Chapter 235: Era's Driving Force (4)

Hua Changxi, with Hua Sanlang in tow, found a seat at a tea stall next to the tavern and sat down, waiting for the result of Tong Yao’s interview with Hua Liulang.

“Every day these past days, clan members have come to the door, and many of them had helped Grandfather before.”

“Though the Bo Mansion distributes a set of cultivation resources to those in the clan who are detected to have spiritual roots, it is far from enough for what’s needed to cultivate.”

“Now that they know you are the master of the Divine Wood Secret Realm of the Dan Hall, all the clan members have come begging for help.”

“But you don’t want the family to meddle in your affairs, and you never go back on your word. Grandfather has been pressed so hard he can barely hold out.”

“When I get home later, I’ll tell Grandfather that you’re willing to accept clan members into the secret realm. He’ll definitely jump for joy.”

“Ever since Grandfather became an elder of the clan, he has always wanted to do something for the clan, so that our family can have more say in the clan. Now that you’re willing to accept clan members, none of the other clan elders can use Grandfather’s seniority against him anymore.”

Facing the street, Hua Changxi propped her chin on her left hand and tapped the table lightly with her right, listening impassively to Hua Sanlang’s endless chatter.

As Hua Sanlang spoke, he watched Hua Changxi’s expression. Seeing she showed no reaction at all, he felt utterly helpless inside.

Why couldn’t Ninth Sister understand that the family was her greatest support!

The Bo Mansion had already found out long ago that all the other secret realm masters made their clan members the core team and then had close, well-known friends and relatives assist on the side.

They work together, each taking what they need, naturally united in effort.

And yet, while Ninth Sister hasn’t made a single move, the other secret realm masters have already assigned their people, each to their own duties, and begun developing their secret realms in an orderly manner.

Hua Sanlang sighed inwardly. He really couldn’t understand why Ninth Sister wouldn’t use her own people. It was the same with the fire spirit mine before, and now with the secret realm.

Thank goodness Ninth Sister is willing to accept clan members this time; otherwise, their family truly wouldn’t have been able to explain themselves to the clan.

As for the Bo Mansion’s suggestion—that they broker a connection with several noble houses closely associated with the Hua clan to help Ninth Sister manage the secret realm together—he didn’t dare bring it up at all.

Hua Changxi noticed Hua Sanlang’s constant glances, but she ignored them.

As for the Hua family, she couldn’t shut her eyes and pretend not to see them or completely ignore them, but she also didn’t want to be overly interfered with or influenced.

When taking on apprentices, she wouldn’t deliberately exclude Hua clan members, but she wouldn’t give them any special treatment either. She would treat them exactly the same as any other cultivator who came to apply.

Letting Third Brother serve as a steward in the secret realm: first, she did harbor a desire to help—there was no way around it; these days, cultivators without backing or background found it too hard to obtain resources, and she couldn’t truly let the Hua family have no cultivation resources at all;

second, to develop the secret realm, she needed a few stewards to manage the new apprentices, and she could only choose from people she knew well. Third Brother had studied medicine since childhood and had experience running a pharmacy. Managing apprentices in the early stages of secret realm development should be no problem.

“Third Brother, Sixth Brother and the others are coming out. Let’s go over there.”

Seeing Tong Yao walk out of the tavern with Hua Liulang, Hua Changxi quickly hurried with Hua Sanlang out of the tea stall.

“Daoist Tong!”

Hua Changxi smiled as she approached Tong Yao. Noticing the happy look on Hua Liulang’s face, she immediately asked with a smile, “How was it? Can my sixth brother become your disciple?”

Tong Yao: “Become my disciple? That won’t do.”

Hearing this answer, Hua Changxi was stunned, and then she saw Tong Yao smile.

“If your sixth brother became my disciple, wouldn’t I be one generation above you? But I wouldn’t dare let you call me Senior.”

Seeing Hua Changxi let out a huge sigh of relief, Tong Yao smiled even more.

“Daoist Hua, I need to take your sixth brother back to my sect for a while. If my master is willing to take him as a disciple, it may be some time before he can come home.”

Hua Changxi’s eyes lit up. “Then I’ll trouble Daoist Tong.”

Tong Yao smiled. “Between us, you don’t need to be so formal.”

Hua Changxi and Hua Sanlang gave Hua Liulang a few instructions, and then he left with Tong Yao.

Watching the two walk away, Hua Sanlang couldn’t help asking, “Ninth Sister, who in the Artifact Saint Palace is that Daoist Tong’s master?”

Hua Changxi looked at him. “Third Brother, about matters of the Artifact Saint Palace, let Sixth Brother tell you himself later.” She paused.

“Right now the forging workshop area is still sealed off. Don’t casually tell anyone that Sixth Brother has entered the Artifact Saint Palace, Third Brother.”

Hua Sanlang nodded. “Don’t worry, I understand that much.” Then, looking at Hua Changxi, he said, “Ninth Sister, after I enter the Dan Hall, will I also be able to have a master?”

Hua Changxi shook her head. “The Dan Hall is different from other holy lands. It has long been infiltrated by the imperial family and the powerful from all sides.”

“Which faction is the true successor of the Dan Hall is impossible to determine.”

“Or perhaps the inheritance of the Dan Hall has yet to be discovered.”

"Under these circumstances, who are you thinking of taking as a master?"

Hua Sanlang frowned, his face troubled: "I didn’t expect the Dan Saint Hall to be so chaotic."

Seeing him like this, Hua Changxi comforted him: "Third Brother, put your mind at ease. Once we enter the secret realm, I’ll start from the identification and cultivation of spiritual herbs, and teach you and the other apprentices alchemy step by step."

She wasn’t bragging—when it came to alchemy, in the current Medical Affairs Bureau, no one could surpass her except Meng Qingyao.

Hua Sanlang looked at Hua Changxi suspiciously: "You’ll teach us?"

Hua Changxi was displeased by his skeptical and distrustful gaze: "That’s right, I’ll be the one teaching you. What, you look down on me?"

Hua Sanlang paused for a moment: "It’s not about looking down on you or not, Ninth Sister. You only started on the path of cultivation less than two years ago, and your time learning alchemy is even shorter."

"Third Brother knows you have great talent in medicine and alchemy, and you might even have been lucky enough to receive an alchemy inheritance."

"But I think that whether it’s cultivation or alchemy, you need someone with experience to guide you. Figuring it out on your own is a waste of time at best, and if you go down the wrong path, you might regret it too late."

Hua Changxi didn’t respond to that. Third Brother’s concerns were reasonable, but they didn’t apply to her.

Simply put, she had obtained the complete inheritance of Shennong’s Cauldron.

But she also didn’t bother arguing with Hua Sanlang. Once they entered the secret realm, the truth would reveal itself.

It was getting late, so Hua Changxi didn’t say anything more to Hua Sanlang, and they parted ways.

Hua Changxi returned to the Medical Affairs Bureau and immediately entered the secret realm, continuing to work on the management and operation plan for the secret realm.

Talent cultivation plan: Apprentice → Spiritual Herb Grower → Spiritual Herb Processor → Herbalist → Alchemist

Secret realm management structure: Enforcement Hall → Task Hall (divided into Cultivation Department, Processing Department, and Alchemy Department) → Merit Hall → Logistics Department → Personnel Department → Lecture Hall

The Lecture Hall was responsible for spreading medical knowledge and the alchemical path. She could serve as the instructor for now, and once promising talents were discovered and trained, she could be freed from that role.

The Personnel Department was responsible for recruitment. The first two levels of the secret realm had 150 million mu of medicinal fields, and recruiting many apprentices would take a long time. She would have Xu Yaoshi handle it with the other seven medicine boys.

The Logistics Department was responsible for handling clothing, food, housing, transportation, tools, and other matters. She would have Eunuch Yu in charge.

The Merit Hall, which also served as the Finance Department, was responsible for recording the apprentices’ contributions. She would have Eunuch Zhao in charge.

The Task Hall was responsible for the collection, cultivation, and processing of medicinal herbs. She would have Hua Sanlang and Eunuch Zhou jointly in charge.

The Enforcement Hall was responsible for maintaining order in the secret realm. She would have Eunuch Jia in charge.

Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Yu, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Zhou were all her people. After the entire Chore Hall staff was replaced, the four of them, using their own connections, were still working in the Chore Hall.

Before this, Hua Changxi had intended to keep the four of them in the Chore Hall so they could gather information for her, but now, to develop the secret realm and having no one else to use, she had to reassign them.

Having set the tone for secret realm management, Hua Changxi, using spiritual power in the first level of the secret realm, connected the southernmost and northernmost points in a straight line to build field ridges, and then connected the westernmost and easternmost points in a line to build field ridges, thus dividing the first level of the secret realm into four zones.

The entrance and exit of the secret realm’s teleportation array were set in Zone 4. Once apprentices were recruited, they would start collecting spiritual herbs and cultivating medicinal fields in Zone 4, then radiate outward to the other zones in sequence.

The first level of the secret realm covered 100 million mu, and even though Hua Changxi was a Nascent Soul cultivator, building the field ridges consumed a great deal of her time.

While Hua Changxi was busy in the secret realm, the other Secret Realm Masters were also busy, but since they had people under them, they handled things much more leisurely.

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Lingjing Pavilion held the first Secret Realm Masters’ conference on Ninth Street.

The person presiding over the meeting was Xia Zhen. Of the fifteen Secret Realm Masters, only Hua Changxi was absent.

Simply put, he had not sent anyone to notify Hua Changxi.

On New Year’s Eve, Hua Changxi had shown him no respect, even saying that the secret realm was a gift from the Divine Tree to her, that everything in the secret realm was her decision, and outsiders need not interfere.

If she wanted to make all the decisions alone, then he wouldn’t bother inviting her to future Lingjing Pavilion conferences.