[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-201":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337406,4570,"Chapter 201: Guyuan Pill","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-201",201,"\u003Cp>Pan Yun was delighted, “Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying: “... judging by your tone, you seem to want to be like Wang Guan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun looked down at him with disdain, “Do you even need to think? My eldest brother and fourth sister—anyone would pick my eldest brother. It’s about strength, not looks; those who judge by appearance are shallow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked directly, “What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun turned to look at Zhang Liuzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen smiled, “He has a bad temper, but he’s well-traveled. Have you run into some difficulty, or do you have questions about your cultivation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s really my eldest brother,” Pan Yun said. “I do have some cultivation questions I’d like to ask. Last night I exhausted all my yuan energy; this morning I was starving, so I asked for extra food at mealtime. The senior serving the food told me to come to Fanxi Court after eating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said, “I don’t know why the senior asked me to come to Fanxi Court, but I know it must be related to cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying: “Exhausted your yuan energy? Did you fight? Or did you use it all—down to the yuan energy in your meridians and the essence in your body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun glanced at Li Wenying, “All of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen frowned and extended his hand, “Come here, let me feel your pulse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm, curiously asking, “Does my eldest brother also understand alchemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mastery is too strong a word, but Dao cultivators usually know some medicine. Plus, after years of illness, I’ve become a doctor of sorts—I know more than most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carefully felt her pulse, unable to resist glancing up at Pan Yun several times. After a long while, he released her wrist. “Let me see your other hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun extended her other hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After feeling her pulse for a long time, Zhang Liuzhen let out a soft laugh. “Congratulations. Your foundation is solid. I see your body has improved greatly since last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying couldn’t help but look at Pan Yun with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After feeling her pulse, Zhang Liuzhen understood why his uncle had summoned Pan Yun to Fanxi Court. He stood up. “Wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying watched his back disappear, then turned to look at Pan Yun. After a moment, he snorted, “You’re lucky—really lucky. You don’t seem like a disciple of Mount Sanqing at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “I’ve always thought I was lucky, but everyone else disagrees. You’re the second person to think so. Your judgment is good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying was once again speechless, and now he didn’t want to speak. He turned to gaze out the window at Long Hushan in the distance, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen returned quickly, holding a porcelain bottle the size of a palm—clearly meant for medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen handed the bottle to Pan Yun. “Take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun reached out, stunned. “What is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a Guyuan Pill. Perfect for your current condition. The spiritual energy here in Fanxi Court is denser than in Fengqi Court. Stay here, take the pill, and cultivate. In less than a day, your dantian’s yuan energy will fully recover.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying smirked beside them. “The ‘yuan’ in Guyuan Pill isn’t the postnatal qi cultivated through practice—it refers to primordial yuan...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen cut him off with a sharp tone. “Wenying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have to tell her what this medicine is and what it does. Only then can she cultivate properly. Otherwise, she’ll be clueless—and waste this precious medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Pan Yun sided with Li Wenying, nodding vigorously. “My eldest brother, don’t worry—I won’t refuse it. No matter how expensive the pill, I’ll repay you someday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen paused, then said, “I don’t want you to repay me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether I repay you or not is my business. I just want you to know I have the confidence to take this pill—I won’t refuse it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen burst into loud laughter, tears glistening, and nodded. “Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying stared, dumbfounded. After a long silence, he said, “I was wrong. You’re not just like Wang Guan—you’re like him too. That arrogant tone—it’s exactly how you sounded at sixteen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha...” Zhang Liuzhen laughed even louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finally calmed down, he personally explained the bottle to Pan Yun. “Sister, you know about primordial qi, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun nodded. “Yes. It’s a very precious thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiao, perched by the window, turned his head outward, gazing into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen smiled. “Most people believe primordial qi vanishes completely as a child grows. But that’s not true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wind leaves traces. If primordial qi once existed, it can’t vanish entirely—that’s how primordial Dao bodies arise.” He said, “A primordial Dao body forms when primordial qi hasn’t fully dissipated yet, and is instead cultivated into yuan energy, opening the seven orifices, bringing the body closer to the Dao, allowing faster cultivation and deeper insight in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Isn’t it said primordial Dao bodies are rare? So far, only my eldest brother has one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiao silently sneered, [Sounds like you’re one too.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun didn’t flinch. She thought directly, [Shut up!] Zhang Liuzhen continued, “Primordial Dao bodies are rare, but even in others, primordial qi doesn’t vanish immediately. It gradually dissipates as the person grows, eats grains, and breathes the world’s air. It’s not sudden—it takes a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just because people can’t find this primordial qi doesn’t mean it’s gone,” Zhang Liuzhen said. “In my limited understanding, I believe a trace of primordial qi remains in the body until old age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many ancestors held this view, so someone created the Guyuan Pill,” he smiled lightly. “The Guyuan Pill consolidates the primordial qi still lingering in the body. Those with good talent and fortune might even perceive it internally. When that happens, they can cultivate it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen didn’t continue. Pan Yun understood. She murmured, “This is unimaginable wealth...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it?” Li Wenying said, a touch of envy in his voice. “This Guyuan Pill was brewed over years by the Celestial Master, collecting rare herbs to help Liuzhen refine his foundation before breaking through the First Marquis realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun gently shook the bottle, surprised. “There’s more than one pill in here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen nodded with a smile. “Three in total. My father planned one for before, one during, and one after my breakthrough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the True Person had high hopes for Zhang Liuzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This medicine... isn’t easy to take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun gripped the bottle. “My eldest brother, do you have the recipe? I’ll gather the herbs and ask my eldest brother to brew two bottles for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen shook his head with a smile. “No need. I won’t use this medicine—that’s why I’m giving it to you. Don’t take it to heart. Ask Wenying—he’ll tell you, this pill is invaluable to you, useless to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This novel’s latest update is in ##!!Update!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun looked at Li Wenying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew Zhang Liuzhen was telling the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miaohe glanced between them, whispering, “If I have the recipe, I can brew it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun turned to Zhang Liuzhen. “Yes, give me the recipe first. You don’t need it now, but you might someday. Let’s brew it now—when you need it, you’ll have it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying: “As if those herbs are easy to find. Do you know how long the Celestial Master’s mansion spent gathering them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “Five years! Even with the entire Celestial Master’s mansion’s resources, it took five years to collect them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said, “Five years? So what? I’m only nine. In five years, I’ll be fourteen. What’s the rush?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying wanted to smash something. Is being a genius so impressive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Pan Yun’s confidence, Zhang Liuzhen laughed again. He didn’t want to crush her spirit or let doubt taint her Dao heart—so he nodded. “Fine. I’ll give you the recipe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Sidao. “Go to the left, second row, third shelf on the antique cabinet. Bring me the box.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sidao responded and immediately fetched the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen opened it. Inside were stacks of paper. He flipped through them, pulled out an aged sheet, and handed it to Pan Yun. “This is the recipe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun reached out, scanned it in a glance, then borrowed ink and brush to copy it on the spot. She returned the original to Zhang Liuzhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blew on the ink to dry it, then handed it casually to Miaohe. “Even though the herbs look expensive and hard to find, I’m certain I’ll gather them all. My eldest brother, don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen’s eyes crinkled with laughter. He nodded. “I’m not worried. You’re the one who should be confident.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun was utterly confident. She had full faith in her future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Zhang Liuzhen, the Guyuan Pill was truly useless. His problem was his meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the 26th century, such an injury had no cure—but it wasn’t without hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could find a high-level cultivator who could reshape his meridians with yuan energy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the requirements were extreme: the cultivator’s yuan energy had to be compatible with the human body, must be water and wood affinity, and required sacrificing vast amounts of yuan energy to flood his body...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan energy equals cultivation base. The higher the base, the harder it is to replenish after depletion. And if it can’t be replenished...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like this morning—when her yuan energy was completely drained, even a petty thief could have stabbed her with one sword. A cultivator without yuan energy is as fragile as paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun lowered her eyes. She didn’t know how severe Zhang Liuzhen’s injury was, or what level the True Person had reached. Could the entire Celestial Master’s mansion not find even one person willing to reshape his meridians?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the highest cultivation level in this world not yet reached the Third Marquis?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Pan Yun wandered in thought, Zhang Liuzhen said, “This room will be your quiet chamber. We’ll go outside to read. Today, cultivate here. We’ll guard you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun snapped back to attention and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miaohe had already tucked the recipe away. She mimicked her junior uncle’s motion, slipping the recipe into her sleeve—actually stowing it in her jade tablet’s space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could now communicate smoothly with her space, so she “saw” the recipe settle inside. Miaohe was delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying glanced at her, frowning slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently transmitted to Zhang Liuzhen, “You shouldn’t have given her the recipe so easily. Just this one sheet could sell for a thousand taels on the market.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liuzhen: “Knowledge only gains value when shared. It’s not a harmful recipe. What’s wrong with more people knowing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Wenying: “It’s because you’re so generous that the elders in the Celestial Master’s mansion are wavering—some want to abandon you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1818,"2026-06-20T22:03:59.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","19d98f6b6b2a4dd21ae20399e66d8ee1069bfecabc699b0ff1fa49c37fe66161","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-202","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-200",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]