Chapter 22: Rumors and Slander

By the time Hua Changxi finished helping out in the warehouse and returned to the Sixth Bureau, it was already the beginning of the Hour of the Pig (21:00). At this time, everyone in her dormitory had returned.

The others had not yet gone to sleep and were chatting. As soon as Hua Changxi returned, the room felt as if a pause button had been pressed; it fell silent instantly, only resuming its chatter after a moment.

During this time, not a single person greeted her.

Such blatant isolation naturally made Hua Changxi feel somewhat uncomfortable, but she did not pay it much mind. She had come to the Labor Hall to cultivate and obtain medical inheritance, not to make friends.

Hua Changxi did not linger in the room. She picked up her washbasin and left the dormitory, heading straight to the dining hall with the newly acquired Spirit Essence Grass.

As soon as she left, Wang Yunchu’s voice grew louder.

"What do you think she was doing all afternoon today?"

"I heard she’s been getting quite cozy with the male laborers over in the warehouse."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you wouldn't think it, but she certainly knows how to play the game at such a young age."

Lu Qingluo felt that Wang Yunchu was going too far and immediately said, "Yunchu, don't talk about Changxi like that."

Wang Yunchu became even more animated: "Am I lying? Didn't you see the bundle she was carrying? Guess who gave it to her?"

As she spoke, she smirked.

"The people in the warehouse aren't easy to deal with. Why would they give her anything for nothing?"

"Besides, she wakes up so late every day, yet the medicinal herbs she brings back are always the easiest to clean and process. Do you really think there's nothing going on there?"

Lu Qingluo fell silent. Everyone in the dormitory had experience collecting herbs late in the day and knew exactly what kind of herbs one would receive if they went late.

"Alright, stop worrying about Hua Changxi. Hurry up and wash up for bed; there's plenty to do tomorrow."

Someone stepped in to smooth things over, and only then did Wang Yunchu stop.

On the other side, Hua Changxi entered the dining hall and found Granny Sun, who was guarding the kitchen: "Granny Sun, may I borrow the stove for a moment?"

Being disturbed late at night made Granny Sun somewhat displeased, but she knew that Manager Qin liked this young lady very much, and most others in the kitchen spoke highly of her, so she did not refuse immediately.

"What do you want the stove for?"

Hua Changxi revealed the withered Spirit Essence Grass in her basin: "I've come to decoct some medicine."

Granny Sun frowned. "These herbs are all withered. Can they still be used?"

Hua Changxi shook her head. "I don't know. I can't afford fresh herbs, so I can only use these withered ones. I have a lot of strength and my body consumes a lot of energy, so I need to drink medicine frequently. Otherwise, I get dizzy and my ears ring."

Granny Sun asked, "I see. Then where did these withered herbs come from?"

Hua Changxi replied, "These were discarded by the warehouse due to improper storage. I helped the warehouse staff move some herbs today, and this was my compensation."

Upon hearing this, Granny Sun immediately cursed under her breath, "Those people in the warehouse are getting more heartless by the day. You helped them, and they try to brush you off with discarded herbs."

The corners of Hua Changxi's mouth curled slightly. "Thank you for your concern, Granny Sun, but it's alright. I know the people in the warehouse have their own difficulties. I am already very grateful that they could give me these withered herbs."

Granny Sun looked at Hua Changxi and eventually led her into the kitchen.

"There is a set amount of supplies in the kitchen; you are not allowed to touch anything randomly."

Hua Changxi quickly stated, "Don't worry, Granny Sun, I won't touch anything I shouldn't."

"Granny Sun, I'm so sorry to disturb you so late at night. Please go rest soon; I'll head back as soon as I'm finished."

Granny Sun said, "It's fine, I'll stay with you. I can't sleep anyway."

Hua Changxi knew Granny Sun was staying out of concern that she might misuse the kitchen supplies, so she said nothing more and began processing the Spirit Essence Grass.

Spirit Essence Grass was the primary ingredient for Spirit Essence Pills. She did not know how to refine pills, but she knew how to make medicinal powder.

Step one: Soaking.

Step two: Drying over a fire.

For this step, Hua Changxi used her Fire Control Technique to gradually roast the Spirit Essence Grass until it was crispy, without letting it actually burn.

Step three: Grinding into powder.

While performing this step, a line of text popped up in Hua Changxi's vision: [Complete Guide to Meridian Mapping (Beginner): Deconstructing Medicinal Materials 1/10]

As she ground all ten stalks of Spirit Essence Grass into powder, her mind was flooded with the meridian maps of mortal plants and beasts. Simultaneously, she learned a new technique—the Deconstruction Technique.

The Deconstruction Technique was even more profound than the skill of Cook Ding carving the ox; it could not only dissect but also turn the dissected medicinal materials or animal tissues into fine powder.

Although Hua Changxi had roasted the Spirit Essence Grass to be crispy and brittle, there were no mortars and pestles in the kitchen, so she could only crush the herbs by hand. Consequently, the first ten stalks were not ground uniformly or finely enough.

After learning the Deconstruction Technique, Hua Changxi controlled her spiritual energy, and the herbs in her hand instantly turned into fine powder.

An hour later, under Granny Sun's shocked gaze, Hua Changxi left the dining hall carrying one jin of Spirit Essence Powder.

"It seems Changxi really didn't lie to Manager Qin; she truly knows medicine."

As a veteran of the Labor Hall, Granny Sun had some experience.

The Labor Hall and the Apprentice Hall were separated only by a plaza, and Granny Sun had seen the apprentices in the Apprentice Hall making medicine. Their techniques and proficiency were nowhere near Changxi's.

Returning to her dormitory, seeing that everyone was asleep, Hua Changxi climbed into bed quietly, eager to test the effects of the Spirit Essence Powder.

Since it was her first time consuming a spiritual plant, Hua Changxi did not dare take too much; she scooped 10 grams of the powder into her mouth.

The powder melted instantly upon entering her mouth, turning into a warm current. This current surged like a flood, sweeping through her entire body with great speed.

The warmth arrived so violently that Hua Changxi clearly felt her body swell with pain, as if she were about to burst.

After a moment of panic, Hua Changxi quickly lay face down on the bed and began practicing the Little Bird Breathing Technique.

One cycle, two cycles...

After the warm current had circulated through her body ten times, the sensation of swelling and pain began to subside.

Only then did Hua Changxi's racing heart settle, and she began to immerse herself in cultivation.

When she woke up the next day, the room was empty as usual. Hua Changxi glanced at her data, and the corners of her mouth immediately curled upward.

[Realm: Qi Refining Stage 133/1000]

After refining and absorbing 10 grams of Spirit Essence Powder, her spiritual energy points had increased by 20 in one go.

She was quite satisfied with this result; it was equivalent to four days of her usual cultivation!

Hua Changxi calculated that one jin of Spirit Essence Powder could help her increase her spiritual energy by 1,000 points.

Once she reached 1,000 points, would she be able to enter the next realm?

"Helping Yu Gui this time was a massive profit!"

Hua Changxi carefully put away the Spirit Essence Powder and headed to the dining hall for breakfast with a beaming smile.

Upon entering the dining hall, she received a warm reception from Manager Qin and the others.

"Changxi, my body often feels unwell. Could you take a look and see if I have some kind of ailment?"

Granny Sun had told Manager Qin and the others about Hua Changxi using the kitchen to make medicine last night. Upon learning that she actually knew how to prepare medicine—and that she was no worse than the people in the Apprentice Hall—their trust in her medical skills grew even deeper.

Hua Changxi smiled and performed the traditional diagnosis (looking, listening, questioning, and feeling) for everyone. After prescribing a few formulas, her breakfast became even more sumptuous; items she had never seen in the dining hall, such as eggs and salted eggs, appeared before her.

Hua Changxi liked this harmonious atmosphere where everyone benefited, and she happily ate up their kindness.

However, this happiness did not last long; it vanished the moment she walked toward the front courtyard.

"That's her. She's been mixing around with the people in the warehouse. She stayed in the warehouse for most of yesterday and didn't come back until dark. Who knows what they were doing in there?"

"I heard she wakes up late every day, yet the herbs she collects from the warehouse are easier to clean and process than those of people who go much earlier."

"The male laborers in the warehouse don't do anything without a profit. They wouldn't look after a young lady for no reason."

Then, the speaker began to wink and nudge, wearing a meaningful smirk.

Watching the pointed stares and listening to the suggestive whispers, Hua Changxi's brow furrowed into a knot. She glanced at Wang Yunchu and the others, who were also whispering, and then left the Sixth Bureau without saying a word.

(End of Chapter)