Chapter 5: Fragments

No matter what kind of world she had transmigrated into, since a pie had fallen from the sky and landed right in front of her, Hua Changxi saw no reason not to take it.

Having tasted all the herbs on the medicine rack, the words in her sight changed to [Hundred Herbs Canon Annotations (Minor Achievement): Taste Hundred Herbs 22/100].

Hua Changxi was too curious about what came after the Common Plants chapter. She tiptoed to her parents' room, saw that they were both taking a nap, then hurried back to her room to change into men's clothes, left the house, and headed straight for the Hua Family Medicine Shop.

"Jiuniang, why are you here?"

"Are you feeling better?"

Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang, who were helping out at the medicine shop, were both taken aback when they saw Hua Changxi. Neither of them had expected her to come to the shop at this time.

Hua Changxi casually made an excuse: "I'm feeling a bit unwell, I came to get some medicine to take home."

Hua Sanlang immediately said, "What medicine do you need? Let Third Brother fetch it for you."

Hua Changxi shook her head and refused: "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you attend to the patients in the shop. I'll get the medicine myself."

At that moment, there were indeed several patients in the shop. Seeing that Hua Changxi was moving about freely, Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang let her get the medicine on her own.

Seeing that her two brothers weren't paying attention to her, Hua Changxi walked over to the medicine cabinet, opened the drawers one by one, and started tasting the herbs inside.

[Hundred Herbs Canon Annotations (Minor Achievement): Taste Hundred Herbs 100/100]

Having tasted one hundred types of medicinal herbs, the ethereal and elusive voice sounded in her mind once again.

"The Spirit Plant chapter of the Hundred Herbs Canon Annotations has been unlocked."

Then, Hua Changxi's mind was flooded with detailed introductions of tens of thousands of spirit plants, demon beasts, and spiritual objects.

Restoring spiritual power, regrowing severed limbs, raising the dead, nourishing the soul...

As she absorbed the knowledge from the Spirit Plant chapter, Hua Changxi's heart was both shocked and exhilarated.

The unlocking of the Spirit Plant chapter was like opening a skylight for her medical research.

At the same time, she confirmed one thing: in the world she now inhabited, aside from martial artists, there should be cultivators of a higher level.

Perhaps because cultivators were too rare, they were little known.

But not everyone was unaware; at least people of the level of the Red-Robed Demon Daoist and the young lady knew.

Although the Hua family had people serving in the government offices, they were only low-level officials with too low a level of contact. She had luckily obtained the opportunity created by the demon daoist, and thus was able to glimpse a hidden corner of this world.

The astonishing efficacy of the medicinal herbs used by martial artists had already amazed her, but now these newly emerged spirit plants were simply shattering her worldview.

If asked where in the Great Jin Dynasty spirit plants were most likely to be found, it would have to be the Medical Bureau!

Pharmacist Xu had told Hua Changxi that the Medical Bureau had a special rule: anyone who discovered a new medicinal herb would receive a Break Shackle Pill.

Martial artists were divided according to their martial power into nine ranks: First Rank, Second Rank, Third Rank… up to Ninth Rank.

For a Sixth Rank martial artist to advance to Seventh Rank, they had to break the shackles within their body, and the Break Shackle Pill was an essential advancement pill.

As long as a martial artist advanced to Seventh Rank, they could convert inner force into protective Qi, thus entering the ranks of top experts.

Therefore, the Medical Bureau's reward was by no means meager.

The Medical Bureau, which oversaw all medical affairs of the Great Jin Dynasty, had set such an enticing reward; who knew how many little-known medicinal herbs they had collected.

Previously, when she heard the news in Jingzhao Prefecture that the Medical Bureau was recruiting additional apprentices, Hua Changxi had only wanted to find a stable job to earn money. But now, she had another reason to enter the Medical Bureau.

"Jiuniang, have you finished getting your medicine? Do you want Third Brother to help you?"

Hua Changxi suppressed her thoughts and quickly replied, "No need, I'm almost done."

The Hua Family Medicine Shop was not very large; the medicine cabinet only contained over three hundred types of herbs. After tasting them all, Hua Changxi casually grabbed a dose of Qi and blood tonic medicine, said a word to Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang, and quickly went home.

Speaking of the Hua family of South Gutter Lane in Xiuzheng Ward, they were quite famous within the ward.

First, because the Hua family shared the same clan as the Dingyuan Earl Manor; although the kinship relation was distant at best, they were both surnamed Hua.

For ordinary commoners to have any connection with nobility was absolutely an eye-catching matter.

Second, it was Old Master Hua's life, which could be called a model of overcoming adversity.

Hua Changxi's grandfather, Old Master Hua Bin, lost his father at two and his mother at five. With no uncles or elders above to care for him and no siblings below to help, he relied on the clan's charity to barely survive to adulthood.

Many people were not optimistic about Old Master Hua; they thought he wouldn't be able to marry and would be a bachelor for life, and that his branch of the family would become extinct.

But as it turned out, Old Master Hua was incredibly lucky. He unintentionally saved a merchant surnamed Fan who had come from out of town. After receiving the reward money from the Fan merchant, he directly used the silver to bribe his way in and successfully became a constable in the Southern City Military Command.

After he became a constable, the Fan merchant thought he was worth investing in, so he directly betrothed his youngest daughter to him and even provided the house where the Hua family now lives as her dowry.

After starting a family, things became even more remarkable. The Hua family, which originally had only a single male heir, suddenly became flourishing with many descendants.

Now the entire family amounts to more than twenty people.

The prosperity of descendants truly makes others envious.

Third, the three brothers Hua Minghe and the others all serve in government offices.

The eldest, Hua Minghe, is a constable of the Six Gates; the second, Hua Ming'ang, took over Old Master Hua's position and became a patrol constable in the Southern City Military Command; the fourth, Hua Mingcheng, is a jailer at the Ministry of Justice's prison.

Although none of them are high-ranking officials, after all, they are government employees, so they are certainly more well-informed than ordinary people.

Therefore, every move of the Hua family attracts considerable attention from the people in the neighborhood.

After Hua Changxi entered Xiuzheng Ward, she became cautious in her movements, trying her best to avoid meeting people along the way.

In these times, if anything happens in a family, it is hard to escape the prying of the neighbors, let alone the Hua family, which is already quite the focus of attention.

The news of Hua Changxi being kidnapped by a demon Taoist had already spread throughout the ward.

She had only been rescued yesterday and was still injured; she didn't want people to know she could go out today.

Hua Changxi returned home through the back door. The Hua family pharmacy was only two streets away from Xiuzheng Ward; it took her just over an hour to go there and back.

The courtyard was still quiet. Hua Changxi had thought her sneaking out would go unnoticed, but as soon as she entered her room, she saw her mother sitting expressionlessly on her bed.

"Mother, I felt a bit unwell, so I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine."

Hua Changxi quickly lifted the tonic medicine she had bought to show Yao.

Yao looked at her daughter, both angry and exasperated: "You've just been kidnapped, and you dare to sneak out of the house alone again? Ninth Girl, you are too bold."

Hua Changxi retorted in a low voice: "Mother, this is inside the city, not outside the city. There are patrolling soldiers everywhere."

Yao was speechless with anger, then said: "You lost so much blood. Even if you took the medicine from the Medical Department, you should be resting properly."

"If you needed medicine, couldn't you have asked your sixth brother to go?"

"I can see that you don't care about your own body at all."

Seeing that Yao was truly angry, Hua Changxi quickly apologized: "Mother, I was wrong. I won't do it again."

Yao simply had no way to deal with this daughter. She had been headstrong since childhood; unless she genuinely agreed with something from the bottom of her heart, no matter how the adults disciplined her, she would dare to do it again next time.

She wanted to say something more, but a noise came from the main hall.

Hua Changxi quickly peered through the doorway, then raised her index finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture to Yao, and whispered:

"Mother, it's Grandmother getting up to weave. Don't scold me anymore. If Grandmother finds out I went out, I don't know how much she'll nag me."

The customs of the Great Jin Dynasty resembled those of the Tang Dynasty — they did not prohibit women from going out, but neither did they encourage it.

Old Madam Hua greatly disliked the young ladies of the family going out casually, believing that a girl who liked to go out was showing an unruly heart and a rebellious nature.

Yao didn't want her daughter to be scolded by her mother-in-law either, so she glared at Hua Changxi, then stood up and left.

Soon, the sound of Old Madam Hua and Yao talking could be heard in the courtyard.

Hua Changxi breathed a sigh of relief, closed the door, lay down on the bed, and began to recall the events of the past two days.

Martial artists, demon Taoists, cultivators...

She really understood too little about this world. In the thirteen years since she had transmigrated here, she had only caught glimpses of scattered fragments.

To fully understand this world, staying within the small confines of the Hua family was clearly not enough.

The Medical Department — she must pass the exam and get in!