Chapter 13: The Debate on the Principles of Alchemy, a Contest of Scholars
Zheng Qiuyu walked into the hall holding the burning fire.
The hall was deep and gloomy, its light fragmented by tall beams and pillars, creating a crisscross pattern of light and dark. The air was filled with a strange aroma, a mixture of ancient wood and aged herbs, as thick as solidified lead, weighing heavily on everyone's shoulders.
Dozens of gazes shot in from all over the hall, like searchlights, carrying with them scrutiny, curiosity, and undisguised questioning, trying to see through her, the uninvited guest, inside and out.
One of them was the sharpest, like an ice-hardened needle, piercing straight between the eyebrows.
The gaze came from an old man in a black robe sitting beside the main seat in the hall. He was thin, almost sinking into the wide chair. His face was haggard, with wrinkles deep enough to kill a mosquito, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright, like a hawk's, locked tightly on the person in her arms.
Elder Li's voice sounded in his ears, his voice was very low, with a hint of tension that was hardly noticeable.
"He is Zhang Xuan, the 'Dan Chi' of Danfeng, also known as the 'Dan Madman'. No one in the sect dares to mess with him. Be careful."
Zheng Qiuyu nodded calmly.
The assessment has begun.
Elder Li cleared his throat, stepped forward, and briefly introduced the situation. His words were meant to vouch for Zheng Qiuyu, emphasizing that she had no ill intentions and was only seeking medicine.
But that Elder Zhang from Danfeng, Zhang Xuan, didn't even raise his eyelids from beginning to end.
His sharp eyes slowly swept from Zheng Qiuyu's tattered and bloody clothes to the dying fire in her arms, and finally he let out a very light hum, like two pieces of dry wood rubbing against each other, harsh and mean.
"You said your husband's origin was damaged in order to save you."
His voice was just like him, dry and emotionless, yet every word he said was like a knife, scraping one's eardrums.
"May I ask, sir, what kind of elixir did you use to prolong his life?"
He paused, a sarcastic arc appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Why not tell me about it and let me appreciate it."
As soon as these words were spoken, the subtle discussions in the hall disappeared instantly, and you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone's eyes, like spotlights, were focused on Zheng Qiuyu.
This is a perfect killer trap.
If she mentioned any pill recipe, whether true or false, the old monster in front of him would find a hundred faults in its pharmacology, compatibility, and timing, and then label her a liar who was just trying to attract attention.
Zheng Qiuyu's heart pounded in his chest, almost jumping out of his throat.
She knows nothing about pill recipes.
She couldn't even recognize all ten kinds of herbs in this world, let alone their names. If she made a mistake in saying a word, she would have to die here today.
She lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, covering up the panic that flashed across her eyes.
No, don't panic.
She took a deep breath, and when she raised her head again, her face had changed into an expression of sadness at being offended by a mediocre person, mixed with a pride that disdained explanation.
"My husband's injury cannot be cured by ordinary medicine."
Her voice was a little hoarse, as if she had not slept for several days and nights and was extremely tired, but it also revealed an unquestionable determination.
"The elixir formula is a minor principle; the core lies in the 'elixir principle'."
When these words were spoken, not only the other elders, but even Elder Li next to them were stunned, with a look of confusion on their faces.
Daniel?
What is this? Isn't alchemy all about the recipe, the ingredients, and the right temperature?
Zheng Qiuyu didn't give them much time to think. She hugged her burning arms tightly and changed the subject. Her voice was not loud, but it was extremely clear throughout the hall.
"I've observed that your sect's elixirs, while rich in spiritual energy, only prioritize the dominant 'primary ingredient' for rapid efficacy, neglecting the harmonious coordination of the 'ministers, assistants, and envoys'. This is a cardinal sin in alchemy, tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst."
She directly packaged the "ruler, minister, assistant and envoy" theory, which she had heard so many times in modern Chinese medicine classes, into a long-lost and mysterious ancient alchemy theory.
The effect is surprisingly good.
A faint gasp echoed through the hall. Several elders, also wearing alchemist robes, looked doubtful and began whispering to those around them, their eyes filled with shock.
"The king, his ministers, his assistants, and his envoys... I've never heard of this before, but... it seems to make sense?"
"Could it be some kind of ancient inheritance?"
Zheng Qiuyu keenly caught these reactions, and with a clear mind, he continued to speak, saying that since the pie had already been drawn, he might as well draw it bigger and rounder.
"All things are interdependent and mutually exclusive, and energy also needs to be balanced. The essence of the human body is like a fine porcelain bottle. Now the bottle is full of cracks. If you force it with a domineering elixir, it will be like pouring boiling water into a bottle that is already full of cracks. It will only accelerate its collapse."
She looked at everyone's thoughtful expressions and her voice became deeper.
“True healing is about ‘draining’ rather than ‘filling’.”
This theory was a dimensionality-reduction blow to these ancient alchemists who were immersed in traditional alchemy.
It was novel, unique, and seemed to coincide with some avenue of heaven and earth that they had never touched before.
The elders present, including Zhang Xuan who had initially started the trouble, were all lost in thought. For a moment, the only sound in the hall was the heavy breathing of the crowd.
Zheng Qiuyu felt a little relieved, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
It seems that he is temporarily scared.
At this moment, a cold light flashed in Zhang Xuan's eyes, and those sharp eyes locked onto her again.
"That's a nice thing to say!"
He sneered, breaking the silence, his voice like the cry of a night owl.
"Anyone can talk about theory, but it's just a bunch of tricks to mystify people!"
He suddenly fumbled in his arms, pulled out a yellowed animal skin scroll with torn edges, and slammed it on the table beside him.
“Bang!”
A dull thud startled everyone's heart, as if the blow was not hitting the table, but hitting their hearts.
"This is the ancient, incomplete recipe of the 'Heaven-Returning Pill' that our sect accidentally obtained. For a hundred years, the sect's top alchemists have all tried to refine it, but without exception, they have all failed!"
His voice suddenly rose, carrying with it a resentment and anger that had been suppressed for a hundred years.
"If you can tell me what's wrong with this prescription, I will acknowledge your 'theory of the elixir' and personally treat your husband!"
Everyone's eyes, like iron filings attracted to a magnet, were instantly focused on the animal skin scroll that exuded an air of time and tide.
Zheng Qiuyu's gaze also shifted towards the sky.
Just one glance and she felt dizzy.
There were all kinds of strange-looking plants painted on it with ancient brushwork, and labeled with names that she didn't recognize, such as ambergris and phoenix blood flower, which sounded like things from fairy tales.
How do you see this? Isn't this embarrassing for her, Fat Tiger?
Her brain was working at an unprecedented speed, trying to find any useful information from the corners of her memory.
etc.
Her gaze was suddenly fixed on the diagrams of two of the herbs, as if nailed to the ground.
These two plants, one with leaves like dragon scales and the other with flowers shaped like phoenix feathers, seemed to have seen similar ones in the chapter on poisonous plants in a book called "Modern Wilderness Survival Handbook" that she had read before traveling through time.
Although the names are different, one is called "Dragon Scale Fern" and the other is called "Blood Rhododendron", their appearances are 70% similar.
In modern chemistry, these two plants contain structurally similar bioalkaloids. Taken alone, in small doses, they are effective medicines, invigorating blood circulation and providing a calming effect. However, when combined and subjected to high temperatures and pressures, their molecular structures undergo a miraculous reorganization, resulting in a potent neurotoxin.
A bold idea formed in her mind.
Zheng Qiuyu slowly raised his head and met Zhang Xuan's aggressive eyes.
"This recipe is more than just problematic."
Her tone was calm, but it was like a huge rock hitting a calm lake, causing thousands of ripples.
The whole room was silent, and everyone held their breath, waiting for her next words.
She stretched out a white finger and pointed at the two herbs on the recipe.
"These two spiritual herbs, one yang and one yin, appear to be able to harmonize, but in reality, their medicinal properties conflict with each other and they are natural enemies."
"Under the high temperature and pressure of the alchemy furnace, their medicinal properties will not fuse. Instead, they will catalyze each other and transform into a strange poison."
She paused, faced everyone's horrified gazes, and uttered a name she had just made up in her head, which sounded scary enough.
"I call it the 'Soul Locker'."
"This poison is colorless and odorless. During the alchemy process, it will not cause the furnace to explode, nor will it cause any unusual symptoms. It is completely undetectable. It will directly corrode the alchemist's soul along with the medicinal vapors."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was heart-piercing.
"So, all those who failed to refine this pill didn't fail because their furnace exploded due to their inferior skills. Instead, they were unknowingly poisoned at the last moment of the pill's creation."
"At the very least, your cultivation will regress, your foundation will be damaged, and you will never make any further progress in the path of alchemy again."
She looked at Zhang Xuan's increasingly ugly face, and her voice became colder, like the wind in the coldest days of winter.
"In serious cases, the soul will be scattered and the body will die on the spot."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into deathly silence, as if even the air had been sucked out.
The breathing of several elders stopped and their eyes were as big as copper bells.
The blood on Zhang Xuan's haggard face instantly faded away and turned as pale as paper.
Because the sect's secrets clearly recorded that in the past hundred years, several alchemy elders who were gifted and had the potential to reach the level of Alchemy King, after trying to refine this ancient recipe, either died mysteriously in seclusion, or their cultivation level plummeted, and they never recovered and their temperament changed drastically.
Everyone in the sect had always believed that the alchemy had failed and the invasion of the inner demon had backfired.
No one ever thought it could be poisoning.
A mystery that has troubled the sect for a hundred years was unexpectedly solved by a young woman of unknown origin!
He stared at Zheng Qiuyu intently, his skinny body trembling slightly due to extreme excitement, his lips quivering, and he squeezed out every word from between his teeth, his voice hoarse.
"You...how do you know about the Soul-Locking Demon?!"
This question was no longer a question, but a search for an answer that both frightened and desired him.
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