Chapter 51 Warm and Considerate

“Ahem, Chuqing! What exactly is this Poison-blocking Pill?” Fang Xu looked at Qiu Chuji with curiosity, and upon hearing his question, Qiu Chuji began to explain in detail.

The Poison-blocking Pill was considered a high-level creation in the art of alchemy, requiring the alchemist to have exquisite control over both the medicinal ingredients and the heat of the fire. Previously, Qiu Chuji had always wanted to try making one, but unfortunately, he had never had the chance. After all, the ingredients for the Poison-blocking Pill were quite rare—perhaps the entire Quanzhen Monastery only had enough to make three or four pills. Though Qiu Chuji was a prodigy in alchemy, he could not guarantee success in a single attempt. After several intermittent efforts, it was only on his final try that Qiu Chuji took a leap of faith and finally succeeded in producing this so-called “biochemical weapon.”

It was clear that Qiu Chuji was quite satisfied with the Poison-blocking Pill he had crafted.

“So what effects does this Poison-blocking Pill have?” Fang Xu, hoping to delay for as long as possible—ideally until Qiu Chuji grew tired so that he would not have to take it himself—asked with feigned interest.

“If you take it, of course it’s to ward off poison. It can automatically resist most common toxins!” Qiu Chuji replied proudly. If it weren’t for the strange appearance and smell of the pill, Fang Xu might have been inclined to trust him. But at that moment, Fang Xu truly couldn’t bring himself to take a bite.

“Brother Fang! Eat it while it’s hot! That’s when its effects are at their best!” Qiu Chuji looked at Fang Xu expectantly. Fang Xu’s face grew even paler.

Now Fang Xu faced two choices—either take the pill or disappoint Qiu Chuji. Staring into Qiu Chuji’s wide, shining eyes, brimming with hopeful anticipation, how could he bear to let him down? Of course he couldn’t! Yet, could he joke with his own life? That was equally unthinkable.

Wait—his own life? Suddenly, an idea struck Fang Xu, and a faint smile involuntarily curled at his lips.

“You there! Yes, you! Come here, I have something good for you!” Fang Xu called to the guards peeking from under the eaves. Instantly, the guards all pretended to play dead.

“Stop pretending! Hurry up and get over here!” Fang Xu said with some irritation, but the guards continued to play possum, as if they were lifeless fish.

Just as Fang Xu was about to personally drag one over, Qiu Chuji tugged on his sleeve, preventing him from leaving. Fang Xu looked at him curiously.

“Brother Fang, what are you planning to do?” Qiu Chuji asked with curiosity, blinking his bright eyes as though genuinely perplexed by Fang Xu’s actions.

“Well… Since this pill is so good for one’s health, naturally I should let my brothers enjoy it too!” Fang Xu replied as if he were selflessly seeking benefits for his companions.

“Brother Fang, you truly are loyal to your friends! But I made this pill especially for you, so please don’t stand on ceremony!” Qiu Chuji, touched by Fang Xu’s concern for his fellows, was moved.

Meanwhile, the guards under the eaves were not fooled by Fang Xu’s act. In their hearts, they silently grumbled:

“Since this pill was made by Daoist Qiu especially for the young master, how could we dare take what’s meant for him?”

“Exactly! Helping others fulfill their wishes is our sacred duty!”

“The young master’s thoughtfulness brings tears to our eyes, but this pill is better left for him!”

“Yes, I agree!”

“That’s right, young master, eat it while it’s hot!”

“Agreed! Agreed!…” The chorus of voices echoed from under the eaves, and Fang Xu couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. In the end, he had no choice.

“Just you wait!” Fang Xu said, snatching the Poison-blocking Pill from Qiu Chuji’s hand and swallowing it in one gulp, not allowing it to linger in his mouth for even a second.

Even so, Fang Xu could barely keep himself from gagging. Had he not forcibly suppressed his urge, he might have vomited right in front of the eagerly watching Qiu Chuji.

“Brother Fang! How does it taste?” Qiu Chuji asked expectantly, while Fang Xu found himself unable to answer.

Judging from his expression alone, one could easily see just how potent this “biochemical weapon” truly was.

To be fair, the Poison-blocking Pill’s taste was not entirely intolerable—if only it weren’t for that terrible stench, it might even have been bearable.

Some might think Fang Xu was being reckless—swallowing a pill just like that without worrying it might be poison. But in Fang Xu’s mind, he didn’t have much choice. He simply trusted Qiu Chuji. The very name Qiu Chuji was enough to earn that trust.

Besides, Fang Xu reasoned that Qiu Chuji would never harm him. After all, at that moment he was harmless to man and beast—who would want to hurt him?

“I don’t feel much, just that the taste is a bit strong. My lower abdomen feels a warm sensation—quite comforting!” Fang Xu said, rubbing his belly. Qiu Chuji then pulled out a rather worn ledger from his robe, along with a writing brush from who knows where. After lightly touching the tip of the brush to his tongue, he began to record Fang Xu’s comments. That battered ledger held the entire chronicle of Qiu Chuji’s alchemical experiments.

“Chuqing, will you attempt to make that batch of pills that exploded the cauldron last time?” Fang Xu asked, no longer caring about the warm sensation in his belly—he hadn’t forgotten what he needed to do.

“The batch that caused the cauldron to explode? Of course I can try again, but I can’t guarantee success,” Qiu Chuji replied honestly. The previous failure had left a psychological shadow.

“That’s the best news! Can you start another batch for me right now?” Fang Xu asked earnestly. He wanted to see whether the creation of magnesium powder was an accident—or an inevitability.

If magnesium powder could be produced, that would prove it could be mass-produced. Then, flash bombs and signal flares made from magnesium could be widely deployed.