Chapter 35: Moving Forward Step by Step

Chapter 35: Moving Forward Step by Step

Seven days had passed since her meeting with Eunuch Yu, yet Hua Changxi had not received any word from Yu Hui regarding her starting to refine medicine. On the contrary, every time she went to the warehouse to collect herbs, Yu Hui would actively avoid her.

This attitude made Hua Changxi realize that Eunuch Yu was not particularly keen on cooperating with her.

She wasn't particularly anxious about it, though.

There were likely only two reasons for Eunuch Yu's reluctance: first, he felt she was taking too much of the profit; second, he felt she was difficult to control. To him, a mere lowly laborer attempting to negotiate an equal partnership was likely seen as a form of provocation.

However, who could resist the temptation of making money?

The pills she refined required very few ingredients, and she used only the discarded medicinal scraps from the Labor Hall. For Eunuch Yu, the cost was practically zero.

A project that yielded pure profit with zero overhead was something that any sane person would cling to with both hands once they encountered it.

She believed that before long, Eunuch Yu would come to her of his own accord.

"Sixth Brother!"

Seeing Hua Liulang waiting by the back door of the Medical Bureau with a sizable bundle on his back, Hua Changxi began waving from a distance.

"Ninth Sister."

Ever since the day Hua Wuniang left, following Hua Changxi's instructions, Hua Liulang had come to visit her every few days. Each time he arrived, he brought either food prepared by Lady Yao or items like braised meats, roasted chicken, or pastries.

The boys of the Hua family earned 500 wen a month working at the apothecary.

Most of Hua Liulang's wages this month had been spent on food for Hua Changxi. At first, he had felt a bit of a sting in his wallet, but every time he saw his sister eating the things he brought with a beaming smile, the money spent didn't seem to matter as much.

"Sixth Brother, what delicious things did you bring me this time?"

Hua Changxi had quite the appetite. Even though she occasionally got to eat special meals in the Labor Hall, she was still a constant foodie.

Hua Liulang handed the bundle to her. Seeing his sister preoccupied with rummaging through the food, he couldn't help but say, "Don't just focus on eating. Mother prepared cotton clothes and trousers for you."

"Mother said the weather is getting colder by the day. She told me to make sure you stay warm and wear more layers. You must never stand in cold water to wash herbs; women cannot withstand the cold."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression paused for a moment.

Since the arrival of November, the weather had grown colder day by day. Because she was cultivating, her physical constitution had improved significantly; even when she submerged herself in water to wash herbs, she didn't feel particularly cold. However, the other laborers were not so fortunate.

Two or three of her roommates already had chilblains on their hands and feet.

Seeing that Hua Changxi remained silent, Hua Liulang thought of previous winters when his sister would huddle in bed all day because she was afraid of the cold. He said worriedly, "Ninth Sister, why don't you go back and apologize to Grandfather and Grandmother?"

"They won't truly do anything to you. Just don't stay in the Labor Hall..."

Before he could finish, Hua Changxi tossed him a paper packet about three fingers wide. He instinctively reached out to catch it. "What's this?"

Opening the packet and seeing the pills inside, while smelling the medicinal fragrance they emitted, Hua Liulang's eyes widened. He looked at Hua Changxi in excitement, "Ninth Sister, are these Blood Qi Pills?"

Hua Changxi gave a small huff and handed him two more paper packets.

Hua Liulang quickly opened them, his eyes widening even further.

Blood Qi Pills!

Body Tempering Pills!

Foundation Strengthening Pills!

He recognized all three. He had taken Blood Qi Pills and Body Tempering Pills before, and he had seen Foundation Strengthening Pills used by Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang.

Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow, watching the shocked Hua Liulang with a look of self-satisfaction.

Hua Liulang swallowed hard, muttering to himself, "Blood Qi Pills are 5 taels of silver each, Foundation Strengthening Pills are 10 taels each, and Body Tempering Pills are 50 taels each... and there are eight of each..."

Over five hundred taels of silver.

After his brief moment of joy, a look of panic surfaced on his face. He looked left and right, then hurriedly grabbed Hua Changxi, "Ninth Sister, where did you get these pills? What have you been doing?"

Hua Changxi had hoped her brother would worship her, but seeing him so terrified, she felt somewhat speechless. "Sixth Brother, what are you thinking? Of course, I refined these myself."

"You refined them?"

Hua Liulang's tone was thick with doubt and disbelief. "That can't be right. Ninth Sister, don't lie to me."

Hua Changxi grew unhappy and crossed her arms. "Why would I lie to you? Is there money in it? Don't forget, most of the medicinal pills in our family's apothecary are made by me."

Hua Liulang muttered, "But those are ordinary pills, not medicines for martial artists."

Hua Changxi snorted. "If Grandfather and Grandmother had listened to my suggestion earlier and bought some herbs for martial artists for me to study, perhaps our family's apothecary would have been selling martial arts medicine long ago."

Hua Liulang still found it hard to believe and asked again to be sure, "Are these pills really refined by you?"

"If you don't want them, fine." Hua Changxi made a move to take the packets back.

Hua Liulang immediately clutched the packets and took a quick step back, smiling apologetically as he retreated. "I believe you, alright?"

Hua Changxi didn't bother arguing with him. "You don't need the Foundation Strengthening Pills. When Father returns, give those to him. You keep the Blood Qi and Body Tempering pills for yourself."

Hua Liulang looked delighted, but then hesitated. "Shouldn't we hand them over to Grandfather and Grandmother for distribution?"

Hua Changxi glared at him. "They are my things; I decide." She paused. "It's only a few pills. With so many people in the family, if everyone gets one, what effect would it even have? It's better if you use them all yourself."

As she spoke, she patted Hua Liulang's shoulder. "Sixth Brother, I want to cultivate you into a Grandmaster. Don't let me down."

Everyone has their own circles of closeness. In the entire Hua family, aside from her parents, it was this silly sixth brother who was best to her. He practically indulged her in everything. Knowing he loved martial arts, she naturally prioritized him now that she had the pills.

Seeing that his sister thought so highly of him and even wanted him to become a Grandmaster, Hua Liulang was deeply moved. "Don't worry, Ninth Sister. I will practice hard and won't let anyone bully you."

Hua Changxi looked at him with complete trust. "Sixth Brother, I believe in you. Remember, you are not allowed to tell the family about these pills."

"If you tell them and cause trouble for me, don't even think about getting any more pills from me. You'll have to find your own way to practice martial arts."

Hua Liulang nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, I won't say a word."

Seeing that she had been out for quite a while, Hua Changxi said, "Sixth Brother, I have to go back to work. You should head back too. Remember, hide those pills well."

After watching Hua Liulang walk away, Hua Changxi returned to the Sixth Bureau and continued her routine of working and cultivating.

Two days later, when she went to the warehouse to collect herbs again, Yu Hui proactively greeted her.

Seeing this, the corners of Hua Changxi's mouth curled up imperceptibly.

"Sister Changxi, my godfather has managed to get another batch of discarded herbs. After you finish your duties today, could you stop by the courtyard where you met my godfather last time?"

Yu Hui looked at Hua Changxi somewhat nervously. He knew her temperament; he had been avoiding her for days and wondered if she was angry.

Hua Changxi didn't play hard to get; she simply smiled and agreed. "I'll head over after lunch."

The tension in Yu Hui's chest eased instantly. He wanted to explain a few things, but Hua Changxi waved him off. "Brother Yu, I know things haven't been easy for you. Fortunately, things worked out, so nothing else matters much."

This made Yu Hui feel even more uneasy. "Sister... from now on, you are like my own sister."

Hua Changxi laughed. "Brother Yu, just remember that we are friends." With that, she went to collect her herbs.

After lunch, Hua Changxi went to the courtyard where she had previously met Eunuch Yu. Last time, the young eunuch had moved too quickly, so she hadn't looked closely at the surroundings.

"Qihuang Hall."

Hua Changxi noticed that the surrounding courtyards were all called by this name. These courtyards had no plaques; the words 'Qihuang Hall' were carved directly into the stone walls.

She hadn't entered the wrong courtyard, as Yu Hui was standing at the entrance waiting for her.

"Sister Changxi, remember, this is Hall Number Nine. Don't enter the wrong one next time."

Yu Hui pointed to a stone pillar about three feet high at the entrance, which had the character 'Si' (tomb/seal) carved on it.

Hua Changxi asked, "These courtyards look quite old. They have a real sense of history."

Yu Hui replied, "They should have been built a long time ago. I heard the architecture here in the Medical Bureau has looked like this since the previous dynasty and hasn't changed."

Hua Changxi was surprised. "The previous dynasty? That's quite a long time."

The Great Jin Dynasty was different from the feudal dynasties she had learned about in her previous life's textbooks; this was a dynasty that had endured for nearly a thousand years.

She had always been curious as to why this dynasty could maintain such long-lasting rule. Unfortunately, her social circle was too narrow to ever find out.

As they spoke, the two walked into the courtyard.

Upon entering, Hua Changxi was met with even more discarded herbs than last time.

Feeling a bit worried, she looked at Yu Hui. "Is it really okay to bring in this many discarded herbs?"

Yu Hui lowered his voice quickly. "Don't worry, it's fine. I only found out these past two days that my godfather has the authority to move these discarded herbs. As long as it's not too excessive, even if the higher-ups find out, they'll turn a blind eye."

"Even in your Labor Hall, before processed herbs are sent to the warehouse, Eunuch Jia and the others can take some out for their own use."

"These are considered a kind of invisible benefit within the Medical Bureau, available to everyone from the Director down to the managers of the Labor Hall."

Hua Changxi was instantly envious, yet also puzzled. "Since Eunuch Yu can use discarded herbs, has he never thought of finding a pharmacist to help him refine medicine before?"

Yu Hui replied, "My godfather probably didn't think much of these discarded herbs in the past."

Hadn't Pharmacist Xu from the Sixth Street called these discarded herbs "trash"? It was likely his godfather thought the same.

Hua Changxi marveled inwardly. A mere warehouse manager could command so many resources; having power was truly wonderful.

Eunuch Yu had not come this time, leaving everything in Yu Hui's hands.

Looking at the mountain-like piles of discarded herbs in the courtyard, Yu Hui looked at Hua Changxi with concern. "Sister Changxi, can you handle this by yourself?"

Seeing a well in the courtyard and a complete set of medicinal refining tools, Hua Changxi nodded. "I can." Since there was no time limit, she could just take her time. She rolled up her sleeves and walked toward the discarded herbs.

From about ten carts of discarded herbs, Hua Changxi sorted out three carts' worth of usable material.

After picking out the usable herbs, she washed away the parts that could not be used for medicine, leaving only two carts of material.

Next came the drying and processing based on the medicinal properties.

Some herbs required long processing times, while others were quick. Furthermore, one or two rounds of sorting might not yield a complete formula for a single pill, so Hua Changxi had to store the herbs in the room.

In the following days, Eunuch Yu would bring ten carts of discarded herbs to pile up in the courtyard every day.

Hua Changxi worked her shifts in the morning and came here in the afternoon to sort, wash, dry, and process the usable herbs.

[Encyclopedia of Processing (Minor Success): Processed Herbs 100/1000]

When the processed herbs reached 100, various pieces of knowledge regarding the processing of spiritual plants and spiritual beasts were implanted into Hua Changxi's mind.

She realized then that the reason the Yuanling Powder she had refined last time had low spiritual energy was not just because the herbs had withered and lost their energy, but also because she had not performed the proper processing.

"I wonder if the medicinal manor will still send Yuanling Grass?"

Hua Changxi pondered this. She needed to check the warehouse more often; what if she stumbled upon Yuanling Grass again?

Once she had stored enough varieties of herbs, Hua Changxi began attempting to refine various pills based on the medicinal property explanations in the *Commentary on the Classic of a Hundred Herbs*.

She didn't succeed every time; she wasted many herbs as well.

Even though she didn't have to pay for these materials, she cherished them deeply. Consequently, by the end of November, she had refined a significant amount of pills.

Looking at the several porcelain bottles shaped like gourds, each the size of an adult's palm, sitting on the table, Eunuch Yu's cheek twitched.

Even the most extravagant pharmacist wouldn't use such large porcelain bottles to hold pills, making them look as if they were cheap.

"Godfather, there are 500 each of Blood Qi Pills, Body Tempering Pills, and Foundation Strengthening Pills; 100 Bone Forging Pills; 100 Viscera Pills; and 50 Meridian Unblocking Pills."

As Yu Hui named each type of pill, Eunuch Yu's eyes brightened. After mentally calculating how much silver he could earn from selling these, he saw that both Hua Changxi and Yu Hui were looking at him expectantly.

Damn it, he forgot he had to give them their share!

The thought of giving away sixty percent of the profit made Eunuch Yu's heart tremble.

However, for the sake of long-term steady income, Eunuch Yu's hands shook as he personally handed over the shares belonging to Hua Changxi and Yu Hui.

Holding the pills, Hua Changxi's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Thank you, Eunuch Yu. I will work harder next month and strive to refine even more."

Eunuch Yu glanced at her. "Once December arrives, the amount of herbs sent from various places will decrease significantly, and there will be even fewer discarded herbs. From now on, just come once every five days."

Hearing that she couldn't come every day in December, Hua Changxi felt a bit of regret, but she knew that haste makes waste and adjusted her mindset accordingly.

With this batch of pills, she had enough to sustain her brother's cultivation for a while, and she could also sell them for silver. She should be content.

Furthermore, after processing so many herbs during this period, many of her stats had increased.

[Commentary on the Classic of a Hundred Herbs (Perfection)] [Immaculate Technique (Perfection)] [Encyclopedia of Processing (Perfection): Processed Herbs 4608/10000] [Complete Guide to Meridian Mapping (Perfection): Grinding Herbs 3511/10000] [Fusion Technique (Perfection): Compounding Fused Pills 2672/10000] [Pill Condensation Technique (Perfection): Condensing Pills 2672/10000] [Preservation Technique (Perfection): Preserving Pills 2672/10000]

The *Commentary on the Classic of a Hundred Herbs* had been fully inherited. Hua Changxi now knew that after Mortal Plants, Spiritual Plants, and Divine Plants, came Dao Plants.

Dao Plants: those that perceive the rules of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, clarify the mind and settle the spirit, transcend all desires, and seek the true self...

Divine Plants were tens of thousands of species fewer than Spiritual Plants, with only a few thousand existing, while Dao Plants were even rarer, with only a few hundred, and their growing conditions were extremely harsh.

Based on the four major chapters of the *Commentary*, Hua Changxi could roughly guess the stages of cultivation.

Knowing the general stages of cultivation gave her a deeper understanding of the process.

This made Hua Changxi very happy. Although she had almost no channels to obtain information about cultivation, she was still moving forward steadily, step by step.

As long as she was making progress, that was enough!