Chapter 21: The Drug Makes People Fierce

The medicinal garden outside the village was vast, filled with spirit herbs the Apothecary had found over the years in the Great Ruins. These herbs had long made the villagers envious, but the Apothecary kept many dangerous insects in the garden, deterring anyone from attempting to steal them.

The Great Ruins were rarely trodden by humans, and spirit herbs were abundant there, including many rare and precious varieties. Over the years, the Apothecary had collected countless rare and exotic plants, transplanting them into his garden. He rarely used these spirit herbs, but now he had finally decided to use them on Qin Mu!

It was well-known that the Apothecary had discerning taste; all the spirit herbs he collected were rare treasures. Even a single one could cause a sensation if taken outside, so the Apothecary was undoubtedly making a significant sacrifice.

The bonfire slowly died down. The villagers returned to their homes to rest, and Qin Mu also went back to his room, sleeping in the outer chamber. He soon fell into a deep sleep. Granny Si pulled up his blanket, then looked at the boy's sleeping face, a loving smile appearing on hers.

“My Mu’er…” she murmured. “Whether you have the Overlord Body or not, you are the child I raised. I won’t let anyone or anything harm you!”

She was still sharp-witted. From the expressions of the Village Chief and the Apothecary during the bonfire celebration, she had discerned many things, but she chose not to speak of them.

Tiptoeing, she walked to the inner room and went to sleep.

The next day, the Blind Man excitedly burst into the house, bamboo staff in hand, shouting, “Mu’er, get up quickly! It’s morning, and the Apothecary…”

“This old woman isn’t even out of bed yet, Blind Man! How dare you peek!”

With a thunderous crash, Qin Mu opened his groggy eyes. He saw the Blind Man fly out of Granny Si’s room, arc through the air, and disappear out of the village; no one knew where he landed.

“Grandpa Blind is truly amazing!” Qin Mu exclaimed. The Blind Man was still holding his bamboo staff, sitting cross-legged with an innocent expression, even as he was sent flying.

Qin Mu got up, dressed, washed, and made breakfast. After eating with Granny Si and washing the dishes, he saw the Blind Man excitedly running back from outside the village. “You old hag, that kick was brutal! I almost couldn’t find my way back!” he yelled. “Mu’er, come quickly! The Apothecary has prepared a medicine for you!”

Granny Si’s face was grim as she glared fiercely at the Blind Man. She stood up and hobbled away, saying, “I’m going to Dragonmount City to do some trading, Blind Man. Qin Mu is in your care for the next few days. If even a single hair on his head is missing when I return, I'll hold you responsible! Master Ma, Master Ma, is the ox cart ready? Cripple, is the bamboo raft tied down?”

Qin Mu immediately followed the Blind Man to the Apothecary’s shop. Before even entering, he was hit by a strong scent of medicinal herbs. Inside, a large vat hung in the air, surrounded by several vermilion birds. Flames blazed between their feathers, heating the vat's exterior to a fiery red, while a bubbling sound emanated from within.

“Mu’er, this is your medicine,” the Apothecary said.

Seeing Qin Mu arrive, the Apothecary took out the last ingredient—a green leaf—and dropped it into the large vat. As soon as the leaf touched the liquid, the boiling medicinal concoction instantly became incredibly viscous.

With a flick of his hand, the Apothecary made the large vat spin rapidly. Then, clinking sounds echoed from within, and the full vat of medicine transformed into half a vat of white pills. They rolled around, clinking against each other with a metallic crispness.

The Apothecary waved his hand, and the vermilion birds flew out through the window lattice, disappearing from sight.

The large vat settled onto the ground. Qin Mu gasped, “Grandpa Apothecary, am I supposed to eat so many pills today?”

“If you ate all of them, you’d die,” the Apothecary replied unhurriedly.

“This batch of medicine, though it’s the lowest grade of Vitality-Solidifying Pills, is made from the finest spirit herbs,” the Apothecary explained calmly. “One pill of mine is equivalent to a hundred pills from other apothecaries. You can only take one or two at a time, no more.”

Qin Mu was skeptical. In the past, the Apothecary had given him various strange medicines, always a full bowl each time. Could one tiny pill now really be so potent?

The Blind Man was also doubtful. “Street charlatans all claim one pill is worth a hundred,” he said. “Is your medicine really that strong? It does smell quite good, though.”

The Apothecary gave a sinister smile. “Why don’t you try eating the whole vat of medicine then?”

“Mu’er, why don’t you grab a handful and try them?” the Blind Man coaxed.

Qin Mu, however, was not easily swayed. He simply picked up one pill and put it into his mouth.

As soon as the spiritual pill entered his stomach, he immediately felt something was wrong. It was as if hundreds of fire, water, metal, and wood dragons were churning inside his abdomen. His body kept changing—tall then short, fat then thin. Sometimes a layer of ice formed on his skin, sometimes smoke rose from his clothes. At other times, his clothes seemed to sprout, and the fur on his animal-skin attire grew wildly. Then, his clothes would turn metallic, and even his skin would become rigid, as if his entire body were forged from metal!

What was even more terrifying was that sometimes all these different symptoms erupted simultaneously, making Qin Mu suffer immensely.

With a muffled groan, he immediately activated the ‘Three Elixirs Overlord Body Art’ to use his vital qi and neutralize the potent medicinal effects!

The Blind Man’s face changed dramatically. “Apothecary,” he blurted, “this Vitality-Solidifying Pill doesn’t seem ordinary!”

“Correct,” the Apothecary said with a sinister smile. “Ordinary Vitality-Solidifying Pills come in four types: Fire Elemental Pill, Water Elemental Pill, Metal Elemental Pill, and Wood Elemental Pill.”

“Vitality-Solidifying Pills are designed for the four vital qi attributes of the four major spirit physiques, nourishing and supplementing their vital qi,” the Apothecary explained with another sinister smile. “However, Mu’er’s Overlord Body vital qi has no specific attribute. So, I used a compromise: I refined spirit herbs of all four attributes into this single Vitality-Solidifying Pill. It contains all four attributes, and it might just stimulate the power of his Overlord Body vital qi. Only Mu’er’s Overlord Body vital qi can absorb and neutralize this spiritual pill. If you had eaten this whole vat of pills just now, heheh…”

The Blind Man shivered. With four conflicting vital qi attributes, if he had consumed them, he might have lost two or three tenths of his cultivation. Of course, that was the consequence of eating an entire vat; a single pill wouldn't have severely harmed him.

“Apothecary, are you refining a tonic or a poison?” the Blind Man mumbled.

Suddenly, Qin Mu let out a cry and dashed off, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The Blind Man couldn't help but worry, “With four conflicting attributes, will Mu’er be alright?”

“He’s just digesting the medicinal effects; no need to worry,” the Apothecary reassured him.

Although the Apothecary said this, he was secretly a little uneasy. After all, it was his first time improving the Vitality-Solidifying Pill, his first time refining the improved version, and the first time anyone had ever consumed it. He wasn’t entirely sure about its precise potency, potential side effects, or whether it might even prove fatal.

Of course, he couldn't voice these thoughts, or Granny Si would surely fight him to the death.

In the distant forest, Qin Mu’s roars echoed, followed by the crashing sound of trees toppling.

The Apothecary’s eye twitched. “He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Listen, he’s as strong as a dragon and fierce as a tiger now!”

“Young people certainly have a lot of energy,” the Blind Man sighed.

In the mountains and forest, Qin Mu sprinted through the trees. His fists and feet moved with lightning speed as he wildly punched and kicked, striking and demolishing tree after tree. A large tree that would take two people to embrace could withstand only three punches and two kicks before being snapped clean by him!

It was excruciating.Too excruciating!

The Apothecary’s Vitality-Solidifying Pill was simply too potent. Even while activating the ‘Three Elixirs Overlord Body Art’ as he ran, he couldn’t fully neutralize its effects. He felt as though his body was about to burst from the internal pressure. He had no choice but to furiously unleash the martial arts taught to him by the Cripple and Master Ma, expelling the excess medicinal energy!

Within his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, his tiny humanoid spirit embryo was also frantically breathing in and out, absorbing the surging vital qi and purifying it. This miniature Qin Mu was panting from exhaustion.

“Little runt, die!”

Suddenly, the forest trembled. A furious demon ape rose from the trees, roaring and bellowing. Its mountain-sized fist slammed down toward Qin Mu, who was still ravaging the forest!

It turned out that Qin Mu, dazed by the medicine’s power, had unknowingly entered the demon ape’s territory once again. Seeing that the intruder was this same little runt, and as the saying goes, "enemies meet with heightened fury," the demon ape immediately attacked Qin Mu without hesitation!

Qin Mu’s eyes turned bloodshot. He suddenly looked up, the medicinal power within him erupting wildly, making his vital qi feel as if it would explode. He actually leaped forward, punching directly at the demon ape’s fist!

Boom—

A dull thud resonated. Qin Mu was sent flying backward, breaking several large trees consecutively. The demon ape leaped forward excitedly, raising its leg in a whip-like sweep, aiming for Qin Mu, who had just landed. Its massive leg seemed like a dark, towering pillar crushing down on him!

Qin Mu roared in anger. In an instant, he unleashed countless consecutive kicks, striking the demon ape’s massive legs at the points where muscle and tendon connected. The demon ape immediately felt the strength drain from its leg, and without a word, it slammed a fist down from above.

Qin Mu raised his arms to block, but was again sent stumbling backward.

The demon ape closed in, its fists and legs whistling through the air, stirring up gusts of wind as it attacked Qin Mu. Qin Mu, as if driven mad, met the monstrous beast head-on, unflinching even when at a disadvantage.

The demon ape grew even more furious and began to fight wildly, raining punches and kicks upon Qin Mu, each blow heavier than the last.

The man and the ape, one large and one small, left a trail of fallen trees and scattered rocks wherever they went.

Suddenly, Qin Mu leaped like a dart, sprinting along the demon ape’s arm, and in the next moment, he was directly in front of its face.

Thousand-Handed Buddha!

His two arms seemed to multiply into dozens, striking out with blurred afterimages. Dozens of fists relentlessly hammered the demon ape’s soft, fleshy nose.

The demon ape cried out in pain, tears streaming down its face, and fell backward. It swung a huge palm, fiercely slapping Qin Mu and sending him flying!

The demon ape scrambled back to its feet, nose still bleeding profusely. Its gaze swept over to see Qin Mu sprawled against the cliff face in a wide ‘X’ shape, as if embedded in the rock. Feeling quite satisfied, it grunted, “Little runt, die.”

The little runt embedded in the cliff face suddenly twitched. Then, pushing off with both arms, he broke free from the ‘X’-shaped imprint and charged at the demon ape like a madman.

Startled, the demon ape pounded its chest with both fists, roaring as it leaped forward to meet Qin Mu: “Little runt! Die!”