Chapter 271: A Realm Divided Three Ways

With the emergence of the Dao-Protecting Families, the Medical Bureau underwent earth-shaking changes in just a few short months.

First, Meng Qingyao ignited the Pill Fire on the Second Street of Jiujie; aided by the Pill Marsh, the number of Grade-Two Pill Refiners increased significantly.

Next, the Divine Wood bestowed eighteen secret realms, leading to the establishment of the Spirit Realm Pavilion.

Then came the appearance of the Pill Cauldron Altar; the square expanded dozens of times over, causing spiritual energy throughout the Medical Bureau to surge, making it the place with the densest spiritual energy in Jingcheng and the most suitable for cultivation.

Finally, the successive emergence of Danyuan Peak, Shenhe Peak, Qingyao Peak, and Xuanhuang Peak not only expanded the Medical Bureau's territory once again but also secured the Saint-Protecting Token, which authorized the recruitment of Saint-Protecting Guards.

As guards tasked with maintaining the order and safety of the sacred land, the appearance of the Saint-Protecting Guards marked the establishment of a unified tone for the Medical Bureau's order management.

The Medical Bureau was no longer merely a medical department under the governance of the Chu imperial clan, nor was it any longer subject to imperial rule and administration.

Nowadays, the Saint-Protecting Guards hold the final say in the Medical Bureau's order management.

At the foot of Danyuan Peak, within the Personnel Department.

Hua Changxi flipped through the apprentice register with an expressionless face.

Physician Xu and the seven others, including Hua Shuran, stood to one side, their faces filled with apprehension.

It could not be helped; Danyuan Peak had appeared over three months ago, yet they had recruited only about a thousand apprentices so far.

Excluding more than seven hundred retired Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers, over eighty members of the Hua clan, and more than a hundred people from Wu Yi Marquis's residence, they had only sporadically recruited a few dozen others.

"Pavilion Master, nowadays the Qihuang Pavilion, the Pill Cauldron Altar Square, and Jiujie are all under the control of the Saint-Protecting Guards; although there are no restrictions on people within the Medical Bureau, movement and interaction between areas have clearly decreased."

"Those who originally intended to join our secret realm now dare not make any moves."

"People inside the Medical Bureau dare not approach Danyuan Peak, while outsiders cannot even enter the main gate, let alone understand the situation on our side."

"Prince Shou forbade us from setting up a registration point at the entrance, so we cannot introduce the Danyuan Secret Realm to the public; I am wondering if we should recruit people outside the Medical Bureau, perhaps at the city gates?"

Hua Changxi looked surprised at the speaker; among the eight medicine children assigned to the Number Thirteen Qihuang Pavilion, apart from Physician Xu, she felt some degree of rejection toward the others, to the extent that she had not even remembered their names yet.

Seeing Hua Changxi's hesitation, Wan Feng guessed she had forgotten his name and hurriedly introduced himself.

"Pavilion Master, I am Wan Feng; since childhood, I have loved delving into medical arts. After reaching adulthood, I entered the Medical Bureau as a medicine child, and later, by sheer luck, tested positive for Fire and Wood spiritual roots, so I began studying the art of pill refining."

"When superiors were assigning medicine children to the Qihuang Pavilions, I spent all my saved silver to grease the wheels, which is how I managed to enter the Number Thirteen Qihuang Pavilion."

"Being able to follow you, Pavilion Master, is the greatest fortune of my life; by now, I have memorized both the 'Complete Guide to Grade-One Spiritual Plants' and the 'Complete Guide to Grade-One Spiritual Medicine Processing' by heart."

Physician Xu and the other seven: "......."

What a fellow Wan Feng is; he seizes every opportunity to promote himself before the Pavilion Master.

Hua Changxi looked at Wan Feng, not disliking his self-recommendation; from his words, it was evident he was genuinely thinking about recruiting more apprentices for the Danyuan Secret Realm and was actively paying attention to the shifting situation within the Medical Bureau.

Ever since Meng Qingyao, Yan Qianying, and Gu Xing obtained the Saint-Protecting Tokens, each, backed by their respective forces behind the scenes, had successfully recruited Saint-Protecting Guards.

In just one or two short months, the security administration of the Medical Bureau underwent three changes in managerial authority.

The first time, Meng Qingyao used the hundred Saint-Protecting Guards in her hand to seize control of the Medical Bureau from the imperial family.

The second time, after Yan Qianying recruited Saint-Protecting Guards, she joined the struggle for control over the Medical Bureau.

After a round of maneuvering, Meng Qingyao took charge of order in the Qihuang Pavilions and the Pill Cauldron Altar Square, while Yan Qianying assumed responsibility for order in Jiujie.

The third time, Gu Xing, relying on the Celestial Division, also recruited Saint-Protecting Guards and took over the duty of maintaining order in the Qihuang Pavilions from Meng Qingyao.

From then on, the management of order within the Medical Bureau was effectively divided among these three.

Thinking of the current situation in the Medical Bureau, where power was split three ways, Hua Changxi sighed: "I did not expect the Dong'an Prince's Manor to wield even greater influence than I imagined."

She was not surprised that the Dao-Protecting Families and the Celestial Division could lay out plans in Jiuyou, but she was somewhat startled that the Dong'an Prince's Manor had also made arrangements there.

In Mount Wuzhi, she had acted to save the Dong'an Prince; without her, he would likely have died at the hands of the Asura Gate.

She found it hard to imagine that someone who still needed her rescue possessed the capability to orchestrate schemes in Jiuyou.

Hua Changxi's abrupt sigh left Physician Xu and the other eight somewhat bewildered.

Nevertheless, someone guessed the hidden meaning behind her words.

He Sirong said: "Pavilion Master, Pavilion Master Yan was able to recruit Saint-Protecting Guards not because of the Dong'an Prince's Manor, but due to support from the imperial family."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Wasn't it said that the four princes of different surnames were not very submissive to the imperial family? Why would the imperial family support Yan Qianying?"

He Sirong replied: "Because the current Princess of Dong'an is Princess Chaoyang, born of the Retired Emperor."

Seeing both Wan Feng and He Sirong vying to display their abilities before Hua Changxi, and knowing Hua Changxi's lack of understanding regarding the imperial family, Hua Shuran also spoke up.

"Princess Chaoyang was born to Consort Dou, making her a full sibling of Prince Xiang."

"After the Dong'an Prince's wife passed away, the Retired Emperor personally issued an edict betrothing Princess Chaoyang to the Dong'an Prince."

Hua Shuran paused briefly: "Princess Chaoyang has only one son, Yan Xiaoyang, a direct disciple of the Taosu Sect's sect master; he and Shi-Niang are fellow disciples, and according to what the Bo Manor knows, the two share a very close relationship."

Hua Changxi widened her eyes; she had not expected to hear news about her family's Shi-Niang, and looking at Hua Shuran, she asked: "Can the Bo Manor even gather intelligence on the Taosu Sect?"

Hearing this, Hua Shuran and He Sirong exchanged a helpless glance, gaining a deeper understanding of Hua Changxi's ignorance of worldly affairs.

He Sirong reminded her: "Celestial Master Zhang himself hails from the Taosu Sect."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi could not help but recall Wen Lanzhou, who assisted Celestial Master Zhang in managing the Number Four Qihuang Pavilion.

She did not interact frequently with other Qihuang Pavilion masters, yet every time she saw Wen Lanzhou, he would smile at her.

Previously, she had found this puzzling, but now she finally understood the reason.

Hua Changxi had intended to inquire further about Hua Shi-Niang, but with so many people present, she suppressed the urge.

As a direct disciple of the Taosu Sect's sect master, Shi-Niang must be living well.

Seeing that Hua Changxi asked no further questions, He Sirong continued: "Although Princess Chaoyang is a stepmother, she has treated the three young masters born to the Dong'an Prince's former wife quite well and has never schemed for the position of heir."

Hua Shuran picked up the thread: "I hear Princess Chaoyang is preparing to return to the capital."

Hua Changxi nodded once and showed no other reaction.

Physician Xu's information channels were not as extensive as those of Wu Yi Marquis's residence or Dingyuan Count's Manor; not wanting Hua Changxi to focus solely on He Sirong and Hua Shuran, he hurriedly presented two invitation cards.

"Ninth Lady... Pavilion Master, these were sent by the Qihuang Pavilion and the Spirit Realm Pavilion."

Before Hua Changxi could open the cards, Wan Feng spoke up with an indignant expression: "Pavilion Master, they are coming for the 'Complete Guide to Grade-One Spiritual Plant Processing'."

Hua Changxi glanced at him, then began reviewing the invitation cards; after a moment of silence, she smiled at Physician Xu.

"Go tell Shen Qianfan that the 'Complete Guide to Processing Grade-One Spiritual Plants' can be shared with other Qihuang Halls, but I must be allowed to teach at Qihuang Halls One through Nine."

"As for the Lingjing Pavilion... tell Meng Qingyao that if she can arrange for a registration booth to be set up at the entrance of the Medical Bureau for the Primordial Yuan Secret Realm, I will give her the 'Complete Guide to Processing Grade-One Spiritual Plants'."