Chapter 138: No One in Heart

"Finding my own position in the Medicine Department..."

On the way back to her courtyard, Hua Changxi kept thinking about this question.

Just as Gu Xing said, the Medicine Department had a complete organizational structure. The Chief and other officials responsible for the operation of the Medicine Department were all arranged by the imperial court. The pharmacists and physicians of the Nine Streets Pharmacies were either veterans with profound medical skills or people with various backgrounds.

Even the heads of the Disciple Hall, Apprentice Hall, and Servant Hall were people with backers.

In such a situation, where could she place herself?

She was certainly unwilling to rely on others or find a master for herself, but if she didn't follow the rules of the Medicine Department, how could she obtain status?

"Becoming famous..."

Honestly, Gu Xing's reminder was truly the most suitable for her.

Becoming famous in the Medicine Department was really not difficult for her. As long as she retrieved the Buddhist bead bracelet, bound the wooden tablet to the Qihuang Hall, revealed the true Qihuang Hall, and ensured that only she could teach in the nine Qihuang Halls of the Servant Hall, becoming famous could be said to be an easy task.

But the Buddhist bead bracelet was lost at Niutou Mountain, and she still had to go down to the Nine Netherworlds to find it. This matter couldn't be accomplished in a short time.

Hua Changxi let out a breath. She couldn't stop the Chief's two disciples from teaching in the No. 6 Qihuang Hall.

Soon, she returned to her courtyard, tidied up her things a little, left the Medicine Department, and went straight to the Shennong Pharmacy in Feng'an Ward.

The Green Bull Demon had been helping Hua Changxi farm in the Sumeru Bead for over a month. It was a good time to let it out to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with A-Niu and Pucao.

Honestly, the Green Bull Demon was truly a good hand at farming. The idle wasteland in the space had been reclaimed and planted by it, and the entire space suddenly became thriving.

Hua Changxi stayed at the pharmacy for one night. During this time, she gave some pointers to Pucao on cultivation and alchemy, and also asked about A-Niu's progress in body refining.

Because Pucao had to cultivate, practice alchemy, and manage the pharmacy, she was still a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

A-Niu's body refining progress was much faster; he had already started practicing the third volume of the "Nine Revolutions Profound Art" — the Bone Refining Volume.

Hua Changxi tested A-Niu's combat power and found that his current strength was fully capable of fighting against Golden Core stage cultivators.

"A-Niu, I want to sell spiritual pills in a while. I was originally worried about the safety of the pharmacy, but now that you have such strength, I can rest easy."

A-Niu smiled shyly, happy that he could help Hua Changxi and the pharmacy.

One night passed. At dawn, after Hua Changxi had breakfast with Pucao and A-Niu, she returned to the Hua family.

"Yo, Jiuniang is back."

The Hua family courtyard was piled with many gifts, more than what they had received during the New Year. When Hua Changxi returned, Old Madam Hua was organizing them with her three daughters-in-law and several granddaughters.

"Grandmother, Mother, Second Aunt, Fourth Aunt."

Seeing Hua Changxi return, Yao Shi's face immediately lit up with a smile. Seeing that her daughter hadn't noticed her younger sister-in-law, she hurriedly reminded her: "Your Hua Sangu's family is here. Why don't you greet them quickly?"

Hua Changxi looked at the woman standing beside Old Madam Hua and greeted her with a smile: "Hua Sangu."

Hua Sangu Hua smiled and looked Hua Changxi over: "After Jiuniang reached the age of fifteen, she has really blossomed. She is becoming more and more beautiful now." As she spoke, she pulled Yao Shi.

"Sister-in-law, you are truly blessed to have given birth to such a daughter. I think it won't be long before the people coming to propose marriage will trample the Hua family's threshold."

Yao Shi hurriedly smiled modestly: "This girl Jiuniang's temperament has given your eldest brother and me no small headache. In the future, as long as I can successfully marry her off, I will burn high incense."

Hua Sangu Hua immediately looked disapproving: "I just like Jiuniang's temperament. If the Shen family could marry such a daughter-in-law, I would wake up laughing in my dreams."

As soon as these words were out, the smile on Yao Shi's face stiffened, and even Old Madam Hua, who was organizing the gifts, stopped her movements.

Seeing their reactions, Hua Sangu Hua knew she had been too blunt and hurriedly added a remedial sentence: "Jiuniang is very blessed and will surely marry into a blessed family in the future."

The smile on Yao Shi's face came back to life, but she only nodded in response and hurriedly diverted the topic of finding a husband for Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi stood to the side, watching her mother's reaction, and felt like laughing.

Seeing this, Yao Shi glared at her. Her daughter actually showed no shyness when marriage was mentioned in front of her, and even looked like she was watching a show. She wondered to herself, how did she give birth to such a unique daughter?

At this moment, Hua Dalang walked out of the main hall, followed by Hua Sanlang, Hua Liulang, the two cousins from Hua Sangu Hua's family, and two young men she didn't recognize.

"Jiuniang is back."

Seeing Hua Dalang, Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Eldest Brother, didn't Father say you went to another place for official business? When did you return?"

Hua Dalang: "I returned to the capital in July." He smiled, "Among so many brothers and sisters in the family, you are the busiest. I've been back for so long, and this is the first time I've seen you return home."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi laughed: "Is Eldest Brother blaming me?"

Seeing Hua Changxi's reaction, Hua Liulang hurriedly walked to her side: "Eldest Brother misses you." Then, he told her with a smile, "Jiuniang, Eldest Brother is getting engaged."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked surprised, then asked with a happy smile: "Really? Whose daughter?"

Hua Liulang just wanted to explain the matter in detail when he was interrupted by Hua Dalang: "Jiuniang hasn't entered the house to pay respects to Grandfather and Uncle Mingzhe and Third Uncle-in-law yet." As he spoke, he looked at the two young men beside him.

"By the way, these are Elder Brother Chen and Third Brother Tao from Uncle Mingzhe's family."

Hua Changxi greeted the two with a smile, but in her heart, she thought, on the Mid-Autumn reunion day, Hua Tai actually sent his eldest son and two grandsons to their home to celebrate the festival. The intention to show goodwill was too obvious.

It seemed that something she didn't know must have happened in the family during this period.

Hua Changxi entered the main hall, and Hua Dalang's group followed.

Old Master Hua sat in the main seat, with Hua Mingzhe and Uncle Shen sitting on the left, and Hua Minghe, Second Uncle, and Fourth Uncle on the right.

Hua Changxi greeted these people one by one.

Old Master Hua: "Why did you return only today?"

Hua Changxi glanced at the old man and smiled: "I had things to attend to."

Hua Mingzhe looked at Hua Changxi and asked with a smile: "I heard from my Wanyue that you are no longer teaching in the Servant Hall. What are you busy with on weekdays?"

Hua Changxi prevaricated: "Just busy with nothing."

Old Master Hua heard this: "If you have nothing proper to do in the Medicine Department, just come home. You like alchemy, and the family runs a pharmacy. Business is quite good now, and we are preparing to recruit people."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Is that so? Is the family pharmacy's business so good that you are preparing to recruit?" As she spoke, she looked at Hua Sanlang.

Hua Sanlang nodded: "The pills our family sells are very popular."

Hua Changxi: "That's great, but I won't come back to add to the trouble. Anyway, there are so many people in the family."

Old Master Hua frowned: "Don't you have nothing to do in the Servant Hall? Come home; you can help the family and not bury your alchemy skills."

Hua Changxi felt annoyed: "Grandfather, who told you I have nothing to do in the Servant Hall?"

Seeing Old Master Hua's eyes glance at Hua Mingzhe, Hua Changxi immediately looked over.

Seeing this, Hua Mingzhe explained with a smile: "Wanyue said you haven't been teaching lately and just wander around the Servant Hall every day. Could it be that she was mistaken?"

Hua Changxi looked at him and said bluntly: "Is Uncle sending people to monitor me?"

Seeing her reaction, Hua Mingzhe's face stiffened, and Old Master Hua frowned.

Hua Dalang said displeasedly: "Jiuniang, what kind of attitude is this? Why don't you apologize to Uncle quickly?"

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Dalang expressionlessly and said nothing.

Hua Minghe looked at Hua Dalang, his tone filled with dissatisfaction: "Dalang, speak properly to Jiuniang if you have anything to say."

Hua Mingzhe had long understood Hua Changxi's temperament from his parents and took the initiative to smooth things over with a smile: "It was my abruptness. However, Jiuniang, I must explain. Wanyue didn't want to monitor you; she just admires you very much, so she couldn't help but pay more attention to you."

"After Wanyue returned home, she always told the family that you have superb medical skills and profound knowledge, and that every time she listened to your lectures, she benefited a lot."

Hua Changxi didn't want to ruin everyone's mood on a festival day, so she smiled, which counted as a response to Hua Mingzhe, but she didn't pick up his topic.

Seeing this, Hua Mingzhe didn't say anything else.

Old Master Hua spoke up: "If you have the leisure to teach outsiders in the Servant Hall, why can't you come home to help the family?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was really impatient: "Grandfather, when I teach others in the Medicine Department, I achieve myself. But coming home to help, I achieve the Hua family. Naturally, I want to choose to achieve myself."

Hearing this, Hua Dalang couldn't help but speak again: "Jiuniang, how can you think like that? The Hua family gave birth to you and raised you. You are so unthinking of repayment; isn't that too selfish?"

Hua Changxi laughed in anger: "Have I not repaid the family?" As she spoke, she looked at Old Master Hua and Hua Minghe, "Grandfather, Father, have I not repaid the family?"

Old Master Hua was very angry at this moment, annoyed that Hua Changxi was making a scene in front of his son-in-law and outsiders: "How can a family be so calculating about everything?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi didn't want to say anything anymore, turned around, and left the main hall.

Seeing her like this, Old Master Hua was furious and said to Hua Minghe: "This is the good daughter you raised."

Hua Minghe said helplessly: "Father, let Jiuniang do what she wants. She hasn't hindered the family in any way."

Old Master Hua: "But she is a member of the Hua family. Our family should work together."

Hua Dalang followed her out of the room, caught up with Hua Changxi, and entered the room with her: "Jiuniang, the family hasn't treated you unfairly in any way, right? Even if Grandfather and Grandmother were a little strict in disciplining you, it shouldn't make you hold a grudge against the family, right?"

Hua Changxi frowned: "What are you talking about? When did I hold a grudge against the family?"

Hua Dalang: "But you would rather trust outsiders than your own family members. That's a fact, right?"

Hua Changxi: "I don't distrust my family members."

Hua Dalang: "Is that so? Then why didn't you tell the family when you opened a pharmacy outside? Why didn't you tell the family when you had a Fire Spirit Mine outside? You would rather find outsiders to cooperate with than let your family take over. Is this trusting your family?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "You investigated me?"

Hua Dalang: "I didn't expect my own sister to be so capable, actually ending up on the Embroidered Uniform Guard's surveillance list. If I hadn't gone to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for official business, we wouldn't have known how long you would have kept it from us."

"Jiuniang, do you even consider us family? Are we so unworthy of your trust?"

Hua Changxi: "I said, it's not that I don't trust you. I just don't want to have too many conflicts of interest with you."

Hua Dalang laughed in anger: "If there is no conflict of interest between family members, are they still family?"

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Dalang: "Eldest Brother, I have never asked about your affairs outside. I also ask you to respect me. This is my principle of conduct."

Hua Dalang snorted: "You are afraid that the family will take advantage of you, right?"

Hua Changxi looked at the storage bag Hua Dalang was wearing at his waist, which she had given to her father on her birthday: "... You did take advantage of me."

Hua Dalang was speechless with anger, looking deeply at Hua Changxi: "Jiuniang, only today did I discover that you are such a cold and thin person. Putting aside gains and losses, do you have no feelings for your family?"

"The family lacks cultivation resources, and you could clearly help us, but you turn a blind eye."

"Our family has no foundation. In cultivation, if you fall behind one step, you fall behind every step. You don't have us in your heart at all, which is why you can so calmly watch us being left behind."

"What does it mean to be left behind?"

"It means that our family clearly has a chance to flourish, but we missed it; it means that in this changing situation, we are very likely to be controlled by others, or even lose our lives."

"If you had us in your heart, you wouldn't watch us fall into danger and passivity." ===== CHAPTER 139 =====