Chapter 101: Sound of a wooden fish

Leaving the old square courtyard, Hua Changxi returned to her courtyard, placed the five wooden plaques in her hand on the table one by one, and sat quietly in deep thought.

Taking the wooden plaques definitely meant paying a corresponding price.

"Is the price lighting the alchemy fires of the Nine Streets?"

If it was just that, Hua Changxi could accept it, because with the Shennong Cauldron's alchemy inheritance, she was confident she could do it.

But she was worried that the price was more than that.

Hua Changxi picked up the wooden plaque keys for the first and ninth Imperial Medical Pavilions. The sword patterns on these two plaques were the deepest, having transformed from flat patterns into "three-dimensional" ones.

The "three-dimensional" sword patterns looked like miniature real swords, and the wooden plaques were just containers for the "swords."

Staring at the "swords" for a long time, Hua Changxi had a strong feeling that the "swords" inside were ready to fly out at any moment.

If the Alchemy Saint Hall was really just a holy land for alchemy, then the sword patterns carved on the wooden plaque keys that opened the Imperial Medical Pavilions seemed a bit abrupt.

Hua Changxi felt that the sword patterns definitely had other uses, and it was very likely one of the prices she had to pay.

Although she knew she had to pay a price, and a heavy one at that, Hua Changxi still didn't intend to give up on controlling the Imperial Medical Pavilions first.

First, teaching and sharing medical knowledge in the Imperial Medical Pavilions gave her the illusion of returning to her previous life's classroom days. She missed the feeling of being bathed in an ocean of knowledge, and doing so made her feel it was very meaningful.

Second, unlocking the Imperial Medical Pavilions gave her a great sense of accomplishment.

Third, unlocking each Imperial Medical Pavilion caused her cultivation speed to skyrocket, and the sword patterns on the wooden plaques became deeper, which also increased her cultivation speed.

The sword pattern on the ninth plaque was deep because the alchemy fire on the First Street was lit; the sword pattern on the first plaque was deep because the most laborers came to her lectures on medicine in the first Imperial Medical Pavilion.

After more than a month of exploration, she had summarized the pattern: the deeper the medical knowledge taught in the Imperial Medical Pavilion and the more people who listened, the more "three-dimensional" the sword patterns on the wooden plaques became.

Hua Changxi looked at the fifth wooden plaque she had just obtained and walked toward the fourth Imperial Medical Pavilion, thinking all the way about how to deal with Eunuch Jia and the other three.

When she was about to reach the fourth Imperial Medical Pavilion, she saw Xiao Shouzi, who was beside Eunuch Jia, leading a group of people out of the third Imperial Medical Pavilion.

"Changxi, Eunuch Jia knew you had opened a herb garden in the third Imperial Medical Pavilion, so he asked me to bring people to help you tidy it up. It's already done. Take a look and see if it's okay. If not, I'll come back tomorrow to redo it."

"Thank you, sorry for the trouble."

Watching Xiao Shouzi and his group leave, Hua Changxi's expression was a bit serious. She walked outside the courtyard of the third Imperial Medical Pavilion and looked at the sword pattern on the stone pillar.

The sword pattern marked on the stone pillar only prevented others with wooden plaques from marking it, but it couldn't stop others from entering and leaving the Imperial Medical Pavilion.

In this way, it couldn't be considered that she had completely controlled the Imperial Medical Pavilion.

"Is this wooden plaque really a key? If it's a key, it should be able to restrict others from entering and leaving."

Hua Changxi walked outside the first Qihuang Pavilion, frowning at the sword pattern on the stone pillar. Soon, she discovered a point she hadn't noticed before: the sword pattern was recessed inward.

Looking at the "three-dimensional" sword pattern on the wooden plaque and then at the recessed sword pattern on the stone pillar, Hua Changxi found that the two seemed to fit together. She walked to the stone pillar, wanting to align the wooden plaque with the recessed sword pattern.

However, soon, Hua Changxi withdrew her hand.

She still remembered the commotion caused by lighting the alchemy fire on the First Street. Who knew what would happen to the Qihuang Pavilion once the sword patterns matched?

Better to be careful and come back to explore at night.

Hua Changxi went to the fourth Qihuang Pavilion to test the content taught there, returned to her courtyard to refine pills as soon as it got dark, and only went to the first Qihuang Pavilion in the middle of the night after confirming that the people monitoring her in the dark had withdrawn.

After Hua Changxi arrived, she walked to the stone pillar and took out the first wooden plaque. When the sword pattern on the wooden plaque aligned with the recess on the stone pillar, the wooden plaque and the stone pillar sucked together like two ends of a magnet with a 'bang'.

Then, spirit light appeared in the first Qihuang Pavilion.

Hua Changxi stood at the courtyard entrance and clearly saw the old, dilapidated courtyard instantly turn into a spacious and holy hall, with rich medicinal fragrance filling the air.

On the stone walls around the hall, lifelike patterns appeared, including mortal plants, spirit plants, divine plants, and Dao plants.

In the center of the hall, directly north, a colorful meditation cushion condensed. Behind the cushion hung a golden bell. Then, with the colorful meditation cushion as the center, circles of meditation cushions began to appear on the left, right, and directly opposite, radiating outward as if there were no end.

Seeing this scene, Hua Changxi shivered, instantly came to her senses, and quickly took off the wooden plaque.

Fortunately, the wooden plaque was easy to take off.

The moment the wooden plaque was taken off, the spirit light disappeared, and the Qihuang Pavilion returned to its original old courtyard state.

"Is this the way to open the Qihuang Pavilion?"

Hua Changxi looked left and right. Although the movement just now wasn't big, the spirit light was the most conspicuous thing in the night. She didn't know if anyone else had seen it, so she set up her somersault cloud and left.

In the old square courtyard, Gu Xing, who was lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight toward the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall: "Someone opened the first Qihuang Pavilion! Is it that Hua girl?"

Hua Changxi knew that the movement in the first Qihuang Pavilion might be seen by others, but she didn't expect someone to come to her door early the next morning.

Looking at Eunuch Jia and the other three standing at the courtyard entrance, Hua Changxi was silent for a while before letting them into the courtyard.

Eunuch Jia looked at Hua Changxi with burning eyes: "Changxi, light flashed in the first Qihuang Pavilion last night. Did you know?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "I don't know."

Eunuch Zhao hadn't had contact with Hua Changxi and didn't want to beat around the bush with her anymore: "Hua Changxi, give us a straight answer. Do you want to cooperate with us or not?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "How do you want to cooperate?"

Hearing her say this, Eunuch Jia and the other three looked at each other: "If one day in the future someone wants us to leave the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, we hope you can protect us."

"Also, we hope to participate in what you are doing in the Qihuang Pavilions."

Hua Changxi looked at them: "I only lecture in the Qihuang Pavilions. If you want to listen, you can come anytime. As for protecting you... you are not my people, why should I protect you?"

Eunuch Yu: "What do we need to do to become your people?"

Hua Changxi scrutinized the four of them, looking like she didn't really want to take them in: "You all have masters. It wouldn't be good to acknowledge me as your master, would it?"

Seeing that Hua Changxi actually wanted them to acknowledge her as their master, Eunuch Jia and the other three hesitated.

Seeing that it was already bright, Hua Changxi said: "I'm going to the Qihuang Pavilion to lecture. You go back and think about it carefully."

Thinking of the spirit light that flashed in the Qihuang Pavilion last night, Eunuch Yu took the lead while Eunuch Jia and the other two were still hesitating: "No need to think, I acknowledge you as my master."

Hua Changxi was a generous person. Whether it was directly letting Yu Gui manage ten pharmacies or the distribution of medicine refining cooperation before, it could be seen that this person was someone who valued interest exchange. As long as the value given was enough, her return would not be discounted.

He was a eunuch. Whether he was a slave to this person or that person, finding a master like Hua Changxi was much better than those man-eating nobles in the palace.

Seeing Eunuch Yu agree, Eunuch Jia and the other two hesitated for a while before expressing their stance.

Hua Changxi looked at the four of them, flipped her right hand, and the Heart Demon Curse beast skin scroll appeared in her palm: "To acknowledge me as your master, you must take a Heart Demon Oath. As long as you betray me, you will explode and die."

Eunuch Yu had already taken a Heart Demon Oath once, so he took the initiative to take the beast skin scroll and guided the other three to drip blood and take the oath.

After the four of them finished taking the Heart Demon Oath, Hua Changxi asked: "How many people saw the anomaly in the first Qihuang Pavilion last night?"

Eunuch Jia's role changed quite smoothly: "Master, don't worry. We have already suppressed this matter, and it won't spread for the time being."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Notify everyone in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to come and listen to my lectures."

Watching Hua Changxi walk away, Eunuch Jia and the other four looked at each other silently.

"Are we doing the right thing?"

"In the battle on the First Street, very few people who get involved can retreat unscathed. We are adding a layer of protection for ourselves, how is that wrong?"

"The problem is, can Hua Changxi... can the master protect us?"

"The movement in the first Qihuang Pavilion last night was definitely caused by Hua... the master. Following her must be right. At least we can save our lives."

After taking in Eunuch Jia and the other four, with their mobilization, more and more laborers went to the Qihuang Pavilion to listen to Hua Changxi's lectures.

The sword patterns on the second and third wooden plaques became "three-dimensional" at a speed visible to the naked eye.

On the first day of the fifth month, Hua Changxi tested that the fourth Qihuang Pavilion taught the meridian direction and composition of humans, animals, and plants, involving anatomy, acupuncture, anesthesia, massage, etc.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, after the sword pattern was marked on the stone pillar outside the fourth Qihuang Pavilion, Hua Changxi visited the old square courtyard again and took away the sixth wooden plaque.

On the sixth day of the fifth month, Hua Changxi tested that the fifth Qihuang Pavilion taught the decomposition, extraction, and fusion of animals, plants, minerals, etc.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, the sword pattern was marked on the stone pillar of the fifth Qihuang Pavilion, and Hua Changxi obtained the seventh wooden plaque.

On the eleventh day of the fifth month, Hua Changxi tested that the sixth Qihuang Pavilion was a place for teaching alchemy.

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, the sword pattern was marked on the stone pillar of the sixth Qihuang Pavilion, and Hua Changxi took the eighth wooden plaque from the old square courtyard.

The teaching content of the seventh Qihuang Pavilion stumped Hua Changxi.

The teaching content of the previous Qihuang Pavilions was completely inferred based on the alchemy inheritance, but after alchemy, she had no direction.

The sixth Qihuang Pavilion taught alchemy, the ninth taught Looking, Listening, Asking, and Feeling the Pulse. What would the seventh and eighth teach?

In order to unlock the Qihuang Pavilions, Hua Changxi had been busy for more than a month. Now that she was stuck, it gave her time to think about other things.

She returned to Feng'an Square first to see Pucao and Aniu.

"What's wrong with you two?"

Seeing Pucao and Aniu both listless, Hua Changxi was a bit surprised, especially Aniu, whose eyes were full of bloodshot, and his state was very bad.

Pucao glanced at Aniu: "Recently, every night, Aniu hears the sound of a wooden fish, which makes him feel restless."

Hua Changxi frowned: "Sound of a wooden fish? Didn't you ask the neighbors around not to knock?"

Pucao hesitated: "But the problem is, I didn't hear the sound of a wooden fish."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression became serious: "Only Aniu can hear the sound of a wooden fish?"

Pucao nodded: "Changxi, I think Aniu seems to be possessed. He can't sleep at night. Once he sleeps, he will be led away by the sound of the wooden fish."

"Fortunately, Qingniu lives with Aniu. Last month, whenever Aniu fell asleep at night, he would leave like a lost soul in the middle of the night. It was Qingniu who pulled him back, and then I heard the movement and got up to wake Aniu up, so he didn't go out."

Hua Changxi looked at Aniu: "Sound of a wooden fish?"

Pucao: "I specifically asked the neighbors around, and I haven't heard of anyone renting their courtyard to a monk."

Hearing "monk," Hua Changxi's eyes flickered, thinking of the matter at Pharmacist Xu's house.

During this time, Pharmacist Xu hadn't come to find her, and she didn't know if Xu Ling had returned with that monk named Konghai? ===== CHAPTER 102 =====