Chapter 99: Fated to Meet Me

Returning from the Old Courtyard of the Square to the Laborer Hall, the sky had already turned completely dark; Hua Changxi did not go back to her own courtyard but instead headed to the street of Qihuang Halls at the very end of the Laborer Hall.

Nine Qihuang Halls stood side by side; heading west led to the Old Courtyard of the Square, and further west lay the nine Qihuang Halls at the rear of the Apprentice Hall.

From this arrangement, it was clear that the eighteen Qihuang Halls were guarding the Old Courtyard of the Square.

Holding two wooden tablets, Hua Changxi walked from the Ninth Qihuang Hall to the First Qihuang Hall.

Along the way, the wooden tablet bearing the sword pattern did not flash again when passing the other halls, whereas the newly acquired tablet flashed at every hall except the Ninth Qihuang Hall.

Since the Ninth Qihuang Hall was the place where 'Observation, Listening, Questioning, and Pulse-taking' was taught, the other halls must each have their own specialized content to teach.

Hua Changxi thought of the systematic alchemy inheritance she had received; she could not help but connect the alchemy inheritance of the Shennong Cauldron with the Qihuang Halls.

There was no other reason: the art of Observation, Listening, Questioning, and Pulse-taking was also included within the alchemy inheritance.

Following this line of thought, could the medical content taught in the other eight Qihuang Halls also be related to those contents within the alchemy inheritance?

The numbering of the Qihuang Halls was certainly not arbitrary; adhering to the principle of progressing from simple to complex, Hua Changxi stood outside the First Qihuang Hall.

The first thing the Shennong Cauldron had taught her was tasting the hundred herbs to distinguish their types and properties; could the First Qihuang Hall be the classroom for teaching knowledge of medicinal herbs?

Currently, she was explaining medicinal herbs to members of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus of the Third Department, so she lacked no students; however, bringing people here for instruction would surely alarm others, and this First Qihuang Hall was the territory of Eunuch Zhou of the First Department.

Not only the First Qihuang Hall, but several other halls as well; she had to find a way to secure usage rights for them.

While pondering matters concerning the Qihuang Halls, Hua Changxi returned to her courtyard, refined pills for two hours, and then went to her room to cultivate.

The next day, when Hua Changxi woke from her cultivation, the excitement in her eyes was nearly impossible to suppress.

[Realm: Core Formation Stage 36.2 million/10 million]

Her cultivation speed had increased again; now, cultivating for one hour could increase her cultivation base by 300,000 points!

In just one day, the cultivation speed had risen by another 100,000 points!

The only thing she had done yesterday was unlock the Ninth Qihuang Hall.

Igniting the alchemical fire on Nine Streets could boost cultivation speed, and unlocking the Qihuang Halls could also boost it, with a significant margin of increase; for Hua Changxi, the benefits were immense, instantly filling her with boundless motivation.

Last night, she had still been troubled by the prospect of snatching usage rights for the Qihuang Halls from Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia; at this moment, however, she had made up her mind to secure usage rights for all nine Qihuang Halls.

"Sister Changxi, why have you come?"

Ever since Hua Changxi took over Eunuch Lu's position, she, having no work to do, had not come to the warehouse area; seeing her arrive, Yu Gui was extremely surprised.

"Brother Yu, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

Hua Changxi led Yu Gui to a corner: "Brother Yu, what is the relationship between Eunuch Yu and that Eunuch Xuan who came from the Eastern Depot yesterday?"

Yu Gui looked at her, fell silent for a moment, and said: "My godfather and Eunuch Xuan are from the same village; they were sold into the palace together as children, castrated together, and during the first few years after entering the palace, the two could be said to have depended on each other for survival."

Hua Changxi said: "So, does that mean the relationship between Eunuch Yu and Eunuch Xuan is very strong?"

Yu Gui examined Hua Changxi's expression: "Sister, have you encountered some difficulty and wish to seek Eunuch Xuan's help?"

Hua Changxi did not deny it: "Brother Yu, didn't I tell you before? I want to hold lectures in the Qihuang Halls."

Yu Gui was puzzled: "Didn't my godfather already give you all three of his Qihuang Halls to use?"

Hua Changxi said: "It's not enough." Then, looking at Yu Gui, she added, "I want all nine Qihuang Halls."

Yu Gui was somewhat speechless: "Do you really need nine courtyards?"

Hua Changxi said: "Yes, I do; each courtyard has a different purpose—one for distinguishing medicinal herbs, one for cleaning them, one for processing them..."

"If we break it down in detail, nine courtyards are still not enough; I heard there are another nine Qihuang Halls over at the Apprentice Hall..."

Yu Gui hastily stopped Hua Changxi: "My good sister, the Qihuang Halls in the Laborer Hall are already enough for you to cause trouble with; do you really intend to cause a stir in the Apprentice Hall as well?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Isn't Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot? I hear that even eunuchs fear those from the Eastern Depot; tell me, if Eunuch Xuan intervenes, can he help me obtain the Qihuang Halls from Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia?"

Yu Gui said: "Sister, are you serious?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "Of course; I saved Eunuch Xuan's life yesterday, and he said he wanted to repay me. I don't want anything else, just for him to help me secure a few courtyards; surely he can help with that?"

Yu Gui said: "...Sister, you only saved Eunuch Xuan yesterday; isn't it too hasty to call in that favor today? Why not use my godfather's three courtyards for now and wait a while longer?"

Hua Changxi shook her head: "Brother Yu, time waits for no one; I need them urgently."

Yu Gui did not refuse to help Hua Changxi; rather, he was genuinely concerned for her: "Sister, I know you are very motivated, but you have just received ten pharmacies from Merchant Zhuo, and now you plan to hold lectures in nine courtyards; do you really have that much time and energy?"

Hearing mention of the ten newly acquired pharmacies, Hua Changxi looked at Yu Gui with burning eyes.

Although this man had some small schemes of his own, he was generally capable of getting things done; she indeed had too many matters on her hands to handle everything personally and needed someone to share the burden.

"Brother Yu, how about you help me manage those ten pharmacies?"

Yu Gui was stunned: "Manage the pharmacies for you?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "Regarding the Zhuo family's pharmacies, I do not intend to reform them; we only need to change the shop names and sell the pharmaceutical books I lecture on within the stores; everything else can remain unchanged."

Yu Gui swallowed hard, somewhat tempted: "But I have never managed a pharmacy before?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "If you can manage such a large warehouse, managing pharmacies will be even less of a problem."

As his martial prowess improved, Yu Gui's ambitions had gradually grown; the role of warehouse steward could no longer satisfy his current aspirations: "Since you trust me so much, sister, then I shall give it a try?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "Then it is settled."

Yu Gui could barely hide his joy on his face, but quickly composed himself: "Sister, are you sure you want to go immediately to ask Eunuch Xuan to repay his debt to you?"

Hua Changxi nodded affirmatively.

Yu Gui said: "Very well, I will go find my godfather right now."

"What? Hua Changxi wants all the Qihuang Halls?"

Upon hearing Yu Gui's words, Eunuch Yu was also extremely surprised.

Yu Gui said: "The other six Qihuang Halls are under the use of Eunuch Zhou, Eunuch Zhao, and Eunuch Jia; Sister Changxi wants Eunuch Xuan to intervene and resolve this."

Eunuch Yu said: "...I am aware of this matter; you may go attend to your duties now."

As soon as Yu Gui left, Eunuch Yu went to the Qihuang Halls.

At this time, Hua Changxi was still explaining the issue of cleaning medicinal herbs to the laborers of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus; since no one was in the Seventh, Eighth, or Ninth Qihuang Halls, Eunuch Yu proceeded to inspect each of the three courtyards one by one.

After searching all around, she discovered nothing.

Eunuch Yu pondered for a while, then still went to the Eastern Depot to find Eunuch Xuan.

Upon learning that Hua Changxi wanted to claim all nine Qihuang Halls for herself, Eunuch Xuan's first reaction, like Eunuch Yu's, was to assume there must be something beneficial to cultivators inside the Qihuang Halls.

"Have you inspected the inside of the Qihuang Halls?"

"I have checked; there is nothing there. Those three courtyards of mine were mostly used for storing medicinal herbs. Although I rarely lived in them, I know clearly what is inside; there is nothing special."

Eunuch Xuan thought for a moment and said, "After dark, I will go with you. If there truly are good things inside the Qihuang Halls, you, being a mortal, would not be able to perceive them."

Eunuch Yu asked, "In that case, should we still help Hua Changxi secure the other six courtyards?"

Eunuch Xuan replied, "Let us discuss this matter after I have seen the Qihuang Halls." He paused, then added, "That Hua Changxi must be befriended as much as possible in the future. You are not a cultivator, so you do not know how scarce healers capable of treating cultivators are."

Eunuch Yu showed a bitter smile on his face: "I dare not fail to befriend her now."

Eunuch Xuan perceived his reluctance: "Little Yu, many things nowadays are different from before; you must shift some of your thinking quickly."

Eunuch Yu was stunned for a moment, looking at Eunuch Xuan with confusion.

Knowing that his childhood friend's channels for information were blocked, Eunuch Xuan could only explain more clearly: "Do you know what place the imperial family and various nobles have been most concerned about these past few months?"

Eunuch Yu shook his head.

Eunuch Xuan said, "Ancient ruins have appeared at Mount Kunlun in Liangzhou of the Northwest. The scale is vast, no less than the disturbance caused by the eruption at Mount Wuzhi in Qingzhou last year."

"Mount Kunlun has always borne the name of a divine mountain. Various factions wished to claim it for themselves to establish sects and schools. After several months of contention, a result was finally reached a few days ago."

"Do you know who ultimately gained control of Mount Kunlun?"

Eunuch Yu shook his head again.

Eunuch Xuan let out a long breath: "A wild boy, who possessed neither power nor influence, lost both parents, and was raised on meals from a hundred families."

Eunuch Yu was speechless: "How could such a person possibly snatch it away from the imperial family and various nobles?"

Eunuch Xuan smiled and sighed, "I used to think that power and influence were the most important things in this world, but now, I am somewhat shaken."

"That wild boy indeed had nothing, yet the mountain spirit of Mount Kunlun recognized him as its master."

"The contention for Mount Wuzhi last year was like this, and the contention for Mount Kunlun this year is the same; the nobles busied themselves back and forth, only to become mere foils."

"It is said that Mount Wuzhi was obtained by someone called the Fire Lotus Fairy. If she, like that wild boy, is a nobody, then the various factions who relied on their power to enter the fray will become a laughingstock."

"Therefore, Little Yu, do not look down upon insignificant figures whose status is lower than yours."

"Our status is given by the noble ones; it is illusory and can be taken back at any time. Our usual blustering and sense of superiority are nothing but self-deception."

Seeing that Eunuch Yu had taken his words to heart, Eunuch Xuan said no more, kept him for dinner, and then they returned together to the Medical Bureau.

After watching Hua Changxi return to her courtyard, Eunuch Yu led Eunuch Xuan to inspect the seventh, eighth, and ninth Qihuang Halls.

Eunuch Xuan took out a spirit-detecting instrument and checked every courtyard, but found no abnormalities.

Eunuch Yu felt that Hua Changxi's request for the Qihuang Halls was definitely not for the sake of teaching, and he wanted Eunuch Xuan to search a few more times.

Eunuch Xuan, however, shook his head and refused: "Let us go."

After leaving the Qihuang Halls, Eunuch Xuan said to Eunuch Yu, "Tomorrow, you should arrange a meeting with Eunuch Zhou and the other two; I will treat them to wine."

Eunuch Yu knew that Eunuch Xuan intended to help Hua Changxi secure the other six Qihuang Halls, yet he still felt somewhat unwilling: "Are you really not going to search again?"

Eunuch Xuan looked at him with a smile: "Opportunity is something extremely elusive; it cannot be forced. Since you believe Hua Changxi has an ulterior motive for requesting the Qihuang Halls, then just keep an eye on her. If she truly finds benefits within the courtyards, we can follow in her wake and share in the leftovers."

Eunuch Yu quite approved of this approach, and the next day he actively invited Eunuch Zhou and the other two to a restaurant.

On the third day of the fourth lunar month, Hua Changxi took several servants whom she felt had talent for medicine to the ninth Qihuang Hall to explain the diagnostic process of 'inspection, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking' to them.

She discovered that the more people she taught and the deeper the content of her instruction, the clearer and more distinct the sword patterns on the wooden plaque became.

She did not know what use the sword patterns ultimately had, but she could feel that continuing to deepen them would certainly do no harm.

After the lecture ended and the servants had just left, Hua Changxi saw Eunuch Jia entering the courtyard with Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao.

Eunuch Jia looked at Hua Changxi: "You requested the Qihuang Halls just for the sake of teaching?"

Hearing him ask this, Hua Changxi knew that Eunuch Xuan had already approached them, so she quickly smiled and said, "Teaching elsewhere would be subject to disturbance and interruption; only the Qihuang Halls are sufficiently quiet."

Eunuch Jia looked at her: "I did not realize you had such extensive connections, even knowing Eunuch Xuan of the Eastern Depot."

Eunuch Xuan was the Battalion Commander in charge of punishments at the Eastern Depot; with him intervening, even if Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao did not wish to yield the Qihuang Halls, they had no choice but to do so.

Although all three of them had powerful backers, the people of the Eastern Depot were the Son of Heaven's trusted confidants; if they wished to frame someone, it would be very difficult for them to escape.

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "I know I have caused trouble for you three lords. Although you rarely used those few courtyards, I have ultimately taken advantage of you."

Saying this, she took out third-grade pills and handed them one by one to Eunuch Jia and the other two.

"This is a small token of my regard; I hope you three lords will not disdain it."

Eunuch Jia casually removed the bottle stopper, and upon seeing that inside were actually ten Tiangang Pills needed by eighth-grade martial artists, his eyelid twitched, and he quickly stored the pills away.

Seeing Eunuch Jia's reaction, Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao also discreetly stored their pills away.

"Very well, the courtyards are yours to use."

Eunuch Jia gave Hua Changxi a deep look, then led Eunuch Zhou and Eunuch Zhao away.

As soon as the three left, Hua Changxi hurried to the Sixth Bureau, gathered all the servants who had finished their work, and led them to the first Qihuang Hall.

"Qiuyu, take out the 'Common Plant Medicinals' you compiled; today I will explain the medicinal properties of the herbs listed therein to you once again."

Once the explanation began, the wooden plaque that Hua Changxi had placed on the doorframe at the entrance indeed glowed with a white light.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi knew her speculation was correct, and she became even more dedicated in her teaching.

The white light was initially faint, but after the following few days, when she also called over servants from the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus to listen to the lecture, the white light grew increasingly intense.

On the third day of her lecturing at the first Qihuang Hall, sword patterns appeared on the wooden plaque; on the seventh day of lecturing, sword patterns were marked upon the stone pillars at the courtyard entrance.

Upon seeing the sword patterns on the stone pillars, Hua Changxi went to the Old Courtyard in the square once again.

"Elder, I have come to see you again."

"Here, these are spirit fruits I brought for you."

"The wooden plaque on the wall seems to be crooked; let me go check it."

Gu Xing watched helplessly as Hua Changxi took down another wooden plaque, her face a picture of innocence as she looked at him.

"Elder, these wooden plaques share a fate with me."