Chapter 51: Dan Saint Hall

Chapter 51: The Pill Saint Hall

Hua Changxi being punished to labor at Sancha Medicinal Manor caused quite a stir in the Sixth Bureau. When she went to the dining hall to eat, Manager Qin and others all tried to persuade her to bow her head and apologize to Eunuch Lu.

It took a great deal of effort for Hua Changxi to dismiss Manager Qin and the others. Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, Granny Sun arrived: "Granny Sun."

Granny Sun did not attempt to persuade her; she simply said, "The medicinal manors of the Medical Bureau are all overseen by Grandmasters."

Previously, when Hua Changxi had forced back Mao Yong and his group, the people in the Labor Hall had been speculating that she was a martial artist. Hua Changxi had heard of this and could guess that she likely possessed some ability to protect herself.

However, such meager self-defense might not be enough when facing a Grandmaster.

Granny Sun took a liking to the young girl and truly did not want to see her sink into the mire, so she couldn't resist coming over to offer a warning.

Upon learning that a Grandmaster presided over the manor, Hua Changxi's expression instantly turned solemn.

A Grandmaster.

With her current realm, could she deal with a Grandmaster?

Hua Changxi recalled her confrontations with Eunuch Yu and the one-armed man brought by Mao Yong. Yu Gui had mentioned that Eunuch Yu was a Seventh-Rank martial artist, and the one-armed man was likely similar.

The pressure released by those two had had no effect on her. Although she didn't know exactly how strong a Grandmaster was, if a Grandmaster could only suppress her with internal strength, she likely wouldn't be in danger.

Her main concern was a Grandmaster's actual combat effectiveness. Having never fought anyone before, her combat prowess was almost zero.

Even if she knew some spells, she might not be able to guarantee a win once a fight actually broke out.

However, even if she couldn't win, self-defense should be no problem.

Since entering the Qi Sea Realm, even though she cultivated every second she could, her progress was extremely slow. Therefore, even if going to Sancha Medicinal Valley might involve danger, she was determined to go and find the Primordial Spirit Grass.

Hua Changxi looked at Granny Sun: "Granny, thank you for telling me this. I will be careful."

Seeing that even the mention of a Grandmaster couldn't scare Hua Changxi away, Granny Sun gave her a deep look. "As long as you know what you're doing." With that, she prepared to head back to the kitchen.

"Granny!"

Hua Changxi called out to her.

Granny Sun turned around to look at her: "Something else?"

Hua Changxi pulled Granny Sun down to sit: "Granny, do you know that old, dilapidated courtyard near the plaza?"

Granny Sun's expression changed abruptly as she looked at Hua Changxi: "Why are you asking about that?"

Seeing this reaction, Hua Changxi immediately understood that the woman knew of the courtyard. Instead of answering, she asked, "An old, hunched man lives in that courtyard. Do you know who he is, Granny?"

Granny Sun watched Hua Changxi silently. Just as Hua Changxi thought she wouldn't answer, she spoke: "That old fellow is called Gu Xing. He's just a courtyard keeper."

Hua Changxi was not satisfied with this answer. If the hunched old man truly was just a courtyard keeper, why would Eunuch Yu have abandoned the pursuit of her just because he saw the old man?

Granny Sun: "That old fellow rarely comes out. Even the elders in the Labor Hall might not know him. How do you know of him?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "I was passing by the plaza yesterday and suddenly felt unwell. I happened to run into Senior Gu as he was opening the gates. He probably saw that I couldn't even walk, so he let me into the courtyard to rest."

Hearing this, Granny Sun stood up abruptly and asked in surprise, "He invited you into his courtyard to rest?"

Seeing such a strong reaction, Hua Changxi immediately pressed further: "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

Granny Sun did not answer, but instead looked at Hua Changxi inquisitively, deeply puzzled as to why Gu Xing would invite such a young girl into his courtyard.

Hua Changxi continued: "That Senior Gu must be very old, and his back is so hunched that he looks quite frightening. Granny, he wouldn't be a bad person, would he?"

Granny Sun's expression straightened, and she sat back down. "That old fellow just looks scary; he's not a bad man. If you encounter him again and he invites you in, just go in and sit for a while."

Hua Changxi's expression shifted, and she shook her head: "No, I'm afraid."

Upon hearing this, a look of anxiety flashed across Granny Sun's face before quickly being suppressed. She looked at Hua Changxi, hesitating to speak, before finally sighing: "That old fellow is actually a pitiful person."

Hua Changxi put on a look of surprise and watched Granny Sun curiously, waiting for her to continue.

Granny Sun: "What do you think of the location chosen for the Medical Bureau?"

Hua Changxi: "It's excellent. Surrounded by mountains to the north, adjacent to the Tonghua Gate to the east, with water channels flowing at both ends, and the Imperial Palace to the west. The location is too good."

Granny Sun nodded. "Do you know? Before the Imperial Court established the Medical Bureau, this place was actually called the Pill Saint Hall. It was the property of an old, prestigious clan."

Hua Changxi blinked: "That clan wouldn't happen to be surnamed Gu, would it?"

Granny Sun: "It is indeed the Gu clan. The Imperial Court took an interest in the Pill Saint Hall and forcibly requisitioned it."

"After the court took over the Pill Saint Hall, they changed nothing except the name. They only renovated a few damaged areas."

"The Gu family was a medicinal clan. Initially, the court allowed the Gu family members to serve in the Medical Bureau, but as the court's control over the Bureau grew stricter, it reached a point where only that old courtyard in the plaza still belongs to the Gu family—and Gu Xing is the only one left of the Gu clan."

Hua Changxi hadn't expected such a story: "Granny, has that stone tripod in the plaza always been there?"

This was what she was most concerned about.

The Shennong Cauldron sat quietly in her mind; after her cultivation, it had only passed the medical inheritance to her and had remained silent ever since.

Yesterday, it was only after looking at the stone tripod that she had suffered a splitting headache, which then led to the summoning of the Shennong Cauldron.

There was definitely a connection between the two.

Granny Sun nodded. "That stone tripod is ancient. I think it's called something like the Medicine Ancestor Cauldron."

Medicine Ancestor!

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered. When people spoke of the Medicine Ancestor, they referred to only one person: Shennong.

The Medicine Ancestor Cauldron, the Shennong Cauldron—the names were different, but they both pointed to the same person.

Hua Changxi thought of the magnificent palace she had seen in her trance. That hunched old man was certainly not as simple as Granny Sun described, and combined with the sudden summoning of the Shennong Cauldron, there were definitely great secrets hidden here.

As for these secrets, Hua Changxi was in no hurry to unravel them. Right now, she only wanted to increase her realm as quickly as possible. Only when her martial strength was sufficient would she have the confidence to explore this mysterious and unpredictable world.

Afterward, Hua Changxi did not chat much more with Granny Sun, but she once again confirmed in her heart that Granny Sun was not a simple person.

And then there was that Su Ruoli. When she had grabbed Hua Changxi's wrist yesterday, she had sensed the internal strength within her. She was a martial artist.

The waters of the Medical Bureau were getting deeper and deeper; all sorts of strange characters were emerging.

Since she was to go to Sancha Medicinal Manor the day after tomorrow, Hua Changxi considered whether she should go home. But the thought of her family—if they found out she was punished to the manor, they would likely either try to stop her or scold her—made her abandon the idea.

Not knowing how long she would stay at Sancha Medicinal Manor, Hua Changxi thought for a moment and found Pharmacist Xu. She gave him the one hundred Bone Forging Pills, fifty Viscera Pills, and fifty Pulse-Clearing Pills she had received from her collaboration with Eunuch Yu in the first month, asking him to help deliver them to Hua Liulang.

Looking at the pills, Pharmacist Xu was greatly surprised: "Jiu Niang, tell me, where did you get these pills?"

Hua Changxi did not hide anything and briefly explained her work refining medicine for others.

After hearing this, Pharmacist Xu did not have much of a reaction.

This actually surprised Hua Changxi: "Uncle Xu, I thought you would lecture me."

Pharmacist Xu laughed. "Once you enter the Medical Bureau, you are no longer a child who needs family to take responsibility for you. As long as you know what you are doing and can bear the consequences, I will only be happy for you."

As he spoke, he patted Hua Changxi on the shoulder. "Jiu Niang, you have now stepped onto a path where you are responsible for yourself. The road ahead is long; there will be thorns, and there will be flowers. Just do not lose yourself."

Hua Changxi smiled. Compared to the various worries of others, she preferred Pharmacist Xu's trust: "Uncle Xu, thank you. I will walk my path well."

"By the way, Uncle Xu, has A-Ling's illness improved?"

At the mention of his daughter, the smile on Pharmacist Xu's face grew wider: "Yes, since the start of spring, A-Ling hasn't been sleeping so much."

Seeing that Pharmacist Xu did not mention the snake scales, Hua Changxi knew it was a taboo subject and did not ask further. After some more small talk, she returned to the Labor Hall.

On the eighteenth of the second month, Hua Changxi left the Sixth Bureau with a single bundle on her back, under the worried gazes of Wang Yunchu and the others, and arrived at the rear gate of the Medical Bureau to assemble.

There were over a hundred laborers assigned to help at Sancha Medicinal Manor, all of whom were male laborers; Hua Changxi was the only woman.

As soon as Hua Changxi appeared, everyone's eyes fell upon her.

Feeling the scrutiny of the crowd, although Hua Changxi felt uncomfortable, she endured it.

She had obtained the opportunity to cultivate and the inheritance of Shennong; she had already received a massive "cheat." In this situation, if she even hesitated to seek out cultivation resources, she might as well stop cultivating altogether.

The leader was a tall, burly middle-aged man with a large beard. The bearded man glanced at Hua Changxi, checked the names on the list, and once everyone was accounted for, he turned and climbed onto a carriage.

"Move out!"

Sancha Medicinal Manor was dozens of kilometers away from the capital, but there were only five freight carriages in the group. Aside from a few managers, everyone else had to rely on their own legs.

Hua Changxi walked at the very end of the line, choosing to directly ignore the various subtle glances and whispers of the crowd.

Once they left the capital's territory, the carriages began to move, and the others had to run to keep up.

By noon, the bearded man finally allowed everyone to stop and rest on the spot, then began distributing dry rations.

After running for half a day, everyone was panting heavily. The bearded man glanced at Hua Changxi, whose complexion remained normal and whose breathing was steady, and looked somewhat thoughtful.

After eating the rations and resting for fifteen minutes, they resumed their journey.

For the first half of the day, no one came to cause trouble for Hua Changxi, but by the afternoon, a young manager jumped down from a carriage and approached her with a smile.

Seeing this, the others all wore expressions of watching a show.

The bearded man also looked over, but he said nothing.

Sha Wenyuan was the second manager under Eunuch Lu, and he had been specifically instructed by Eunuch Lu to ensure that Hua Changxi suffered enough hardship.

"How can we let a little lady like you run alongside the carriages? Come, come with brother and sit in the carriage." As he spoke, he reached out to grab Hua Changxi's hand.

Hua Changxi looked at Sha Wenyuan expressionlessly. Just as his hand was about to touch her, she grabbed his arm. Without holding back her strength, with a "crack," she snapped his arm directly.

Then, she raised her right leg and kicked Sha Wenyuan's shin fiercely.

Another "crack"—Sha Wenyuan's shin was broken as well.

Hua Changxi flung Sha Wenyuan away. He fell to the ground, his expression one of agony, his features contorted, making frantic "he-he" sounds in his throat.

At this moment, he was in so much pain that he could not even let out a scream.

Hua Changxi did not stop there. She knew very well that if she did not intimidate these people all at once, what awaited her would be endless harassment.

Under the horrified gazes of everyone, Hua Changxi stepped her foot onto Sha Wenyuan's chest.

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of blood sprayed from Sha Wenyuan's mouth.

"Stop!"

Seeing that Sha Wenyuan was breathing more out than in, the bearded man finally snapped out of his shock, jumped down from the carriage, and came to intervene.

Hua Changxi looked around at everyone expressionlessly, then smiled at the bearded man: "Don't worry, Manager. I am a healer; I know how to exercise restraint."

"I won't dirty my hands and end up with a murder charge just for the sake of a piece of trash."

As she spoke, she kicked Sha Wenyuan again. "This piece of garbage won't die."

The bearded man looked at the extremely arrogant Hua Changxi, his eyes sharp: "You have quite the nerve."

Hua Changxi smiled faintly: "If I didn't have nerve, how could I have appeared here?"

Now that she was outside the Medical Bureau, she wasn't afraid of these people. They couldn't send her back; at most, they could only punish her by making her stay at the manor longer.

But this happened to be exactly what she wanted.

The bearded man stared at Hua Changxi for a while. Just when everyone thought he was going to punish her, he turned and walked away without saying a word, only ordering a few people to carry Sha Wenyuan onto a carriage.

They continued their journey.

As darkness fell, the bearded man had more dry rations distributed. After eating, they were not allowed to rest but continued to travel through the night.

After a night of travel, as the first light of dawn appeared, the group finally arrived at Sancha Medicinal Manor.

"Manager Zhu."

"Manager Mao."

Every year at this time, the Medical Bureau would send laborers to the manor to help with the harvesting and planting of medicinal herbs. Since it was official business, Mao Yong had been waiting early.

"You've traveled for a day and a night; you brothers have worked hard. The manor has already prepared food. Come, follow me to eat first. Rest for a day after eating, and we start work tomorrow."

Mao Yong led the group into the manor, but when he saw Hua Changxi at the back of the crowd, the smile on his face instantly froze.

When Hua Changxi saw him looking, she gave him a friendly smile.

Seeing this, Mao Yong quickly averted his eyes and pulled the bearded man aside: "What's going on? Why is there a female laborer?"

Zhu Yu glanced at Hua Changxi: "She offended Eunuch Lu and was punished to labor here."

Hearing this, a thought occurred to Mao Yong. He had been intimidated into a public apology by this young girl in the Medical Bureau's warehouse, and he had been harboring a grudge ever since. Now that this girl had come to his territory, he had to find an opportunity to reclaim his lost face.

However, in the next moment, seeing the heavily injured Sha Wenyuan being carried off the carriage, and learning that this man had had his arm and leg broken and three ribs crushed by Hua Changxi, Mao Yong felt his scalp go numb.

However, remembering that a Grandmaster was stationed at the manor, Mao Yong's expression improved slightly.

He didn't believe this girl would dare to injure someone randomly right under a Grandmaster's nose.