Chen Chuan followed the manager and stepped into the grand mansion.
Passing through several courtyards, the manager led Chen Chuan to a spacious Quiet Chamber.
The room was simply furnished, yet it held a heavy atmosphere.
A middle-aged man dressed in a green robe with sharp eyes sat in the main seat.
He was fiddling with a crimson Medicinal Pill in his hand.
"Great Master Liu, this Young Master has come to apply for the position of Pill Slave."
The manager reported respectfully.
Liu Qing raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over Chen Chuan like something tangible, carrying a scrutinizing intent.
He spoke slowly, his voice deep: "Young man, do you know what testing pills entails?"
"I know a bit; tasting Medicinal Pills and recording their effects and reactions," Chen Chuan replied calmly.
Liu Qing placed the Medicinal Pill in his hand onto a nearby jade plate:
"Testing pills can damage your Meridians and cause excruciating pain at best, or cripple your cultivation and even result in instant death at worst. Have you thought this through?"
No fear could be seen on Chen Chuan’s face; instead, a faint, indifferent smile appeared:
"Great Master Liu only needs to remember that as long as the money is right, it’s fine."
"As long as the compensation is sufficient, whatever Medicinal Pills Great Master needs to be appraised, please just give the order."
A flash of surprise crossed Liu Qing’s eyes; he had seen many desperate people who came for money.
But someone as calm as Chen Chuan, even faintly carrying a sense of confidence, was a first.
He spoke no more and took out a shimmering contract scroll, pushing it in front of Chen Chuan.
"Sign this Pill Slave contract. It states that if any accident occurs during the pill testing process, even death, you will bear it yourself, and it has nothing to do with me, Liu Qing."
Chen Chuan took the scroll; the content was exactly as Liu Qing had said.
Without hesitation, he forced a drop of blood from his fingertip and let it fall onto the designated spot on the contract.
A flash of bloody light appeared, the contract was established, and an invisible binding force descended.
Seeing Chen Chuan so straightforward, Liu Qing’s eyes flickered slightly, and he said no more.
He took the crimson Medicinal Pill he had been fiddling with earlier and handed it to Chen Chuan: "Try this Fire Fusion Pill first."
Chen Chuan took the Medicinal Pill; it felt slightly warm to the touch.
He put it directly into his mouth; the Medicinal Pill melted instantly, and a scorching torrent immediately surged into his limbs and bones.
It felt as if flames were burning in his Meridians, bringing intense stinging pain, and the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian also became restless.
He frowned slightly, carefully experiencing the changes within his body while speaking:
"After the Medicinal Pill enters the stomach, the medicinal power disperses rapidly, like a prairie fire."
"It mainly acts on the Meridians, bringing a strong burning sensation, with a slight enhancement to fire-attribute spiritual power, but accompanied by spiritual power restlessness, making it difficult to control finely."
"I speculate that the amount of Sunflame Grass in the Pill Formula is too high, and it lacks harmonizing auxiliary herbs like Ice Heart Lotus, causing the medicinal properties to be too overbearing; long-term consumption might damage the Foundation of the Meridians."
While feeling it, he clearly stated his experience and judgment.
Liu Qing listened intently by the side, while an attendant quickly recorded it.
When the burning pain in his body reached its peak and faintly began to cause actual damage to his Meridians, Chen Chuan immediately used [Purification] to remove the negative medicinal properties from his body.
The pain in his body vanished, but Chen Chuan still maintained an expression of enduring pain on his face, even forcing a few drops of sweat onto his forehead.
After listening to Chen Chuan’s detailed description and looking at the attendant’s records, a light of surprise and joy erupted in Liu Qing’s eyes.
The Pill Slaves he had found in the past were either so pained they were incoherent or quickly fell unconscious or even died suddenly; when had there ever been such precise feedback?
Liu Qing clapped and laughed, looking at Chen Chuan as if he had discovered a treasure:
"Good, very good."
"I didn’t expect you to have such talent, not only able to withstand the medicinal power but also able to perceive the flaws of the Medicinal Pill."
"This hundred gold is worth it!"
He readily took out gold tickets and handed them to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan took the gold tickets but didn’t put them away; instead, he looked at Liu Qing and asked:
"Great Master Liu, are there any Medicinal Pills in the mansion with higher compensation for testing?"
Hearing this, Liu Qing’s smile faded slightly, and his expression became serious:
"There are; right now there are five newly developed Medicinal Pills with incredibly overbearing medicinal power, far exceeding the Fire Fusion Pill."
"Testing one pill pays ten thousand gold tickets!"
He paused, looking deeply at Chen Chuan:
"But I advise you not to try it lightly."
"Of the Pill Slaves who tried these five Medicinal Pills before, not one could last longer than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn; they all died with their Meridians ruptured."
"Although you are different from ordinary people, I’m afraid..."
Chen Chuan interrupted him, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable confidence: "I can try."
Liu Qing gave Chen Chuan a deep look, and seeing his firm attitude, he stopped trying to dissuade him:
"Since you insist, then so be it."
He took out a jade bottle and poured out a Medicinal Pill the size of a longan, dark purple in color, with eerie patterns on its surface.
Liu Qing said: "This pill is called the ’Corroding Meridian Pill’; go ahead and try it."
Chen Chuan took the Corroding Meridian Pill and could feel the violent energy contained within.
He took a deep breath and swallowed the Medicinal Pill.
The moment the Medicinal Pill entered his stomach, it was as if a volcano had erupted inside his body!
The violent medicinal power turned into countless sharp air currents, crazily impacting and tearing at his Meridians.
The intense pain was several times greater than before, as if his entire body was being torn apart from the inside.
Chen Chuan’s face instantly turned as pale as paper, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat soaked his clothes in an instant.
He endured the inhuman pain, gritted his teeth, and intermittently spoke of his feelings.
Just as he felt his Meridians were reaching their limit and about to collapse, he immediately activated the [Purification] skill.
That cooling power emerged again, like the gentlest comfort; wherever it passed, the violent medicinal power was quickly purified.
The pill toxins eroding his Meridians were like meeting their nemesis, instantly dissipating.
The pain in his body receded like a tide, but Chen Chuan still maintained a trembling and pained expression, even deliberately keeping his face pale.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed, although Chen Chuan looked like he was swaying, he was still standing and had completed the feedback on the medicinal properties.
Liu Qing looked at this scene dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief:
"You actually endured it?"
He stepped forward quickly, grabbed the Jade Slip recorded by the attendant, and carefully read Chen Chuan’s description from just now.
The more Liu Qing read, the brighter his eyes became, and his face was gradually replaced by wild joy:
"So that’s how it is! Wonderful! Simply wonderful! I know how to improve it now!"
He rubbed his hands excitedly, his gaze toward Chen Chuan full of eagerness, as if looking at a rare treasure.
Without hesitation, he took out two gold tickets with a face value of ten thousand and stuffed them into Chen Chuan’s hands:
"Twenty thousand gold tickets! This is what you deserve!"
"Go back and rest today, and come back tomorrow. This old man needs to go into seclusion to deduce the Pill Formula today; no need for pill testing!"
For the next five days, Chen Chuan came to Liu Qing’s mansion on time every day to test various new Medicinal Pills with violent properties and extremely high risks.
Every time, he accurately described the medicinal effects amidst extreme pain, then used [Purification] at the critical moment to save his life and Foundation, while pretending to be heavily injured and weak.
Relying on the precious data he provided, Liu Qing successfully improved the formulas for several types of Medicinal Pills.
He became increasingly satisfied with Chen Chuan, and the compensation he paid was also extremely generous.
In these few days, Ji Siyu keenly noticed Chen Chuan’s abnormality.
He went out early every morning and didn’t return until the night was deep.
And every time he returned, his face was exceptionally pale, his steps were somewhat unsteady, and his whole body exuded an undeniable exhaustion.
Occasionally, he would even reveal a sense of weakness as if having survived a disaster.
This night, when Chen Chuan dragged his weary body into the courtyard again, Ji Siyu, who had been waiting in the hall for a long time, finally couldn’t help but speak.
Her cool voice was exceptionally clear in the silent night: "What exactly have you been doing out there these past few days?"
Chen Chuan’s footsteps paused; he didn’t look at her, only replying flatly: "Making money."
Making money?
Ji Siyu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly; she didn’t believe it at all.
Images of him frequenting gambling houses and living a life of debauchery in the past flashed through her mind, and the inexplicable disgust in her heart grew stronger.
"Do you think I’ll believe that? What are you using to make money? Most likely you’ve gone to those sordid places to squander it again!"
Ji Siyu’s tone unconsciously carried a hint of questioning.
Chen Chuan turned around and looked at her.
The moonlight shone through the window lattice, illuminating his deliberately maintained pale face; he said indifferently: "Believe it or not, it’s up to you."
After saying that, he ignored Ji Siyu and walked straight to his room, closing the door.
Hearing that clear sound of the door closing, Ji Siyu stood frozen in place, an indescribable sense of grievance and irritation welling up in her heart.
He didn’t even bother to give her a single word of explanation?
Although she told herself she shouldn’t care.
But this feeling of being ignored and treated coldly was still like a tiny thorn pricking her heart.
She lightly bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her beautiful face covered in a layer of frost.
After a long time, she took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and regained her usual cold and aloof demeanor.
She mocked herself in her heart:
"He was originally a piece of trash who couldn’t be helped; why should I care about him?"
"Just a profligate waste!"
The next morning, Ji Siyu left home as usual to go to Qingyun Academy.
However, just as she reached a relatively quiet alley, a sudden change occurred.
Three dark shadows leaped down from the eaves on both sides like ghosts and quickly snatched her away.
Ji Siyu couldn’t even cry out for help before her vision went dark and she lost consciousness.
After an unknown amount of time, someone tremblingly knocked on the door of Chen Chuan’s house.
After stuffing a letter to Chen Chuan, who opened the door, that person ran away like the wind.
Chen Chuan frowned and opened the letter; there was only a single line of scrawled handwriting on it:
"Ji Siyu is in our hands. If you want to save her, come alone to the ruined temple ten miles west of the city. If you tell anyone else, we will kill the hostage immediately!"