Chapter 119 The Grand Duke Speaks, the Lady Accompanies Him

The prescription states: "Liuli Shengyu Dan (琉璃生玉丹) requires 10 grams each of 'Shenghuang' (生黄), 'Tai Sui' (太岁), 'Ganchong' (干虫), and 'Gupuzi' (古朴子)."

The method of refining it was not recorded.

Li Xian secretly regretted it; if he could have seen the refining method, it would have been like finding gold. He would have gotten a huge bargain for nothing.

He verbally professed loyalty, but in reality, he always planned to start his own business. However, everything must be based on strength.

"Madam, is alchemy very difficult?"

Li Xian checked the prescription and searched along the medicine cabinet. Having had more contact with Madam Wen, he had figured out her personality and was much bolder in his usual conversations and questions.

Pang Long blindly respected and feared his wife, remaining utterly loyal and daring not to utter a single word. In reality, although his wife was snobbish and cold, she was by no means someone who could not be talked to.

As long as you don't offend her, there's no problem with normal conversation and questions.

Madam Wen was also fetching medicine. The true formula for the Glazed Jade Elixir was in her mind. However, she often divided the formula into parts and stored them in the Fragrant Pavilion or in her usual residence.

The purpose is to make it easy to recall and ponder at any time.

“It is extremely difficult,” Madam Wen said.

She moved slightly to a spot, her fair fingers pulled open the medicine cabinet, and took out a white silk gauze bag.

With a flick of her wrist, she revealed a gauze bag containing more than ten small insects. Each one shimmered with silver light and was very lively.

"Silver Dragon...take four." She murmured to herself. Even for her, taking out the small insects required great care.

The Silver Dragon is a strange insect in the world, possessing extreme toxicity that can corrode flesh and blood in an instant.

It needs to be entangled with silkworm silk to gradually calm it down. Without spraying poison, Madam Wen pointed her finger in the air, controlling the silkworm silk with her inner energy to completely wrap the silver dragon.

If Li Xianruo saw this, he would surely notice that Madam Wen's method of controlling Qi was quite similar to the Azure Palm. However, the difference between the two was as vast as heaven and earth.

After the four silver dragons were wrapped up, they went into hibernation. Lady Wen put them into a brocade bag and immediately went to retrieve the next medicine.

She was already very familiar with Yunxiang Tower; she knew exactly what medicinal herbs were and where they were located without much thought. Her method of retrieving the herbs was also quite impressive.

It's quite peculiar.

"Firefly-free water"

This is a special type of water; it is transparent, colorless, odorless, and intangible. When the medicine cabinet is opened, it appears empty.

The method of taking it is also quite interesting.

Madam Wen pulled out a strand of fabric and then took out a gold accessory from the clothing accessories at her left waist.

She gently bent the gold accessory, turning it into a thin gold hook.

Then, he forced a drop of blood from between his index fingers. The blood was quite peculiar; although it was red, it had no fishy smell, but rather a pleasant fragrance.

The blood droplets hung on the golden hook, which was then lowered and suspended in the medicine cabinet without fireflies.

Holding a silk thread, she was actually... using gold as a hook and blood as bait, fishing for that formless and intangible water.

The blood hanging on the golden hook gradually turned blue.

However, it will take time to completely extract water.

The medicinal herbs in Yunxiang Pavilion were truly her most prized possessions. Now that obtaining them was so troublesome, one could only imagine how much effort it must have taken to collect them back then.

"Madam, do you think... I can learn alchemy?" Li Xian was still searching for ingredients in the pill formula.

The corresponding medicine cabinet has not been found to date.

Madam Wen needed to wait patiently, as this matter couldn't be rushed. She wasn't averse to Li Xian's question and asked, "You want to learn alchemy?"

Li Xian thought about it very much. Heaven rewards diligence... If applied to alchemy, it would be incredibly powerful.

Throughout history, alchemy has always been a profession that demands immense investment but yields highly uncertain returns. Despite Madam Wen's diligent efforts in refining elixirs, failure in the end is entirely possible.

"It's not that I want to learn, I'm just very curious." Li Xian couldn't say he wanted to learn, lest his wife become suspicious. Besides, he had just obtained the "Innate Embryo Cleansing Diagram," and to ask for alchemy methods now would be too greedy, making his wife realize his "wolfish ambitions."

He then asked, "Madam, do you say that such an elixir can grant immortality and allow one to ascend to heaven? Does such a person truly exist?"

Madam Wen said calmly, "Focus on getting the medicine. If you make any mistakes, then go and get the cane again."

Li Xian, being sensible, stopped asking. Madam Wen was lost in thought; these strange tales and unusual events might not necessarily be false.

"Found it!"

Li Xian was overjoyed, having finally found the "raw yellow" medicine cabinet. There were hidden knocks on both sides of the cabinet; knocking them open allowed the medicine cabinet to be pulled out.

That raw yellow thing is a kind of insect. It has a very strong fishy smell, and its appearance is disgusting. It's slimy and sticky, and the medicine cabinet is full of its slime.

Fortunately, it was not poisonous.

Li Xian fetched a medicine scale and poured the sticky insects into it. He measured out ten grams and placed them in a special medicine bag.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Next is the "Tai Sui," which is next to the raw yellow fruit; it's just a few steps away.

"I also had a Tai Sui in my past life. I wonder if these two things are similar, or if they just happen to have the same name."

Li Xian muttered to himself.

He opened the hidden door, pulled open the medicine cabinet, and a stench assaulted his nostrils. It felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his mind, and he involuntarily took three steps back.

"This stuff stinks!" Li Xian covered his mouth and nose, feeling the stench permeate everything.

"Madam Wen asked me to fetch the medicine, probably because she finds these herbs disgusting and doesn't want to handle them herself, so she called me here!"

Li Xian understood immediately and glanced at Madam Wen. She noticed that Madam Wen was also looking at her, her gaze tinged with interest.

Li Xian's eyes were red and tears streamed down his face. It wasn't that he was crying, but rather that the scent was capable of bringing tears to one's eyes. He squinted and moved closer again, only then able to see Tai Sui's true form clearly.

It was a dark, fleshy mass.

"It is similar to the description in my previous life, but there are definitely differences. They are two different things." Li Xian had been practicing martial arts for half a year, during which he had experienced many hardships and dangers. But most of them were fights with others. Only today, with his wife's guidance, could he glimpse a corner of these strange things.

There was a pair of jade scissors inside the medicine cabinet.

Li Xian made a cut from the corner, and a piece of flesh fell off the Tai Sui.

"Hey, which bastard dares to disturb my sleep!" A curse suddenly rang out.

The black Tai Sui twitched slightly.

"Wen Caishang, you bitch, you've come to take your grandpa's medicine again!"

"Believe it or not, I'll spill all your secrets!"

"You slut, you slut, you slut!"

A series of curses followed.

"Hey, who are you, kid? You dare to cut my grandpa's hair? Don't you want to die?" the Black Demon said.

Li Xian was greatly surprised and looked at Madam Wen.

Madam Wen said, "No need to worry about it, just weigh it."

Li Xian placed the meat on the medicine scale and found it was four grams short. He immediately cut it with jade scissors and found it was still one gram short.

"Excuse me, Senior Tai Sui," Li Xian said. The jade scissors snipped again, and the Black Tai Sui cursed, "You wretched brat, you bastard cut me three times!"

"Couldn't you have cut more at once and then give me back the extra? Ouch... my meat!"

Li Xian asked, "If I switch the meat back, can you still use it?"

Hei Tai Sui said, "Nonsense, of course!" Upon hearing this, Li Xian became bolder and cut off a large piece.

After weighing out ten grams, the excess flesh was returned. The black fungus miraculously healed completely, a truly astonishing and eye-opening experience.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and close it, I'm going to sleep!"

"You wretched woman, Wen Caishang, I curse you to die a horrible death."

"I've been cursing you for years, and you haven't gotten away with it. Hey, I've got it! This time I'll bless you, hehe, this kid's really ugly, I wish you'll be..."

That black succubus was extremely noisy, chattering on and on.

Madam Wen was clearly tired of the Black Tai Sui's insults; her expression remained calm, completely unconcerned. She had heard in her youth that when the Tai Sui spoke, it was often a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But this Black Tai Sui is clearly an anomaly; its words carry no weight. It has been cursing her for years, yet there has been no sign of it. Besides… when Tai Sui speaks, it is usually sparing with its words; how could it spout such nonsense?

Li Xian closed the medicine cabinet, fastened the latch, and could no longer hear its curses.

"It's smelly, ugly, and noisy. No wonder Madam sent me to fetch it. If it were something good, why would it be my turn?" Li Xian rubbed her nose. She felt much better now.

Gu Pu Zi is a type of mountain fungus.

It was also difficult to weigh, but compared to the Tai Sui, it was much easier. Ten grams were quickly collected, and there was only one last item left: dried insects.

The corresponding medicine cabinet was found.

Upon opening it, they found the medicine cabinet completely empty. There wasn't a trace of the dried worms. Li Xian cried out, "Madam, the dried worms are gone!"

"there is none left?"

Madam Wen's medicinal herbs were already ninety percent complete. Upon hearing that the "dried worms" were exhausted, she was taken aback.

I walked quickly over and found the medicine cabinet completely empty.

It turned out that the "dried insects" they had used up last time had already been exhausted. Madam Wen, distracted by the Black Tai Sui's commotion, had conveniently overlooked this detail.

“Since the insects are all gone… it seems I need to go out.” Madam Wen frowned slightly.

Li Xian asked, "What about these medicinal herbs..." Madam Wen replied, "Store them for now. Make some preparations and come with me on a trip."

"Madam, shall I go too?" Li Xian asked in surprise.

Madam Wen nodded. "What, you don't want to take this opportunity to broaden your horizons?"

Li Xian thought to himself, "This lady is testing me again." He said, "I really want to go, but if I go, there will be no one to coordinate the guards in the manor, and Qingning County has been unstable lately. If thieves break into the manor, or even steal medicinal herbs, that would be terrible."

Seeing Li Xian's thoughtfulness, Madam Wen raised an eyebrow, quite pleased. But this time it wasn't a test; she had her own considerations:

“This boy is quite promising and worth cultivating. This time, when we leave the manor, we will need to deal with the pharmacy and encounter many shady characters. It would be best to have this boy accompany us and handle his affairs.”

"Moreover, he is young and handsome, and when I travel with him, I am just as respectable as I am when I give him orders."

The lady often left the estate.

However, he never took Qiuyue and Panglong out with him. The reason was that sending them out would only make him lose face.

Ironically, but it's true.

She said:

"Get ready, you're coming with me out of the village this time."

Without explanation, she moved with light, graceful steps, her long dress trailing on the ground without getting dusty, and left first.

Li Xian could only follow, and by the time they left Yunxiang Pavilion, it was already dusk.

Madam Wen said, "Leave the manor at 7 PM. If you are even a moment late, you will be punished with forty strokes of the cane."

Li Xian remained silent for a moment, watching Madam Wen depart. He didn't know whether this trip would be long or short, but he anticipated that he would be able to make contact with the pharmacy and broaden his horizons considerably.

I couldn't help but feel a secret sense of anticipation.

As for Yunxiang Pavilion... if the lady herself isn't nervous, then he needn't be.

"I never imagined that I would be able to follow Madam out and see the world so soon."

...

...

The hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

A sliver of the setting sun shone outside the village entrance.

Li Xian was tall and straight, full of youthful vigor, with a long sword on his left and a golden bow on his back, waiting early at the door.

A fragrant jade carriage drove up.

This is the first time Li Xian has seen the lady's attire when she goes out.

The vehicle's shape was sleek and black, made of black nanmu wood, with intricate craftsmanship throughout. The connection between the wheels and the body incorporated complex mechanisms; despite the steep road, the impact did not penetrate the carriage.

The carriage curtains were made of silk, inlaid with gold thread and pearls, and beautifully embroidered.

"Respect the clothes first, then the person." This saying popped into Li Xian's mind. Such a luxurious carriage would surely scare away most of the troublesome people who wouldn't know what was good for them.

Martial artists... are even more particular about their attire.

Carriages, horses, and houses are all symbols of status.

Madam Wen lifted the carriage curtain and saw Li Xian, who was dashing and upright, quite remarkable, unlike the peasant from Qingning County or the noble scion of a prominent family.

It has a unique style and temperament of its own.

Madam Wen stared at him for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "I hadn't noticed before, but this boy really does have some unique qualities."

He withdrew his gaze and lowered the carriage curtain.

"Li Xian, you drive the carriage. Since we've come all this way, let's go and pay a visit to my friend in the martial arts world first."

The sound came from inside the carriage.

...

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(End of this chapter)