FVN Chapter 7: Today, I will kill you for my country.
Chapter 7: Today, I will kill you for my country.
Before long, the two returned to the courtyard with their belongings.
At this moment, Zou Yun was squatting on the ground, with his back to the courtyard gate, pounding something in a rough stone mortar.
His sleeves were rolled up high, revealing his forearms covered in grayish-black powder, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
With each forceful pounding, the mortar emitted a dull, rhythmic "thump...thump..." sound, and fine dust danced in the light.
Zou Yun seemed to have cut himself off from everything outside, immersed in his own world.
"Here's what you wanted!"
Fusu walked straight to Zou Yun's side, bent down, and handed him the package.
Even in this situation, his movements still carried a graceful manner befitting his etiquette.
Meng Yi followed closely behind, scanning his surroundings with his eyes, alert to any possible unusual movements.
Zou Yun didn't even look up, as if he already knew they were coming, and simply reached out to take the things.
Without even looking, he poured the mixture directly into the other two stone mortars and then began grinding even more vigorously.
The pestle rubbed against the hard mineral, producing a harsh "crunching" sound.
Seeing that he was completely absorbed in what he was doing, oblivious to his surroundings, Fusu couldn't help but take a few steps closer, bending down to stare at the stone mortar with a cryptic expression, and said:
"Master Fang, what are you doing? Could it be... the secret technique that alchemists use to pursue immortality?"
The sudden, loud noise startled Zou Yun, causing him to tremble violently and nearly knock the stone mortar over.
"What the hell?!"
Zou Yun suddenly looked up, his forehead beaded with sweat, his eyes filled with bewilderment after being startled.
Upon recognizing the two people from before, the initial confusion was quickly replaced by displeasure.
"Why haven't they left yet?! Didn't I tell you not to ask?"
Zou Yun frowned, his tone hurried and irritable, clearly extremely dissatisfied with Fusu's sudden question.
Fusu was startled by his overreaction and instinctively took a half step back.
This usually gentle and refined eldest son clearly did not expect the other party to lose his composure like this.
However, upon seeing the displeasure in Zou Yun's eyes, Fusu immediately realized his abruptness, and a hint of apology flashed across his face.
"I apologize for my intrusion and for disturbing Master Fang."
He then repeatedly bowed and apologized to Zou Yun, adopting an extremely humble posture.
"Never mind!"
Seeing Fusu's humble and sincere attitude, Zou Yun's anger subsided considerably. He waved his hand impatiently, letting the matter drop.
Just as Fusu breathed a sigh of relief and continued to observe Zou Yun's hand movements.
Suddenly, Zou Yun casually pointed to the stone mortar next to him, indicating to Fusu to grind another batch of materials.
"Well, since we're just killing time, go grind that pile too!" He added at the end, "Make it fine, the finer the better!"
The tone was as if he were instructing an apprentice.
"ah?......"
Fusu was clearly not expected to do this, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.
Before he could even utter his polite refusal, a stone mortar covered in mineral dust was shoved into his arms without warning.
The cold, rough feeling seeped through the silk and onto his body, while the choking dust instantly stained his luxurious robe.
The heavy weight of the stone mortar caused the pampered young master to stumble and almost lose his balance.
"What are you standing there for? Go on!!"
But Zou Yun just kept urging him impatiently, as if Fusu's hesitation was delaying his important business.
Faced with this almost rude urging, the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, who was always very particular about etiquette, was surprisingly taken aback for a moment.
Fusu looked down at the rough stone mortar in his arms, which seemed out of place with him, and then looked up at the young alchemist who was engrossed in grinding the stone and showed no respect for him.
For some reason, instead of being angry, a faint smile inexplicably appeared on his lips.
A moment later, Fusu actually did as he was told, finding a relatively flat spot. Somewhat clumsily imitating Zou Yun, he began to grind the powder.
Meanwhile, Meng Yi stared at him with a strange expression. The rightful heir to the mighty Qin Empire, the destined future emperor, was working as an assistant to an unknown sorcerer.
What made his eyes twitch even more was that if Fusu was a little slow or did not grind evenly, he would be scolded by Zou Yun in a low voice without any politeness.
"Put some effort into it!"
"Too coarse! This won't do, make it finer! It needs to be powder, understand?"
"Oh my god, could you be any dumber?!"
Meng Yi's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He suppressed a certain impulse, feeling that the scene before him was utterly absurd and was challenging his bottom line as a high-ranking official of the empire.
However, when he saw Fu Su's increasingly intense smile, Meng Yi finally slowly lowered his hand.
Instead, he fixed his fierce gaze on Zou Yun, like a cheetah poised to pounce.
Time passed amidst the grinding sounds, and finally both materials reached the fineness required by Zou Yun.
Zou Yun picked up a pinch of powder, held it up to his eyes, and gently blew it away.
Fine, smoky powder drifted slowly in the twilight, forming wisps of colorful ribbons that lingered for a long time.
Zou Yun nodded in satisfaction, picked up the two stone mortars, and turned to walk towards his room.
"This sorcerer..."
Fusu's voice sounded from behind, deep and solemn, as if it had been brewing for a long time.
He straightened up, gently brushed the dust off his clothes, his movements still elegant. Then, with a solemn expression, he asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
"You're asking... does the path to immortality truly exist in this world?"
Fusu's gaze was almost tangible, fixed on Zou Yun's back, and a glint of light flashed deep in his eyes.
Zou Yun stopped in his tracks upon hearing the sound.
He didn't turn around, but let out a short, mocking laugh from his nose. The laugh wasn't loud, but it was filled with undisguised ridicule and insight!
"Oh!"
"What kind of immortality secret?" Zou Yun said sarcastically, each word clear and distinct, "It's nothing but wishful thinking and delusions!"
"Like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water, it can be admired but never reached!"
Without the slightest deception or evasive words, he responded to Fusu directly and decisively.
This answer, so straightforward, clearly took Fusu completely by surprise and shattered all his prepared rebuttals and follow-ups.
Fusu frowned slightly, his hands clenched slightly, and he couldn't help but continue to ask questions.
"What about the so-called art of disintegration? Is that also a hoax?"
He stared intently at the back of the person in front of him, his burning gaze seeming to burn two holes in the blue cloth clothes.
At this moment, Fusu desperately wanted an answer.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zou Yun finally turned around slowly.
Those eyes, which had been somewhat anxious from being busy, suddenly became bright and sharp the moment she turned around.
Like a deep pool of water, it calms all emotions.
Even if Zou Yun were slow-witted, he could sense that the two people in front of him seemed to have ill intentions.
"They're here after all! Luckily, we were prepared!"
A thought flashed through Zou Yun's mind like lightning.
It made him feel a chill, but he tried his best to remain calm.