Chapter 7: Qingfeng Temple

Li Huowang lay on the hospital bed, restrained in the institution-issued jacket, silently staring at the IV hook on the ceiling as though waiting for something.

The door creaked open, and his attending doctor stepped in, looking at him with a disappointed expression.

"Li, what happened? You were recovering so well before—how did it come to this again?"

Hearing this, Li, whose head was wrapped in white bandages, grew anxious and quickly explained, "Doctor, they attacked Yang Na first! I was forced to fight back to protect her!"

The doctor pushed his glasses up his nose with a hooked finger, frowning. "You call that 'fighting back'? That was a full-on takedown! Liu Jianye is still in the ICU, you know. One more kick from you, and he'd be gone for good. You've been here long enough to know everyone's condition. Did you even stop to think about Liu's mental health before attacking him? I thought you were a sensible kid."

Thinking about Yang Na's tear-streaked face, Li felt indignant. "So what if he's mentally ill? Does that give him the right to do whatever he wants? If it's between Yang Na getting hurt and me going to jail, I'd rather choose jail."

"You—" The doctor was momentarily speechless, exhaling a long sigh and shaking his head.

"Never mind. The hospital director has already called both families. You don't need to worry about it anymore."

Hearing this, Li curled up slightly, turning his back to the doctor. In his mind, he began calculating whether the jade pendant worth 400,000 yuan would be enough to cover the compensation.

However, he wasn't as panicked as he might have been before. After seeing the effects of the elixir firsthand, Li realized his life now held a multitude of new possibilities.

Sensing his young patient's low spirits, the doctor softened his tone. "Li, don't worry. You won't go to jail. The hospital can issue a certificate for you. Just focus on recovering. We'll handle the rest."

Li noticed the genuine concern in the doctor's voice. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Thank me for what? It's my job as your attending physician. You're still so young; of course, I have to take good care of you." The doctor patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"By the way, Li, tell me the truth—how did you manage to injure them like that? That's not something a regular person could do. Were you in a normal state of mind, or was it another stress-induced hallucination?"

Hearing this, Li's heart skipped a beat, his attention instantly drawn to the pocket of his jacket. "Well... I, uh..."

"I specialize in psychology, and I've dealt with cases like yours before. Don't even think about hiding anything from me. I hate it when my patients lie to me," the doctor said, his tone gentle but firm.

Though his words were mild, Li felt an invisible pressure weighing on him. "What do I do? He can't find out about the elixir!"

As Li frantically searched for an excuse, the world around him began to distort. The doctor's voice grew faint and distant.

Within seconds, he found himself lying on the cold stone bed of Xuanyang's private cave chamber in Qingfeng Temple.

Sitting up and clutching his head, Li looked around at the spartan surroundings and let out a chuckle. "Well, I guess this solves my problem."

This time, he had no intention of returning to reality quickly. He figured the longer he stayed here, the better his chances of avoiding the doctor's probing questions.

Leaving the room, Li wandered the stone corridors, watching his fellow "senior brothers and sisters" bustling about. His mind churned with plans for the future.

Now that he knew the elixirs were real, he couldn't afford to act carelessly anymore. He had to make the most of this place, squeezing out every possible benefit.

Fortunately, his status had changed. He was no longer an errand boy grinding herbs in the storeroom but a registered disciple of the scabby-headed master, Dan Yangzi. This newfound freedom opened up many opportunities.

Spotting a bearded Daoist in a robe walking past, Li's eyes lit up, and he hurried over. "Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"

The bearded Daoist turned to him with a neutral expression. "What is it, Junior Brother Xuanyang?"

Mimicking their formal tone, Li replied, "Senior Brother, I've only just become a disciple of our master. Could you guide me on what I should be doing next?"

The bearded man frowned slightly. "Don't take this the wrong way, Junior Brother, but while the master did personally accept you, you're still the newest and most inexperienced. For now, you'll only be running errands within Qingfeng Temple."

"If you want the master to teach you the secrets of immortality, that privilege is reserved for his inner disciple. You're far from that level. For now, follow me to the alchemy room and wait outside."

"Immortality...?" Li murmured, his mind racing. He had never heard of anyone becoming a god by refining humans into elixirs.

"Can the master really achieve immortality?" he asked.

The bearded Daoist smirked. "Of course! The master possesses great powers. Just serve him well, and you'll see for yourself."

Through his conversation with this senior, named Xuanyin, Li learned about the structure of Qingfeng Temple. It housed five registered disciples, one inner disciple, and Dan Yangzi as the temple master.

Beyond these core members, there were numerous peripheral workers, such as cooks, errand boys, and herb grinders, totaling about 80 to 100 people.

This was Li's first time gaining a comprehensive understanding of the temple. Its resources were sparse, and its infrastructure crude—especially after the recent mass casualties.

As they reached the oppressive alchemy furnace, Li noticed white smoke curling up from its top, filling the air with a pungent, metallic scent. Dan Yangzi stood nearby, accompanied by his inner disciple, a sullen young man with an unsettling aura.

After waiting beside Xuanyin for a while, Li was assigned his first task: collecting ingredients from the storeroom. Essentially, he was doing the same job as the previous Xuanyang.

When Li entered the storeroom with a horsetail whisk in hand, the workers inside froze, their nervous gazes flitting toward him.

Among them, the albino girl he had once helped took a hesitant step forward, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something. But ultimately, she retreated, her eyes filled with fear.

Li glanced at her and couldn't help but smirk. His role had shifted—from the oppressed to the oppressor.

An idea began to form in his mind. "Hey, do any of you have money?"

His question left everyone stunned.

"Money! You know, silver, gold, jade pendants—whatever you've got," he added bluntly.

Truth be told, Li desperately needed cash. He had no idea how much compensation Old Liu's family might demand. His own family was just an ordinary one, and if the settlement amount was too high, his mother might have to sell their house.

"Let's be honest—what are you going to do with money here anyway? Just give it to me. Think of it as protection fees. From now on, I'll look out for you," he said, laying it out plainly.

Though they didn't believe he'd actually protect them, the workers began fishing out whatever meager valuables they had, hoping to avoid trouble.

The haul was pathetic: half a blackened silver thumbpiece, a copper hairpin, and forty or so copper coins.

Staring at the pitiful pile, Li sighed. "Guess I miscalculated. These folks don't even have enough to compete with my health insurance."