Chapter 32: The Way of Elixir

POSTED ON JUNE 26, 2023 BY TNYKT

Early the next morning, the former crown prince’s funeral procession took place.

The funeral was supposed to be hosted by the emperor himself, but it was Dong Huazi who hosted it. At the grand ritual, Qinglin and Li Qingjun stood silently aside. Li Qingjun cried until his eyes were swollen, and Li Qinglin was expressionless.

His mind had already been preoccupied with the situation in the palace, where his father was summoning Qin Yi.

The father’s health has been deteriorating in the past 2 years. The banquet yesterday was very hard for him. He was unable to participate in the ritual this morning and was recuperating in the palace. However, father himself does not feel that his body has deteriorated, but he thinks that he is more energized…

Li Qinglin sighed softly. He looked at his sister who was crying so much, and he also felt a little conflicted.

On the one hand, I hope that my sister can always be so romantic, and on the other hand, I hope that she can become mature and sensible… She doesn’t understand anything. She is so stupid that it makes people irritated, but if she really understands, maybe it will be the beginning of her turning against me.

Speaking of which, I am a little envious of Qin Yi. He is indifferent and seeks nothing. He has much lesser worries.

Qin Yi was led to the emperor bedroom by the palace maid, feeling extremely uncomfortable along the way.

He obviously couldn’t bring the mace to the emperor bedroom, so he left Liu Su in the guest courtyard when he went out. He hid it carefully in the middle of the wooden sword array. After thinking that Liu Su was well hidden, he felt uncomfortable all over as soon as he went out. He felt like something was missing.

It was like forgetting to bring mobile phone when he went out before crossing over… It was even worse. His heart felt half empty, and his hands were itchy. He almost wanted to hold the hand of the eunuch.

This was the first time he left Liu Su since crossing over.

Fortunately, he had crammed the knowledge of Taoism recently, so he wouldn’t be timid easily. He could just bluff in divination. Anyway, Dong Huazi didn’t know much. He was good at refining elixirs. Judging from Dong Huazi’s shitty pill, Qin Yi felt that he could completely overwhelm him in this aspect. In general, he still had some confidence in meeting the emperor. He wouldn’t be useless without Liu Su.

This was the scene Qin Yi imagined when he came out of the mountain.

Arriving at the dormitory, the scent of sandalwood wafted through his nostrils. When he walked in, he saw the emperor wearing the Taoist robe, sitting cross-legged on the futon, and meditating. He was surrounded by sandalwood scent. A servant maid was gently fanning the wind.

Qin Yi was speechless. Today is your eldest son’s funeral procession, so it’s fine if you’re sick, but you’re actually cultivating here!

At the banquet yesterday, the emperor on the main seat was a little far away, and his attention was mainly on Dong Huazi and Mang Zhan, so he didn’t pay much attention to the emperor’s appearance. Looking at it up close now, this emperor had very handsome facial features. No wonder his offsprings were so handsome and pretty. He was no more than 50 years old. He had black hair and a rosy face. He really looked like he had a good health regimen. No wonder he believed in Dong Huazi so much.

But Qin Yi could tell that his rosiness was not normal.

This emperor was also a martial artist. He had also gone to the battlefield when he was young. A successful martial artist should still be at his peak in his 40s or 50s. Unless he was born with a red face or had special skills, it was normal to have a normal face.

Can you imagine Li Qinglin’s red face when he was in his 50s?

His ruddiness was due to the elixir poison, which was already affecting his health. What’s more…

The rich sandalwood seemed to cover up the faint stench emanating from his body.

“Your Majesty, Qin Yi is here.” The eunuch whispered.

The emperor opened his eyes. There was a hint of cloudiness for a moment, then his eyes slowly became clear.

“Five Decays of Immortal”, such a term popped up in Qin Yi’s mind. He felt a slight shock in his mind. He wondered if his knowledge of apothecary was too poor. In short, if he judged by his own level alone, it seemed that the emperor would not live long…

“Tao Friend Qin.” The emperor’s tone was very kind, “You are so young, what is the sect of your teacher?”

Qin Yi had been prepared for it. He said, “My teacher, Immortal Liu Su, travels all over the world, but I don’t know which sect he belongs to.”

The emperor thought about it for a while, “Never heard of this name but there are many people with cultivation in the world. It is indeed impossible to know them all.”

Qin thought to himself: You are ignorant to no limit, not just you can’t know them all. Of course, he wouldn’t say it. He just bowed.

“Tao Friend Qin, please have a seat.” The emperor pointed to the futon opposite.

Qin Yi sat cross-legged leisurely. He raised his clothes lightly, and his palms facing upward were placed in front of his knees. The posture was standard. He didn’t look like a cultivator, but he had a sense of aloofness and elegance. The emperor stared intently for a while, then he nodded slightly, “Lotus position, five hearts face the sky; very standard. You do have some inheritance.”

“…” Qin Yi was almost speechless. What exactly did Dong Huazi teach you? Such a basic thing can be used as a judgment indicator?

The emperor said again, “Which aspect do you major in? The art of divination?”

“Divination is just for fun.” Qin Yi said, “I major in external elixir, which can eliminate diseases and prolong life.”

The emperor’s eyes lit up slightly, and he said, “It’s similar to what the State Preceptor learns. You may ask the State Preceptor for more advice. It may be beneficial t you.”

This put Qin Yi in the position of Dong Huazi’s student, which showed how high Dong Huazi was in his heart. Qin Yi said lightly, “It’s all right to communicate with tao friend.”

The emperor said, “State Preceptor can refine the pure elixir, which can lead to immortality, but tao friend’s elixir can only eliminate diseases and prolong life. You are still young and energetic. Although you have inheritance, you still need to seek Tao with an open mind.”

“I’m just being humble. The way of enlightenment is arduous. One must seek with his entire life for immortality. Instead of making grand claims and helping others attain immortality, one should focus on one’s own lifelong search. Speaking too confidently is not being humble.”

The emperor was taken aback for a moment. He said, “The State Preceptor is not certain yet. He is still searching the way of immortality. However, the elixir taken on a daily basis has made me feel clear-minded.”

Qin Yi almost wanted to say that those elixirs were useless, but remembering Li Qinglin’s reminder, he suppressed it and said, “I will ask for advice from State Preceptor in the future.”

The emperor nodded. He suddenly said, “Since tao friend is a cultivator, you and Zhao Yang…”

Qin Yi directly bowed down, “We both love each other, and we are willing to be a Taoist couple.”

The emperor did not expect this guy to be so direct. The words were stuck in his throat. He looked at Qin Yi strangely for a while, then he slowly said, “Tao friend is still tied with the mortal relationship, so why do you still seek Tao? I have a suggestion… …”

Qin Yi interrupted directly, “I wonder if the State Preceptor mention this in the way of elixir?”

The emperor was not unhappy when he was interrupted, but he still said kindly, “Tao friend, please tell.”

“When lead and mercury combine, the dragon and tiger become united, the sun and moon intersect, and yin and yang interact, the elixir is born from chaos. Those who do not understand the foundation of the dragon and tiger or the transformation of yin and yang, but he still tries to create the elixir. This is like seeking rabbits and chickens in the water or searching for dragons and fishes on a mountain. Wrong!”

The emperor was stunned for a while, then he fell into deep thought.

Qin Yi felt refreshed.

Pleading with tears and acting like we love each other to prevent the emperor from marrying off his daughter is useless. Showing off the way of elixir that he values the most is the real move to impress him!

TL: Can he earn the trust of the emperor and replace Dong Huazi?