Transmigrated As A Cannon Fodder Sacrifice, I Tricked An Evil God Into Becoming My Live-In Husband - Chapter 13

Zheng Qiuyu, cradling Zhuohuo, stepped into the grand hall.

The hall was dimly lit, its interior divided into alternating patches of light and shadow by towering pillars. A peculiar aroma permeated the air—a blend of ancient wood and aged medicinal herbs—so thick it felt like solidified lead, pressing heavily on everyone’s shoulders.

Dozens of gazes, like probing searchlights, pierced through the hall, scrutinizing her with undisguised suspicion and curiosity, determined to dissect this uninvited guest inside and out.

One gaze, the sharpest of them all, pierced her brow like an ice-tempered needle.

It came from an elderly man in black robes seated beside the main dais. His gaunt frame seemed to sink into the wide chair. His withered face was etched with wrinkles deep enough to trap mosquitoes, yet his eyes burned with an unnerving intensity, like those of a hawk, fixed relentlessly on the person in her arms.

Elder Li’s voice echoed in her mind, hushed and tinged with barely perceptible nervousness.

That’s Zhang Xuan, the ‘Pill Maniac’ of Pill Peak, also known as the ‘Pill Madman.’ No one in the sect dares cross him. Be careful.

Zheng Qiuyu nodded almost imperceptibly.

The trial had begun.

Elder Li cleared his throat and stepped forward, offering a brief introduction. His words subtly vouched for Zheng Qiuyu, emphasizing her lack of malice and her sole desire to obtain medicine.

Yet Elder Zhang Xuan of Pill Peak didn’t so much as lift an eyelid.

His sharp gaze slowly swept from Zheng Qiuyu’s tattered, bloodstained robes to the barely breathing Zhuohuo cradled in her arms. Finally, he let out a faint, grating hum, like two pieces of dry wood rubbing together—harsh and cutting.

You claim your husband suffered a severe injury to his vital essence while saving you.

His voice, as dry as his demeanor, carried no discernible emotion, yet each word scraped against the eardrums like a small knife.

May I ask, what Pill Formula did you use to prolong his life?

He paused, a mocking twist tugging at the corner of his lips.

Feel free to share it. This old man would be happy to offer his appraisal.

The moment these words left his lips, the faint murmurs that had filled the hall vanished instantly, leaving it so silent a pin could be heard dropping.

Every gaze in the hall, like a spotlight, converged on Zheng Qiuyu.

This was a perfect, inescapable trap.

If she named any Pill Formula, whether real or fake, the old monster before her could find a hundred flaws in its pharmacology, compatibility, or refinement process, branding her as a charlatan seeking attention.

Zheng Qiuyu’s heart slammed against her ribs, nearly leaping out of her throat.

What did she know about Pill Formulas?

She couldn’t even identify ten herbs in this world, let alone name them. One wrong word, and she’d be done for.

She lowered her gaze, her long lashes casting a small shadow that concealed the fleeting panic in her eyes.

No, she couldn’t panic.

She took a deep breath. When she looked up again, her expression had transformed into a sorrowful disdain, as if offended by the ignorance of commoners, mixed with the haughtiness of one who refused to deign to explain.

My husband’s injuries cannot be healed by ordinary pills.

Her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn’t slept for days, utterly exhausted yet radiating an unwavering resolve.

Pill Formulas are mere superficial techniques. The true essence lies in the Pill Principles.

Her words stunned not only the other elders but even Elder Li, who stood beside her, his face blank with confusion.

Pill Principles?

What was that? Wasn’t pill refinement all about the Pill Formula, medicinal ingredients, and precise control of heat?

Zheng Qiuyu gave them no time to ponder. She tightened her grip on Zhuohuo’s arm and shifted her tone, her voice soft yet remarkably clear, resonating throughout the grand hall.

I have observed your sect’s pills. While they are rich in spiritual energy, they focus solely on the domineering power of the ‘Chief Ingredient,’ prioritizing rapid efficacy while neglecting the harmonious balance of the ‘Assistant, Adjuvant, and Messenger Ingredients.’ This is a cardinal sin in pill refinement, akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.

She had repackaged the Chief, Assistant, Adjuvant, and Messenger Ingredients theory—a concept she had heard so often in modern Chinese medicine classes that her ears nearly grew calluses—as a long-lost, profoundly mysterious ancient Pill Principle.

The effect was astonishing.

A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Several elders, also clad in Pill Refiner robes, exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with awe.

Chief, Assistant, Adjuvant, and Messenger Ingredients… unheard of, yet… it almost makes sense?

Could this be some kind of ancient inheritance?

Zheng Qiuyu keenly observed their reactions, gaining confidence. She continued, thinking, Since I’ve already painted the picture, might as well make it grander and more complete.

All things in the universe are interconnected, balanced by opposing forces. Energy, too, requires equilibrium. The human body’s essence is like a delicate porcelain vase, now riddled with cracks. Forcing it to be filled with domineering medicinal pills would be like pouring boiling water into an already fractured vessel—it would only hasten its collapse.

She lowered her voice, her gaze sweeping across their thoughtful expressions.

True healing lies in ‘guiding,’ not ‘filling.’

This theory was a devastating blow to the ancient pill refiners, who were deeply entrenched in traditional alchemy. It was novel, unique, and seemed to resonate with a profound cosmic principle they had never grasped.

The elders present, including Zhang Xuan, who had initially challenged her, fell into deep contemplation. For a moment, the hall was filled only with the heavy breathing of the crowd.

Zheng Qiuyu let out a small sigh of relief, her back already drenched in cold sweat.

It seems I’ve managed to bluff them for now.

At that moment, a cold glint flashed in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as his sharp gaze locked onto her once more.

Fine words! he sneered, shattering the silence with a voice like the hoot of a night owl. Anyone can spout empty theories. It’s all just smoke and mirrors!

He abruptly reached into his robes and pulled out a yellowed, tattered scroll of animal hide, slamming it onto the nearby table with a resounding thud.

The heavy impact startled everyone present, as if the blow had struck their hearts rather than the table.

This is the ancient, incomplete formula for the Heavenly Return Pill, accidentally obtained by our sect. For a century, our sect’s top Pill Refiners have attempted to refine it, without exception, all have failed!

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a century’s worth of suppressed resentment and fury.

If you can identify the problem with this formula, this old man will acknowledge your ‘Pill Principles’ and personally treat your husband!

All eyes, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, instantly converged on the weathered scroll, its ancient aura filling the hall.

Zheng Qiuyu’s gaze also shifted to the scroll.

After just a glance, she felt her head spin.

The scroll was covered with illustrations of bizarre plants, drawn in an archaic style and labeled with names she didn’t recognize Dragon Saliva Grass, Phoenix Bl00d Flower—they sounded like something straight out of a myth.

How am I supposed to make sense of this? she thought. Is this some kind of test for Fat Tiger?

Her brain raced faster than ever before, desperately searching the deepest recesses of her memory for any useful information.

Wait.

Her gaze suddenly froze, as if pinned to the illustrations of two particular herbs.

One had leaves resembling dragon scales, while the other bore flowers shaped like phoenix feathers. She vaguely recalled seeing similar plants in the Highly Toxic Plants section of a Modern Wilderness Survival Handbook she’d read before transmigrating.

Though the names were different—Dragon Scale Fern and Crimson Azalea—their appearances were remarkably similar.

In modern chemistry, both plants contained structurally similar alkaloids. When used separately in small doses, they were considered medicinal, promoting bl00d circulation and providing a calming effect. However, when combined under high heat and pressure, their molecular structures underwent a peculiar rearrangement, synthesizing a potent neurotoxin.

A daring idea formed in her mind.

Zheng Qiuyu slowly raised her head, meeting Zhang Xuan’s piercing gaze.

This Pill Formula isn’t just problematic, she declared.

Her voice was calm, yet it struck the tranquil atmosphere like a massive boulder crashing into a still lake, sending shockwaves through the crowd.

The entire hall fell silent, every breath held as they awaited her next words.

She extended a slender, pale finger, pointing across the distance at two spiritual plants listed on the Pill Formula.

These two ingredients appear to be yin and yang, capable of harmonizing. In reality, their medicinal properties clash violently, making them natural enemies.

Under the high temperature and pressure of the pill furnace, their powers won’t merge. Instead, they catalyze each other, transforming into a bizarre poison.

She paused, meeting the crowd’s horrified gazes, and then uttered a name she had just concocted in her mind—a name that sounded sufficiently terrifying.

I call it the ‘Soul-Locking Fiend’.

This poison is colorless and odorless. During the pill refinement process, it won’t cause the furnace to explode or produce any visible anomalies, making it utterly undetectable. It will silently infiltrate the pill refiner’s divine soul through the medicinal vapor.

Her voice was soft, yet each word pierced the heart like a dagger.

Therefore, all those who failed to refine this pill didn’t fail due to lack of skill or furnace explosions. They were silently poisoned at the final moment of success, without even realizing it.

At best, their cultivation will regress, their foundations will be damaged, and they will never advance further in the Pill Dao.

She watched Zhang Xuan’s face darken further, her voice growing colder, like the biting wind of the coldest winter.

In severe cases, the soul dissipates on the spot, leading to death and the annihilation of one’s cultivation.

The moment these words left her lips, the great hall fell into a deathly silence, as if even the air had been sucked out.

The elders’ breaths froze in their chests, their eyes widening like copper bells.

The bl00d drained instantly from Zhang Xuan’s withered face, leaving it as pale as paper.

For the sect’s secret records clearly documented that in the past century, several exceptionally talented Pill Dao elders, each with the potential to reach the Pill King realm, had attempted to refine this ancient formula. Some mysteriously perished during their secluded refinement, while others suffered catastrophic setbacks in their cultivation, never recovering and undergoing drastic personality changes.

The sect had always attributed these tragedies to failed refinement attempts, believing the pill refiners had been overwhelmed by inner demons and suffered karmic backlash.

No one had ever suspected poisoning.

A century-old mystery that had plagued the sect had been solved with a single sentence by a young woman of unknown origins!

Zhang Xuan stared intently at Zheng Qiuyu, his gaunt frame trembling with extreme agitation. His lips quivered as he forced out each word through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse and barely audible.

You… how do you know about the Soul-Locking Fiend?!

This was no longer a question of interrogation, but a desperate plea for confirmation of a truth he both feared and craved.