Chapter 91: Human-Seed Fruit

On the eighteenth of the second month, the shop plaque was finished. Amidst a burst of firecrackers, Shennong Hall Pharmacy opened for business.

In the shop, there were only Hua Changxi, Aniu, and Pucao, as well as a green ox poking its head in at the back door.

Because the shop's location was quite remote, apart from the neighbors around who heard the firecrackers and came to take a look, no one else came.

Looking at the deserted street, Pucao and Aniu looked at each other.

Pucao saw that there was no one in the shop and was worried, looking at Hua Changxi: "Changxi, do you want me to go out and pull in some customers?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "No need. I didn't intend to do retail anyway. In the future, if someone comes to sell medicine, you sell it. If no one comes to buy, it doesn't matter."

Pucao: "But this way, can we make money?"

Hua Changxi: "We can, don't worry, someone will come soon."

An hour later, Yu Gui arrived with Wan Xiaozhou and Li Meng.

Looking at the deserted shop, Yu Gui smiled: "Little sister, this is the first day you've opened. Why didn't you call more people? That way, there would be more popularity."

Hua Changxi glanced at him. Was it that she didn't want to call? The problem was, she didn't know any medicine merchants or medicine peddlers.

"Brother Yu, if you know any medicine merchants, you can introduce them to me."

Yu Gui smiled sheepishly: "I am just a warehouse manager, I don't know many people. However, when I know some in the future, I will definitely introduce them to you."

Hua Changxi smiled: "That would be great. If you really bring me a big customer, I will give you a discount." As she spoke, she took him to the medicine cabinet where Pucao was and introduced Pucao to him.

"Brother Yu, this is the manager of the pharmacy. When I am not here, she is responsible for the buying and selling in the pharmacy. You also know that I have duties in the Servant Hall and won't be here all the time. In the future, when you come to buy medicine, if I am not here, you can completely look for her."

"Pucao, this is Manager Yu Gui, the first big customer of our shop."

Pucao hurriedly greeted him and indicated that she would definitely receive Yu Gui well in the future, then nodded to Li Meng and Wang Xiaozhou standing behind.

Yu Gui smiled and agreed, looking at Hua Changxi with emotion: "Little sister, I really didn't expect Eunuch Jia to let you take over Eunuch Lu's duties. When I found out, I thought everyone was joking."

Hua Changxi didn't want to go into detail about the ins and outs, so she prevaricated: "It is all Eunuch Jia's appreciation." She pointed to the pills behind the counter, "Brother Yu, the martial artist pills displayed for sale in the pharmacy are only first to fifth grade."

"But since we are our own people, I have sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade pills here that I can sell to you. How many pills do you intend to buy this time?"

Hearing that there were even sixth and seventh-grade pills, Yu Gui was shocked and took ten thousand taels of silver directly from his bosom: "Little sister, I am about to break through to the fifth grade, so I want to buy more fifth-grade pills. I also want some sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade pills."

Hua Changxi took the silver and smiled: "It seems Brother Yu hasn't earned less silver recently."

Yu Gui chuckled: "Thanks to your support, little sister."

Hua Changxi handed the silver to Pucao, letting her handle the delivery with Yu Gui throughout, while she just watched from the side. Seeing Pucao handle it well, she didn't intervene.

Yu Gui bought the pills, chatted with Hua Changxi for a while, and then left with Wang Xiaozhou and Li Meng.

Once the three of them left, Hua Changxi looked at Pucao and Aniu: "Now you can rest assured. Our pharmacy will definitely be able to open for a long time."

One customer bought ten thousand taels of silver worth of pills, which completely reassured Pucao and Aniu. Before, when Hua Changxi said the pharmacy would take the wholesale route, they were a bit worried, but now they weren't worried at all.

Afterward, Hua Changxi watched Pucao record the accounts. Seeing that there was nothing to do in the shop, she prepared to return to the Medical Department.

Leaving the pharmacy, not long after walking, she saw people fighting in a restaurant on the street, smashing the tables, chairs, and benches in the shop to pieces. The shopkeeper was so anxious on the side that he was about to cry.

Watching this scene, Hua Changxi thought for a moment, turned back to the pharmacy, and set up a first-grade defensive array in the pharmacy and the backyard.

Thanks to the "Introduction to the Four Arts" in Elder Jiang's storage ring, which briefly explained how to refine pills, make talismans, refine tools, and set up arrays, low-grade arrays were easy to learn; she just had to follow the steps in the book.

Afterward, Hua Changxi gave Pucao some spirit stones, told her the eye of the defensive array, and asked her to replenish the spirit stones regularly to ensure the maintenance of the defensive array.

On the other side, Yu Gui took the pills and returned to the Medical Department first. As soon as he returned, he went to find Eunuch Yu and handed him the eighth-grade pills he needed.

He had indeed earned some silver by selling pills, but he couldn't take out ten thousand taels at once. The silver was given to him by Eunuch Yu.

Eunuch Yu took the pills: "Is the pharmacy's business good?"

Yu Gui shook his head: "It is very deserted. It opened today, and I might be the only customer."

Eunuch Yu was silent for a moment: "Find an opportunity to introduce the big merchant Zhuo to Hua Changxi."

Yu Gui looked at Eunuch Yu in surprise. Since the Embroidered Uniform Guards searched the Servant Hall half a month ago, he had clearly felt his godfather's change in attitude toward Hua Changxi.

Previously, when Hua Changxi returned from the herb farm, even after learning that she was valued by a Grandmaster, his godfather had shown no reaction. But today, he, who was usually stingy, actually gave him ten thousand taels of silver to take care of Hua Changxi's business.

And now he wanted to introduce the big merchant Zhuo to her...

Eunuch Yu sighed: "Father was wrong. When cooperating with Hua Changxi to refine pills before, I shouldn't have been too greedy." As he spoke, he looked at Yu Gui, "Fortunately, you still have some friendship with her. You must interact with her well in the future."

Seeing Yu Gui looking confused, not understanding why he was doing this, Eunuch Yu could only make it clear: "Do you know that on the day the Embroidered Uniform Guards searched the Servant Hall, if Hua Changxi hadn't stood out, how many people in the Servant Hall would have died?"

Facing the Embroidered Uniform Guards, not only were the servants terrified, but even managers with some background like Eunuch Yu were very afraid.

Little Luzi was the best proof. It was said that he died the day after entering the Imperial Prison.

"Someone above is eyeing the Medical Department. It is hard to insert people into the Jiujie, so they hit upon the Servant Hall."

"Eunuch Sun of the First Office had no background and was the first to be killed."

"Eunuch Zhao of the Second Office and Eunuch Jia of the Third Office have some connections in the palace, so they can barely continue to occupy their positions."

"During this period, the Servant Hall can be said to be undercurrents. The underhanded tricks aimed at Eunuch Zhao and Eunuch Jia were one after another."

"The two of them barely resisted, but then the pill theft happened, and the thief left traces, leading the Embroidered Uniform Guards to the Servant Hall."

"If Hua Changxi hadn't stood out and forced out Leng Xiangru, the entire Servant Hall would definitely have undergone a major reshuffle. Even the warehouse side would have been affected."

Listening to Eunuch Yu's analysis, Yu Gui was full of lingering fear.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards do not talk about evidence when handling cases. Since the thief's final traces appeared in the Servant Hall, according to the Embroidered Uniform Guards' methods, everyone in the Servant Hall was a suspect. As long as they were suspects, they had the right to arrest them.

Being arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and taken to the Imperial Prison was equivalent to a death sentence.

Eunuch Yu looked at Yu Gui: "The Embroidered Uniform Guards don't even put high-ranking court officials in their eyes, yet they didn't touch Hua Changxi. Hua Changxi actually fought with them. Why do you think that is?"

Yu Gui scratched his head: "Little sister Changxi has no background."

Eunuch Yu said directly: "Because she is a cultivator."

Although Eunuch Jia had ordered a gag order on what happened in the Sixth Bureau that day, he had used all his strength and even lost his face before Eunuch Jia finally loosened his grip on him.

Water droplets suspended in mid-air turning into water arrows—that was a cultivator's method, yet it was intercepted by Hua Changxi.

What does this mean?

It means Hua Changxi is also a cultivator.

A cultivator...

If it weren't for the earth-shattering battle that broke out on Mount Wuzhi last September, he wouldn't have known for how long it would take to find out that there were even more powerful cultivators above martial artists.

Before that, the existence of cultivators was only known to the royal family and some top power-holders.

In these few months, he had used all the connections he could use and inquired in many ways before finding out a little bit about cultivators.

Never did he expect that there was a real cultivator by his side.

Unfortunately, he had offended her.

Eunuch Yu was truly regretting it so much that his intestines were turning green. In the past half month, he had investigated the Hua family's background again. This investigation was incredible: the Hua family actually had a daughter who was a personal disciple of the Taisu Palace Master.

Only then did he understand why Eunuch Jia could still stay in the Servant Hall safe and sound.

"Eunuch Jia is lucky. Without Hua Changxi, he would have been the first to die in the pill theft. Even if he didn't die in the Embroidered Uniform Guards' Imperial Prison, those eyeing his position would have killed him."

"Now only Little Luzi died, but his life is still there, and the Third Office is still in his hands, and he hasn't been hurt at the roots."

Yu Gui really didn't expect there to be so many things in this, but at this moment, what he most wanted to know was: "Godfather, what is a cultivator?"

Being ill-informed, even though the commotion on Mount Wuzhi was huge, he had heard a few rumors but didn't take them to heart.

Eunuch Yu looked at Yu Gui, his tone surprisingly kind: "Father doesn't know either. If you want to know, go ask Hua Changxi."

Yu Gui was not sure if Hua Changxi would tell him: "Then I will interact more with little sister Changxi in the future."

Eunuch Yu showed a smile of "a son who can be taught": "Gui'er, if you can find out about cultivators from Hua Changxi, Father will give you half of the wealth I have accumulated over the years."

Hearing this, Yu Gui couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He knew that Eunuch Yu loved to save silver. Half of his wealth—how much silver would that be?

Regarding Yu Gui's reaction, Eunuch Yu didn't say anything. When he knew that Grandmasters were like fish waiting to be slaughtered on a chopping board when facing cultivators, he was eager to become a cultivator.

Now he could only use Yu Gui to try his best to make peace with Hua Changxi.

After Hua Changxi returned to the Medical Department, she first went around the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus.

Perhaps because her stick was a bit thick and the carrot really took care of the servants, after taking over Eunuch Lu's position, no one caused trouble.

Even the Embroidered Uniform Guards hadn't come to find trouble again.

Of course, whether the Embroidered Uniform Guards had negotiated with Eunuch Jia, she didn't know.

Thinking about this, Hua Changxi returned to the courtyard and took out the pill box Manager Leng wanted to frame her with, which contained three Rebirth Pills.

Rebirth Pill, meaning to shed the mortal body.

The Rebirth Pill, combined with Wood Spirit Pill, Fire Spirit Pill, Water Spirit Pill, Earth Spirit Pill, and Gold Spirit Pill, can reshape spiritual meridians. What Shiniang gave to the family were three Rebirth Pills and three Wood Spirit Pills.

Things that can reshape spiritual meridians are naturally extremely scarce. Refining Rebirth Pills requires a kind of innate spiritual fruit—Human-Seed Fruit.

Although the Human-Seed Fruit is not like the Creation Fruit, which will be removed by Heavenly Thunder as soon as it comes into the world, it is extremely difficult to grow and strengthen, and it must suffer the baptism of Heavenly Tribulation once every hundred years.

The fruit doesn't bear much, only one every hundred years.

This Rebirth Pill was refined by the Medical Department, which is enough to show that the royal family holds the Human-Seed Fruit tree.

It's just that now that spiritual energy is recovering, the spiritual fruits under the stone cliff of the Three-Fork Herb Valley and the spiritual fruits of Mount Wuzhi are all growing at the speed of light. Hua Changxi guessed that the royal family should have accumulated a batch of Human-Seed Fruits.

Hua Changxi: "You came to the Sixth Bureau today for no reason. You rarely come here on normal days."

A batch of pills sold in the shop had been stockpiled and could be sold for a period of time. Now, she had to prepare to start refining spirit pills.

【First-Grade Alchemist (Perfect Pill): Alchemy 2267/2267】

Seeing that it would take more than seven thousand more furnaces of pills to advance to a Second-Grade Alchemist, Hua Changxi took a deep breath, started taking out the needed spiritual plants, spiritual herbs, and spiritual fruits from the Shennong Cauldron, and then threw herself into alchemy.

In the middle-left position of the First Street of the Medical Department, there was a nine-story pavilion, and the three gilded characters "Medical Department" were hung on the pavilion.

Ding Peng, a Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had come to the Medical Department for the first time, stood in front of the pavilion and said to Gu Qiming, the Head of the Medical Department, beside him: "Is the location of this pavilion not built correctly?"

Gu Qiming smiled: "When this pavilion was built, the official in charge wanted to build it in the middle of the First Street, but as soon as construction started, strange things happened frequently."

Ding Peng looked curious: "What strange things?"

Gu Qiming said: "As long as the pavilion was built in the middle, no matter how sturdy it was built, it would collapse the next day."

"That really is a strange thing."

Ding Peng looked at the pavilion and then walked forward.

To the right of the pavilion was the T-shaped street entrance that ran through the Jiujie and led directly to the square behind.

"Behind the Jiujie are the Servant Hall and the Apprentice Hall?"

"Yes."

Afterward, the two didn't say anything else. Gu Qiming led Ding Peng to his office.

Ding Peng came this time because of the pill theft on the Second Street half a month ago.

Ten Rebirth Pills were lost. The Embroidered Uniform Guards used a spiritual detector to find four in the Apprentice Hall, plus the three found in the Sixth Bureau of the Servant Hall, a total of seven were found.

"Leng Xiangru is a member of the Asura Gate."

After hearing this, Gu Qiming took a wooden box from the cabinet on the table and handed it to Ding Peng.

Ding Peng opened it and saw a Wood Spirit Pill inside: "What do you mean?"

Gu Qiming: "Let's just close the case like this. Leng Xiangru took the remaining three pills. Don't investigate further." This Wood Spirit Pill was the reward for Ding Peng.

Ding Peng's eyes flickered, and he smiled: "I heard from Yin Jianxiong that there is a cultivator hidden in the Servant Hall. Aren't you curious about her background?"

Gu Qiming smiled: "I think the Embroidered Uniform Guards must have investigated her background long ago."

Otherwise, with the Embroidered Uniform Guards' style of handling cases, they would have come over and arrested Hua Changxi long ago.

Ding Peng was silent: "... Do you think the remaining three Rebirth Pills are in Hua Changxi's hands?"

Gu Qiming: "They shouldn't be. If she had taken the Rebirth Pills, she shouldn't have dared to directly confront your Embroidered Uniform Guards."

Ding Peng was silent again. After a moment, he said: "The result on Mount Kunlun should be coming soon, right?"

Gu Qiming paused: "As long as a high-grade cultivator doesn't suddenly appear like on Mount Wuzhi, the result should come quickly. If there are no accidents, the palace will choose to cooperate with Taisu Palace."

Hearing this, Ding Peng looked at the pill box in his hand for a while, and finally put it into the storage bag at his waist. ===== CHAPTER 92 =====