The Alchemist’s Obsession

After Lin Xingjian finished getting ready, he followed the winding path toward the Pill Sect.

This minor accomplishment in disguise allowed him to truly appreciate its subtlety.

Not only did his disguised appearance achieve an unprecedented realism, far exceeding his past attempts, but the time required for the transformation had also been cut by at least a third.

Consequently, Lin Xingjian found his steps lighter, imbued with a newfound briskness as he made his way.

Before he even reached the grand gates of the Pill Sect, an overwhelmingly potent scent of medicinal pills assailed his nostrils.

Each whiff of this aroma invariably sent a wave of nausea churning within Lin Xingjian.

The aroma emanating from the elixirs crafted by countless alchemy cultivators was universally referred to as “pill fragrance.”

Yet, this designation was a profound misnomer.

Far from fragrant, the scent was often tinged with a peculiar putrescence and an unsettling strangeness.

Considering that most cultivators employed a diverse array of heavenly materials, earthly treasures, spiritual flowers, and exotic woods as their primary ingredients, it was hardly surprising.

How could such precious substances, once subjected to the crucible of intense flames, possibly yield a genuinely pleasant aroma?

Bafflingly, many alchemy cultivators harbored a peculiar affection for this very odor.

Indeed, some of the most noxious fumes were perceived by their discerning noses as nothing short of peerless delicacies.

Lin Xingjian, for his part, could never truly fathom the eccentric olfactory preferences of these alchemy practitioners.

Fortunately, Yao Qing’er stood apart from her fellow alchemy cultivators.

Perhaps owing to her innate enchanting allure, her feminine form naturally exuded a subtle, elegant fragrance.

This delicate scent fortuitously masked the peculiar stench of the pills, ensuring Lin Xingjian’s interactions with her were not unduly unpleasant.

As was his custom, Lin Xingjian arrived before the familiar chamber.

He paused, raising a hand to adjust his disguise, and only after ensuring its flawless integrity did he gently rap upon the door.

To his surprise, the door swung open instantaneously.

What greeted his gaze was a woman of breathtaking, seductive beauty.

Her obsidian hair fell in a silken cascade to her shoulders, a river of three thousand black strands. Her lips, like ripe cherries, were adorned with a striking beauty mark at one corner, a perfect flourish that brought her face to life.

Her eyes, captivating and brimming with a subtle smile at their corners, held a power akin to a fox spirit who had charmed ancient kings a millennium ago.

“You’re finally here?”

Yao Qing’er’s voice, a soft and lilting melody, drifted to his ears.

“I’ve come, Miss Yao, I…”

Lin Xingjian had barely begun to speak when Yao Qing’er extended an arm as smooth as polished jade, entwined it with his, and gently but firmly drew him into the room before casually shutting the door behind them.

A jolt of surprise ran through Lin Xingjian; he had never anticipated such forwardness from Yao Qing’er today.

In the past, she had always maintained a playful, coy distance, yet today she seemed utterly transformed.

Lin Xingjian’s gaze involuntarily drifted to Yao Qing’er’s attire.

While she typically dressed demurely, today she brazenly revealed generous swathes of pristine, snow-white skin.

Her alluring form, tantalizingly glimpsed beneath her garments, instantly brought Lin Xingjian to the stark realization that this was an overt and audacious seduction.

Lin Xingjian hastily steadied his racing mind.

As a cultivator of the Shadow Sect, he lived by the adage: ‘Lust is a blade poised above one’s head.’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘sè zì tóu shàng yī bǎ dāo,’ meaning lust is extremely dangerous and can lead to ruin or death.)

Yet, he was renowned for his stubborn resolve.

“You haven’t come for days; I’ve missed you so.”

“Today I’ve prepared many medicines; you must taste them all for me, one by one.”

Yao Qing’er’s lips curved into a smile, her voice dripping with an utterly captivating allure. Every subtle glance and delicate smile exuded a seductive charm capable of melting one to their very bones.

This accursed innate enchanting allure was, indeed, formidable.

Lin Xingjian found his self-control steadily slipping away.

“Miss Yao, didn’t you say you had a surprise for me today?”

Lin Xingjian hastily changed the subject, realizing that if he allowed this to continue, he would undoubtedly be led by Yao Qing’er as if by a nose ring.

“A surprise?”

Yao Qing’er tilted her head ever so slightly, her silken hair swaying gently in response.

“Of course, it’s a surprise. Look, it’s right in that room.”

With a delicate finger, she gestured towards a tightly closed door.

The sounds and conditions within the room remained entirely obscured.

Lin Xingjian’s brows furrowed deeply, his gaze fixed on Yao Qing’er, brimming with suspicion.

The woman maintained her radiant smile, betraying no hint of abnormality, yet her actions today…

There was undeniably something amiss!

Could his disguise have been seen through?

That couldn’t be right.

While his art of disguise wasn’t absolutely flawless, it shouldn’t have been so effortlessly penetrated.

Was Yao Qing’er planning to use him as an ingredient for her elixirs?

Lin Xingjian’s throat involuntarily bobbed, as an unsettling premonition surged within his heart.

He had heard tales of rogue cultivators who, having strayed into the dark arts of alchemy, frequently incorporated flesh, blood, and living beings into their concoctions.

This woman, Yao Qing’er, was known for her penchant for refining all manner of bizarre and exotic pills, many of which contained obscure toxins. It was entirely possible that one day she might indeed transform into an evil alchemist.

“Go on, why are you just standing there?”

Observing Lin Xingjian’s prolonged hesitation, Yao Qing’er pressed him.

“The surprise you’re hoping for is inside; hurry and open the door to find out.”

Lin Xingjian nodded, making a concerted effort to compose himself.

The moment his hand brushed against the door, his mind raced, already planning to assess the situation within once it was open.

Should circumstances prove unfavorable, he would immediately extricate himself and flee.

It would be fine.

As a Shadow Sect cultivator, he was confident he could withdraw unscathed!

Lin Xingjian slowly pushed open the chamber door, finding it far heavier than any he had ever encountered.

The grating “creak” of the latch turning shattered the room’s oppressive silence.

As he stepped inside, the familiar, cloying scent of medicinal pills washed over him.

He instinctively tried to ignore the odor, but it clung to him like a tenacious shadow, wrapping itself tightly around his senses.

His gaze swiftly swept across the dimly lit room, catching sight of a peculiar shadow.

It resembled… a person?

Indeed, it was a human figure!

A person seated in a chair.

No, not merely seated, but bound…

Holy heavens!

Wasn’t this the very client who had commissioned his mission from the Pill Sect?

“Mmph, mmph mmph!”

The bound man emitted muffled, incoherent sounds, thrashing desperately in an attempt to break free from his restraints.

For a fleeting instant, Lin Xingjian’s mind went utterly blank, only to churn back into furious activity the very next second.

“Retreat!”

Lin Xingjian let out a low exclamation, lunged into the room with a swift stride, and effortlessly tossed a smoke bomb, specifically crafted for cultivators, behind him.

Even as the smoke bomb enveloped Yao Qing’er behind him in confusion, Lin Xingjian’s primary impulse was not self-preservation, but the rescue of the client who had commissioned his mission.

Despite possessing only Qi Condensation stage cultivation, his minor mastery of the Ghost Shadow Steps technique allowed him to exhibit a speed comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Faster than words could tell, before the smoke had even fully dispersed, his hand had already made contact with the bound man.

In that precise moment, a wave of profound regret washed over him.

The instant Lin Xingjian’s hand brushed against the man, the man’s clothes abruptly detonated.

In a flash, countless plumes of smoke and dust scattered in every direction.

Lin Xingjian inadvertently inhaled a mouthful, and that single breath proved almost lethal!

He felt his qi and blood churn violently within him, as an intense wave of dizziness crashed over his senses.

Just how many specialized concoctions had this accursed Yao Qing’er employed?

Even Lin Xingjian, who possessed near-immunity to all poisons, found himself struggling to resist its effects.

It dawned on him then that the pungent medicinal aroma upon entering had merely served to mask the scent of a potent soul-bewitching powder.

Seizing the moment while his consciousness still clung, he swiftly drew his dagger, intending to stab his own thigh, hoping the pain would keep him lucid.

The next instant, a hand as fair as jade reached out…

The dagger pierced through the tender flesh and bone of the hand, splattering blood.

The owner of this hand was none other than Yao Qing’er.

The woman clutched the dagger impaling her flesh, her expression grim and icy, utterly disregarding the pain in her hand as she clamped down on Lin Xingjian’s jaw.

A bloody mark stood out conspicuously against Lin Xingjian’s fair neck.

“Oh, you despicable wretch, how can you think of leaving so easily after stealing my heart?”

Yao Qing’er stared mockingly at the rapidly fading Lin Xingjian, her voice laced with a cruel ferocity.

“You wretched, faithless man, you have taken my heart, and I, Yao Qing’er, shall claim your person forever.”

With that, Yao Qing’er tore away Lin Xingjian’s mask.

An elegant and handsome countenance met the woman’s gaze, and Yao Qing’er couldn’t help but reveal a hint of delighted surprise.

Such superior looks and temperament only served to increase her satisfaction.

Yao Qing’er extended a slender, jade-like finger, gently stroking Lin Xingjian’s dark, long hair with her blood-stained hand.

“In this form, you truly resemble my little puppy. I yearn to imprison you here for all eternity.”

Lin Xingjian’s heart leaped to his throat, as the dizzying tide of unconsciousness surged, proving impossible to resist.

“Wait, Miss Yao, I merely… followed orders. I… am a member of the Shadow Sect…”

Before he could finish his words, Lin Xingjian succumbed to a deep slumber.

‘Something is wrong.’

‘Don’t I have the system-bestowed minor immunity to poison ability?’

‘Why am I still unconscious?’

Lin Xingjian plunged into endless darkness.

Yao Qing’er, with that chilling smile, watched the unconscious Lin Xingjian.

In her heart, the woman had already begun to plot how to gain complete control over him.

She intended to make this man, who had deceived her, her eternal prisoner, to be commanded at her whim.