Chapter 91: Human Fruit

On the eighteenth of February, the shop sign was made ready, and amidst the sound of firecrackers, the Shennong Hall Medicine Shop opened for business.

Inside the shop were only Hua Changxi, A Niu, Pu Cao, and a green ox poking its head in at the back door.

Because the shop’s location was rather remote, aside from some neighbors who came over upon hearing the firecrackers, no one else showed up.

Staring at the deserted street, Pu Cao and A Niu exchanged bewildered looks.

Seeing that there wasn’t a single customer in the shop, Pu Cao grew a little worried and looked at Hua Changxi: “Changxi, do you want me to go out and drum up some business?”

Hua Changxi shook her head: “No need. I never intended to do retail. In the future, if someone comes to sell medicine, you sell it. If no one comes to buy, it doesn’t matter either.”

Pu Cao: “But like this, can we make any money?”

Hua Changxi: “We can. Don’t worry. Someone will come soon.”

An hour later, Yu Gui arrived with Wan Xiaozhou and Li Meng.

Looking at the deserted shop, Yu Gui laughed: “Little sister, this is your first day open. Why don’t you ask more people to come? That would liven up the place a bit.”

Hua Changxi shot him a glance. Was it that she didn’t want to ask? The problem was, she didn’t know any medicine merchants or dealers.

“Brother Yu, if you know any medicine merchants, you can introduce them to me.”

Yu Gui gave an embarrassed smile: “I’m just a warehouse supervisor. I don’t know many people. But if I get to know any later, I’ll definitely introduce them to you.”

Hua Changxi smiled: “That would be great. If you really bring me a big client, I’ll give you a discount.” As she spoke, she led him to the medicine counter where Pu Cao was and introduced Pu Cao to him.

“Brother Yu, this is the shop’s manager. When I’m not here, she’ll handle all the business in the pharmacy. You know, I still have duties in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, so I won’t be staying here all the time. In the future, if you come to buy medicine and I’m not around, you can go directly to her.”

“Pu Cao, this is Supervisor Yu Gui, our shop’s first big client.”

Pu Cao quickly offered her greetings and said she would certainly take good care of Yu Gui in the future, then nodded at Li Meng and Wang Xiaozhou standing behind him.

Yu Gui smiled and acknowledged her, then looked at Hua Changxi with emotion: “Little sister, I really didn’t expect that Eunuch Jia would let you take over Eunuch Lu’s duties. When I found out, I thought everyone was joking.”

Hua Changxi didn’t want to go into the details and brushed it off: “It’s all due to Eunuch Jia’s favor.” She pointed at the pills behind the counter. “Brother Yu, the Martial Pills openly on sale in this shop are only from the first grade to the fifth grade.”

“But since we’re on good terms, I also have sixth-grade, seventh-grade, and eighth-grade pills that I can sell to you. How many pills do you plan to buy this time?”

Hearing that even sixth-grade and seventh-grade pills were available, Yu Gui was inwardly shaken. He directly pulled out ten thousand taels of silver from his pocket: “Little sister, I’m about to break through to the fifth grade. I want to buy more fifth-grade pills, and I also need some sixth-grade, seventh-grade, and eighth-grade pills.”

Hua Changxi took the silver and smiled: “Looks like Brother Yu has been earning quite a bit of silver lately.”

Yu Gui chuckled: “All thanks to your support, little sister.”

Hua Changxi handed the silver to Pu Cao and let her handle the entire transaction with Yu Gui while she just watched from the side. Seeing that Pu Cao was handling it well, she didn’t intervene.

After buying the pills and chatting with Hua Changxi for a while, Yu Gui left with Wang Xiaozhou and Li Meng.

As soon as they left, Hua Changxi looked at Pu Cao and A Niu: “Now you can rest assured. Our pharmacy will definitely be able to keep running for a long time.”

A single customer buying ten thousand taels’ worth of pills completely set Pu Cao and A Niu’s minds at ease. Earlier, when Hua Changxi said the pharmacy would take a wholesale route, they had been a little worried, but now they weren’t the least bit concerned.

Afterwards, Hua Changxi watched Pu Cao finish recording the accounts. Seeing that there was nothing left to do in the shop, she prepared to return to the Medical Department.

She left the pharmacy and hadn’t gone far when she saw people fighting in a restaurant on the street, smashing the tables, chairs, and dishes inside to pieces. The owner was standing nearby, on the verge of tears from anxiety.

Watching this scene, Hua Changxi thought for a moment, turned around and went back to the pharmacy. She set up a first-grade defensive array in both the shop and the backyard.

She owed this to the “Introduction to the Four Arts” in Old Taoist Jiang’s storage ring, which gave a simple explanation of how to refine pills, craft talismans, forge equipment, and set up arrays. Low-grade arrays were easy to learn—just follow the steps in the book.

Afterwards, Hua Changxi gave Pu Cao some spirit stones, told her the array’s control point, and instructed her to replenish the stones regularly to keep the defensive array maintained.

On the other side, Yu Gui took the pills and went straight back to the Medical Department. As soon as he returned, he went to find Eunuch Yu and handed over the eighth-grade pill that Eunuch Yu needed.

He had indeed earned some silver by selling pills, but he couldn’t manage to take out ten thousand taels all at once. The silver was given to him by Eunuch Yu.

Eunuch Yu took the pill: “How is the pharmacy’s business?”

Yu Gui shook his head: “Very quiet. On its opening day, I might have been the only customer.”

Eunuch Yu was silent for a moment: “Find an opportunity to introduce the great merchant Zhuo to Hua Changxi.”

Yu Gui looked at Eunuch Yu in surprise. Ever since the Embroidered Uniform Guard had searched the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall half a month ago, he had clearly sensed a change in his godfather’s attitude toward Hua Changxi.

Before, when Hua Changxi returned from the Herb Village, even though he learned that she was valued by a Grandmaster, his godfather had shown no reaction. But today, the usually stingy man had actually given him ten thousand taels of silver and told him to support Hua Changxi’s business.

And now he wanted to introduce the great merchant Zhuo to her...

Eunuch Yu sighed. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so greedy when I collaborated with Hua Changxi to refine medicine earlier." As he spoke, he looked at Yu Gui. "Fortunately, you still have some friendship with her. In the future, be sure to get along well with her."

Seeing Yu Gui's confused expression, as if he didn't understand why he was doing this, Eunuch Yu had to spell it out. "Do you know how many people would have died in the Vassal Hall that day when the Brocade Guard searched it, if Hua Changxi hadn't stepped forward?"

Facing the Brocade Guard, not only were the servants terrified, but even Eunuch Yu, a steward with some background, was extremely frightened.

Xiao Luzi was the best proof. They say he was gone the very next day after being thrown into the imperial prison.

"Someone up there has their eyes on the Medical Department. Since the first nine streets were hard to place informants in, they set their sights on the Vassal Hall."

"Eunuch Sun of the First Bureau had no backing and was the first to be killed off."

"Eunuch Zhao of the Second Bureau and Eunuch Jia of the Third Bureau had some connections in the palace, so they barely managed to hold on to their positions."

"During this time, the Vassal Hall was seething with undercurrents. Vicious schemes against Eunuch Zhao and Eunuch Jia came one after another."

"The two barely managed to withstand them, but then the theft of medicines happened. The thief left traces that led the Brocade Guard straight to the Vassal Hall."

"If Hua Changxi hadn't stepped forward to force out the Lengxiang Ru, the entire Vassal Hall would have been subjected to a massive purge. Even our warehouse would have been affected."

Listening to Eunuch Yu's analysis, Yu Gui was filled with lingering fear.

The Brocade Guard didn't need evidence to handle cases. Since the thief's last trace appeared in the Vassal Hall, according to their methods, everyone in the Vassal Hall was a suspect. As suspects, they had the right to arrest them.

Being caught by the Brocade Guard and thrown into the imperial prison was essentially a death sentence.

Eunuch Yu looked at Yu Gui. "The Brocade Guard don't even care about high-ranking court officials, yet they didn't touch Hua Changxi, even though she fought them. Do you know why?"

Yu Gui scratched his head. "Sister Changxi doesn't have any background either."

Eunuch Yu said directly, "Because she is a cultivator."

Although what happened that day in the Sixth Bureau was gag-ordered by Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Yu had to swallow his pride and expend tremendous effort before Eunuch Jia finally loosened his tongue.

Water droplets suspended in midair turning into water arrows—that was the technique of a cultivator. But Hua Changxi had blocked it.

What did that mean?

It meant Hua Changxi was also a cultivator.

A cultivator...

If it hadn't been for the earth-shattering battle that erupted at Wuzhi Mountain last September, he wouldn't have learned for ages that above martial artists there were even more powerful cultivators.

Before that, the existence of cultivators was known only to the imperial family and a few top aristocrats.

Over the past few months, he had exhausted all his available connections and made inquiries from many directions, only to glean a little bit of information about cultivators.

He never imagined that there was a real cultivator right beside him.

Unfortunately, he had offended her.

At this moment, Eunuch Yu regretted it so much his intestines were turning green. Over the past half-month, he had investigated Hua Changxi's family background again. This time, he discovered something shocking: Hua's family had a daughter who was the personal disciple of the leader of Taisu Palace.

Only then did he understand why Eunuch Jia could remain safe and sound in the Vassal Hall.

"Eunuch Jia is lucky. Without Hua Changxi, the theft case would have killed him first. Even if he didn't die in the Brocade Guard's imperial prison, those eyeing his position would have killed him."

"Now only one Xiao Luzi is dead. His life is still intact, and the Third Bureau is still in his hands. It didn't hurt his foundation."

Yu Gui had really never imagined there were so many layers to this, but what he most wanted to know now was: "Godfather, what is a cultivator?"

His information was slow; even though Wuzhi Mountain had caused a big stir and he'd heard some rumors, he hadn't taken them seriously.

Eunuch Yu looked at Yu Gui, his tone unusually gentle. "I don't know either. If you want to find out, go ask Hua Changxi."

Yu Gui wasn't sure if Hua Changxi would tell him. "Then I'll try to get in more touch with Sister Changxi in the future."

Eunuch Yu revealed a smile of "the boy can be taught." "Gui'er, if you can find out about cultivators from Hua Changxi's mouth, I'll give you half of the fortune I've saved over the years."

Hearing this, Yu Gui couldn't help swallowing. He knew Eunuch Yu loved to hoard silver. Half his fortune—how much silver would that be?

Yu Gui's reaction didn't faze Eunuch Yu. When he learned that grandmasters faced cultivators like fish on a chopping board, he had become desperate to become a cultivator himself.

For now, he could only use Yu Gui to try his best to mend relations with Hua Changxi.

After returning to the Medical Department, Hua Changxi went and made a round of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus.

Perhaps because her stick was a bit thick and her carrots truly took care of the servants, after she took over Eunuch Lu's position, surprisingly few people stirred up trouble.

Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard came to cause trouble again.

Of course, she had no idea whether the Embroidered Uniform Guard had negotiated with Manager Jia.

Thinking about this, Hua Changxi returned to the courtyard and took out the pill box that Manager Leng had tried to frame her with; inside were three Rebirth Pills.

Rebirth Pill, meaning shedding the mortal body.

Rebirth Pills, combined with Wood Spirit Pills, Fire Spirit Pills, Water Spirit Pills, Earth Spirit Pills, and Metal Spirit Pills, can shape spiritual meridians. What Shiniang sent home were three Rebirth Pills and three Wood Spirit Pills.

Anything that can shape spiritual meridians is naturally extremely scarce. Refining Rebirth Pills requires a type of innate spiritual fruit—the Human Seed Fruit.

Although the Human Seed Fruit is not like the Creation Fruit, which gets obliterated by heavenly thunder as soon as it appears, it is still extremely difficult to grow and thrive, suffering a heavenly tribulation every hundred years.

It bears very few fruits, only one every hundred years.

These Rebirth Pills were refined by the Medical Directorate, which is enough to show that the imperial family possesses a Human Seed Fruit tree.

But now, with the resurgence of spiritual energy, the spiritual fruits under the cliff of Sancha Herb Valley and the spiritual fruits of Five Finger Mountain are growing at lightning speed. Hua Changxi guessed that the imperial family should have accumulated a batch of Human Seed Fruits.

Hua Changxi looked at the three roughly refined Rebirth Pills with some disdain. Taking such Rebirth Pills would result in poor-quality spiritual meridians, so she directly put the Rebirth Pills back into the Shennong Cauldron.

A batch of pills for the shop had been stockpiled and could be sold for a while. Now, she needed to start refining spirit pills.

[First-Rank Alchemist (Ultimate Pills): 2267 batches of pills refined (2267/]

Seeing that she still needed to refine over seven thousand batches of pills to advance to Second-Rank Alchemist, Hua Changxi took a deep breath, began taking out the required spiritual plants, herbs, and fruits from the Shennong Cauldron, and then threw herself into alchemy.

On the left side, near the middle of Medical Directorate First Street, stood a nine-story pavilion, with three gilded characters boldly hanging on it: "Medical Directorate."

Ding Peng, the Assistant Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, visiting the Medical Directorate for the first time, stood in front of the pavilion and said to Gu Qiming, the Director of the Medical Directorate beside him, "Isn't this pavilion built in the wrong position?"

Gu Qiming smiled: "When this pavilion was first built, the official in charge wanted to place it right in the center of First Street, but as soon as construction started, strange things kept happening."

Ding Peng showed a curious expression: "What strange things?"

Gu Qiming said: "No matter how solidly they built a pavilion in the very center, it would collapse the next day."

"That really is strange."

Ding Peng looked at the pavilion, then walked forward.

To the right of the pavilion was a T-junction that ran through all nine streets, leading straight to the square at the back.

"Are the back of Ninth Street the Menial Hall and Apprentice Hall?"

"Mm."

Then the two said nothing more, and Gu Qiming led Ding Peng to his office.

Ding Peng had come this time about the lost pills on Second Street half a month ago.

Ten Rebirth Pills had been lost. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, using spirit detectors, recovered four from the Apprentice Hall, plus three found in the Sixth Bureau of the Menial Hall, making seven in total.

"Leng Xiangru is a person of the Shura Sect."

After hearing this, Gu Qiming took a wooden box from a cabinet on his desk and handed it to Ding Peng.

Ding Peng opened it and saw a Wood Spirit Pill inside: "What do you mean?"

Gu Qiming said: "Let's close the case like this. The remaining three pills were taken by Leng Xiangru; don't investigate any further." This Wood Spirit Pill was his compensation to Ding Peng.

Ding Peng's eyes flickered, and he smiled: "I heard from Yin Jianxiong that there's a cultivator hiding in the Menial Hall. Aren't you curious about her background?"

Gu Qiming smiled: "I imagine the Embroidered Uniform Guard has already investigated her background thoroughly."

Otherwise, given the Embroidered Uniform Guard's style of handling cases, they would have already come and arrested Hua Changxi.

Ding Peng fell silent: "...Do you think the remaining three Rebirth Pills might be in Hua Changxi's hands?"

Gu Qiming: "Probably not. If she had taken the Rebirth Pills, she wouldn't dare confront your Embroidered Uniform Guard directly."

Ding Peng was silent again, then after a moment said: "The situation at Kunlun Mountain should be reaching a conclusion soon, right?"

Gu Qiming paused: "As long as no high-level cultivator suddenly appears like at Five Finger Mountain, there should be a quick result. Barring any surprises, the palace will choose to cooperate with Taisu Palace."

Hearing this, Ding Peng looked at the pill box in his hand for a while, then finally put it into the storage pouch at his waist.