Chapter 44: Qi Sea Realm

Once Hua Changxi revealed her talent for alchemy, it wasn't just Hua Dalang who wanted her to leave the Medicine Department's Menial Hall and return to refine pills for the Hua family pharmacy.

Seeing that Hua Dalang had failed to persuade Hua Changxi, Old Master Hua sent Hua Minghe and Lady Yao to try.

In the entire Hua family, Hua Minghe and Lady Yao were the ones Hua Changxi felt closest to. Seeing them also come to pressure her, she was truly annoyed to death.

Lady Yao looked at her daughter: "Jiuniang, you went to the Medicine Department firstly to learn medicine, and secondly because you didn't want to stay at home. Is your mother right?"

Hua Changxi said nothing.

Lady Yao continued: "If you were in the Apprentice Hall at the Medicine Department, your father and I wouldn't come to persuade you, but you are in the Menial Hall now."

"Besides doing manual labor in the Menial Hall, can you really learn medicine?"

"Now that the family knows of your alchemy skills, no one will object to you going to the family pharmacy. Mother doesn't understand, why are you unwilling to come back?"

Hua Changxi looked at Lady Yao: "Mother, even if I am doing manual labor in the Medicine Department's Menial Hall, my gains are definitely greater than they would be at the Hua family pharmacy."

"At the Hua family pharmacy, I am the Hua family's daughter; at the Medicine Department's Menial Hall, I am Hua Changxi."

Hua Minghe frowned: "Is there any difference?"

Hua Changxi: "Of course there is. Let me put it this way, at..."

Hua Minghe was stunned, as if he understood what his daughter was insisting on, but he still said: "You... you are using sophistry. How can your affairs and my affairs be mentioned in the same breath?"

Hua Changxi: "Why can't they? Father, you are in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. When others mention you, they speak of Hua Minghe the person. If you were a manager at the Hua family pharmacy, when others mention you, they might just say the eldest son of the Hua family. Father, do you really not understand the difference here?"

"Father, I'll just ask you, are you willing?"

Hua Minghe fell silent.

Seeing her husband rendered speechless by their daughter, Lady Yao felt a flash of amusement in her eyes. Worried that her husband would lose face, she held back her laughter.

Hua Changxi continued: "There is one more point. Father, you are the heir to the Hua family. You being the manager of the Hua family pharmacy is equivalent to receiving your own property in advance. If you aren't even willing to do that, why do you think I would be?"

"If I go to work at the Hua family pharmacy, even if I manage it into the best and largest pharmacy in the entire capital, it still has nothing to do with me."

"You tell me, why should I bother?"

Hua Minghe was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed: "Jiuniang, setting aside calculations of profit, in your heart, is working in the Menial Hall more important than helping your family?"

Hua Changxi nodded very honestly: "Of course. Father, you have a need to establish a career, and so do I."

Hua Minghe: "Working in your own family's pharmacy is also establishing a career."

Hua Changxi shook her head: "Working at the Hua family pharmacy establishes the Hua family's career, not mine."

Hua Minghe realized his daughter was too shrewd; he couldn't out-argue her, so he could only play the emotional card: "Jiuniang, can't you come home for the sake of your father and mother?"

Hua Changxi was full of sincerity: "Father, I love you and Mother, but there are many ways to love you, and it absolutely cannot include sacrificing myself."

Hua Minghe was made somewhat awkward by his daughter's blunt expression. Not knowing what else to say, he could only stand up and flick his sleeves: "Jiuniang, you are very disappointing to your mother and me."

Hua Changxi was not emotionally blackmailed, and said lazily: "Father, you coming to pressure me like this also makes me very disappointed."

Hua Minghe truly didn't know what else to say. He looked at Lady Yao for help, but seeing his wife not meeting his gaze, he could only leave with a headache.

Hua Changxi had prepared herself to argue with her mother, but to her surprise, Lady Yao said nothing and followed her father out.

In the main hall, Old Master Hua looked at his sighing eldest son and then at his eldest daughter-in-law, who was hanging her head in silence, and was so angry he puffed fiercely on his dry tobacco pipe.

This couple was truly incompetent; they couldn't even discipline their own daughter.

Hua Minghe looked at Old Master Hua: "Father, since Jiuniang wants to continue working in the Medicine Department's Menial Hall, let's not pressure her. Perhaps one day when she is tired, she will come back on her own."

Hua Sanlang also helped speak up: "That's right, Grandfather. Jiuniang has a strong mind. The more the family pressures her, the more she will go against the family. If the family stops pressuring her and lets her choose for herself, she might figure it out on her own."

Old Master Hua glanced at the father and son and said nothing.

This granddaughter Jiuniang's stubborn attitude really made him extremely angry.

If it were in the past, he could have punished her physically, but now the family pharmacy relied on her pill formulas; that girl was hard to handle.

On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days of the first lunar month, Hua Changxi taught Hua Sanlang how to refine Blood-Qi Pills, Body-Tempering Pills, and Root-Solidifying Pills at the Hua family pharmacy.

During this period, no one in the family mentioned having Hua Changxi return home.

Hua Sanlang had been studying medicine for several years. Although the efficacy of the pills he refined couldn't compare to Hua Changxi's, they were on par with those on the market.

The efficacy was similar, but the medicinal herbs used in the pill formulas Hua Changxi provided were nearly half as much, meaning the Hua family's costs were much lower than other pharmacies.

With low costs, and given that medicine for martial artists was always in short supply, one could imagine that the Hua family pharmacy's business would definitely not be bad in the future.

On the sixth day, Old Master Hua and Hua Dalang both came to the Hua family pharmacy. Watching Hua Changxi teaching Hua Sanlang alchemy in the backyard, both of them showed expressions of regret.

Old Master Hua: "If only Jiuniang were a boy."

Although Hua Dalang had the same thought, he still said: "Even if she is a young lady, she is still a daughter of the Hua family."

Old Master Hua shook his head: "Girls are destined to belong to others. Jiuniang isn't even married yet, and she's already not siding with the Hua family. Once she marries, it will only be worse."

As he spoke, he sighed self-reproachfully.

"It's all my fault. In the past, when your grandmother was disciplining Jiuniang, I didn't stop your father and mother. If it weren't for your father and mother indulging and protecting her, Jiuniang's personality wouldn't be so rebellious."

Hua Dalang couldn't speak ill of his parents, so he could only listen silently as Old Master Hua continued to complain.

"Jiuniang is grown up now, and relying on the fact that she has some skills, she is increasingly disregarding the elders in the family."

"It's only because our family doesn't take things too seriously with her. If she were in other families with strict rules, a young lady like Jiuniang would have been locked in the ancestral temple."

Hearing this, Hua Dalang quickly said: "Grandfather, please don't be angry. Jiuniang is still young. When she grows up a bit more, she will know the importance of the family to her."

Old Master Hua did not refute his eldest grandson and stepped into the backyard.

Hua Dalang followed quickly, carrying medicinal herbs.

Hua Changxi wasn't surprised to see Old Master Hua and Hua Dalang come over. She was going to work tomorrow, and if her eldest brother was anxious for the Shackling-Breaking Pill, he would definitely come to find her to refine it today.

Hua Sanlang had already greeted them: "Eldest Brother, have you collected all the medicinal herbs for the Shackling-Breaking Pill?"

Hua Dalang gave a grunt and placed the herbs on the table.

Hua Changxi walked over to examine them and raised an eyebrow: "These herbs are of excellent quality. Eldest Brother, it seems your friend has quite a background."

The higher the grade of medicine for martial artists, the more strictly the imperial court controlled it.

It was almost impossible for an ordinary person to collect all the herbs needed to refine pills for a sixth-grade martial artist in just a few days.

Hua Dalang smiled and didn't say much about the origin of the herbs. He had naturally spent some effort collecting them; besides favors, he had also made promises.

He had promised those who provided the herbs that once the Shackling-Breaking Pill was refined, he would share some with them.

In other words, his most powerful trump card was actually his own younger sister, this alchemist who could refine sixth-grade Shackling-Breaking Pills.

During the few days of collecting herbs, Hua Dalang gradually understood why Hua Changxi had been angry on New Year's Eve.

A sixth-grade alchemist was truly hard to find.

Some famous ones were beyond the reach of the Hua family's status.

Thinking of this, Hua Dalang's gaze toward Hua Changxi softened significantly: "Jiuniang, can you refine the pills today?"

"I can."

Hua Changxi began organizing her alchemy tools as she spoke. Hua Sanlang wanted to help but couldn't find a way to intervene.

Soon, Hua Changxi began refining the medicine.

Old Master Hua, Hua Dalang, and Hua Sanlang stood to the side, fully focused, watching without blinking.

There was no help for it; Hua Changxi's speed was too fast. Decomposition, grinding, blending, forming the pills—every step was without pause.

Half an hour later, Hua Changxi handed twenty longan-sized pills to Hua Dalang.

Hua Dalang suppressed the excitement in his heart and carefully took the pills: "Jiuniang, I know several alchemists at the Martial Academy and have seen them refine pills. They aren't as fast as you. How do you do it?"

Hua Changxi: "It is only because of practice!"

Hearing this, Old Master Hua immediately asked: "How many pills have you helped others refine in the Menial Hall?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi knew what Old Master Hua wanted to probe: "Grandfather, I've only been in the Medicine Department for three or four months at most, and I have to work on normal duties. How many do you think I could have refined?"

Although Old Master Hua didn't continue to press, he wanted to bring up again having Hua Changxi return home to help the family pharmacy.

However, before the words could leave his mouth, he was stopped by Hua Dalang.

Hua Dalang had figured it out: with such powerful alchemy skills, his ninth younger sister would naturally not submit to the family's discipline. Some things could only be planned slowly in the future.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, the Medicine Department began work. Hua Changxi got up early, ate breakfast, took the bundle Lady Yao had prepared, and went out.

On the way, Hua Changxi checked her data.

【Realm: Qi Refining Realm 8100/1000】

She had already absorbed and refined the 60 mid-grade Origin Spirit Pills, and for the past two days, she had begun refining and absorbing low-grade Origin Spirit Pills.

【First-Grade Alchemist (Low-Grade Pills): Alchemy 1 furnace 1/10】

Only by refining spirit pills would the alchemist data increase; refining ordinary pills had no effect at all.

She wasn't lacking in first-grade pill formulas, but where could she find spirit plants?

Hua Changxi thought about things while injecting Qi into her feet, using the Lingbo Micro-Steps footwork. In a little over two quarters of an hour, she arrived at the back street of the Medicine Department.

"Sister Changxi."

Yu Gui, Wan Xiaozhou, and Li Meng were still driving the carriage and happened to run into Hua Changxi again. "Sister Changxi, get in, we'll give you a ride in."

"Brother Yu, Happy New Year."

Hua Changxi was thinking about finding Yu Gui to sell the pills she had on hand, so she didn't refuse the ride.

After sitting in the carriage, Yu Gui immediately asked curiously: "Sister Changxi, that was light-body technique you just used, right?"

Hua Changxi was stunned for a moment, instantly realizing that Yu Gui and the others had seen her long ago. She smiled: "My father is a constable in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He learned some footwork, and I followed him and learned a little."

Yu Gui looked enlightened: "So Uncle is a man of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. No wonder your skills are so good." As he spoke, he lowered his voice: "Sister Changxi, tell me, what grade of martial artist are you?"

Hua Changxi glanced at him: "I don't know what grade I am either. In martial arts, I only know a little bit of the basics."

Hearing this, Yu Gui gave an 'I understand' look: "Sister, if you don't want to say, I understand. I won't ask."

Hua Changxi smiled. No one believed her when she told the truth.

"Brother Yu, how do you handle the pills you haven't used up?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Gui knew what Hua Changxi wanted to do and smiled: "What, Sister, do you want to sell pills?"

Hua Changxi nodded.

Yu Gui: "If you trust me, Sister, give the pills to me. I'll help you sell them. The price will be the same as what the pharmacies sell them for."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Naturally, I trust Brother Yu. But we haven't cooperated just once or twice; I can't trouble Brother Yu every time. I wonder if Brother Yu could introduce one or two merchants who purchase pills to me?"

Yu Gui looked hesitant: "Sister, I'm not afraid to tell you, the buyers I find are all people from the lower rungs of society. The biggest customer would buy at most ten pills."

"My godfather does know some merchants who purchase pills. If you want..."

Hua Changxi quickly shook her head: "Let's not trouble Eunuch." Thinking for a moment, she took two hundred Blood-Qi Pills from her bundle and gave them to Yu Gui: "Brother Yu, please help me sell these pills first."

Seeing Hua Changxi trust him so much, giving him so many pills at once, Yu Gui immediately smiled: "Don't worry, Sister, these pills will be sold very quickly. I'll give you the silver in two days."

Hua Changxi was surprised: "They sell that fast?"

Yu Gui nodded: "There are many people practicing martial arts in our Great Jin Dynasty, and many people can't even buy pills because they lack the connections."

While they were talking, the four of them rode the carriage into the back gate of the Medicine Department.

After entering the back gate, seeing that there were more people around, Hua Changxi parted ways with Yu Gui and the others and walked to the Menial Hall by herself.

When she arrived at the dormitory, she found that most of the people in the same dormitory had already arrived, and everyone was distributing the New Year goods they had brought from home.

Hua Changxi saw that there were several portions of food placed by her bedside as well.

"Changxi, these things were all brought from our homes. Don't look down on them."

Hua Changxi picked up a piece of pastry, tasted it, and smiled: "It's delicious."

Sister Shi smiled: "That's plum blossom cake made by my mother-in-law. If you like it, I have more here."

Perhaps because Hua Changxi had saved those who were poisoned from processing medicinal herbs last time, the attitude of the people in the dormitory toward her had improved significantly.

Sister Shi brought over another bag of plum blossom cakes. Hua Changxi couldn't refuse. She hadn't brought much food herself, and seeing that everyone else had shared some of what they brought from home with her, she couldn't just give nothing in return.

Rummaging through her bundle, Hua Changxi discovered that what she had the most of was actually pills.

Thus, under the gaze of everyone looking at each other, Hua Changxi gave each person a Body-Strengthening Pill: "For fitness and health."

Wang Yunchu responded particularly enthusiastically: "The effect of this pill is especially good. Changxi gave me two before, and after my younger brother and I ate them, our hands and feet were always cold in winter, but this New Year, our hands and feet have been warm the whole time."

Upon hearing this, everyone knew the pills were good things and carefully put them away.

Afterward, Hua Changxi didn't change her way of interacting with everyone. When on duty, she still went her own way, and as soon as she finished her tasks, she would return to the dormitory to cultivate.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Yu Gui gave Hua Changxi a one-thousand-tael silver note. The Blood-Qi Pills were five taels of silver each, and two hundred pills were exactly one thousand taels.

After getting the silver note, she gave Yu Gui one hundred Body-Tempering Pills to help her sell.

During the first lunar month, there were still not many medicinal herbs sent to the Medicine Department. Yu Gui never called her to refine medicine at the Qihuang Pavilion, so Hua Changxi focused on cultivating.

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, while cultivating, Hua Changxi felt a roaring, vibrating sensation like a floodgate opening in her dantian. Immediately after, the warm current that had been flowing through her body like a stream turned into a rushing river.

At this moment, Hua Changxi discovered that she seemed to be able to see through her own body. She 'saw' that at the location of her dantian, a red Qi sea the size of an egg had appeared.

【Realm: Qi Sea Realm/】

The realm had changed!

"After the Qi Refining Realm is the Qi Sea Realm."

Looking at the numbers after the Qi Sea Realm, Hua Changxi felt quite a bit of pressure. It was so difficult to upgrade from the Qi Refining Realm to the Qi Sea Realm; upgrading from the Qi Sea Realm upward would only be harder.

Relying on step-by-step cultivation, she didn't know how many years or months it would take. She still had to find spirit plants!

Hua Changxi had only discovered one type of spirit plant, the Origin Spirit Grass, at the Medicine Department, which made her somewhat anxious.

If even the Medicine Department, which gathered the power of the entire Great Jin Dynasty, hadn't discovered spirit plants, the chances of her finding them by searching the mountains and plains on her own were even smaller.

"Is it that the Medicine Department doesn't have them, or have the spirit plants already been collected by those above?"

Spirit plants contained spiritual energy and were very different from ordinary medicine. Even if one didn't recognize them, one wouldn't miss them if one encountered them.

Hua Changxi felt that the Medicine Department should have collected other spirit plants, but they were collected by those above as soon as they were discovered. Here in the Menial Hall, only the Origin Spirit Grass, which withered as soon as it left the ground, was left behind.

How should she find other spirit plants that helped improve her realm? ===== CHAPTER 45 =====