When the Golden Finger Lands in the Hands of the Villain

"Impossible! I don't believe it! You cheated!" Huang Xun rushes forward. He's only one step away from winning. How can he accept a result like this? "It's not the pill you made! You're just an apprentice, how can you..."

Before Huang Xun can finish his words, he sees the Tiger Vessel pills in the furnace, one by one, jump out and into Kong Wuying's palm. They gently roll around, as if acting coquettish, kneeling down to beg the master to eat them.

Kong Wuying pinches one and pops it into his mouth. As soon as the Tiger pill enters his stomach, heat blooms. Countless golden threads flare up from inside his veins, causing his skin to glow.

The principal standing to the side can’t help but help move away from the fierce spirit emanating from Kong Wuying. It’s worthy of being a living Tiger Vessel pill. Just one of them can cause even a lay person to break through to another level of power. After Kong Wuying leaves here, he will probably meditate and stabilize his realm. This man is a worthy martial arts master.

Everyone looks at the rest of the Tiger Vessel pills with hunger. A master who can refine such precious pills, how important they must be.

Kong Wuying slightly nods, a little satisfied. "Not bad."

Everyone thinks he’s talking about the effect of the pills. Only one person knows he’s talking about the taste.

While wiping away sweat, the system sighs emotionally. The alchemy lab back at the host’s home still has three striped golden pills waiting. Using the Master’s Oath competition equipment means that the addition of a higher quality stove gives birth to living pills. The host is badass, flipping the middle finger to the heavens.

Huang Xun finally bows his head in defeat. “You win. You’re qualified to be Han Xiu's teacher. I-I'm ashamed of myself.”

Vice President Wan opens his mouth to speak but closes it and stays quiet instead. He wants to say that even the wood and gold body of Han Xiu doesn’t deserve a master who can make living pills but he ends up saying nothing.

Kong Wuying smiles. He takes out a bottle and puts away the remaining pills. “Don’t put yourself down too much. I’m not staying here either way; if you like him, just take him.”

Huang Xun is stunned. “What did you say?"

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Many eyes fall on the young man and Han Xiu gasps. "Teacher, what are you talking about?"

Kong Wuying slides a sideways glance at the teenager. “You disdained the teacher who taught you carefully for many years and wanted to look for another, didn’t you? But if you got taken away in a Master’s Oath competition, people might still point at you and whisper about you abandoning your teacher. It’s much more efficient to just make your teacher disappear, may as well poison him, right?”

Yes, the original owner had died before Kong Wuying arrived. He wasn’t ill though, it was a murder! And the killer was the "good" student who regarded his teacher as a brother. This teacher gifted his heart and pulled out his lungs along with it too, not hesitating to fight with a first division pill master despite only being an intermediate apprentice.

Ning Zhao was healthy and agile, he would not have been struck down so quickly by a simple illness. The body felt clean when Kong Wuying took over but there was a faint smell of poison on the clothes. Even though the original owner had been murdered, Kong Wuying couldn’t find any clues in the house to lead him to the killer.

However, as soon as Han Xiu started acting like the perfect student, Kong Wuying understood. In Yeying, Kong Wuying dominated the country for many years despite the treacherous environment full of plotting and hypocrisy. He understood after looking at Han Xiu’s eyes, seemingly full of admiration but containing a trace of disappointment and frustration.

"Teacher!” Han Xiu gasps in shock. “I could never hurt someone like that, especially not you!” Han Xiu's face has become pale and there’s a faint sheen of sweat on his temples. His eyes are red and watery, as if he could start crying any second.

Huang Xun frowns because everyone knows Han Xiu is a good student and loves his teacher. "Ning Zhao, although you’re a good alchemist, you can’t talk about your student like that with no proof.” He really likes Han Xiu's temperament, it’s not entirely for the student’s talent that Huang Xun wanted to compete with Ning Zhao.

The audience begins to whisper, no one truly believing that such a prized student would do such a thing.

Kong Wuying takes out a pill from inside his pocket and shows it to Han Xiu. “This is a Truth pill. Since you claim to be innocent, it won’t be a problem for you to swallow it. Within ten breaths, if you speak a lie, it will explode and you’ll die."

Many in the audience take a step back, especially the ones in the splash zone.

Vice President Wan steps forward, his eyebrows furrowed. “Is there really such a pill in the world? Why have I never heard of it?”

Young master Yue is startled. "The world is so big, it’s not unbelievable.” His evaluation of Ning Zhao reaches another level at hearing the man can refine a pill that makes someone tell the truth.

Huang Xun looks at the Truth pill to study it. Is Ning Zhao so far ahead that he can refine a pill that Huang Xun has never even heard of?

When the system sees the host take out a left-over Invigoration pill, the system is proud. It has no recordings of a Truth pill, everyone is being cheated by the host. This man is worthy, the IQ is excellent! That little Han Xiu brat should be scared!

Han Xiu suddenly rushes up, snatches the pill and swallows it in one gulp! Then he kneels down in front of the Kong Wuying with a determined expression. “Teacher misunderstands me! I am willing to prove my innocence. For many years, I’ve respected and loved you like my brother, I’ve never wanted to part with you.”

Han Xiu looks up at Kong Wuying with tearful eyes. “Why would I have any anger or resentment towards you? If the teacher is dissatisfied with me, please punish me, I will never complain. But I can’t bear to be accused of hurting you!” he cries, loud and full of resolve.

Young master Yue sucks in a breath through his teeth. “This young man..."

"Great benevolence and filial piety!" Vice President Wan nods gently, touched by this display.

Young master Yue blinks. Vice President Wan is an idiot? Where is the benevolence and filial piety - clearly, this student is an insidious character. After a glance to the higher ranked masters, the student determined that the shock meant the Truth pill was fake. Now, Ning Zhao is the one who’s being forced back.

Unfortunately, only the young master Yue has a clear mind. All the people under the stage are moved by Han Xiu's speech.

"Such a wonderful student!"

"With such a disciple, what more can a teacher ask for?"

Kong Wuying tilts his head and looks down at the kneeling Han Xiu. “If people don't offend me, I don’t offend others. If someone attacks me, well I have to pay it back, don’t I? Han Xiu, we’ve been together for so long, surely you understand what kind of person I am."

Han Xiu stutters and begins to reply.

However, Kong Wuying has already bent down and now pats him on the head. “Naturally, there is nothing like a Truth pill in the world. This is my Three Corpse pill. In less than fifteen minutes, your skin will rot, your meridians will break, and you’ll die in horrific pain. Unless you can find a third-level master to make you a detoxification pill, but that’s highly unlikely.”

Kong Wuying grits his teeth, eyes narrowing in a frosty glare. “Nothing less can erase the hatred I have for you after your betrayal!"

Han Xiu is taken aback by the viciousness and there are several gasps in the audience because they do recognise the name of the pill this time.

"Do you dare to kill me in public?” Han Xiu asks in shock. “I'm not afraid of-”

"What's wrong?” Kong Wuying is handsome but so cold. "I’m your teacher. Even if I kill my students at will, my reputation will be damaged but who would step in my way? You don't expect the common audience here to make a difference, do you? Who would offend a master, that can make three stripe golden pills, for a dead man?”

Hearing this, Vice President Wan is about to open his mouth and step in, but his shoulder is pushed down by young master Yue. Vice President Wan is confused but he still sits down and says nothing.

"You..." Han Xiu trails off as the fear of death comes over him. As he stares up into his teacher’s eyes, there's nothing familiar left. It’s only killing intent. Had Han Xiu ever really known his teacher at all, where did that warm and gentle man go?

Han Xiu crumples. "Give the antidote!" he cries. "Why are you doing this to me? You’re so cruel! Your alchemy is at this level but you didn't tell me, did you ever think of me as your student!?"

Han Xiu surges up, tackling Kong Wuying down and wrapping his hands around the teacher’s neck, choking him. “What's wrong with me trying to get stronger!? You’ve been dragging me down, you bastard! Die! Everyone getting in my way should die!"

A sword flashes past, the blunt edge biting into the upper arm and Han Xiu screams, jerking back and collapsing to the ground. The audience shrieks at the sudden movement, many of them backpedaling quickly and several covering their eyes.

Young master Yue steps closer, one elegant hand holding a perfectly clean sword. "Ning Zhao, are you okay?"

Kong Wuying coughs and holds a hand up. Young master Yue helps the teacher to stand up, but he oddly feels like...a servant summoned by a lord.

Han Xiu clutches at his broken arm, the limb crooked at an unnatural angle, and curls up where he lies on the ground, groaning in pain.

Kong Wuying brushes off his clothes and straightens out some wrinkles. Typically, people will say more when there’s no chance of turning back. As soon as Han Xiu attacked, there wasn’t much left to be kept secret, so Kong Wuying decided being choked was an even tradeoff.

After smoothing out his clothes, Kong Wuying hums. "Oh, I forgot, I left the Three Corpse pill on the table when I went out in the morning. I seem to have given you an Invigoration pill. Don’t worry, you're going to be just fine!”

…

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T/N: I love how no responsible adult has stepped in. That level of dumbassery is perfect to let a villain thrive. (Also, I totally thought Yue cut the dude’s whole arm off but it’s just broken.)