Chapter 416: Infiltration

Since the first Grand Alchemy Convention, the Medical Department was no longer seen by outsiders as a royal medical office—instead, it formally presented itself as the Alchemy Saint Hall, one of the Five Sacred Lands.

Although the Alchemy Saint Hall of today still falls short of the legendary ancient grandeur where it could swallow the sun and moon and flood the sky with rose-hued clouds, in the hearts of the world it is already the greatest sacred land of alchemy and medicine in the Central Continent, the ultimate hall of the alchemical and medical paths.

During the ten years Hua Changxi spent in the Zhurong Tomb, she barely felt the passage of time—at most she thought her cultivation had gone on a little too long—but while she was barely paying attention, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Not only had the Medical Department’s public face changed, but Xuanwu City, built around the Xuanwu Estate, had also begun to take shape.

And this was merely the corner she had seen with her own eyes.

What earth-shattering upheavals had occurred in the corners she had never set foot in? The depth of those changes probably far exceeded her imagination.

Mausoleum Light Hall, Karma Fire Platform, Nine Heavens Fire Spring, Flowing Fire Cliff, Zhurong Tomb, Parasol Tree Forest...

Of the twelve blessed grotto-heavens in Nanxiang City, Hua Changxi had already taken half. Next, she planned to take the Ghost Fire Well.

But for how long had the royal family managed the Ghost Fire Well? Prince Shou was dead—were there still others stationed at the bottom of the well?

And furthermore, what exactly was the specific trial of the Ghost Fire Well?

Taking the Ghost Fire Well—how long would it take? Hua Changxi truly had no idea. If it would require another ten-plus years or even longer, then before entering the Ghost Fire Well, there were some matters she absolutely had to resolve first.

For example, the problem that Danyuan Peak was being choked by Spirit Realm Pavilion, Apricot Yellow Pavilion, and Nine Streets Hall, limiting its external development.

“Master.”

After Yu Fu and the other three finished reporting to Hua Changxi on the major and minor affairs of Danyuan Peak over the past ten years and were about to leave the bamboo house, they received a message from Wanfeng.

Hua Changxi looked over. “What is it?”

Yu Fu: “Wanfeng sends word that the three departments—Spirit Realm Pavilion, Apricot Yellow Pavilion, and Nine Streets Hall—are about to convene a meeting in the Nine Streets Hall meeting chamber. The agenda is to discuss the matter of Mausoleum Light Hall sending someone to seek medical treatment. She asks if Master wishes to attend.”

Hua Changxi hadn’t expected the meeting to come so quickly. She gave a snorting laugh: “Do the three departments usually handle matters this swiftly?”

Yu Fu: “...Most of the time, they aren’t this urgent.”

Hua Changxi’s snort grew heavier.

Not long ago on the Danding Altar plaza, she and Wei Zhenjie had engaged in a contest of true and false over whether she was or was not the Hall Lord of Mausoleum Light Hall.

The others probably hadn’t gotten a definite answer and wanted to verify it with her in person?

Seeing her silent, Yu Fu thought she was unwilling to step into such turmoil and quickly said, “Master, Wanfeng is already quite accustomed to this sort of meeting. If you don’t want to go...”

“I’ll go.”

Hua Changxi cut him off. “Spirit Realm Pavilion, Apricot Yellow Pavilion, and Nine Streets Hall—nowadays they represent the Alchemy Saint Hall. As a peak master, how could I not go and take a look?”

The Alchemy Saint Hall of today had long since cast off the old system of unilateral royal authority from the Medical Department era.

All major external matters must now go through joint deliberation by the three departments—Spirit Realm Pavilion, Apricot Yellow Pavilion, and Nine Streets Hall—before a final decision weighing pros and cons can be made.

Each meeting is chaired by the three departments in rotation.

This time, with Mausoleum Light Hall arriving to seek medical treatment, it happened to be Nine Streets Hall’s turn to chair the meeting. Therefore, the meeting location was set in the Nine Streets Hall meeting chamber.

In the Nine Streets Hall meeting chamber, members of the three departments gradually arrived. As soon as they entered, everyone couldn’t help but start discussing.

“Will Peak Master Hua come to the meeting?”

“I think not. In the past, whether it was a Spirit Realm Pavilion meeting or an Apricot Yellow Pavilion meeting, she never attended a single one. This time probably won’t be any different.”

“Tell me, is Peak Master Hua really the Hall Lord of Mausoleum Light Hall?”

“Who knows.”

“Whether she is or isn’t, it doesn’t have much to do with us. If she is, we gain nothing; if she isn’t, it doesn’t hinder us either.”

Just as everyone was eagerly discussing, a fiery red figure appeared at the entrance of the hall. Almost instantly, the entire meeting chamber seemed to hit a pause button, falling utterly silent.

All gazes—some surprised, some curious, some scrutinizing—focused sharply on that fiery red figure.

Hua Changxi had come!

She did not immediately step in but instead stood quietly on the threshold, slowly scanning the layout of the hall.

In the center was a raised platform, upon which three wide and imposing rosewood chairs were placed side by side, clearly the seats of the three departments’ highest authorities.

Below, on the left and right sides, rows of seats were arranged neatly in five columns and ten rows, providing seating for the meeting participants.

At this moment, the main seat on the platform was still empty, but most of the seats below were already occupied.

"So many people attend every meeting?" Hua Changxi turned her head to look at Wan Feng, who was following closely behind her.

Wan Feng replied respectfully, "As long as I’m participating, the scale is usually like this. Core members of the three divisions, department managers, and some experienced alchemists and physicians all attend."

Hua Changxi understood his words—besides this kind of open assembly, the three divisions also held more intimate core meetings in private.

"Where do you usually sit?"

Wan Feng instinctively pointed to an inconspicuous seat near the back of the door.

The next moment, when he met Hua Changxi’s gaze, his heart tightened—what flowed in her eyes was undisguised disdain.

Wan Feng’s expression instantly froze.

Hua Changxi looked at Wan Feng: "Playing the pig is to eat the tiger, not to make you actually become the pig."

"... " Wan Feng’s face flushed red in an instant.

Hua Changxi had not lowered her voice. These words, clearly laced with sarcasm, were spoken at a volume that naturally reached the ears of some Nine Streets Hall members who knew Wan Feng’s identity (the heir of the Dan Saint Hall).

They exchanged glances, their faces flickering with embarrassment and discomfort.

Afterward, amid the astonished gazes of the crowd, Hua Changxi walked straight to the first seat on the left of the main seat.

Seeing this, Wan Feng first opened his mouth, then showed a look of "of course," straightened his back, and quickly followed.

According to convention, in such meetings, it was usually after all ordinary participants had arrived that the heavyweights of the three divisions—such as Elder Xia Zhen of the Spirit Realm Pavilion, Princess Ling Yuan of the Qihuang Pavilion, and Alchemist Wen Shouren of the Nine Streets Hall—would finally show up.

As for the two pavilion masters and one hall master, they would make their grand entrance last.

Thus, Hua Changxi arrived at the moment when ordinary participants were basically all present, but the core figures had not yet appeared.

Therefore, in the assembly hall, only a few seats near the main seat remained empty.

After Hua Changxi sat down in the first seat on the left, when she saw Wan Feng intending to stand by her side, she truly grew impatient: "There’s a seat and you won’t take it—trying to show how tall you are, are you?"

Wan Feng: "... "

Hua Changxi glanced at the empty seat behind her, her tone leaving no room for argument: "Sit down."

Wan Feng sensed that Hua Changxi was genuinely angry and dared not hesitate any longer. He quickly sat down properly.

The seats Hua Changxi and Wan Feng now occupied—one was where Xia Zhen sat, the other where Xia Ziyang sat.

To others present, this scene took on a rather loaded meaning.

On the side of the Spirit Realm Pavilion, several core members led by Meng Yuchuan changed expression drastically, almost slamming the table in outrage, but before they could speak out, someone stopped them, signaling them to stay calm.

Hua Changxi took in everyone’s expressions, paid them no heed, and swept her gaze over all those present. Through her Truth-Seeking Eyes, she perceived everyone’s condition.

"Wan Feng, tell me—who are from the Qihuang Pavilion, who are from the Spirit Realm Pavilion, and who are from the Nine Streets Hall?"

She had truly not expected that in a hundred-person meeting hall, nearly thirty people had ignited the black and white flames.

Through Wan Feng’s introductions, Hua Changxi learned that of those thirty-odd who had ignited the black and white flames, half were physicians from the Qihuang Pavilion and half were alchemists from the Nine Streets Hall.

If the imperial family was behind the black and white flames, then their infiltration of the Dan Saint Hall was terrifyingly deep.