Chapter 148: Tang Xian's Miscalculation
While Chen Dong was recuperating, Tang Xian was in his room at the Military Suppression Department's base beneath the magnificent waterfall, seething with rage.
In the span of a single day, he had already smashed numerous items. He wasn't angry at anyone else—only himself.
His initial plan was to let Chen Dong escape, then lead the pursuit himself. During their brief clash, he had secretly marked Chen Dong with a tracking powder. Everything should have been under his control. Yet, to his utter disbelief, no matter how closely he followed the trail, he simply couldn't catch up. Chen Dong was just faster than him.
He gritted his teeth and pressed on, but then—in a clearing, of all places—he found traces of a helicopter. He was utterly dumbfounded. 'What the hell am I even chasing? The guy already flew away!'
Not only had his plan failed, but upon returning to the base, he could feel the contempt in the eyes of the Military Suppression Department personnel. Though they said nothing, their gazes all seemed to blame him for being sent flying by Chen Dong in a single move. He was a distinguished Banner Captain of the Tianjiang River Basin! When had he ever suffered such humiliation? He had failed to acquire the Mingxi Grass and now had to endure these looks of doubt. While there were three Banner Captains in the Tianjiang River Basin, only the Domain Lord ranked above him. Within the Military Suppression Department, his authority was immense.
'If I'd known this would happen, I should have just teamed up with Xu Zong to capture Chen Dong,' he thought. 'Then I could have figured out a way to take custody of him myself. That way, I wouldn't be facing these doubts, and my prestige would still be intact.'
A faint sense of self-blame crept into his heart. Such a golden opportunity, missed just like that. If Chen Dong used the Mingxi Grass, it would be too late for regrets. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Not only had he smashed everything in his room, but he had also taken his anger out on several of his subordinates.
Just then, one of Tang Xian's trusted subordinates ran into the room. "Banner Captain, good news!"
Tang Xian's face was grim. "What good news?"
"We know Chen Dong's whereabouts."
"Where? Don't tell me he went back to the Li Family?" Tang Xian asked hurriedly.
The subordinate replied, "No, he's at the Southern Border Zhang Family's residence."
"Where did you get this information? Why would he run all the way there? It's so far away."
"The intel came directly from the Zhang Family. Three people from the Purple Cloud Sect escaped with Chen Dong. One of them is named Kang Ming, and the Zhang Family sent a message asking us to drop the charges against him. The Zhang Family has always been our partner for medicinal pills and ingredients, and Kang Ming's crimes are in a gray area—not too severe, but not minor either. The officer who received the message didn't dare make a decision on their own, so they reported it to me. As soon as I heard, I immediately contacted the Zhang Family to ask if Chen Dong was with them. They gave me a clear confirmation, and I came straight here to report to you."
Tang Xian nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, a look of sudden realization on his face. "Chen Dong is seriously injured. He must have gone to the Zhang Family for treatment. We have to move fast! We need to get to the Zhang Family and capture him before he fully recovers. Send a message back to the Zhang Family. Tell them we need to discuss the matter. Stall them. At the same time, gather our men and set out for the Zhang Family's residence."
What he left unsaid was his fear: Chen Dong possessed the power of an External Manifestation master. If they arrived too late and Chen Dong had recovered from his injuries, it wouldn't matter how many men he brought—they might not be able to defeat him.
Meanwhile, Chen Dong took a medicinal pill and circulated his energy to heal for a moment. He coughed up three mouthfuls of black, stagnant blood. Although his aura grew weaker, his internal injuries had received timely treatment. For Chen Dong, all he needed was an hour or two of quiet cultivation to make a full recovery.
Two hours later, Chen Dong emerged from the quiet room, his eyes bright. He met Yang Mingshan's expectant gaze and nodded, ready to begin refining the Mingxi Condensation Pill.
Chen Dong sat down again beside the Pill Furnace. The Zhang Family had also summoned Old Ji and Zhang Baikou, along with a crowd of the family's core members.
The crowd watched from a distance, not daring to even breathe too loudly. They already knew what pill Chen Dong was about to refine.
Dozens of supplementary herbs were laid out beside Chen Dong. He began to process and purify them one by one. The Mingxi Condensation Pill was unlike other pills. The Mingxi Grass was the absolute primary ingredient, and the entire plant—root to flower—was usable. All the supplementary herbs existed only to support the Mingxi Grass, which was why they had to be processed first.
Watching Chen Dong's masterful and precise control of his True Qi and the exquisite technique with which he handled the herbs, the members of the Zhang Family were all inwardly astonished. Only their own ancestor was capable of such a feat.
One by one, the supplementary herbs were fed into the Pill Furnace, where they melted into four masses of medicinal liquid. Seizing the perfect moment, Chen Dong waved his hand and sent the Mingxi Grass into the furnace as well. The four liquids immediately enveloped the root, stem, leaves, and flower of the Mingxi Grass, respectively.
Chen Dong closed his eyes, his entire focus turned inward, constantly monitoring the fusion of the medicinal liquids and the Mingxi Grass. He navigated the process with an ease born of long practice, as if he had performed this refinement thousands of times before. At times he would increase the heat of the flame, then reduce it. Sometimes he would send a tremor of True Qi through the furnace to control the fusion, and other times he would use his True Qi to maintain a delicate stability.
After three long hours, the Mingxi Grass had completely fused with each of the four medicinal liquids. Now came the most critical moment: the four liquids had to be fused together. The slightest misstep at this stage would cause the furnace to explode, and all his efforts would be for naught.
Although Old Ji had never refined a Mingxi Condensation Pill herself, her experience told her that this was the single most difficult step in its creation. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists as she watched, filled with worry.
But for Chen Dong, this difficulty seemed not to exist at all. With a fluid and graceful surge of True Qi, the four masses of medicinal liquid merged into one.
Watching from the side, Old Ji's eyes went wide with disbelief. 'Four medicinal liquids with different properties... just fused together like that?!' she thought. A realization dawned on her: Chen Dong's skill in Alchemy was superior to her own.
Chen Dong, completely absorbed in his work, was oblivious to Old Ji's shock. He had already reached the final stage: Solidifying the Pill. His hands began to form a series of complex Pill Condensation Seals.