1 Master

Li Huowang held the pestle, using it to rhythmically pound the mortar, slowly breaking down a mud-covered green rock into powder.

Despite the cave being cold and humid, the only thing covering him was an overall woven from rough fabric. Still, he did not seem to be bothered by it.

He was not the only one in the cave. Around him were people roughly the same age, with their hair tied up and wearing the same apparel.

The only difference between them and him was that everyone else was either visibly disabled or had some sort of medical condition, such as albinism or polio.

Everyone here was different—it was as if this cave was a twisted museum displaying the various ailments that could affect a human.

All of them were engaged in the same task as Li Huowang: using the mortar to pound raw ingredients into powder. Some were pounding golden rocks, while others were grinding herbs. Although it looked like everyone was diligently doing their assigned task, a few seemed less focused.

"Ack!" 

Suddenly, a girl's scream was heard, causing everyone to turn toward her.

In a corner of the cave, a harelipped young man was grinning maliciously while attempting to hug a girl with albinism.

"It's ok, let me play with you for a bit. Just a little bit. Heheheh…"

Li Huowang ignored the commotion and kept his eyes closed, focused on his own task.

The girl's cries grew louder and louder. 

The commotion started to annoy Li Huowang. He tightened his grip on the mortar.

Then, a dull sound of rock hitting bone reverberated through the cave.

The young man stumbled backward, startled and stunned by the impact. He immediately clutched the wounded area on his head, grimacing in pain.

The girl who had escaped her predicament held down her shirt and hid behind Li Huowang.

"You are so dead! Don't you know what the Master is like?! He'll kill you once he finds out!" the young man shouted furiously, threatening Li Huowang.

"And what does that Master think he is?! He is insignificant!" Li Huowang's statement caused everyone to stop working. The entire cave fell into complete silence. No one had expected him to utter such words.

Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Li Huowang took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

What's happening to me? Why am I so angry with them? This isn't how I usually act. I can't let them affect my emotions. That wasn't the real me. I need to calm down.

Just as Li Huowang was trying to regain his composure, a voice called out for him from the entrance.

"Disciple Li, Disciple Wang, our Master has summoned both of you," shouted a young man. 

The young man who shouted the order held a higher rank than Li Huowang, evident from the green Taoist robe he wore.

The robe, though ancient and faded, was still in a better condition than what Li Huowang wore.

The man brandished a horsetail whisk and observed the other disciples, his eyes filled with arrogance.

Seeing the young Taoist, the man with the bleeding head laughed loudly. "Hahaha! You are dead! Today's the day to meet our Master!"

Li Huowang completely ignored him and, alongside the other disciple, Disciple Wang, walked toward the entrance. Disciple Wang had a deformed mouth, skewed sideways with drool leaking from the corner of her lips. Her face was pale and she appeared quite unhealthy.

Li Huowang had just taken two steps when someone tugged at his shirt. When he turned around, he saw it was the girl with albinism.

Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head, her eyes filled with fear.

Li Huowang ignored her, shook her off and continued walking.

The cave they were in was the Preparation Room. Exiting the Preparation Room, they entered a larger cave. This cave was riddled with entrances to other smaller caves similar to the Preparation Room. Based on the unevenness of the cave, it was evident that the one who made this place wasn't particularly skillful.

The entire cave system was quite vast, with tunnels leading in all directions, almost like an ant colony.

Above the entrances to the smaller caves, rotten wooden planks were nailed, each excellently carved with different names: the Spiritual Palace, the Judgement Hall, the Memorial Palace, and the Four Heavenly Palace.

The entire cave system was designed to resemble a proper martial dojo.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, the girl beside Li Huowang took out a black item and handed it to him. 

"Want some candy?" she asked blankly.

Li Huowang frowned. He knew that she was mentally challenged. So, despite being irritated, he took the candy and tucked it into his clothing.

Seeing that Li Huowang accepted the candy, she took out another piece and put it in her own mouth, chucking and saying, "Master is great. Master gives us candy."

Li Huowang remained silent as they continued walking. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination. A giant black furnace appeared before their eyes.

Green smoke billowed from the furnace, rising toward a hole in the cave ceiling. The furnace almost resembled a small metallic hill.

As they approached it, the furnace grew larger and larger until Li Huowang was engulfed in its shadow. It gave off a very oppressive feeling.

But the oppressive feeling wasn't only due to the furnace; it was also because of the hunchbacked figure that stood in front of it.

Wearing a blue Taoist robe, the figure had his white hair tied up and was adorned with a crown, giving him a sage-like appearance.

He, too, was pounding something with a pestle, similar to what Li Huowang had been doing earlier. However, the difference was that the pestle he wielded was enormous, almost resembling a giant pillar.

The pestle rose and fell, the echoing sound of rock being pounded reverberating through the chamber.

"Mas… Master!" the girl stammered, holding her left thumb with her right hand and covering it with her remaining fingers. She brought both her hands close to her chest and bowed, her eyes filled with respect.

The sound of the pounding abruptly ceased as she spoke.

Even though Li Huowang had mentally prepared himself, he couldn't help being startled when he saw the figure turn around.

When viewed from the front, the Taoist presented a strikingly different impression. While his posture appeared noble and sage-like from behind, he was an ugly man. Cracked and distorted lips revealed his few remaining teeth.

"You are here? Good girl! You've kept me waiting," he exclaimed, leaping into the air, his dirty robes fluttering in the wind. He then gripped her by her neck with a single hand and jumped back to the mortar.

Before she could even utter a sound, he tossed her into the stone urn, seized the pestle, and slammed it down into the stone urn with a twisted expression.

The girl let out a scream, which abruptly halted. 

Meanwhile, he kept pounding. Blood and flesh splattered across his face and body, yet he paid it no mind as he started chanting fervently.

"Fire Ox extends my life, Fire Pig shields my soul, Wood Rat protects my body, Wood Dog maintains my form, Wood Monkey anchors my life, Wood Horse protects my soul, Wood Dragon anchors my spirit!"

Once the girl had been completely ground into a paste, he held up the stone urn which weighed hundreds of kilograms, and poured its contents into the furnace. Excitement filled his eyes as he raised both hands into the air.

"Start the furnace and refine the pill!"

Upon hearing this command, two young female assistants, their faces covered in an excessive amount of makeup, emerged from the shadows. One began fanning the flames, while the other added secondary ingredients into the furnace—various types of stone powders and wriggling lifeforms.

A peculiar scent soon filled the air; however, it was strangely pleasant for the nose.

The Master closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stroked the last few strands of hair that made up his beard. A satisfied expression soon appeared on his ugly face.

Finally, he slowly opened his eyes and placed his hands behind his back before turning toward Li Huowang. "So, I heard you called me insignificant? Is that true?"

The atmosphere around them froze instantly.

Staring at the Master who wouldn't hesitate in the slightest when taking a life, Li Huowang remained motionless. He closed his eyes and focused on calming his breath. 

You can't deceive me; all of this is a fabrication. It's all fake!

"Are you mute?! Speak!" The Master's voice grew louder, accompanied by the sound of his approaching footsteps. 

As he drew nearer, the pungent stench of rotting flesh assaulted Li Huowang's nostrils.

Li Huowang shuddered and clenched his teeth, summoning all his strength to open his eyes. And when he did—

The dark cave around him vanished. He found himself in a brightly lit room filled with fresh air. It was a hospital ward! 

At that moment, Li Huowang glanced down and realized that he was tightly bound to a bed with leather belts.