Chapter 52: Moved to Tears
Chapter 52: Moved to Tears
“Human Elixir?”
“Was someone refining a Human Elixir?”
After hearing Meng Zhixue’s words and seeing the eerie cauldron at the center of the valley, all the Academy Disciples suddenly took a deep breath. At that moment, a heavy pressure filled the entire valley. It was supposed to be dawn when the sun rose, but they felt waves of coldness wash over them.
They stared at the cauldron. Its lid was now lifted, revealing a pale purple elixir the size of a baby’s fist. The entire elixir faintly resembled an infant, with a nose, eyes, and even a slight rise and fall as if breathing. When sensing it with spiritual awareness alone, they could tell the infant seemed truly human-like. However, its Innate Qi was far more vigorous than that of an ordinary human, even surpassing the normal limits of a person. On an instinctual level, it held a deadly temptation for people.
Surrounding the cauldron lay villagers scattered all over—some had already shriveled into dried-up corpses, others were barely alive. The dead were piled deep inside the valley like a small hill. The living just lay bent around the evil cauldron like withered grass, weakly and with blank stares at the Academy Disciples, their life threads as frail as silk.
“Despicable… despicable…”
Gradually, some Academy Disciples changed color, shouting with extreme fury, “Which scoundrel dared to do such a thing?”
No one answered him, but every face around grew unusually grave.
They understood that matters had blown out of proportion!
The Human Elixir was a form of elixir, a greatly beneficial tonic for Qi Refiners—capable of boosting progress significantly, extending life, and even defying death!
Yet equally, it was the foremost taboo for Qi Refiners, an abominable evil!
Humans were, after all, the world’s greatest source of treasure medicine.
Especially for Qi Refiners, who were inherently the same kin, the source of Innate Qi was most similar.
Usually, when refiners practiced Qi Refining, no matter how much they trained, what they gained was only Acquired Qi!
But some refused to accept this and attempted to seize others’ Innate Qi for their own use.
To some extent, this practice meant treating others’ Innate Qi as one’s own Acquired Qi to cultivate.
They captured people, refining great elixirs, seeing humans as medicine fields.
The magical power gained this way was pure and flawless, even able to replenish the source—a heaven-defying cultivation method with miraculous effects.
But if that happened, how would the common people fare while Qi Refiners got what they needed?
Yet now, this was an act so hated throughout Great Xia that it was declared the utmost taboo crime.
In ancient times, the practice of refining humans into elixirs had once flourished. Back then, all Qi Refiners kept or captured ordinary folk as slaves and livestock, treating humans as medicine gardens. This created an indescribably dark and despairing age—one so bleak that not even the heavens could endure it, leading to the descent of Heavenly Retribution. That era was now called the Demon Dynasty by later generations!
Through the long ages, among all tribes, no being cherished devouring their own kind more than humans!
And among the horrors of consuming humans, nothing surpassed refining the “Human Elixir”!
Precisely because they knew this, the Academy Disciples understood matters had blown out of proportion.
They all knew about the Human Elixir and thus recognized the severity of the situation.
If the Willow Lake City Governor or Academy Head only cared about cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs and the lives of refugees around them, then this revelation of Human Elixir Refinement would force them to set aside all prejudices and hunt down the practitioner. If they dared not, the Nine Immortals Sect would learn of it and send enforcers, costing even the Academy Head and City Governor their positions.
Refining a Human Elixir was the cardinal taboo—the very bottom line!
A swishing sound…
The notification tone of “Alipay payment received” rang again!
Fang Cun, seated with composure in the broken temple, silently summoned the Celestial Merit Record and focused his gaze.
He saw a few lines of script slowly manifest:
“Rescued thirty-six villagers from Elm Coin Town, gained 3,600 units of Merit!”
“Exposed the secret of the Human Fiend behind Human Elixir Refinement, gained 1,000 units of Merit!”
“The Human Elixir refiner, for heinous crimes, is intolerable to heaven and earth, unfit for human society, void of humanity—may be termed a ‘Human Fiend’!”
“Seek him out, eliminate him, and receive 10,000 Merit!”
“So now, I’ve earned another 4,600 Merit?”
Fang Cun mused softly, feeling slightly at ease.
Earlier, he had slain Mr Leopard Cat, gaining 800 Merit. But before that, he had endlessly converted Merit into Internal Breath to dart away and lure bandits into relieving them. This consumed a vast amount of Merit, almost all of it, because converting Merit into instantaneous magical power, unlike cultivation, entailed great waste and loss—something to be avoided unless truly desperate.
Only, now it seemed he needn’t regret it, having swiftly gained 4,600 Merit.
“Over 200 citizens vanished from Elm Coin Town, yet only 36 survived?”
Fang Cun sighed inwardly, then thought to himself, “Saving one villager granted me only 100 Merit, but exposing the Human Fiend and his elixir affair earned me a sudden 1,000 Merit—showing how grave this event truly was…”
“But… eliminating the Human Fiend?”
Fang Cun couldn’t help but smile wryly. This Celestial Merit Record didn’t mind stirring big trouble!
He still had an uncompleted task to eradicate banditry and purge demon traces before him, and here abruptly came “eliminate the Human Fiend”?
Most critically, the Merit for eliminating the Human Fiend was not inferior to those other two?
Thus, the sheer terror of this “Human Fiend” became clear—how could he possess the capability?
Might he still claim the Merit if Academy members or the City Governor uncovered him?
Just as Fang Cun pondered this, footsteps sounded outside the broken temple. Several Academy Disciples returned. Pushing aside the temple door, they spotted Fang Cun seated inside with the Little Fox Girl curled up beside him. Faces relaxed instantly.
“Luckily, Second Young Master Fang is unharmed…”
They hurried forward, saluting Fang Cun in greeting, “Second Young Master Fang, last night was truly perilous. We found Elm Coin Town villagers in that Demon Valley, exactly as you’d foretold… Ah, only most perished already. We feel ashamed to say if not for Senior Sister Meng Zhixue using a Magic Treasure to hold the array, we might not have survived…”
“Oh?”
Fang Cun smiled, “Well, that’s fortunate. What were—”
“Last night, coincidentally, a group of bandits pursued someone and unwittingly aided us, startling the evil cultivator away and tearing the barrier…”
One Disciple spoke, then looked suspiciously at Fang Cun, “Could that be you, Second Young Master Fang?”
Fang Cun grinned, “What do you think?”
The Disciples studied Fang Cun, but after a long while, none seemed sure.
Quietly exchanging glances, they thought: right now, Second Young Master Fang was the only one waiting here, but given his cultivation… not to mention storming a bandit lair, he’d barely have time even to run there and back!
They changed the topic hurriedly, “Let’s go now. Academy instructors should arrive soon!”
Fang Cun answered lightly, “Very well!”
Earlier, luring the bandits was to save lives. But now that people were rescued, he couldn’t reveal it plainly. Simply put, those hard-core bandits were difficult opponents—and from killing over ten last night, he’d created enormous grievances. With the Fang Family already vulnerable, unless forced, he saw no need to court their hatred.
Upon reaching the Demon Valley, they saw all Academy Disciples present. Some sat encircling the evil cauldron—breathing deeply to recover spent Internal Breath, while also faintly guarding the cauldron in the center.
On another side, a few Disciples handed out elixirs to rescued Elm Coin Town villagers.
Glancing at them then, the 36 survivors appeared skeletal, sallow-skinned, almost lifeless. Only Academy Disciples’ elixirs kept them barely alive. Fang Cun inwardly winced, thinking, “Though the Merit Tome says I saved them, judging their state with Innate Qi entirely drained, they won’t last long even rescued…” He gazed back at the cauldron, “Is this the tool of Human Fiend’s alchemy?”
“Second Young Master Fang has arrived…”
Guiding him, the Disciples and he returned deep into the valley as a quiet announcement drew countless gazes.
Some eyes held shame, others guilt, none daring to meet Fang Cun’s gaze.
Earlier when Fang Cun raised the oddities in Elm Coin Town’s bloodbath, many disbelieved him. Yet now, uncovering this Human Elixir cauldron and surviving villagers left them tongue-tied.
Nie Quan, seated aside healing severe injuries, felt most awkward.
Although keeping his eyes shut as if ignoring Fang Cun’s approach, his face turned red as a monkey’s backside.
“Senior Brother Nie Quan…”
At that moment, Fang Cun called his name first.
“What?”
Nie Quan opened his eyes, prickled like a hedgehog with deep humiliation.
“When danger struck yesterday, we owed our escape to your courage—slashing wildly to shield us from the array. For that, I, Second Young Master Fang, am grateful.”
Fang Cun stepped forward, saluting gently with soft words.
“Huh?”
Nie Quan flushed even deeper crimson, suddenly fidgeting. He rose hastily, utterly speechless.
This sudden jolt of gratitude arrived so fast, it almost made him weep…