Chapter 51: Alchemy Saint Hall

Hua Changxi was punished to work at the Three Fork Herb Manor, and this caused quite a stir in the Sixth Bureau. When she went to the cafeteria, Manager Qin and the others also urged her to bow her head and admit her fault to Eunuch Lu.

It took Hua Changxi considerable effort to send Manager Qin and the others away. Before she could catch a breath, Old Mrs. Sun arrived: "Granny Sun."

Old Mrs. Sun did not try to persuade her; she only said one thing: "The herb manors of the Medical Department all have Grandmasters stationed there."

Earlier, when Hua Changxi had forced back Mao Yong and his men, the people in the Chores Hall had speculated that she was a martial artist. Old Mrs. Sun had also heard about this and guessed that Hua Changxi might have some ability to protect herself.

However, that bit of self-defense might not be enough against a Grandmaster.

She quite liked this young girl and really didn't want to see her fall into the mud, so she couldn't help coming over to remind her.

Learning that the herb manor had a Grandmaster stationed there, Hua Changxi's expression immediately turned serious.

Grandmaster...

With her current cultivation, could she deal with a Grandmaster?

Hua Changxi recalled the confrontations with Eunuch Yu and the one-armed man brought by Mao Yong. Yu Gui had said that Eunuch Yu was a Seventh-Rank martial artist, and the one-armed man was probably about the same.

The pressure they released had no effect on her. Although she didn't know exactly how strong a Grandmaster was, if a Grandmaster could only suppress her with inner force, then she probably wouldn't be in danger.

What she mainly worried about was a Grandmaster's combat ability. Having never fought anyone, her combat ability was almost zero.

Even if she knew some spells, when it came to a fight, she might not necessarily win.

However, though she couldn't win, she should have no problem protecting herself.

After entering the Qi Sea Realm, even though she cultivated every moment, her cultivation improved very slowly. So, even if going to the Three Fork Herb Valley might bring some danger, she had to go to find Yuanling Grass.

Hua Changxi looked at Old Mrs. Sun: "Granny, thank you for telling me this. I'll be careful."

Old Mrs. Sun saw that even the mention of a Grandmaster couldn't frighten Hua Changxi away. She gave the girl a deep look: "Just keep that in mind." With that, she was about to return to the kitchen.

"Granny!"

Hua Changxi called her back.

Old Mrs. Sun turned around and looked at her: "Something else?"

Hua Changxi pulled Old Mrs. Sun to sit down: "Granny, do you know that old, rundown courtyard by the square?"

Old Mrs. Sun's expression suddenly changed. She stared at Hua Changxi: "Why are you asking about that?"

Seeing her reaction, Hua Changxi immediately knew she was aware of the courtyard. Instead of answering, she asked back: "An old man with a hunched back lives in that courtyard. Does Granny know who he is?"

Old Mrs. Sun looked silently at Hua Changxi. Just when Hua Changxi thought she wouldn't answer, she spoke: "That old fellow is called Gu Xing. He's just a courtyard keeper."

Hua Changxi wasn't very satisfied with this answer. If the hunched old man was really just a courtyard keeper, then why had Eunuch Yu given up capturing her after seeing the old man?

Old Mrs. Sun: "That old fellow rarely comes out. Even the old-timers of the Chores Hall might not know him. How did you find out about him?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "Yesterday, as I was passing through the square, I suddenly felt unwell. I happened to run into Senior Gu, who was opening the door to come out. He must have seen that I couldn't even walk, so he let me into the courtyard to rest."

Hearing this, Old Mrs. Sun shot to her feet and asked in surprise: "He called you into his courtyard to rest?"

Seeing such a strong reaction, Hua Changxi pressed further: "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

Old Mrs. Sun didn't answer; she only looked at Hua Changxi with a probing gaze, very puzzled as to why Gu Xing would invite such a young girl into his courtyard.

Hua Changxi continued: "That Senior Gu must be very old, and his back is hunched like that. He looks quite frightening. Granny, he's not some bad person, is he?"

Old Mrs. Sun composed herself and sat back down: "That old fellow just looks scary. He's not a bad person. If you meet him again and he invites you into the courtyard, just go in and sit for a while."

Hua Changxi's expression flickered, but she shook her head: "No, I'm scared."

Old Mrs. Sun's face showed a trace of anxiety, which quickly disappeared. She looked at Hua Changxi as if she wanted to say something, then finally sighed: "That old fellow is actually a pitiable person."

Hua Changxi put on a look of surprise, staring at Old Mrs. Sun with curiosity, waiting for her to continue.

Old Mrs. Sun: "What do you think of the location chosen for the Medical Department?"

Hua Changxi: "Very good. It's surrounded by mountains to the north, adjacent to Tonghua Gate to the east, with canals flowing at both ends, and the Imperial Palace to the west. The location is excellent."

Old Mrs. Sun nodded: "Do you know, before the court established the Medical Department, this place was actually called the Dan Sheng Hall, the property of an old aristocratic family."

Hua Changxi blinked: "That family wouldn't happen to be named Gu, would it?"

Old Mrs. Sun: "It was the Gu family. The court set its sights on the Dan Sheng Hall and forcibly requisitioned this place."

[GLOSSARY]

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"After the imperial court took over the Alchemy Saint Hall, aside from changing its name, nothing else was altered—they only renovated some damaged parts."

"The Gu family was a lineage of medicine. At first, the court still allowed the Gus to serve in the Medical Bureau, but as the court's control over the Bureau grew tighter, by now only that old courtyard on the square still belongs to the Gu family, and only Gu Xing is left of the family."

Hua Changxi hadn't expected this: "Grandmother, has that stone cauldron on the square been there all along?"

This was what she truly cared about.

The Shennong Cauldron remained quietly in her mind; even after she began cultivating, it only passed on the medical inheritance to her, showing no other activity.

Yesterday, it was only after she looked at the stone cauldron that her head split with pain, and only then did she summon the Shennong Cauldron.

There must be some connection between the two.

Granny Sun nodded: "That stone cauldron is very old. I think it's called the Medicine Ancestor Cauldron."

Medicine Ancestor!

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. The Medicine Ancestor—only one person is recognized as such, and that is Shennong.

The Medicine Ancestor Cauldron and the Shennong Cauldron are different names, but both point to the same person.

Hua Changxi thought of the majestic palace she had glimpsed in her daze. That stooped old man was certainly not as simple as Granny Sun had said. Combined with the sudden summoning of the Shennong Cauldron, there must be a great secret hidden here.

As for that secret, Hua Changxi wasn't eager to unravel it. Right now, she only wanted to quickly raise her cultivation level. Only when her martial power was strong enough would she have the confidence to explore this mysterious and unpredictable world.

After that, Hua Changxi didn't chat much more with Granny Sun, but inwardly she reaffirmed that Granny Sun was not ordinary.

And that Su Ruoli—when she grabbed her wrist yesterday, Hua Changxi had sensed the internal force inside her body. She was a martial artist.

The waters of the Medical Bureau were growing deeper and deeper; all sorts of monsters and demons were coming out.

Since she had to go to Three Fork Herb Estate the day after tomorrow, Hua Changxi considered whether to go home first, but thinking that if her family knew she was being punished to the estate, they would either stop her or blame her, she gave up the idea.

Not knowing how long she would stay at Three Fork Herb Estate, Hua Changxi thought for a moment, found Pharmacist Xu, and gave him the hundred Bone-Tempering Pills, fifty Viscera Pills, and fifty Meridian-Opening Pills she had obtained from cooperating with Eunuch Yu during the first month—asking him to pass them on to Hua Liulang.

Pharmacist Xu looked at the pills, surprised: "Jiuniang, tell me, where did you get these pills?"

Hua Changxi didn't hide it and briefly explained how she had refined medicine for others.

After hearing this, Pharmacist Xu didn't react much.

That surprised Hua Changxi a little: "Uncle Xu, I thought you would scold me."

Pharmacist Xu smiled wryly: "Once you enter the Medical Bureau, you're no longer a child whose family has to take responsibility for you. As long as you know what you're doing and can bear the consequences, I'll only be happy for you."

With that, he patted Hua Changxi on the shoulder. "Jiuniang, you've now set foot on the path of taking responsibility for yourself. The road ahead is long, with thorns and flowers alike—just don't lose yourself."

Hua Changxi smiled. Compared to others' worries, she preferred Pharmacist Xu's trust: "Uncle Xu, thank you. I'll walk my path well."

"By the way, Uncle Xu, has A'ling's illness improved?"

Mentioning his daughter, the smile on Pharmacist Xu's face grew wider: "Mm, since spring began, A'ling hasn't been sleeping so much."

Seeing that Pharmacist Xu didn't bring up the snake scales, Hua Changxi knew he was sensitive about it, so she didn't press further. After chatting a little more, she returned to the Servants' Hall.

On the eighteenth day of the second month, carrying a bundle, Hua Changxi left the Sixth Bureau under the worried gazes of Wang Yunchu and the others, and gathered at the back gate of the Medical Bureau.

More than a hundred servants were going to help at Three Fork Herb Estate, all male servants—Hua Changxi was the only woman.

The moment Hua Changxi appeared, everyone's eyes landed on her.

Feeling everyone's scrutiny, although uncomfortable, Hua Changxi endured it.

She had obtained the opportunity for cultivation and the inheritance of Shennong—that was already a huge cheat. Under such circumstances, if she flinched from even seeking cultivation resources, then she might as well give up cultivating.

The leader was a tall, burly middle-aged man with a big beard. The bearded man glanced at Hua Changxi, counted everyone against the list, and when he saw everyone was present, he turned and got onto the carriage.

"Move out!"

Three Fork Herb Estate was several dozen kilometers from the capital, but the group had only five cargo carriages. Apart from a few stewards, everyone else had to walk on foot.

Hua Changxi walked at the very back of the group, choosing to ignore the various subtle looks and whispered discussions.

After leaving the capital's borders, the carriages began to pick up speed, and the others had to run to keep up.

At noon, the bearded man finally had everyone stop for a rest on the spot and began distributing dry rations.

After half a day of running, everyone was exhausted and panting. The bearded man glanced at Hua Changxi, whose complexion was calm and breathing steady, and seemed a bit thoughtful.

After eating the dry rations and resting for a quarter of an hour, they set off again.

In the morning, no one came to bother Hua Changxi, but in the afternoon, a young steward jumped down from a carriage and approached her with a smile.

When the others saw this, they all wore expressions of someone waiting for a show.

Big Beard also looked over, but he didn't say anything.

Sha Wenyuan was the second steward under Eunuch Lu, and Eunuch Lu had specifically instructed him to make sure Hua Changxi suffered plenty.

"How can I let a young lady like you run alongside the carriage? Come, ride with your big brother in the carriage." As he spoke, he reached out to grab Hua Changxi's hand.

Hua Changxi expressionlessly stared at Sha Wenyuan, and just as his hand was about to touch her, she seized his arm, putting all her strength into it. With a crack, she snapped his arm.

Then, raising her right leg, she kicked Sha Wenyuan viciously in the shin.

With another crack, Sha Wenyuan's shin also broke.

Hua Changxi flung Sha Wenyuan away. He fell to the ground, his face twisted in agony, a rapid, rasping sound escaping his throat.

At this moment, he was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream.

Hua Changxi did not stop there. She knew clearly that if she didn't intimidate these people once and for all, endless harassment would await her.

Under everyone's horrified gaze, Hua Changxi stepped on Sha Wenyuan's chest.

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from Sha Wenyuan's mouth.

"Stop!"

Only when he saw that Sha Wenyuan was breathing out more than in did Big Beard snap out of his shock, jump down from the carriage, and come to stop her.

Hua Changxi expressionlessly swept her gaze over everyone, then smiled at Big Beard. "Rest assured, Steward. I'm a physician; I know how to control myself."

"I won't dirty my hands for a piece of trash and end up with a murder charge."

As she spoke, she kicked Sha Wenyuan again. "This garbage won't die."

Big Beard stared at the extremely arrogant Hua Changxi with a sharp gaze. "You have quite the nerve."

Hua Changxi gave a faint smile. "If I didn't have nerve, how would I have ended up here?"

Now that she was out of the Medical Bureau, she wasn't afraid of these people. They couldn't send her back; at most, they could only punish her by making her stay at the medicine estate a while longer.

But that actually suited her just fine.

Big Beard stared at Hua Changxi for a moment. Just as everyone thought he was going to punish her, he turned and walked away without saying a word, only telling a few men to carry Sha Wenyuan onto the carriage.

They continued on their way.

As the sky grew dark, Big Beard had the dry rations distributed once more. After they ate, he didn't let them rest but instead pushed on while it was dark.

After a whole night, just as dawn was breaking, the group finally arrived at the Sancha Medicine Estate.

"Steward Zhu."

"Steward Mao."

Every year at this time, the Medical Bureau sent menial laborers to the estates to help with planting medicinal herbs. Since this involved his duties, Mao Yong had been waiting early.

"You've traveled for a day and a night—hard work, brothers. The estate has already prepared food. Come, eat first, then rest for a day, and start work tomorrow."

Mao Yong led the crowd into the estate, but when he saw Hua Changxi among them, the smile on his face stiffened.

When he looked over, Hua Changxi gave him a friendly smile.

Mao Yong quickly averted his gaze and pulled Big Beard aside. "What's going on? Why is there a female menial laborer?"

Zhu Yu glanced at Hua Changxi. "She offended Eunuch Lu and was punished to work here."

Hearing this, Mao Yong's heart stirred. He still had a grudge from when this little girl had forced him to apologize publicly in the Medical Bureau's storehouse. Now that she was on his turf, he'd have to find a chance to reclaim his lost face.

However, the next moment, when he saw the battered Sha Wenyuan being carried off the carriage and learned that Hua Changxi had broken his arm and leg and kicked in three of his ribs, Mao Yong's scalp tightened.

But then, remembering that the estate had a grandmaster overseeing it, Mao Yong's expression relaxed a little.

He didn't believe this girl would dare to recklessly injure people right under a grandmaster's nose.