Chapter 109: Overconfident

"Elder Gu, before the external cultivators launch a full-scale invasion, we must have local cultivators take control of the Pill Saint Hall; only then will the Pill Saint Hall not fall into the hands of external cultivators."

Gu Xing stared at Gu Jinfan's anxious face for a while, then withdrew his gaze: "This old man does not believe external cultivators can steal the fortune of the Four Spirits Realm, nor do I believe the cultivators of the Four Spirits Realm are so incompetent that they cannot even protect what belongs to them."

Hearing this, Gu Jinfan grew frantic; the suppression of local Four Spirits Realm cultivators by external ones, leaving them unable to rise again, was something she had personally experienced in her previous life.

She could not speak of her rebirth, so Gu Jinfan took a deep breath: "Elder, although spiritual energy has revived in the Four Spirits Realm, the growth of local cultivators takes time, whereas external cultivators have never lost their lineage; are you truly certain we can withstand their invasion?"

Gu Xing's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.

Gu Jinfan continued: "Elder, besides spreading medical knowledge, have you forgotten the Pill Saint Hall's other duty?"

Gu Xing's sharp gaze shot toward Gu Jinfan: "Who exactly are you, and how do you know so much?"

Gu Jinfan replied: "Elder, there is no need for concern; I was simply fortunate enough to encounter a few ancient ruins and read some books recounting events from the ancient era of the Four Spirits Realm."

Gu Xing stared intently at Gu Jinfan without speaking.

Gu Jinfan went on: "The Four Spirits Realm is home not only to humans but also to demon clans; the revival of spiritual energy is an opportunity for both humans and demons, is it not?"

"Cultivators of the Four Spirits Realm must not only resist invasion from external cultivators but also guard against the resurgence of demon clans; facing internal troubles and external threats, are you certain local cultivators can endure?"

Gu Xing's chest heaved slightly as he stared at Gu Jinfan: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Gu Jinfan answered: "Elder, since we can foresee the dire situation the Four Spirits Realm will face in the future, why not make preparations in advance?"

Gu Xing narrowed his eyes: "By 'preparations in advance,' do you mean making yourself the master of the Pill Saint Hall?"

Gu Jinfan shook her head: "The responsibilities of the Pill Saint Hall's master are too great; I cannot bear them."

This answer surprised Gu Xing somewhat.

Gu Jinfan looked at Gu Xing: "I cannot bear them, but someone else can."

Hearing this, Gu Xing understood Gu Jinfan's meaning and laughed wryly: "You have someone in mind whom you wish to support as the next master of the Pill Saint Hall?"

Gu Jinfan nodded: "That person is..."

Gu Xing raised his hand to interrupt her directly: "Girl, you overestimate this old man, and you overestimate yourself as well; the next master of the Pill Saint Hall is not chosen by me, nor by you."

Gu Jinfan grew anxious: "Elder, why do you still not understand? Relying on local cultivators to grow spontaneously and take control of the Pill Saint Hall simply leaves us without enough time."

Gu Xing shook his head and looked at her: "This old man does not know what exactly you know, but let me remind you: do not become obsessed with appearances."

"The Pill Saint Hall bears the responsibility of stabilizing the Four Spirits Realm; it has its own criteria for choosing a master, something neither you nor I can manipulate."

Seeing Gu Xing so stubborn and set in his views, Gu Jinfan felt utterly helpless; she wanted to say more, but Gu Xing immediately dismissed her.

"Leave; this old man needs to rest."

At this, Gu Jinfan also grew angry in her heart; she was wholeheartedly planning for the Pill Saint Hall, unwilling to see it fall into the hands of external cultivators, yet Gu Xing was so uncooperative.

"Eighteen wooden tokens have fallen into the hands of eighteen individuals; does Elder truly intend to select the master of the Pill Saint Hall by examining each of these eighteen people one by one?"

Gu Xing frowned at her: "Who told you that those who obtain the wooden tokens will become the master of the Pill Saint Hall?"

Gu Jinfan was stunned: "Is that not the case?"

Gu Xing sighed: "This old man has already said that the Pill Saint Hall will choose its own master; as for the wooden tokens..." He shook his head while looking at Gu Jinfan. "You have not even figured out the true purpose of the tokens; where does your confidence come from to select the next master for the Pill Saint Hall?"

Gu Jinfan was truly stunned; in her previous life, she had heard members of the Jiang family say with her own ears that the wooden tokens were the artifacts controlling the Pill Saint Hall.

Unwilling to say any more to Gu Jinfan, Gu Xing closed his eyes: "Go back."

The realization that her knowledge from her previous life was actually wrong left Gu Jinfan's mind unsettled; she lost the desire to continue persuading him and turned to leave, but after a few steps, she suddenly whirled back to look at Gu Xing.

With the ignition of the Pill Fire on First Street and the successive opening of Qihuang Halls numbered one through nine, the vitality force Gu Xing absorbed had increased greatly; his health had improved significantly, and his senses had become far sharper.

Feeling Gu Jinfan's gaze fixed steadily upon him, Gu Xing had no choice but to open his eyes: "Do you have something else?"

Gu Jinfan looked at him: "The aura of decline surrounding Elder seems to have weakened considerably, and your complexion is much better than when I last visited."

Gu Xing raised an eyebrow; this girl had some ability—she was the second person after Wei Zhenjie to notice that the aura of decline around him had faded.

Gu Jinfan turned to look at the open courtyard gate; all of Gu Xing's fortune and longevity were bound to the Pill Saint Hall, so his improving health indicated what?

It indicated that the Pill Saint Hall had quietly revived in places unknown to her.

"Elder, you have already chosen a candidate for the next master of the Pill Saint Hall, haven't you?"

Seeing Gu Jinfan still entangled in this issue and having paid no heed to his earlier words, Gu Xing truly could not be bothered to speak further with her; he simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Seeing him act this way, Gu Jinfan fell silent for a moment, then strode away.

After taking the tenth wooden token from the Old Courtyard in the Square, Hua Changxi returned to the Miscellaneous Duties Hall and went to Qihuang Hall Number Six.

She had already secured all nine Qihuang Halls; for the coming period, she planned to attend classes in the morning, refine pills in the afternoon, and cultivate in the evening.

[Grade-One Pill Refiner (Supreme Quality Pills): Pills Refined 7521 Furnaces 7521/]

Hua Changxi reviewed her pill-refining statistics and decided to focus her efforts on advancing her rank as a pill refiner.

After refining several thousand furnaces of Grade-One pills, her techniques and procedures were already etched into her mind, forming muscle memory; in just one afternoon, she refined several dozen furnaces of supreme quality pills.

After storing the pills properly, Hua Changxi saw that night was approaching and prepared to eat; as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Eunuch Jia and Eunuch Zhou waiting outside.

"Why are you both here? Do you need something from me?"

Eunuch Jia quickly replied: "Master, the Director has issued an order to register everyone who visited the Old Courtyard in the Square over the past two months."

Eunuch Zhou looked cautiously at Hua Changxi and reminded her: "Master, on March 29th, was I not ordered to make Old Man Gu leave the Old Courtyard? On that day, you entered the Old Courtyard, and many people saw you; we had no choice but to report your name."

Hua Changxi frowned: "Do you know why the Director wants this registration?"

Both Eunuch Jia and Eunuch Zhou shook their heads.

Hua Changxi fell silent, suspecting this might be related to the wooden tokens.

Eunuch Zhou glanced at Hua Changxi: "Master, in the coming days, the Director may question each person who visited the Old Courtyard individually."

"I am aware of this matter."

Hua Changxi dismissed the two men, pondered for a moment, then turned and headed toward the Old Courtyard in the Square.

Whenever she visited the Old Courtyard in the Square, she had always avoided detection; currently, only Gu Xing knew she had taken ten wooden tokens, and she was uncertain whether Gu Xing would tell others about this.

Soon, she arrived at the Square.

Hua Changxi stood in a corner without approaching the Old Courtyard; for no other reason than that she sensed several groups of people hidden around the Square, all keeping watch over the Old Courtyard.

"I heard the fighting on First Street has already ended; now it's the Old Courtyard in the Square's turn?"

Hua Changxi frowned as she returned to her courtyard, thinking that whenever she met Gu Xing, that person always acted as if shaking his head three times meant he knew nothing, which slightly relaxed her expression.

Since he told her nothing, he likely wouldn't say much to others either.

Hua Changxi had assumed the Director wouldn't act so quickly, expecting any interrogation to take a few days, yet who could have expected that early the next morning, Eunuch Jia would arrive to notify her to meet the Director at the Medicine Bureau building on First Street.

Seeing how swiftly the Director summoned people, Hua Changxi sensed his emphasis on the Old Courtyard and went to First Street fully prepared.

This time going to First Street, she walked directly along the Pilgrimage Road in the center of Ninth Street.

Along the way, whenever she passed an intersection where various streets met Pilgrimage Road, she would slow her pace.

She had crafted the white-robed monk's storage prayer beads into a bracelet favored by young ladies and wore it on her wrist; inside the beads, she had placed all ten wooden tablets, and each time she passed an intersection, she could sense all ten tablets flashing with white light.

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered; the wooden tablets reacting with flashes of white light when passing Ninth Street's intersections was something easily discovered—all one needed to do was walk once along Pilgrimage Road.

But the Qihuang Hall lay behind both the Laborer Hall and the Apprentice Hall; the people entering and exiting those courtyards most frequently were either laborers or apprentices, and if she weren't from the Laborer Hall, she might never have noticed those dilapidated courtyards.

As for the other eight people who received wooden tablets, unless they belonged to the Laborer Hall or Apprentice Hall, their gazes would mostly remain fixed on Ninth Street.

This discovery slightly relaxed Hua Changxi's mood; she did not want various factions setting their sights on Qihuang Hall, as struggling for power and profit drained too much energy, and she simply lacked the leisure for such matters.

The closer one got to First Street, the more people appeared on the road.

When passing the intersection of Second Street, Hua Changxi halted, gazed at the two alchemical flames flanking the entrance to First Street, then turned her steps and took the small alley beside the pharmacy on the right to reach First Street.

For no other reason than that she sensed if she passed beneath those two alchemical flames, they would flare up, which would surely attract others' attention.

Emerging from the pharmacy alley, Hua Changxi arrived at First Street.

At this moment, First Street bustled with people coming and going; especially before the Medicine Bureau building, several hundred individuals had already gathered.

So many people had actually visited the Old Courtyard in the Square!

Observing this scene, Hua Changxi's expression grew somewhat serious; if she could notice the Old Courtyard in the Square, others naturally could too, for this world contained far too many clever people.

A rough survey showed about twenty people from the Laborer Hall had visited the Old Courtyard, around fifty from the Apprentice Hall, nearly a hundred from the Disciple Hall, and several hundred from Ninth Street.

Watching the varying numbers of people from Ninth Street, the Disciple Hall, the Apprentice Hall, and the Laborer Hall who had visited the Old Courtyard, Hua Changxi sighed with emotion.

Although the Laborer Hall had the largest number of people and was located closest to the Square, the fewest among them had noticed the Old Courtyard; while people from Ninth Street rarely went to the Square behind them, those who had visited were the most numerous.

What did this signify? It signified that their sources of information were truly well-connected.

With several hundred people summoned simultaneously and gathered together, their status and hierarchy immediately became apparent.

People from Ninth Street formed nine groups outside the Medicine Bureau building according to their respective streets, chatting and laughing, with members from different groups occasionally moving between them to converse.

People from the Disciple Hall gathered in an area relatively close to Ninth Street; a few among them could even exchange words with those from Ninth Street, their expressions and demeanor remaining fairly composed.

Meanwhile, people from the Apprentice Hall and Laborer Hall stood silently in the corners on either side outside the Medicine Bureau building, making no sound, serving perfectly as background figures; if anyone else arrived, they would have to quickly step back to make way.

Just as Hua Changxi was walking toward the people from the Laborer Hall, inside the main hall on the third floor of the Medicine Bureau building, Gu Qiming emerged with several others, preparing to descend the stairs.

"Steward Hua, we are over here."

Hearing loud clamor from below, the group simultaneously looked downward.

In the next moment, Gu Jinfan, standing behind Gu Qiming, disregarded propriety entirely, pushed past Gu Qiming, rushed to the railing, and stared in shock at Hua Changxi, who was walking briskly toward the laborers.

"Gu Jinfan, you are far too arrogant, showing such disrespect toward the Director."

Mu Qingying greatly admired Gu Qiming and, unable to tolerate Gu Jinfan's rudeness, could not help but speak up to reprimand her.

Unexpectedly, Gu Jinfan completely ignored her, staring straight down at the person below.

Mu Qingying wished to say more, but Gu Qiming stopped her.

Gu Qiming followed Gu Jinfan's line of sight downward and also saw Hua Changxi; he raised an eyebrow, observing Gu Jinfan's expression as if she didn't know Hua Changxin had an older sister?

"Hua Changxin... has she returned to the capital?"

No, that wasn't right; when she returned from Mount Kunlun, people from the Taisu Palace were clearly still trapped within the Yaochi Secret Realm, unable to emerge.

If it wasn't Hua Changxin, then who was the person below?

The loud calls from the Laborer Hall people summoning Hua Changxi did not attract much attention; those who heard merely cast a faint glance before looking away, everyone continuing to chat and laugh as before.

However, in the next moment, someone flew down from the Medicine Bureau building; the people below hastily made way, followed immediately by another urgent cry.

"Hua Changxin!"

Just as Hua Changxi reached the front of the laborers' assembled queue, she heard a shout from behind, carrying undisguised shock and inquiry; recalling something, her body involuntarily paused.

This instantly drew everyone's attention, all eyes fixed on Gu Jinfan and Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi remained silent for a moment, then forced a smile onto her face, turned around, and looking at Gu Jinfan standing a few meters away, said with a smile: "Young Lady Gu Seven, long time no see; I am very glad to see you again."

Gu Jinfan stared blankly at Hua Changxi, her eyes widening further: "You are not Hua Changxin; you are... Hua Nine."

Hua Changxi's smile remained unchanged: "Are Young Lady Gu Seven and my family's Young Lady Ten very familiar with each other?"

Gu Jinfan shook her head in disbelief: "How could this be?"

In her previous life, Hua Nine had clearly died upon the Zhu Que Transmission Platform; in this life, she had personally witnessed her jumping off that very platform...

Gu Jinfan recalled the scene at that time: because the Zhu Que Transmission Stone had plunged into the magma river, filled with despair, she had never bothered to investigate whether Hua Nine had truly fallen into the magma river.

Hua Nine, stained by the demonic Daoist's blood, indeed had no possibility of survival; yet her rebirth had untied those bindings, granting Hua Nine the ability to save herself.

Gu Jinfan smiled; therefore, it was precisely because of her rebirth that Hua Nine's fate of dying young had been altered.

Her return was meaningful; since she could change a person's fate, she could certainly change the outcome of the Four Spirit Realm being occupied by external cultivators.

"Hua Nine, I am very happy, extremely happy, to see you again."

Hua Changxi, observing her shifting expressions, smiled with furrowed brows: "So am I."