Chapter 197

Pharmacist Xu: "By the way, Jiuniang, I also heard one more thing: after the new year, all Qihuang Hall masters must start giving lectures to teach the people of the Medicine Department the art of pill refining."

Hua Changxi's expression stirred upon hearing this: "Lectures?"

Pharmacist Xu nodded: "Yes, the specific arrangements are not yet known. I guess that in these few days, the Director will definitely summon you hall masters together to discuss this matter."

Hua Changxi looked at Pharmacist Xu and teased: "Uncle Xu, I've discovered that your connections in the Medicine Department are quite extensive. Having just heard you talk about the situation of the other Qihuang Halls, it's clear that those who can become medicine boys in the Qihuang Halls all have backgrounds. Now that you can even find out about things that haven't happened yet, it's evident that you have wide-ranging friendships in the Medicine Department."

Pharmacist Xu smiled and waved his hand: "What wide-ranging friendships? I've just been in the Medicine Department for a long time and have a bit of face with some people. Moreover, the matter of hall masters giving lectures after the new year is not something the higher-ups intended to hide. That I could find out about it might just mean it was intentionally leaked by someone."

Hua Changxi was noncommittal about this and only said, "I know about this now."

Pharmacist Xu looked at Hua Changxi: "Jiuniang, you are going to return to the Medicine Department for duty this month, right? I'm afraid that if you don't show up, Prince Shou and the Director will have opinions."

Hua Changxi: "Are the other hall masters there?"

Pharmacist Xu nodded: "They are all there."

At this moment, Pucao brought the food into the room.

Since Hua Changxi had already decided to keep the status of Qihuang Hall master, she would naturally be a good master of the No. 13 Qihuang Hall: "After I finish eating, I will go back to the Medicine Department with you."

Hearing this, Pharmacist Xu's face immediately lit up with joy, and at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Jiuniang had left him in charge of all matters of the No. 13 Qihuang Hall. Heaven knows how much pressure he had been under during the time Jiuniang was away. He had to deal with inquiries from above and fend off probing from other halls.

Originally, the eight medicine boys of their No. 13 Qihuang Hall didn't have very high statuses, and with Jiuniang absent, they had even less confidence in front of others.

After eating, Hua Changxi checked the account books of the major pharmacies for November before returning to the Medicine Department with Pharmacist Xu.

Upon arriving at the Medicine Department, Pharmacist Xu led Hua Changxi directly through the main gate.

Hua Changxi stood under the main gate of the Medicine Department and smiled: "In the past, when entering the Medicine Department, I could only take the back door; now I can also walk through the front door."

Hearing this, Pharmacist Xu smiled: "In the future, you won't have to take the back door anymore."

Hua Changxi smiled and said nothing, following Pharmacist Xu into the Medicine Department. Seeing him walk straight toward the Pilgrimage Road, she thought of the pill lamp pillars on the Pilgrimage Road and hurriedly said: "Uncle Xu, let's take the alleyway of the Jiujie."

Pharmacist Xu looked puzzled: "To get to the Apprentice Hall, taking the Pilgrimage Road is the fastest."

Hua Changxi: "I haven't properly toured the Jiujie yet." After saying this, she walked straight toward the nearest alley.

Seeing this, Pharmacist Xu could only follow quickly.

At the same time, on the corridor of the ninth floor of the Medicine Department building, Wei Zhenjie, Minister of the Heaven Department, and Gu Qiming, Director of the Medicine Department, were watching the two walk into the alley.

Wei Zhenjie frowned slightly: "That female cultivator... is she Hua Changxi's twin sister?"

Gu Qiming nodded: "Yes, her name is Hua Changxi." Seeing Wei Zhenjie's expression was off, he asked, "Minister, is there something wrong with Hua Changxi?"

Wei Zhenjie frowned: "I cannot see the depth of her cultivation."

Hearing this, Gu Qiming's expression was shocked: "Minister, you are a Nascent Soul cultivator. If even you cannot probe it, wouldn't Hua Changxi be in the same realm as you?"

Wei Zhenjie shook his head: "It is also possible that she has practiced a very profound breath-concealing technique."

Gu Qiming immediately replied: "It must be that."

The Minister had advanced to the Nascent Soul realm because he had the backing of the Heaven Department and no shortage of cultivation resources, and even then, it had taken him decades. As for Hua Changxi, she had just reached the age of fifteen and had only started cultivating in the past few years. She came from a humble family, with no resources and no background; it was impossible for her to have reached the Nascent Soul realm in just a few years.

Wei Zhenjie: "What is Hua Changxi's spiritual root?"

Gu Qiming: "Single fire spiritual root."

Wei Zhenjie's gaze flickered upon hearing this: "Hua Changxin has a single wood spiritual root, and Hua Changxi has a single fire spiritual root. Why did the Taisu Palace only want Hua Changxin back then?"

Gu Qiming shook his head; he didn't know about that.

Wei Zhenjie: "Have you investigated the Hua family?"

Gu Qiming nodded, and the moment he thought about the situation he had investigated regarding the Hua family, his mood became unsettled: "Except for the few wives who married into the Hua family, the bloodlines of everyone else have undergone atavism. Nowadays, everyone in the Hua family is a cultivator."

Wei Zhenjie looked over: "The body-refining technique you submitted before was obtained from the Hua family?"

Gu Qiming nodded: "I suspect that body-refining technique was found by Hua Changxi in the Qihuang Hall. Many people already know about this, and they are all watching the Hua family."

After hearing this, Wei Zhenjie frowned: "If the body-refining technique was truly found in the Qihuang Hall, why did others gain nothing? It makes no sense for the Qihuang Hall to only recognize Hua Changxi, right?"

Gu Qiming sighed; he couldn't figure this out either. Others were one thing, but even those who took the wooden plaques couldn't discover the anomalies of the Qihuang Hall, which left people baffled.

"After Hua Changxi took over the No. 13 Qihuang Hall, she only showed up once and then disappeared directly. Prince Shou is extremely dissatisfied with this. If it weren't for the fact that he is still counting on Hua Changxi to crack the secrets of the Qihuang Hall, Prince Shou would have already made a move."

Wei Zhenjie fell silent, and after a long while: "Hua Changxin is not an ordinary wood spiritual root. As her twin sister, Hua Changxi is likely not simple either. In future contacts, do not make an enemy of her."

Gu Qiming nodded in agreement. Since the recovery of spiritual energy, everything was being reconstructed; past status and position could no longer explain anything.

He had seen the files of many cultivators in the Heaven Department. Many former ordinary people were rising silently, their talent and opportunities far stronger than those of the children of powerful and noble families who knew about the spiritual energy recovery first.

Wei Zhenjie asked again: "Is it still impossible to find out who took the other nine wooden plaques?"

Gu Qiming looked ashamed: "It is this subordinate's incompetence."

Wei Zhenjie shook his head: "I don't blame you. Nowadays, there are more and more cultivators, and all kinds of spells and supernatural powers are emerging one after another; both you and I are hard-pressed to defend against them."

Gu Qiming sighed, looking helpless: "If Senior Gu could reveal a few words, we would have a direction to investigate, but he says nothing."

Hearing this, Wei Zhenjie fell silent, and only after a long time did he say: "Senior Gu does not recognize... that you and I are people of the Pill Saint Hall."

Thinking of Gu Xing's attitude toward them, Gu Qiming let out a helpless, long sigh.

In the Qihuang Hall street of the Apprentice Hall, as soon as Hua Changxi returned to the No. 13 Qihuang Hall, the news immediately spread to the other seventeen Qihuang Halls.

The personnel arrangements for the eighteen Qihuang Halls were carried out at the end of October. By November, people from each Qihuang Hall had gotten to know each other through their movements, but only Hua Changxi of the No. 13 Qihuang Hall had not been seen by many hall masters.

In the No. 14 Qihuang Hall, the Seventh Imperial Prince Chu Junhao and Duan Yuyan were playing chess.

After Duan Yuyan placed a piece, she smiled: "She finally showed up. I thought she didn't want to be this hall master?"

Chu Junhao looked at the chessboard, frowned, and placed a piece: "She doesn't care about the Qihuang Hall as much as we imagined."

Duan Yuyan looked at Chu Junhao: "Perhaps we have valued her too much." After saying this, she placed a piece.

Chu Junhao didn't take up the topic and directly placed a piece to end the game.

Seeing that she had lost again, Duan Yuyan immediately complained: "Cousin, you didn't even say you'd go easy on me."

Chu Junhao smiled gently: "If I went easy on you, what would be the point of playing chess? One becomes stronger when meeting the strong; after losing a few more times, you will know where your shortcomings lie." As he spoke, he walked to the eaves and looked at the neighboring No. 13 Qihuang Hall.

"To understand a person, one cannot rely on the mouths of others; one must verify it personally..."