Chapter 93: The Gate of the Pill Saint Hall Has Opened

After taking over Eunuch Jia's position, Hua Changxi did not become busier.

Every bureau had a Second Steward and a Third Steward; as long as they caused no trouble, she would not interfere with their management.

The only rule she changed was the abolition of the previous tribute fees.

This inadvertently earned her another wave of goodwill from the miscellaneous laborers, though of course, the Second and Third Stewards whose interests were harmed held some grievances against her.

Hua Changxi's days in the Miscellaneous Laborers Hall were highly regular: in the morning, she taught pharmaceutical knowledge to the laborers of the four bureaus; in the afternoon, she refined spirit pills; in the evening, she devoted herself to cultivation; and every few days, she would visit the Shennong Hall pharmacy to check on things.

The days passed peacefully until the end of the third month.

On the twenty-ninth day of the third month, it was again time for the Miscellaneous Laborers Hall to distribute monthly allowances; when Hua Changxi arrived at the Internal Affairs Courtyard, she was surprised to find so few laborers present.

"What is happening today? Is no one eager to collect their silver?"

The steward of the Internal Affairs Courtyard glanced at her: "They have all gone to the square to watch the excitement."

Hua Changxi asked curiously, "What excitement is there to watch at the square?"

The steward sighed: "Eunuch Zhou of the First Office is trying to drive Old Man Gu out of the Old Courtyard."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyelid twitched; after quickly collecting the monthly allowances, she hurried toward the square, and before she even got close, she saw the square was already packed with people.

"Ninth Lady."

Just as Hua Changxi stepped into the square, she saw Apothecary Xu waving at her; looking around, she realized that not only were the laborers watching the spectacle, but many people from Nine Streets had also come.

"Uncle Xu."

Hua Changxi walked quickly toward Apothecary Xu, and before she could ask about his recent well-being, she saw several strong male laborers dragging that hunched old man surnamed Gu.

The hunched old man's claw-like hands gripped the doorframe tightly, refusing to let anyone drag him away.

Watching this scene, Hua Changxi's brows knitted into a knot: "Bullying an old man like this; is no one going to manage it?"

Apothecary Xu shook his head and whispered, "The Office Director, the Vice Director, and the other lords have all entered the palace today." Then, with a glance of his eyes, he signaled Hua Changxi to look at the middle-aged eunuch standing at the entrance of the Old Courtyard.

"That Eunuch Zhou has a noble patron from the palace standing behind him; the apothecaries of Nine Streets do not wish to incur the palace's hatred, so naturally, none of them will step forward to confront him directly."

Seeing the male laborers using their full strength to pull, and the hunched old man's veins bulging on his face, hands, and neck from exerting too much force, Hua Changxi found it unbearable to watch: "This is too excessive."

Seeing Hua Changxi looking ready to step in, Apothecary Xu quickly grabbed her: "There are many capable people here; do not recklessly show off your strength."

Not far away, Mu Qingying also looked unable to bear the sight and wanted to step out to relieve the hunched old man's predicament, but she was stopped by Yuan Tianchou: "The palace has set its sights on this Old Courtyard; otherwise, why do you think your masters and the others would be conveniently absent today?"

Mu Qingying really could not understand: "It is just an old, dilapidated courtyard; you and I have both been inside, and there is nothing there. What is there to covet? Even if the palace truly wants it, can they not just ask nicely?"

Yuan Tianchou said helplessly, "Do you think the palace is willing to make things look this ugly? It is only because Senior Gu Xing refused to agree to give up the Old Courtyard."

"Gu Xing, considering your advanced age, this one has already shown you great face; do not refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

"You are not a member of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Office, so you have no reason to occupy the office's courtyard."

"Seeing that you are alone with no one to rely on, the Office Director and the various lords have specially purchased a small courtyard for you; the small courtyard is fully equipped with daily necessities, and they have even hired a servant to take care of you, so you will not be left without a place to live or food to eat."

Eunuch Zhou spoke these words with an air of righteousness; while these words seemed directed at Gu Xing, they were actually meant for the others present to hear.

Driving away an elderly man like Gu Xing was indeed done in a rather unsightly manner.

Gu Xing gripped the threshold tightly, turning a deaf ear to Eunuch Zhou's words.

Among the laborers, Granny Sun watched Gu Xing with tearful eyes; the head of the Gu family was being bullied so by a eunuch; truly, there was no justice left in this world.

The Medical and Pharmaceutical Office originally belonged to the Gu family; now the royal family did not care about saving face at all and actually intended to expel the Gu family's only descendant.

How despicable and shameless!

Granny Sun wanted to rush out regardless of the consequences, but upon meeting Gu Xing's gaze and seeing him shake his head at her, she could only suppress the anger in her heart and retreat helplessly.

On the other side, seeing that Gu Xing still clung tightly to the threshold and remained so obstinate, Eunuch Zhou gave a glance to those few male laborers dragging him.

Upon receiving the signal, the male laborers began using underhanded tricks against Gu Xing during their subsequent pulling.

Soon, traces of blood began to flow from the corner of Gu Xing's mouth.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi's eyes turned sharp; she shook off Apothecary Xu's hand, walked over quickly, and threw those few male laborers away like chicks, tossing them onto the ground several meters away.

"Old sir, are you alright?"

Hua Changxi squatted down to look at Gu Xing.

Gu Xing raised his eyes to look at Hua Changxi; a glint of light passed through his eyes, and he struggled to pull a faint smile, shaking his head.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi hesitated for a moment, then stood up and looked at Eunuch Zhou, who was glaring at her furiously; knowing that reasoning would be useless at this moment, she thought for a while, walked over, and stood opposite Eunuch Zhou.

"Eunuch, do not make your meal look so unsightly."

Eunuch Zhou frowned as he looked at Hua Changxi: "Are you that Hua Changxi under Eunuch Jia?"

Hua Changxi did not deny it and continued speaking: "That old sir is already so old; how many more years do you think he has to live? Wait until he dies, and then you can take over the Old Courtyard without needing to play the villain; such a move kills two birds with one stone, so I hope the Eunuch will choose wisely."

Eunuch Zhou snorted: "What if this one insists on driving him out today?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "As long as I am here, you will not be able to drive him out."

Eunuch Zhou knew Hua Changxi was a cultivator and knew he could not clash with her directly, so he could only use his authority to pressure her: "This one is acting on behalf of a noble from the palace; do you intend to offend a noble from the palace?"

Hua Changxi's tone was cold: "Can a noble from the palace force someone to death without reason?"

Eunuch Zhou clearly had not expected such a reaction from Hua Changxi and let out a cold laugh: "Good, very good; this one would like to see if you can protect Gu Xing forever."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked at him expressionlessly: "Eunuch, let me give you some advice: do not make threats against someone who can take your life. Dealing with you is very easy for me, and it can be done without anyone knowing."

"You work so hard; I presume you do not wish to die young?"

Seeing Hua Changxi threaten him so directly, Eunuch Zhou's expression changed: "You..."

Hua Changxi said: "Eunuch, making things convenient for others makes things convenient for oneself; it is best not to push things to the extreme, don't you agree?"

At this moment, Eunuch Zhou dared to be angry but dared not speak; looking at Hua Changxi, who showed no sign of yielding, he let out a heavy snort, flicked his sleeves, turned around, and left.

His subordinates, seeing this, quickly followed.

Hua Changxi turned and walked toward Gu Xing, helping him up: "Old sir, I see they will not let this rest easily; you must be mentally prepared."

Gu Xing looked at her and smiled: "This old man remembers you; can you help this old man inside?"

The two stood by the door; seeing that the blood at the corner of his mouth had not yet dried and that he had been struggling with people for so long, Hua Changxi estimated he had no strength left; seeing the courtyard door was only open a small crack, she placed both hands against the door and exerted force...

With a "creak," the courtyard gate swung fully open.

"Hoo~"

A gentle breeze flew out from the courtyard, dispersing in all directions.

At that moment, everyone present at the Medical Bureau smelled a faint, elusive fragrance of elixirs.

As for Hua Changxi, she once again saw a magnificent palace that flashed by and vanished; this time, she saw it even more clearly.

She saw that the palace stood beneath a towering giant tree, which pierced the clouds like a heavenly pillar.

Looking at the fully open courtyard gate, Gu Xing was stunned; after his shock, his eyes held an uncontrollable excitement, and because he was so moved, when Hua Changxi turned to look at him, she found tears in his eyes.

"Old man, what is wrong with you?"

Gu Xing quickly raised his hand to wipe away his tears, shook his head, and said, "This old man thought he was going to die just like this; thank you..."

Hua Changxi found his expression somewhat strange, but being eager to enter the old courtyard to investigate, she did not think too much, assuming only that Gu Xing was thanking her for saving him.

"Old man, let me help you into the courtyard."

Hua Changxi supported Gu Xing into the yard while the crowd gathering to watch the spectacle stretched their necks to peer inside, only to find it was an ordinary courtyard, nothing special except for a row of green wooden plaques, each three fingers wide, hanging on the wall to the right of the gate.

Yuan Tianchou and Mu Qingying, who had previously entered the small courtyard, saw that Hua Changxi had pushed the gate open with a single effort and could not help but exchange glances, both wearing looks of disbelief.

Mu Qingying stammered, "How great must Hua Changxi's strength be? Last time, the two of us could not budge the gate even a fraction."

Yuan Tianchou replied, "...Perhaps it is not about strength, but that her cultivation is relatively higher, at least higher than yours or mine."

Mu Qingying countered, "That can't be right; we lack neither cultivation resources nor elixirs refined by our Master to assist us, which is why we cultivated a step faster than others and only recently entered the Qi Sea realm, whereas Hua Changxi has nothing."

Looking at her, Yuan Tianchou said, "Junior sister, if you can teach yourself medicine, do you not know there is such a thing as a 'genius' in this world? Perhaps Hua Changxi is a cultivation genius."

"After all, the Green Lotus Fairy is also a cultivation genius; as twins, there is no reason for one to be too strong and the other too weak."

Thinking it over, Mu Qingying agreed; looking at the old courtyard, she grew even more curious about Hua Changxi: "If there is a chance, I would like to get to know Hua Changxi."

Today she dared to stand up and speak for Elder Gu, doing what she herself had not done; she now had a more direct impression of this person—someone even more fearless than herself.

Inside the old courtyard, Hua Changxi first helped Gu Xing sit on a reclining chair, then took out an elixir for treating internal injuries in mortals and gave it to him: "This elixir treats internal injuries; if you trust me, you can try it."

Gu Xing took the elixir; seeing that it was not only round and full but also bore a layer of luster, his eyes flickered, and he swallowed it directly.

Once the elixir entered his stomach, it transformed into a source of heat, which began sending warm currents throughout his body, immediately soothing the pain in every part of him.

"Girl, the quality of the elixir you refined is very high."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Hua Changxi looked around the courtyard and wandered within it.

Seeing the palace once might have been an illusion, but seeing it twice, she had no reason to convince herself it was still an illusion.

Is this courtyard part of the palace?

And what is that giant tree?

Gu Xing watched Hua Changxi, who, like others who entered the courtyard, was investigating everything within it; yet unlike others who eventually fixed their gaze on the wooden plaques on the wall, Hua Changxi was actually knocking on the wall, as if trying to determine whether the wall was real.

"Old man, how long have you lived in this courtyard?"

"This old man was born in this courtyard."

Hua Changxi turned and examined Gu Xing: "Old man, why is your back hunched to such an extent?" A bend of nearly ninety degrees—how was this caused?

Gu Xing smiled and said, "This is the price this old man paid."

Hua Changxi very much wanted to ask what deed required such a price, but the words died on her lips; this was someone else's private matter, and it was better not to ask.

Seeing that Hua Changxi had finally walked to the wall where the wooden plaques hung, Gu Xing smiled and said, "Girl, anyone who enters this courtyard, provided they have the ability, can take one wooden plaque."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was somewhat surprised: "Taking a wooden plaque requires ability?" Saying this, she reached out and easily removed one plaque.

After examining the plaque from all sides, Hua Changxi still could not see anything special about it; looking at Gu Xing, she noticed his expression had become somewhat dull: "Old man, is the plaque very difficult to take?"

Gu Xing's face had already returned to normal: "The plaques are gifted to those with fate; for those without fate, naturally, they are hard to take."

Hua Changxi was not entirely convinced by this reason; she uttered an "Oh," then asked again, "Old man, what is the use of this wooden plaque?"

Gu Xing shook his head: "This old man does not know either; that is something you must discover for yourself."

Hua Changxi put away the plaque; seeing there was nothing else to explore in the courtyard, she prepared to leave: "Old man, I have other matters, so I will take my leave first."

Gu Xing said, "Girl, if you have free time in your daily life, could you often come over to visit this old man?"

Hua Changxi replied, "...Alright."

Without lingering further, Hua Changxi left the old courtyard; before departing, she intended to help close the gate, only to be stopped by Gu Xing.

"No need to close the courtyard gate; from today onward, the gate need not be closed."

Walking out of the old courtyard, Hua Changxi turned back to look at the yard with its doors wide open, her face bearing confusion, unable to understand why Gu Xing no longer wished to close the gate.

"The palace, the towering giant tree—what secret does this courtyard truly hide?"

On her way back to her own courtyard, Hua Changxi toyed with the green wooden plaque she had just obtained: "What use does this wooden plaque have?"

"Sister Changxi."

Seeing Yu Gui running over with a smile, Hua Changxi put away the plaque: "Brother Yu, do you need something from me?"

After approaching, Yu Gui gave Hua Changxi a thumbs-up: "Sister, you are this; the person I admire most right now is you."

He had not seen Hua Changxi stand firm against the Embroidered Uniform Guard earlier, but today, when she confronted Eunuch Zhou face-to-face, he had witnessed the entire event.

It had to be said, this sister's courage was truly extraordinary.

"Sister, you must be careful of that Eunuch Zhou; the person standing behind him is Beauty Lu from the palace. Beauty Lu is the birth mother of the Tenth Imperial Prince, and whether in the imperial court or the rear palace, she possesses considerable influence."

Frowning, Hua Changxi said, "I truly detest these nobles who oppress others with their power; they already occupy the vast majority of benefits yet remain insatiable, still eyeing the meager scraps in others' hands. If only they could be eliminated once and for all."

Hearing these words, Yu Gui was so frightened that his legs went soft, and he dropped straight to his knees.

Hua Changing was startled; looking at him, she asked, "Brother Yu, what is wrong with you?"

Yu Gui offered an embarrassed smile and scrambled up on all fours: "No, I am fine; I came to tell you that Merchant Zhuo, the medicine merchant who has long collaborated with my godfather, has returned to the capital, and I wish to introduce him to you."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi's face immediately lit up with joy: "Thank you, Brother Yu."

Yu Gui: "Sister, I must tell you this in advance. Merchant Zhuo is a friend of my godfather. He is currently with my godfather at the Qihuang Hall, where you previously refined pills. Do you... do you wish to go and meet them?"

Hua Changxi understood Yu Gui's hesitation; her cooperation with Eunuch Yu had indeed been somewhat unpleasant.

Seeing her remain silent, Yu Gui quickly added, "Merchant Zhuo owns dozens of apothecaries. The quantity of pills he requires far exceeds what I need."

Hua Changxi looked at him and said, "Introducing such a major client to me, Brother Yu, just speak plainly: what does Eunuch Yu want?"

Yu Gui replied, "My godfather wants nothing. He simply seems to know certain matters concerning cultivators."

Hua Changxi asked, "Only that?"

Yu Gui nodded affirmatively. "Only that."

Hua Changxi said, "Let us go."