The morning sun had fully risen, casting sharp beams of light across the bedroom floor. Su Chen felt the lingering chill of the liquid Qi within his Dantian—a peculiar sensation, as if he had swallowed a leaden ice cube.
He sat up slowly, moving cautiously to avoid the delicate silver bells scattered around him. Meiling was already on her feet, standing by the window, smoothing out her robes with practiced elegance.
She turned to him with a radiant smile, a brightness that belied the heavy intensity lurking in her eyes.
"You look much more refreshed today, brother," she remarked, gliding over to him. Her nimble fingers began to fix his hair, deftly retying his bun. "The Alchemy Master is already in the main hall. Master Lu is quite particular, so don't keep him waiting."
Su Chen rose, feeling a slight stiffness in his limbs.
'Master Lu. I remember the original Su Chen being terrified of him.'
In the fragmented memories of the previous owner, Master Lu was a man consumed by results, indifferent to the pain his disciples endured during tests.
He only cared about the purity of their spirit roots. As Su Chen followed Meiling out of the room, he made sure to walk with a subtle limp, feigning lingering weakness.
They arrived at the main hall of the Su estate, a grand space adorned with high ceilings and white marble pillars. In the center sat an old man in a tall wooden chair, draped in dark red robes that exuded the acrid scent of sulfur and charcoal.
His long, thin beard and hawk-like eyes gave him an intimidating presence—this was Master Lu.
"Finally," Master Lu grumbled, not bothering to rise. He gestured for Su Chen to approach. "I haven't got all day. The clan head is paying me for a full diagnosis, not to wait for a boy to finish his beauty sleep."
Meiling released Su Chen's arm but remained close, standing just behind his shoulder.
"My brother suffered a serious accident, Master Lu," she said, her voice polite yet laced with an underlying warning. "Be thorough but keep his condition in mind."
Master Lu scoffed, reaching into a leather pouch at his belt. He pulled out a small wooden box, opening it to release a sharp, acrid scent that filled the hall. Inside lay a dark red pill, the size of a marble, pulsing slightly as if alive.
"This is a Spirit-Burning Pill," Master Lu declared, holding it aloft between his fingers.
"This refined version forces the user's Qi to circulate at ten times its normal speed. If there are any hidden blockages or secret cultivations, this pill will drag them to the surface."
Su Chen felt his stomach plummet.
'If I take that, my silver Qi will surge!'
"Master Lu, isn't that a bit excessive for someone just waking from a coma?" Su Chen managed, striving to keep his voice steady.
"It is precisely what you need," the Alchemist replied. "If your foundation is compromised, this pill will flush out the impurities. If you're fine, it will grant you a temporary boost in cultivation. Now, open up."
Without waiting for permission, Master Lu stepped forward, his hand as dry as ancient wood, gripping Su Chen's jaw.
Meiling watched with an odd expression—she didn't intervene. Instead, she leaned closer, her eyes wide with curiosity, eager to witness the unfolding drama.
She wondered if the rain scent, she had noticed earlier hinted at a hidden breakthrough.
"Don't be a coward, Chen," Meiling whispered, placing a reassuring hand on his back.
"This is for your own good."
With no option left, Su Chen felt Master Lu force the pill into his mouth, clamping a hand over his lips.
"Swallow it," the old man commanded.
The pill slid down easily, but for a few fleeting moments, nothing happened. Then, a sudden spark ignited in his throat, as if he had swallowed a burning coal. The heat surged down into his chest, striking his Dantian.
Instantly, his Qi began to roar. The stagnant blue mist previously noted by the Elders whirled violently, agitated by the pill's potent chemicals.
'Stay down! Sink it!' Su Chen screamed internally.
He pushed the Silent River Method to its limits, focusing every ounce of his mental energy on encasing the silver, liquid Qi in a thick layer of the deceptive blue mist.
The heat intensified, his blood felt as if it were boiling. His skin flushed bright red, steam rising from his shoulders. He collapsed to one knee, gasping for air.
"Oh? A strong reaction," Master Lu noted, leaning closer with a hand on Su Chen's forehead. "Let's see what's hidden in there."
The Alchemist sent his own sensing Qi into Su Chen, a heavy, fire-attributed energy that crashed into his meridians like a battering ram, probing for the core of his power.
Su Chen gritted his teeth against the pain, which transcended the physical—it felt as if his very soul were being pricked by a fiery needle.
He envisioned a deep, dark trench at the ocean's floor, sinking his silver Qi deeper and deeper, burying it beneath the "debris" of his damaged meridians.
"Ngh!" Su Chen groaned as a trickle of blood escaped from his nose.
Meiling moved closer, kneeling in front of him. She cupped his face in her cool hands, offering a fleeting respite from the internal inferno.
"Are you okay, brother?" she asked softly, her smile both gentle and delightfully predatory. She leaned in and licked the blood from his lip.
"You're working so hard. What are you trying so hard to hide?"
Su Chen couldn't respond, his focus consumed by the internal struggle. The Spirit-Burning Pill sought to force his silver Qi to the surface, while he used the Silent River to stifle that energy, turning it into lead.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment, the heat began to wane. The pill's energy was spent.
Master Lu withdrew his hand, frowning as he examined his fingers, as if they had betrayed him.
"Impossible," the Alchemist muttered. "The pill should have triggered a breakthrough if he was hiding anything. All I felt was a chaotic mess of broken meridians and flickering Qi. He's a wreck. His spirit root is practically dormant."
Su Chen slumped forward, his forehead resting against the cool marble floor. Drenched in sweat, his heart raced within his chest, yet the silver Qi remained concealed. He had survived.
Meiling let out a long, disappointed sigh, sitting back on her heels, gazing at Su Chen as though he were an empty gift box.
"So, he truly is just..." she asked Master Lu.
"For now," the Alchemist replied, gathering his belongings.
"He's a waste of good pills. Keep him on a basic diet of spirit rice and hope his body heals itself in a decade or two. He's of no use to the clan in the forthcoming trials."
With that, Master Lu exited the hall without another word.
Silence enveloped the room. Su Chen remained on the floor, struggling to catch his breath. He felt incredibly weak; the pill had drained his physical stamina, even if it hadn't revealed his secret.
He felt Meiling's hand on the back of his neck, gently stroking his white hair.
"I'm almost sad, Chen," she whispered, leaning down to plant a kiss atop his head.
"I truly believed you were becoming a little genius behind my back. But I suppose you really do belong to me now. You're weak, and you have nowhere else to go."
Before he could protest, she lifted him effortlessly, cradling him like a bride. Su Chen was too exhausted to resist, resting his head against her boobs.
"Don't worry," she cooed, her voice tinged with a chilling happiness. "I'll take care of you. Since you can't cultivate, we can spend all our time together. I have so many things to show you."
As Su Chen closed his eyes, he thought, 'I did it. I have the perfect cover.'
Yet, as Meiling carried him back toward their room, he realized that being seen as useless meant she would never leave his side.