Chapter 48

Eunuch Lu was eager to break through the Fourth Grade and become a Fifth-Grade martial artist. After knowing that Hua Changxi could refine medicine, he directly let her wait in the courtyard. He went out for a trip and brought back three portions of medicinal materials for refining Pulse-Clearing Pills not long after.

These medicinal materials were not discarded ones, but intact medicinal materials that had already been processed.

Eunuch Yu could mobilize some discarded medicinal materials. Hua Changxi was not very surprised by this. Anyway, they were discarded. Whether they were taken away by merchants to be handled or misappropriated by the stewards below, it didn't harm the interests of those above, and those above wouldn't care too much.

However, what Eunuch Lu could misappropriate were processed medicinal materials. These had to be handed over to the medicine warehouse.

Hua Changxi was a bit surprised. Just a steward of the Menial Hall, and not even the top leader, has such great power?

Being surprised was one thing, but Hua Changxi didn't ask about the source of the medicinal materials. She very sensibly played her role well; she was just a small menial pharmacist who listened to orders and did things.

Eunuch Lu saw Hua Changxi refining medicine for the first time. Looking at her skilled and smooth refining techniques, his emphasis on Hua Changxi increased a bit more.

This Hua Changxi, her attainments in refining medicine, were even deeper than he had imagined.

Knowing the medicinal properties of medicinal materials, being able to detoxify, and being able to refine medicine—not to mention the apprentices in the Apprentice Hall, even the reserve disciples in the Disciple Hall might not necessarily be better than her.

Someone like this running to the Menial Hall to be a menial must have some ulterior motive.

Eunuch Lu thought about these things, and in his heart, he had already decided that in the future, he must let Steward Leng keep a closer eye on Hua Changxi.

One portion of medicinal materials refines 10 Pulse-Clearing Pills. With three portions of medicinal materials, Hua Changxi refined 30 Pulse-Clearing Pills. She didn't wait for Eunuch Lu to say anything, took 12 pills herself, and then handed the remaining 18 to him.

Seeing this, Eunuch Lu's expression was a bit ugly, but seeing that the medicinal materials Hua Changxi used to refine medicine were nearly half less than those of the Medical Department, he ultimately didn't say anything.

"Go back to your duties. When I need to refine medicine, I will send someone to notify you."

Hua Changxi left with the medicinal pills. After returning to the Sixth Bureau, she went to find Du Ruo: "Steward Du, Eunuch Lu has retracted the words about increasing my chores. I will still wash five hundred medicinal materials in the future."

Du Ruo knew that Hua Changxi went to Eunuch Lu early in the morning. Hearing her say this, she just gave a faint "En": "The Menial Hall cannot accommodate people who are too smart. You should take care of yourself."

Hua Changxi didn't agree with Du Ruo's idea, but she also knew that she said this out of good intentions, so she didn't argue with her and turned to go to the warehouse to collect medicinal materials.

Just as she was about to approach the warehouse, seeing several people walking out of the warehouse, Hua Changxi's expression suddenly changed drastically, and she quickly flashed and hid behind a cart to the side.

After those people walked far away, Hua Changxi walked out from behind the cart with a solemn expression.

It's her!

That young lady who was fighting for the red stone with the red-robed demon Daoist on the altar!

"Brother Yu!"

Hua Changxi walked toward Yu Gui and asked curiously: "Brother Yu, who were those people just now? I see that the people in the warehouse seem to be a bit afraid of them."

Yu Gui didn't hide it either: "They are people from the No. 1 Medicine Shop on the Second Street. The young lady leading them is the new disciple just accepted by Pharmacist Tong, Gu Jinfan, the Seventh Young Lady of the Duke Dingyuan Prefecture."

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered: "It's actually a young lady from the Duke Prefecture."

The Hua family and the Duke Dingyuan Prefecture couldn't be related in any way. Why would Gu Jinfan know her?

Yu Gui continued: "Changxi, I heard that Gu Jinfan is also very good at refining medicine. Pharmacist Tong is one of the most powerful pharmacists in the Medical Department. The disciples he accepts are all experts in refining medicine."

Hua Changxi didn't care much about this. What she cared about was: "Brother Yu, isn't there a special person to deliver medicinal materials to the various medicine shops on the Second Street? Why did they come to the warehouse themselves?"

Speaking of this, Yu Gui's expression suddenly became serious: "Little sister Changxi, tell me the truth, what kind of medicine were those withered medicinal materials you took away before?"

Hua Changxi didn't answer but asked: "Did they come looking for those withered medicines?"

Yu Gui looked at her and nodded: "En, Pharmacist Tong is the pharmacist in the Medical Department most keen on researching new medicines. Whenever new medicine comes to the Medical Department, a portion must be sent to him."

"Didn't the people from the Three-Fork Medicine Manor deliver a batch of medicinal materials yesterday? There were two baskets of the kind of withered medicine you wanted. I don't know where they got the news, but as soon as they came today, they asked me directly for that kind of withered medicine."

"I was originally planning to give those two baskets of withered medicine to you today, but now they have all been taken away by them."

"By the way, that Gu Jinfan also asked me how the withered medicines were handled in the past."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression tightened: "Then how did you answer?"

Yu Gui: "Of course I said they were handled as discarded medicinal materials." As he spoke, he paused and probed again, "Little sister, what exactly is that medicinal material?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "That is a kind of new medicine, and it has some miraculous effects."

Yu Gui immediately pursued: "What miraculous effects?"

Hua Changxi: "If you eat it, you will explode and die."

Even if the Yuan Spirit Grass is withered, it still retains a small amount of spiritual energy. And spiritual power is a force even more powerful than internal energy. Ordinary people who take it, without spiritual veins and not knowing how to absorb it, will have the spiritual energy stagnate in their bodies, which will cause their bodies to explode.

Yu Gui's expression stiffened: "Really or fake?"

Hua Changxi: "If you don't believe me, next time the Three-Fork Medicine Manor sends withered medicine, you can try it."

Yu Gui hurriedly shook his head: "Then forget it."

Hua Changxi was silent for a moment: "Brother Yu, I want to entrust you with one thing. Don't tell anyone that I have taken withered medicine."

Seeing her solemn face, Yu Gui wanted to ask for the reason, but hesitated for a moment and still didn't ask: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Thank you."

Afterwards, Hua Changxi didn't chat with Yu Gui anymore. She collected five hundred medicinal materials and returned to the Sixth Bureau.

As soon as she left, Yu Gui called Wan Xiaozhou and told him to go to the kitchen to catch a live chicken and bring it to his room.

"Brother Yu, what do you want a live chicken for?"

Yu Gui didn't respond to him, but chopped up a half-withered Yuan Spirit Grass he had hidden and fed it to the chicken.

After the chicken ate it, in just a few breaths, it began to bleed from its seven orifices, then its skin split and flesh tore, and finally, with a "bang," it exploded and died.

"Ah~"

Looking at the chicken meat fragments that had exploded all over the room, both Yu Gui and Wan Xiaozhou were frightened pale.

"Brother Yu, what was that withered medicine?"

Yu Gui swallowed his saliva: "What little sister Changxi said was actually true!"

Before, when Hua Changxi wanted withered medicinal materials, he actually didn't pay too much attention to it. It wasn't until today when Gu Jinfan came to ask about the withered medicine that he realized the withered medicine was not ordinary.

When handing the withered medicine to Gu Jinfan, he couldn't help but secretly hide a few plants.

He originally thought it was some precious medicine; he never expected it to be a deadly medicinal material.

On the other side, Hua Changxi, who had returned to the Sixth Bureau to wash medicinal materials, was somewhat absent-minded.

She didn't expect that the young lady who fought for the red stone with the red-robed demon Daoist was actually a young lady from the Duke Prefecture, and now, just like her, she was in the Medical Department.

The opportunity of the red stone was obtained by her. She was afraid of meeting Gu Jinfan again and letting her discover this matter.

For the opportunity of the red stone, the red-robed demon Daoist jumped directly into the magma, not even wanting his life. If Gu Jinfan knew that the opportunity was obtained by her, it would be really unpredictable what she would do.

Hua Changxi felt a strong sense of crisis in her heart.

Gu Jinfan took the Yuan Spirit Grass away, obviously knowing the medicinal effect of the Yuan Spirit Grass.

"So, is Gu Jinfan also a cultivator?"

Hua Changxi glanced at her realm data: 【Realm: Qi Sea Realm/】.

Gu Jinfan is a young lady of the Duke Dingyuan Prefecture, with power and influence. Now she is also a disciple of the most powerful pharmacist in the Medical Department. The cultivation knowledge she knows is more than hers, and the resources she possesses are also more than hers.

Hua Changxi felt that her realm should not be able to compare with Gu Jinfan's.

Although she also knew some magic, they were all alchemy techniques; she didn't know how to use spiritual power to conduct real combat.

Fight, she couldn't win, and she didn't have the power and influence of others.

She could only avoid it!

Hua Changxi's brows knotted. Should she leave the Medical Department?

Gu Jinfan's cognition in cultivation must be higher than hers. She came to the Medical Department, which shows that there is something she wants in the Medical Department.

Pharmacist Tong is a pharmacist who researches new medicines. A young lady from a Duke Prefecture running to be a pharmacist's disciple is obviously aiming for the new medicine.

Therefore, her previous guess was not wrong; the Medical Department should indeed be collecting various spiritual plants.

Hua Changxi didn't want to leave the Medical Department in her heart. In addition to being the easiest place to come into contact with spiritual plants, this could also be considered a job, and this job happened to be where her interests lay.

A person's ability ultimately has limitations and needs to rely on a suitable platform to exert it. The Medical Department is obviously a very good platform.

If she doesn't leave, she can only avoid it for now.

Pure cultivation realm improves too slowly. Hua Changxi had always wanted to find an opportunity to go to the Three-Fork Medicine Valley to collect Yuan Spirit Grass.

Now that it was already February, the Menial Hall would soon send menials to various medicine manors and medicine valleys to help plant medicinal materials. If she went to the Three-Fork Medicine Valley, not only could she avoid Gu Jinfan, but she could also take the opportunity to look for Yuan Spirit Grass.

"How can I go to the Three-Fork Medicine Valley?"

Just as Hua Changxi was thinking about how to be assigned to help at the Three-Fork Medicine Manor, Eunuch Lu, after taking three Pulse-Clearing Pills refined by Hua Changxi, only spent seven days to successfully break through the Fourth Grade.

After becoming a Fifth-Grade martial artist, Eunuch Lu was not grateful to Hua Changxi, but urgently wanted to control her in his hands, let her refine medicinal pills for him, and earn more silver.

To this end, Eunuch Lu found Eunuch Yu and wanted to cooperate with him.

Eunuch Yu also didn't want to share four percent of the profit: "Hua Changxi is a martial artist, and I can't do anything to her."

Eunuch Lu smiled: "Eunuch Yu, this is the Medical Department. When working in a government office, when has it ever relied on a person's martial force?"

Hearing this, Eunuch Yu's expression moved.

Eunuch Lu continued: "She is just a menial. Whether she continues to stay in the Menial Hall is just a matter of my single sentence. If Hua Changxi wants to continue to stay in the Menial Hall, she must listen to us."

"And the medicinal materials are still provided by us. Without medicinal materials, even if her refining medicine technology is good, what is the use? She uses our medicinal materials to practice her skills; it is already a favor that we didn't ask her for silver."

In Eunuch Lu's view, Hua Changxi, a menial, had no power to bargain with them. If it weren't for the fact that mobilizing medicinal materials couldn't avoid the warehouse, he would have even wanted to kick Eunuch Yu away.

Eunuch Yu was moved and looked at Eunuch Lu with a smile: "I will have someone call Hua Changxi over now; you come and talk to her."

Eunuch Lu: "No rush. Let's set the profit sharing between you and me first."

Speaking of profit sharing, Eunuch Yu immediately became serious. The two of them clashed several times, and finally reluctantly accepted a fifty-fifty profit sharing.

After discussing the profit sharing, Eunuch Yu had Yu Gui call Hua Changxi.

When Yu Gui saw Eunuch Lu coming to his door, he had a bad premonition in his heart. Now the premonition had come true.

Little sister Changxi, the person who provided the technology, had no profit sharing, so he had even less.

At this moment, Yu Gui really hated Eunuch Lu to death. Without medicinal pills, how could he practice martial arts? But he had no power to oppose, so he could only bite the bullet and go find Hua Changxi.

"Brother Yu, what's wrong?"

Yu Gui angrily told Hua Changxi about Eunuch Lu finding Eunuch Yu.

After hearing this, Hua Changxi was also a bit surprised by the greed of these eunuchs. The previous Eunuch Yu wanted to use martial force to force her, and now Eunuch Lu wanted to use power to force her.

Wanting the horse to run but not giving the horse grass—where in the world is there such a good thing.

Seeing Hua Changxi silent, Yu Gui thought about it and reminded her: "Little sister, if you want to continue to stay in the Menial Hall, it is best not to go head-to-head with Eunuch Lu."

Hua Changxi was naturally angry in her heart, but not that angry.

Female menials are generally not sent to medicine manors and medicine valleys to help, unless they offend the steward.

She had been having a headache about how to go to the Three-Fork Medicine Valley. Isn't this just bumping into a pillow when sleepy.

"Brother Yu, I am definitely not willing to work for nothing. Later, if I have a conflict with the two eunuchs, don't help me speak."

Hearing this, Yu Gui was anxious: "Little sister, don't do anything stupid."

Hua Changxi: "Brother Yu, listen to me. Didn't I tell you before that I wanted to go to the medicine manor to take a look? I was serious about that."

Yu Gui was anxious and puzzled: "Everyone is avoiding it, why do you still have to rush up?"

Hua Changxi didn't explain: "Brother Yu, later in front of the two eunuchs, you just need to mention more about the conflict between me and Mao Yong and Mao Wei. Don't let them punish me to go to the Three-Fork Medicine Manor, and I will be grateful."

"Let's go. You have been out for a long time; don't let Eunuch Yu be angry with you."

Seeing Hua Changxi being serious, really wanting to go head-to-head with the two eunuchs, Yu Gui was persuading her all the way.

Soon, the two arrived at the No. 9 Imperial Pharmacy Pavilion.

Eunuch Lu went straight to the point: "Hua Changxi, Eunuch Yu and I discussed it. You take too much profit. In the future, we will give you one hundred taels of silver every month. You just need to rest assured and help us refine medicine."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Eunuch Lu, what if I don't agree?"

Eunuch Lu smiled: "If you don't agree, then you won't be able to stay in the Menial Hall."

Hua Changxi: "I was recruited by Eunuch Jia. If you want to drive me away, then I will go find Eunuch Jia to make the decision."

Eunuch Lu was not afraid of anyone, but was afraid of Eunuch Jia. As soon as he heard Hua Changxi mention Eunuch Jia, his expression suddenly darkened: "Hua Changxi, you are just a menial. One hundred taels of silver a month is already a high income that many people dream of not being able to get. Don't be too greedy."

Hua Changxi: "Since Eunuch thinks I am greedy, then you go find other pharmacists to refine medicine." After saying this, she turned and was about to leave.

Eunuch Lu made a "pa" sound and broke the table: "Presumptuous! Do you think I really dare not drive you out of the Menial Hall?"

Hua Changxi's expression turned cold: "Eunuch Lu, if you don't do things according to the rules, then you had better not leave the Medical Department, otherwise accidents will happen."

Seeing Hua Changxi directly threatening Eunuch Lu, Yu Gui was so scared that his legs were trembling.

Eunuch Lu was so angry that his face was livid.

Eunuch Yu had expected early on that this matter would not go so smoothly, but he also thought that Hua Changxi would be so tough.

Fight, she might not be able to win.

Use power to suppress people, she is not afraid. How can this be handled?