Chapter 58: Fourteen Years Old

"Pfft~"

Deep within the Nanchi Mountain range, in a cave not far from the Fire Spirit Mine rift, Hua Changxi was focused on refining pills.

[Grade-1 Alchemist (Superior Pills): Pill Refining 101 furnaces 101/1000]

After refining over one hundred furnaces of mid-grade Yuan Spirit Pills, the quality of the pills she produced upgraded to superior grade.

Hua Changxi stored the mid-grade Yuan Spirit Pills in the Shennong Cauldron and continued refining superior-grade pills.

She knew that a pill-refining environment like this, abundant in spiritual plants and free from disturbance, was not the norm; she had to seize the opportunity to quickly improve her pill grade.

A small portion of the spiritual plants she needed for pill refining had been gathered previously at the base of the stone cliffs in Xishan, while the vast majority were collected around the Fire Spirit Mine.

After acquiring the Fenji Divine Ability, Hua Changxi's combat power had increased dramatically, giving her the confidence to explore the surroundings of the Fire Spirit Mine.

Wherever there was a spirit mine, spiritual energy was dense, so spiritual plants and fruits were naturally abundant.

In the valleys surrounding the Fire Spirit Mine, first-tier fire-attribute spiritual plants and fruits were everywhere, second-tier ones were plentiful, and there was no shortage of third-tier spiritual plants and fruits either.

It took Hua Changxi over half a month to finish touring the surrounding area, collecting a huge pile of fire-attribute spiritual plants and fruits.

"Chirp~"

The rich fragrance of the superior-grade pill attracted a Fire Crow.

"Whoosh~"

A Fire Lotus shot into the sky, spreading like a net to engulf the Fire Crow; with a 'boom', the bird was incinerated into ash and vanished into thin air.

Hua Changxi liked coming to the rift valley.

Refining pills here meant she didn't have to worry about being discovered by outsiders; furthermore, when tired from refining, she could sit in meditation to cultivate on the spot or descend into the rift to mine Fire Spirit Ore.

If she encountered demonic beasts, she could even hone her fighting skills.

Hua Changxi was eager to boost her strength as quickly as possible; she was acutely aware that this Fire Spirit Mine would not remain undiscovered forever.

Once others discovered it, the Fire Spirit Mine would be claimed either by the imperial court or by powerful noble families.

By then, she feared she wouldn't even have a chance to approach this area again.

What she needed to do now was to improve herself rapidly before anyone else made the discovery.

By the end of the fourth month, all duties at the Medicine Estate were completed, and the laborers from the Labor Hall were to return to the Medical Bureau.

Zhu Yu suddenly arrived at Medicine Valley saying he wanted to see Hua Changxi; since Hua Changxi was away at the Nanshan Rift, the One-Armed Man met with him instead.

That evening, when Hua Changxi returned, the One-Armed Man told her about the visit.

"Steward Zhu is looking for me? What does he want with me?"

"They are returning to the Medical Bureau and asked if you are going back."

This reason seemed reasonable, yet Hua Changxi hardly believed it; she was merely an expendable little laborer who had been kept behind by a Grandmaster, so there was no need for Zhu Yu to make a special trip.

The One-Armed Man looked at Hua Changxi: "Do you have a very good relationship with Zhu Yu?"

Hua Changxi looked puzzled and shook her head: "I didn't know him at all before; during this trip to the Medicine Estate, I barely exchanged a few words with him. Master Guo, why do you ask?"

The One-Armed Man said: "Zhu Yu arrived in the morning and didn't leave until afternoon."

There was no need to be so attentive toward an ordinary outsider.

Hua Changxi frowned: "Did he ask you what I was doing?"

The One-Armed Man nodded: "I told him you had entered the mountains to gather herbs."

This counted as covering for Hua Changxi, so she immediately expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Master Guo."

Others in Medicine Valley might not know what she was doing all day, but Guo Yu certainly knew she had gone to Nanchi Mountain.

"By the way, hasn't Elder You returned yet?"

At the mention of Elder You, worry appeared on the One-Armed Man's face.

His master had originally said he would only be gone for a few days, yet it had been nearly a month with no return; he wondered if something troublesome had happened.

In the past, he certainly wouldn't have worried, after all, his master was a Grandmaster, and Grandmasters were the strongest warriors.

But now, he was no longer sure.

Seeing him fall silent, Hua Changxi felt it inappropriate to press further, so she parted ways with the One-Armed Man.

Back at her lodging, Hua Changxi thought about Zhu Yu; apart from his memorable full beard, she had no other impression of him, and she couldn't fathom why he would make a special trip to investigate her.

Yes, her intuition told her that Zhu Yu had come specifically to probe into her affairs.

Hua Changxi then thought of Elder You and the One-Armed Man; both had noticed her abnormalities from the very beginning, so was Zhu Yu the same as them?

Elder You had used spiritual plants from the cliff base to detect the secret on her person; although Zhu Yu had little contact with her, the combat power she had displayed must have caught his attention.

Coupled with the fact that Grandmaster You had personally spoken up to keep her in Medicine Valley, this likely heightened Zhu Yu's curiosity about her, leading to today's probe.

Regardless of why Zhu Yu noticed her, Hua Changxi could only sigh that everywhere she went there were shrewd people; even the slightest unusual action would draw their scrutiny.

Hua Changxi felt somewhat headache-inducing; surely she couldn't let this scrutiny cause her to stand still and limit her own development.

Thinking of the One-Armed Man who had covered for her, a glint flashed in Hua Changxi's eyes.

Regardless of whether Zhu Yu believed the One-Armed Man's words, the One-Armed Man had still blocked some of the scrutiny directed at her.

After entering the Medical Bureau, she increasingly realized that going it alone was not feasible.

She was human, and being human meant having limitations; often in many matters, she could attend to one end only to neglect the other.

Just like in the Labor Hall, where she focused on cultivation and pill refining, rumors about her had spread until everyone knew them before she even became aware.

This forced her to face others' mockery and ridicule directly; to defend herself, she had no choice but to engage in direct confrontations.

If someone had warned her in advance, she could have avoided some of these conflicts beforehand, thus not needing to expose so much of herself.

She needed someone to keep watch over those areas she couldn't attend to herself!

Perhaps she should cooperate more with others.

Hua Changxi thought of Elder You and the One-Armed Man; these two had detected her abnormalities early on, yet instead of immediately using force or authority to probe her, they first secured concrete evidence and then offered Fire Spirit Stones she couldn't refuse in exchange for the secret on her person.

After she told Elder You that besides martial arts there was another path of cultivation, even though he was desperate to know what that path was, he never sought her out again nor did he have the One-Armed Man surveil her.

She conducts herself with method and lives by principles; she ought to associate more with such a person.

Having figured this out, the next day Hua Changxi, using the one-armed man's defense of her against Zhu Yu as an excuse, gave him the Earth-Force Pills that Eunuch Yu had previously ordered her to refine.

The one-armed man looked at Hua Changxi, sensing her attitude was no longer as distant as before, and recalling Elder You's instruction to interact more with her, he accepted the pills.

"Rest assured, if anyone comes looking for you in the future while you are away, I will help cover for you."

Seeing him so sensible, Hua Changxi broke into a smile: "Then many thanks, Master Guo. I can also refine the Heaven-Force Pills used by eighth-rank martial artists. Once you advance to the eighth rank, just prepare the medicinal ingredients, and you may come to me anytime to refine pills."

The one-armed man smiled as well; pills for martial artists above the seventh rank were not easy to obtain, first because the ingredients were hard to find, and second because alchemists were difficult to locate. Knowing such an alchemist capable of refining high-grade pills was an extremely valuable connection.

"Good, when the time comes, I certainly won't stand on ceremony."

Having established preliminary cooperation with the one-armed man, Hua Changxi moved with increasing freedom around the Medicine Valley in the days that followed.

Time slipped away quietly amidst Hua Changxi's busy cultivation and pill refining.

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the sixth month.

"Third Brother, Sixth Brother!"

Seeing Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang appear at the entrance of the Medicine Valley, Hua Changxi was extremely surprised: "How did you two come here?"

Hua Liulang walked up, circled Hua Changxi to size her up, and then said in an ill temper: "Have you forgotten? Today is your fourteenth birthday."

"I went to the Medical Bureau to find Yu Gui, who said you had been kept here in the Medicine Valley to serve. Father and Mother were so worried they sent Third Brother and me to check on your situation."

Hua Changxi had certainly not forgotten that today was her birthday; precisely because she remembered, she had deliberately stayed in the Medicine Valley, planning to have lunch with the one-armed man.

This way, she could celebrate her birthday while also deepening her relationship with the one-armed man.

Fortunately, she hadn't left; otherwise, Third Brother and Sixth Brother would have had to wait for her all day.

Watching the younger siblings chat, Hua Sanlang cupped his fists to thank Mao Yong, who had guided them: "Many thanks, Steward Mao, for taking up your time."

Mao Yong waved his hand with a smile; if he hadn't wanted to resolve his grudge with Hua Changxi, he would never have brought these two outsiders to the Medicine Valley.

Hearing that it was Hua Changxi's birthday, he had specially prepared a gift: a pair of pearl earrings.

"Sister Changxi, my younger brother and I are rough men; we offended you greatly before, and I hope you can forgive us."

As he spoke, Mao Yong handed the earrings to Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi looked at him, accepted them with a smile, and said: "Many thanks, Steward Mao, for bringing my two brothers here."

Seeing Hua Changxi accept the gift he had prepared, Mao Yong immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "I won't disturb your family reunion; I'll head back to the Medicine Manor now."

Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang said: "Steward Mao, take care on your way."

Before Mao Yong had gone far, Hua Changxi linked arms with both her brothers: "Third Brother, Sixth Brother, Master Guo said he wants to celebrate my birthday and invited me to lunch at his place. Come, I'll take you to meet him."

"Master Guo is a seventh-rank martial artist, and his master, Elder You, is a Grandmaster."

"Let me tell you, both Elder You and Master Guo have taken special care of me. When you return, tell Father and Mother not to worry about me."

Listening to the conversation among the three siblings, Mao Yong paused in his steps, once again feeling fortunate that he had taken the initiative to resolve his grudge with Hua Changxi.

He knew about the stone cave halfway up Xishan; having served as a steward for so many years, he had never once gone up there, yet Hua Changxi could ascend freely, proving her relationship with Elder You and Guo Yu was indeed profound.

Only after Mao Yong had gone far did Hua Changxi stop talking about Elder You and the one-armed man.

Hua Sanlang lightly tapped Hua Changxi on the head: "Do you have issues with that Steward Mao?"

Hua Changxi's expression remained indifferent: "A little, perhaps."

Hua Liulang's face tightened with urgency: "Did he bully you?"

Hua Changxi scoffed: "He doesn't have the capability for that yet."

Hua Sanlang frowned: "Ninth Sister, your nature is fierce; when you are out in the world, you had better restrain yourself somewhat. Not everyone will tolerate you like the family does."

Hua Changxi became somewhat unhappy: "How is my nature fierce? If someone bullies me, am I not allowed to fight back?"

"Furthermore, has the family ever tolerated me?"

"Every time I wanted to do something, either this person disagreed or that person refused. If I didn't obey Grandfather and Grandmother's discipline, I was either punished by being denied food or locked in a dark room. Is that called tolerance?"

Hua Sanlang felt a headache coming on: "Why must you always oppose Grandfather and Grandmother?"

Hua Changxi replied: "I am not opposing them. I am a human with my own thoughts; you cannot force me to live and act strictly according to Grandfather and Grandmother's will."

Seeing the two start arguing again, Hua Liulang quickly separated them: "Ninth Sister, Mother prepared many delicious dishes for us to bring to you. Quick, take us to where you live so I can open them and show you."

Hua Changxi stopped arguing with Hua Sanlang and led the two to her living quarters.

Seeing that Hua Changxi lived in a large communal dormitory with four male laborers staying next door, both Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang felt somewhat worried.

Noticing their concern, Hua Changxi smiled and said: "I was personally kept here by a Grandmaster; no one dares to trouble me."

Hua Liulang asked curiously: "Is it true that the Grandmaster and the seventh-rank martial artist you mentioned earlier are taking such good care of you?"

Hua Changxi chuckled: "Of course. Just now, to intimidate Mao Yong, what I said was slightly exaggerated, but not by much."

Saying this, she opened the bundles brought by her two brothers and took out several food items.

"Let's go; we'll have lunch on Xishan."

Hua Liulang became excited: "Are we really going to have lunch with a Grandmaster?"

Hua Changxi laughed: "The Grandmaster has been away for some time; only the seventh-rank martial artist is here."

Hua Liulang felt somewhat disappointed, but meeting a seventh-rank martial artist was still good; after all, the highest-rank martial artist he had ever encountered was his own eldest brother, a sixth-rank martial artist.

Hua Changxi looked at her two brothers; she could not discern their martial cultivation levels.

There was no help for it; in her eyes, the two were simply too weak.

It was like an elephant looking at ants; even the strongest among the ants held no weight in the eyes of an elephant.

Noticing his sister's scrutiny, Hua Liulang smiled and said: "Third Brother and I have both reached the third rank, and the other brothers in the family have successively entered the ranks of martial artists as well."

As she led the two up Xishan, Hua Changxi said: "Those pills can be consumed by women too; don't just look out for yourselves, but also care for the sisters in the family."

Hearing this, neither Hua Sanlang nor Hua Liulang responded.

The distribution of pills in the family was entirely decided by Grandfather; they had no authority to voice an opinion.

Seeing their silence, Hua Changxi couldn't help but snort, but thinking that the two had traveled so far to see her, she ultimately said nothing more.

Soon, they reached the mountainside.

The one-armed man seemed to have known long ago that Hua Changxi's two brothers were coming; he had already brought the wooden table and stools out of the stone cave and set them up on the rocky cliff.

Hua Changxi smiled at him. "Master Guo, my two brothers have come to celebrate my birthday with me. Let us share lunch together."

Over the past month or two, Guo Yu and Hua Changxi had interacted frequently. Both had intentionally sought to draw closer to the other, so they got along quite well.

Hua Changxi introduced her two brothers to Guo Yu. He was reasonably polite, telling them that if they had any questions about martial arts, they could ask him.

Coming into close contact with a high-grade martial artist left Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang somewhat excited.

The four of them enjoyed a harmonious lunch, after which Hua Changxi led Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang down the mountain.

On the way, Hua Liulang said with a chuckle, "I never expected a high-grade martial artist to be so approachable."

Hua Sanlang was not as thick-skinned as his younger brother. He knew Guo Yu's courtesy toward them was solely due to Ninth Lady, so he couldn't help but ask, "Ninth Lady, how did you manage to forge a connection with Master Guo?"

Hua Changxi looked at him. "Third Brother, interactions between people are simply about each party seeking what they need." She smiled. "In your eyes, I am the one currying favor with him, but in reality, he might be the one currying favor with me."

Hearing this, Hua Sanlang's eyes flickered, while Hua Liulang scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed grin. At that moment, both shared the same thought: Ninth Lady speaks with such immense arrogance!

After descending the mountain, Hua Changxi took Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang on a tour of the Medicine Valley.

Seeing the medicinal herbs covering the mountains and fields, Hua Liulang clicked his tongue in amazement. "No wonder you chose to stay here and not leave. If I were also fond of medical arts, I wouldn't leave either."

At this moment, Hua Sanlang also felt some admiration for this sister of his. To advance her medical skills, she was willing to remain in such a remote place with harsh conditions.

Since outsiders were not permitted to stay in the Medicine Valley, after wandering around for a while, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang prepared to depart.

Hua Changxi said, "When you return, tell Father and Mother that I am doing very well here, so they need not worry about me."

Having seen with their own eyes that their sister shared a significant relationship with a seventh-grade martial artist, Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang indeed felt much more at ease. After offering a few more miscellaneous exhortations, the two brothers left.

Watching the retreating figures of her two brothers grow increasingly distant, Hua Changxi suddenly fell into thoughtful contemplation. "I possess a spirit vein. Could others in the Hua family also have one?"