Chapter 124 Medicine Garden Silkworm Cocoon
"It appears you already know why this old man has sought you out."
Mo Shang looked at Lu Li coldly. "By rights, since you ruined this old man's fated chance, I should have slapped you to death. However, considering you are an alchemist, I shall spare your life for now."
Hearing this, Lu Li's hanging heart finally settled a little. As long as he didn't die immediately, there was still room to maneuver.
However, Mo Shang's next action plunged him into despair once more.
Mo Shang produced a pitch-black pill and handed it to Lu Li. "This pill is called the Soul-Devouring Pill. After taking it, its poison will erupt once every month. If you do not receive the antidote I provide during that time, you will undoubtedly die. From now on, you will stay here obediently refining pills for me for the rest of your life."
Without waiting for Lu Li to agree, Mo Shang flashed forward, pinched open Lu Li's mouth, and flicked his finger, shooting the pill straight down his throat.
Cough, cough, cough, cough...
Lu Li coughed violently, but it was all in vain. The pill had already transformed into a mass of black Qi that surged straight into his Sea of Consciousness. Once inside, however, the black Qi did not immediately attack him; instead, it concealed itself entirely, as though the event had never occurred.
Lu Li knew the item hadn't truly vanished-it was simply lying in wait, like a demon buried underground, ready to leap out and take his life at any moment.
His expression was bleak in the extreme. With this restraint over him, even if he found a way to leave this place, he would likely not survive past a month.
"Kid, it seems you harbor quite a bit of anger." Mo Shang sat down upon the stone chair ahead, staring fixedly at Lu Li as he rasped, "If we speak of anger, this old man was a hundred times angrier than you are now. If not for the great enterprise of the Sect, you wouldn't have survived a single breath in my presence!"
As he spoke, his fists clenched so tightly they produced cracking sounds, clearly showing how fiercely he was suppressing the hatred within his heart.
After a long moment, he slowly loosened his fists, shook his head, and sighed. "Forget it. Perhaps this is simply the will of Heaven." He stood up, his expression growing slightly milder as he spoke indifferently:
"As long as you obey, I will grant you one Clear Spirit Pill every month. With this pill, you can safely endure the eruption period of the Soul-Devouring Pill. However, should you dare to harbor any deceitful thoughts, this old man will show no mercy."
Lu Li felt helpless, yet with no alternative available, he could only nod in agreement.
Perhaps fearing that lingering too long with Lu Li would cause him to lose control of his murderous intent, Mo Shang dispensed with further words. He led Lu Li out of the chamber, crossed the square without pausing, and headed directly toward its western side.
Throughout the journey, Lu Li remained entirely silent.
The two traversed the square, descended a short flight of stone steps, and arrived at the entrance of a straight, forward-stretching corridor.
It appeared remarkably long and dim. Were it not for the faint, eerie luminescence emitted by the night pearls spaced every few zhang along the ceiling, it would have been indistinguishable from pitch darkness.
Lu Li furrowed his brows slightly, thinking that anyone forced to reside in such a place year-round would surely fall ill even if they started healthy. No wonder the people here all looked rather sickly.
Just as Lu Li assumed Mo Shang intended to lead him deeper inside, the man stopped before the door of the very first stone chamber on the right side of the corridor entrance. Turning around, Mo Shang addressed him:
"Kid, this entire row of houses on the right side of West First Alley belongs to the Sect's Pill Workshop. Not to say this old man refuses to look after you, but this chamber happens to be right beside the square. As long as you complete your daily pill-refining assignment, I grant you special permission to step out to the edge of the square for some fresh air."
"Thank you, Senior." Lu Li forced an ugly smile, for he found nothing at all to be cheerful about. This method of wielding a stick while dangling a sweet date had little effect on him.
Were he not terrified of provoking the other party, he wouldn't even have bothered to smile.
Mo Shang paid it no mind. He stepped forward, produced a jade token to unlock the stone door, and glanced sideways at Lu Li. "Go on in and get used to your surroundings. Tomorrow, I will send someone to inform you of your daily duties."
Perhaps out of consideration for pill refinement, this chamber was not nearly as gloomy as Mo Shang's quarters. The night pearl set into the ceiling emitted a stark white light reminiscent of a fluorescent lamp.
The furnishings inside, however, were sparse indeed. Aside from the pill-refining area on the left, there was only a round stone table in the center and a canopy-less stone bed on the right, devoid of even a mattress or blankets.
Beyond those few items, the room was completely empty.
The stone door automatically sealed shut the moment Lu Li stepped inside. He searched the perimeter thoroughly and discovered no internal mechanism to open it; the only opening was a small slot near the base of the door-far too narrow for a person to crawl through, evidently meant for delivering meals.
The sight stirred an unwelcome sense of déjà vu, reminding him of when Zhang Song had captured him and dragged him into Qingliang Temple.
Walking over to the pill-refining area, he tested the Earth Fire and found its quality to be a full grade higher than that of the Jinyang Cultivator Market. When he pushed the valve all the way open, the deep blue flames radiated a heat that stung his skin.
"At least I won't lack Earth Fire here," Lu Li muttered, finding a sliver of grim amusement amidst his plight.
He then crossed to the stone bed, sat cross-legged, and began to ponder his next move.
The surroundings were steeped in ghostly gloom, clearly unsuited for any orthodox sect.
Coupled with what Wu De had previously mentioned, this place was likely the infamous Corpse Sect-just the name alone suggested a malicious faction. Naturally, this was merely Lu Li's subjective speculation based on his own experiences and insights.
If he wished to escape, he had to resolve a few daunting hurdles:
First, where and how could he manage to leave?
Second, was there a permanent cure for the Soul-Devouring Pill's poison within his body, rather than a mere temporary reprieve? If that issue remained unresolved, it would technique utter disaster.
He turned the matter over in his mind until his head throbbed, yet no viable solution presented itself. In the end, he simply lay down on the bare stone bed and forced himself to stop thinking.
Half a shichen later, his eyes snapped open, and his Divine Sense plunged directly into the Medicine Garden Space.
Looking down from above, the cluster of gray mist had reappeared. Like a mischievous child, it hopped and bounded about the garden. Lu Li could clearly perceive that the mist had condensed further, now bearing a striking resemblance to a giant gray silkworm cocoon.
Out of sheer curiosity, his true form entered the Medicine Garden and walked toward the 'cocoon.'
The cocoon seemed gifted with sight; noticing Lu Li approach, it humanely raised its head, tilting it back and forth as if deep in thought. Finding the creature rather amusing, Lu Li squatted down and tentatively reached out to stroke its crown.
Instinctively, the cocoon flinched as if to dodge, but sensing no hostility from Lu Li, it froze in place once more.
When his fingers finally brushed against the gray mist, it felt soft and yielding like a sponge, surprisingly pleasant to the touch. He pressed down gently, wishing to probe deeper into the mist to see what lay hidden within.
Yet that single movement caused the gray silkworm cocoon to react as though confronted by a mortal enemy. With a strange cry, it vanished right before his eyes.
Indeed, it disappeared into thin air, leaving behind no trace detectable even by his Divine Sense.
"It ran off again."
Lu Li stood up, scratched his head in frustration, and turned to walk toward the plots where the Scarlet Flame Fruit trees were cultivated.