Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 506 The Alchemy Room
The cloyingly sweet taste was hard to describe; it was as if a mixture of many flowers and herbs had been fermented and rotted together.

It wasn't particularly foul-smelling, or even unpleasant, but for some reason, it made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

Upon seeing Zhou You, the senior brother frowned, slapped his forehead, and said with a sudden realization.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot that this is your first time here, junior brother. You must be a little unaccustomed to this taste. Here, take this."

Senior Brother Chuan handed over a clean handkerchief and gestured for Zhou You to cover his nose.

"The pills we refine in our alchemy room are particularly peculiar. Those of us who have been here for a while are fine, but someone like you, junior brother, who is new here, will definitely find it unpleasant—junior brother, you're actually quite lucky. Some people were knocked unconscious by the fumes when they first arrived, and we had to give them emergency treatment."

Zhou You nodded ambiguously, and then said.

"Senior brother, what kind of pills are we refining here?"

The question was rather abrupt, but Senior Brother Chuan didn't seem to mind and instead pointed ahead.

"Look, this furnace will be opened soon. Junior brother, just keep an eye on it yourself."

Zhou You looked up upon hearing this.

Amidst the rising steam, a massive alchemical furnace stood.

—The reason it is described as enormous is that this alchemy furnace is five or six meters tall, with its body cast in the shape of a bixi (a mythical tortoise-like creature) carrying it, and its lid carved with a ferocious beast holding the sun. It occupies most of a room, and dozens of disciples are running around, continuously filling the firebox at the bottom of the furnace with fire.

There were several suspended staircases nearby, and at the top stood a fat man weighing about 200 pounds, who was giving instructions to the people below in a hoarse voice.

"Keep the fire low on the Big Dipper position! Yes, yes, Chongming, what are you standing there for? I said the Big Dipper position, not your side! Hurry up and add some more firewood! Pour some more liquid into the west flank, lest it burn dry and all our efforts are wasted. Gan Ni's mother, Xiao Si, are you looking for death?! Hurry up and back up! It doesn't matter if you die, but if this furnace of pills is destroyed, the sect leader will definitely refine your soul and burn your corpse!"

Is that the senior disciple of this sect? Or is it that Uncle Yun Zhongzi?

Before Zhou You could figure it out, his anxious, fat face suddenly caught sight of the two people on the other side and he immediately shouted.

"What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and come help!"

Wait, the two of us?

Without even hesitating, Senior Brother Chuan ran to the side and picked up firewood and coal. Seeing that Zhou You hadn't moved for a long time, Fatty shouted again.

"Why the hell aren't you moving?"

Zhou You hesitated for two seconds, then pointed to himself.

Are you talking about me?

"If it wasn't you, then it must be that stick over there? Can't you see we're short-handed? Get to work!"

Since things had come to this point, Zhou You was too lazy to argue anymore. He simply rolled up his sleeves, intending to lend a hand—after all, he had come here on business, and the faster he resolved the issue, the faster he could leave. But before he could even get up, the fat man shouted again.

"Hey, hey, hey, where are you planning to go?"

"Moving firewood, what's wrong?"

"That's enough people adding firewood. Go get the last ingredient for the medicine!"

However, Zhou You was completely bewildered this time—he had only been in the alchemy room for a few minutes, how would he know where the medicinal ingredients were?

Seeing his expression, the person above stomped his foot angrily and shouted.

"How can you be so dazed? West side medicine cabinet, the third and sixth items in the 'A' category!"

This time, Zhou You didn't refuse. Instead, he turned around cleanly and quickly ran to the two medicine cabinets using his lightness technique, pulled them out, and took the medicine into his hand.

However, he was slightly taken aback when he got his hands on it.

He recognized the thing in the third medicine cabinet; it was the same living doll used when setting up the array in the barn. However, the one in his hand was clearly much more detailed, with lifelike features, and he could even see the look of fear and terror in it.

And the fifth
It was a black, slippery, jelly-like substance.

This one is also alive, but holding it in my hand evokes a strange feeling.

—It was a hazy illusion, a fleeting moment when Zhou You was transported back to his childhood, a carefree and innocent age, with his grandfather beside him. Though his aged face remained stern, it held a deep, loving affection.
He suddenly clenched his fist.

The illusion shattered—yet Zhou You's brow furrowed even deeper.

Although he was not the original body that descended, after such a long period of cultivation, ordinary illusions could no longer erode his spirit. How could this thing do that? And why does this thing look so familiar to him?

They don't seem to be native to this world; rather, they seem to be the followers of those outer gods.
—Using this thing as a medicinal ingredient, what kind of elixir are they trying to refine?
But just then, the urging voice came again!

"Are you going to get your medicine or take it? Why are you taking so long!"

Zhou You shook his head, shaking off the lingering discomfort, and then took a few more strides to reach the alchemy furnace.

"At the Azure Dragon's Mouth, throw the Blood Marrow Curse Puppet in; at the Vermilion Bird's Mouth, throw the Flesh Ganoderma out!"

Following the instructions, Zhou You identified the items, then climbed the suspended ladder and quickly jumped to the second floor, where he threw the two items into the injection port.

The fat-faced man paused for a few moments, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"You're pretty quick, kid. What were you doing before?"

He finally managed to say something complimentary, but before he could finish, the fat man's expression suddenly changed drastically.

"Wait, this is...the pills are going to be released ahead of schedule? You lot, if you don't want to die, get out of the way!"

The people below scattered instantly, and Zhou You, who had just come down, was dragged out by Senior Brother Chuan.

Then, the fat man made a hand seal and muttered something under his breath.

Zhou You tilted his ear, trying to make a closer sound, but without the enhanced senses from the Jing Shen's Food Song, he could only hear some indistinct murmurs.

The only relatively clear sentence is "there is".

"We respectfully request that you, sir, offer blood and food as a sacrifice, and use this as the foundation for enlightenment."

however.

After that, even if he wanted to listen again, he couldn't hear it clearly anymore.

A strange, eerie feeling, one that even sent chills down your spine, crept up your spine.

Right before Zhou You's eyes, the flames inside the furnace suddenly went out, and then he watched in disbelief as tiny red ice crystals rapidly covered the furnace body.

The next moment, the warning that the Three Pure Ones had given him in the incense hall echoed in his mind again.

—This is the strange thing in the sect.

Moreover, it's a supernatural entity that only appears at night!

Holy crap, something went wrong with this alchemy?
Zhou You's face was extremely ugly. He was about to turn away and run away with Lin Yunshao outside the door—but before he could move, Senior Brother Chuan grabbed him again.

"Junior brother, don't worry, this is a normal procedure. Without going through this process, the pill cannot be formed."

Zhou You initially didn't want to pay attention, but seeing that everyone around him looked normal and didn't show any fear, he stopped in his tracks.

And so, the crimson ice crystals climbed faster and faster, soon reaching the top of the furnace.
However, at that moment, the fat man at the top threw something out, which landed right behind the treasure vault below.

The ice crystals stopped instantly.

A chilling, chewing sound, like that of someone eating, could be heard.

The chewing sounds lasted for less than ten breaths, but at this moment they seemed extremely long. Everyone stared intently at the furnace until the ice crystals gradually faded, and then they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The fat man above laughed loudly and shouted.

"What are you all standing there for? The auspicious beast has already left, hurry up and get the pill!"

Several disciples ran over and happily opened the furnace door.

—The next moment, the strange, sweet smell became even stronger, almost tangible. Even when covered with a handkerchief, it seemed to linger and seep into the body through every pore.

Zhou You frowned, and silently used his Heavenly Dragon Bloodline to devour all those things.

Looking at the disciples, they had already taken out a plate of pills, each one of which was plated with gold and emitted a rich and strong fragrance.

The fat man had now scrambled down with a litheness that seemed disproportionate to his size, and his face lit up with a smile as soon as he saw the plate of pills.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, plus the ones from last time, we've made a total of fourteen this time! Great! This is a rare bumper harvest! Pass this on, the cafeteria will have extra food today and tomorrow, and all participating disciples will be rewarded!"

A cheer erupted from the side, and taking this opportunity, Zhou You asked his senior brother Chuan beside him.

"Senior brother, can you explain this?"

"Brother Chuan said with a smile."

"What's there to explain? It was just a coincidence that you lent a hand, Junior Brother. You wouldn't refuse to help with such a small favor, would you?" "I'm asking what exactly that pill is, and why did they invite the Great Ghost to refine it in the middle?"

Senior Brother Chuan, without holding back, scratched his head and laughed.

"Ah, you're asking about that? That pill is the Crimson Sun Pill, which can improve cultivation and prolong life. But don't even think about it, it's all for the martial uncles and sect leaders. As for why we invited the Great Ghost..."

Senior Brother Chuan looked at Zhou You with a caring gaze.

"Junior brother, don't you know? Most of the sects in our Five Elements Temple rely on the strange creatures offered by our sect to survive. You could say that the Five Elements Temple exists only because of these strange creatures. Without them, we would be finished tomorrow."

what?
However, after saying that, Brother Chuan did not offer any further explanation. Instead, he took three steps at a time and jogged over to the fat man, then rubbed his hands together and laughed.

"Master, why are you out here? Wasn't it supposed to be our eldest brother presiding over today's alchemy session?"

These words only fueled the fat man's anger.

"Don't mention that good-for-nothing! I originally wanted to let him try his skills, but who would have thought he almost ruined this batch of pills! Luckily, I noticed something was wrong and quickly chased him away, barely managing to save it."

Senior Brother Chuan paused for a moment, then his smile grew even brighter.

"What about the eldest senior brother?"

The fat man spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground.

"I've sent him to the dark room. If he dares to make another mistake, he'll be on night duty next time!"

After saying that, the fat man stopped paying attention and instructed the disciples next to him to divide the batch of pills into boxes before walking towards Zhou You.

—Only at this moment did Zhou You see what the fat man looked like.

To be honest, he wasn't particularly outstanding; his appearance was merely average, even somewhat ugly—probably due to excessive fat, making his features appear sunken into his face. Add to that the heat from the alchemy furnace, and the sweat mixed with grease... how to put it?
It's like a piece of pork belly that's just been cooked.

Meanwhile, Senior Brother Chuan quickly introduced them.

"Master, this is Junior Brother Zhou, he's from our sect."

"I know, I don't need you to remind me."

Upon seeing the fat man glance at him, Zhou You cupped his hands in a respectful bow.

"Disciple Zhou You greets Uncle-Master Yun Zhongzi."

The fat man—who was actually Yun Zhongzi—took a look at Zhou You and suddenly nodded in satisfaction.

"You're a good kid. Your skills are clean and efficient, and you know how to handle people. You're much better than your mysterious type."

Brother Chuan reminded him from the side.

"Master, Xuancheng."

"Yes, that Senior Brother Xuancheng is much stronger. No wonder Chongxu values ​​you so much. Alright, come in with me."

The fat man, whose Taoist name was Yun Zhongzi, led Zhou You to turn to the other side, while Senior Brother Chuan wisely did not follow.

Before long, the two arrived at a quiet room.

Yun Zhongzi found a soft cushion, plopped down on it, grabbed the teapot next to him, and without even taking a cup, gulped down a bellyful of tea.

After a while, accompanied by a satisfied "ha," Yun Zhongzi put down the teapot, turned his head, and waved to Zhou You.

"Where's what Chongxu gave you? Take it out."

Zhou You obediently took it out of his pocket and handed it over.

Yun Zhongzi took it, but instead of untying the rope on the outside, he casually scratched the middle with his fingernail.

Soon, the scroll also cracked.

A very ominous feeling welled up inside him—a warning from his instincts. Zhou You quickly lowered his head and took a few steps back.

However, in the fleeting corner of his eye, he still saw something.

Those were faces, one after another, that had once hung on trees, but now came back to life, crying and wailing, faces that had been used as paper.

Time passed little by little.

Yun Zhongzi carefully examined the words on the faces, his expression gradually changing from perfunctory to serious, and then back to a mocking one.

Finally, the mockery became so real that it was about to overflow.

“Interesting, very interesting. That Chongxu fellow is quite imaginative, finding this method. But it makes sense, that old hag’s methods are really disgusting, it’s hard to deal with without this. Alright, you don’t need to be a clay puppet anymore. Tell Chongxu that if he offers three times the price, I, Yun Zhongzi, will agree.”

Hearing this, Zhou You finally raised his head.

Yun Zhongzi had already put the case file away, but before sending Zhou You away, he scratched his head, as if he had thought of something, and said.

"By the way, I mentioned before that everyone who participates in the alchemy process will receive a reward, right?"

".Yes."

Yun Zhongzi laughed heartily.

"Alright, although you are not a member of our sect, considering that it is not easy for you to make this trip, I cannot go back on my word. How about this?"

He took out a vermilion brocade box, took something out of it, and then threw it over.

"Take this, consider it a reward from me."

Its appearance was golden and radiant; it was the extremely precious pill from the previous batch, which only senior uncles and senior masters could consume!
Zhou You hesitated for a few seconds, but still lowered his head.

"Disciple understands."

When he stepped outside, Lin Yunshao had been waiting for him for quite some time.

Aqua said that she was called away halfway through, so the little girl was left standing alone under a big tree.

When she saw Zhou You come out, she hurriedly went to greet him.

"Senior brother, it's me."

Zhou You chuckled and then gently patted her head.

"What, are you getting impatient? Well, something happened inside and caused a delay. How about this, I'll treat you to roast goose later as an apology?"

However, Yao Xiaoniang shook his hand away and pulled him out until there was no one around, then she whispered something.

"Senior brother, that's not what I meant. Someone just came over and specifically asked for you."

Zhou You paused for a moment, then asked somewhat strangely.

"Looking for me by name? That's strange, I don't know anyone in this alchemy room. What does that person look like?"

However, the little girl did gently shake her head.

"I couldn't see clearly. The person was wearing a long robe and a bamboo hat, so I couldn't tell who it was at all."

"Is it a man or a woman?"

"I don't know, the voice was very low, and it seemed like they deliberately made it hoarse."

Zhou You was increasingly confused.

"His actions were so secretive, did he leave me anything?"

This time, the little girl finally nodded and took out a book cover.

"He said he was giving this to my senior brother, and that it was enchanted. No, I didn't mean to peek at it. He just mysteriously told me to destroy it after I looked at it to avoid any future trouble."

Zhou You glanced at the faint light on the envelope—it wasn't some sophisticated seal, just a simple obstruction—after thinking carefully, he finally drew a talisman to unlock it.

Zhou You pulled out the paper, glanced at it a few times, and then his smile suddenly became bright.

"Senior brother, what's written inside?"

Lin Yunshao asked cautiously, but Zhou You just smiled and shook his head, then tore the letter into pieces and put them all in the safest place at the moment.

—Inside one's own stomach.

Then he said.

"It's nothing, just an interesting thing."

(End of this chapter)