Chapter 51

Hua Hua Changxi being punished to work at the Three-Fork Medicine Manor caused quite a stir in the Sixth Bureau. When she went to the cafeteria to eat, Manager Qin and others also advised her to bow her head and apologize to Eunuch Lu.

Hua Hua Changxi spent quite a bit of effort to dismiss Manager Qin and the others, and before she could catch her breath, Sun Sun Pozi came over: "Sun Sun Pozi."

Sun Sun Pozi did not try to persuade her, but simply said: "The Medicine Department's medicine manors all have Grandmasters stationed there."

Before, when Hua Hua Changxi forced Mao Yong and the others to retreat, people in the Servant Hall were speculating that she was a martial artist. She had heard of this and could guess that Hua Hua Changxi might have some self-preservation ability.

However, this bit of self-preservation ability was probably not enough against a Grandmaster.

She liked this little girl and really didn't want to see her fall into the mud, so she couldn't help but come over to give a warning.

Learning that there was a Grandmaster stationed at the medicine manor, Hua Hua Changxi's expression suddenly became serious.

A Grandmaster...

With her current realm, could she deal with a Grandmaster?

Hua Hua Changxi recalled the scene of confronting Eunuch Yu and the one-armed man brought by Mao Yong. Yu Gui had said that Eunuch Yu was a seventh-grade martial artist, and the one-armed man was likely similar.

The pressure released by the two had no effect on her. Although she didn't know how strong a Grandmaster was, if a Grandmaster could only use internal energy to suppress her, she shouldn't be in danger.

Her main worry was the Grandmaster's combat power. Having never fought anyone before, her combat ability was almost zero.

Even if she knew some spells, if a fight broke out, she might not necessarily win steadily.

However, even if she couldn't win, self-preservation shouldn't be a problem.

After entering the Qi Sea Realm, even if she cultivated every second, her realm improved very slowly. Therefore, even if going to the Three-Fork Medicine Valley might involve some danger, she had to go to find the Origin Spirit Grass.

Hua Hua Changxi looked at Sun Sun Pozi: "Sun Pozi, thank you for telling me this. I will be careful."

Seeing that even a Grandmaster couldn't scare Hua Hua Changxi away, Sun Sun Pozi looked at her deeply: "As long as you know what you're doing." As she spoke, she prepared to return to the kitchen.

"Sun Pozi!"

Hua Hua Changxi called her back.

Sun Sun Pozi turned around and looked at her: "Anything else?"

Hua Hua Changxi pulled Sun Sun Pozi to sit down: "Sun Pozi, do you know about that old courtyard by the square?"

Sun Sun Pozi's expression changed abruptly, and she looked at Hua Hua Changxi: "Why are you asking about this?"

Seeing her reaction, Hua Hua Changxi immediately understood that she knew about that courtyard, so she didn't answer but asked instead: "A hunched old man lives in that courtyard. Do you know who he is?"

Sun Sun Pozi looked at Hua Hua Changxi silently. Just when Hua Hua Changxi thought she wouldn't answer, she spoke: "That old guy is named Gu Xing; he's just someone who watches the courtyard."

Hua Hua Changxi was not very satisfied with this answer. If the hunched old man was really just someone watching the courtyard, why would Eunuch Yu give up on capturing her because he saw the old man?

Sun Sun Pozi: "That old guy rarely comes out. Even the old people in the Servant Hall might not know him. How do you know him?"

Hua Hua Changxi smiled: "Yesterday, I was passing by the square and suddenly felt unwell. I happened to meet Senior Gu, who had opened the door and come out. He might have seen that I couldn't even walk, so he let me into the courtyard to rest."

Hearing this, Sun Sun Pozi stood up with a 'whoosh' and asked in surprise: "He asked you to go into his courtyard to rest?"

Seeing her react so strongly, Hua Hua Changxi immediately followed up: "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

Sun Sun Pozi didn't answer, but looked at Hua Hua Changxi inquisitively, very confused as to why Gu Xing would invite such a little girl into the courtyard.

Hua Hua Changxi continued: "That Senior Gu must be very old, and his back is hunched like that; he looks quite scary. Sun Pozi, he wouldn't be a bad person, would he?"

Sun Sun Pozi straightened her expression and sat back down: "That old guy just looks scary; he's not a bad person. If you meet him again next time and he invites you into the courtyard, just go in and sit for a while."

Hua Hua Changxi's expression shifted, and she shook her head: "No, I'm scared."

Upon hearing this, a look of anxiety flashed across Sun Sun Pozi's face, which quickly disappeared. She looked at Hua Hua Changxi, wanting to say something but stopping, and finally sighed: "That old guy is actually a pitiful person."

Hua Hua Changxi looked surprised and watched Sun Sun Pozi curiously, waiting for her to continue.

Sun Sun Pozi: "What do you think of the location of the Medicine Department?"

Hua Changxi: "Excellent. Surrounded by mountains to the north, adjacent to the Tonghua Gate to the east, with water channels flowing through both ends, and the Imperial Palace to the west. The location is too good."

Sun Sun Pozi nodded: "Do you know that before the imperial court established the Medicine Department, this place was actually called the Dan Sheng Palace, and it was the property of an old, established family?"

Hua Hua Changxi blinked: "This family wouldn't happen to be surnamed Gu, would it?"

Sun Sun Pozi: "It is indeed surnamed Gu. The imperial court took a fancy to the Dan Sheng Palace and forcibly requisitioned it."

"After the imperial court took over the Dan Sheng Palace, apart from changing the name, they didn't change anything else, only renovating some of the damaged parts."

"The Gu family is a medical family. At first, the imperial court still let people from the Gu family serve in the Medicine Department, but as the imperial court's control over the Medicine Department became stricter, now only that old courtyard on the square still belongs to the Gu family, and the Gu family is left with only Gu Xing."

Hua Hua Changxi didn't expect such a thing: "Sun Pozi, has that stone cauldron on the square always been there?"

This was what she was most concerned about.

The Shennong Cauldron stayed well in her mind, and after she cultivated, it only passed the medical inheritance to her, remaining completely still during that time.

Yesterday, it was only after she looked at the stone cauldron that she had a splitting headache, and then she was able to summon the Shennong Cauldron.

There must be some connection between the two.

Sun Sun Pozi nodded: "That stone cauldron has been there for a very long time; it seems to be called the Medicine Ancestor Cauldron."

Medicine Ancestor!

Hua Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. Medicine Ancestor—there is only one person recognized as the Medicine Ancestor, and that is Shennong.

Medicine Ancestor Cauldron, Shennong Cauldron—the names are different, but they both point to the same person.

Hua Hua Changxi thought of the magnificent palace she had seen in a trance. That hunched old man definitely wasn't as simple as Sun Sun Pozi said, and combined with the suddenly summoned Shennong Cauldron, there must be a great secret hidden here.

Regarding this secret, Hua Hua Changxi was in no hurry to solve it. Now, she just wanted to quickly improve her realm. Only with sufficiently strong martial power would she have the confidence to explore this mysterious and unpredictable world.

Afterwards, Hua Hua Changxi didn't chat much more with Sun Sun Pozi, but she reaffirmed in her heart that Sun Sun Pozi was not simple.

And that Su Ruoli—when she grabbed her wrist yesterday, she sensed the internal energy in her body; she was a martial artist.

The waters of the Medicine Department are getting deeper and deeper, with all sorts of monsters and demons popping up.

Because she had to go to the Three-Fork Medicine Manor the day after tomorrow, Hua Hua Changxi thought about whether to go home, but as soon as she thought that if her family knew she had been punished to go to the medicine manor, they would either stop her or blame her, she gave up the idea.

Not knowing how long she would stay at the Three-Fork Medicine Manor, Hua Hua Changxi thought for a moment, found Pharmacist Xu, and gave him the one hundred Bone-Forging Pills, fifty Organ-Cleansing Pills, and fifty Meridian-Clearing Pills she had obtained from cooperating with Eunuch Yu in refining medicine during the first lunar month, asking him to help pass them to Hua Hua Liulang.

Pharmacist Xu looked at the pills, very surprised: "Hua Jiuniang, tell me, how did you get these pills?"

Hua Hua Changxi didn't hide it and briefly explained that she had been refining medicine for others.

Upon hearing this, Pharmacist Xu actually didn't have much of a reaction.

This surprised Hua Hua Changxi: "Uncle Xu, I thought you would lecture me."

Pharmacist Xu laughed: "Once you've entered the Medicine Department, you are no longer a child who needs your family to be responsible for you. As long as you know what you are doing and can bear the consequences, I will only be happy for you."

As he spoke, he patted Hua Hua Changxi's shoulder, "Hua Jiuniang, you have now embarked on a path of being responsible for yourself. The road ahead is long, with both thorns and flowers; just don't lose yourself."

Hua Hua Changxi smiled. Compared to others' various worries, she preferred this trust from Pharmacist Xu: "Uncle Xu, thank you. I will walk my path well."

"By the way, Uncle Xu, has Ling's illness improved?"

Mentioning his daughter, the smile on Pharmacist Xu's face grew wider: "Yes, after the start of spring, Ling hasn't been so lethargic."

Seeing that Pharmacist Xu didn't mention the snake scales, Hua Hua Changxi knew he was sensitive about it, so she didn't ask further. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she returned to the Servant Hall.

On the eighteenth of the second month, Hua Hua Changxi, carrying a bundle, left the Sixth Bureau under the worried gazes of Wang Wang Yunchu and others and arrived at the back door of the Medicine Department to assemble.

There were over a hundred servants going to help at the Three-Fork Medicine Manor, all of whom were male servants, with only Hua Hua Changxi as a female.

As soon as Hua Hua Changxi appeared, everyone's eyes fell on her.

Feeling the scrutiny of the crowd, although Hua Hua Changxi felt uncomfortable, she endured it.

She had obtained the opportunity to cultivate and had received Shennong's inheritance, which could already be considered a huge "cheat." Under these circumstances, if she were to back down even when looking for cultivation resources, then she might as well stop cultivating.

The leader was a burly, middle-aged man with a big beard. The bearded man glanced at Hua Hua Changxi, counted the people according to the list, and seeing that everyone had arrived, turned and boarded the carriage.

"Set off!"

The Three-Fork Medicine Manor was several dozen kilometers away from the capital, but there were only five cargo carriages in the team. Apart from a few managers, everyone else had to walk on their own legs.

Hua Hua Changxi walked at the back of the team, choosing to ignore the various subtle gazes and whispers of the crowd.

After leaving the capital's territory, the carriages began to move, and the others had to run to keep up.

By noon, the bearded man finally let everyone stop to rest on the spot and began distributing dry rations.

Having run for half a day, everyone was panting, but the bearded man glanced at Hua Hua Changxi, who looked as usual and was not panting, and became somewhat thoughtful.

After eating the dry rations and resting for a quarter of an hour, they began their journey again.

In the morning, no one came to trouble Hua Hua Changxi, but in the afternoon, a young manager jumped off the carriage and approached Hua Hua Changxi with a smile.

Seeing this, everyone showed expressions of watching a show.

The bearded man also looked over, but he didn't say anything.

Sha Wenyuan was the second manager under Eunuch Lu and had been specifically instructed by Eunuch Lu to make sure Hua Hua Changxi suffered enough.

"How can I let a young lady like you run behind the carriage? Come, follow brother and sit in the carriage." As he spoke, he reached out to grab Hua Hua Changxi's hand.

Hua Hua Changxi looked at Sha Wenyuan expressionlessly. Just as his hand was about to touch her, she grabbed his arm and, without holding back, snapped it with a 'crack' sound.

Then, she raised her right leg and kicked Sha Wenyuan's lower leg fiercely.

Another 'crack' sound, and Sha Wenyuan's lower leg was also broken.

Hua Hua Changxi threw Sha Wenyuan aside. Sha Wenyuan fell to the ground, his expression pained, his features twisted, and a rapid 'he-he' sound came from his throat.

At this moment, he was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream.

Hua Hua Changxi did not stop there. She knew very well that if she didn't shock these people once and for all, endless harassment would await her.

Under the horrified gaze of everyone, Hua Hua Changxi stepped on Sha Wenyuan's chest.

"Pfft~"

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from Sha Wenyuan's mouth.

"Stop!"

Seeing that Sha Wenyuan was taking in more air than he was letting out, the bearded man finally recovered from his shock, jumped off the carriage, and came over to stop her.

Hua Hua Changxi looked around at everyone expressionlessly, then smiled at the bearded man: "Manager, rest assured, I am a healer and know how to be careful."

"I won't dirty my hands for a piece of trash and burden myself with a murder case."

As she spoke, she kicked Sha Wenyuan again, "This trash won't die."

The bearded man looked at the extremely arrogant Hua Hua Changxi, his eyes sharp: "You have a lot of nerve."

Hua Hua Changxi smiled faintly: "If I didn't have a lot of nerve, how would I be here?"

Now that she was out of the Medicine Department, she wasn't afraid of these people. They couldn't send her back; at most, they could only punish her by making her stay at the medicine manor for a longer time.

But this was exactly what she wanted.

The bearded man stared at Hua Hua Changxi for a while. Just when everyone thought he was going to punish her, he turned and left without saying a word, only letting a few people carry Sha Wenyuan onto the carriage.

They continued their journey.

As the sky grew dark, the bearded man had people distribute dry rations again. After eating, he didn't let them rest but continued to travel through the night.

A night passed, and as the morning light appeared, the group finally arrived at the Three-Fork Medicine Manor.

"Manager Zhu."

"Manager Mao."

Every year at this time, the Medicine Department would send servants to the medicine manor to help pick and plant herbs. Since it was a matter of duty, Mao Yong had been waiting early.

"After traveling for a day and a night, thank you for your hard work, brothers. The medicine manor has already prepared food. Come, follow me to eat first, then rest for a day after eating, and start working tomorrow."

Mao Yong led everyone into the medicine manor, but when he saw Hua Hua Changxi behind the crowd, the smile on his face suddenly stiffened.

When he looked over, Hua Hua Changxi gave him a friendly smile.

Seeing this, Mao Yong quickly averted his gaze and pulled the bearded man aside: "What's going on? Why is there a female servant?"

Zhu Yu glanced at Hua Hua Changxi: "She offended Eunuch Lu and was punished to come here to work."

Hearing this, Mao Yong felt a stir in his heart. Previously, at the Medicine Department's warehouse, he had been forced by this little girl to apologize in public, and he had always had a grudge about it. Now that this girl had come to his territory, he had to find an opportunity to regain the face he had lost.

However, the next moment, seeing Sha Wenyuan, who was covered in injuries and being carried off the carriage, and learning that this person had been beaten by Hua Hua Changxi, who had broken his arm and leg and stepped on three of his ribs, Mao Yong felt his scalp tighten.

However, thinking that the medicine manor had a Grandmaster stationed there, Mao Yong's expression improved slightly.

He didn't believe that this girl would dare to hurt people casually under the nose of a Grandmaster.