[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin":3,"chapter-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-102":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The First Iron Rice Bowl of Great Jin",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},151788,261,"Chapter 102: Bloodline Totem","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-102",102,"\u003Cp>The sound of the wooden fish that A Niu heard was clearly abnormal. Hua Changxi, upon learning that the wooden fish sound rang out every night, decided to spend the night at the pharmacy to see what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Pucao, let me see the account books for this period.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that it was still early, Hua Changxi began looking through the account books and quickly discovered that sales of medicinal pills in the pharmacy had grown significantly over the past two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the merchant Zhuo had purchased a large number of pills;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Yu Gui had introduced a eunuch named Xiao Guizi to come and buy pills. Each time Xiao Guizi came, he purchased over fifty thousand taels' worth of pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi noticed that the timing of Yu Gui introducing Xiao Guizi to purchase pills coincided exactly with her saving Eunuch Xuan, so she guessed that Xiao Guizi was likely a subordinate of Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pills purchased by the merchant Zhuo and Xiao Guizi accounted for eighty percent of total sales; the remaining twenty percent was mostly sold by the other ten pharmacies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at Pucao: \"Sister Pucao, have you visited the other ten shops?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao nodded: \"Yes, I have. Yu Gui is reliable—the shop names have all been changed to Shennong Hall, and the plaques are marked with serial numbers. Anyone can see at a glance that those ten shops are our Shennong Hall branches.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at the book \"Mundane Herbal Medicine — Volume One\" placed on the medicine cabinet and asked, \"Has anyone come to buy books?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao: \"Some have asked, but few buy. However, the other ten shops have sold a few.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi nodded: \"The Zhuo family pharmacy has been in business for so many years—its reputation is still quite good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao looked at her: \"Changxi, now the shop assistants at the ten branch pharmacies are still the original Zhuo family members. In that case, are the pharmacies truly yours?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi rubbed her forehead in distress: \"I know what you mean, but I don't have time to deal with these matters. I've already asked Yu Gui to look for suitable managers. You should also keep an eye out for anyone suitable in your daily life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao nodded in agreement. Since moving into Feng'an Ward, she hadn't been idle—she often walked the streets and alleys and had come to know most of the people in the ward. In fact, there were quite a few capable people there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi added: \"Whether for managers or shop assistants, do not limit by gender when selecting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Pucao's eyes flickered, and she quickly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi continued looking at the account books, and as she saw the volume of pill sales, she rubbed her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, there would be more and more customers, and it clearly wouldn't work to rely solely on her to refine and sell pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Miscellaneous Affairs Courtyard, she had indeed identified a few promising candidates, but they were mortals and could only refine mundane pills. Only cultivators could refine spirit pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at Pucao: \"Sister Pucao, have you been reading any medical books lately?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao replied while tidying the counter: \"Yes, I have. I've finished both this 'Mundane Herbal Medicine' and the several medical books you recommended. I was just about to ask you to recommend a few more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"Do you enjoy studying medicine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao nodded with a smile: \"I do. If I become a doctor, I can not only cure my own illnesses but also help others—how wonderful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"Sister Pucao, I will teach you how to refine pills.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao paused in her movements: \"Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi nodded: \"After dinner, I'll wait for you in the pill refining room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao was overjoyed: \"Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Hua Changxi refined several batches of ordinary mundane pills in the pill refining room and let Pucao familiarize herself with the pill refining process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the night, during the Zi hour, there was movement from A Niu's room. Hua Changxi and Pucao quickly left the pill refining room and happened to see A Niu, as if he had lost his soul, walking out of the house and heading straight for the back door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Niu wanted to grab A Niu, but Hua Changxi raised her hand to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi carefully sensed but didn't hear the wooden fish sound. Yet A Niu clearly looked as if he was being lured away by something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You stay home. I'll follow him and take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Hua Changxi follow A Niu out of the courtyard, Pucao looked worried and said to Qing Niu: \"Will Changxi and A Niu be alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Niu shook his ox head: \"Don't worry. There should be few people who can harm Hua Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao looked at Qing Niu: \"You seem quite afraid of Changxi?\" Every time Changxi came over, Qing Niu didn't dare to show himself in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Niu's ox face crumpled: \"She has an indescribable aura that suppresses me. As soon as I see her, my legs go weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao didn't know much about cultivators and simply assumed that Hua Changxi was stronger than Qing Niu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Hua Changxi hung far behind A Niu, following him through several streets, until finally they arrived in front of an abandoned house in the southwest corner of Feng'an Ward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching A Niu enter the abandoned house, Hua Changxi was worried that the person in the shadows might have other detection methods, so she didn't dare get close. Instead, she mounted her somersault cloud and flew into the air, looking down from above. She soon saw that in the courtyard of the abandoned house, a white-robed monk was sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, striking a wooden fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden fish he struck made no sound, but ripples of spiritual energy continuously spread outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as A Niu entered the courtyard, the white-robed monk opened his eyes, a clear smile on his face, and stopped striking the wooden fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the wooden fish sound ceased, A Niu regained clarity. Seeing himself in an unfamiliar place, his expression shifted drastically: \"What place is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk smiled and said, \"Bull God Protector, you've finally arrived.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Niu didn't listen to what the white-robed monk said at all. He warily looked around, then turned to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the white-robed monk's expression darkened. He turned the golden alms bowl in his hand, its mouth facing A Niu. A beam of golden light shone on A Niu, instantly immobilizing his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, a massive ox shadow emerged over him, and a deafening \"Moo\" sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ox shadow and sound flickered and vanished, but it was enough for A Niu to see clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you see that? You possess the divine power of the Bull God. You are the Bull God Protector, shoulder the mission of awakening the Bull God.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Niu shook his head violently: \"I don't understand what you're saying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his resistance, the white-robed monk had to switch tactics. He took out a technique manual called \"Bull Demon Art\" and tempted him: \"Do you want to become an invincible powerhouse? Cultivating this 'Bull Demon Art' will make you a top-tier, unstoppable expert.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Niu heard this but remained unmoved: \"I'm doing just fine now. I don't want to become some powerhouse.\" After saying this, he ran out of the ruined house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk shook his head: \"Bull God Protector, you cannot escape the mission of awakening the Bull God.\" As his words fell, he flashed and blocked A Niu's path, reaching out to grab him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the white-robed monk suddenly felt a pang of unease. He looked around and finally raised his head toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi descending on a cloud, the white-robed monk's expression changed drastically. He grabbed A Niu and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi's expression changed upon seeing this. There were many people in the ward. If he actually chased and fought the white-robed monk, he would surely accidentally injure others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Hua Changxi rapidly gathered spiritual power in his right hand. The next moment, a giant Buddhist palm shot out and struck toward the white-robed monk like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk was sent flying. A Niu also broke free from his restraint and landed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk was bleeding from the strike. Seeing Hua Changxi's formidable combat power, he glanced at A Niu reluctantly and could only grit his teeth and choose to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi naturally would not let him go. He quickly pursued him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk saw Hua Changxi chasing relentlessly and at great speed. He was extremely anxious. As they ran, he noticed Hua Changxi deliberately avoiding the surrounding houses and suddenly had an idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom, boom~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, several houses were destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the white-robed monk indiscriminately attacking the surrounding houses, Hua Changxi's expression darkened. A fire lotus condensed in his palm. With a \"whoosh,\" the fire lotus shot through the air, growing from small to large, instantly enveloping the white-robed monk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing scream rang out in the night sky. Before the sound faded, the white-robed monk had been incinerated to ashes by the fire lotus. When the wind blew, no trace remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clatter~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A string of prayer beads fell to the ground. Hua Changxi stepped forward to pick it up, then returned to help A Niu up and quickly left the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The destruction of the houses and the piercing scream woke everyone in Feng'an Ward. They nervously stepped out of their homes, wanting to know what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bringing A Niu back to the pharmacy, Hua Changxi gave him a healing pill and asked Qing Niu to help him rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pucao, the fight damaged a few houses. Come with me to check on them. If there are any injured, tell them to come to the pharmacy for free treatment, saying it's the pharmacy helping the neighbors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao nodded upon hearing this and went to the street with Hua Changxi, following the crowd toward the street where the houses were destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six houses were destroyed, but fortunately no lives were lost. Pucao approached anyone who was injured and had them sent to the pharmacy, where Hua Changxi treated them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Hua Changxi finished bandaging the wounds of the injured, the people from the Five Wards Military Command arrived to inquire about the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don't know what happened either. In the middle of the night, sleeping soundly, we suddenly heard a crashing sound, and then the house collapsed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luckily the neighbors showed up in time and pulled us out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That scream was so eerie. When we went over, we didn't see anything. It was as if we misheard the scream.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people in the ward enthusiastically reported what they knew to the officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people from the Five Wards Military Command listened but couldn't discern any key details, so they could only return to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the people from the Five City Military Bureau left, Hua Changxi looked at the injured patients crying in the medicine shop and said to Pucao, \"This... we can let them draw an advance on their wages first, to fix up the houses they live in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao nodded: \"Changxi, don't blame yourself too much...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi shook his head: \"We shouldn't have started a fight inside the city.\" He paused. \"The officials will definitely come again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao quickly said, \"Don't worry, I know how to deal with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi gave an \"mm\" in acknowledgment: \"I'm going back to my room to rest for a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in his room, Hua Changxi took out the buddhist prayer beads he had picked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prayer beads consisted of eighteen beads; seventeen of them were scorched black, but only one bead had not been burned by the fire lotus and remained intact as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the scene where the white-robed monk casually produced a cultivation method, Hua Changxi guessed that this bead must be a storage-type dharma artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed monk was already dead, so she confidently dripped a drop of blood onto it. Soon, she perceived the space within the bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were quite a few things in the space: cultivation method books, spirit stones, spirit plants and spirit fruits, elixirs, spirit talismans, dharma instruments, and some formation plates and formation flags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the space there was a transparent sphere the size of a pomelo. As soon as Hua Changxi took it out and touched it, flames appeared inside the sphere, and then the flames submerged the sphere at a visible rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the entire sphere blazed with brilliant fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi quickly withdrew his hand; the flames, like receding water, rapidly retreated back into the sphere and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is... a spirit-testing stone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. He took the spirit-testing stone to A Niu's room and had A Niu place his hand on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the sphere showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Green Ox raised his hoof, indicating he wanted to test it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi let Green Ox touch the sphere. As soon as the ox hoof touched it, a brilliant green light flared up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Green Ox grinned widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at Green Ox, then at A Niu: \"The ox has spiritual veins, but the human doesn't... truly strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Hua Changxi called Pucao in and had her touch the sphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Pucao's hands touched the sphere, a green light and a red light appeared inside, the two beams equally bright and quickly filling the entire sphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... Changxi, what is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"This is a stone for testing spiritual veins. Sister Pucao, you have spiritual veins—you can cultivate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucao's face lit up with joy: \"If I cultivate, can I become like you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi nodded, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed A Niu hanging his head in disappointment. He comforted him, \"A Niu, you can cultivate too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For people whose bloodline is reverting to the ancestral state, the most suitable cultivation method is body refinement. The *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* obtained at Mount Wuzhi is a profound body-refinement method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Niu's head snapped up: \"I couldn't even make the sphere light up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi: \"Let me do some research—you can definitely cultivate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Niu had always trusted Hua Changxi; hearing this, his expression immediately brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi took the spirit-testing stone back to his room and opened the other spaces within the buddhist bead. Soon, he took out the golden alms bowl that had revealed A Niu's ancestral bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He burned the golden alms bowl with the fire lotus, and after seeing no abnormalities, he dripped a drop of blood onto it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the blood merged into the golden alms bowl, relevant information about it appeared in Hua Changxi's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Totem Bowl: can illuminate the bloodline totems of the human race.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed the golden alms bowl on the table, its opening facing the door, and then quickly walked into the range illuminated by the bowl's opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the golden alms bowl emitted a golden light. As the light enveloped him, Hua Changxi felt the blood in his body begin to burn and boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a swaying, dazzling red lotus emerged from Hua Changxi's body and blossomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a lovely scent—what kind of fragrance is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It smells like lotus blossom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where does the lotus fragrance come from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pharmacy and the surrounding neighbors all smelled the lotus fragrance, but unfortunately, the scent soon faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi put away the golden bowl and said: \"With oxen, snakes, and flowers, the bloodline totems are either animals or plants. Could it be that the human race in ancient times all relied on the protection of the demon clans?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A lotus totem—no wonder the Hua family has the surname Hua (flower)!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2674,"2026-05-29T04:10:26.746Z","2026-06-01T04:29:08.487Z",1,"deepseek-v4-flash","49936721989e66e394fcdc8b4f3ffe7ea477bd72ce35d74b15dc3a463828c6c4","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-103","the-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-chapter-101",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-first-iron-rice-bowl-of-great-jin-cover.jpg"]