Refining the moon as Dan

Specks of light like smoke and fog swirled around the black three-legged cauldron.

As time passed, the specks of light gradually flooded the entire space around the Black Cauldron. Only the outline of the Black Cauldron could be seen amidst the foggy specks of light.

"It works, it really works!"

Seeing the moonlight specks that submerged the Black Cauldron, Du ke was overjoyed.

The Black Cauldron could indeed absorb moonlight, and anything absorbed into its space could be refined into pills.

In his excitement, Du ke madly absorbed the moonlight.

Sitting atop the highest pavilion of Langya Palace, his white fur bathed in the moonbeams as all the moonlight touching him was continuously drawn into the space of the Black Cauldron.

Before long, a feeling of fullness welled up in his heart and Du ke stopped absorbing moonlight.

"I didn't expect even the Black Cauldron's space has a limit."

Having stopped absorbing moonlight, Du ke's eyes flickered. He had only come up to try it out and didn't expect to actually succeed.

Although when he had awakened the Black Cauldron's space that day, he did gain some related insights.

But before putting it into practice, Du ke still had doubts.

Now upon trying it, it really worked.

"Next is to refine these moonlight into pills!"

Du ke's eyes kept flashing. He reluctantly glanced at the bright full moon in the sky. The full moon only came once a month.

If he missed it, he would have to wait till next time.

Fortunately, with his continuous cultivation these days, he had increased his pill refining limit from eight times to thirteen times.

That meant he could produce a maximum of thirteen Moonlight Pills this time.

Even at the minimum, there should still be five or six!

Du ke pondered in his mind and slowly made his way down from the roof of Langya Palace. He swung down eave by eave with his claws until he landed back on the terrace.

The cat shook his body and quickly went back into Su Qiluo's room. Squatting by Su Qiluo's pillow, Du ke grinned, baring his three parted mouth.

"Hey girl, don't let me surpass you!"

After muttering to himself, Du ke focused his attention on the Black Cauldron.

"Refine!"

The moonlight flowed like a trickling stream into the Black Cauldron. Like a glutton, the Black Cauldron madly devoured the moonlight.

Once inside, the moonlight spun rapidly, flying towards the flames within as if returning home.

The flames welcomed the arrival of moonlight enthusiastically, refining as much as was fed in.

The fiery glow in the Black Cauldron intensified as the immeasurable moonlight was suddenly condensed under the flames' effect, compressing steadily towards the center.

With the compression came the constant crackling from the flames, as if purging impurities.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, a translucent, crystalline pill flew out from the Black Cauldron and hovered in the void, giving off a faint glow that resembled moonlight.

But after Du ke refined the first Moonlight Pill, he gasped sharply.

His strength that could support refining pills thirteen times now had less than ten times left.

That meant each Moonlight Pill consumed the strength needed to refine pills three times.

Thinking of this, Du ke's eyes turned obscure. But soon, he gritted his teeth and continued refining until he was spent.

Next, more moonlight surged into the Black Cauldron and the refining process started again.

In the end, four shiny pill-like beads lay inside Du ke's Black Cauldron space while he collapsed limply by Su Qiluo‘s pillow.

"I only refined four Moonlight Pills tonight. That means before the next full moon, I must ration these four carefully."

"Also, as I improve my cultivation, my pill refining limit will increase and I will refine more Moonlight Pills than this time."

"In other words, I have to speed up my cultivation progress again."

"Additionally, I need to test the effects of the Moonlight Pills!"

Leaning against Su Qiluo's pillow, various thoughts flashed through Du ke's mind. He hadn't forgotten the time the girl had fed him a whole Blood Qi Pill, nearly causing him to explode.

He still didn’t know the effects of the Moonlight Pills and needed to experiment first.

"But let’s leave all that for tomorrow!"

Du ke's eyelids drooped until fully closed as he curled up into a ball and fell sound asleep.

...

Beast Garden, private garden belonging to the beast alchemist.

"Phew, finally done!"

Looking at the beast medicines he had just configured, Sun Xiang couldn't help but sigh in relief. These were his secret prescriptions for exclusive use. In the past, Yue Yun would be the one configuring them.

But now that the kid had gone to Langya Palace, he could only do it himself.

Get the handymen to do it?

No way. Not only were these secret prescriptions not to be divulged, more importantly, they concerned his livelihood and even life. How could he teach them to people he didn't trust?

"It's almost the fourth watch, I must hurry to bed."

Glancing at the full moon outside, Sun Xiang carried the oil lamp and slowly walked out of the medicine configuration room, through the long corridor, back into his own quarters.

Just as Sun Xiang entered his room, his expression abruptly turned serious, even the hand holding the oil lamp shook.

Because sitting in front of his desk was an imposing figure.

"Ho...House Lord!"

Sun Xiang quickly knelt down, placed the oil lamp aside and greeted: "Welcome House Lord's esteemed presence!"

"Alright Doctor Sun."

Su Qiluo's father, Su Xiuming spoke plainly: "Stand to talk."

"Oh." Sun Xiang obediently stood up, his face apprehensive and uneasy as he looked towards the house lord Su Xiuming.

"How long have you served my Su family?"

Su Xiuming held a copy of Sun Xiang's favorite beast encyclopedia in his hand, asking without looking up.

"Reporting to House Lord, thirty-six years already."

"Thirty-six years ah, what a venerable elder."

Su Xiuming put down the beast encyclopedia and tossed half a split Long Life Lock on the table.

"This pill formula that can refine a supreme fourth stage pill, you've kept it close to your chest for thirty-six years too."

"Yet my Su family has never given you cause for dissatisfaction. So why only produce it now in your old age?"

"Never, absolutely not."

Sun Xiang knelt down again, his body trembling as he replied: "This old servant... I mean, I... I just....."

"Enough. I told you to stand to talk, so just stand properly. No need to keep kneeling down."

"Oh, yes yes yes!"

Sun Xiang hastily stood up again. Su Xiuming picked up the beast encyclopedia once more and said lightly: "I've already gotten someone to verify the formula. It is indeed genuine."

"But two parts of the formula aren't enough. I want the whole thing."

"House Lord, if you want the remaining parts, I will fetch them for you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Su Xiuming turned a page of the beast encyclopedia. Sun Xiang immediately changed his words: "No no no, I can also set off tonight."

"No need. Tomorrow it is then!"

"After all, you should catch up with your little apprentice too and bid farewell."

Hearing Su Xiuming's words, Sun Xiang's face lit up instantly.

But soon, Su Xiuming's next line invigorated his spirit again.

"After getting back the remaining parts of the formula, send your apprentice away with this voucher and deed to establish his own sect somewhere!"

"But don't use the Ganzhi Beast Control Sect name anymore. It attracts too much hostility."

"Yes, many thanks House Lord!"

"Don't thank me."

Su Xiuming placed a palm-sized golden object on the table and said: "This is a transaction after all."

"Yet when you Sun Xiang entered my Su house thirty-six years ago and saved your life, your life ceased to be yours and became our Su family's."

"Now," Su Xiuming put down the book and said lightly: "It's time you repaid your debt."

Sun Xiang knelt down again and kowtowed forcefully, his forehead striking the floor as he closed his eyes.

But Su Xiuming did not speak again. Sun Xiang simply remained kneeling until sparks sputtered out from the oil lamp. Only then did he raise his head to look at his desk.

There was no one left in front of the desk, the doors and windows were closed shut, and he was the only one left in the entire room.

Knowing that he had gotten what he desired, Sun Xiang immediately sat down on the floor with a thud, and started panting heavily. After he had caught his breath, he shakily stood up and walked over to the desk. When he arrived at the desk, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of the Bestiary lying open on the desk, with a picture of an ape on the page, and a line of small words below it.

[White Gibbon, 7th on the Heavenly Branches list under the Zodiac sign Shen, fur as white as snow, eyes bright and piercing, innately gifted with breath control, often gathering and howling amidst the Zhongshan mountains under the full moon.]

Next to the picture of the white ape was handwriting containing his personal annotations.

However, these annotations were full of hateful words, the strokes digging deeply into the paper, as if wanting to draw blood out.

Stepping back and falling into the chair behind him, Sun Xiang's face was filled with anguish as he couldn't help but murmur,

"Over thirty years have passed, could that wretched beast still be alive?"