012 The Alchemy Recipe

"Alas,it's no use telling you anyway.The mysteries involved are far too intricate.Just stay close to your master,watch carefully,and learn well."

"Oh,I see,"Li Huowang replied,pretending to be deep in thought while actually preoccupied with other matters.

The pill given to him by Danyangzi had clearly worked,indicating that the laws of this world were utterly different from those of his own.

If he wanted to deal with Danyangzi,he needed to learn more about this unfamiliar world.

"Are they cultivators like in the novels?Hardly.Which cultivator would use people as ingredients for pills?And which would enslave mortals to assist in their path to immortality?"

"Moreover,according to convention,shouldn't an ordinary cultivation sect offer me a basic cultivation technique?Why haven't I received one?"

As Li Huowang got to know this place better,he found the Taoist temple increasingly strange.It bore no resemblance to what he had imagined a place of cultivation to be.

"By the way,Junior Brother Xuanyang,let me give you a piece of advice.It's best to have everything well-prepared before Master even opens his mouth."

"Take yesterday's pill-making for example.Due to your hysteria,you missed the right time.If you had sent the medicinal ingredients before the next Heavenly Hour,it would have been like apologizing to Master."

"Don't be fooled by Master's unpredictable mood.As long as you keep him happy,there'll surely be rewards for you."

"Yesterday's alchemy ingredients?"Li Huowang was taken aback.

"Yes.What's wrong?Have you forgotten?What did Master ask you to deliver yesterday?"

"Bai...Bai Lingmiao."Li Huowang's pupils shrank to pinpoints.So many things had happened,but this matter was far from over.

If he couldn't come up with a solution before the day after tomorrow,the albino girl would end up like all the previous medicinal ingredients,pounded into a pulp!

Li Huowang didn't even know how he got back to his quarters.He lay on his stone bed,and the golden anklet tied with a red string felt like a red-hot iron pressing against his chest,urging him to think of a way.

However,not only was there a huge gap in strength between Danyangzi and himself,but the entire Taoist temple was filled with Danyangzi's men.

The fates of the deceased senior brothers before him also showed that blind escape was futile.

Tossing and turning in his bed,the night passed.

Just before the morning class,Li Huowang put on his clothes and headed outside the cave.

He wanted to go to the alchemy room to see if there was any other way.

As soon as he stepped out with an oil lamp in hand,a sharp-featured face emerged from the darkness,startling him.It was Gouwa's face.

"Hehe,Senior Brother Li.I was just worried about you since you didn't come to the ingredient storage yesterday,so I came to check on you."

"Is Junior Sister Bai okay?"Li Huowang took a step back and asked.

"Sure,she's fine.You personally asked Junior Sister Bai to take charge of the ingredient storage.Who would dare to disobey?Hehe,Senior Brother Li is really capable.Since you took over the storage,not a single person has been taken away."

Hearing Gouwa's words,Li Huowang felt extremely annoyed.He pushed the guy away with his oil lamp and strode out.

When Li Huowang reached the alchemy room,he saw that some early-rising young disciples were already cleaning the alchemy furnace and the floor with linen cloths.

One young disciple was even standing in a stone urn,scrubbing the remaining bits of meat off the stone wall with a pig-hair brush.

As a disciple of Danyangzi,no one dared to say anything when he entered the alchemy room.

Li Huowang pretended to stroll around casually while carefully observing his surroundings.

The entire alchemy room was very simple.Apart from a huge black alchemy furnace that took up one-third of the space,there was only a stone urn and a stone rod that Danyangzi used for smashing things.

There were no alchemy books,not even a single painting on the wall.The room was very empty,with no cover at all.

"What are you looking at?"A familiar yet chilling voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Li Huowang turned around,saw the person,and quickly bowed with both hands."Master."

"I'm asking you what you're looking at."

Li Huowang quickly thought for a second and immediately came up with an excuse."Disciple admires Master's alchemy skills so much that I was just thinking about when I could reach such a level."

Danyangzi was quite satisfied with Li Huowang's changed attitude.It seemed that the young fellow had finally seen the light.

He put his hands behind his back and walked around the black alchemy furnace."It's good to have ambition,but it's not that I don't want to teach you.The way of external alchemy is not that simple."

"Ordinary pills are one thing,but if you want to achieve immortality through alchemy,you must practice both external and internal alchemy.It has taken me a great deal of effort to reach the verge of the Great Perfection stage."

A look of pride and excitement flashed across Danyangzi's face,as if he was imagining the divine life after achieving immortality.

"Master...are you about to achieve immortality?"

As soon as Li Huowang said this,Danyangzi's expression changed."Achieving immortality is no easy feat.It's a long journey,but I'm sure to make it.Do you know why?"

"I don't know."

Danyangzi became a bit excited."Because the method of achieving immortality is written in the Heavenly Book bestowed by Lord Laozi himself.And he personally gave it to me.Who else in the world can achieve immortality?Since he said I can,I surely will!"

"Lord Laozi?Who is he?One of those three statues?"Li Huowang was a bit confused by this myth-like description.

Although he didn't understand a single word,Li Huowang still flattered him,saying,"Master is absolutely right.You will surely achieve immortality and live as long as heaven and earth!"

Danyangzi clearly enjoyed hearing this.A big smile spread across his ugly face.

"Hahaha,very good.Since you want to learn alchemy,I'll teach you a simple recipe for the Blood-Moistening Pill first.Write it down.Twelve taels of red cinnabar,half a catty of nutgrass galingale rhizome,two taels and four qian of actinolite..."

Although it was an unexpected gain,Li Huowang of course wouldn't refuse.

He quickly looked around for a writing brush and ink,but there was none in the entire alchemy room.

In desperation,he found a piece of charcoal under the alchemy furnace and simply wrote the recipe on the hem of his Taoist robe.

"...Start the furnace at the third watch of the Ox Hour.Bathe the ingredients properly.Observe them with a still mind,blow gently with your breath,fumigate them with your spirit,and nurture them slowly with a gentle fire.Open the furnace at the fourth watch of the Rabbit Hour."

"Take this recipe and practice slowly.I'll see how talented you are."

Li Huowang threw away the charcoal and held the hem of his robe with both hands,presenting it to Danyangzi."Master,did I miss anything in my notes?"

But when Danyangzi saw the hem of the robe covered in charcoal writing,his smiling face instantly turned gloomy.

He lifted his right foot and kicked Li Huowang flying.Li Huowang hit the alchemy furnace with a thud and then fell heavily to the ground.

Danyangzi stormed off with a livid face,scolding under his breath and leaving Li Huowang there alone.

As the angry emotions gradually subsided,Li Huowang felt that this incident was very strange.He hadn't done anything wrong,so why did Danyangzi suddenly change his attitude?

Li Huowang looked down at the recipe in his hand and thought.Although his handwriting was ugly,it was still clearly readable.

Suddenly,an idea popped into Li Huowang's mind.He looked around at the alchemy room with no paintings or decorations,and then remembered that no one had any scriptures during the morning class.

An unexpected thought emerged in his mind."Could it be that this bald-headed scoundrel is illiterate and can't read?"