Chapter 023: The Alchemy Deity, Cang Hao

Little White tilted its fluffy head, scratching its ear with a forepaw. Its bright eyes darted about, as if pondering something, or perhaps trying to recall a distant memory.

Mu Tianhen dared not make a sound, afraid of disrupting Little White’s thoughts—if he interrupted and missed a crucial detail, he might make a fatal mistake.

After about three breaths, Little White finally stopped, looked up at Mu Tianhen, and spoke, “Master, I remember now. My parents once said that you must remove all your clothing, and then step directly inside.”

“As for what happens afterward, they didn’t say—perhaps they didn’t know either.”

Hearing this, Mu Tianhen was stunned. To strip bare was acceptable, since there were no outsiders here and nothing to be embarrassed about. But not knowing what would happen upon entering—that was unsettling.

It wasn’t that he suspected Little White’s parents of ill intent, but their ignorance meant great risk. If some unscrupulous figure had set this up, would it not be a one-way path with no return?

Yet, having come this far, he couldn’t bear to give up. All he could do was steel himself and try. Of course, Mu Tianhen made thorough preparations, placing his black-iron sword at the edge of the formation-like area, just in case.

Then, he loosened his robes, removed his garments in a few swift motions, standing with nothing to cover his proud and alluring physique. Even Little White, the fox, stared wide-eyed, unblinking.

He drew a long breath, then circulated his inner energy, and stepped forward, crossing into the square-shaped zone.

Suddenly, the runes within the area blazed to life, shining with dazzling golden light that rose into the air, forming a sealed, spinning barrier.

At the same time, an inexplicable and powerful force surged from within, pulling Mu Tianhen in.

The abrupt force shocked him, and he instinctively reached for his black-iron sword. But as soon as his hand touched the barrier, it was repelled—he couldn’t reach through.

“Master! Are you alright?”

Outside, Little White was frantic, crying out anxiously, its eyes fixed on Mu Tianhen within.

Mu Tianhen, yanked downward by the immense force as if caught in a giant vortex, could not resist. Nevertheless, he smiled and waved at Little White, signaling that he was unharmed.

Yet, seeing the veins bulging across Mu Tianhen’s body as he strained, how could Little White believe all was well? It ran in circles, desperate and helpless, unable to do anything but pace anxiously.

A deep buzzing resounded from within, and then a pillar of golden light burst from the ground, brighter than the sun, completely enveloping Mu Tianhen and obscuring him from Little White’s sight.

The golden light came and went in an instant, fading within a single breath. The runes forming the barrier vanished as well—and so did Mu Tianhen.

The world returned to silence, broken only by the gentle rustling of wind through flowers and grass.

Little White shrieked and dashed forward, digging madly at the earth, sending yellow dust flying everywhere. Its tender paws quickly began to bleed, but it ignored the pain, continuing to claw at the ground and cry out.

But its cries were met with only silence.

Its small paws were soon raw and bloody, staining the earth red—a sight to make one’s heart ache with sorrow.

At that moment, Mu Tianhen, wrapped in golden light, arrived in a strange underground space—a man-made cavern deep beneath the earth.

The cave was small, the walls lit by flickering candlelight as bright as day. The furnishings were sparse: just a single stone table at the center, upon which rested three small cauldrons of indeterminate age.

Yet these were not what first drew Mu Tianhen’s gaze. His eyes were fixed on two human skeletons, lying not far from the stone table.

The skeletons were perfectly intact, close together as if they had once pressed tightly against one another. One was black, one white—a stark contrast.

As Mu Tianhen approached, he realized these were not lovers, as he had first supposed, but mortal enemies.

The black skeleton clutched a rusted short sword, its blade thrust into the white skeleton’s heart, wedged between the ribs, nearly piercing through. The white skeleton, in turn, had one hand gripping the black skeleton’s sword arm, fingers curled inward as if trying to bore into the flesh.

Their other hands, black and white, were locked in a grasp, each restraining the other.

Mu Tianhen sighed inwardly, feeling certain these two had been bound by an irreconcilable hatred. Otherwise, why would they rather die than let the other live?

He looked at the skeletons for a moment, then dug two small pits nearby with a stone shard and buried them separately. The dead deserved respect; he could do this much for them.

Just as he finished and turned toward the stone table, he noticed something protruding from the freshly turned earth—a patch of something soft.

He reached out and pulled it free: it was a sizable piece of sheepskin, covered with writing.

Fortunately, the script was not in some ancient form—he could read it easily. He read aloud:

“My name is Cang Hao, an alchemist whom the world mistakenly calls the God of Elixirs. I have lived for more than five centuries.

On my recent travels, I found three ancient cauldrons: the Dragon Cauldron, the Tiger Cauldron, and the Ox Cauldron—treasures for alchemy, a rare blessing for all.

Yet, I was beset by invaders from Longteng who sought to seize the cauldrons. We battled fiercely, ending up here. Determined to slay the villain, I laid traps inside and out, entrusting their secret to the spirit fox couple.

Later, I built this underground chamber to lure the thief within and destroy him. Greedy for treasure, he followed me in, and was poisoned—his life would last only a few days.

Alas, the villain was powerful and skilled in antidotes. My plan failed to kill him. Pursued and gravely wounded by his hand, I am now at death’s door.

I spent my last ounce of strength to stun him briefly, hastily recording these events, and resolved to rest here with him, that the world might be spared his evil. I hope that a destined one will come, inherit my knowledge, and bring blessings to the world.”

Though brief, the note told all that needed telling. As for how he ultimately died, that could not have been written in advance.

But Mu Tianhen surmised that, in the final struggle, the villain managed to stab Cang Hao through the heart, while Cang Hao in turn drove a lethal poison from his fingernails into his foe.

Thus, both perished here, leaving behind the three cauldrons.

Mu Tianhen did not immediately claim the cauldrons, but continued to dig. Sure enough, he unearthed another sheepskin scroll—Cang Hao’s life’s work: The Secret Tome of the Alchemy God.

He put the tome away, then returned to where he had buried the bones and bowed deeply to Cang Hao. Next, he exhumed the black skeleton, shattered it to powder with a burst of energy, and scattered the dust.

One who invades my empire and offends my people deserves no rest in the earth.

Only after completing these tasks did Mu Tianhen approach the stone table, and carefully study the three ancient cauldrons.