"Nonsense, I'm expelling impurities from my body, not relieving myself. Don't you understand?" Li Lin retorted. Unable to stay in the tub any longer, he quickly jumped out, saying, "Go and dump this water and bring me fresh water for a bath."
"It's too smelly, dump it yourself," Li XiaoBai replied, then, glancing at Li Lin's naked body, he curiously commented, "How come yours is bigger than mine?"
"What are you looking at? This is natural endowment, something you can't envy. Now go and change the water. I have something good for you later," Li Lin said, wrapping a piece of clothing around his waist.
"A reward? What could you possibly have for me?" Li XiaoBai muttered, but quickly changed the water.
Li Lin quickly took another bath to wash off the foul odor.
"Aren't you cold, Young Master?" Li XiaoBai asked. It was winter, and the water seemed cold.
"What's there to be cold about?" Li Lin remarked. Ever since he started practicing the Yin-Yang Lingwu Technique, he seemed immune to cold and heat.
After washing off the stench, Li Lin dressed and felt an indescribable vitality and fullness throughout his body. His bruises had disappeared, his skin was much fairer, almost like a baby's, and had become more elastic. He knew all these improvements were thanks to the Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
Then, Li Lin closed his eyes in content, sensing the condition of his internal qi, which seemed to have greatly improved.
"You said you had a reward for me," Li XiaoBai bluntly reminded him.
"You won't miss out," Li Lin opened his eyes and mysteriously produced a jade slip, saying, "This is the Fire Wolf Technique. Once you practice it, you'll become a martial artist. Stick with me, and you'll live a good life."
"Me, a martial artist? You must be joking, Young Master," Li XiaoBai scoffed, finding it hard to believe that a lowly servant like him could become a martial artist.
"I'm not joking. Take this and activate it with your blood," Li Lin insisted seriously.
Seeing Li Lin's earnest expression, Li XiaoBai hesitated, then accepted the jade slip and activated it with his blood.
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"Sss..."
A red light from the jade slip entered Li XiaoBai's forehead, conveying a vast amount of information into his mind.
"Memorize the chant and start practicing. Whether you can become a martial artist depends on you. Remember, try to keep this a secret," Li Lin instructed.
"Can this Fire Wolf Technique really make me a martial artist?" Li XiaoBai asked after a moment, standing dazed in the room.
"That's up to you," Li Lin replied.
"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master," Li XiaoBai said, kneeling and kowtowing to Li Lin.
"What are you doing? Get up. A man's knees are precious; you shouldn't kneel so easily," Li Lin said.
"Young Master, where did you get this Fire Wolf Technique? If you give it to me, what about yourself? Are you already a martial artist?" Li XiaoBai asked, standing up.
"Why ask so many questions? Just do what you need to do and become a proper martial artist as soon as possible," Li Lin replied, hoping to have a useful person by his side if Li XiaoBai became a martial artist.
"Yes, Young Master," Li XiaoBai responded, sensing that the Young Master had changed and was destined for greatness. He hurried off to practice the Fire Wolf Technique in secret, dreaming of changing his fate and impressing Xiao Cui in the front yard.
"Now, it's time to refine the ZhongDing Pill," Li Lin thought in his room. He had materials for four more pills – two to consume and two to sell for profit and enhancement.
Hesitating briefly, Li Lin decided to find a secluded place in the back mountains for safety. After preparing, he went to a hidden valley surrounded by towering trees and a large rock, deeming it safe for pill refining.
He took out the Fire Dragon Cauldron and the ingredients for the ZhongDing Pill. Concentrating, Li Lin began the refining process.
Executing a hand sign, a stable spiritual force flowed from the dragon's mouth into the cauldron, igniting a real flame.
One by one, he added the ingredients into the cauldron, fully engrossed in refining the ZhongDing Pill, aware of its value of fifty gold coins each.
On a nearby peak, an aged figure observed Li Lin's actions. It was Uncle Jiang, who then cast a protective spell over several mountains before leaving, ensuring Li Lin's safety.
Having previous experience, Li Lin refined the pills more adeptly. After processing all the ingredients and resting a bit, he felt less tired than before.
Finally, after an hour and a half, he successfully produced a ZhongDing Pill.
"Fifty gold coins in hand," Li Lin smiled, ready to continue.
After another rest and preparation, Li Lin started refining another pill. However, despite his familiarity with the process, a tiny mistake during the fusion caused the pill to fail.
With a loud "bang," the Fire Dragon Cauldron shook violently, its lid flipped open, releasing a burnt smell. Watching this, Li Lin felt heartbroken, his face blackened with soot.
"Fifty gold coins, gone," he lamented, relieved that the cauldron wasn't damaged, or he would have felt even worse.
"Time to take a beating," he sighed, packing up. The failure taught him a lesson: even with familiarity, extreme caution was necessary in pill refining.