Chapter 58: Fourteen Years Old

"Sizzle~"

In a cave deep in the Southern Red Mountain Range, not far from the Fire Spirit Mine Rift, Hua Changxi was focused on refining pills.

[First-grade Alchemist (Superior-grade Pill): Pills Refined 101/1000 Furnaces]

After refining over 100 furnaces of mid-grade Yuanling Pills, the quality of subsequently refined pills upgraded to superior-grade pills.

After storing the mid-grade Yuanling Pills into the Shennong Cauldron, Hua Changxi continued to refine superior-grade pills.

She knew that this kind of alchemy environment, with abundant spirit plants and no disturbances, was not normal, so she had to seize the opportunity to improve her alchemy grade.

The spirit plants she needed for alchemy were partly gathered earlier at the bottom of the Western Mountain Stone Cliff, and mostly gathered around the Fire Spirit Mine.

After acquiring the Fenji Divine Ability, Hua Changxi's combat power increased significantly, and she dared to explore the area around the Fire Spirit Mine.

Where there are spirit mines, the spiritual energy is dense, so naturally there is no shortage of spirit plants and spirit fruits.

In the valleys around the Fire Spirit Mine, first-grade fire-attribute spirit plants and fruits were everywhere, second-grade ones were also plentiful, and there were even not a few third-grade ones.

Hua Changxi spent over half a month touring the surroundings and collected a large pile of fire-attribute spirit plants and fruits.

"Cheep~"

The rich fragrance of the superior-grade pill attracted a Fire Crow.

"Whoosh~"

A Fire Lotus shot out through the air, covering the Fire Crow like a net, and with a 'boom', the Fire Crow was burned to ashes, vanishing in the air.

Hua Changxi liked coming to the rift valley.

Refining pills here, she not only didn't have to worry about being discovered by outsiders, but when tired from alchemy, she could sit down and cultivate on the spot, or go down into the rift to dig Fire Spirit Ore.

If she encountered demon beasts, she could also train her fighting ability.

Hua Changxi urgently wanted to quickly improve her strength; she was very clear in her heart that this Fire Spirit Mine would not remain undiscovered forever.

Once others discovered it, the Fire Spirit Mine would either be taken over by the imperial court or by powerful noble families.

By then, she feared she wouldn't even have a chance to approach this place.

Now, what she had to do was to quickly improve herself before others discovered it.

At the end of April, all tasks at the Medicine Village were completed, and the laborers of the Chores Hall were to return to the Medical Department.

Zhu Yu suddenly came to the Medicine Valley, saying he wanted to find Hua Changxi. Hua Changxi had gone to the Southern Mountain Rift and was not there, so the one-armed man met him.

That evening, when Hua Changxi returned, the one-armed man told her about it.

"Manager Zhu is looking for me? What does he want?"

"They're going back to the Medical Department and asked if you're returning."

This reason seemed reasonable, but Hua Changxi didn't quite believe it. She was just an insignificant little laborer, and had been left behind by the Grandmaster; Zhu Yu didn't need to make a special trip for this.

The one-armed man looked at Hua Changxi: "Are you and Zhu Yu on good terms?"

Hua Changxi looked puzzled and shook her head: "I didn't know him at all before. Since coming to the Medicine Village, I haven't even exchanged a few words with him. Master Guo, why do you ask?"

The one-armed man: "Zhu Yu came in the morning and waited until afternoon before leaving."

There was no need to be so attentive to an ordinary outsider.

Hua Changxi frowned: "Did he ask you what I was doing?"

The one-armed man nodded: "I told him you went into the mountains to gather herbs."

This was a cover for Hua Changxi, so she immediately thanked him: "Thank you, Master Guo."

The others in Medicine Valley might not know what she did all day, but Guo Yu definitely knew she had gone to the Southern Red Mountains.

"By the way, hasn't Old You returned yet?"

At the mention of Old You, the one-armed man's face showed worry.

His master originally said he would only be away for a few days, but now he has been gone for almost a month and hasn't returned. He wondered if he had run into some trouble.

In the past, he definitely wouldn't have worried, after all, his master was a Grandmaster, and Grandmasters were the strongest in martial power.

[]

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Hua Changxi didn’t feel comfortable continuing the deep conversation, and soon parted ways with the one-armed man.

Back at her lodging, Hua Changxi thought about Zhu Yu. Apart from his heavy beard leaving a strong impression, she had no memory of anything else about him. She couldn’t figure out why he had gone out of his way to sound her out.

Yes, her intuition told her that Zhu Yu had come specifically to probe her.

Hua Changxi then thought of You Lao and the one-armed man. They had both noticed something unusual about her from the very start. Could Zhu Yu be the same as them?

You Lao had used the spiritual plants at the bottom of the cliff to uncover her secret. Hua Changxi hadn’t had much contact with Zhu Yu, but the martial power she had displayed had still caught his attention.

Add to that the fact that You Lao, a grandmaster, had personally kept her in the Medicine Valley, which probably deepened Zhu Yu’s curiosity about her—hence today’s probing?

No matter why Zhu Yu had noticed her, it made Hua Changxi sigh. Everywhere she turned, people were shrewd. The slightest unusual action would draw their prying eyes.

Hua Changxi’s head ached. She couldn’t very well let this scrutiny stop her in her tracks and limit her own growth.

Remembering the one-armed man who had covered for her, a glint flickered in Hua Changxi’s eyes.

Whether Zhu Yu believed the one-armed man’s words or not, the one-armed man had still shielded her from some of that scrutiny.

After entering the Medical Department, she had come to realize more and more that going it alone wouldn’t work.

She was human, and humans had limitations. In many situations and with many things, she could only take care of one side while neglecting the other.

Just like in the Chore Hall—while she focused on cultivation and alchemy, rumors about her had spread far and wide before she even knew about them.

This forced her to face others’ ridicule and mockery head-on, and in order to defend herself, she had to engage in direct conflict with others.

If someone had warned her in advance, she could have avoided some of those conflicts, and thus wouldn’t have had to reveal so much of herself.

She needed someone to keep an eye on the areas she couldn’t attend to!

Perhaps she should cooperate with more people.

Hua Changxi thought of You Lao and the one-armed man. They had noticed her abnormality early on, but they hadn’t come at her with force or authority. Instead, they had gathered solid evidence and offered a Fire Spirit Stone she couldn’t refuse in exchange for her secret.

After she told You Lao that besides martial arts, there was another path of cultivation, You Lao—despite his eagerness to know what that path was—never came to ask again, nor did he have the one-armed man spy on her.

She should associate more with people who acted methodically and had principles.

Having figured this out, the next day, using the pretext that the one-armed man had helped her fend off Zhu Yu, Hua Changxi gave him the Earthly Gang Pill she had previously refined for Eunuch Yu.

The one-armed man looked at Hua Changxi, sensing that her attitude was no longer as distant as before. Remembering that You Lao had told him to interact more with her, he accepted the pill.

“Don’t worry. If anyone else comes looking for you in the future and you’re not around, I’ll help cover for you.”

Seeing that he understood so well, Hua Changxi beamed. “Then thank you very much, Master Guo. I can also refine the Heavenly Gang Pill for Eighth-rank martial artists. Once you advance to Eighth-rank, as long as you prepare the ingredients, you can come to me anytime for alchemy.”

The one-armed man smiled too. Pills for martial artists above Seventh-rank were not easy to come by—rare ingredients and hard-to-find alchemists. Knowing an alchemist who could refine high-grade pills was an extremely valuable connection.

“Good. When the time comes, I certainly won’t hold back.”

Having reached an initial cooperation with the one-armed man, Hua Changxi moved with increasing ease around the Medicine Valley in the days that followed.

Time slipped quietly away amid Hua Changxi’s busy cultivation and pill refining.

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the sixth month.

“Third Brother! Sixth Brother!”

Seeing Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang appear at the entrance of the Medicine Valley, Hua Changxi was very surprised. “Why are you here?”

Hua Liulang walked up, circled around Hua Changxi to size her up, and then said with some exasperation, “You forgot? Today is your fourteenth birthday.”

“I went to find Yu Hui in the Medical Department, and he said you had been kept to work in the Medicine Valley. Father and Mother were so worried they sent me and Third Brother to check on you.”

Hua Changxi had certainly not forgotten that today was her birthday. Precisely because she remembered, she had deliberately stayed in the Medicine Valley, planning to have lunch with the one-armed man.

That way, she could celebrate her birthday and also strengthen her relationship with him.

It was a good thing she hadn’t left—otherwise, Third Brother and Sixth Brother would have had to wait a whole day for her.

Watching his younger siblings chat, Hua Sanlang clasped his hands and thanked Mao Yong, who had led them there. “Thank you for your trouble, Manager Mao. Sorry for taking up your time.”

Mao Yong waved his hand with a smile. If he hadn’t wanted to resolve his grudge with Hua Changxi, he wouldn’t have brought these two outsiders to the Medicine Valley.

Having heard that today was Hua Changxi’s birthday, he had even specially prepared a gift—a pair of pearl earrings.

"Sister Changxi, my younger brother and I are both rough men. If we have offended you in any way before, please forgive us."

Mao Yong said as he handed the earrings to Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi looked at him, smiled, and took them: "Thank you, Manager Mao, for sending my two brothers over."

Seeing that Hua Changxi accepted the gift he had prepared, Mao Yong sighed with relief: "I won't disturb your siblings' reunion. I'll head back to the Herb Village now."

Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang: "Take care, Manager Mao."

Before Mao Yong had walked far, Hua Changxi linked arms with both brothers: "Third Brother, Sixth Brother, Master Guo said he wants to celebrate my birthday and invited me to eat at his place at noon. Come on, I'll take you to meet him."

"Master Guo is a seventh-rank martial artist, and his master, Old Man You, is a Grandmaster."

"Let me tell you, Old Man You and Master Guo have been especially good to me. When you go back, tell Father and Mother not to worry about me."

Hearing the three siblings' conversation, Mao Yong paused in his steps and once again felt relieved that he had taken the initiative to reconcile with Hua Changxi.

He knew about the stone cave halfway up West Mountain. In all his years as a manager, he had never been up there. Hua Changxi could go up freely—this showed that her relationship with Old Man You and Guo Yu was indeed extraordinary.

Only after Mao Yong had walked far away did Hua Changxi stop talking about Old Man You and the one-armed man.

Hua Sanlang lightly tapped Hua Changxi on the head: "Do you have a problem with that Manager Mao?"

Hua Changxi's expression was indifferent: "A little bit."

Hua Liulang's face showed urgency: "Did he bully you?"

Hua Changxi laughed scornfully: "He doesn't have what it takes."

Hua Sanlang frowned: "Ninth Sister, you have a fiery temper. When you're out in the world, you'd better restrain yourself a bit. Not everyone will tolerate you like at home."

Hua Changxi was a bit displeased: "What fiery temper? If someone bullies me, am I not allowed to fight back?"

"Besides, has home ever tolerated me?"

"Every time I want to do something, either this person disagrees or that person refuses. If I don't obey Grandfather and Grandmother's discipline, I'm either punished by being forbidden to eat or locked in a dark room. Is that called tolerance?"

Hua Sanlang's head ached: "Why do you have to go against Grandfather and Grandmother?"

Hua Changxi: "I'm not going against them. I'm a person; I have my own thoughts. You can't force me to live and act according to Grandfather and Grandmother's will."

Seeing the two start arguing again, Hua Liulang quickly separated them: "Ninth Sister, Mother made a lot of delicious food and asked us to bring it to you. Hurry, take us to where you live, and I'll open it up to show you."

Hua Changxi stopped arguing with Hua Sanlang and led the two to the room where she lived.

Seeing that Hua Changxi lived in a large communal bed and that four male menial workers lived next door, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang both felt worried.

When Hua Changxi saw this, she laughed: "I was personally kept here by a Grandmaster. No one dares to cause me trouble."

Hua Liulang asked curiously: "Is it true what you said just now about the Grandmaster and the seventh-rank martial artist taking good care of you?"

Hua Changxi smiled wryly: "Of course. When I said that to intimidate Mao Yong, it was a little exaggerated, but not far off the mark."

As she spoke, she opened the bundles brought by her two brothers and took out some food.

"Let's go. We'll have lunch on West Mountain."

Hua Liulang got excited: "Are we really going to eat with a Grandmaster?"

Hua Changxi laughed: "The Grandmaster isn't around these days. Only the seventh-rank martial artist is there."

Hua Liulang was a bit disappointed, but it was still good to meet a seventh-rank martial artist. After all, the highest-level martial artist he had ever interacted with was his eldest brother, a sixth-rank martial artist.

Hua Changxi looked at her two brothers; she couldn't tell their martial cultivation levels.

It couldn't be helped—in her eyes, they were too weak.

It was like an elephant looking at ants; even the strongest ant carries no weight in an elephant's eyes.

Seeing his sister's scrutiny, Hua Liulang smiled: "Third Brother and I are both at the third rank now. The other brothers at home have also gradually entered the ranks of martial artists."

As Hua Changxi led the two up West Mountain, she said: "Those elixirs—girls can take them too. Don't just think of yourselves; also take care of our sisters at home."

Upon hearing this, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang both remained silent.

The distribution of elixirs at home was entirely up to Grandfather; they had no say in the matter.

Seeing their silence, Hua Changxi couldn't help but snort. But thinking that they had traveled a long way to see her, she ultimately said nothing more.

Soon, they reached the mountainside.

The one-armed man seemed to have known long ago that Hua Changxi's two elder brothers were coming, and had taken the wooden table and wooden stools out of the stone cave in advance, placing them on the cliff.

Hua Changxi smiled at him and said, "Master Guo, my two elder brothers came to celebrate my birthday. Let's have lunch together."

In the past month or two, Guo Yu and Hua Changxi had interacted more often. Both were intentionally trying to get closer to each other, so they got along quite well.

Hua Changxi introduced her two brothers to Guo Yu. Guo Yu was fairly polite, telling the two that if they had any questions about martial arts training, they could ask him.

Being in close contact with a high-rank warrior, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang were both somewhat excited.

The four of them had a harmonious lunch together, and then Hua Changxi led Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang down the mountain.

On the way, Hua Liulang said with a chuckle, "I didn't expect a high-rank warrior to be so approachable."

Hua Sanlang was not as thick-skinned as his younger brother; he knew Guo Yu was being polite to them only because of Ninth Girl, so he couldn't help asking, "Ninth Girl, how did you strike up a friendship with Master Guo?"

Hua Changxi looked at him and said, "Third Brother, interactions between people are just about each taking what they need." Then she smiled and added, "In your eyes, I'm the one who latched onto him, but in reality, maybe he latched onto me."

Hearing this, Hua Sanlang's eyes flickered, while Hua Liulang scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. Both of them had the same thought at that moment: Ninth Girl's words were quite arrogant!

After descending the mountain, Hua Changxi led Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang for a stroll around the Medicine Valley.

Seeing the medicinal herbs covering the mountains and fields, Hua Liulang clicked his tongue repeatedly and said, "No wonder you want to stay here and not leave. If I also liked medicine, I wouldn't leave either."

At this moment, Hua Sanlang also felt some admiration for this younger sister of his, willing to stay in such a sparsely populated and harsh place to improve her medical skills.

Outsiders were not allowed to stay in the Medicine Valley. After strolling for a while, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang prepared to leave.

Hua Changxi said, "Go back and tell Father and Mother that I'm doing very well here, and tell them not to worry about me."

Having seen with their own eyes that their sister had a close relationship with a seventh-rank warrior, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang were indeed much more at ease. After giving some miscellaneous instructions, the two left.

Watching her two elder brothers' figures receding into the distance, Hua Changxi suddenly seemed thoughtful: "I have a spiritual vein. Could the others in the Hua family also have one?"