Chapter 99: Fated with Me

Returning from the Square Old Courtyard to the Chore Hall, the sky had completely darkened. Hua Changxi did not go back to her own yard but instead went to the street of nine Qihuang Halls at the farthest end of the Chore Hall.

The nine Qihuang Halls stood side by side. To the west was the Square Old Courtyard; further west were the nine Qihuang Halls at the far end of the Apprentice Hall.

Judging from this arrangement, the eighteen Qihuang Halls were positioned to guard the Square Old Courtyard.

Hua Changxi carried two wooden tokens and walked from Qihuang Hall No. 9 to Qihuang Hall No. 1.

Along the way, the wooden token with the sword pattern did not flash when passing any other hall, while the newly acquired token flashed at every hall except Qihuang Hall No. 9.

Qihuang Hall No. 9 was where they taught "Observation, Listening, Inquiry, and Pulse-Taking." The other halls should each have their own specialized content.

Hua Changxi thought of the alchemy inheritance she had obtained from that system. She couldn't help but associate Shennong Ding's alchemy inheritance with the Qihuang Halls.

Nothing else—the art of Observation, Listening, Inquiry, and Pulse-Taking was also present in the alchemy inheritance.

Following this line of thought, could the medical teachings of the other eight Qihuang Halls also be related to the content in that alchemy inheritance?

The numbering of the Qihuang Halls must not be arbitrary. Following the principle of going from simple to complex, Hua Changxi stood outside Qihuang Hall No. 1.

The very first thing Shennong Ding had taught her was tasting hundreds of herbs to distinguish their types and properties. Might Qihuang Hall No. 1 be the classroom for teaching knowledge of medicinal herbs?

Currently, she was explaining herbs to the people from the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus of the Third Department. She had no shortage of students, but bringing people here to teach would definitely alert others. And this Qihuang Hall No. 1 was under the domain of Eunuch Zhou of the First Department.

Not only Qihuang Hall No. 1, but also the other Qihuang Halls—she had to find a way to obtain the right to use them.

Hua Changxi, while pondering the matter of the Qihuang Halls, returned to her own yard, practiced alchemy for two hours, and then went to her room to cultivate.

The next day, when Hua Changxi woke from cultivation, the excitement in her eyes was almost unstoppable.

[Realm: Core Formation 36,200,000 / 10,000,000]

Her cultivation speed had increased again. Now, cultivating for one hour could increase her cultivation by 300,000 points!

One day had passed, and her cultivation speed had gone up by another 100,000 points!

The only thing she had done yesterday was unlock Qihuang Hall No. 9.

Igniting the Dan Fire of Nine Streets could improve cultivation speed, and unlocking the Qihuang Halls could also improve cultivation speed—and the improvement was substantial. For Hua Changxi, the benefits were enormous, instantly filling her with endless motivation.

Last night, she had found it headache-inducing to seize the usage rights of Qihuang Halls from Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia. Now, she had made up her mind: she absolutely had to obtain the usage rights of all nine Qihuang Halls.

"Changxi, little sister, why are you here?"

Ever since Hua Changxi took over Eunuch Lu's position, she no longer had to do chores, and she hadn't come to the warehouse area since. Yu Gui was very surprised to see her coming over.

"Brother Yu, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

Hua Changxi led Yu Gui to a corner: "What is the relationship between Eunuch Yu and that Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot who came yesterday?"

Yu Gui looked at her, paused for a moment, then said: "My godfather and Eunuch Xuan are from the same village. They were sold into the palace together as children and castrated together. In the first few years after entering the palace, the two of them could be said to have depended on each other for survival."

Hua Changxi: "So that means the relationship between Eunuch Yu and Eunuch Xuan is very solid."

Yu Gui studied Hua Changxi's expression: "Little sister, have you run into some difficulty and want to ask Eunuch Xuan for help?"

Hua Changxi did not deny it: "Brother Yu, didn't I tell you before? I want to give lectures in the Qihuang Halls."

Yu Gui was puzzled: "Hasn't my godfather already given you the use of his three Qihuang Halls?"

Hua Changxi: "That's not enough." She glanced at Yu Gui. "I want all nine Qihuang Halls."

Yu Gui was a bit tongue-tied: "Do you really need nine yards?"

Hua Changxi: "Yes, I do. Each yard has a different use—one yard for identifying herbs, one for washing herbs, one for processing herbs..."

"If you break it down further, nine yards aren't even enough. I heard there are nine more Qihuang Halls on the Apprentice Hall side..."

Yu Gui quickly stopped her: "My good little sister, aren't the Qihuang Halls in the Chore Hall enough for you to mess around with? You want to stir up trouble at the Apprentice Hall too?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Isn't Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot? I've heard that all eunuchs are afraid of the Eastern Depot people. Do you think if Eunuch Xuan steps in, he could help me obtain the Qihuang Halls from Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia?"

Yu Gui: "Little sister, are you serious?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "Of course. I saved Eunuch Xuan's life yesterday, and he said he wanted to repay me. I don't want anything else—just have him help me get a few yards. He can help, right?"

Yu Gui: "...Little sister, you saved Eunuch Xuan just yesterday, and today you're already calling in the favor. Isn't that a bit too hasty? How about you use my godfather's three yards for now, and we talk about it after a while?"

Hua Changxi shook her head. "Brother Yu, time waits for no one. I need them urgently."

Yu Huai wasn’t unwilling to help Hua Changxi; he was genuinely thinking about her. "Sister, I know you’re full of drive, but you just got ten pharmacies from the big merchant Zhuo, and now you plan to give lectures in nine courtyards. Do you really have that much time and energy?"

Speaking of the ten newly acquired pharmacies, Hua Changxi’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at Yu Huai.

This man had some small schemes of his own, but on the whole, he could get things done. She really did have too many tasks on her hands; she couldn’t handle everything personally and needed someone to share the load.

"Brother Yu, how about you help me manage those ten pharmacies?"

Yu Huai was taken aback. "Me? Help you manage pharmacies?"

Hua Changxi nodded. "I don’t plan to overhaul the Zhuo family’s pharmacies. Just change the shop name and sell the pharmaceutical books I lecture on inside the stores. Everything else stays the same."

Yu Huai swallowed nervously, somewhat tempted. "But I’ve never managed a pharmacy before."

Hua Changxi smiled. "If you can manage such a big warehouse, a pharmacy is even less of a problem."

As his martial ability had grown, so had Yu Huai’s ambitions. The warehouse manager position could no longer satisfy his current aspirations. "Since Sister trusts me so much, how about I give it a try?"

Hua Changxi smiled. "Then it’s settled."

Yu Huai could barely hide his delight, but he quickly restrained himself. "Sister, are you sure you want to go find Eunuch Xuan to call in your favor right now?"

Hua Changxi nodded firmly.

Yu Huai said, "Alright, I’ll go find my foster father right away."

"What? Hua Changxi wants all the Qihuang Halls?"

Eunuch Yu was also extremely surprised after hearing Yu Huai’s words.

Yu Huai said, "The other six Qihuang Halls are being used by Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia. Changxi Sister wants Eunuch Xuan to step in and resolve it."

Eunuch Yu: "...I know about this. You go take care of your own business first."

As soon as Yu Huai left, Eunuch Yu went to the Qihuang Hall.

At that time, Hua Changxi was still explaining the cleaning of medicinal materials to the laborers of halls four, five, six, and seven. Qihuang Halls seven, eight, and nine were empty, so Eunuch Yu proceeded to inspect each of the three courtyards one by one.

After searching all around, he found nothing.

Eunuch Yu pondered for a moment before going to the Eastern Depot to find Eunuch Xuan.

When Eunuch Xuan learned that Hua Changxi wanted to take all nine Qihuang Halls for herself, his first reaction, like Eunuch Yu’s, was that there must be something beneficial to cultivators hidden in them.

"Did you check inside the Qihuang Halls?"

"I checked. There’s nothing. In my three courtyards, I basically use them to store medicinal materials. Even though I haven’t lived there much, I know exactly what’s inside—nothing special."

Eunuch Xuan thought it over and said, "After dark, I’ll go with you. If there really is something good in the Qihuang Halls, you’re a mortal, so you wouldn’t be able to sense it."

Eunuch Yu asked, "In that case, should we still help Hua Changxi get the other six courtyards?"

Eunuch Xuan replied, "Let’s talk about that after I see the Qihuang Halls." He paused. "That Hua Changxi—you should try to get on good terms with her in the future. You’re not a cultivator, so you don’t realize how rare a doctor who can treat cultivators is."

Eunuch Yu gave a bitter smile. "I don’t dare not to be on good terms with her now."

Eunuch Xuan saw his reluctance. "Little Yu, many things are different now. You need to change some of your thinking quickly."

Eunuch Yu was stunned and looked at Eunuch Xuan in confusion.

Knowing that his childhood friend had poor access to information, Eunuch Xuan had to spell it out more clearly: "Do you know what the imperial family and all the powerful factions have been paying the most attention to these past few months?"

Eunuch Yu shook his head.

Eunuch Xuan said, "A relic appeared in the Kunlun Mountains of Liangzhou in the northwest. The commotion it stirred was no less than the eruption from Qingzhou’s Five Finger Mountain last year."

"The Kunlun Mountains have always been known as a sacred mountain. Every faction wanted to claim them to establish their own sect. After months of contention, a result finally came a few days ago."

"Do you know who ended up with the Kunlun Mountains?"

Eunuch Yu again shook his head.

Eunuch Xuan let out a long breath. "A wild boy—no power, no influence, both parents dead, raised on the charity of the village."

Eunuch Yu was speechless. "How could someone like that possibly outcompete the imperial family and all the powerful nobles?"

Eunuch Xuan smiled and sighed. "I used to think that the most important thing in this world was power and influence, but now… I’m starting to waver."

"That wild boy indeed has nothing, yet the spirit of the Kunlun Mountains recognized him as its master."

"Last year's Five Finger Mountain contest was like this, and this year's Kunlun Mountains contest is the same—the nobles bustled about busily, only to end up as foils."

"It's said that Five Finger Mountain was won by someone called Fairy Fire Lotus. If she too is a nobody like that wild boy, all those factions who entered relying on their power and status will become a laughingstock."

"So, Little Yu, don’t look down on nobodies who rank lower than you."

"Our status is bestowed by the nobles—it's hollow and can be taken back at any time. Our usual arrogance and sense of superiority are nothing but self-deception."

Seeing that Eunuch Yu had taken his words to heart, Eunuch Xuan said no more. He stayed for supper, and then they returned together to the Medical Directorate.

Only after Hua Changxi had returned to his own courtyard did Eunuch Yu take Eunuch Xuan to survey Halls of Medicine Nos. 7, 8, and 9.

Eunuch Xuan brought out a spirit-detecting device and inspected every courtyard but found nothing unusual.

Eunuch Yu felt that Hua Changxi's request for the Halls of Medicine was definitely not just for teaching, and wanted Eunuch Xuan to run several more checks.

But Eunuch Xuan shook his head and refused: "Let's go."

After leaving the Halls of Medicine, Eunuch Xuan said to Eunuch Yu, "Tomorrow, you go and invite Eunuch Zhou and the other two. I'll treat them to drinks."

Eunuch Yu knew that Eunuch Xuan intended to help Hua Changxi secure the remaining six Halls of Medicine, but he was still reluctant: "Are you really not going to search again?"

Eunuch Xuan smiled at him: "Opportunity is a tricky thing, hard to grasp and impossible to force. Since you think Hua Changxi has an ulterior motive in asking for the Halls of Medicine, then keep an eye on her. If she really finds some benefit in those courtyards, we can follow behind her and at least get a taste of the soup."

Eunuch Yu rather approved of this approach. The next day, he actively invited Eunuch Zhou and the other two to the wine house.

On the third day of the fourth month, Hua Changxi brought several servants she thought had medical talent to Hall of Medicine No. 9 and explained to them the diagnostic process of 'look, listen, ask, and feel the pulse.'

She discovered that the more people she taught and the deeper the content, the clearer the sword pattern on the wooden plaque became.

She didn't know what the sword pattern was for, but she could sense that deepening it further would certainly not be harmful.

As soon as the lecture ended and the servants left, Hua Changxi saw Eunuch Jia leading Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao into the courtyard.

Eunuch Jia looked at Hua Changxi: "Did you ask for the Halls of Medicine just to give lectures?"

Hearing him ask that, Hua Changxi knew that Eunuch Xuan had already approached them. She quickly smiled and said, "Teaching elsewhere gets interrupted and disturbed. Only the Halls of Medicine are quiet enough."

Eunuch Jia looked at her: "I never expected you to have such a wide circle of friends, even knowing Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot."

Eunuch Xuan was the Thousand Households in charge of punishments for the Eastern Depot. Once he stepped in, even if Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao didn't want to give up the Halls of Medicine, they had no choice but to do so.

Although the three of them had backers, the people of the Eastern Depot were trusted by the Son of Heaven; if they wanted to cause trouble for someone, it was hard to escape.

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "I know I've caused trouble for you three gentlemen. Although you hardly used those courtyards, I am still taking advantage of you."

As she spoke, she took out three grade-three pills and handed one to each of Eunuch Jia, Eunuch Zhou, and Eunuch Zhao.

"This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you three gentlemen won't disdain it."

Eunuch Jia casually opened the stopper and saw that inside were ten Heavenly Vanguard Pills needed by eighth-grade martial artists. His eyelids twitched, and he quickly put the pills away.

Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao saw Eunuch Jia's reaction and silently pocketed their own pills as well.

"Alright, the courtyards are yours to use."

Eunuch Jia gave Hua Changxi a deep look, then led Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao away.

As soon as the three left, Hua Changxi hurried to the Sixth Bureau, called together all the servants who had finished their work, and took them to Hall of Medicine No. 1.

"Qiuyu, bring out the 'Common Herbal Medicinals' you compiled. Today I'll explain the medicinal properties of the herbs in it once more."

As soon as she began the lecture, the wooden plaque placed on the lintel of the door lit up with a white glow.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi knew her guess was correct and became even more earnest in her teaching.

The white glow was faint at first, but over the next few days, after she also called the servants from the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus to listen, the glow grew stronger and stronger.

On the third day of her lectures in Hall of Medicine No. 1, a sword pattern emerged on the wooden plaque; on the seventh day, a sword pattern was marked on the stone pillar at the courtyard entrance.

Seeing the sword pattern on the stone pillar, Hua Changxi went again to the Old Courtyard on the square.

"Elder, I've come to see you again."

"Here, I brought you some spirit fruits."

"The wooden plaque on the wall looks crooked. Let me go check."

Gu Xing watched helplessly as Hua Chang took down another wooden token, watching her look at him with an innocent expression.

"Old man, these wooden tokens are fated to be mine."