Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 4 – Pill Disposal Department

Half a month later, the blockade around the sect was gradually relaxed. Because of the lack of results, the stormy chase after the murder also began to die down.

However, Han Dong and Wei Wei’s corpses hadn’t been found and this incident still had to have an explanation. In the end, everything was blamed on the demonic sects. Originally, the demonic sects were the mortal enemies of the immortal sects and throughout the years they committed all sorts of grave and heinous crimes; it wasn’t difficult to add another one to the mix.

While Qin Yu felt relieved, this also left him depressed. One of the world’s greatest pains was to possess such an extraordinary treasure and yet be unable to use it. In this past half month he had used the lamp to enhance all of the pills. As long as he swallowed and absorbed one, his cultivation would increase by leaps and bounds.

But he didn’t dare to!

In 27 days, Wei Wei broke through seven levels of Energy Refining, earning him an unparalleled degree of limelight. Yet, if he hadn’t done this he might not have summoned a fatal disaster upon his own head. Qin Yu didn’t plan on following in his footsteps.

Could he only waste his time away even with such a treasure in his grasp? This question left Qin Yu with a headache. Unless he could somehow avoid outside attention, this was a problem without any solution at all.

Lang Tu held a fat chicken in his hands. With its bright red crown of feathers one could immediately see that it was an overlord of chickens, a king, one that ruled over and enthralled thousands of hens. But, that majesty was no longer and had since disappeared. Its eyes were misty and dejected as it waited to be chopped up.

“You little chicky chicken, to think even you would cry. Where is your fierce attitude from when you were trying to peck me to death just now?” Lang Tu shook his hands. “Stop being so sad, I’ve been eyeing you for a long time. I originally planned on letting you live so you could provide generations of chickens, but my brother’s body has been in poor condition lately so I’m going to use you to help him recover.

“Rest assured, I will pluck clean all your crown feathers and bury them. That should be enough for you to die in peace. Hehe, I’m righteous, no doubt about it!”

The chicken overlord’s eyes widened until they turned white. It was unknown whether it had been scared too much or shaken too much, but its head tilted and it fainted.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Lang Tu shouted out, “Open the door! Open the door! Qin Yu, I’ve brought you something delicious!”

Qin Yu opened the door and lazily glanced down at the chicken. With a dull “Oh,” he turned and walked back in. Right now he was like a depressed cat, simply unable to summon any enthusiasm.

Lang Tu grumbled in dissatisfaction. “Hey, I brought this chicken to treat you so you might as well at least smile for me. You should appreciate the thoughts of others!” As he finished speaking, he froze for a moment. He nervously said, “Qin Yu, is your sickness erupting again? Don’t scare me here!”

Qin Yu slapped away Lang Tu’s hand and sighed in exasperation. This boy’s hand was far too big and his calluses made his skin as tough as an elephant’s. “Stop trying to curse me here, I am feeling great right now!” His lips moved again, “Potato, do you think there is any solution…”

Qin Yu sighed and helplessly shook his head. Like an ill patient willing to find any doctor, he had even asked Potato. It was already incredible if this fellow Potato didn’t lose himself on the way here. Trying to ask him to help with this was just a waste of time.

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Lang Tu rubbed his head, confused. “What are you trying to say? Do you have a problem? If I can help you then I will help you!”

This boy was too slow-witted.

Qin Yu humorlessly said, “Stop asking. Hurry up and prepare the food, I’m really hungry here!”

“Okay!” Lang Tu turned back around to leave.

Suddenly, the door to the courtyard was kicked in from the outside. Several vigorous youths filed in.

Lang Tu’s complexion changed. He clenched his teeth and growled, “Xu Jian, it’s you bastards again. Aren’t you scared of me beating you up again? If you dare to bully Qin Yu today then I won’t forgive you!”

Xu Jian’s complexion turned ugly. He lifted his hand and said, “Lang Tu, I will settle our debts later. But today, I did not come for my own enjoyment. I am only here to announce something.”

His gaze fell onto Qin Yu, his face filled with sinister intentions. “Junior-apprentice Brother Wang from the Pill Disposal Department has died, and the outer court needs to recommend a successor to take his place. When the lord supervisor asked me, I recommended Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu. Haha…this is a leisurely and comfortable job with wonderful benefits. Qin Yu, shouldn’t you be thanking me?”

Lang Tu roared out, “I’ll kill you, you bastard!” But before he could throw himself forwards, Qin Yu grabbed him. Lang Tu didn’t struggle, afraid that he would injure Qin Yu. He continued to shout, “Let me go, that bastard wants to kill you! I’ll send him on the road first!”

Blood vessels stuck up all over Lang Tu’s face. At this time, he was like a man-eating beast ready to devour his enemies. Xu Jian unconsciously stepped backwards. Although his face was flushed red in response, he actually didn’t dare to fight him.

“These are orders from the supervisor. Qin Yu must go and report today! And you Lang Tu, stop being so insolent. We’re leaving!”

The several people left, flustered.

Lang Tu shouted out, “Qin Yu, why didn’t you let me beat them up! Do you know what kind of place the Pill Disposal Department is? Xu Jian is trying to place you in a death trap!”

Qin Yu let go and flicked his wrists. Even though Lang Tu didn’t struggle for fear of harming him, he had still used a little bit of strength and Qin Yu’s arms were left tingling with a bit of pain and numbness. This boy was simply a vicious beast in human form!

“Stop shouting, I’m already aware. However, Xu Jian has miscalculated the situation this time.”

Lang Tu flew into a rage. “I think you’ve gone crazy! Pill Disposal Department, this is the Pill Disposal Department! They are sealed away from the outside and it is rare that anyone visits even throughout the entire year. They are responsible for processing the wasted pills and variation materials. With all the poisons and corrosive gasses there, your body won’t be able to last for another three months!”

He clenched his teeth and turned around. “I’m going to go and plead with the supervisor to substitute for you in entering the Pill Disposal Department.”

As Qin Yu saw Lang Tu’s angry scowl and his puffed out chest as if he were some brave hero planning on setting off for a final battle, he couldn’t help but be moved. He grabbed onto Lang Tu and said, “Lang Tu, of the two of us, who do you think is smarter?”

Lang Tu tilted his head. “Of course…you are smarter.”

One of Qin Yu’s eyebrows arched up. “Since you know that, do you really believe that I would go and seek my own death?” He gathered himself and earnestly said, “Potato, you are my best friend, my best brother. I wouldn’t lie to you. You can rest assured that while the Pill Disposal Department is known as a toxic wasteland to others, it might not be the same for me.”

Qin Yu lowered his head and glanced at the green mark that wrapped the index finger of his right hand. A strange light flashed in his eyes.

Xu Jian, this time I really might have to thank you!

Qin Yu had finally realized what the eerie green mark on his index finger was. Just two days ago when he was cleaning up weeds near the medicine garden, he had been able to see for himself just how terrifying it was. He had been digging out the roots of an extremely deep weed that required a considerable amount of effort to pull out. But when his finger just gently touched the roots of that weed, the weed actually turned green and withered away on the spot.

Qin Yu’s pupils shrank and he instantly thought back to Wei Wei’s bones. After a few more experiments, he had determined that a horrifying corrosive poison had gathered in this finger of his! If it had invaded his body, it would be impossible for him to survive through luck. So, the reason he lived must have been related to that little blue lamp.

Because that was the only possible variable that night.

As it turned out, Qin Yu was right. He found several plants in the surrounding area of the medicine garden that only had a low degree of toxicity. After making sure that they weren’t poisonous enough to take his life, he waited until night fell to hold the small blue lamp and drink the grass juices.

As a result, beneath his watchful gaze, threads of poisonous black gas gathered in his fingers and were completely unable to harm him. Qin Yu even ventured out to find plants that were poisonous enough to take down a big bear, but even those poisons were unable to harm him.

With this experiment, Qin Yu discovered that the second function of the small blue lamp was to dispel poison.

Or, if he were to be a little more overbearing in his naming, he might call it poison immunity!

And it was because of this that he remained calm in the face of Xu Jian’s plot to kill him. In fact, he was even a little happy.

For cultivators, pills contained endless benefits. But if one failed in refining them, there was a high possibility that some sort of poison would be produced due to the different medicinal efficacies contained within. These sorts of poisons were produced due to the failed refinement of the pill, so if someone were to be tainted by them it would be extremely difficult to remove.

If one possessed a profound cultivation then they could rely upon it to forcefully suppress this poison. However, doing so would result in the stagnation of their cultivation and it would be difficult for them to advance in the future. The vast majority of victims could only cry out in pain and sorrow as they slowly suffered an agonizing death.

It wasn’t that every failed pill was poisonous, but that every failed pill had a chance of being poisonous. So no one dared to randomly toss them away. Thus, most sects had a specialized disposal department whose duty was to thoroughly destroy the poisonous failed pills.

With Qin Yu and his little blue lamp, he didn’t have to worry about the poison aspect. Then, the leftover things were all good for him.

First of all, the Pill Disposal Department was notorious for being poisonous, so there was rarely anyone who dared step inside. It was a perfect hidden environment for Qin Yu. He could swallow pills and cultivate without needing to worry that he would be found out by others.

Next, the Pill Disposal Department received an incredible number of failed pills all year long. The small blue lamp might not be able to enhance these failed pills, but if it could…just thinking of that left one drooling!

And there was a great number of alchemy texts preserved in the Pill Disposal Department. It was said that they were all written by people who had entered in the previous years and studied pills in hopes of survival. Although they couldn’t be considered too profound, they were precious enough for Qin Yu.

With all of these factors combined together, Qin Yu couldn’t imagine a place more fitting for him than the Pill Disposal Department.

So Qin Yu didn’t delay at all. As soon as Xu Jian and the others left, he sent away the still confused Lang Tu and began packing up his things as he headed off towards a happier life.

Along the way, a chicken accompanied him!

It really was a chicken accompanying him.

According to Lang Tu, his current physical state might not be any stronger than this chicken overlord. Since this chicken managed to escape the fate of being eaten today, then he might as well bring it along with him. If there came a day when things were looking dire, he needed to find a way to utilize this chicken to escape as soon as possible!

To argue with a dull-minded person was an incredibly difficult task. This was because they would use the nonsensical logic in their head and wrap you up around it, until you became equally mired in their ridiculous thinking, and then they would proceed to defeat you again with their words. Qin Yu had already experienced this multiple times beforehand, so he chose instead to simply agree, thinking that if he was ever starving in the future it wouldn’t be bad to have a snack on hand.

The Pill Disposal Department. One could imagine that it was placed as far away as possible. As Qin Yu ran over, his face blushed red and his breathing turned heavy, but there was a smile on the corners of his lips that he couldn’t conceal.

His appearance left the anxiously waiting senior-apprentice brother stunned and then shocked. Just how na?ve was this person that he didn’t know how to spell the word death? Or was he mentally ill in some way? No matter what it was, he didn’t want to accompany him further. Just getting near this place left him feeling chilled all over.

The senior-apprentice brother tossed over the entry token and pointed his finger towards where to go. Then, without even a greeting, he circled around Qin Yu and ran away.

A smile appeared on Qin Yu’s face. This was the effect that he wanted; it was best if no one came to disturb him. He glanced at the chicken overlord and said, “Hey little fellow, it looks like from now on, it's going to be the two of us together.”

The entry token was truly an immortal treasure. With it, one could open the protective array formations around the Pill Disposal Department. In order to prevent pill toxins from spilling over to the outside world, the Eastern Mountain Sect had arranged prohibitive array formations all around the outside of the department. This was more than satisfactory for Qin Yu.

Without the entry token, one could only break their way in, and there was no one stupid enough to enter the Pill Disposal Department of their own volition. This added another layer of protection to the secrecy of this place.

The sealing array formations were maintained by the Eastern Mountain Sect as usual, but it was clear that the disposal department itself didn’t experience this sort of treatment. This was immediately visible from the dilapidated entrance.

The entrance was a giant hole dug into the side of a mountain and surrounded with a faint layer of mist. For the Pill Disposal Department to be built in a mountain, one could see how cautious the builders had been.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, revolved his magic power, and poured it into the entry token. A powerful suction force immediately erupted, instantly sucking dry the magic power from within his body. Qin Yu’s vision blurred and he nearly fainted where he was. Sweat streamed out from his pores, turning his robes wet.

A faint light emitted from the entry token. There seemed to be a strange resonance in the mist around the entrance, and like water being parted, a passage was revealed in the middle.

Qin Yu took several deep and heavy breaths, only then managing to disperse a little bit of the ache that was tumbling around in his chest. He looked at the opening within the array formation and wryly smiled. The second level of Energy Refining was truly trash. If he was any weaker, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to open the array formation!

Qin Yu didn’t dare to delay as he didn’t know how long the opening in the array formation would last. He stepped into the round hole and the mist closed up behind him.

After entering the cave entrance, he discovered he had completely underestimated how cautious the Eastern Mountain Sect had been. The disposal department wasn’t located in the mountain at all, but was diagonally down below, right at the bottom!

The passage was dark and gloomy. Even though there were illuminating array formations, the light was too weak to clearly see the surroundings. Even so, for Qin Yu, this was no different from daytime.

As Qin Yu looked around, his eyes suddenly widened. He discovered that beneath his feet, the stones had been rubbed to a polish. It was clear that a massive number of people had walked through this passage before. And what was even more astonishing was that on the ground and rock walls, there were traces of blood as well as traces of people digging.

The bloodstains were common and hard to see in the dark. If one didn’t pay close attention, they wouldn’t have noticed at all. Layer after layer, the dark red color seemed to have permeated the stones!