Chapter Forty-Four: A Hundred Ways to Die

Chapter Forty-Four: A Hundred Ways to Die (Page 1/3)

The Heart-Shattering Pill—what it was made from, no one could say. Upon entering the mouth, it released an exquisite fragrance.

But the true terror lay in what followed. Within the pill seemed to lurk a poison capable of corroding flesh. As soon as Fang Junmei swallowed it, his throat was first overcome with an unbearable itch, then a searing pain, as though every muscle and bone in his throat were being consumed by venom. The sensation was agonizingly real.

Because his spiritual awareness had been sealed, Fang Junmei was unable to investigate the state of his own body.

“Ah—!” Fang Junmei could not help but scream in agony, rolling on the floor as sweat poured from his brow in torrents.

“...Master, you’re not... planning to kill me, are you?” he rasped, his voice hoarse.

“Have you been resting too long? Or have your recent achievements gone to your head? Did you learn nothing from the previous trials? You can’t even endure a little pain like this. If I wanted you dead, you would have perished hundreds of times by now!”

Chunyu Qian regarded Fang Junmei’s suffering with a stern face, his words harsh and unyielding, offering not a drop of comfort.

With someone like Fang Junmei, words of encouragement were clearly useless.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Fang Junmei’s gaze deepened. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to endure, and his cries gradually subsided.

But the pill’s torment was far from over.

Once it had finished corroding his throat, it spread to his internal organs—liver, heart, lungs, and more—a new wave of pain, even fiercer and more excruciating than before.

Fang Junmei collapsed, convulsing on the ground, veins bulging all over his body, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets. The agony in his organs was as if he were being hacked to pieces.

Give up! Give up! I want to give up!

The urge to surrender surged in his heart. Never had Fang Junmei imagined that with just the sixth pill, he would already want to abandon the trial. The pain was so intense, even a man of iron could not withstand it.

“So soon, and you’re ready to give up?” Chunyu Qian’s gaze was piercing, as if he could see straight through Fang Junmei’s thoughts. His voice was cold as he spoke again.

That taunt reignited the defiance in Fang Junmei’s bones. He clenched his jaw and, eyes flashing, forced himself to resist.

“That’s more like it,” Chunyu Qian said coldly.

Fang Junmei’s eyes flickered with a trace of impatience. Today, Chunyu Qian was being unusually talkative. Though his words might help, they also distracted Fang Junmei and strained his concentration.

Time crawled by. The pain spread to every part of his body below the waist—a torment impossible to imagine without experiencing it firsthand. Blood was already seeping from where Fang Junmei’s teeth bit into his gums.

“Hold on, boy. Once you make it through this ordeal of flesh, the pain will lessen,” Chunyu Qian said again, well aware of the potency of his own concoction.
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“...Have you ever taken this yourself?” Fang Junmei forced out, his voice hoarse and tinged with a growl, finding Chunyu Qian’s voice more grating than ever.

Seeing he could still speak, Chunyu Qian relaxed and laughed. “It’s not some miraculous elixir. Why would I take it?”

“Then kindly shut up!” Fang Junmei finally roared, his expression twisted with pain, the veins on his forehead bulging like writhing worms.

For a moment, Chunyu Qian was stunned by the outburst.

“You little brat, to speak to me like that—if you weren’t in the middle of trying out my medicine, I’d kill you with a flick of my finger!” he muttered, face dark. After that, he truly fell silent, even closing his eyes as if to ignore Fang Junmei entirely.

Fang Junmei panted heavily, sweat pouring off him like rain as he fought the agony with sheer willpower.

At last, the corrosive force reached his head—the very seat of his will. Pain here would surely erode his very spirit.

The screams grew louder.

...

“When you can’t endure any longer, focus on someone you must surpass. Picture him, and you’ll last a little longer,” Chunyu Qian said again, having seemingly guessed what was happening. His tone was calmer this time.

The words struck Fang Junmei like a blow to the heart.

In his mind’s eye, the image of Gu Xijin—delicate yet imposing—appeared instantly, those dark, gem-like eyes staring at him, the hidden arrogance of a true prodigy radiating from his form.

It was him! Yes, it was him! He is the one I must surpass!

Fang Junmei’s mind, at last, shifted from the pill’s pain to another focus, his spirit and flesh feeling momentarily separated.

“You see him, don’t you? Keep him in your thoughts—surpass him!” Chunyu Qian, ever perceptive, could read Fang Junmei’s subtle changes and continued, his own expression finally stirred by hope. Today, he was more animated than ever.

He could not restrain himself.

The words echoed in Fang Junmei’s mind like an incantation.

I must surpass him! Surpass him!

Fang Junmei’s pupils, contracted by pain, began to widen with an unyielding resolve.

A low growl escaped Fang Junmei’s lips, carrying not only pain but also a fervent longing and pursuit.

“Yes, just like that!” Chunyu Qian murmured approvingly, his voice echoing through the great hall.
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But whether it was encouragement or scorn, neither could last forever.

Especially since Fang Junmei and Gu Xijin’s paths had crossed so rarely. There was only that single collision, like two stars. If Gu Xijin had ever delivered Fang Junmei a crushing defeat, perhaps Fang Junmei could have endured even longer.

As time passed, the image of Gu Xijin standing before him faded, until only those eyes remained, watching Fang Junmei.

Moments later, even those eyes dissolved into nothingness.

In an instant, his consciousness snapped back to reality.

“Ah—!” No sooner had he returned to the real world than Fang Junmei let out an anguished howl, so harrowing it sent shivers down the spine of any who heard it, as if he were enduring the cruelest torture imaginable.

Outwardly, his body showed no sign of injury, but inside, it was as if every drop of blood, every bone, every muscle, was being corroded—a pain unimaginable to anyone who had not experienced it.

If this corrosion was real, Chunyu Qian must harbor a darkness beyond all reckoning.

If it was an illusion, then Chunyu Qian’s mastery of alchemy was truly first-rate.

...

At this point, even Chunyu Qian clenched his fists, watching Fang Junmei intently, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

Time slipped by.

Suddenly, the pain ebbed away like a receding tide. Fang Junmei, who had been writhing, gradually calmed, his breathing slowing.

But his eyes were empty, as though blind, staring into space.

Chunyu Qian stood and walked toward the door. “The next torment hidden within this Heart-Shattering Pill is called ‘A Hundred Ways to Die.’ When the effects have passed, come out and meet me—then tell me, are you still yourself?”

Bang!

The great doors swung open. Chunyu Qian stepped out, leaving behind those cryptic words.

The doors slammed shut once more.

Under the glaring yellow lamplight, Fang Junmei was left alone, curled on the ground like the most wretched prisoner, his breath faint.