Chapter Eighteen: A Dire Situation

Wang Yuanhong paused to consider for a moment. His fourth brother truly hadn’t changed at all—still so fond of tinkering with strange and peculiar things, and always doing so with a convincing air. Though he would often act erratically, he was, after all, still his younger brother. Wang Yuanhong himself would not remain long in Shengjing, just a few days before he had to depart for the northern frontier. Whatever his brother wanted to do, he could indulge him just this once. So he said, “Tell me, how many people do you need? As long as it’s within my power, you need only ask.”

But the oriole beside him did not think the same way. She had cultivated for many years, and though her cultivation had once been destroyed, fate had brought her once more onto the path of cultivation—albeit as a corpse transformed into a demon. Yet her consciousness remained unchanged, true to her original self. She knew that when a practitioner broke through a realm or refined a treasure, unusual phenomena would occur, likely attracting the attention of the Hundred Flowers Sect. Whether they came or not, she had resolved to follow Wang Yuanhong’s lead, her curiosity piqued by Wang Yuanfeng’s plans.

Hearing his elder brother’s words, Wang Yuanfeng was deeply moved. “You’re the best, big brother. This time, during my refinement, there may be a surge of vital energy, and it’s likely others will come to seize the treasure. With father absent, I have no choice but to rely on you.” After a moment’s thought, he continued, “I reckon only those with considerable cultivation will come. Ordinary guards will be of little use. Please, gather a hundred elite archers and a hundred swordsmen for me. Prepare excrement, black dog’s blood, ox blood, snake blood, wild goose blood, tortoise blood, and various other filthy substances—let them carry these with them at all times.”

The two exchanged bewildered glances—so many men and such a grand display, enough to repel a small army. The marquis’ household retainers were all retired from the Divine Wind Battalion, each worth ten ordinary men; and these elite archers were exceptional, requiring three years of training, beginning at thirteen, all martial artists, and only succeeding by twenty. Regular archers used three-stone bows, whereas these elite archers wielded eight-stone steel bows, which could only be drawn by those with refined internal strength. As for the materials—such filth and impurity! Even so, they would help him prepare them, but curiosity compelled them to ask, “Fourth brother, what are these things for? Are we expecting practitioners?”

Wang Yuanfeng made no effort to conceal his intentions. “Those who come will all be cultivators. By mixing these various filths, the three impurities of heaven, earth, and man are complete. We’ll keep them in chamber pots and inscribe the Primordial Dou Seals on blades and arrows. These specifically counteract Daoist magic, corrupting their spirits and breaking their powers.”

He himself was wary of such filth, but it was all about how it was used; a divine artifact could slay others or oneself, depending on whose hand wielded it.

Wang Yuanhong, hearing this, did not waste words. He said, “Very well, I’ll make the preparations now. By midnight, the ambush will be in place. Should any villainous soul appear, they will be shown no mercy.”

“Thank you, big brother,” Wang Yuanfeng replied, then took his leave and returned to his small courtyard.

After Wang Yuanfeng had gone, the oriole looked at Wang Yuanhong, as if she wished to speak but hesitated. Wang Yuanhong was contemplating how best to arrange matters. Though his fourth brother’s actions were somewhat eccentric, he always proceeded with method and order. Besides, it was a rare visit home, so he had no other thoughts but to see the matter through. Noticing the oriole’s hesitation, he asked, “What is it?”

The oriole hesitated a moment longer. Wang Yuanhong pressed gently, “Speak freely. If I can help, I certainly will.”

His feelings toward the oriole were complicated; at the moment he had tried to drive her away, he’d felt genuine regret. Though she was now a corpse demon, she possessed a complete soul with her own thoughts.

Presently, the oriole began to speak slowly. “When the fourth young master refines his treasure, there will surely be celestial phenomena. Any practitioner will sense it. The Hundred Flowers Sect is also a sect of cultivators. I was thinking…”

Wang Yuanhong understood immediately—she had old enemies, and wanted to see whether they would come. Given her current cultivation, she was even superior to him; perhaps she might be of great help. He said, “You mean you think your enemies from the Hundred Flowers Sect might come as well?”

“Yes, my lord,” the oriole replied.

He pondered for a moment; another pair of hands would only strengthen their defenses. If the Hundred Flowers Sect truly did come and she could take her revenge, so much the better. “Very well, then. Stand by my side when the time comes.”

“Thank you, my lord,” the oriole said gratefully.

“Medicines are refined in the furnace beneath sun and moon; elixirs are forged in the cauldron that shapes the universe.
The great elixir arises in the K’an of the lesser cycle; yellow buds enter the chamber, Li manipulates the gold.”

After returning to his room, Wang Yuanfeng burned incense and made offerings, reciting his petitions aloud. He took out the Nine Apertures Elixir Furnace, set it upon its stand, and kindled a flame beneath it. With a gentle fire, he heated the entire furnace evenly, ensuring all parts received the warmth. When the temperature had reached about thirty percent of the required heat, he placed the external elixir within.

He then activated the nine apertures, distributing energy in eight directions, holding the external elixir at the center and beginning the processes of preheating and channel opening. Both inner and outer elixirs follow the same principle: by inverting yin and yang and returning to the source, the natural order is reversed and the elixir is formed. Using the furnace to refine an external elixir is like crafting another body; within, one returns to the source, consolidating essence and nourishing the root. The nine apertures of the furnace, aligned with the eight directions, correspond to the heavens, earth, sun, and moon—its construction an imitation of the universe’s principles.

As the furnace preheated, the process correlated to the body’s consolidation and foundation-building. When the fire had reached thirty percent, the external elixir was added, allowing it to acclimate gradually. If added too hastily at full heat, the reaction would be repulsion at best, or an explosion at worst—ruining all efforts.

As the temperature steadily increased, Wang Yuanfeng carefully controlled the flame, transforming all the chaotic energies within the furnace into elixir energy that circulated throughout, purifying the external elixir further with repeated refinement.

While Wang Yuanfeng was refining his elixir, nearly two hundred men lay in ambush around his residence. At that moment, Xiaocui was using a talisman brush to inscribe seals onto blades and arrowheads—the Primordial Dou Seals Wang Yuanfeng had taught her.

These seals derived from the Primordial Golden Cauldron, capable of storing evil, foul, and impure energies. Even the tiniest trace could corrupt a person’s soul, leaving ordinary folk oppressed, muddleheaded, anxious, irritable, and plagued by misfortune. If refined into an artifact, it could even taint the celestial blossoms atop an immortal’s head.

Of course, the Primordial Dou Seal was but a faint echo of the insights gained from observing the golden cauldron. Even so, it was a rare and precious technique, taught only to Xiaocui.

Though the seal was simple, it required ritual empowerment to activate. Without the proper rites, it was useless, no better than a scrap of paper.