Chapter 200: Talisman Eye

At the Ten Hall of Qihuang, Gu Jinfan was drinking tea with Tang Yufeng, the master of the Nine Hall. The Tang family was the foremost aristocratic clan in the capital, maintaining good relations with all powerful families.

"Has Hua Changxi left again?"

Gu Jinfan frowned upon hearing his subordinate's report.

Tang Yufeng smiled and said, "Though I've never met Hua Changxi, you've mentioned her several times. Clearly, she's no ordinary person."

Gu Jinfan: "I know Hua Changxi isn't ordinary, but her utter indifference toward Qihuang Hall truly baffles me."

Qihuang Hall not only hides the secrets of the Alchemy Saint Hall but also symbolizes status and prestige. Before the eighteen halls were assigned, the major powers in the capital fought tooth and nail over them. Yet Hua Changxi couldn't care less.

Tang Yufeng chuckled, "What's so hard to understand? Nobody likes being used." He paused, smiling at Gu Jinfan, "Guess—does Hua Changxi know the royal family wants to use her to unlock Qihuang Hall's secrets?"

Gu Jinfan was silent for a moment. "She must know."

Tang Yufeng: "So, she doesn't want to be used, doesn't want the royal family to get their way. Isn't it only natural she doesn't care about the Thirteen Hall?"

Gu Jinfan frowned, "But she obtained the wooden token. That means she must take on the responsibility of reviving the Alchemy Saint Hall. How can she ignore the revival just to oppose the royal family? Her actions utterly disregard the bigger picture."

Hearing this, Tang Yufeng burst into hearty laughter. He laughed for a good while until Gu Jinfan's face darkened, then he stopped. "Jinfan, the Duke of Xin's estate has sheltered you too well."

Gu Jinfan: "What do you mean?"

Tang Yufeng said seriously, "I mean you see things too starkly in black and white. Hua Changxi got the wooden token, so you think she must shoulder the responsibility of reviving the Alchemy Saint Hall. When she's unwilling, you accuse her of ignoring the bigger picture. You've never put yourself in her shoes. You think far too simplistically."

"To be blunt, if I were Hua Changxi, I'd make the same choice. Any person, anytime, will first secure their own interests before considering anything else."

Gu Jinfan grew irritated, thinking that if Tang Yufeng had experienced what she had—a past life where external cultivators invaded, oppressed, and slaughtered—he wouldn't speak so glibly, standing on high ground.

Tang Yufeng looked at the silent Gu Jinfan and probed, "Jinfan, you seem to have far higher expectations of Hua Changxi than of others."

Hearing this, Gu Jinfan's eyes flickered. "That's not the case."

Tang Yufeng asked with a smile, "But you're not the only one who got a wooden token. The others stay in Qihuang Hall every day and haven't found anything either; I haven't heard you complain about them. You only blame Hua Changxi. Isn't that a double standard?"

Gu Jinfan was stumped. She snorted, "I'm just a bully who picks on the weak—are you satisfied?" With that, she got up and went to the alchemy room.

Watching her retreating figure, Tang Yufeng fell into thought.

Gu Jinfan had precognitive abilities—many things had proven that. Her high expectations of Hua Changxi… could it be that the future Hua Changxi would become formidable?

If so, the Tang family would need to treat the Dingyuan Bo Estate with more weight in the future, and they should also try to make contact with the Hua family.

After leaving the Medical Department, Hua Changxi went straight back to the Feng'an Lane Pharmacy.

Tong Yao had messaged her, saying he had arranged for a friend to help ignite the White Lotus Petals and asked her to meet at the street where they had parted the day before.

That evening, she boiled another batch of body-tempering medicinal bath and soaked in it. By the time she had absorbed all the medicinal essence from the bath, it was already broad daylight.

Afterward, Hua Changxi practiced the Tendon-Strengthening body techniques in the courtyard for an hour, then packed up and went to meet Tong Yao.

When she reached the street where they had parted, she spotted Tong Yao from afar, sitting at a tea stall. Beside him sat a white-clad monk.

She recognized the monk—it was Monk Jing Liao, whom she had met when she delivered Elder Changmei's belongings to the Xiangguo Temple.

Thinking of how the awakening mark on her wrist had helped her perceive the Black Flame, Hua Changxi felt grateful toward Xiangguo Temple. She walked over with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Tong."

Seeing Hua Changxi arrive, Tong Yao quickly stood up, greeted her, and then promptly introduced her to the monk beside him. "Jing Liao, this is Fellow Daoist Hua."

Jing Liao stared straight at Hua Changxi, his eyes clear and bright, filled with astonishment.

Tong Yao had already told him that this Fellow Daoist Hua was the benefactor who had helped Elder Changmei rescue them at Kunmen Pass. He truly hadn't expected that a benefactor with strength rivaling Elder Changmei's could be so young.

Even more surprising, with his Symbol Eye, he could see the karma and fracture Law Chains swirling around Benefactor Hua.

Hua Changxi didn't mind Jing Liao's stare, so she let him look.

During this time, she keenly caught a glint of golden light flickering in Jing Liao's eyes. She immediately used her Observation Technique to examine him.

When she saw his dantian, which resembled a starry sky, her pupils constricted. The Nascent Soul within his dantian was even more holy, shrouded in golden light. But when she shifted her gaze to his eyes, a sharp pain struck her.

"Ahh—"

Tong Yao saw Hua Changxi covering her eyes with both hands and was greatly alarmed. "Fellow Daoist Hua! What's wrong?"

Jing Liao snapped back to reality. Seeing Hua Changxi covering her eyes, his own eyes went wide.

The way Benefactor Hua looked, it was as if she had been injured by his Symbol Eye!

She could see his talisman eye?!

Hua Changxi took a while to recover before reopening her eyes. Seeing that her vision was unaffected, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Jingliao, seeing that Hua Changxi wasn't harmed by the talisman eye, relaxed while growing even more curious about her.

Only those whose cultivation surpassed his own would not be severely wounded by the talisman eye. After obtaining the talisman brush, his cultivation speed had skyrocketed, and he was now a mid-stage Nascent Infant cultivator.

His master said that the reason he cultivated so quickly was due to his great merit. Since Benefactor Hua's cultivation was higher than his, it meant she must also be a person of great merit.

Hua Changxi dared not look at Jingliao's eyes, only at his chin: "Master Jingliao, your eyes..."

Jingliao glanced at Tong Yao, then at Hua Changxi. One was his close friend, the other a life-saving benefactor with great merit, so he didn't hide it: "Amitabha. After refining the talisman brush, I developed this talisman eye."

"Benefactor Hua, please forgive me. I just used the talisman eye and hurt you. But rest assured, as long as I don't use it, you can look at my eyes."

Hua Changxi thought to herself, she had no interest in looking at his eyes: "Why did you use your talisman eye on me? What did you see?"

"..."

Jingliao looked awkward: "Benefactor Hua... did you also use an unusual eye?"

This time it was Hua Changxi's turn to stay silent.

Tong Yao's eyes widened from the side: "You both have unusual eyes?"

Hua Changxi ignored him and just looked at Jingliao: "Don't go around saying whatever you saw. Of course, I won't either."

Jingliao nodded vigorously: "Benefactor Hua, rest assured. I am not a gossip."

Tong Yao looked at the two, feeling a bit dejected. Why didn't he have an unusual eye?

Hua Changxi finally turned to Tong Yao: "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Tong to move so quickly. I thought I'd have to wait a while."

Tong Yao composed himself and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Hua has done the Artifact Sage Palace a great favor. Naturally, I take your matters to heart. I've also contacted my friend who sets up formations, but she's not in the capital right now. It'll be a while before we can meet."

Hua Changxi looked around the teahouse. Across the street were the imperial soldiers blockading the artifact workshop. The White Jade Lotus Petal definitely couldn't be shown here: "Should we find another place to talk?"

Jingliao spoke up: "Let's go to Dizhu Temple."

Tong Yao and Hua Changxi had no objections.

The three rose and left the teahouse. As they went, Hua Changxi glanced at the soldiers surrounding the artifact workshop but didn't see Hua Minghe or Hua Dalang.

Tong Yao noticed and asked, "Is Fellow Daoist Hua looking for someone?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "The blockade around the workshop seems even stricter."

Tong Yao nodded, then said in a displeased tone, "There was a loud noise from the workshop last night. I wonder what the imperial family and nobles are up to inside?"