Li Huowang lay on the bed, wearing the hospital's specialized straitjacket. He looked up at the intravenous drip above him, seemingly waiting for something.
Then, the ward door squeaked open, and a voice called out, "Hey, Little Li, weren't you recovering well before? What happened so suddenly?"
Li Huowang's attending physician walked in, looking at him with a disappointed expression.
Upon hearing this, Li Huowang, whose head was wrapped in bandages, anxiously explained, "Doctor, they were the ones who attacked Yang Na first! I was forced to fight back to protect her!"
The doctor adjusted his glasses with his finger and said, "You call that fighting back? That was more like attempted murder! Liu Jianye is still in the ICU. Your kick nearly killed him. You've spent quite some time here and should know how the others are. Did you really not consider Master Liu's condition before you acted? I thought you were a sensible kid."
Thinking of the frightened Yang Na, Li Huowang remained indignant. "So what if he has a mental illness? Does that give him a free pass to do whatever he wants? If I had to choose between Yang Na being harmed or going to prison, I'd choose the latter without hesitation."
"You—" Hearing Li Huowang's retort, the attending physician was momentarily at a loss for words.
Finally, he just sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. The hospital director has called the families of both parties. You don't need to worry about these matters anymore."
Upon hearing that, Li Huowang turned away and curled toward the other side of the bed, where no one could see his face, contemplating whether the jade pendant worth 400,000 would be enough for compensation.
However, he wasn't overly worried. Now that he knew the pills were effective, Li Huowang suddenly felt that he had many new choices in life.
Sensing his young patient's low spirits, the doctor tried to console him. "Little Li, don't worry. You won't be sent to jail. The hospital can issue a certificate for you. Focus on recovering, and we'll take care of the rest."
Li Huowang sensed the concern in his tone and replied, "Thank you, Doctor."
"There's no need to thank me; after all, I'm still your attending physician. And I have to care more for you, especially since you're so young." Li Huowang felt the doctor pat his shoulder.
"But Little Li, tell me the truth. How did you manage to injure them to that extent? That's not something an average person can do. Were you in a normal state, or were you having a stress-induced hallucination?"
Li Huowang's heart skipped a beat, his attention drawn to his shirt pocket. "That was me."
"I specialize in psychology and have some expertise in this area. Think carefully before you answer. Don't try to hide your illness. I especially hate it when my patients deceive me."
Though the doctor's tone was friendly, Li Huowang could sense the heavy atmosphere in the room.
What should I do? I can't let him know about those pills.
Just as Li Huowang anxiously tried to find a way out of the situation, his surroundings began to blur, and the doctor's voice grew faint.
A few seconds later, he found himself once again in a hallucination, lying on the stone bed inside Xuan Yang's solitary cave.
He sat up, supported his head, surveyed the sparse furnishings around him, and smiled.
Hehe, no matter what happens, this is also a way out.
This time, he didn't plan to return quickly—especially if the doctor was the one waiting for him.
He stepped out of his room and saw fellow disciples entering and leaving the cave's passageways. His mind began to plan his next moves.
Since those pills were effective, he knew he couldn't be careless anymore. He had to manage his standing here properly and maximize the benefits he could gain.
Fortunately, his status had been elevated from a mere drug ingredient handler in the Preparation Room to one of Baldy's official disciples. This allowed him much more freedom.
When he saw a bearded man also wearing Taoist robes walk by, Li Huowang's eyes gleamed, and he immediately chased after him, shouting, "Senior, Senior!"
The bearded Taoist turned and saw it was Li Huowang calling him. He replied indifferently, "Junior Xuan Yang, what is it?"
Li Huowang imitated their tone. "I've just become Master's disciple and would like to receive Senior's guidance. What should I be doing next?"
"Forgive my bluntness, but even though you were accepted by Master himself, your seniority is the lowest. For now, you'll just run errands within Zephyr Temple. Only inner-circle disciples have the privilege of learning the cultivation of immortality from Master. You're not qualified yet. For now, follow me and wait outside the pill room."
"Cultivation of immortality?" Li Huowang muttered. He had never heard of an immortal using humans to refine pills for their own ascension.
"Can Master really become an Immortal?"
The bearded Taoist gave a self-satisfied look and said, "Of course. Master even has supernatural powers. Just serve him well."
From talking to this senior named Xuan Yin, Li Huowang gained a clearer understanding of the hierarchy within the Taoist Temple. There were five official disciples, one personal disciple, and one temple master—Dan Yangzi himself.
Aside from them, the rest were auxiliary staff—cooks, drug ingredient handlers in the Preparation Room, and young assistants doing miscellaneous work. Altogether, there were around 180 people.
It was the first time Li Huowang truly understood this Taoist academy. There weren't many people, especially after the last batch of disciples died.
While they were conversing, the pill furnace appeared before Li Huowang again, bringing with it a heavy, suppressive aura. White smoke wafted faintly from within—it was clearly in use.
This time, Dan Yangzi was accompanied by his inner-circle disciple, who wore a gloomy expression.
After waiting with Xuan Yin, Li Huowang was assigned his task. It was the same as the previous Xuan Yang's—retrieving ingredients and maintaining the inventory in the Preparation Room.
Li Huowang arrived at the Preparation Room, which was covered in white dust. The workers inside looked at him with nervous expressions tinged with fear.
A young girl with albinism initially stepped forward eagerly but stopped midway and slowly backed away without saying anything.
His status had changed—from fellow oppressed to potential oppressor.
Li Huowang looked at them as his mind whirred. The dynamics had shifted, and perhaps he could use this to his advantage.
"Um, do you guys have any money on you?" he asked.
The question left everyone stunned.
"Money, don't you get it? Silver, gold, or jade—anything will do," Li Huowang asked again.
Truth be told, he really did need money now. It was unclear how much compensation Old Liu would demand, and his family came from an ordinary background. If it was too high, his mom might even have to sell their house. Hence, his urgent need for funds.
"Since you can't spend it here, better to give it all to me as protection fees. I'll cover for you from now on."
His words were blunt and clear, and everyone understood. They began to search their pockets. They weren't begging for protection—just hoping he wouldn't bully them after they handed over their things.
A blackened, shattered silver piece the size of half a thumb; a copper hairpin; around forty round copper coins with square holes—this was his haul.
Li Huowang sighed when he saw it all. He had miscalculated. These people didn't have much money at all. Compared to this junk, even his medical insurance might be worth more.