Eight hundred and fifty pills—this was Qin Mu's achievement this time, a rather astonishing number. However, this wasn't surprising; as long as the quantity of medicinal herbs was sufficient and the spiritual energy was adequate, it would work. Often, a batch of pills would only yield one or two dozen, because the proportion of medicinal herbs was insufficient. Relatively speaking, refining more at once actually saved more time.
"The Yin-Yang Pill is divided into Yin Pill and Yang Pill, and there are also requirements for the refining time. One pill is refined during the day and ends when the sun sets; the Yin Pill is refined at night and ends when the sky is just beginning to lighten." Han Chen explained while collecting the pills.
This is the refining of special pills, which requires precise timing. Qin Mu had heard of this before. There are twelve two-hour periods in a day, and for some special pills, there are strict requirements for the start and end times.
"Brother Han! Do you think that if ordinary tonics were refined using alchemy methods, would they be more effective?" Qin Mu asked.
"The medicinal effect is certainly better! However, every medicine has some toxicity. Although alchemy eliminates the toxicity, it has stronger spiritual and medicinal properties. Ordinary people probably cannot withstand it and it may even harm their bodies, so there is no need for it." Han Chen was slightly taken aback before answering.
Qin Mu thought about it and understood. Pills are meant to be consumed. When the pill furnace is used to refine them, the medicinal properties and spiritual energy are compressed into the pills. If it is a cultivator, they can withstand it, but if it is an ordinary person, their internal organs may not be able to accept such a large burst of spiritual energy.
The body cannot tolerate strong tonics! That's the principle. Without the corresponding constitution, one cannot withstand such strong tonics.
"If we compress spiritual energy into ordinary medicinal herbs, could it be used as a spiritual energy replenishment pill?" Qin Mu asked again.
Han Chen nodded, then shook his head and said, "It's feasible! Not only can it replenish spiritual energy, but it can also be absorbed like the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. However, there are two problems. Everyone's spiritual energy is different. The method you described involves infusing one's own spiritual energy into the medicinal herbs. When others use it to recover their spiritual energy, they won't be able to unleash its full power because the spiritual energy is different from their own. In a battle, if two people are evenly matched, using the pill might actually make one weaker than their opponent."
"Therefore, this kind of pill is best consumed by the person who refines it," Qin Mu said thoughtfully.
“That’s right! But this can only be used as an emergency measure. After all, it’s a pill, and long-term use will cause erysipelas because those medicinal properties are unnecessary for your body,” Han Chen reminded him.
"Hmm!" Qin Mu nodded slightly. He understood the principle of pill toxicity. Even pills refined in a pill-refining furnace contain impurities. Moreover, because they have been compressed, the toxicity from these medicinal materials is greater than that from taking the medicinal materials directly. Therefore, no pill should be taken frequently.
"One more thing, this pill needs to be sealed and stored, so there's no chance to take it during battle. Therefore, its effect will be minimal," Han Chen reminded him.
Qin Mu wasn't worried about this, as the Heavenly Mystery Tower was quite convenient to store and retrieve. However, ordinary people did face this problem: where would they find the opportunity to take pills during battle, and after the battle, it seemed unnecessary unless another battle was about to begin.
"One last question: ordinary medicinal herbs can only compress a limited amount of spiritual energy. Think about it, how much medicine would you need to take to restore your spiritual energy? Good medicinal herbs are hard to come by, so consuming them like this is not cost-effective." Han Chen said with a slight smile, holding up one finger.
Qin Mu understood this principle: good medicinal herbs are not only valued for their high price, but also for their potent medicinal properties. It's not simply a matter of potent medicinal properties; you need matching herbs to complement them. Otherwise, how can you refine pills? Therefore, using high-grade herbs to refine this kind of pill is extremely uneconomical, and requires extensive experience to identify the appropriate herbs for the right medicinal properties.
The two exchanged their insights on alchemy before leaving the room. Of course, Han Chen mainly spoke while Qin Mu listened. Han Chen had observed Qin Mu all night and had noticed some issues. Based on his rich experience, what he said was very helpful to Qin Mu, and details that he hadn't paid attention to before suddenly became clear to him.
This is due to a lack of experience. For example, the control of heat is mainly divided into gentle heat and strong heat, but what should the gentle heat be? How long should the strong heat last? If you grasp it well, you will not only be able to do it easily and freely without feeling flustered, but you can also save time.
Qin Mu did not give up on discussing the pills that replenish spiritual energy with Han Chen. The Five Elements Pill is a single-purpose pill because it combines medicinal herbs and spiritual energy. So, by the same logic, can't other pills be refined?
That's definitely possible, Qin Mu was certain of that, although he had never encountered any pill formulas in this area. But what Qin Mu was thinking about was the Qi of Righteousness! Secret scrolls, precious scrolls, and classic texts—items used by great Confucian scholars for many years—since these could be used as resources to restore cultivation, what about pills containing the Qi of Righteousness?
No one in the Confucian school practiced alchemy, and Qin Mu didn't know why. Li Gang also didn't know how to practice alchemy, but that didn't stop him from learning the art. Curiosity and a spirit of research are common traits in many people, especially when it comes to something mysterious; this curiosity is even stronger then.
According to Li Gang, Confucian self-cultivation, with its focus on reading and practicing the Six Arts and Eight Refined Arts, already consumed too much time, making alchemy unnecessary. Furthermore, Confucianism emphasizes enlightenment and travel for learning, which is paramount. Composing a divinely inspired poem is far superior to alchemy, hence the absence of the concept of alchemy in Confucianism.
The Confucian spirit of righteousness can ward off external evils, prevent all diseases, and protect against all evil influences. There is no need to study alchemy. Only some enthusiasts may study the art of traditional Chinese medicine, but that is just medical knowledge and an understanding of the human body.
However, there was no time to refine pills today. With that on mind, the two went to the front yard and found that the Six Doors were crowded with people today.
"It's so lively!" Qin Mu said with a smile as he stepped into the hall.
"Ha! Huai Dao, you're out! Come on! Let me introduce you to some new friends." Cheng Huai Mo craned his neck to look and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Brother Qin!" Two surprised voices rang out at the same time.
"Brother Huang, Brother Zhang! What are you doing here?" Qin Mu was also very surprised to see the two men through the crowd. The two men were Huang Sanjian and Zhang Yi.
"You're in this government office?" Zhang Yi asked, his eyes wide.
"Yes!" Qin Mu nodded.
"What a coincidence! We saw the recruitment notice from the Six Doors and came to apply," Huang Sanjian explained with a smile.
"Hehe! How come you don't know him? This is one of the four great constables of the Six Doors!" Cheng Huaimo grinned.
"Don't listen to his boasting! He's just a minor official."
"Hehe! So Brother Qin is one of the patrol officers, my apologies!" Huang Sanjian said with a smile.
“Yes! We inquired yesterday, and the people of Chang’an have nothing but praise for you!” Zhang Yi nodded vigorously from the side.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com