The Decaying World-Chapter 90 - 85: Experience 1

It took the fifteen people Lin Hui had summoned over an hour to slowly roll the pot of elixir paste into individual pills.

The pile of pills was uneven in size—some as large as rice balls, others as small as peanuts, making him frown.

In the courtyard.

Lin Hui looked at the Inner Sect Disciples, who had just finished rolling the Cloud Water Pills and were now standing in a neat row.

The group stared at him eagerly, clearly desperate to know what these elixirs were for.

"This is the Cloud Water Pill. It can accelerate the progress of Body Tempering, and its effects can stack with the medicines you use for your Three Meridian Martial Arts. But since this is the first batch ever made, who among you is willing to test its effects?"

Lin Hui said frankly.

"Observatory Master, may I ask if there are any side effects?"

From the crowd, an older man with a few wrinkles on his brow stepped forward, cupped his fist, and asked.

"The only side effect is diarrhea. You’ll feel weak for two days," Lin Hui replied.

"Then I’ll do it!" the man said in a deep voice. He picked up a pill and examined it. "It’s one pill at a time, right?"

"Correct. What’s your name?" Lin Hui nodded in approval. ’This first person to answer my call must be rewarded generously.’

"This disciple is Xu Songnian. I was originally from the Black Dragon Claw lineage and have only just switched to practicing the Seven-Section Quick Sword," the man answered earnestly. He then popped the elixir into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed.

"A little salty and it stings the mouth, but I don’t feel anything else," he offered as a serious evaluation.

"It takes half an hour for the effects to kick in. Go wait on the side for now. Xu Songnian, is it? If the elixir works as intended, I’ll waive one month of your Body Tempering Medicine fees. Of course, if the elixir doesn’t work, you can switch back to the medicinal powders you used before," Lin Hui said with a smile.

"Thank you, Observatory Master!!" Xu Songnian was overjoyed.

This scene stirred up the others, making them eager to try as well.

A month’s worth of Body Tempering Medicine fees was no small sum. Based on the original training frequency of the Black Dragon Sect, they would take the medicine at least three times a month. With each dose costing fifty thousand, three doses meant a savings of one hundred fifty thousand!

For them, who came from common backgrounds, this was undoubtedly a fortune.

Immediately, a second person stepped forward to test the elixir.

This time, it was a younger girl with her hair in two ponytails. Her features were neat, but she had a naturally dazed look about her. Her skin was rather dark and her hands were rough, clearly the result of a lot of manual labor.

"Observatory Master, my name is Luo Qianshui! I’ll try, too!"

The girl spoke as if shouting a slogan. Without even looking at the pills, she grabbed a handful and started stuffing them into her mouth.

"Just one!" Lin Hui was quick of eye and hand. His figure flickered, and he knocked the extra pills from the girl’s hand, leaving only a single one before he returned to his original spot.

He was so fast that the onlookers only felt a slight breeze. The Observatory Master’s figure blurred for an instant before solidifying again.

As a result, four pills were gone from Luo Qianshui’s hand, leaving only one, which she then popped into her mouth.

"Huh?!" Luo Qianshui paused, stunned. She looked up at Lin Hui and finally understood that she was only supposed to eat one.

’A good kid,’ Lin Hui nodded in satisfaction. ’A bit reckless, but a good disciple nonetheless. At least when something happens, she’s brave enough to charge forward without hesitation.’

After Xu Songnian and Luo Qianshui, the others exchanged glances before two more people stepped forward to test the elixir.

After that, no one else came forward.

Lin Hui waited patiently.

Half an hour passed quickly. Aside from a slightly flushed face, Xu Songnian showed no other abnormalities.

Meanwhile, Luo Qianshui was sweating slightly and seemed a bit energized, but she too had no other side effects.

The two of them quickly began to practice the martial arts they were skilled in.

Xu Songnian practiced the Seven-Section Quick Sword, while Luo Qianshui, surprisingly, practiced the Qingfeng Sword.

After three rounds of Body Tempering practice, surprise showed on both their faces.

"It’s so much easier than before! I should be able to increase my Body Tempering sessions to seven or eight times a day!"

Xu Songnian exclaimed.

"How many times a day did you do Body Tempering before?" Lin Hui himself could manage a maximum of ten times a day, but he wasn’t as familiar with the others’ capabilities.

"Five times. I often use the wrong force exertion points, causing the Body Tempering to fail. On average, I have to practice many times just to succeed once," Xu Songnian answered.

"So what makes you feel you can increase the number of sessions?" Lin Hui pressed on.

"It feels... like it’s much easier to exert force when practicing my sword forms. It seems a single practice session doesn’t require as much mental and physical stamina," Xu Songnian answered.

Lin Hui then asked Luo Qianshui for her experience, and her answer was largely the same.

Finally, after comparing the results from the other two testers, he confirmed that the Cloud Water Pill was a success.

To confirm the Cloud Water Pill’s efficacy, Lin Hui distributed the first batch of over two hundred pills, giving them out randomly to the disciples of the Three Meridian Martial Arts.

Over the next three days, he received a great deal of feedback, all of it saying that the elixir significantly increased the success rate of their Body Tempering.

Pleased with the results, Lin Hui immediately announced that the elixir would become the primary Body Tempering Elixir of Qingfeng Temple, officially making it part of the sect’s heritage.

Future production was entrusted to Chen Meng, the Pharmacist.

After settling these matters, Lin Hui dove headfirst into what he was truly interested in—concocting aphrodisiac elixirs...

After careful study, he found that the Three Yang Powder and the Dragon-Overturning Pill were much more difficult to create than the straightforward Cloud Water Pill.

Just as he was rapidly gathering medicinal ingredients and preparing to attempt the new formulas...

The Lin Mansion received an intelligence report just relayed by a guard.

*

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*

"What? The Second Young Master of the Wang Family went looking for Ah Hui?!" Lin Shunhe trembled all over upon hearing the news.

He only had this one son. Although his second wife, Liu Shenglan, was about to give birth, he didn’t know if it would be a boy or a girl. If it was a girl, then he would still only have one son and heir.

That was why he was always extremely concerned about Lin Hui.

"Yes. When I discovered what was happening, I also sensed something was wrong and rushed back to report at once. That Wang Yueheng arrived so quickly, I’m afraid it wasn’t just us—many of the Inner City Great Clans probably didn’t have time to react either."

A masked man, dressed in colors as gray and white as mist, was reporting the situation to Lin Shunhe.

"However, when I followed up, I found that Young Master Hui didn’t clash with Wang Yueheng. In fact, they seemed to get along and reached some sort of cooperative agreement."

"That’s good..." Lin Shunhe heaved a long sigh of relief. "If something had really gone wrong, it would have been very difficult for me to handle..."

Elder Du, standing behind him, nodded slightly.

"Although the Wang Family isn’t considered a powerful clan in the Inner City, they have extensive operations in the Outer City and are not to be trifled with. Furthermore, an Upper-Tier Summoner... I’m afraid dealing with one is beyond our capabilities."

"Indeed... I never expected Ah Hui to be involved at such a high level already..." Lin Shunhe sighed. "It seems that even though his potential is capped, the influence he’s displaying now is enough to draw the attention of the Inner City’s powers."

"Since nothing happened, there’s no need to worry too much. You are about to merge with the replica Evil Soldier. When you do, you will possess Void Power comparable to an Upper Rank. Once you establish an Outer City branch hall, the forces you can mobilize will far surpass anything the Wang Family’s Outer City faction can muster," Elder Du said calmly.

"But what if someone from a higher echelon of the Wang Family comes?" Lin Shunhe frowned.

"Then it would no longer be an external matter for you to handle. Someone of that level would naturally be dealt with by Lord Black Face. The mere Wang Family is not a major issue," Elder Du said, his expression serene.

"Then I am relieved..." Lin Shunhe said this partly to gauge from Elder Du’s reaction whether the organization behind them could truly protect his family.

And Elder Du’s answer did indeed put his heart at ease.

"When will the replica Evil Soldier be delivered?"

"In about two more months. The transport journey is very long, so you must be patient," Elder Du replied.

"As soon as possible..."

Lin Shunhe hadn’t expected his son to be an even bigger troublemaker than he’d imagined, actually managing to attract an Upper-Tier Summoner.

Thankfully, no conflict broke out between them. Otherwise... he would have had no choice but to go to the Inner City and find You Ying...

After dismissing his subordinate, Lin Shunhe walked alone along the covered corridor to the small courtyard where Liu Shenglan resided.

In the courtyard, sunlight filtered hazily through the mist, forming what looked like solid pillars of light.

Liu Shenglan was reclining in the courtyard under a large pagoda tree. She lay on a wicker lounge chair, covered by a white wool blanket, her face turned to the side as she slept soundly.

A book of poetry lay by her hand, as if she had been slowly reading it before drifting off to sleep. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Lin Shunhe walked over and gently adjusted the blanket over her. He bent down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shenglan woke at that moment. She reached out, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him into a kiss.

Their movements were both gentle and practiced, clearly not the first time they had shared such a moment.

While the two were sharing this intimate moment, in a room on the other side of the courtyard...

Liu Wu Jun and Liu Xiao stood by the window, quietly watching the scene through a gap in the casement.

The warm tranquility of the scene unknowingly calmed even Liu Xiao, who was in the midst of undergoing the trial of the Divine Sound.

"How nice... Perhaps Mother was right. This time, Uncle Lin and she... they really made the right choice," Liu Xiao said softly, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.

"Perhaps. Nothing in this world stays the same," Liu Wu Jun replied. "That kid from the Wang Family is causing trouble again. I just got word that he went to find our new stepbrother, Lin Hui."

"Does he have a death wish?" A cold, murderous intent flashed in Liu Xiao’s eyes.

"I went to check on the situation beforehand through a special channel. He went there seeking a partnership. The outcome was fine. Although I arrived a bit late, as long as he’s not there to stir up trouble, we can ignore him," Liu Wu Jun replied softly.

"That kid only knows how to imitate his sister, but he can’t grasp the essence of it. He’s nothing but a fool with a fake smile. Why didn’t you just cripple him and send him crawling back to the Inner City District?" Liu Xiao said coldly. "An Upper Rank can recover so long as they have a breath left in them, anyway."

"I was planning to do just that. If he dared to cause trouble, I would have intercepted and crippled him. But unexpectedly, not only did he not cause trouble, he even reached an agreement with Lin Hui. Wang Yueheng’s attitude was actually not bad this time," Liu Wu Jun said calmly. "I suppose that’s some improvement over his old self."

"That’s good, then. I don’t care whether Lin Hui lives or dies, but Uncle Lin would be heartbroken, and if he’s heartbroken, it will affect Mother..." Liu Xiao closed her eyes and turned to leave.

"I’m going to go train."

"Alright. I’ll stand guard outside. Call me the moment anything happens," Liu Wu Jun urged.

"Okay."

*

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*

Time passed slowly.

With the help of his Special Effects, and after spending hundreds of thousands on medicinal ingredients, Lin Hui also managed to successfully concoct a few batches of the other aphrodisiac elixirs.

The Dragon-Overturning Pill, the Three Yang Powder, and the Full Essence Powder combined to form a perfect one-month supply.

After ensuring he had a long-term supply of elixirs for himself, Lin Hui once again turned his attention to the Blood Seal.

「Gale Plain.」

Lin Hui stood in the wind and snow, sword in hand, gazing at the massive, gray, wall-like Fog Area in the distance.

The air today was exceptionally clear, making the impossibly high and boundless gray wall of the Fog Area stand out even more.

In the distance, through the flurries of snow, he could see a party preparing to enter the Fog Area.

They wore thick, padded cotton and leather clothes, and behind them, ox-drawn carts transported heavy loads of cargo.

The one in the lead appeared to be explaining something to the others.