Chapter 22: Rumors

Hua Changxi finished helping in the warehouse and returned to the Sixth Bureau just after the start of the Hai hour (21:00). By this time, everyone in her dormitory had already come back.

Everyone hadn't gone to bed yet and were chatting. The moment Hua Changxi returned, the room fell silent as if a pause button had been pressed. Only after a while did the chatting resume.

During that time, not a single person greeted Hua Changxi.

Such obvious ostracism naturally made Hua Changxi feel a bit uncomfortable. However, she didn't take it too seriously—she had come to the Miscellaneous Servants Hall to cultivate and obtain medical inheritance, not to make friends.

Hua Changxi didn't stay long in the room. She picked up her water basin, left the dormitory, and, carrying the newly acquired Elemental Spirit Herb, went straight to the canteen.

As soon as she left, Wang Yunchu's voice grew louder.

"What do you think she was doing all afternoon today?"

"I heard she's been getting chummy with the male servants over in the warehouse."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really can't tell—she's so young and already so good at toadying."

Lu Qingluo felt Wang Yunchu's words were a bit too much and immediately said, "Yunchu, don't talk about Changxi like that."

Wang Yunchu got even more worked up: "Am I making this up? Didn't you see the bundle she was carrying? Guess who gave it to her?"

As she said this, she chuckled.

"The people in the warehouse aren't easy to deal with. Why would they give her anything?"

"And besides, she gets up so late every day, yet the medicinal herbs she brings back are always easy to wash and handle. Can you say there's nothing fishy going on?"

Lu Qingluo fell silent. Everyone in the dormitory had experienced going late to collect medicinal herbs and knew very well what kind of herbs one would get when arriving late.

"Alright, stop worrying about Hua Changxi. Hurry up and wash up for bed. We'll have plenty to do tomorrow."

Someone stepped in to smooth things over, and only then did Wang Yunchu stop.

On the other side, Hua Changxi entered the canteen and found Granny Sun, who was in charge of the kitchen. "Granny Sun, I'd like to borrow a stove. Is that all right?"

Being disturbed so late at night, Granny Sun was a bit displeased. However, she knew that Manager Qin was very fond of this young lady in front of her, and the other kitchen staff mostly praised her, so she didn't refuse immediately.

"What do you need the stove for?"

Hua Changxi revealed the withered Elemental Spirit Herb in her basin. "I'm here to decoct medicine."

Granny Sun frowned. "These herbs are all withered. Can they still be used?"

Hua Changxi shook her head. "I don't know. I can't afford fresh medicinal herbs, so I have to use these withered ones. I have great strength and my body consumes a lot of energy, so I need to take medicine often; otherwise, I get dizzy and have tinnitus."

Granny Sun said, "I see. Then where did you get these withered herbs?"

Hua Changxi said, "These were discarded due to improper storage in the warehouse. I helped the warehouse people move some herbs today, and this is what they gave me as compensation."

Hearing this, Granny Sun immediately cursed under her breath. "That lot in the warehouse is getting more and more heartless. You helped them, and they fobbed you off with discarded herbs."

Hua Changxi curved her lips into a smile. "Thank you for caring about me, Granny Sun, but it's fine. I know the warehouse people have their own difficulties. I'm already very grateful that they could give me these withered herbs."

Granny Sun looked at Hua Changxi, then ultimately led her into the kitchen.

"Everything in the kitchen is accounted for. You must not touch anything recklessly."

Hua Changxi quickly assured her, "Granny Sun, rest assured, I won't touch anything recklessly."

"Granny Sun, I'm truly sorry to disturb you so late at night. You should go rest. I'll go back after I'm done."

Granny Sun said, "It's fine, I'll keep you company. I can't sleep anyway."

Hua Changxi knew that Granny Sun didn't trust her and was worried she might use the kitchen supplies, but she said nothing and began processing the Elemental Spirit Herb.

The Elemental Spirit Herb was the main ingredient for the Elemental Spirit Pill. She didn't know how to refine pills, but she could make medicinal powder.

First step, soaking.

Second step, lighting a fire to dry.

For this step, Hua Changxi used the Fire Control Technique to gradually dry the Elemental Spirit Herb until it was brittle, but without actually burning it.

Third step, grinding into powder.

While handling this step, a line of text appeared within Hua Changxi's field of vision: [Complete Illustrated Guide to Meridians (Beginner): Dismantle Medicinal Herbs 1/10]

After grinding all ten stalks of Elemental Spirit Herb into powder, Hua Changxi's mind was flooded with meridian diagrams of ordinary plants and animals. At the same time, she also learned another new technique—the Dismantling Technique.

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The Dismantling Technique was even more profound than butchering a cow with expert skill. Not only could it dissect, but it could also reduce the dissected medicinal herbs and animal tissues to fine powder.

Although Hua Changxi had roasted the Primordial Spirit Grass until it was brittle and easy to break, there was no mortar and pestle in the kitchen, so she could only crush the herbs by hand. As a result, the powder from the first ten stalks was uneven and not fine enough.

After learning the Dismantling Technique, Hua Changxi controlled her spiritual power, and the medicinal herbs in her hand instantly turned into fine powder.

An hour later, under Granny Sun’s astonished gaze, Hua Changxi left the dining hall carrying a jin of Primordial Spirit Herb Powder.

“It seems Changxi really wasn’t lying to Manager Qin—she really does know medicine.”

As an old hand in the Chore Hall, Granny Sun was not without experience.

The Chore Hall and the Apprentice Hall were separated by only a square. Granny Sun had also seen the apprentices in the Apprentice Hall making medicine, and their techniques and proficiency were nowhere near Changxi’s.

Returning to the dormitory and seeing that her roommates were all asleep, Hua Changxi quietly climbed onto her bed and eagerly tested the effect of the Primordial Spirit Powder.

It was her first time taking a spiritual plant, so she didn’t dare take too much. She scooped up ten grams of the powder and poured it into her mouth.

The powder dissolved upon entering her mouth, turning into a warm current. Like a floodgate opening, the warm current surged downward, rapidly sweeping through her entire body.

The warm current came too fiercely. Hua Changxi clearly felt her body instantly swell with pain, as if it were about to burst.

After a moment of panic, Hua Changxi quickly lay facedown on the bed and began circulating the Little Bird Breathing Technique.

One cycle, two cycles...

After the warm current had traveled ten cycles through her body, the sensation of swelling and pain began to weaken.

Only then did Hua Changxi’s anxious heart settle back down, and she immersed herself in cultivation.

When she woke up the next day, the room was still empty. Hua Changxi glanced at her data and the corners of her mouth curled up.

[Realm: Qi Refining Stage 133/1000]

After refining and absorbing ten grams of Primordial Spirit Powder, her spiritual power points had increased by twenty in one go.

She was quite satisfied with this result—it was equivalent to four days of her usual cultivation!

Hua Changxi calculated that one jin of Primordial Spirit Herb Powder could help her increase her spiritual power by one thousand points.

Once she raised her spiritual power points to one thousand, would she be able to enter the next realm?

“Helping Yu Gui this time was totally worth it!”

Hua Changxi carefully put away the Primordial Spirit Powder, then headed to the dining hall for breakfast with a beaming smile.

As soon as she entered the dining hall, Manager Qin and the others greeted her warmly.

“Changxi, my body often feels unwell too. Take a look and tell me—have I caught some disease?”

Granny Sun had told Manager Qin and the others about Hua Changxi borrowing the kitchen to make medicine the night before. Upon learning that she not only knew how to make medicine but was also no worse than the apprentices in the Apprentice Hall, they became even more convinced of her medical skills.

Hua Changxi smiled, performed an examination of each person—looking, listening, asking, and feeling their pulse—and wrote out several prescriptions. As a result, her breakfast was even more sumptuous; eggs and salted eggs, never seen before in the dining hall, appeared before her.

Hua Changxi enjoyed this situation where everyone was happy, and smilingly ate up the goodwill offered by the others.

But this joy did not last long. It vanished the moment she reached the front courtyard.

“It’s her. She’s gotten chummy with the people in the storehouse. She spent most of yesterday in the storehouse and didn’t come back until it was dark. Who knows what she was doing in there?”

“I heard she gets up late every day, yet the herbs she brings back from the storehouse are easier to wash and process than what we early birds get.”

“The male workers in the storehouse won’t lift a finger without good reason. They wouldn’t go out of their way to take care of a young lady for nothing.”

Then the speaker started winking and making meaningful smiles.

Hua Changxi watched the pointing fingers and listened to the insinuating gossip. Her brows knit into a frown. She glanced at Wang Yunchu and the others, who were also whispering to each other, then left the Sixth Bureau without a word.