PCJ – Chapter 443 The Immortal Medicine

Li He was about to cry. “I’m only trying to help. Your child goes out every day, mingling with society youths in the rural areas. I’m worried he’ll go down the wrong path. I just wanted him to come back and bring you here so I could give him a good talking to. I didn’t mean to chase him away!”

Liu Qiaoye retorted, “If my child goes out to eat, it’s because the food at your school is terrible. Has it affected his studies or disturbed anyone else?” Liu Qiaoye knew about this situation and even supported Zhang Jiaohua’s decision.

Li He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. “I didn’t expect he would run away.”

Principal Wan Youming hurried over after receiving the news. He knew Liu Qiaoye, the owner of the Biyu Xianyin restaurant. If he didn’t know her, he would’ve lived a meaningless life for decades.

“Li He, how can I explain this to you? Who gave you the right to stop a student from entering the school? You just arrived and don’t know the situation. Did you ask the other teachers? Zhang Jiaohua is one of our school’s top students, an excellent student in the entire grade. What’s wrong with him having a bit of personality?” Principal Wan Youming angrily scolded Li He.

Li He was scolded to tears on the spot.

Zhang Youping also rushed over. “This isn’t the time to assign blame. We need to find him immediately. Qiaoye, have you called Fenshui Bridge?”

“I’ve asked. His parents said Jiaohua didn’t go to Fenshui Bridge. They even searched all their relatives’ homes, but he hasn’t gone there. I’ve also had my brother and his wife search, but Jiaohua hasn’t returned home either,” Liu Qiaoye said with worry, crying.

Wan Youming quickly called over Li Shuhai. “Hurry, organize the whole school to search the surrounding area. We must find Jiaohua!”

“Don’t worry, Principal Wan. We’ll find Zhang Jiaohua, alive or dead!” Li Shuhai said as he spoke, but Principal Wan Youming kicked him.

“Stop spouting nonsense! Jiaohua is blessed, he’ll be fine. He’s just angry right now. Once he cools off, he’ll come back. Ah, it’s starting to rain.” Wan Youming frowned.

The air seemed thick with moisture, and looking at the gloomy sky, Zhang Jiaohua knew it was about to rain.

“Leopard, is there a cave nearby? Let’s hurry and find shelter from the rain,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

The Mountain Leopard immediately ran in a certain direction. The Leopard knew the mountains well, so finding a cave was easy.

However, by the time they reached the cave, the rain had already begun to pour heavily. Zhang Jiaohua was soaked through by the time they reached shelter.

The weather in September was still warm. Although his clothes were wet, it didn’t feel cold. Wet clothes weren’t a problem for Zhang Jiaohua, a Meishan Water Master. With his spiritual energy, a spell would dry him in no time.

Zhang Jiaohua dried his clothes and sat on a stone in the cave. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the running, but he leaned against the stone and soon fell asleep.

In his dream, the rain was still pouring.

“Chengdao, Chengdao,” it was the voice of his old master, the Taoist priest. Zhang Jiaohua had re-entered the same dream.

Zhang Jiaohua followed Chengdao into a room, where his old master lay in bed, barely holding on to life.

“Master, don’t worry, I will find the Immortal Medicine,” Chengdao said.

“The Immortal Medicine? Where is there such a thing? It’s all a scam. Chengdao, come here,” the old Taoist master said, seeing through everything.

“Master, what is it?” Chengdao asked as he walked over.

“Come here, I have something to tell you,” the old Taoist master said, with a faint smile.

Chengdao leaned in, thinking the master had something important to say, but the old master only blew three breaths towards him and said, “Fangfang shows its sanctity, everywhere shows its power.”

When Chengdao heard this, he immediately understood what the old Taoist master had just done.

When a Meishan Water Master is about to die, they reveal the incense fire hexagram to the most trusted disciple. This means that the Meishan Water Master is passing on their legacy. The three breaths symbolize the promise to bless the disciple’s incense fire and spiritual practices after their death.

Chengdao’s tears flowed freely. Since he was young, he had followed his master. The old Taoist had been like a father to him, and now seeing him in such a state, Chengdao realized that the old master’s time on earth was running out.

Recently, Chengdao had learned something—Cui Yulin hadn’t gone to Dalu Fort to search for the bell relic. He had gone after something else that belonged to the tomb’s owner. The owner of the tomb had once been a ruler, but his greatest interest wasn’t in ruling—it was alchemy. After several years, he handed over the throne to his son and focused on his cultivation. Before his ascension, he successfully refined a batch of medicinal pills, but only one pill was successful. This pill was called the Immortal Medicine.

Before ascending, the alchemist emperor passed the Immortal Medicine to his son. However, that son didn’t remain emperor for long, and his country fell. The Immortal Medicine was never used. The emperor had intended for his son to use it, but after losing the throne, the son lost the will to take the medicine.

Chengdao remembered that when he entered the tomb previously, no one had taken anything from it. That jar of medicine must still be there.

After revealing the incense fire hexagram, despite the old master’s objections, Chengdao couldn’t be persuaded. Fearing he might not return, he took one of the bells from the pair and gave it to a clever child from a nearby village, imbuing a trace of his spiritual consciousness into the bell. Chengdao no longer cared if the child could carry on the legacy.

Chengdao then went alone to Dalu Fort and entered the tomb. The main passage had collapsed, making it impossible to enter. He remembered that he and the old Taoist master had entered through a side passage. The side passage had collapsed too, but Chengdao kept digging through the rubble, finally reaching the tomb.

In the empty coffin, Chengdao indeed found a porcelain bottle. He shook it gently, and inside, he found a single medicinal pill. It was likely the legendary Immortal Medicine. Just as he was overjoyed and prepared to return to save his old master, a group of people barged in and tried to seize the Immortal Medicine. Outnumbered, Chengdao could only retreat with the pill into the tomb, sealing the door behind him.

Realizing the situation, Chengdao decisively swallowed the Immortal Medicine. Immediately, a cold sensation froze him solid. After an unknown amount of time, when Chengdao finally woke up, he had transformed into a Corpse King.