Chapter 3814 — Leaping into the Pit of Fire

Once swallowed, there is no relief until one breaks through to the next tier of power. Should one remain stalled for a lifetime, only death itself brings release.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill is a pill of pure self-torment. However heaven-defying its effects, no one would dare use it for the savagery of its side effects alone. Once taken, the consequences are simply unthinkable.

The man who first created this pill was a genius alchemist whose talent for the craft was said to be astonishing—so extraordinary, in fact, that it rivaled even that of Zhang Lifeng, the Divine Alchemist and Sage Physician whose star blazed at its zenith today.

Yet unlike Zhang Lifeng, this genius alchemist was never acknowledged by the mainstream of the cultivation world. Indeed, for devising and creating all manner of unorthodox, obscure formulas, he was branded a heretic cultivator and hunted relentlessly by the great orthodox sects, so that year in and year out he could do nothing but scurry from one hiding place to the next.

Until one day, his wife—the only soul in the world he had left—was surrounded and slain by orthodox cultivators, while he, too weak to intervene, could only watch helplessly as she died.

From that day on, this genius alchemist formally joined the ranks of the heretic cultivators. And to remind himself to endure hardship in silence and never forget his humiliation—and at the same time to raise his power as swiftly as possible—the Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill came into being.

Yet though the pill's effects were heaven-defying and its side effects appalling, its formula rarely circulated in the marketplace and few alchemists could even refine it. Its fame therefore fell far short of its monstrous power, and it was spoken of only among a handful of alchemists and the best-informed of men.

Had it not been for a lucky coincidence, even a veteran like Meng Jueming might never have heard its name. Meng Zhou, a fresh beginner, certainly would not have.

Even now, Meng Zhou had no inkling of the danger lurking within. He was still foolishly imagining that the name "Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill" sounded rather formidable—was it saying that after taking this pill, one could shatter another's heart with the merest flick of a hand?

More to the point, it could forcibly raise one's power by an entire tier. What a wondrous pill!

"Old Meng, this Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill from my own treasured collection—feed it to Meng Zhou. There shouldn't be any problem, should there?" Xu Lingchong spoke up once more.

He knew well the pill's side effects, so even knowing how rare it was, he felt no pang of regret in parting with it. After all, he himself would never take it; in his keeping it had no use beyond the value of a collector's piece. If it could be used to settle Wei Zhao, then it would be put to its highest and best use.

As for whether taking it would ruin Meng Zhou's life forever—that lay quite outside the scope of his consideration. At bottom, a specimen like Meng Zhou did not even count as a lackey in Young Master Xu's eyes. A pawn, at most.

And a pawn, naturally, need not be afforded the consideration of any rights. Once used and spoiled, spoiled was spoiled; one simply found another.

Meng Jueming, however, was a different matter. Meng Zhou was not merely his lackey—there was kinship between them as well. To watch Meng Zhou leap into the pit of fire and say not a word would earn him Meng Zhou's resentment for years to come. He would be too ashamed even to show his face back home.

Young Master Xu did hold Meng Jueming in considerable regard, and so at a moment like this he must at least seek the man's opinion.

"This…" Meng Jueming could not help but hesitate. Even setting aside his kinship with Meng Zhou, the fellow was, after all, the most loyal lackey under his command. However black-hearted Meng Jueming might be, he still had to consider his own reputation.

If even Meng Zhou could be sold out by him, who would ever be willing to risk their neck for Meng Jueming once word spread?

Yet just as Meng Jueming hesitated, the man himself—Meng Zhou, who had no idea what was at stake—eagerly leapt forward to volunteer: "I can do it, Young Master Xu! I will never fail your great expectations! Ninth Cousin, say something, won't you!"

At the same time, Meng Zhou secretly tugged at Meng Jueming's sleeve, signaling him to agree at once.

Meng Jueming was caught between laughter and tears. "Ignorance is bold"—the saying could not have been truer. Here he was, for once in his life, moved to a rare fit of kindness and hesitation, and the fool Meng Zhou was scrambling to leap into the pit of fire himself—past all stopping!

And from the look of things, if he did not agree for him quickly, he might well be blamed for blocking the fellow's path to advancement, and earn his enmity for nothing.

Helpless, Meng Jueming could only nod at Xu Lingchong and say, "Then I thank Young Master Xu for his generous bestowal!"

"Thank you, Young Master Xu, for your generous bestowal!" Meng Zhou echoed, hastily expressing his gratitude, his face alight with joy.

At the sight, Meng Jueming could only shake his head in speechless dismay. He knew well enough that if he explained the stakes to Meng Zhou plainly, the fellow, however brainless, would never eagerly take such a pill—but how was he to say it in a setting like this?

Quite apart from anything else, with Young Master Xu eyeing them like a tiger, Meng Jueming could hardly take the man aside and spell it out. After all, Xu Lingchong had brought up this Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill because they themselves had asked for it. To now pick and choose and refuse to cooperate—where would that leave the Young Master's face?

On one side, the fool Meng Zhou was scrambling into the pit of fire of his own accord; on the other, Young Master Xu's dignity had to be spared. So for Meng Jueming, going along with the current and agreeing was the only choice he had.

As for whether Meng Zhou would resent him afterward, that too lay outside his consideration. The fool had leapt in himself—this was all Meng Zhou's own idea. He, Meng Jueming, had never uttered a single word of encouragement. Come what may, the blame could not fall on his head.

"Good, then it is settled. I will go back and look for it, and have the Midnight-Noon Heart-Shattering Pill sent over in a couple of days. Old Meng, see that you prepare Meng Zhou properly as well. Heaven-defying effects mean a most overbearing potency; without thorough preparation beforehand, there could well be danger." Thus Xu Lingchong gave his instructions.

And in this he was not wrong. A pill, at bottom, is but one kind of medicine, and its potency far outstrips that of any ordinary drug. Even a pill as mild and balanced and free of side effects as the Foundation Establishment Golden Pill, precisely because its potency is so powerful, if taken rashly without first bringing one's condition into proper order, can easily overwhelm a deficient body—so that a perfectly good pill ends by becoming a lethal poison. (Fifth update of the day! The School Beauty mobile game's new event is about to begin—please look forward to it. Search Baidu on your phone for "The School Beauty's Close-Range Bodyguard" to download the game.) (To be continued…)