Chapter 45: Task Separation

After her realm improved to the Qi Sea Realm, Hua Changxi found that her cultivation speed had become faster. Previously, it took two hours to absorb one low-grade Origin Spirit Pill; now it only took one hour.

She could finish absorbing and refining one hundred low-grade Origin Spirit Pills in just over ten days.

Yu Gui had told her before that those who escorted the Origin Spirit Grass to the Medicine Department were menials from the Three-Fork Medicine Valley.

"Three-Fork Medicine Valley..."

Hua Changxi wanted to learn more about the Three-Fork Medicine Valley. When Yu Gui gave her the silver note for the Body-Tempering Pills, she took the opportunity to ask: "Brother Yu, every spring, are the menials from the Menial Hall sent to various medicine manors and medicine valleys to help pick and plant medicinal herbs?"

Yu Gui nodded, thinking Hua Changxi was worried about being sent, and smiled: "Don't worry, Sister. Usually, the ones sent to help are male menials."

Hua Changxi probed: "Have female menials never been sent?"

Yu Gui was silent for a moment: "There have been. If a female menial makes a mistake or offends a manager, she will also be sent down to work at medicine manors or medicine valleys."

Catching the look of interest on Hua Changxi's face, Yu Gui quickly said: "Sister, you don't actually want to go to a medicine manor or medicine valley, do you?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "I have never seen medicinal herbs covering the mountains and plains, so I want to go and see."

Yu Gui said anxiously: "Quickly put that thought away. You think medicine manors and medicine valleys are blessed lands? Let me tell you..."

Seeing Yu Gui hesitant, looking like it was hard to speak of, Hua Changxi became curious: "Brother Yu, tell me, I'm listening."

Yu Gui: "Medicine manors and medicine valleys are generally located in remote areas. The male menials guarding them can't go home a few times a year. What do you think they will do when they see a female menial?"

Hua Changxi blinked, seeming to understand what Yu Gui meant.

Yu Gui looked at Hua Changxi: "Sister, don't think about going to a medicine manor or medicine valley anymore. If a female menial goes there, she will call to heaven and heaven won't answer, call to earth and earth won't respond."

As he spoke, he lowered his voice: "Those female menials who were punished and sent to medicine manors, after finishing their tasks and returning, several of them hanged themselves."

Hua Changxi said nothing. She had the power to protect herself, so she wasn't afraid.

Yu Gui thought she had taken it to heart, so he didn't continue the topic, but said: "Sister, tomorrow my godfather will bring a batch of discarded medicinal herbs to the No. 9 Qihuang Pavilion. Remember to go over."

Hua Changxi gave a grunt. Thinking that there was still some time before menials were sent to help at medicine manors and medicine valleys, she put this matter aside for now.

"Brother Yu, are the medicinal herbs sent from various places first sent to the warehouse?"

"Of course not. Medicinal herbs used by martial artists of the seventh grade and above are sent directly to various medicine pavilions on the second, third, fourth, and fifth streets."

"New medicinal herbs discovered in various places are also sent directly to designated medicine pavilions."

"Also, alchemists and physicians on the Jiujie are given the right to use a portion of the medicine fields according to their grade. The output of those medicine fields is sent directly to the hands of the various alchemists and physicians."

Hua Changxi didn't expect alchemists and physicians in the Medicine Department to have such benefits. Weren't those medicine fields equivalent to the salary fields of officials? No wonder doctors from all over wanted to enter the Medicine Department.

"Brother Yu, which streets are the alchemists who research new medicinal herbs mainly on?"

"Most are on the second and third streets. There are some on the fourth street, but few."

Hua Changxi rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought: "If only I could work at those medicine pavilions."

Hearing this, Yu Gui couldn't help but laugh out loud. Seeing Hua Changxi look over, he quickly restrained his smile and explained: "Sister, I know that with your ability, it is more than enough to be a registered disciple for an alchemist on the Jiujie."

"However, you must know that this is the Medicine Department. The Medicine Department is a government office. Working in a government office, ability is certainly important, but what is more important is having someone behind you."

"Don't say you are just a menial; even those reserve disciples in the Apprentice Hall, if they want to enter a medicine pavilion on the Jiujie, if they don't have connections, they have to use all their strength and fight tooth and nail for a spot."

Hua Changxi frowned: "Can't there be fair competition?"

Yu Gui: "It's not that there isn't."

"Every three years, the Medicine Department holds an alchemy competition. The top three can directly become disciples of alchemists, and other people who perform well in the competition will also be valued by some alchemists and physicians and taken as registered disciples."

Seeing Hua Changxi's eyes light up, Yu Gui sighed: "Unfortunately, menials cannot participate."

Hua Changxi's expression stiffened, but she quickly calmed down.

The Medicine Department recruited apprentices every year. If the medicine pavilions on the Jiujie were really collecting spirit plants, she could just resign from her position as a menial, re-apply for the Apprentice Hall, and participate in the alchemy competition after becoming an apprentice.

"Brother Yu, when was the last alchemy competition held?"

Yu Gui: "July of last year. The next alchemy competition will have to wait until the year after next."

Hua Changxi gave an 'oh', kept this matter in mind, didn't continue to ask, chatted with Yu Gui about other things, and then returned to the Sixth Bureau.

When she returned to the dormitory, it happened to be everyone's lunchtime. Wang Yunchu and the others were all there. As soon as Hua Changxi entered, she saw a strange young lady.

Thinking it was another roommate's sister, Hua Changxi didn't pay much attention and was just about to go to bed to cultivate, when she saw the young lady smiling and walking to her bedside.

"You must be Changxi, right? My name is Su Ruoli, and I'm a new menial. I heard from Sister Yunchu and the others that you are particularly good at cleaning medicinal herbs. If I have things I don't understand, can I go and ask you for advice?"

Hua Changxi glanced at the new young lady and didn't respond, but turned to look at Wang Yunchu, Lu Qingluo, and the others: "Isn't a dormitory only supposed to house ten people?" Their group was already full.

Wang Yunchu looked at Su Ruoli: "Sister Shi was transferred to another group."

Hearing this, Su Ruoli immediately said with a look of helplessness: "I didn't know about this. It was Manager Leng who told me to follow Manager Du."

Hua Changxi said nothing, lay on the bed, and closed her eyes to cultivate.

Seeing this, Su Ruoli still wanted to say something, but was pulled away by Wang Yunchu.

"Changxi is going to sleep, don't disturb her."

Su Ruoli looked surprised: "Sleeping at noon, will you still be able to sleep at night?"

Thinking of Hua Changxi's good sleep, the others in the dormitory had strange expressions. Wang Yunchu said vaguely: "Changxi likes to sleep."

Seeing that the others didn't want to say more, Su Ruoli didn't ask. After everyone had rested, she followed behind them to work.

At the fourth quarter of the You hour (6:00 PM), Hua Changxi finished cultivating and went to the canteen to eat. Not long after she sat down, someone came to the seat opposite her.

"Changxi, what a coincidence."

After Su Ruoli sat down, she waved at Wang Yunchu and Lu Qingluo beside her: "Sister Yunchu, Qingluo, there is still a seat here next to Changxi."

Wang Yunchu and Lu Qingluo looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, but still walked over with their rice bowls.

Seeing the two sit down, Su Ruoli happily began to eat: "The food in the Menial Hall is really good."

Wang Yunchu: "There's no meat or fish, what's so good about it."

Su Ruoli looked bitter: "For me, it's already very good. I've grown up so big, and I've never been full at home." As she spoke, she smiled: "Now that I can be full, I am very satisfied."

Seeing her like this, Wang Yunchu and Lu Qingluo looked sympathetic.

Wang Yunchu: "The food in the canteen is unlimited. You can eat as much as you want, but don't stuff your stomach."

Su Ruoli smiled movingly: "Sister Yunchu, you are so kind. I will be careful." As she spoke, she glanced quickly at Hua Changxi, who had no reaction.

Hua Changxi felt that this new female menial was strange. Although she showed a posture of wanting to integrate into the group quickly, she was too enthusiastic.

She had always been somewhat resistant to people who were too enthusiastic.

Hua Changxi really had no interest in the gossip Wang Yunchu and the others were chatting about. She quickly finished her meal: "I'm done eating, you guys take your time." After saying that, she stood up and left.

Seeing her leave, Su Ruoli looked at Wang Yunchu and Lu Qingluo: "Is Changxi going back to sleep again?"

Lu Qingluo gave an 'um'.

Su Ruoli looked worried: "Is it really okay for Changxi to sleep so much in one day?"

Wang Yunchu: "Of course it's okay. Changxi is a doctor herself."

Su Ruoli looked surprised: "Changxi is a doctor, then why did she come to be a menial?"

Wang Yunchu looked at Su Ruoli: "You seem particularly interested in Changxi?"

Su Ruoli didn't deny it: "For someone like Changxi, aren't you guys interested?"

Wang Yunchu said nothing more.

Lu Qingluo: "Let's hurry up and eat."

On the other side, after Hua Changxi returned to her room, she washed up and continued to cultivate on the bed. The next day, she woke up at the end of the Mao hour (7:00 AM) as usual. As soon as she woke up, she saw the steamed bun placed by her bedside.

Looking at the steamed bun, Hua Changxi was somewhat surprised. Seeing that Wang Yunchu and the others hadn't left yet, she immediately asked: "Who brought me the steamed bun?"

Su Ruoli smiled: "It was me. I heard from Sister Yunchu and the others that you wake up late, so I just brought you a steamed bun when I was eating breakfast."

One doesn't hit a smiling face. Hua Changxi couldn't say anything else, but just said: "Don't bring me steamed buns in the future."

Su Ruoli's smile didn't change: "Changxi, don't be polite. It's just a matter of convenience. We are in the same dormitory, so we should help each other."

Hua Changxi hated people who couldn't understand human speech, and looked at her: "Do I look like I'm being polite?"

Su Ruoli's smile stiffened, somewhat at a loss.

Seeing this, Lu Qingluo quickly stepped forward: "Changxi, Ruoli is also just being kind."

Hua Changxi: "But I don't need this kind of kindness. Although I wake up a bit later than you guys, I'm not so late that there's no breakfast in the canteen."

As she spoke, she looked at Su Ruoli: "I will go to the canteen to eat breakfast myself. Don't bring it for me next time."

Su Ruoli quickly apologized: "Okay, I know. It was my mistake today."

Seeing her like this, many people in the dormitory felt that Hua Changxi was somewhat aggressive.

Hua Changxi didn't say anything more, picked up the washbasin, and went out.

As soon as she left, Su Ruoli immediately let out a long sigh of relief and patted her chest: "Scared me to death."

Wang Yunchu frowned at her: "I warned you when you brought the steamed bun this morning that Changxi didn't need it, but you brought it anyway. You deserve to be scolded."

Hearing this, Lu Qingluo quickly pulled Wang Yunchu's sleeve.

Sister Lin and the others also looked at Wang Yunchu disapprovingly: "Yunchu, stop scolding Ruoli. Changxi is a bit heartless. Others are kind enough to bring her food, and she doesn't even appreciate it."

Wang Yunchu huffed and said sarcastically: "Can kindness that others don't need be considered kindness?"

Su Ruoli's eyes welled up with tears: "Sister Yunchu, I was wrong. I shouldn't have ignored you."

Sister Lin couldn't stand it and looked at Wang Yunchu: "Yunchu, you were the one most dissatisfied with Hua Changxi before. Why are you helping her speak now?"

Wang Yunchu: "I didn't understand Changxi before. Now that I know her character, of course I won't misunderstand her again."

Sister Lin sneered: "Hua Changxi doesn't interact with you much on normal days, how do you know her?"

Seeing Wang Yunchu and Sister Lin arguing, Lu Qingluo could only step forward to mediate.

Su Ruoli was also on the side constantly saying it was her own fault.

Seeing that everyone was siding with Su Ruoli, Wang Yunchu huffed and left the dormitory.

Seeing Su Ruoli crying, Lu Qingluo could only comfort her first: "You just arrived and don't understand everyone yet. It will be fine after a long time. Changxi and Yunchu are both people with sharp tongues but soft hearts; they are actually quite good."

Su Ruoli wiped her tears: "I know. You are all good people."

Hua Changxi didn't know what happened in the dormitory. After eating breakfast, she went directly to the warehouse to collect medicinal herbs. When she pushed the cart to the side of the ditch, Su Ruoli appeared again.

"Changxi, let me help you."

As Su Ruoli said this, she took the medicinal herbs off the cart: "It was my fault this morning. Don't be angry with me. I won't bring you steamed buns in the future."

Hua Changxi looked at her, her brows knitted into a knot. She really didn't like people who were overly familiar.

However, since someone wanted to help, she had no reason to refuse, so she just stood there with her arms crossed, watching Su Ruoli move the herbs.

Su Ruoli moved for a while, and seeing Hua Changxi had no reaction, her expression was somewhat awkward.

Hua Changxi: "Didn't you want to help me? Continue, don't stop."

Su Ruoli said uneasily: "Changxi, did I make you angry again?"

Hua Changxi smiled but didn't smile: "What do you think?"

"I..."

Just as Su Ruoli wanted to say something, Du Ruo walked over.

Seeing Du Ruo, Su Ruoli seemed to have seen a savior and said quickly: "Manager Du, I wanted to help Changxi, but it seems I helped in the wrong way again."

Du Ruo thought about how Manager Leng had specifically instructed her to take care of Su Ruoli. She sighed in her heart and said to Su Ruoli: "Changxi doesn't need your help here. Go do your own work."

Su Ruoli looked like she had done something wrong, looked at Du Ruo, then at Hua Changxi, and left hesitantly.

As soon as she left, Hua Changxi began to move the herbs on the cart, and in a few moments, she had placed the herbs into the ditch.

"See that?"

A few meters away, Wang Yunchu suddenly spoke to Su Ruoli.

Su Ruoli was stunned: "See what?"

Wang Yunchu pointed her chin toward Hua Changxi's direction: "You saw how much strength Changxi has, right? Do you think she needs your help?"

"With that little strength of yours, not only can you not help Changxi, but you also drag down her speed. I really don't know what you are thinking, insisting on running over to help Changxi?"

Seeing Su Ruoli about to cry again, Lu Qingluo quickly stopped Wang Yunchu: "Yunchu, say less."

Su Ruoli quickly said: "It was my rashness." As she spoke, she buried her head and began to wash the medicinal herbs, wiping her tears from time to time as she washed.

The people in the same group looked at this scene and looked at Wang Yunchu disapprovingly.

Wang Yunchu felt angry inside. She had just spoken a few truths and hadn't done anything to Su Ruoli, so she yelled in a bad tone: "What are you crying for?"

Su Ruoli was startled, and then her tears fell even more fiercely.

"Yunchu, what's wrong with you?"

"Exactly, Ruoli didn't provoke you, why are you being fierce to her?"

"If you have fire in your heart, don't just vent it on others!"

Hua Changxi had long noticed the commotion here. She glanced at Wang Yunchu, who was being condemned by everyone, said nothing, did nothing, quickly finished her own tasks, and then went to the Qihuang Pavilion to refine medicine.

Time flew by, and it was the last day of the first lunar month.

"Sister."

Lu Qingluo returned after collecting her monthly allowance and saw Lu Qingling waiting outside the Sixth Bureau.

Lu Qingling glanced at Su Ruoli beside Lu Qingluo and said in surprise: "Where is Yunchu? Didn't she come with you?"

Lu Qingluo's face flashed with awkwardness. She let Su Ruoli go back first before she told Lu Qingling about what had happened during this period.

"Ruoli wants to get along well with everyone. Seeing that Changxi has a misunderstanding about her, she often goes to Changxi to explain on normal days, and her actions are inevitably a bit eager. Yunchu can't stand it and often has conflicts with her."

Lu Qingling heard this and said in surprise: "Doesn't Yunchu dislike Hua Changxi?"

Lu Qingluo lowered her voice: "Sister, have you forgotten? Last time we went to the First Bureau to help, it was the pill formula Changxi gave that allowed everyone to detoxify. Because of this, Yunchu is very grateful to Changxi."

"Later, during the New Year, Yunchu gave Changxi some Ruyi knots she made herself, and Changxi gave Yunchu two Body-Strengthening Pills in return—the kind I gave you last time that you also said were good."

"Yunchu's younger brother has been weak and sickly since he was a child. After taking the Body-Strengthening Pill, his body is much better, so Yunchu is even more grateful to Changxi."

"Ruoli keeps pestering Changxi, so Yunchu wants to stand up for Changxi."

Lu Qingling asked: "What is Hua Changxi's reaction?"

Lu Qingluo: "Changxi's words are quite hurtful, making Ruoli unable to get off the stage every time."

Lu Qingling shook her head: "I mean, how is Hua Changxi toward Yunchu?"

Lu Qingluo was stunned: "Changxi toward Yunchu... she's the same as she was before, there's no change."

Lu Qingling immediately sneered: "I knew it. People like Hua Changxi are very hard to move. Even if Yunchu offends everyone in the dormitory for her sake, she probably won't take it to heart."

Seeing her younger sister look puzzled, she explained.

"Yunchu must really want to be on good terms with Hua Changxi, but she doesn't have anything to offer, so she can only act as the villain, helping to drive away the flies buzzing around Hua Changxi."

"You must not learn from Yunchu. I admit that Hua Changxi has skills. People with skills always make people want to get close to them, but look at Yunchu now; she can be considered a warning."

"Yunchu could be said to be the leader of your dormitory before, but just because she spoke up for Hua Changxi, now everyone is dissatisfied with her."

"I've said it before, getting close to people like Hua Changxi has no benefits, and even if there are benefits, they are hard to get. If you're not careful, you'll easily fold yourself in and become someone else's stepping stone."

"By the way, stay away from that Su Ruoli too. This person is not simple, being able to make you guys alienate Yunchu and get close to her."

"Sister, are you overthinking it..."

Hua Changxi had told Du Ruo in advance that she would take a day off on the last day of the month. After collecting her monthly allowance, she was preparing to return to her room to get the silver note for selling pills to go look at houses. Who would have thought she would run into the Lu Qingluo sisters talking privately again.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop; it was just that her hearing was too strong now. As long as she focused, she could hear people's words from dozens of meters away.

Of course she knew about the conflict between Wang Yunchu and Su Ruoli.

Whether Wang Yunchu was helping her speak out of gratitude or simply couldn't stand Su Ruoli, the fact that the two of them were at odds was entirely their own business. She didn't feel this had anything to do with her.

But listening to Lu Qingluo's sister, it seemed like she should be responsible for Wang Yunchu.

She hadn't asked Wang Yunchu to do anything; all actions were Wang Yunchu's own initiative, so all consequences should be borne by Wang Yunchu herself.

She didn't get involved because she knew it wasn't something she had caused. She wouldn't impose other people's affairs on herself; getting involved would be foolish.

Besides, Su Ruoli could solve it herself; there was really no need for Wang Yunchu to do anything. Everything Wang Yunchu did was entirely because she wanted to do it herself.

Should she have to pay the bill just because the reason for someone else's action involved her?

What kind of twisted logic is that!