~~~

“You still will not speak? Why must you torment me with this vagueness? Is this revenge for what I did?”

“I do not appreciate being associated with such pettiness.”

“I...of course. My apologies.”

“Good. I do not tell you more because all I have is a theory. To be absolutely certain, I need you to do something.”

“... What is it that you require of me?”

~~~

Pan Qiu walks into the Medical Pavilion.

He has been doing so since his punishment for the incident in the Summer Forest was decided. Day after day. Always having to drink those damned poisons. Always having to suffer through their effects. Any rage he may have felt at his situation has long since faded into resignation.

Today, Pan Qiu walks through the white halls more nervous than usual. His steps are too loud on his ears, his clothes too tight, and the weight of everyone’s stares too heavy. If only he were healthy to face this stress! That villain Qing Jin has “restored” his body to its former condition: pale, sweaty, and feverish.

“Someone may notice if you were to show up healthy twice in a row. I’ll do my best to mimic the effects of the poison. Unpleasant though it may be, please bear with it.”

Qing Jin had not given him any chance to object, not that Pan Qiu would have done so. Trying to challenge someone like that beast is a fool’s errand. The way he so easily wielded Poison Qi further confirmed it. To be able to attune your Qi to poison to that degree denoted extreme familiarity with them. No doubt, Qing Jin is someone who has poisoned multiple people to get where he is.

Pan Qiu has no intention of joining their number.

That is why, even though he feels uncomfortable, even though he is nervous, even though he is scared, Pan Qiu does as Qing Jin asked.

The price of failure is not one he is willing to entertain.

“Disciple Pan Qiu is here for his punishment,” he announces upon arriving at his destination.

It is the same room as always, white with several beds and large windows. Some of the beds are already occupied by those who are being punished alongside him. They lay there, groaning and shivering under the effects of the poison.

“Follow me,” an older disciple with pale eyes tells him. Bu Jing, he believes his name is. He leads Pan Qiu to one of the beds and brings him a small cup of poison. “This is today’s dose.”

Pan Qiu looks at the cup with apprehension. “It looks smaller than usual.”

“This poison is far more potent than the usual ones.” The pale-eyed disciple raises an eyebrow. “However, if Brother Pan wishes to drink more, that could be arranged.”

“No!” Pan Qiu cringes as he raises his voice and quickly adds, “That is it to say… this disciple submits himself to the wisdom of the Medical Pavilion, Senior Brother.”

“Understandable,” the disciple says without any inflection on his voice. He does not move at all. He keeps staring at Pan Qiu until the latter takes the cup from his hands.

The dark liquid swirls ominously inside it. Pan Qiu’s instincts scream at him not to drink it.

Nevertheless, he does what he must. He brings the cup to his lips and empties it in one gulp.

“The effects should manifest soon,” the pale-eyed disciple tells him. “You are free to use the bed.”

Pan Qiu does not hear him. His body is already collapsing into the bed, his legs suddenly weak. His vision sways, and his body chills as he seeks the comfort of warm blankets. The beating of his heart speeds up until it becomes a hammer against his ears.

The pain hits next.

~~~

Liu Jin calmly examines the poison that had been used on Pan Qiu.

He had needed fresh samples, so he had placed special hollow needles inside Pan Qiu’s body that would take in some of the poison once he drank it. Pan Qiu had protested their use quite vehemently at first, claiming that if Liu Jin needed samples, he could just save some poison inside his mouth. Liu Jin had rejected that idea. Such a ploy would be too easily seen through.

Pan Qiu hadn’t felt a thing. Liu Jin had made sure of it. He may have felt all the effects of the poison—It would have called too much attention if he had not shown any symptoms—but he had barely been aware of the needles. Indeed, no one had noticed anything, and Liu Jin had removed the needles from Pan Qiu without issue, all of them full of poison.

That had been well over five hours ago.

It is not that the poison has proven particularly challenging. Quite the opposite, Liu Jin has already broken it down to its base components and identified each of them. He has thoroughly observed the way the poison interacts with Pan Qiu’s body. There is already more than enough information for him to make an educated guess, especially if he takes the state of Pan Qiu’s dantian into consideration.

No, not just an educated guess. Even though he’s relying on a bit of guesswork, Liu Jin’s mind is largely made up already.

Yet, Liu Jin keeps going over his findings. He keeps going back to the poison, his Qi resonating with it as he seeks to break it down further. The more he does it, the more convinced he becomes of his theory.

Only once another hour has passed does Liu Jin take a break, leaning back into his chair, his face set on a frown. Almost against his will, his eyes go to the stack of papers resting on his desk.

Doctor Wu’s notes.

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It almost seems like a memory from another life. Back in Eastern Port City, Doctor Wu had used a Soul Draining Parasite on Patriarch Xiao Zheng. Years later, Doctor Wu’s son, working with the traitorous Elder Hui, had used another Soul Draining Parasite, this time on Xiao Fang. Both attacks had been stopped. The first one by Liu Jin’s father, the second one through the combined efforts of Liu Jin, Xiao Fang, and Xiao Nan.

However, even after Doctor Wu had been killed, the Xiao Sect was left with one very important question.

How had Doctor Wu obtained so many Soul Draining Parasites?

Soul Draining Parasites were supposed to be quite rare, yet Xiao Nan had found a jar full of their eggs. To understand this mystery, Patriarch Xiao Zheng had placed Liu Jin in charge of decoding Doctor Wu’s notes. However, though Liu Jin had made several strides in that endeavor, Eastern Port City fell before he could reach an answer. Doctor Wu’s notes had faded from his mind after that. Compared to everything else that happened, they seemed wholly unimportant.

At least, that was the case until he saw the state of Pan Qiu’s dantian. Examining him had been the trigger necessary for Liu Jin to piece everything together.

If you could turn a cultivator’s dantian into an incubator, obtaining more Soul Draining Parasites became easy.

Soul Draining Parasites can reproduce asexually, but this is not easily done. Several years are required for a Soul Draining Parasite to reach breeding age. Usually, by the time a Soul Draining Parasite reaches maturity, its host will be either too weak or dead. Thus, the parasite will not have the energy necessary to bear offspring. In fact, the parasite will usually die after its host does.

However, if you modify the dantian of a cultivator to turn it into a hospitable habitat for the parasite from the start, then you could skip most of the issues. By feeding the parasite directly from the elixir of immortality within the dantian, its growth rate would accelerate. If one has the cultivator properly restrained, it would be even easier to ensure all his energy goes to the parasite.

First one, then another one, and another one still. Again and again, until you have perfected the process to the point where you can consistently breed several parasites at a time, essentially turning the dantian into an incubator. As soon as Liu Jin understood that principle, decoding Doctor Wu’s notes to confirm his theory had become possible.

What is happening to Pan Qiu’s body is similar.

Not the same, but similar.

The poisons Pan Qiu has been drinking are not just poisons. Rather, his body is slowly being prepared to turn into something else. No. Liu Jin shakes his head. Not his body. His dantian. His dantian are being prepared for something. This is just a hypothesis, but…

It may be that Pan Qiu’s lower dantian is slowly being turned into a cultivation pill.

If you make modifications over time—taking advantage of the elixir of immortality located within the dantian and using the body in place of a furnace—it is not impossible. With the proper steps, turning a cultivator into a cultivation pill is not out of the realm of possibility.

It is taboo, inhumane, and insane.

And yet, it is not hard for Liu Jin to think of a motive.

Being in the ninth level of the Heaven Realm, Elder Chueng is one of the weaker Elders of the Eternal Flame Clan, if not the weakest. It is not that he lacks the ability to progress further. At least, Liu Jin doesn’t think so. If Elder Chueng was in any other realm, he would have taken the next step already.

However, beyond the Heaven Realm lies the Renegade Realm.

To step into the Renegade Realm, you must be absolutely sure of your skill. There is no room for doubt. You must wholeheartedly believe you can make your way through and reach the Emperor Realm. Those who are left trapped in the Renegade Realm rarely find good ends. His master told him that a long time ago.

Those who chose to enter the Renegade Realm usually make several preparations before doing so. Some choose to go to remote or heavily fortified areas. Others hoard as many cultivation resources as possible to gorge themselves on them once they have stepped into the Renegade Realm. Most try to do both.

Liu Jin supposes having multiple cultivation pills made from the disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan is a good way to ensure one’s success. Even the weakest cultivators of the Eternal Flame Clan are people who’d be considered peerless in lesser areas. Horrible as it may be to even think it, one would struggle to find finer ingredients.

Is that what is happening?

Is Elder Cheung having all the punished disciples modified, so that they may eventually be turned into cultivation pills?

Liu Jin contemplates that thought for a few breaths before frowning and shaking his head. No. Such a thing would call too much attention. Most likely, it is only a few that are being used that way. In that sense, running into Pan Qiu and healing him is simply a quirk of fate. One could even call it a fortunate encounter

Besides, that is not the first question Liu Jin should be asking himself right now.

Is Elder Cheung truly the one responsible for this?

It seems like an obvious conclusion. This was done in the Medical Pavilion, and Elder Cheung is in charge of the Medical Pavilion. The idea of a group of disciples, high-ranking or otherwise, having the knowledge, skill, and freedom to do something like this under Elder Cheung’s nose is unlikely.

And therein lies the problem.

What is happening to Pan Qiu is wrong and must be stopped. But to do so, he must cast doubt on one of the Elders of the Eternal Flame Clan. Since Elder Cheung is the most likely suspect, Liu Jin cannot bring his concerns to him. If he wants to do something about this, he must bring the matter to one of the other Elders.

If Liu Jin’s suspicions are correct, there is no way Elder Cheung can keep his position. The moment Elder Cheung is discovered is the moment each faction in the Eternal Flame Clan will try to take control over the Medical Pavilion. The tension that has been boiling under the surface may finally explode.

Exposing Elder Cheung may lead to several deaths. It will certainly escalate the conflict between Lord Feng Shang and Lord Feng Gui to the next stage.

Liu Jin drums his fingers against his desk. He knows what he must do. Elder Xue. Lady Ling. Feng Zhi. He could even report this to the Division of Internal Disputes, though that would firmly place him on Lord Feng Shang’s side in the eyes of others. Regardless, as long as he brings the matter to someone with enough authority, things will be set in motion. He needs to make a choice.

So why is he having so much trouble?

Why does his throat constrict and his heart speed up?

Why does his soul recoil inside of him?

The Eternal Flame Clan is one of the four strongest Sects in the Crimson Cloud Empire. Can Liu Jin truly cast a stone into its waters so recklessly without knowing the shape of the ripples that will ensue?

Who is he to make such a choice? Nothing but a young, immature boy. His foolishness already failed one city. It should be someone older and wiser in his place, yet who can he turn to for advice? He’s grown fond of Bei Hong and Huang Shing. He appreciates Senior Brother Khong Hu. It would be a lie to say he doesn’t enjoy Lu Mei’s company.

Yet, this is not a choice he can bring to them. There is no one he can turn to.

No.

Liu Jin raises his head, eyes wide with hope.

There is one person, isn't there?

There is one person whose advice he can seek.

His hand is inside the spatial pouch before he knows it. From it, Liu Jin takes out a small wooden box and opens it with reverence, inside are the memory jades his Master left him.

Each one contains a fragment of his Master’s life.

Liu Jin has refrained from seeing them all this time. The reasons are many and varied. He had wanted to master what he already knew before moving on to new things. He didn’t feel he had the right to see Master after his failure in Eastern Port City.

Liu Jin snorts.

Old Jiang would probably call all his reasons silly and stupid, and he would be right. The truth is he did not want to use up the memory jades because once they were used, he wouldn’t be able to see Old Jiang ever again. He had already said goodbye to his Master once. He did not wish to do so again.

That fear is still there, but right now, Liu Jin wants to see his Master badly enough to overcome it. He doesn’t know what memory he will see, but surely it will be better than wallowing in his own inadequacy.

The jade breaks in his hand.

~~~