[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl":3,"chapter-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Great Jin's Most Iron Rice Bowl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1896888,2531,"Chapter 114: Forming the Infant","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Knowing that most of the Hua family had undergone bloodline regression, Hua Changxi gave Hua Minghe the skin-refining chapter of the \"Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art,\" the \"Skin-Refining Technique\" she had copied from the stone walls of the Qihuang Hall, and the corresponding medicinal bath formulas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To awaken the totemic abilities within the bloodline, one needs a formidable body as support; therefore, anyone wishing to obtain these regressed totemic powers must first refine their body.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi also informed the Hua family that the skin-refining chapter of the \"Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art\" tempered the body more deeply than the \"Skin-Refining Technique,\" though the process was far more painful, leaving them to choose which method to practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With many matters demanding her attention, Hua Changxi did not linger long at the Hua residence; after handing the herbs for the skin-refining medicinal baths to Hua Sanlang and instructing him on how to prepare them, she returned to the Medicine Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On her way back, Hua Changxi looked up at the sky; for some reason, starting two days ago, she had constantly felt as though something was watching her, a sensation akin to an approaching storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, despite repeated investigations, she had discovered no one lurking in the shadows observing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing the irritation in her heart, Hua Changxi returned to the Medicine Bureau and immediately sought out Zhou Qiuyu, instructing her to go to the Marquis's residence to care for Hua Wuniang for a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qiuyu, Wang Yunchu, and Guo Cheng all possessed spiritual meridians; the cultivation methods they practiced were provided by her, making the three of them essentially her people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qiuyu was steady in temperament and thorough in her work; moreover, among all those who attended her lectures, she learned pharmacology and medical theory the fastest, making her fully capable of managing Hua Wuniang's physical conditioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi gave Zhou Qiuyu several prescriptions for conditioning, prepared the corresponding medicines for her, and additionally provided ten top-grade Wood Spirit Stones as compensation for caring for Hua Wuniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qiuyu understood the function of spirit stones and did not refuse; after accepting them, she assured Hua Changxi that she would successfully condition Hua Wuniang's body, then packed some belongings and headed directly to the Wuyi Marquis's residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi had left the Wuyi Marquis's residence, she had mentioned sending a female physician to care for Hua Wuniang; Third Master He had not expected her to act so quickly, dispatching someone on the very same day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing Zhou Qiuyu, Third Master He's expression grew somewhat grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Hua Changxi could dispatch a cultivator to care for Concubine Hua was truly beyond his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qiuyu had already guided qi into her body; with the dense spiritual energy of the Medicine Bureau, she was now an early-stage Qi Refining cultivator, and although her cultivation was not high, it was sufficient to make Third Master He take the Hua family even more seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master He went to the main courtyard and reported this matter to the Marquis of Wuyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Wuyi was also greatly surprised: \"Is not Hua Changxi merely a laborer in the Medicine Bureau? How can she assign other laborers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he immediately summoned He Sirong and He Siqi to inquire about Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong replied, \"Grandfather, Hua Changxi is the chief steward under Eunuch Jia, managing several hundred people; furthermore, she maintains close ties with Elder Zhou and Elder Zhao of the First and Second Departments, as well as Eunuch Yu of the storeroom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Siqi added, \"Hua Changxi gives lectures in the Laborer Hall, which several of the eunuchs have tacitly approved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyi looked at He Siqi: \"Wait, you say Hua Changxi is doing what in the Laborer Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Siqi answered, \"Giving lectures to the laborers in the Laborer Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyi frowned: \"What subject is she teaching?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Siqi replied, \"It is said she teaches pharmacology, such as how to clean and process medicinal herbs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyi fell into contemplation: \"There must be something behind this; no one does something without reason. Hua Changxi giving lectures in the Laborer Hall must serve some ulterior purpose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning to look at He Sirong and the other, he said, \"Sirong, Siqi, if Hua Changxi is giving lectures, you two must find a way to attend and see if you can discover what she is truly up to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong hesitated before saying, \"Grandfather, perhaps Hua Changxi simply wishes to help the laborers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis of Wuyi felt his granddaughter was too naive: \"If a person does something without any benefit, she cannot persist in it for long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In ancient times, the Medicine Bureau was a sacred land for pill refining; great opportunities are hidden within. You must never overlook even the smallest detail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, both He Sirong and He Siqi solemnly agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in the main building of the Medicine Bureau, Gu Qiming had also obtained the files on Hua Changxi, Zhu Qinghuan, and Shen Qianfan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qianfan was a clansman of Shen Zhixing, the Vice Minister of Justice, from his hometown; he had come to the capital from Jiaozhou only two years ago. With three generations of physicians in his ancestry, he was arranged by Shen Zhixing to enter the Medicine Bureau immediately upon arriving in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was somewhat stubborn, had few friends in the Disciple Hall, and spent most of his time researching medical techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Qinghuan came from an ordinary family; her parents were herb farmers in a village town near the capital. She entered the Medicine Bureau as an apprentice merely to learn more pharmacology and medical theory, so she could better manage her family's herb fields in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Apprentice Hall, she involved herself in no conflicts, focusing her mind entirely on her studies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The files on Shen Qianfan and Zhu Qinghuan were only one page each, which Gu Qiming finished reading quickly, whereas Hua Changxi's file was noticeably much thicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been exceptionally admitted into the Laborer Hall by Eunuch Jia; after entering, she had contact with the storeroom staff, engaged in fights, collaborated with Eunuch Yu on pill refining, and was punished with assignment to the Herb Farm...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that among the three, Hua Changxi was by far the most restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing Hua Changxi's file, Gu Qiming frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering the Laborer Hall, Hua Changxi immediately displayed medical skills far surpassing the average person; not only was she fast at cleaning herbs, but she also knew how to refine pills. With such abilities, why would she be content to remain a mere laborer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have entered the Laborer Hall for some ulterior purpose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming picked up the first and second volumes of \"Ordinary Plant Medicinals\" from his desk and began flipping through them; the herbs recorded within were exactly those Hua Changxi usually discussed with the laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of these herbs were newly appeared varieties, about whose properties even the pharmacists of Nine Streets knew little, yet Hua Changxi had explained their medicinal nature in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she know too much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A possibility occurred to Gu Qiming: Hua Changxi had likely obtained some inheritance, such as a Pharmacopeia or Medical Canon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were truly the case, and she was willing to share this inheritance, then he had perhaps underestimated her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qiming summoned Mu Qingying and handed her the \"Ordinary Plant Medicinals\" compiled by Hua Changxi: \"Qingying, are you not interested in the various newly appeared medicinal herbs? Hua Changxi seems quite accomplished in this regard; you may attend her lectures in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying felt puzzled that her master wanted her to attend lectures given by a laborer, but she still nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, at the Number One Pharmacy on Second Street, Gu Jinfan was also reviewing the information on Hua Changxi collected by her subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this file was not as detailed as the one Director Gu Qiming had ordered compiled, it nevertheless recorded most of Hua Changxi's deeds since entering the Medicine Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing that Hua Changxi had been punished and sent to the Sancha Herb Farm, where she stayed for nearly a year, Gu Jinfan immediately recalled the incident where she went to the Sancha Herb Valley to seek fortune fruits from Elder You and others, only to be severely injured by a mysterious cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could that mysterious cultivator be Hua Changxi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan actually did not want to believe that the mysterious cultivator was Hua Changxi, because the Fire Lotus unleashed by that person had nearly prevented her escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this signify?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It signified that the person's cultivation level was above hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She found it somewhat unacceptable that her cultivation was inferior to Hua Changxi's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, she thought of the Fire Lotus Immortal who had suddenly appeared at Mount Wuzhi; although she had not been personally present at that earth-shaking battle on Mount Wuzhi, she had learned of the situation afterwards from multiple sources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Zhu Que had flown out from within the Fire Lotus...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious cultivator used Fire Lotus attacks, while Hua Changxi cultivated the \"Zhu Que Divine Art\"...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All signs pointed to the conclusion that the mysterious cultivator was indeed Hua Changxi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan's chest heaved slightly; if the mysterious cultivator was Hua Changxi, and if the Fire Lotus Immortal of Mount Wuzhi was Hua Changxi, then all the deviations from her previous life had been orchestrated by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she not saved Hua Changxi, there would not have been so many changes in this life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, the slight unwillingness in Gu Jinfan's heart dissipated; regardless, the transformations in the Four Spirit Realm in this life were all triggered by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hua Changxi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jinfan's eyes flashed; she rose quickly, wrote a note, summoned Ceng Hong, and instructed him to secretly deliver the note to the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-robed demonic Daoist was the father of the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture; if the Prefect learned that Hua Changxi had obtained the cultivation method his father had died trying to acquire, how would he react?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew that the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture had long been handling unsavory affairs for certain individuals within the imperial family, was already a cultivator, and had reached at least the Core Formation Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to see just how far Hua Changxi's cultivation had progressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dispatching Zhou Qiuyu to care for Hua Wuniang, Hua Changxi went to Qihuang Hall Number Six to hasten the refinement of spirit pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her recent clash with the He family at Marquis Wu Yi's residence had made her realize the importance of elixirs; she needed to upgrade the grade of her spirit pills immediately, or else, once her spiritual energy was depleted or she sustained injuries, she would have no pills to replenish her energy or heal her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, as Hua Changxi sank into cultivation, she discovered her golden core vibrating; the intensity of the vibration increased, and cracks had somehow appeared on its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the sensation of being targeted grew increasingly intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Realm: Core Formation Realm 98 million\u002F10 million]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her realm statistics, a spark of insight flashed through Hua Changxi's mind; she thought she guessed what was targeting her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavenly lightning!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the golden core to transform into an infant, advancing from the Core Formation Realm to the Infant Nurturing Realm required undergoing a tribulation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi certainly would not undergo her tribulation at the Medical Bureau; she immediately decided to go to Mount Wuzhi, and under cover of night, quietly mounted her Somersault Cloud, departing Jingcheng and heading straight for Mount Wuzhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, Hua Changxi sensed a storm rapidly brewing in the dark sky above, following her closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crack~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden flash of lightning tore through the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the lightning and hearing the intermittent thunder rolling overhead, Hua Changxi's heart trembled with every boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Mount Wuzhi came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon arriving at Mount Wuzhi, Hua Changxi headed straight for the summit of the Middle Finger Peak, where spiritual energy was most dense; she took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, sank into cultivation, and began her breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, the common folk near Mount Wuzhi endured fierce winds and flashing lightning accompanied by roaring thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a night of fear and anxiety, as dawn broke, colorful clouds of five hues appeared in the sky, and a rain of five-colored spiritual water began to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common people who witnessed this were all astonished beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow, Master has advanced to the Infant Nurturing Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bathed in the sweet rain, the Welcoming Guest Pine felt even happier than if it had advanced itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mountain Spirit also smiled until his eyes narrowed; he could feel that Mount Wuzhi had expanded, and the creatures surrounding the Middle Finger Peak were growing rapidly due to the descent of the sweet rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Realm: Infant Nurturing Realm 10,000\u002F10,000]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the summit of the Middle Finger Peak, Hua Changxi, having endured nine bolts of heavenly lightning during her first tribulation, looked somewhat disheveled; gazing at her own skin-split and flesh-torn body, she reaffirmed her determination to temper her physical form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dantian sea of qi, the original golden core had transformed into an exquisitely carved infant, sitting cross-legged and looking exactly like Hua Changxi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infant hovered above the sea of qi, eyes unopened, as if asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi gazed inward at her primordial infant, somewhat puzzled as to why it did not open its eyes; she had found no records regarding this in the books she had confiscated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could it be that the primordial infant will only open its eyes once cultivation reaches the mid-to-late stages of the Infant Nurturing Realm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi had always been cultivating through trial and error; although she cared about the unopened eyes of the primordial infant, she was not overly worried, trusting that she would eventually figure it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, what worried her more was that wisp of black flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black flame had actually taken residence in the heart of the primordial infant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered, if the black flame grew larger, wouldn't the primordial infant be directly swallowed by it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The black flame represents the seven emotions and six desires...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed she would need to strictly control her desires in the future!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Immortal~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mountain Spirit and the Welcoming Guest Pine arrived; Hua Changxi collected her thoughts, chatted with them for a while, and then hurried back to Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hua Changxi returned to the Medical Bureau, it happened to be lecture time; upon entering Qihuang Hall Number One and seeing the Bureau Chief's disciple along with the He sisters present, her expression paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying quite liked Hua Changxi's personality, but her attendance at the lectures was merely to fulfill her master's instructions; she knew Hua Changxi understood pharmacology and medicine, but did not feel she needed to learn from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After becoming the Bureau Chief's disciple at the Medical Bureau, she had read countless medical texts and encountered medicinal herbs far beyond what ordinary people could access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To speak without false humility, there were few people in the entire Medical Bureau capable of guiding her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as Hua Changxi's lecture progressed, Mu Qingying's expression grew increasingly serious, and she even picked up paper and brush to take notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the session ended, she still felt unsatisfied, so she followed along to attend the lectures at Qihuang Hall Number Two and Qihuang Hall Number Three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Mu Qingying finally understood the meaning of \"there are always higher mountains beyond the mountains, and greater people beyond the people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had to admit that Hua Changxi's medical attainments truly surpassed her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong and He Siqi also completed the three lectures, and both felt they had gained greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hua Changxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying called out to Hua Changxi, walked up to her, and introduced herself: \"I am Mu Qingying, disciple of Bureau Chief Gu; I gained much from your lecture today. May I continue to attend in the future?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi smiled and said: \"Anyone may attend the lectures at the Qihuang Halls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Qingying did not attempt to use this opportunity to forge a closer relationship; she simply said, \"I will return tomorrow,\" and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After she departed, Hua Changxi turned to the He sisters waiting nearby, walked over, and said: \"Thank you for informing me about Fifth Sister's difficult labor; I owe you a favor. If there is ever anything you need from me in the future, please do not hesitate to ask.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong knew that Hua Changxi harbored reservations against the He family and that building a closer relationship would be difficult, so she directly made a request: \"Changxi, we heard you are teaching some laborers alchemy; may we study alongside them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi looked at the two of them and said: \"Very well, but if you study alchemy under me, then I will no longer owe you anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong smiled and said, \"You never owed us anything to begin with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi gave a slight laugh. \"I have other matters to attend to; I must be going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her leave, He Siqi turned to He Sirong. \"Second Sister, wasn't that a bit too direct?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Sirong's face showed helplessness. \"If we didn't do this, how else could we get close to Hua Changxi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2914,"2026-06-12T02:51:22.172Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","80495adda1ff713a1edfdde353fa6e336428815b0ba91f97ee94aa771c5b3641","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-115","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-113",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]