Chapter 4: Cleansing the Marrow

Night descended, and all was silent. In the main courtyard of the Prince’s Residence, three sounds intertwined in the quiet.

“Ribbit... ribbit... ribbit...”

Frogs in the pond croaked incessantly.

“Meow… meow meow… meow…”

A little white cat mewed as it scratched insistently at the wooden door with its paws.

Gurgle… gurgle… gurgle…

“Master… Master, should I summon the physician?” Hidden One asked, pressing his nose outside the privy.

“No… not for now…” Jiang Yan replied weakly, hanging onto the frame inside the privy, squatting until his legs trembled.

He looked as though he’d spent hours in a steam bath—every inch of him drenched, so much so that he could wring water from his clothes. Yet, to his horror, his skin was exuding a blackish-brown sludge, emitting a stench as foul as decaying fish and shrimp.

This was already Jiang Yan’s tenth visit to the privy...

Indeed, he had barely returned to the residence before eagerly swallowing the Purification Pill. What he hadn’t expected was that, an hour after taking the pill, the effects hit him!

Could someone please tell him why the Purification Pill would trigger such relentless diarrhea?

Gurgle… gurgle… gurgle…

Jiang Yan’s stomach rumbled again. He clutched his abdomen, utterly miserable. Was this the fate of a brother with such a devious little sister?

“Meow… meow… meow…”

The little white cat persisted in scratching at the door.

“Hidden One, help... me... chase the little white... away,” Jiang Yan instructed feebly. The pain in his stomach was unbearable, and the scratching at the door grated on his nerves.

“Yes, Master,” Hidden One replied.

He picked up the little white cat by the scruff and carried it toward the garden.

“Little White, go and play. Master isn’t feeling well right now, so don’t disturb him,” Hidden One said, setting the cat down and giving its fluffy head a gentle pat.

“Meow…”

The little white cat seemed to understand, responding with a soft cry before scampering off.

As Hidden One returned, he saw a mud-caked figure collapsed at the privy door in the distance.

“Master, are you alright?” Hidden One flashed to Jiang Yan’s side, worry etched on his face.

“My legs... my legs are weak. Help me back to my room,” Jiang Yan murmured, drained of strength.

Hidden One quickly supported Jiang Yan, surprised at how little effort it took.

He had already used his inner strength to block his sense of smell, so even close to Jiang Yan, he was no longer overwhelmed by the stench.

At last, back in his chambers, Jiang Yan wanted nothing more than a thorough bath.

He could smell the vile odor clinging to himself and nearly gagged from it. Thankfully, he avoided that last humiliation—tonight had already been embarrassing enough.

“Hidden One, have a bucket of water brought in. I want to bathe.”

“As you wish, Master.”

Soon, two servants carried in a large tub of water, then closed the doors behind them and waited outside for further instructions.

Jiang Yan shed his filthy clothes and immersed himself in the wooden tub. The clear water instantly turned murky.

He sighed. It seemed he’d need fresh water immediately. Fortunately, the servants were just outside.

This time, he called for ten buckets in one go. Jiang Yan scrubbed away layer after layer of grime.

After washing through eight buckets of water, he finally felt alive again.

Rising from the bath, he felt remarkably light. While dressing, he realized his clothes were suddenly much looser.

“Wait… did I lose weight?”

After countless trips to the privy and a marathon of scrubbing, he hadn’t even noticed the transformation!

He hurried to the mirror and discovered that his reflection had indeed grown leaner.

He was completely renewed. Studying his face in the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction—the handsomeness matched that of his modern self.

The second male lead’s face was about seventy percent similar to his own from the present day.

His modern self had that rakish charm girls found irresistible—the bad boy type. Back in high school, he’d received more than a few love letters, but his cluelessness led him to decline them all.

He might not have had the look of a top student, but he was every bit the academic ace!

While others crammed for exams, he played games or napped—and after graduation, he was admitted to the best university in the capital.

His younger sister, two years his junior, adored romance novels and often played them aloud at home. Inevitably, he’d been exposed to many of them, and found himself imagining his own university life.

He’d thought love was a matter of fate—if he could find a girlfriend he truly liked, that would be ideal.

But before he could even set foot on campus, he’d ended up inside a novel...

The second male lead appeared to be one of those gentle, timeless beauties. Now, having slimmed down, the tear mole beneath his eye was even more striking, lending an extra touch of allure to his handsome features.

Jiang Yan hadn’t expected the Purification Pill to have such a slimming effect.

If that were true, wouldn’t all the overweight people just need to take a pill and instantly become thin?

Perhaps the Purification Pill’s effects were simply that miraculous?

Though the aftermath was humiliating, the results were undeniably extraordinary. Jiang Yan could feel energy circulating within him, and his mind had grown tranquil.

He remembered the novel’s description: the Purification Pill cleansed the body of impurities, promoting rejuvenation and healing, but also forced out accumulated toxins, which had to be expelled.

He suddenly realized that his ordeal was likely the very detoxification the pill entailed.

So all that fat had actually been toxins?

The more he pondered, the more unnerving it seemed!

Who would have thought obesity could be a sign of poisoning?

Who, then, was trying to harm the second male lead? From what he knew, the Empress and the Crown Prince were the most probable culprits...

Elsewhere, at the Mo residence, Mo Shiyu tossed and turned in bed like a restless bean.

She wondered anxiously: Did her cousin actually take the Purification Pill? Oh dear... truthfully, that pill was no formal gift—it was something she’d quietly “borrowed” from her master.

The pill had an unusual origin: her master had made a miscalculation and added too many ingredients during refining, resulting in a flawed product.

Her master, a perfectionist, intended to melt it down and refine it anew, but Mo Shiyu happened to see it and seized the opportunity to pocket the pill.

Though flawed, the Purification Pill was still usable—its effects, however, depended on luck...

Thinking of this, Mo Shiyu felt a twinge of guilt. She didn’t know the exact side effects, but she was certain Jiang Yan wouldn’t have an easy time after taking it.

Still, she comforted herself. Her cousin was a man, after all; surely, he wouldn’t be afraid of a few minor side effects?

Besides, if luck was on his side, the results might even be spectacular!

And she hadn’t charged much for it—her cousin had gotten a bargain, hadn’t he? Heh...

With that self-assurance, she drifted off to sleep.

If Jiang Yan had been there, he would have surely rolled his eyes and complained: Swindler! There really are no honest merchants in the world! Did her conscience never prick her?

In her dreams, Mo Shiyu seemed to recall something, patted her chest, and mumbled, “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt...”