Chapter 30: Unforgivable
Nestled in her lover’s arms, the young woman whispered everything she knew.
The more Shi Hao listened, the more alarmed he became. He realized this matter was even more serious than he had imagined.
So serious that if the barbarian court and the Chongxian Sect weren’t stopped, the Chinese martial world might never recover.
Du Yuejiao whispered, “This is a matter of grave importance, Brother Shi. I’m only telling you this because you’re now a member of the Chongxian Sect. You mustn’t… mmmph!”
Shi Hao flipped over, pinning her beneath him, and kissed her deeply.
Du Yuejiao’s body went weak, her mind hazy, her words cut short.
After a passionate kiss, Shi Hao released her and, changing the subject, whispered in her ear, “Tell me, what color and pattern are your undergarments?”
He continued asking seemingly random, teasing questions.
This was the first time Du Yuejiao had experienced such an intimate moment, a silent promise of a future together. Her face flushed, and her ears burned.
He asked questions a young woman would never normally answer. She was too shy to answer, but she was afraid of angering him if she refused.
Her earlier worries were completely forgotten.
Shi Hao, not letting her off the hook, pulled down the collar of her robe, revealing her fair shoulder and the single-piece, peach-colored chest covering embroidered with a magpie on a plum blossom branch, a symbol of joy and good fortune.
“That magpie is beautifully embroidered,” Shi Hao teased, pointing at the magpie perched near the peak of her right breast.
The girl playfully hit him, but he held her down, continuing his teasing whispers and embraces.
In this era, such intimate behavior between an unmarried man and woman was practically a promise of marriage.
Just then, Zhuo Mulan’s voice came from downstairs, “Yuejiao? Yuejiao?”
They were in a Daoist temple, after all. Du Yuejiao, afraid of being discovered by her master, quickly straightened her clothes, glanced at him, and floated towards the door, “Master, I’m here.”
The beaded curtain clinked musically as she hurried downstairs.
Shi Hao got up and went to the window, watching the riders and soldiers leaving the monastery, his face expressionless.
He thought to himself, “So that’s what the ‘God’ in ‘God-Sealing Experiment’ refers to…”
Shi Hao wanted to relay the information about the God-Sealing Experiment to Dark Thunder as soon as possible so they could take action.
But he knew he couldn’t leave Ming Kun Monastery tonight.
After Zhuo Mulan and Du Yuejiao left, he quietly slipped out of the Wei Xiang Pavilion and walked back towards the White Peony Courtyard.
The full moon was fast approaching, its bright light illuminating the monastery. Growing up in such a beautiful place, one might believe the entire world was this picturesque.
But Shi Hao couldn’t forget the darkness hidden beneath the cold moonlight.
Tonight, Yue Ya’er would be setting up checkpoints around Jin Prefecture with the help of the prefectural guards.
Tonight, the soldiers and riders he had seen earlier would be escorting something important from Ming Kun Monastery to the central plains.
If he left now, he wouldn’t be able to enter the city to meet with Dark Thunder, and it would also arouse suspicion.
Even the lovestruck Du Yuejiao would be suspicious if he suddenly disappeared without explanation.
Although he had to deliver this information, he couldn’t do anything tonight. He had to stay here… He forced himself to calm down.
Returning to the White Peony Courtyard, he saw Daoist Lan Ke, who had also returned from the Golden Crucible Hall, pacing back and forth in the courtyard, sighing.
Shi Hao didn’t know how to face this old Daoist.
Daoist Lan Ke had treated him well these past few days, teaching him much about alchemy.
In his eyes, this senior was more like a scholar obsessed with alchemy, crafting, and other forms of research.
Yet, this same old man was likely about to become an accomplice to the barbarian court’s further domination of China, helping them eradicate the remaining resistance in the Central Plains martial world.
Shi Hao thought to himself that if he had a choice, if he could kill this old man before the God-Sealing Experiment was completed, he would do it without hesitation.
But looking at the old Daoist pacing under the moonlight, sighing, Shi Hao felt a sudden pang of… something. Daoist Lan Ke seemed to have aged considerably.
But Shi Hao couldn’t bring himself to feel sympathy.
He had to pretend he knew nothing. He approached Daoist Lan Ke and asked, “Senior, what’s wrong? You seem troubled.”
Daoist Lan Ke glanced at him, shook his head, and sighed, “It’s nothing… it’s nothing.” He slowly walked towards his room.
Shi Hao returned to his own room, sat in silence for a while, then gathered all the ingredients for the seventh-rank Immortal Formula and went to an empty alchemy room.
After locking the door, he faced the furnace, took a deep breath to calm himself, and put all worldly matters out of his mind.
His plan was to refine the seventh-rank Immortal Formula tonight.
The process of refining an Immortal Formula couldn’t be interrupted by any distractions; otherwise, both the cauldron and the ingredients would be ruined.
He took a Clarity Heart Pill he had refined earlier from his pocket and swallowed it.
The pill dissolved instantly, a cooling sensation spreading through his body, calming his slightly agitated mind.
He placed the three Blazing Sky Leaves into the furnace, then, using the method for controlling the Threefold Fire, he channeled the demonic Nightfire from the Mysterious Charm Technique, filtering it through his icy true energy, creating a pure flame that ignited the leaves.
The three seemingly small leaves burst into flames, filling the cauldron, the firelight illuminating the entire alchemy room.
He then added the Water Moon Exquisite Lotus, followed by the borneol, Northern Wild Chrysanthemum, Ice Stone Vine, and other supplementary ingredients, leaving only the Great Cold Peony Immortal Bud.
He quickly closed the lid and crouched down, continuing to feed the flames with his true energy through the opening at the bottom of the furnace.
Alchemy required immense patience. He had to constantly monitor the changes in the ingredients with his divine sense and adjust the heat accordingly.
Although he had shown great talent in alchemy these past few days, this was his first time refining an Immortal Formula, so he didn’t dare to be careless.
He sensed the Water Moon Exquisite Lotus dissolving in the flames created by the Blazing Sky Leaves, transforming into a clear liquid.
Under his control, the liquid flowed through the flames, absorbing them completely.
Soon, the Water Moon Exquisite Lotus transformed into a crimson lava, absorbing the medicinal essence of the other ingredients.
Normally, he would need to constantly add charcoal and use the Threefold Fire to control the flames and the heat.
This required maintaining a clear mind to monitor the ingredients while simultaneously adjusting the amount of charcoal, a rather complicated process.
But now, he only needed to control his own internal energy, adjusting the demonic Nightfire to control the heat, which simplified the process considerably.
The medicinal essence of the supplementary ingredients was absorbed by the crimson liquid, the remaining dregs burning to ashes.
The crimson liquid swirled within the furnace, like an ouroboros, forming a continuous cycle within the pure flames.
Shi Hao maintained this process for over an hour.
The crimson gradually faded, turning translucent green, slowly returning to the original color of the Water Moon Exquisite Lotus.
Under his control, the green liquid began to condense, a faint firelight flickering within.
He suddenly lifted the lid, grabbed the Great Cold Peony Immortal Bud he had prepared, and quickly tossed it into the furnace.
The lid fell back into place with a clang.
Beads of sweat appeared on Shi Hao’s forehead… This step was crucial, neither too early nor too late.
The Great Cold Peony Immortal Bud, tossed into the flames, dissolved into a chilling aura that quickly enveloped the green liquid.
Then, it rapidly condensed and compressed, forming a translucent elixir.
Shi Hao withdrew the flames, protecting the elixir with his true energy. After a while, he opened the furnace and reached in.
The elixir flew into his hand, cold to the touch.
Although cold as ice, it shimmered with a faint, internal fire.
A sense of joy and pride filled his heart… He had successfully refined a ninth-rank Immortal Formula on his first try.
He didn’t consume it immediately to advance to the seventh rank.
Dual cultivation, although beneficial, was also dangerous. He couldn’t consume this seventh-rank elixir unless he could ensure his demonic cultivation also advanced quickly.
And these elixirs had a “shelf life.” They couldn’t be stored for too long. Over time, their potency would dissipate, rendering them useless for breakthroughs.
So, he had to ensure his other plan also succeeded.
He carefully wrapped the elixir in a handkerchief and placed it in his robe.
Opening the stone door, he left the alchemy room and saw a figure sitting on a low stone stool outside.
“Yuejiao, it’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep?” Shi Hao asked, approaching her with a smile.
It was late. The almost full moon, high in the sky, was hidden behind clouds. The courtyard was dark, the lanterns unlit.
Du Yuejiao sat alone, her figure blending into the night, as quiet and serene as an orchid in a valley.
Seeing him emerge from the alchemy room, she stood up and whispered, “I just came from the main hall with my uncle. I wanted to see you, but your room was empty, and I saw the light in the alchemy room, so I waited here.”
Shi Hao stood before her and asked softly, “Did something happen?”
Du Yuejiao shook her head, “The sect sent someone. They want Uncle to go to the central plains and continue the experiment there. But for some reason, he refused. The abbot asked Master and me to try and persuade him, but his mind is made up. Even the abbot can’t change it.”
She sighed softly and looked up at Shi Hao, “Brother Shi, you spent most of the night in the alchemy room. You must have been refining something more than just Clarity Heart Pills. Could it be…”
Shi Hao said, “Yes, I was refining an Immortal Formula.”
Du Yuejiao’s eyes widened, “Did you succeed, Brother Shi?”
Shi Hao smiled, “I did.”
Du Yuejiao sighed in relief, then clasped her hands together, her face filled with admiration, “I’ve never seen anyone attempt to refine an Immortal Formula after just a few days of learning alchemy, let alone succeed.
“In the history of the sect, this has probably never happened before. Even my uncle, considered a genius in alchemy, couldn’t achieve this.”
Shi Hao said, “Really? It’s not that impressive. I was just trying my luck, and I happened to succeed.”
“There’s no such thing as luck in alchemy! Refining a ninth-rank Immortal Formula… one wrong step, and everything is ruined. Master refined both my ninth and eighth-rank Immortal Formulas for me. Although I’ve been learning alchemy since childhood, I don’t have the skill to do it myself!” She wrapped her arms around his waist, her face pressed against his chest, her voice filled with joy, “You’re truly amazing, Brother Shi.”
Shi Hao gently embraced her, “By the way, there’s something I wanted to tell you tomorrow morning. An Immortal Formula can’t be stored for too long after being refined, so I plan to leave Ming Kun Monastery tomorrow. After helping Yue Ya’er rescue those children, I’ll find a secluded mountain and cultivate in seclusion to breakthrough.”
The girl looked up at him, her eyes filled with reluctance, “So I won’t see you for many days?”
Shi Hao smiled, “It won’t be too long. I’ll be back in a few days.” He felt a twinge of guilt… because he didn’t intend to return to Ming Kun Monastery.
From the beginning, he had used her to uncover the truth about the God-Sealing Experiment, and now he had what he wanted. The girl in his arms no longer held any value to him.
Especially after learning the truth about the experiment, he couldn’t forgive the people of Ming Kun Monastery for conducting such an experiment and handing over its results to the barbarian court.
As a member of the Chinese race, he couldn’t forgive Daoist Lan Ke for conceiving this experiment, nor could he forgive Du Yuejiao for knowing about it.
He gently embraced the girl, stroking her hair, and whispered, “It’s late. You should go to bed.”
However, for the girl, having just confessed her feelings for him yesterday, how could she bear to part with him so soon?
She shyly buried her face in his chest and whispered, “Brother Shi… are you coming to my room? Or… or I can stay here with you…”
Her face and neck flushed crimson.
…
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