Chapter 136: Match Unsuccessful

Gu Jinfan and Yuan Tianchou were skilled in alchemy, and both taught how to refine pills at the Number One Qihuang Hall and Number Two Qihuang Hall.

The matter of spiritual energy revival only came to light after the earth-shattering great battle that erupted at Mount Five Fingers.

Although the Medical Department was the gathering place for the most顶尖 physicians and pharmacists of Great Jin, apart from a few who had long ago defected to the powerful and had early access to the matter of refining spirit pills, most people in the Medical Department had only learned about it in the past year or two.

Refining spirit pills required a pill formula, spirit plants, being a cultivator, and controlling flame. Although the refining process seemed similar to refining mortal pills, the actual difficulty was separated by an insurmountable gap.

Therefore, when it became known that Gu Jinfan and Yuan Tianchou would teach people to refine spirit pills, not only did the Disciples' Hall and Apprentices' Hall mobilize, but even some physicians and pharmacists from the Nine Streets flocked in, making the scene extremely lively.

Mu Qingying did not teach alchemy; she taught about spirit plants. Due to limited opportunities for contact with spirit plants, everyone's thirst for knowledge about them was unprecedentedly high, and many people came to attend her lectures.

After the three began teaching, every single class was packed to the brim.

Previously, when Hua Changxi gave lessons, quite a few menial workers attended, but compared to them, it was completely unremarkable.

Seeing the three's such high appeal, Hua Changxi was, to be honest, a bit envious.

However, this was something she could not envy; all three had renowned masters backing them and were somewhat famous themselves in the Medical Department, while she was just a lowly menial worker. Those who attended her lessons were all menial workers who could not afford to study medicine.

What caught Hua Changxi's attention was that when the three taught, they always chose a different Qihuang Hall except for the Number Six Qihuang Hall she occupied. Not only did they cycle through the other eight Qihuang Halls of the Menial Workers' Hall, but they also did not spare the Qihuang Halls of the Apprentices' Hall.

Seeing their actions, Hua Changxi understood in her heart that they had discovered the connection between the wooden tablet and the Qihuang Halls.

She did not care much about this.

The medical content taught in each Qihuang Hall was different. Unless the three, like her, guessed the content taught in the corresponding Qihuang Hall and taught the corresponding medical branch content which they knew thoroughly, otherwise they were just giving lessons, and the wooden tablet would not react.

While Gu Jinfan and the other two were teaching in rotation across seventeen Qihuang Halls, Hua Changxi followed her own pace, both improving her cultivation level and raising her alchemist rank.

Time quickly came to the end of July. Gu Jinfan, Mu Qingying, and Yuan Tianchou, who had been giving lessons in the Qihuang Halls for about twenty days, felt somewhat frustrated due to having gained nothing.

"The wooden tablet didn't react at all. It was all a waste of effort."

At the First Street Medical Department building, Yuan Tianchou could not help complaining, looking at Department Head Gu Qiming: "Master, could it be that we're going in the wrong direction, and the wooden tablet has nothing to do with the Qihuang Halls?"

Gu Qiming did not speak, directly telling him that there was definitely a connection, but how exactly it connected, he had no clue yet.

Mu Qingying thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we're right to teach in the Qihuang Halls, but the mistake is the content we're teaching." Speaking, she looked at Gu Qiming and Yuan Tianchou.

"Hua Changxi doesn't just teach randomly in the Qihuang Halls. In Number One Qihuang Hall, she teaches about medicinal herbs; in Number Two Qihuang Hall, she teaches how to process medicinal herbs."

"In Number Three Qihuang Hall, she teaches planting medicinal herbs; in Number Four Qihuang Hall, the meridian flow of medicinal herbs; in Number Five Qihuang Hall, the decomposition, extraction, and fusion of different herbs; in Number Six Qihuang Hall, she teaches alchemy; Number Seven..."

Hearing Mu Qingying's words, Gu Qiming and Yuan Tianchou felt more and more that this was the case.

Yuan Tianchou: "Junior sister, quickly tell me, what does Hua Changxi teach in Number Seven Qihuang Hall?"

Mu Qingying shook her head: "Hua Changxi has never taught in Number Seven Qihuang Hall, nor in Number Eight or Number Nine Qihuang Halls. However..."

Yuan Tianchou urged: "However what?"

Mu Qingying: "Hua Changxi seems to value certain menial workers; they have all been to Number Seven and Number Eight Qihuang Halls. I think she must know what should be taught in Number Seven and Number Eight Qihuang Halls, but for some reason, she cannot implement it immediately."

Gu Qiming listened to Mu Qingying and directly said: "Starting tomorrow, follow Qingying's guess and teach."

On the first day of August, when Mu Qingying was teaching the content on how to process spirit plants in Number Two Qihuang Hall, she indeed found that the wooden tablet would occasionally glow with a faint white light.

Seeing that Mu Qingying's guess had come true, Yuan Tianchou directly taught the method of planting spirit plants in Number Three Qihuang Hall and also saw the wooden tablet glow with a faint white light.

"Master, Junior Sister's guess was correct. So teaching in the Qihuang Halls isn't random; it's divided into different content."

Gu Qiming was also very excited; they had finally discovered some connection between the wooden tablet and the Qihuang Halls.

But what was the purpose of the white light glowing from the wooden tablet?

Afterwards, Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou also taught content related to identifying herbs, herb anatomy, herb decomposition and extraction, etc., in Number One, Number Four, and Number Five Qihuang Halls.

Unfortunately, the wooden tablet did not react.

Yuan Tianchou was puzzled: "What's going on? Hua Changxi clearly teaches about herb types in Number One Qihuang Hall, so why didn't the wooden tablet react?"

Mu Qingying was also confused. In Number Two Qihuang Hall, they taught herb processing; in Number Three Qihuang Hall, herb planting, and the wooden tablet glowed white, proving her guess was correct.

As for Number Four and Number Five Qihuang Halls not reacting, she actually understood a bit.

Regarding herb processing and planting, they had not only systematically studied but also personally practiced, so the content they taught was profound, hence the wooden tablet lit up.

But for Number Four Qihuang Hall's herb meridians, and Number Five Qihuang Hall's herb decomposition, extraction, and fusion, they had never delved into these, and the content they taught was all speculation, probably not meeting the Qihuang Hall's standards, so the wooden tablet did not react.

But regarding the lecture on spirit plants in the No. 1 Qihuang Hall, she was confident she hadn't made a mistake, so why wasn't the wooden token lighting up?

Mu Qingying voiced her doubts and speculation: "Disciple believes that the more thoroughly one understands the medical content taught, the brighter the white light on the wooden token will shine."

"Not just anyone can teach at Qihuang Hall; the instructor must truly understand the relevant medical knowledge."

Gu Qiming nodded in agreement. Seeing both disciples looking dissatisfied with themselves, he smiled and comforted them: "You can't get fat by taking one mouthful. It's already good that you've discovered the connection between the wooden token and Qihuang Hall. Now you lack some accumulation; just work hard in that direction from now on."

Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou nodded in acknowledgment.

Next, Yuan Tianchou started hesitating again, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

Gu Qiming saw this and said helplessly, "Tianchou, change this habit of hesitating to speak. As a man, just say what you have to say directly."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianchou gave an embarrassed smile, then his expression turned serious: "The No. 6 Qihuang Hall should be teaching alchemy. Both Disciple and Junior Sister have alchemy inheritance. Perhaps if we teach there, the white light on the wooden token will be even brighter."

Although they still didn't understand the effect of the white light, the brighter the white light, the more beneficial it would definitely be for them—that was certain.

Gu Qiming and Mu Qingying both understood his meaning. Mu Qingying frowned at this, and Gu Qiming also fell silent.

Yuan Tianchou immediately added, "It's not like we want to take it from Hua Changxi."

Gu Qiming thought for a moment and said, "Go and talk to Hua Changxi privately. In one month, the three of you can each have ten days."

Yuan Tianchou said happily, "That would be the best."

No. 6 Qihuang Hall.

Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. Hua Changxi was going home for the holiday and had specifically refined a batch of alchemical pills to give to her family.

She had just put away the refined alchemical pills and stepped out of the courtyard gate of No. 6 Qihuang Hall when she saw Yuan Tianchou and Mu Qingying waiting outside.

Seeing Hua Changxi come out, Yuan Tianchou smiled and probed, "Manager Hua, what pills are you refining in No. 6 Qihuang Hall that you set up a gate restriction? You made us wait quite a while."

Hua Changxi glanced at him, then turned her gaze to Mu Qingying: "Do the two of you have something to discuss?"

Seeing Hua Changxi ignore him, Yuan Tianchou awkwardly touched his nose.

Mu Qingying had difficulty speaking: "...My senior brother and I would like to give lectures in the No. 6 Qihuang Hall."

Yuan Tianchou added, "My master said that from now on, No. 6 Qihuang Hall will be used by the three of us, each for ten days a month."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi's brows immediately furrowed. Looking at the two, she understood that they must have guessed that different Qihuang Halls were meant to teach different content. Based on her previous lectures, they should have already figured out the content to be taught in Halls No. 1 to No. 6.

"Aren't the remaining seventeen Qihuang Halls enough for you to use?"

Mu Qingying was quite frank: "My senior brother and I are more familiar with alchemy. Our accumulation in other medical arts is very shallow, so we can't make the wooden token react."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression shook: "When you gave lectures in Halls No. 1 to No. 5, did the wooden token react?"

That's not right. The wooden token keys to open the nine Qihuang Halls of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall should be the ones she lost. Why would other people's wooden tokens still have a reaction?

Mu Qingying didn't understand why Hua Changxi was so surprised: "Doesn't your wooden token have a reaction?"

Hua Changxi didn't answer but instead asked, "What reaction does your wooden token have?"

Mu Qingying looked at her, paused for a moment, then still chose to answer: "Our wooden token emits a white light."

Hua Changxi frowned. What was going on? Could it be that the wooden tokens she had taken before had not successfully matched the nine Qihuang Halls of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall?