This was what You Jing thought every day, and every time she thought this, she felt incredibly comfortable in her heart. As she continued to fantasize, the Captain snorted coldly.

“Why are you trembling? All you do is tremble every day. Can’t you see the water’s boiling? Go make tea for the old grandpa! And you, with that big peach-like butt, swaying around in front of me every day, who are you trying to seduce! Aren’t you annoying? You eat the most every day!”

As soon as the Captain’s words came out, You Jing abruptly stood up, her cultivation about to erupt, her eyes bloodshot. Just then, Ning Yan, squatting on the ground, wiped over and spoke impatiently.

“Move aside!”

You Jing’s body trembled again, but she ultimately had to endure it once more, carrying the kettle towards the Young Master. After making his tea, she stood by his side, puffing with anger.

“Xu Qing.” The Young Master pushed the hot tea in front of Xu Qing, tapping his finger on the cup. “Tell me, what is water? Why does it get hot? What is tea, and why does its color change after water is poured into it? Why does its taste also differ?”

Xu Qing’s gaze sharpened, looking at the teacup in front of him. “That’s because…”

“That’s not important.” The Young Master interrupted, his gaze profound. He raised his right hand and placed it in front of the small seedling on the table.

The small seedling swayed and obediently dropped a leaf, which the Young Master caught and placed into Xu Qing’s teacup. The tiny leaf floated in the tea, gently swaying.

“Do you understand?”

Xu Qing fell silent, closing his eyes in thought. Ning Yan, who was wiping the floor, also paused, similarly pondering in his heart, feeling that the guidance of a spiritual being was extremely rare, so he didn't want to miss it. The Captain was also like this, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and Li Youfei even more so.

After a long while, Xu Qing’s body suddenly trembled. He opened his eyes, staring at the leaf in the teacup, a strange glint in his eyes, and abruptly stood up.

“Senior, I understand!”

Xu Qing cupped his fists and bowed. His breathing was slightly rapid. He knew the root of his problem and understood the answer. At this moment, he turned and headed straight for the back room.

The Young Master smiled, nodding slightly. He felt that Xu Qing’s comprehension was quite good and that he had understood his guidance.

Seeing this scene, the Captain also let out a long breath, appearing as if he too had understood. Ning Yan blinked, a similar look of dazed enlightenment on his face.

Only the parrot on the Young Master’s shoulder was stunned at this moment. It looked at the tea, then scanned the leaf on top, finally glancing at everyone, a bewildered look in its eyes, and spoke softly.

“Grandpa, what did he understand? What did you say to him, old sir? I don’t understand…”

The Young Master picked up the teacup, took a sip, and spoke lightly. “I was telling him to learn to coexist, like tea and water merging together, which is also good. And like the seedling dropping a leaf, this is also a form of letting go and making choices.”

The parrot understood, Ning Yan nodded, and the Captain took it deeply to heart.

But in the back room, Xu Qing, sitting cross-legged, was immersed in his own thoughts. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes, his mind buzzing with the answer he had comprehended, and he murmured.

“Tea and water mixing together, this is a manifestation of the Great Dao’s unity, but all living beings can return to their original simplicity, and all things have an inherent origin. So the Young Master was guiding me that they can actually be separated.”

“Like the seedling’s leaf, it’s the same; even after falling, it’s still part of its origin… This is telling me they are still one entity!”

“He, the elder, is telling me to research more deeply, to magnify, to dissect the Golden Crow, to separate it piece by piece, to strip it layer by layer, to find the Golden Crow’s fundamental essence!”

“I understand! This is the origin of Imperial-grade cultivation techniques, their very essence!”

“My previous research was wrong. I shouldn’t have looked at it macroscopically, outwardly, to change things. I should have looked inward, to the minute details!”

Xu Qing was moved. He looked up in the direction of the main hall, his respect for the Young Master growing even stronger in his heart.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, the Young Master, who had calmly raised his teacup, paused after sensing Xu Qing’s murmuring, a clear look of surprise on his face.

“What the hell did he comprehend?”