Chapter 7: Alchemy Chamber

The Treasure Basin!

A treasure!

Wait…

He Pingsheng took a deep breath, his eyes slightly narrowing.

He thought of another matter: the spring water!

That’s right!

Yesterday, those two women came to say the mountain spring water had changed—it was no longer as crisp and sweet as before.

Before, He Pingsheng didn’t know why; now he had a rough idea of what had happened.

After water was placed inside this basin, it turned green.

The green water wasn’t spoiled or moldy—it must have contained something that made spring water sweet and crisp. This basin had once lain at the bottom of that shallow pond, producing green water daily, but the vast pond had diluted it.

So on the surface, nothing seemed amiss, but in reality, it affected water quality.

Later, He Pingsheng took the basin away, and its water-purifying function vanished.

It was no surprise that the once crisp and sweet mountain spring had become ordinary water.

Putting all these events together, He Pingsheng finally confirmed: the basin in his hands was a peerless treasure.

“A wonderful treasure!” He touched the basin, then decisively swallowed the Golden Bone Pill bearing four dan patterns.

If this treasure can turn one thing into two, what harm is there in eating this Golden Bone Pill?

Put the remaining one inside, and tomorrow I’ll get two again!

Boom…

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth; a vast surge of energy surged wildly through He Pingsheng’s body.

He felt warmth spreading through his body.

The wounds and bruises on his hands and arms visibly faded.

His chest no longer ached; his head no longer throbbed.

The metallic taste of blood in his nasal passages vanished.

Within the time of a single meal, He Pingsheng’s body returned to its former state—not a single injury remained.

This…

Was too powerful!

He Pingsheng felt that same sense of unreality again.

He pinched his thigh hard once more.

After about half an hour, he finally calmed down from his earlier excitement and joy.

Don’t just be excited—think about what to do next.

I need to move!

But He Pingsheng still faced considerable risk.

The Treasure Basin didn’t matter—it looked like nothing more than an ordinary broken basin from the outside.

The pills didn’t matter either.

They were small; hiding them in a corner of his clothes would leave no trace.

But the problem was: there was still this pile of golden rice.

What should he do?

Take it with him when he moved, or discard it?

After a few breaths of thought, He Pingsheng made his decision!

He placed his clothes and the rice inside the basin, covering them completely. When everyone in the courtyard had left, he tiptoed out the door and went to the latrine.

The latrine had a drain!

Without hesitation, He Pingsheng poured all the golden spirit rice into the fecal opening with a splash.

The golden rice sank and vanished into the fecal water.

And this fecal water would be flushed away by the current into the mountain ravine.

So, everything left no trace!

After finishing this, He Pingsheng picked up his basin, clothes, and large iron bowl, and walked toward the Bamboo Embellishment Peak’s alchemy chamber.

Bamboo Embellishment Peak was vast!

Its towering peak rose ten thousand ren high, yet terraces, pavilions, and towers had been carved into its slopes.

These buildings sat on relatively flat areas, but flat land on the mountain was scarce and scattered, so the peak’s many locations were widely dispersed.

From the laborer dormitory, walking up about three or four li of mountain path led to a structure that looked like a temple.

He Pingsheng could read—he knew this was the alchemy chamber.

Inside the courtyard gate lay dense clusters of bamboo.

Amid the bamboo, a large hall painted yellow stood, solemn and ancient, its high walls covered in spiderwebs.

A young man, about twenty, saw He Pingsheng approaching and pointed at him from the high steps: “Wait a moment… are you the new laborer assigned to the alchemy chamber?”

“Yes!” He Pingsheng placed the clay basin on the ground and bowed respectfully: “Your servant, He Pingsheng!”

“Come here!”

The man gestured with his finger.

He Pingsheng carried the basin up.

The man rummaged through the basin—inside were only He Pingsheng’s clothes, a large iron bowl, a pair of chopsticks, and this worn-out clay basin.

The young man couldn’t help sneering: “You’re really poor!”

He Pingsheng, however, felt a chill of relief—he was glad he’d thrown the golden spirit rice into the latrine pit; otherwise, he’d never have passed this inspection.

“Alright!” the youth said. “Let me tell you—I’m Master Hao, the immortal in charge of this alchemy chamber.”

“From now on, you’ll handle all the chores here.”

“See that building over there? That’s where you’ll live. Go put your things away, then come find me.”

“I’ll explain your duties.”

“Yes!” He Pingsheng bowed again respectfully: “Senior Brother!”

After speaking, he carried the basin into the nearby building.

The building was similar to the laborer dormitory but larger, with a partitioned room.

The partition was the bedroom, containing a bed and bedding.

Outside was a table and a few miscellaneous items.

How to put it?

Slightly better than the laborer dormitory!

He Pingsheng placed the clay basin in the bedroom, locked the door, then returned to the main hall where Master Hao was.

“Come in!”

Master Hao’s voice came from inside.

He Pingsheng entered cautiously.

The alchemy chamber was clean!

Utterly spotless.

The hall was large and airy; in the center stood a massive alchemical furnace, round and spherical, resting on three legs.

Between the three legs were three openings for firewood!

Firewood was needed to burn—the fire was essential for alchemy.

Seeing this, He Pingsheng was stunned.

In his imagination, immortals summoned a wisp of divine flame to ignite their cauldrons.

But here…

They really burned firewood.

“Come here!” Master Hao waved his hand. “I’ll explain your duties.”

“First, cleaning this hall!”

“Watch carefully… when alchemy is performed, ash flies everywhere, so dust covers every surface.”

“After each alchemy session, you must clean the ash off the tables, floors, and rafters, and empty the ash from the furnace’s bottom.”

“This is the most basic task.”

“Besides that, you must chop firewood!”

“Firewood is crucial—many have failed because of it.”

“Remember: be careful, be careful!”