Chapter 5

The man ran to the side of the chief alchemist, glanced at Wu Mian who was still lying on the ground and the people around him. After hesitating for a moment, he leaned over and whispered a few words into the chief's ear.

Before the man could finish speaking, the chief's face had already changed. He stared at the man and said, "How many days have you been out? Where should the procession be at this time?"

The man moved in front of the chief and respectfully said, "I received a message by carrier pigeon this morning. The message said that the procession had already left Pingjin. According to the schedule and the distance, if the chief rides fast, he should be able to meet up with the procession at Shacheng on the tenth day."

Hearing the man's words, it seemed he was the postmaster in charge of the carrier pigeons at the post station. However, the chief's face turned very grim, and he no longer paid attention to Wu Mian. He asked the postmaster about the location of Shacheng and then sent his subordinates to borrow several fast horses from the nearby government office with his official seal as collateral. He then set off with his subordinates, including Wu Mian, galloping towards Shacheng in the direction indicated by the postmaster.

The chief did not dare to waste a single moment on the way. Except for sleeping, relieving himself, and changing horses at the post stations, he spent all his time on horseback. After a dusty journey, they finally arrived at Shacheng at dusk on the tenth day.

When they reached Shacheng, they realized that something serious had happened. The city was surrounded by the emperor's imperial guards. Fortunately, a eunuch was already waiting at the city gate. Upon seeing the chief alchemist and his group, the eunuch said nothing and immediately led the chief to change horses, then galloped into the city.

The chief's subordinates were left behind, unsure of what to do. Although they were all alchemists, the current Shacheng was like a palace, and without the guidance of a eunuch, no one dared to enter the inner city. Intimidated by the Qin laws, they also dared not inquire about what had happened from the imperial guards. They could only circle around the city gate. Among them, only Wu Mian had a rough idea: Could it be that the First Emperor was really in a critical condition and was about to die?

About an hour later, a eunuch finally came out of Shacheng. Ignoring everyone else, he specifically asked for Wu Mian. He then led Wu Mian into Shacheng. No matter how Wu Mian tried to ask indirectly, the eunuch remained silent. Finally, when pressed, he said, "Good news, great news. Your chief has chosen you to serve the emperor loyally. Not everyone has such good fortune."

Hearing this, Wu Mian was greatly alarmed. Taking advantage of the eunuch's inattention, he took out the elixir of immortality hidden in his sleeve and quietly placed it in his mouth, pressing it with his tongue. Fortunately, the elixir was solid and did not melt in his mouth, and it was not obvious that Wu Mian had something in his mouth. After turning a corner, they arrived at the government office in Shacheng, which was surrounded by imperial guards. The eunuch showed his badge and led Wu Mian into the inner office.

The inner office was bustling with activity, with people constantly coming and going. Besides the chief alchemist, Wu Mian recognized only a few court alchemists and medical officers from the Xianyang Palace. At this moment, Li Si, whom Wu Mian had seen at the lecture hall not long ago, also appeared in the inner office. He was covered in dust, with no trace of his usual appearance as the prime minister of the Qin Empire. Upon entering the inner office, he ignored everyone and was immediately led to the inner chamber by a eunuch.

When Wu Mian arrived, the chief alchemist initially ignored him and continued to gesture to a few court alchemists. However, not long after, a eunuch ran out of the inner chamber, rushed to the chief alchemist, whispered something in his ear, and then pulled the chief into the inner chamber.

After a short while, the chief alchemist reappeared in the inner office, but his face was pale, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. The court alchemists quickly gathered around him, and after a brief conversation, their faces also turned pale.

After discussing for a while, the chief alchemist led the court alchemists out of the inner office. Wu Mian watched coldly, sensing that something was wrong. After a moment, the eunuch who had brought Wu Mian in returned to the inner office and led him to a side hall.

When Wu Mian entered, there were already about ten people inside, including the chief alchemist, court alchemists, and imperial guards, as well as five ragged villagers who seemed to have been captured nearby.

The chief alchemist personally held a tray with six small porcelain bottles. After looking at Wu Mian, he turned to the five terrified villagers and said, "Each of you pick a bottle. Inside is the elixir of immortality. After taking it, you will become immortal and live as long as the heavens. Such a great fortune, why don't you come and take it?"

After the chief finished speaking, no one came forward to take the elixir. Just as the chief was about to lose his temper, Wu Mian coldly said, "Chief, I am also an alchemist. Isn't it against the rules for me to test the elixir?" Wu Mian's speech was somewhat unclear because he was pressing the elixir given by Xu Fu under his tongue, but the chief alchemist thought Wu Mian had lost his voice from shock and did not pay much attention.

The chief looked at Wu Mian, sneered, and picked up one of the porcelain bottles from the tray. "Let me tell you clearly, the First Emperor is now in a critical condition, and no medicine can save him. We cannot wait for the old man Xu to return from the immortal island. Now, the only hope is to take the elixir of immortality that I and the other alchemists have refined. Perhaps, in addition to saving the emperor, it will also grant him immortality. This bottle of elixir of immortality was refined by me according to an ancient immortal formula, and now it will be your good fortune."

Wu Mian looked at the chief coldly. He recognized the porcelain bottles. When the elixir was refined, Wu Mian had been a laborer. The chief had obtained the formula from somewhere, which involved using highly toxic substances to cleanse the internal organs and meridians to achieve invulnerability and prevent aging. The main ingredient was mercury, with twelve poisonous insects and plants as secondary ingredients, and arsenic as the catalyst. After the elixir was refined, several slaves were used to test it, and all of them died immediately. The elixir was said to have been destroyed by the chief alchemist, but he had actually kept it hidden.

Seeing that Wu Mian did not come forward to take the elixir, the chief sneered and said, "Do you want the soldiers to feed you?"

As he spoke, the imperial guards behind him stepped forward, ready to force the elixir into Wu Mian's mouth if he resisted.

"No need, I'll do it myself," Wu Mian said, reaching out with his left hand to take the porcelain bottle. While the chief's attention was on the bottle, Wu Mian swung his right hand and slapped the chief's face. With a crisp "slap," the chief was knocked to the ground, blood gushing from his nose. Wu Mian snatched the tray from the chief and threw it to the ground, shattering the bottles and scattering the elixir.

The imperial guards rushed forward and started beating Wu Mian. In the chaos, Wu Mian poured the elixir from the bottle into his mouth, along with the elixir under his tongue, and swallowed it with the blood in his mouth.

A burning sensation spread down his esophagus. After a moment, the imperial guards' punches and kicks no longer affected Wu Mian. A wave of weakness washed over him, and he fell to the ground, blood flowing from his seven orifices. In an instant, he stopped breathing. At the same moment, a hoarse voice shouted from the inner chamber, "The emperor...," but the sentence was cut off. A strong smell of blood spread from the inner chamber. Then another voice said, "The emperor's health has been restored. The First Emperor's decree: We will set out tomorrow, and the itinerary remains unchanged..."

In the side hall, the chief alchemist sighed in relief upon hearing the news. After wiping the blood from his nose, he examined Wu Mian's body and, confirming that Wu Mian was dead, said to the imperial guards, "Bury him far away..."