Chapter 50: Shennong Cauldron

Hua Changxi, with a splitting headache, returned to the dormitory; as soon as she lay down on the bed, she began practicing the Sparrow Breathing Technique, continuously channeling spiritual energy toward her head.

Time slipped away quietly, the sky gradually darkened, and someone came back to the dormitory.

Su Ruoli looked at Hua Changxi, who was lying on the bed with a pale face, tentatively called her name twice, and seeing no response at all, quickly closed the door, then walked over to the bed, reached out and lifted the blanket, and began to fumble around on Hua Changxi's body.

Soon, she found a bottle of medicinal pills on Hua Changxi.

Su Ruoli's expression brightened with joy, but just as she was about to take the pills, her hand was grabbed.

Seeing Hua Changxi open her eyes and stare at her expressionlessly, Su Ruoli was startled and her heart tightened: "Chang... Changxi, you're awake?"

Hua Changxi grabbed Su Ruoli's wrist and looked at her coldly: "What are you doing?"

Su Ruoli reacted quickly: "I saw that you looked unwell and thought you were sick, so I came to check on you."

Hua Changxi tightened her grip: "Checking on me means taking the pills from my body?"

Su Ruoli felt like her wrist was about to break; she tried to break free from Hua Changxi's grasp, but couldn't move an inch, so she could only cry: "No, I saw you carrying this pill bottle with you and thought it could cure your illness, so I wanted to take it and give it to you."

Hua Changxi sneered repeatedly: "A pill bottle carried on one's person is for curing illness? You don't even use your brain when lying?"

As she spoke, she exerted force with her hand, and once the pill bottle Su Ruoli was holding fell onto the bed, she shoved her away.

"Bang."

Su Ruoli was thrown directly against the wall, then fell painfully to the ground.

As luck would have it, the door was opened at that moment.

As Wang Yunchu, Lu Qingluo, and the others entered, they saw Su Ruoli lying on the ground in pain, and Hua Changxi sitting on the bed as cold as ice.

Seeing that people had arrived, Su Ruoli immediately began to sob, letting out painful moans.

"Ruoli, what's wrong?"

Lu Qingluo hurried forward to help Su Ruoli up, but as soon as her hand touched Su Ruoli, Su Ruoli let out a miserable scream, and during it, she looked at Hua Changxi with fear.

Her behavior made everyone present assume that Hua Changxi had hit her.

Wang Yunchu looked at Su Ruoli, then at Hua Changxi: "Changxi, did something happen?"

Su Ruoli spoke before Hua Changxi could: "It's my fault; I made Changxi unhappy, it's only right that she pushed me down."

As she spoke, she pretended to accidentally reveal the wrist that Hua Changxi had grabbed.

Seeing Su Ruoli's bruised and swollen wrist, someone immediately stepped up to defend Su Ruoli.

Aunt Lin disapprovingly looked at Hua Changxi: "Changxi, we're all dormmates, can you please not resort to violence at the drop of a hat?"

Hua Changxi glanced at her coolly: "It's fine to be stupid, but being stupid without realizing it, and then grandly trying to uphold justice for someone, that's really annoying."

After saying this, ignoring the furious Aunt Lin, she looked at Su Ruoli with a half-smile.

"I don't think you should be in the Chores Hall. Here, people use all their energy just to make a living. With your acting skills, you should go find those who have nothing better to do after a full meal and show off your performance."

Su Ruoli, head down, leaned against Lu Qingluo, putting on a full act of weakness and pitifulness. Noticing the slight change in everyone's expressions, she suddenly looked up at Hua Changxi:

"Changxi, you offended Steward Yu and Steward Lu, and they're going to send you to work at the Sancha Herb Garden. I know you're upset, but you shouldn't take your anger out on me."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed drastically.

Su Ruoli's intention was to let everyone know that Hua Changxi had offended the two stewards, thus alienating her. But unexpectedly, Wang Yunchu and the others were all full of worry.

Wang Yunchu anxiously looked at Hua Changxi: "Changxi, are you really being sent to work at the herb garden?"

Hua Changxi did not show the terrified expression Su Ruoli had expected; instead, she seemed somewhat invigorated: "I don't know; no one has informed me."

Then, looking at Su Ruoli, "How did you find out something that even I, the person involved, don't know?"

"Are you one of Steward Yu's people? Or Steward Lu's? Did they send you to steal my pills?"

Hearing this, everyone's expressions toward Su Ruoli changed instantly.

Su Ruoli was frantic: "Hua Changxi, don't slander me! When did I steal your pills?"

Wang Yunchu was also extremely anxious: "Never mind the pills for now, Changxi. Go find Manager Du and beg her to plead for you. You absolutely must not go to the herb garden to work."

Even Aunt Lin put aside her conflict with Hua Changxi and chimed in: "That's right. Go quickly and beg Manager Du to help."

Hua Changxi looked at Wang Yunchu and the others who were all anxious for her, and her expression softened considerably: "Su Ruoli is right. I did offend the two eunuchs. They punished me by sending me to the medicine workshop. I'll accept it."

Wang Yunchu quickly stepped forward and whispered in her ear: "You can't go to the medicine workshop. It's very chaotic there. A female handyman going there will suffer a great loss."

Hua Changxi was not used to being approached by strangers, so she moved back a little: "Don't worry, I'm not afraid."

Seeing her like this, Wang Yunchu suddenly didn't know how to persuade her further.

Hua Changxi knew she meant well and said again: "Really, don't worry about me. I can protect myself." As she spoke, she rubbed her head, which was still a bit swollen and painful.

"I'm feeling unwell; I'll go to sleep first. You should also rest early."

Seeing that Hua Changxi closed her eyes as soon as she lay down, Wang Yunchu could only swallow back any further advice, no matter how much she had to say.

Su Ruoli saw that everyone's attention was drawn away by Hua Changxi, covered her wrist that felt like it was about to break, slowly stood up against the wall, and then slipped out of the room while no one was watching.

Su Ruoli entered Manager Leng's room, closed the door, and knelt on one knee: "Sect leader, that Hua Changxi's martial arts cultivation is definitely not low. I just found the Earth Gang Pill on her."

Manager Leng sat lazily in his reclining chair, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes, with no trace of the fawning and flattery he showed in front of Eunuch Lu: "Earth Gang Pill... this is a pill required by seventh-rank martial artists."

Martial artist pills are not easy to refine; the higher the rank of the martial artist, the harder the required pills are to refine. This is because the medicinal effects within the ingredients must be activated using internal energy.

Therefore, an alchemist who refines high-rank martial artist pills must not only understand medicine and alchemy but also be a martial artist, and their rank must be above the fourth rank.

This is because only martial artists above the fourth rank can cultivate internal energy.

Manager Leng chuckled: "It seems Hua Changxi caught the eye of Eunuch Yu and Eunuch Lu through her alchemy skills. Where's the Earth Gang Pill? Bring it here and let me see."

Su Ruoli's expression stiffened: "I am incompetent. I had just found the pill when Hua Changxi woke up." She paused, "If the sect leader wants the Earth Gang Pill, you can send someone to search Hua Changxi's belongings."

"A handyman carrying such precious pills on her—we can even pin a theft charge on her."

Manager Leng shook his head: "Doing so brings us no benefit at all. Since Hua Changxi can refine the Earth Gang Pill, I want to recruit her for my own use."

After hearing this, Su Ruoli hesitated and said: "I'm afraid Hua Changxi won't be easy to win over. You don't know, sect leader—no matter how humble and submissive I act, she remains unmoved."

Manager Leng tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "Hua Changxi's temperament is indeed a bit troublesome." As he spoke, he smiled, "You just mentioned searching Hua Changxi's belongings; I think it's feasible."

"However, this matter must be handled by Eunuch Lu."

"Wait until tomorrow. Eunuch Lu was called away by Eunuch Jia. It's not a good time to seek him out now. I'll go to him early tomorrow morning and have him send people to search Hua Changxi."

"Once Hua Changxi's theft charge is confirmed, I'll step in and rescue her. Then there's no worry that she won't serve me."

"Alright, go back now. Continue to keep a close watch on Hua Changxi."

After Su Ruoli left, Manager Leng sat cross-legged on the bed, then took out a black lotus-shaped jade piece, placed it in his palm, and closed his eyes.

The next day, when Hua Changxi woke up, no one was in the room. Although her head no longer hurt, her heart was in her throat.

Because she didn't know why she had suddenly developed a headache, and it had hurt so much that she felt like she was dying.

Yesterday, Eunuch Yu grabbed her—it wasn't a matter of life or death—but what about next time? If she suddenly gets a headache while fighting an enemy, wouldn't that put her in danger?

Then, thinking about how Su Ruoli had searched her while she was cultivating yesterday, her expression turned even worse.

Hua Changxi took out the Earth Gang Pill and looked at it. Although she didn't know why Eunuch Yu had let her go yesterday, she still felt a lingering fear.

The Medical Directorate was, after all, a government office. Even if the medicinal ingredients for refining were provided by Eunuch Yu, if the Earth Gang Pill was found on her, she wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.

"If only I had a storage magic tool."

As soon as the thought arose, Hua Changxi felt her head swelling, and the next second, something burst out from within her brain.

Then, Hua Changxi was dumbfounded.

A three-legged bronze cauldron over a meter tall stood firmly on the ground.

Staring at the bronze cauldron, Hua Changxi was in a daze for a long while before she leaped out of bed like a shot.

Wasn't this the Shennong Ding she had used in her previous life to store small items?

Compared to its dust-covered, faded, and mottled appearance in her previous life, this Shennong Ding was now glowing and resplendent—clearly a valuable item.

"Did the Shennong Ding transmigrate with me?"

Dust-covered memories revived, and Hua Changxi recalled the reason for her transmigration.

Uncle's family and Second Uncle's family came to seize the house her grandfather had left her. During the quarrel, someone pushed her, and her head hit the Shennong Ding, and then she died.

Hua Changxi ran her hands inch by inch over the Shennong Cauldron. The events of her past life had become very blurry under her deliberate forgetting.

Now that she saw the Shennong Cauldron, many things resurfaced in her heart.

In her past life, when she was one year old, both her parents died in a car accident. After that, she lived with her grandfather. When she was a sophomore in college, her grandfather also passed away, and from then until her death, she was alone.

Hua Changxi shook her head, no longer thinking about her past life.

Her grandfather had told her that people should look forward and not dwell in the past forever.

Now she was Hua Changxi, and she had restarted her life. So she would face her life with a brand-new attitude, living actively in the present.

After Hua Changxi composed herself, she began to ponder why the Shennong Cauldron had flown out of her head.

"Retract!"

Hua Changxi placed both hands on the Shennong Cauldron and thought about withdrawing it. The Shennong Cauldron immediately turned into a stream of light and drilled into her brow.

"Come out!"

The Shennong Cauldron appeared in the room again.

This in-and-out of the Shennong Cauldron caused Hua Changxi's head to start swelling with pain, so she didn't dare to play around with it recklessly.

Although the idea of a huge bronze cauldron drilling into her head was astonishing, once she thought about how she could now practice cultivation, she felt relieved.

This was a world of fantasy; there was no need to make a fuss over even the strangest things.

Hua Changxi thought about the medical inheritance she had obtained, and finally understood.

What she had obtained from the red stone should be the Bird Breathing and Absorbing Cultivation Method. Through cultivation, she absorbed spiritual energy, activated the Shennong Cauldron, and then obtained the medical inheritance.

Thinking about it now, being captured by that demonic cultivator back then had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, the Shennong Cauldron might never have been activated.

Recalling that in her past life she had stored some small trinkets and items in the Shennong Cauldron, Hua Changxi quickly put all the elixirs she had refined into the cauldron, then tried to retract it back into her mind.

The Shennong Cauldron once again drilled into her brow.

Seeing that the Shennong Cauldron could really store items, Hua Changxi was extremely excited. Just as she was about to release the cauldron to see how much it could hold, noisy sounds came from outside the house.

Then, the door was pushed open violently.

Looking at the crowd pouring in, Hua Changxi's gaze fell on Eunuch Lu, who was outside the room.

"Yesterday the Miscellaneous Servants Hall lost some precious medicinal herbs. Search thoroughly for my sake."

Hua Changxi saw at a glance that this was targeted at her. She felt immensely relieved that she had summoned the Shennong Cauldron in time and that it could store items.

The people sent by Eunuch Lu turned the room almost completely upside down, but aside from everyone's spare clothes and daily necessities, they found nothing.

Steward Leng, standing beside Eunuch Lu, glanced at Su Ruoli.

Su Ruoli shook her head, indicating that Hua Changxi had not left the house.

Hua Changxi caught this scene head-on, but she quickly averted her gaze and looked at Eunuch Lu. To ensure she would be sent to the Three Fork Herb Valley, she even gave him a provocative, sneering smile.

Eunuch Lu was indeed furious. He said coldly, "Hua Changxi, you assaulted others and performed your duties carelessly. I am punishing you by sending you to work at the Three Fork Herb Estate. The day after tomorrow, you will set out with the others going to the Three Fork Herb Estate."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression changed drastically. She looked at Eunuch Lu with unconcealed defiance.

Seeing this, Eunuch Lu felt somewhat appeased inside. He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

Only after he was far away did Steward Leng look at Hua Changxi disapprovingly. "Hua Changxi, why didn't you just bow your head and admit your mistake to Eunuch Lu? The work at the herb estate is not something a young lady like you can handle."

Hua Changxi looked at Steward Leng and said nothing.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Steward Leng continued on his own, "Oh well, you are my subordinate after all. When Eunuch Lu calms down, I'll plead for you again."

Having said that, he shook his head helplessly and walked away.

After the onlookers dispersed, Du Ruo came over with a cold face. "I told you before, don't be too ostentatious. Steward Leng is reasonable. I'll go with you to plead with her again, ask her to beg Eunuch Lu not to send you to work at the herb estate."

As she spoke, she tugged at Hua Changxi, about to go find Steward Leng.

Hua Changxi didn't want to stir up more trouble. She shook off Du Ruo and said stubbornly, "There's no way I'm going to beg anyone. Steward Du, mind your own business."

Du Ruo was so angry her breathing became heavy. "Fine, fine, fine. I'm just meddling. You... you'll have your time to cry."

Steward Leng arrived at Eunuch Lu's courtyard, pouring him tea and massaging his shoulders and legs. "Eunuch Lu, I heard that Hua Changxi is a martial artist. Sending her to the herb estate might not be difficult for her."

Eunuch Lu gave a cold laugh: "Don't worry, this time I'm definitely going to make Hua Changxi suffer enough, and I'll have her come back dejectedly to kneel before me and beg me."

Steward Leng looked bewildered: "Could it be that the medicine estate has martial arts experts?"

Eunuch Lu smiled: "The medicine estates of the Medical Department all have grandmasters stationed there."

Upon hearing this, Steward Leng's eyes flickered, then he put on a shocked expression: "There are that many medicine estates in the Medical Department, and they all have grandmasters stationed?"

"Your Excellency must not be fooling me. Though my knowledge is shallow, I do know that grandmasters are rare."

Eunuch Lu stroked Steward Leng's smooth face: "To outsiders, grandmasters are indeed pitifully rare, but what kind of place is this? The Medical Department."

"The Medical Department is one of the three major divisions of the Heavenly Department, and the Heavenly Department oversees the Martial Academy. The Martial Academy has been established for several hundred years now, and has trained countless martial arts experts. Whatever number of experts the Medical Department needs, the Heavenly Department can send them over."

"Hmph, with Hua Changxi at the Sancha Medicine Estate and a grandmaster watching over her, let's see what waves she can stir up."