Chapter 88: The Path of the Pill Dao

Ji You then fetched Kuangcheng, and Kuangcheng in turn brought a Senior Official named Mu Jing from the Imperial Alchemy Supervision.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen’s words, they quickly gathered men to isolate the sweaters in a more remote forest.

As for Yuan Chen, he was later taken back to the Heavenly Book Academy by Ji You.

His storage gourd contained a cauldron and various herbs; nothing else needed preparation—only the black qi needed to be refined to find a cure.

“I heard the Alchemy Sect’s direct disciple went to treat refugees outside the city?”

“Mm.”

“Chen Shixian’s gravely ill Patriarch has begged the Alchemy Sect many times, yet no one would go treat him—this…”

“It’s said he was brought over by a disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy—he was handing out porridge to refugees at the time.”

“?”

Amid this frantic activity, the sky gradually darkened.

From seeking the method to crafting the pill, this was an extremely tedious process, and could not be rushed—so they could only wait.

Thus Ji You went to the Awakening Ground and began his spiritual sense soaring.

Since he had chosen to return to the Heavenly Book Academy and continue as a cultivator, he naturally had to strive in his cultivation and not waste time.

Soon, his spiritual sense entered a vast, hazy void, where he saw a translucent, snow-white foot approaching him.

But Ji You, remaining alert, immediately reached out and grasped the delicate jade foot.

Mount Xuwu still held strange qualities—even spiritual senses could touch each other; perhaps this was a contact with the soul.

The young Mirror Master on the mountain instantly flushed crimson, struggled for a long while, and finally pulled her foot free.

“Stop being playful—today there’s serious business; I didn’t come late on purpose!”

Yan Shuyi looked at him and spoke softly: “Really?”

Ji You nodded: “A group of refugees flooded into the city, many suffering from an epidemic. I originally went to find Kuangcheng—the scholar you met before—he’s now handling the refugees, so I brought Yuan Chen to treat them.”

The young Mirror Master hummed, thinking she wouldn’t be angry then, and lifted her eyes to look at him.

Since returning from Ningcheng County, this was their first meeting; for some reason, she felt closer to him. Previously, when his voice sounded strange, she’d felt discomfort and wanted to kill him—but now she seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

It felt as if she had silently allowed him to see this side of her, without the earlier struggle.

Yet she noticed Ji You had also changed in some odd way.

Specifically, he no longer looked around, kept his right arm drawn to his chest, and let his left hang naturally—like a scholar’s posture, slightly pretentious.

But… it looked quite nice.

In the past, bored, she’d often visited the small town below the mountain and listened to storytellers’ tales, most of which featured scholars as protagonists.

They were always described as refined, scholarly, and full of literary spirit.

As Yan Shuyi drifted off in thought, Ji You, gazing at the hand that held the jade foot, suddenly spoke: “I think I won’t wash my hands for a long time…”

“?”

“Rogue!”

Ji You frowned, thinking: When I saw Kuangcheng do this, it seemed genuinely charming.

Why does this gentlemanly charm not work on me?

Yan Shuyi, watching the increasingly thick yellow mist around his spiritual sense, clenched her silver teeth tighter.

At that moment, Ji You also froze, for he noticed a pink vapor rising around the young Mirror Master, slowly drifting upward.

Though their reactions differed, had he still managed to charm her?

So the two stared at each other on the mountain, ending when Yan Shuyi, unable to bear it, looked away first.

“How did your Spirit Sword Mountain’s sect assembly go?”

Yan Shuyi snapped out of her embarrassment, tucked her foot beneath her skirt, and spoke: “The Heaven Sword Peak wanted to merge with the Questioning Sword Peak—I stopped them. The sect is now unsettled.”

Ji You then remembered something else: “Ding Yao saw me pinch your cheek.”

Yan Shuyi narrowed her eyes: “Good. My parents already know you pinched my cheek—they’re going to cut off your hand. See how bold you dare be next time.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then I’ll pinch again—next time, I’ll pinch you at Spirit Sword Mountain.”

The young Mirror Master stared at his serious expression, thinking: Of course—if one day he surpasses me, he’ll dare pinch other places too.

I should’ve drawn my sword and stabbed him full of holes the first time he pinched me. Now I’ve let him get away with it, and he’s grown bolder.

Seeing her silent, Ji You spoke again: “So with Spirit Sword Mountain in such chaos, your parents want you to marry into the Way Seeking Sect?”

“My path is mine to choose; no one else decides it.”

“But you seem tired?”

Yan Shuyi looked at him: “What? Are you trying to persuade me to marry?”

Ji You shook his head: “I’m trying to persuade you not to marry. All of Heaven Sword Peak are wary of the Heaven Sword Peak—but does the Way Seeking Sect need no vigilance? It’s merely a difference between wolves, tigers, and leopards.”

“I think the same. So unless I am the strongest sword of this age, marrying anyone is meaningless. But if I am, then I marry whomever I choose.”

“By the way, have you ever thought about the Heavenly Book Academy?”

Yan Shuyi froze at the words, thinking: Marry into the Heavenly Book Academy? That would be a distant marriage.

But before she could finish the thought, Ji You’s voice sounded again beside her ear.

“Spirit Sword Mountain and the Way Seeking Sect jointly attacked the Heavenly Book Academy. My instructor Cao said that once the storm settles, the Heavenly Book Academy will demand an explanation from Spirit Sword Mountain. What do you think?”

“I know this already—I’m considering it.”

Yan Shuyi looked at Ji You: “The Heavenly Book Academy has always regarded itself as the Holy Sect. Being besieged has cost you great face, but Spirit Sword Mountain won’t apologize. Seizing spiritual fortunes inherently involves life and death—we have our own dignity and cannot bow.”

“But my senior sister nearly died—only because you wanted the spirit stones on her person. My senior sister never sought to seize your spiritual fortune. That makes no sense.”

Yan Shuyi stared at his suddenly grave expression: “Then… then if I go again, can I apologize to her in person?”

Ji You thought for a moment: “That could work.”

“But Spirit Sword Mountain will never publicly announce its submission to the Heavenly Book Academy.”

The young Mirror Master added: “Especially me—if I publicly apologize to the Heavenly Book Academy, the disciples in the mountain will never obey me again.”

Ji You knew this was a difficult choice, for it was not a personal matter but one between sects.

When Pei Ruyi was injured in that battle, Yan Shuyi came to apologize—that was personal.

But even if Pei Ruyi forgave her, the Heavenly Book Academy would not let it go—because the wound was on Pei’s body, but the blow struck the Heavenly Book Academy’s face.

Likewise, Yan Shuyi would never bow publicly to the Heavenly Book Academy, for that would create a rift between her and her disciples, exactly as Heaven Sword Peak desired.

In this situation, Spirit Sword Mountain might dominate under Heaven Sword Peak’s leadership, yet the Mirror Master would have bowed to the Heavenly Book Academy.

Under such circumstances, he did not know how the Heavenly Book Academy would respond.

The only solution might be to marry into it.

If that were true, how would I choose? Perhaps I would sacrifice myself for the Heavenly Book Academy.

Ji You thought with solemn righteousness: If not me, who will enter the tiger’s den?

Yan Shuyi watched Ji You in the yellow mist, thinking: We’re discussing something so serious—what is this man really thinking about?

During the Grain Rain season, the capital began continuous rain.

Yuan Chen roughly understood the illness’s nature, adjusted the formula several times, and refined a batch of pills, then went outside the city with Ji You to give the medicine to Qingwa in water.

The Alchemy Sect’s pillcrafting was indeed wondrous—after several doses, Qingwa’s illness began to recede, and the other children who took the medicine showed the same improvement.

Soon, many physicians came for follow-ups; after examining them, they all said these people were no longer in danger.

In this world, commoners were ignored; refugees were despised. But once the matter involved the Alchemy Sect, it suddenly seemed extraordinary.

“He brewed a pill for refugees? Handmade by the Alchemy Sect’s direct disciple?”

“Mm. It’s said Ji You fetched him.”

“This… isn’t this a waste of precious resources?”

“Exactly. If I knew this Alchemy Sect direct disciple, I’d demand he brew me a pill to break through my realm.”

Yuan Caimei had spent these days wandering with the inner sect disciples; each day she returned, she saw her younger brother tirelessly running about.

She watched him seated before the cauldron, curious, then went to observe him giving medicine to the refugees.

Sometimes Yuan Caimei felt disoriented, as if she didn’t recognize her brother anymore.

When he was in the Alchemy Sect, though a direct disciple, he had never liked pillcrafting—he often secretly slipped away to read cultivation novels.

Sometimes family members scolded him, but he ignored them.

But this was the first time she saw a look of seriousness on her brother’s face as he refined pills.

“I used to hate pillcrafting—because even if I brewed the finest medicine, it was always given away by the family. Who took it, what effect it had—it all felt unrelated to me.”

“But this time is different—because… I saw how they looked at me.”

Yuan Chen looked at Yuan Caimei: “Sister, do you think we’ve been preaching wrongly?”

Yuan Caimei frowned: “Preaching wrongly?”

“When Heaven gave us the Honglu furnace, could it have intended for us to heal and exorcise for all beings—not merely to brew pills for cultivators?”

“This…”

Yuan Chen spoke again: “Yesterday I asked several Heavenly Book Academy people if they knew the names of past Alchemy Sect Patriarchs. None of them knew.”

Yuan Caimei couldn’t help smiling: “Our Alchemy Sect has always been secretive.”

“No, sister—they’ve been forgotten. The succession of Alchemy Sect Patriarchs was meant to be proclaimed to heaven and earth; ‘secretive’ can’t explain everything. They don’t know because the names were erased by the next generation.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Brother-in-law told me: since we’re born into heaven and earth, we must leave some story for future generations to see.”

(End of Chapter)