Chapter 35: Step by Step, Moving Forward

Seven days had passed since meeting Eunuch Yu, yet Hua Changxi still hadn't received any notice from Yu Gui to begin refining medicine; on the contrary, every time she went to the warehouse to collect herbs, Yu Gui would avoid her.

Yu Gui's attitude made it clear to Hua Changxi that Eunuch Yu was not particularly eager to cooperate with her.

Regarding this, she was not especially anxious.

Eunuch Yu's reluctance stemmed from only two reasons: first, he felt she was taking too large a share of the profits; second, he found her difficult to control—as a mere lowly laborer, she dared to aspire to an equal partnership, which Eunuch Yu likely viewed as a provocation.

Yet, who could resist the temptation of making money?

The pills she refined required few medicinal ingredients, and those she used were discarded herbs from the Laborer Hall, meaning for Eunuch Yu, the cost was virtually zero.

Any project that only brings income without expenditure, guaranteeing one hundred percent profit, would be clung to desperately by anyone whose brain was functioning properly.

She believed it would not be long before Eunuch Yu actively sought her out.

"Sixth Brother!"

Seeing Hua Liulang waiting at the back gate of the Medical Bureau with a rather large bundle on his back, Hua Changxi began waving from afar.

"Ninth Sister."

Ever since Hua Wuniang left home and received Hua Changxi's instructions, Hua Liulang had come to visit Hua Changxi every few days; each time he arrived, he brought either food prepared by Lady Yao or purchased braised dishes, roasted chicken, and sweets.

The young men of the Hua family working at the apothecary earned a monthly wage of five hundred wen.

Hua Liulang had spent nearly his entire month's wages buying food for Hua Changxi; at first, it had pained him somewhat, but whenever he saw his sister eating what he brought with a beaming smile, the silver spent no longer seemed so important.

"Sixth Brother, what delicious food have you brought me this time?"

Hua Changxi had a particular fondness for good food; even though she could occasionally enjoy special dishes from the cafeteria while in the Laborer Hall, she remained extremely gluttonous.

Hua Liulang handed the bundle to Hua Changxi, and seeing his sister rummaging through it solely for food, he couldn't help but say, "Don't just focus on eating; Mother has prepared padded cotton jackets and trousers for you."

"Mother said the weather is getting colder by the day, so you must keep warm and wear more clothes; under no circumstances should you stand in cold water to clean medicinal herbs, as women cannot tolerate cold."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression paused briefly.

After entering the eleventh month, the weather grew colder day by day; although her cultivation had greatly improved her constitution, to the point that washing herbs in water didn't feel particularly cold, other laborers were not so fortunate.

Among those sharing her dormitory, two or three had already developed chilblains on their hands and feet.

"Hua?"

"Grandfather and Grandmother wouldn't really do anything to you, so just don't stay in the Laborer Hall..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Liulang saw his sister toss over a paper packet three fingers wide; instinctively reaching out, he caught it: "What is this?"

Opening the paper packet and seeing the pills inside, smelling the medicinal fragrance emanating from them, Hua Liulang immediately widened his eyes, looking at Hua Changxi with excitement: "Are these Qi and Blood Pills, Ninth Sister?"

Hua Changxi snorted lightly and handed two more paper packets to Hua Liulang.

Hua Liulang swiftly opened them, his eyes widening even further.

Qi and Blood Pills!

Body-Tempering Pills!

Foundation-Stabilizing Pills!

He recognized all three types of pills; he had consumed Qi and Blood Pills and Body-Tempering Pills before, and he had seen Foundation-Stabilizing Pills in the possession of Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang.

Hua Changxi raised her eyebrows, self-satisfiedly admiring Hua Liulang's shocked expression.

Hua Liulang swallowed hard, muttering to himself: "Qi and Blood Pills are five taels of silver each, Foundation-Stabilizing Pills are ten taels each, Body-Tempering Pills are fifty taels each, eight of each kind..."

Over five hundred taels of silver...

After Hua Liulang's brief moment of joy, panic surfaced on his face; glancing left and right, he anxiously grabbed Hua Changxi: "Ninth Sister, where did you get these pills? What have you been doing?"

Hua Changxi had expected her sixth brother to worship her, but seeing him so frightened, she felt somewhat speechless: "Sixth Brother, what are you thinking? Of course I refined these pills myself."

"You refined them?"

"Hua... Ninth Sister, please don't lie to me."

Hua Changxi became unhappy, crossing her arms: "Why would I lie to you? Is there money to be made? Don't forget, most of the medicinal pills in our family's apothecary were made by me."

Hua Liulang muttered: "But those were all ordinary medicinal pills, not medicines for martial artists."

Hua Changxi snorted: "If Grandfather and Grandmother had agreed to my suggestion earlier and purchased some herbs for martial artists for me to study, perhaps our family's apothecary would have long been selling medicines for martial artists."

Hua Liulang still found it hard to believe and asked again to confirm: "Did you really refine these pills?"

"If you don't want them, forget it." Hua Changxi made a move as if to take the medicine packets back.

Hua Liulang immediately covered the packets with his hands and quickly stepped backward, retreating while offering a placating smile: "Can't I just believe you?"

Too lazy to argue with him, Hua Changxi said: "You don't need the Foundation-Stabilizing Pills; when Father returns, give those to him, but keep the Qi and Blood Pills and Body-Tempering Pills for your own use."

Hua Liulang's face lit up with joy, followed by some hesitation: "Shouldn't we hand them over to Grandfather and Grandmother for distribution?"

Hua Changxi glared: "These are my things; I decide their fate." Pausing briefly, she added, "There are only a few pills here; with so many people in the family, if everyone gets just one, what effect could it possibly have? It's better to let one person use them all."

Patting Hua Liulang on the shoulder, she said, "Sixth Brother, I intend to cultivate you into a Grandmaster, so don't disappoint me."

Everyone has those they feel closer to; throughout the entire Hua family, aside from her parents, this simple-minded Sixth Brother treated her the best, accommodating her in almost everything; knowing he loved practicing martial arts, now that she had pills, naturally she would prioritize him.

Seeing that his sister thought so highly of him and even wanted him to become a Grandmaster, Hua Liulang was deeply moved: "Rest assured, Ninth Sister, I will practice martial arts diligently and won't let anyone bully you."

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Liulang with full trust: "Sixth Brother, I believe you. Remember, you must not tell anyone in the family about me giving you these pills."

"If you tell the family and cause trouble for me, don't expect to get any more pills from me; figure out how to practice martial arts on your own."

Hua Liulang nodded repeatedly: "Rest assured, I won't say anything."

Noticing she had been out for quite some time, Hua Changxi said, "Alright, remember to hide the pills well."

After watching Hua Liulang depart, Hua Changxi returned to the Sixth Bureau and continued her duties and cultivation as usual.

Two more days passed, and when she went to the warehouse again to collect medicinal ingredients, Yu Gui took the initiative to greet her.

Seeing this, the corner of Hua Changxi's mouth curled up imperceptibly.

"Sister Changxi, my godfather has obtained another batch of discarded medicinal herbs; after you finish your duties today, could you go to the courtyard where you last met my godfather?"

Yu Gui looked at Hua Changxi somewhat nervously; he knew this young lady's temper, and having avoided her for these past few days, he wondered if she was angry.

Hua Changxi did not put on any airs and agreed directly with a smile: "I will come over after lunch."

The heart Yu Gui had been holding up instantly dropped back into his belly; he wanted to explain a few words, but Hua Changxi waved her hand: "Brother Yu, I know your hardships. Fortunately, the matter succeeded; the rest is not so important."

These words made Yu Gui feel even more uneasy: "Sister... from now on, you are my own sister."

Hua Changxi laughed softly: "Brother Yu, just remember that we are friends." With that, she went to collect the medicinal herbs.

After lunch, Hua Changxi went to the courtyard where she had previously met Eunuch Yu; last time, the little eunuch had left too quickly for her to examine the surroundings carefully.

"Qihuang Hall."

Hua Changxi noticed that all the courtyards in the vicinity bore this name; these courtyards had no plaques, as the three characters 'Qihuang Hall' were carved directly into the stone gate walls.

She had not entered the wrong courtyard, for Yu Gui was standing at the gate waiting for her.

"Sister Changxi, remember this is Hall Number Nine; do not enter the wrong courtyard next time."

Yu Gui pointed to a stone pillar over three feet tall at the entrance, upon which the character 'Nine' was carved.

Hua Changxi asked: "These courtyards must be quite old; they look very historic."

Yu Gui replied: "They were likely built a long time ago; I heard the buildings of the Medical Bureau have looked like this since the previous dynasty and have never changed."

Hua Changxi exclaimed in surprise: "Since the previous dynasty? That is indeed a long time."

One must know that the Great Jin Dynasty was different from the feudal dynasties she had studied in her past life's textbooks; this was a dynasty that had inherited power for nearly a thousand years.

She had always been curious: why could this dynasty maintain its rule for so long?

Unfortunately, her circle of contacts was too narrow, leaving her with no way to find out.

While talking, the two entered the courtyard.

As soon as they entered, what met Hua Changxi's eyes was even more discarded medicinal herbs than last time.

Hua Changxi looked somewhat worriedly at Yu Gui: "Bringing so many discarded herbs here, is it really no problem?"

Yu Gui quickly whispered: "Rest assured, there is no problem. I only learned these past two days that my godfather has the authority to mobilize these discarded herbs; as long as we do not go too far, even if those above find out, they will turn a blind eye."

"Just like in your Miscellaneous Duties Hall, where prepared herbs can be withdrawn in advance by Eunuch Jia and others for their own use before being sent to the herb warehouse."

"These count as a kind of invisible benefit of the Medical Bureau, available from the Bureau Chief down to the stewards of the Miscellaneous Duties Hall."

Hua Changxi immediately felt envious, yet also somewhat puzzled: "Since Eunuch Yu can mobilize discarded herbs, did he never think of finding an alchemist to refine medicine for him before?"

Yu Gui said: "My godfather probably did not value these discarded herbs much in the past."

Had she not heard Apothecary Xu of Sixth Street call these discarded herbs trash? It was likely his godfather had thought the same before.

Hua Changxi sighed inwardly; a mere warehouse steward could mobilize so many resources—having power was truly wonderful.

Eunuch Yu had not come this time, adopting an attitude of leaving everything entirely to Yu Gui to handle.

Looking at the pile of discarded herbs in the courtyard that resembled a small mountain, Yu Gui looked at Hua Changxi with concern: "Sister Changxi, can you handle all this alone?"

Seeing the well in the courtyard and noting that all kinds of alchemical tools were complete, Hua Changxi nodded: "I can manage." Since there was no time limit, she could just work slowly; rolling up her sleeves, she walked toward the discarded herbs.

From about ten cartloads of discarded herbs, Hua Changxi picked out three cartloads that were usable.

After sorting out the usable herbs and washing away the parts unfit for medicine, only two cartloads of herbs remained.

Next came drying and processing according to the properties of the herbs.

Some herbs required long drying and processing times, others short; moreover, one or two rounds of sorting might not gather a complete formula for a single pill, so Hua Changxi could only store the herbs inside the room.

In the days that followed, Eunuch Yu would bring ten cartloads of discarded herbs every day to pile in the courtyard.

Hua Changxi worked her shift in the morning, then came over in the afternoon to sort usable herbs, followed by washing, drying, and processing them.

[Compendium of Processing (Minor Success): Processed Herbs 100/1000]

When the count of processed herbs reached 100, Hua Changxi's mind was flooded with knowledge on processing spiritual plants and spiritual beasts.

Only then did she realize that the low spiritual qi in the Yuanling Powder she had refined previously was due not only to the withered herbs losing their qi but also to her failure to perform appropriate processing.

"I wonder if the Medicine Manor will still send Yuanling Grass?"

Pondering this, Hua Changxi resolved to visit the warehouse more often; what if she encountered Yuanling Grass again?

Once she had stored enough varieties of herbs, Hua Changxi began attempting to refine various pills based on the explanations of herb properties in the Annotations on the Hundred Herbs.

She did not succeed every time; indeed, she ruined many herbs.

Although these herbs did not cost her anything, she cherished each batch immensely; thus, by the end of the eleventh month, she had produced quite a large number of pills.

Looking at several gourd-shaped porcelain jars, each the size of an adult's palm, sitting on the table, Eunuch Yu's cheeks twitched slightly.

Even the most lavish alchemist would not use such large porcelain jars to store pills; it made the pills seem as though they were worthless.

"Godfather, five hundred Qi and Blood Pills, five hundred Body Tempering Pills, five hundred Foundation Stabilizing Pills, one hundred Bone Forging Pills, one hundred Zang-Fu Pills, and fifty Meridian Unblocking Pills."

With each type of pill Yu Gui named, Eunuch Yu's eyes brightened a little more; after silently calculating how much silver he could earn by selling these pills, he noticed both Hua Changxi and Yu Gui staring at him with eager eyes.

Damn it, he had forgotten he still had to share the profits with them!

The moment he thought about giving away sixty percent of the profits, Eunuch Yu's heart began to tremble.

Yet, for the sake of a steady long-term flow, Eunuch Yu, with trembling hands, personally handed over Hua Changxi's and Yu Gui's shares to them.

Holding the pills, Hua Changxi smiled until her eyes narrowed: "Thank you, Eunuch Yu; next month I will redouble my efforts and strive to refine even more pills."

Eunuch Yu glanced at her: "Once December arrives, the medicinal herbs sent from various regions will decrease significantly, and discarded herbs will be even scarcer; from now on, you should come once every five days."

Hearing that she could not come every day in December, Hua Changxi felt some regret, but she also knew that haste makes waste, so she adjusted her mindset accordingly.

With this batch of pills in hand, there was enough for Sixth Brother to cultivate for some time, and she could also sell some to earn silver; she should be content.

Furthermore, having processed so many herbs during this period, several of her statistics had improved.

[Annotations on the Hundred Herbs (Perfected)]

[Stainless Technique (Perfected)]

[Compendium of Processing (Perfected): Processed Herbs 4608/]

[Compendium of Meridian Mapping (Perfected): Dissected and Ground Herbs 3511/]

[Fusion Technique (Perfected): Mixed and Fused Pills 2672/]

[Pill Condensation Technique (Perfected): Condensed Pills 2672/]

[Sealing Technique (Perfected): Sealed medicinal pills 2672/]

Having fully inherited the "Annotations on the Classic of a Hundred Herbs," Hua Changxi now knew that beyond Mortal Plants, Spirit Plants, and Divine Plants lay Dao Plants.

Dao Plants involve comprehending the rules of the Heavenly Dao, clarifying the mind and calming the nature, transcending all desires, and seeking one's true essence...

Divine Plants numbered tens of thousands fewer than Spirit Plants, with only a few thousand species, while Dao Plants were even rarer, numbering only a few hundred, and their growth conditions were extremely stringent.

Based on these four major chapters of the "Annotations on the Classic of a Hundred Herbs," Hua Changxi roughly guessed the stages cultivation would entail.

Knowing the general stages of cultivation, she had gained a bit more understanding of the matter.

This made Hua Changxi very happy; although her channels for obtaining information about cultivation were virtually non-existent, she was still moving forward steadily, step by step.

As long as there was progress, that was enough!