21: Chapter 21 Elder

After the assessment ended, Lu Chen did not return to the Pharmacy.

He stood on the steps at the entrance of the Assessment Hall, watching the crowd disperse. Those who passed had smiles on their faces, while those who failed walked away quickly with their heads bowed. Sun Qian had left at some point, and only the white-haired old man remained on the steps, tidying up the roster.

"Are you not leaving yet?" the old man asked without lifting his head.

"Waiting for someone."

"Waiting for whom?"

"Waiting for you to ask me."

The old man raised his head and looked at Lu Chen. His eyes were not bright, but very deep, like an old well with no visible bottom. He closed the roster, placed it on the steps, and clapped his hands.

"Ask you what?"

"Ask me why I was able to refine a superior quality pill."

"Then tell me, why?"

"Because of the Grey Spirit Root." Lu Chen said, "The Grey Spirit Root has strong perception and can feel every change in temperature inside the Pill Furnace. Where the fire is too strong, where it is too weak, and the extent to which the medicinal herbs have melted—I can feel it all."

The old man nodded.

"You are right. But not entirely right."

"Where am I wrong?"

"You are not the only one with a Grey Spirit Root." The old man stood up, pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped the dust off his hands. "In the history of the Danding Sect, there have been seven people with Grey Spirit Roots who practiced Alchemy, but not one of them refined a superior quality pill during their first assessment."

"Then what quality did they refine?"

"Inferior." The old man said, "One refined a medium quality one, but it took three years. You achieved superior quality on your first try; it's not because of the Grey Spirit Root, but because of something else."

"What else?"

The old man looked at him.

"During the assessment, someone tampered with your Pill Furnace."

Lu Chen's fingers curled slightly.

"You knew?"

"I knew." The old man said, "That spiritual energy barrier beneath the Pill Furnace was set by me."

Lu Chen stared at him for a few seconds.

"Was it you who tampered with it?"

"No." The old man said, "The barrier was set by me, but the person who injected spiritual energy into it was not me. That layer of the barrier was not intended to interfere with you, but to block someone else. Someone wanted to tamper with your Pill Furnace, and I stopped them."

"Who?"

"I don't know." The old man said, "The spiritual energy was very unfamiliar, not from anyone in the Danding Sect. At least not anyone I know."

"Someone from the outside?"

"It's possible." The old man said, "It's also possible it was someone from within the sect, but they used some method to alter the aura of their spiritual energy, making it unrecognizable."

Lu Chen was silent for a few seconds.

"Why did you help me?"

The old man did not answer immediately.

He turned around and looked at the Pill Furnaces in the Assessment Hall. The fires in the furnaces had already gone out, but residual heat remained on the furnace walls, glowing with a dark red light in the dim surroundings.

"Because I owe someone a favor." The old man said, "That person's surname is Zhou, and his name is Zhou Yuan. He is the Vice Hall Master of the Danding Sect's Alchemy Hall. You should have met him."

"Old Zhou?"

"Yes." The old man said, "He asked me to look after you. He said you have a Grey Spirit Root, just like him. He said the path you are walking is not easy, but if anyone can walk it to the end, that person is you."

"On what basis does he say that?"

"Because he said—you are more ruthless than him. Back then, when he cultivated to Qi Refining Level 3, he didn't dare to go any further, fearing the loss of friendship. You are not afraid. You did not stop."

Lu Chen did not speak.

The old man's gaze fell on the black thread on his left wrist.

"Whose thread is that?"

"A friend's."

"Do you still remember him?"

"I do."

"Then it will be soon." The old man said, "After Qi Refining Level 3, friendship will slowly disappear. It doesn't vanish all at once; it fades bit by bit. Today you forget a detail, tomorrow you forget a scene, and the day after you can't even remember the name. When you completely forget that person—the friendship is gone."

Lu Chen looked down at the black thread on his wrist.

"I know."

"You know, yet you are still moving forward."

"Yes."

The old man looked at him and was silent for a long time.

"Go to the Inner Sect." He said, "Elder Zhou is waiting for you."

Lu Chen turned to leave.

"Lu Chen." The old man called out to him.

He stopped.

"Remember one thing—after friendship is gone, the next to go is compassion. After compassion is gone, the next is—I don't know. Because no one who has reached that step has ever returned."

Lu Chen did not look back.

He walked down the steps, crossed the courtyard, and headed toward the mountainside.

The Inner Sect was on the mountainside.

From the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect, one had to climb three hundred stone steps. The steps were very wide, with pine trees planted on both sides. The trunks were so thick that it would take several people to encircle them. Pine needles covered the ground in a thick layer, feeling soft underfoot, as if stepping on cotton.

Lu Chen did not walk fast.

With every step, he could feel the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian rotating. The spiritual energy of Qi Refining Level 3 was more than twice as dense as Level 2, so dense that he could feel the direction the Spiritual Qi flowed through his Meridians—not turbulent, but following the path of the Meridians, cycling round and round.

When he reached the two-hundredth step, he stopped and looked back.

The Outer Sect was beneath his feet, the houses tiny, like building blocks. The Pharmacy was on his left, smoke rising from the roof; it was Old Zhou practicing Alchemy.

Further down was the Mountain Gate.

Further down still was the direction of Qingniu Ridge.

He couldn't see it.

It was blocked by the mountain.

But he knew it was there.

In that mountain, there was the Inverted Tower, the skeleton, Mo Wen's skull, and Wang Qishan's finger bone.

And Qin Wu.

He didn't know where he was.

But the thread was still there.

As long as the thread was there, the person was there.

Lu Chen turned his head and continued walking up.

The gate to the Inner Sect was an archway.

It was built of stone, with no door panels, just two pillars and a crossbeam. Engraved on the pillars were the words—"Inner Sect Disciple, No Entry Without Permission." A plaque hung on the crossbeam, inscribed with three characters—"Danxin Gate."

Standing behind the archway was a person.

Su Qing.

She was wearing a pale blue robe, with two jade plaques hanging from her waist—one engraved with "Danding" and the other with "Inner Sect." Her brown eyes were very clear in the sunlight, bright, as if there was water shimmering inside them.

"You're here?"

"I'm here."

"Elder Zhou is waiting for you." Su Qing turned and walked inside, "Follow me."

The Inner Sect was quieter than the Outer Sect.

There were not many houses, scattered across the hillside, each one far apart. The path was paved with gravel, crunching underfoot. Bamboo was planted along the roadside, and when the wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled, as if they were talking.

Su Qing walked in front, her pace neither fast nor slow.

"During the assessment, someone tampered with your Pill Furnace."

"I know."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I don't know."

"Neither do I." Su Qing said, "But I checked, and only three people could have entered the underground of the Assessment Hall that day—Sun Qian, Vice Steward Wang, and one Inner Sect Disciple. That Inner Sect Disciple's name is—Zhou Ran."

"Zhou Ran?"

"Elder Zhou's nephew." Su Qing said, "Qi Refining Level 5. He has high talent for Alchemy and is favored by the Inner Sect Elders, who are cultivating him as a priority."

Lu Chen's hand tightened slightly.

"Does Elder Zhou know?"

"No." Su Qing said, "I didn't tell her."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not sure if she is aware of it." Su Qing stopped and turned to look at him, "If she is aware, telling her would be alerting the enemy. If she is not aware, telling her would only put her in a difficult position. Regardless of the situation, it would do you no good."

"Then what do you think I should do?"

"Pretend you don't know." Su Qing said, "Continue refining your pills, continue your Cultivation. Wait for them to reveal their own flaws."

"What if they never reveal them?"

"Then wait." Su Qing said, "You have time. You don't have a Spiritual Root, but you have something they don't—you are not afraid of the cost."

Lu Chen looked at her.

"What about you? What are you afraid of?"

Su Qing did not answer. She turned and continued walking forward.

"We're here."

A two-story small building with white walls and black tiles. In front of the door was a sweet osmanthus tree with a thick trunk, clearly quite old. The door was open, and people were talking inside.

Su Qing stood at the door, not entering.

"She is inside. Go in yourself."

"You aren't coming in?"

"She didn't call for me." Su Qing said, "If I go in, it will be awkward for her to speak."

She turned and left.

Her footsteps were light and soon became inaudible.

Lu Chen pushed the door open and walked in.

The first floor was a small living room with tables and chairs. On the wall hung a painting—an old man sitting in front of a Pill Furnace, holding a cattail leaf fan in his hand, with a smile on his face. Beneath the painting was a line of small text: "Founder of the Danding Sect, Founder Zhou Ding."

Elder Zhou was sitting on a chair, holding a cup of tea. Seeing Lu Chen enter, she put the teacup down.

"Sit."

Lu Chen sat down.

Elder Zhou looked at him, her gaze very peaceful, not as if she were looking at a Grey Spirit Root servant, but more like she was looking at an old acquaintance she hadn't seen in years.

"I heard about the assessment."

"Heard what?"

"Superior quality. On your first try." Elder Zhou said, "Since the founding of the Danding Sect, you are the third."

"Who were the first two?"

"The first was the Founder Zhou Ding. The second was my Master."

Lu Chen was silent for a few seconds.

"Was your Master a Grey Spirit Root?"

"Yes." Elder Zhou said, "Qi Refining Level 5. Died in the third level of the Inverted Tower."

"Was it also the cost?"

"It was also the cost." Elder Zhou said, "After he lost compassion, he walked into the third level of the Inverted Tower and never came out."

"What is compassion?"

"It is the feeling for the suffering of others." Elder Zhou said, "Seeing others suffer makes one feel uncomfortable. That discomfort is compassion. After losing compassion, you will no longer care about others. It's not becoming cruel, but becoming indifferent. The life and death of others will have nothing to do with you."

Lu Chen thought for a moment.

"I still have it now."

"How much is left?"

"Not much. But it is still there."

Elder Zhou nodded.

"That is good. Compassion is your last line of defense. Once compassion is gone, you are no longer human."

"If not human, then what?"

"It is Dao." Elder Zhou said, "Without emotion or righteousness, without sorrow or compassion. There is only a goal, no emotion. That is not human; it is a rule."

Lu Chen did not speak.

He was thinking of the words Mo Wen said—"What dies is the person. What lives is the Dao."

The painting of the old man on the wall was looking at him.

Lu Chen stood up, walked to the painting, and looked at it carefully.

The old man in the painting had very bright eyes. Not the kind of brightness that is kind, but the kind that has seen through everything and cares about nothing.

"Did the Founder also lose compassion?"

"He lost it." Elder Zhou said, "But he went further. He reached the fifth level of the Inverted Tower, saw what was inside, and then came out. After coming out, he founded the Danding Sect."

"What is in the fifth level of the Inverted Tower?"

"I don't know." Elder Zhou said, "He didn't say. He only left one sentence—'Longevity exists, but the cost is yourself.'"

Lu Chen turned and looked at Elder Zhou.

"Do you believe it?"

"I believe it." Elder Zhou said, "Because I have seen what he left behind."

"What is it?"

Elder Zhou stood up, walked to the wall, and pressed a mechanism on the wall.

The wall split open.

It wasn't a real crack; a brick retreated inward by half an inch and then slid to the side, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside the compartment was something.

It was a bone.

A finger bone.

It was the same as the piece Lu Chen found in The Cave at Qingniu Ridge. Engraved on the bone was a character—"Repay."

"This is the Founder's relic." Elder Zhou said, "Before he died, he cut off his own finger, engraved this character, and left it for his descendants. It means—the cost of longevity requires repayment."

Lu Chen walked to the hidden compartment and looked at the finger bone.

It was exactly the same as the one in his bosom.

The size, shape, and the handwriting of the engraving—all looked like they were carved by the same person.

"Which one is this?" Lu Chen asked.

"The ninth one." Elder Zhou said, "Ten finger bones, each representing an emotion. The Founder left nine; the last one—is in the fifth level of the Inverted Tower."

Lu Chen's hand reached into his bosom and touched the finger bone.

"I have one here."

Elder Zhou's expression changed.

"You have one too?"

Lu Chen took the finger bone out of his bosom and placed it on the table.

The two bones were placed side by side.

The size was the same.

The shape was the same.

The engraved character was also the same—"Repay."

But the handwriting was different.

Lu Chen's piece had the character carved crookedly, as if carved by someone near death. Elder Zhou's piece had the character carved very neatly, with every stroke meticulous.

"They were not carved by the same person." Elder Zhou said, "The piece you have was carved by Wang Qishan. The piece I have was carved by the Founder."

"Did Wang Qishan also find the ten finger bones?"

"He found them." Elder Zhou said, "But he only found this one. As for the others, he didn't know where they were."

Lu Chen picked up both bones and placed them in his palm.

Two "Repay" characters.

One crooked, one straight.

Both were saying the same thing.

Cost. Repayment.

He looked at them for a long time, then put Wang Qishan's piece back into his bosom and returned the Founder's piece to the hidden compartment.

"Why did you show me this?"

"Because I want you to know—you are not the first person to walk this path." Elder Zhou said, "Before you, many have walked it. Some died, some gave up, and some reached the end. I want you to reach the end."

"Why?"

"Because I cannot reach it." Elder Zhou said, "I am a person with a Spiritual Root and cannot enter below the third level of the Inverted Tower. Only a Grey Spirit Root can enter. So—you walk it for me."

Lu Chen looked at her.

"And after reaching the end?"

"Tell me what is truly in the fifth level of the Inverted Tower."

Lu Chen was silent for a few seconds.

"Okay."

Elder Zhou nodded, closed the hidden compartment, and the brick slid back, returning to its original state.

"From today on, you are an Inner Sect Disciple. Not the official kind, but an external one. In my capacity as the Vice Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall, I am transferring you to work under me. Nominally, you are a medicine boy, but in reality, you are—my successor."

"Successor?"

"Yes." Elder Zhou said, "I will teach you Alchemy, Cultivation, and everything I know. You will go to the fifth level of the Inverted Tower for me."

Lu Chen looked at her.

"Are you not afraid I will die in the Inverted Tower?"

"I am." Elder Zhou said, "But this is the cost."

Lu Chen did not refute.

Because she was right.

This is the cost.

He stood up, walked to the door, and pushed it open.

The sunlight shone on his face, a bit blinding.

He squinted, looking at the distant mountain.

Qingniu Ridge was on the other side of the mountain, invisible.

But he knew it was there.

The Inverted Tower was there.

The ten finger bones were there.

The secret of the fifth level was also there.

He would enter.

He would walk to the end.

Then return.

Or—not return.

Regardless of the outcome, he would not stop.

Because this is the path he chose.

The black thread on his left wrist was clearly visible in the sunlight.

It was wrapped three times and had two knots.

The thread was still there.

The person was still there.

But Lu Chen knew that one day, he would forget Qin Wu.

Forget his face, forget his voice, forget the words he had spoken.

But the thread would not forget.

As long as the thread was there, the person was there.

He walked down the steps, crossed the gravel path, passed through the bamboo forest, and headed toward the direction of descending the mountain.

Su Qing was standing under the archway, waiting for him.

"Finished talking?"

"Finished."

"What did she say?"

"She said I am her successor."

Su Qing's expression changed.

It wasn't surprise, but something more complex—like envy, and also like worry.

"Did you agree?"

"I agreed."

Su Qing was silent for a few seconds.

"Do you know what this means?"

"I know." Lu Chen said, "It means I have to walk into the fifth level of the Inverted Tower."

"And then?"

"Then—either return, or not return."

Su Qing looked at him, her lips moved, wanting to say something, but didn't.

Finally, she only said one sentence.

"Don't die."

Lu Chen did not answer.

He walked down the stone steps, heading toward the Outer Sect.

Three hundred steps.

Step by step.

Not far.

But he knew, this path was much longer than these three hundred steps.

So long that he might not be able to finish it.

But he would still walk it.

Because this is the path he chose.

Tianxuan Calendar, 18th Year of Taiping, Summer.

Lu Chen, Qi Refining Level 3, Grey Spirit Root.

From an Outer Sect servant, he became an unofficial Inner Sect Disciple.

The successor of Zhou Yuan, Vice Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall.

The cost continues.

Friendship is not yet lost.

But it soon will be.

Before that—

he needs to keep moving forward.

Keep walking, until the end.