The Marrow-Extracting Pill

Chapter 20: The Marrow-Extracting Pill

Although he had already left the cliff far behind, the faint echoes of the argument could still be heard. Han Li had no desire to concern himself further with how the dispute between Wang Dapang and Zhang Changgui would be settled.

Just thinking about Jin Dongbao standing there, frozen and dumbfounded, filled him with an irrepressible urge to laugh. At this moment, his mood felt lighter than it had in days, free of the stifling gloom that had followed him through the valley.

He emerged from the pine forest and headed deeper into the wilderness. After walking aimlessly for a while, a small, clear stream appeared before him.

Han Li glanced up at the scorching sun in the sky, then down at the gently flowing water. A bath in the stream seemed like a good idea.

He bent down and was just about to plunge his hands into the cool water when a series of pained groans drifted over from upstream.

Han Li was surprised. Someone else was here, in such a remote spot?

Following the sounds, he traced the stream’s course upstream. A figure in inner disciple robes was lying face-down at the water’s edge, his body twitching and limbs trembling uncontrollably.

One glance told Han Li this was an acute attack. If left untreated, it could be fatal.

He rushed over in a single bound, pulled a sandalwood case from his bosom, and opened it to reveal a gleaming set of silver needles. With swift, clean movements, he began inserting them into the man’s back at key acupoints.

He finished the back quickly, then turned the man over to work on his chest.

When the face was revealed, Han Li drew a sharp breath. This man on the verge of death was none other than Senior Brother Li, the same one who had just displayed such prowess on the cliff.

Han Li froze for a moment, then studied the face he had seen not long ago.

This was no longer the fierce, valiant victor of the arena. The once-cold visage was now twisted in agony, white froth spilling from the corners of his mouth. He was clearly beyond conscious thought.

Han Li recovered his composure and thought briefly. Then, without hesitation, he began to work, his silver needles flowing across the man’s body in a steady rhythm. He inserted dozens of needles in rapid succession. When he finally placed the last one, he wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a long breath. This emergency acupuncture treatment was a significant strain even for him.

When the man’s body was covered with a glittering array of fine needles, consciousness slowly returned.

“You are…” Senior Brother Li tried to speak, but lacked the strength to finish.

“I’m from Spirit Hand Valley. Don’t talk. Rest and recover your strength. I can only wake you temporarily. This illness of yours is strange. Only Doctor Mo could treat it, but unfortunately, he’s not on the mountain right now.” Han Li checked his pulse and frowned.

“The… medicine…” Senior Brother Li’s face showed urgent panic. His lips quivered as he tried to raise an arm, but failed.

“You have medicine on you for this?” Han Li understood immediately.

“Mm—” Senior Brother Li relaxed slightly, relieved that his meaning had been grasped.

Han Li wasted no time. He searched the man and found several items, singling out a small white jade bottle. Its fine craftsmanship and tight seal suggested it held something important.

He held up the bottle and glanced at Senior Brother Li’s expression. The man’s face lit up with relief, and he blinked frantically.

Han Li opened the lid. Instead of a medicinal fragrance, a thick, rank odor hit his nose.

His expression darkened instantly. He carefully tipped out a pink pill. It looked so pretty, yet smelled so foul—hard to believe.

“Is this the pill?” Han Li’s face had returned to its usual calm.

Senior Brother Li was too panicked to speak and could only blink.

“The Marrow-Extracting Pill,” Han Li said coldly, enunciating each word with unmistakable authority. “Refined from twenty-three rare ingredients, including He Lan, Scorpion Tail, and Century-Blue Ant Eggs. Finished pill: pink, with an unusual fishy stench. Consuming it drastically overdraws the body’s potential, trading future lifespan for present power. Am I correct?”

Senior Brother Li’s face turned paper-white. Panic flooded his eyes.

“Once taken, this pill requires repeated doses at set intervals. It inflicts unimaginable bone-marrow pain. If you stop, the least you risk is total paralysis; the worst is death. Even if you take it on schedule, within ten years of the first dose, you will die from the life force you’ve burned through.” Han Li continued without pity.

“You don’t need to tell me this pill isn’t the Marrow-Extracting Pill.” He paused.

Senior Brother Li’s face now showed the look of a man whose deepest secret had been exposed—utter despair mixed with disbelief.

“Surprised? This pill is extremely rare. How would I recognize it?” Han Li answered the unspoken question.

“The answer is simple. I’ve taken one myself.”

The words struck like thunder. Senior Brother Li’s shock was complete, and at first, he looked unconvinced.

“But I took it differently. I split a single pill into ten portions and used each one as a medicinal primer for other formulas. There were no harmful side effects. Because the pill’s appearance and its smell are so mismatched, it left a deep impression on me. I always thought no one else in the world would actually use this secret medicine. But it turns out there’s one right in our sect.”

As he spoke, Han Li looked at Senior Brother Li with a gaze that mixed respect and pity.

Senior Brother Li did not want to meet his eyes. He closed them gently, his chest rising and falling violently—betraying the turmoil within.

“You’ve been taking this pill for years. If you stop now, I could ask Doctor Mo to make a different secret formula for you. It won’t restore all your lost years, but it might give you another twenty or thirty. But you’ll lose your martial arts. If you keep taking it, judging by today’s attack, you’ve got maybe five or six years left. Your martial arts will advance faster than ever in that time, though. You’re clearly a man of resolve, since you dared to take this pill in the first place. The decision is yours. Keep it or throw it away?”