Chapter 17 Gifts Sent
The head of the Zhong family sat at the stone table, his brows furrowed, clearly in a bad mood.
Zhong Cheng, the head butler of the Zhong family and also the bodyguard of the Zhong family patriarch, poured him a cup of tea.
However, Zhong Cheng did not speak for the time being, but considerately gave him some time to adjust his emotions.
As expected, half an hour later, the head of the Zhong family sighed and gulped down the tea.
"I made a mistake in making this decision."
Zhong Cheng poured him another cup.
The head of the Zhong family drank it again before waving his hand to indicate that there was no need to continue.
Zhong Cheng comforted him, saying, "Master, there's no need to be upset. It was Cai Gongzi's own choice. We didn't force him at all, and we even gave him extra dowry. Cai Gongzi will definitely remember this kindness. Besides, he is still very filial to his father, showing that he has a very kind heart."
The head of the Zhong family nodded, his expression softening slightly.
Both of them knew that it wasn't that they were afraid Zhong Cai would hold a grudge; they were actually regretting marrying him off to the Wu family!
The two level-two alchemists currently employed by the Zhong family are not as talented as Zhong Cai. It took them decades to barely advance to level two. But what about Zhong Cai? She has mastered two level-one pills in a short time. She might even reach level two in less than ten years.
Alchemists can live a long life as long as they consume a lot of elixirs.
If nothing unexpected happens, Zhong Cai will live a steady five hundred years. Surely his alchemy skills will improve by then?
But now, all the benefits belong to the Wu family.
If it had been another legitimate son who married into the family, it would have been the best of both worlds.
The head of the Zhong family said, "Since the fourth brother treats Cai'er well, let's leave it at that."
Zhong Cheng asked hesitantly, "Should we express something?"
After a moment's thought, the head of the Zhong family said, "Send a congratulatory gift in the name of the Zhong family, saying that it is to celebrate his becoming a first-level alchemist." He then calculated, "When those two clansmen first became first-level alchemists, the clan gave them 10,000 gold coins. Give Cai'er the same amount, and he will naturally understand our intention to be close to him."
Zhong Cheng agreed and immediately went to make preparations.
The head of the Zhong family stopped him and instructed, "Cai'er is calm and composed. You don't need to make a fuss when you go."
Zhong Cheng replied "Yes," and then quickly left.
·
In front of a small pavilion by a quiet lake, two girls dressed in tight-fitting clothes were sparring, each holding a long sword.
Both were beautiful and their moves were swift and decisive, each strike displaying power and attracting considerable attention.
After dozens of rounds of fierce fighting, the girl in crimson armor gained the upper hand, pressing her longsword against the neck of the girl in dark blue armor, forcing her to reluctantly admit defeat.
The one in the bright red outfit is Zhong Qian'er, and the one in the dark blue outfit is Zhong Lin'er.
Zhong Qian'er is one year older than Zhong Lin'er. Both of them are very diligent in their cultivation and have the same aptitude. It is only natural that Zhong Qian'er is slightly better than Zhong Lin'er.
In recent days, the two have often met up, either to exchange ideas or to travel together. Their friendship has become much more harmonious than before, and they have been competing with each other much less.
Nothing more than the two forming an alliance.
Originally, driven by their ambitions, they planned for all three to marry the same man, thus increasing their chances of entering the harem of a top genius. However, Zhong Qiao'er acted impulsively and recklessly, and associating with her would likely lead to being implicated, so they didn't want to include her in their plans.
So when Wu Shaogan was completely defeated and abandoned this candidate, the two changed their ordinary cooperation into a deep alliance, abandoned all past conflicts, and worked hard to get along—in short, they absolutely did not want to marry Zhong Qiao'er.
·
The two of them took out handkerchiefs to wipe their sweat, preparing to go to the pavilion together to have some snacks and chat.
At this moment, a maidservant hurried over and bowed to Zhong Qian'er.
Zhong Lin'er asked curiously, "Is this your trusted maid? If she's not serving you, where did she come from?"
The maid whispered a few words in Zhong Qian'er's ear, and Zhong Qian'er's expression changed slightly.
Zhong Lin'er became even more curious.
Zhong Qian'er didn't hide it from her. After suppressing her emotions, she said to her, "I don't know whether to be happy or worried. Our cousin who was married in place of us is now a first-level alchemist."
After receiving Zhong Qian'er's signal, the maid relayed all the information she had received.
Zhong Lin'er's eyes widened in surprise.
Zhong Qian'er sighed, "I sent someone to keep an eye on the fourth branch of the family, because I wanted to know how my cousin Cai was doing after marrying into the Wu family..."
It was just out of curiosity, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this.
Zhong Lin'er thought for a moment and smiled, "That's a good idea. We have some dealings with him, so why don't we send him a congratulatory gift?"
Zhong Qian'er chuckled: "That's a good idea."
As they looked at each other, they thought of Zhong Qiao'er.
I wonder what she's thinking right now?
·
What else could Zhong Qiao'er be thinking?
She's very upset right now!
The news about Zhong Cai was brought to her personally by her mother, who also gave her a good scolding.
Zhong Qiao'er's head was buzzing, but she was unconvinced.
—Zhong Cai has only refined two kinds of pills so far, and who knows how much of it was due to luck? Why should we fawn over her? The Zhong family isn't without alchemists, is it really necessary to be so obsequious?
Anyway, Zhong Qiao'er felt that as long as she could marry an outstanding husband in the future, what difference would a few pills make? Her mother said she would expand her network of connections, so why should she bother with her husband's connections? Why bother with Zhong Cai, whose future was uncertain?
Besides, Zhong Qiao'er isn't stupid. She didn't treat Zhong Cai very well before. Rather than humiliating her by going over there, it's better to stay out of the way.
Despite Zhong Qiao'er's stubbornness, the First Madam ultimately didn't say anything more.
In the end, having no other choice, they could only wave their hands and let the matter drop.
Zhong Qiao'er became smug.
Deep down, she was very annoyed with Zhong Qian'er and Zhong Lin'er. Those two had just dumped her like that. Did they think she would stick with them? So she guessed that the two of them would definitely try to win over Zhong Cai, which made her even more rebellious and she disliked Zhong Cai more and more.
·
The other members of the Zhong family reacted in different ways, but regardless of which branch of the family they belonged to, they all prepared some congratulatory gifts.
The gifts varied in value, but they all represented the sentiment behind them.
·
When Zhong Da delivered the pills back to the Zhong family, Xiang Lin also took the ten low-grade head-protecting pills to the Wu family's medicine hall.
Wu Tianxin carefully examined the pills, stroking his beard, and was greatly shocked—only a little over ten days had passed? Master Zhong had actually refined a head-protecting pill? This talent was truly unprecedented.
Carefully put these pills away. Wu Tianxin offered eighty gold coins as the purchase price.
Xiang Lin accepted it, then took his leave.
Wu Tianxin watched Xiang Lin's retreating figure with a sense of relief.
Head-protecting pills are much rarer than Qi-replenishing pills, so even though the Wu family is powerful in Kunyun City, more than 80% of the clansmen use rare medicines to protect their heads. The Wu family's alchemists can refine them, but the number produced is small, which is only a drop in the ocean for the entire Wu family.
It would be wonderful if the family had another alchemist who could refine head-protecting pills.
Turning around, Wu Tianxin saw Wu Shaowei peeking around again and said with a bit of helplessness, "What are you doing sneaking around like this again?"
Wu Shaowei exclaimed softly, "Master Zhong is amazing!"
Wu Tianxin said, "Indeed impressive. What, trying to curry favor with me?"
Wu Shaowei sighed and said, "I can't find an opportunity. I've wanted to visit them for a long time, but they're always staying home. They're probably busy researching alchemy. Do you think I'd be so oblivious?"
Wu Tianxin stroked his beard again: "You're quite sensible."
Wu Shaowei shook his head and sighed, "Master Zhong is so talented and hardworking. My cousin Shaogan's luck is amazing! It's truly enviable."
Wu Tianxin pondered for a moment, then took out a box and handed it over.
Wu Shaowei was taken aback, and at Wu Tianxin's prompting, he opened the box.
What came into view was a piece of solidified fat the size of a palm.
Wu Shaowei asked in confusion, "Great-grandfather, what is this?"
Wu Tianxin's lips twitched slightly, then he slapped Wu Shaowei on the back of the head, roaring furiously, "You ignorant fool! This is a second-grade medicinal herb, Spirit Bell Resin!"
Wu Shaowei covered his head and dared not move.
Wu Tianxin then said irritably, "Although the spirit bell resin isn't exactly a rare medicine, it's still quite uncommon among second-grade medicinal materials, worth three hundred gold coins. Take it to visit Shao Gan and say you've been wanting to congratulate them on their wedding, but you were worried about disturbing them during their honeymoon. Later, Master Zhong was busy refining pills, and you didn't want to bother him either. Now you're worried that Master Zhong might be going into seclusion again, so you'd better hurry over..."
Wu Shaowei: "That excuse won't work, will it? Wouldn't it be better if I just congratulated Master Zhong on becoming a Level 1 Alchemist?"
Wu Tianxin smacked him on the head again and said, "Fool! Everyone wants to congratulate Master Zhong, but isn't what Master Zhong cares about most precisely Shao Gan? If you congratulate them on their wedding, won't you stand out more than everyone else?"
Wu Shaowei suddenly realized and quickly flattered, "Old ginger is spicier, thank you for your great-grandfather's teachings."
Wu Tianxin waved his hand casually, indicating that he should get lost.
Wu Shaowei indeed left.
·
After the meal, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan drank tea at the stone table.
The tea was Wu Shaogan's old stock. Although it was a top-tier level two resource, its energy was very gentle. Even though both of them were cultivators at the Heavenly Guidance Realm, their meridians would not be affected. Instead, it could nourish them.
Neither of them spoke; they simply sat quietly, finding it quite pleasant.
At this moment, Zhong Da, who had already returned, came to announce that a visitor had arrived.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "What was bound to happen has finally happened."
Zhong Cai had expected this, and instructed, "Please come in quickly."
Closing doors and windows can only bring temporary relief; it can't last forever.
Zhong Da went immediately.
A short while later, a handsome young man walked in and smiled at the two of them, saying, "Come on, Master Zhong, you two seem to be having a very leisurely time."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stood up to greet them.
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow: "So it's my cousin Shaowei. Please have a seat."
Wu Shaowei readily accepted good advice.
The group sat down again.
Wu Shaogan poured himself a cup of tea and pushed it over: "What brings you here today?"
Wu Shaowei readily explained his excuse: "It's a joyous occasion for your wedding, so I came especially to give you a congratulatory gift..."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance.
Wu Shaowei delivered the "congratulatory gift".
Zhong Cai glanced at it casually and then put it away.
Wu Shaogan looked at Zhong Cai with a smile.
It's clear that this is how the two of them interact.
Wu Shaowei secretly felt that the young couple's relationship seemed to be really good.
That's a bit unbelievable.
He remembered that when his cousin was still popular, beautiful women would confess their love to him, and handsome young men would express their affection for him. He treated them all equally and rejected them all.
But now it seems he actually likes Zhong Cai's type?
Wu Shaowei pondered: Could it be because Master Zhong saved his younger cousin's life after marrying into the family? But a life-saving grace could be repaid in other ways; there's no need for such a change in attitude. Or perhaps it's precisely because he's a master alchemist that his cousin… No, that doesn't make sense either. Before, when his cousin desperately needed pills, he never flattered any alchemist. Now that things are like this, is there any need for that?
Then there's only one possibility.
Zhong Cai loves her cousin so much that her cousin is moved by her love!
Wu Shaowei hissed inwardly.
Well, it's pretty good, isn't it?
·
Zhong Cai politely thanked Wu Shaowei.
Wu Shaowei snapped out of his daze and saw that Zhong Cai had generously accepted his kindness and was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "There's nothing to thank me for. I'm just glad you don't mind that I'm late."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "What's so strange about this? It's a gift that doesn't need to be returned at all. I'm happy with it."
Wu Shaowei breathed a sigh of relief and chatted with the two of them while drinking tea.
As they talked, they came to Zhong Cai's future plans.
Zhong Cai was quite frank: "There's nothing special about it. Shao Gan and I are comfortable staying at home, so we just stay here. During the day, he helps me refine pills, and in the evening, I chat with him."
Wu Shaowei: "..."
How peaceful!
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Now that I have learned how to make two kinds of pills, I will not rush to try the new pills. I will focus on honing my skills and try to improve the grade of the old pills."
Wu Shaowei first flattered, "Master Zhong will definitely be able to advance smoothly." Then, he asked curiously, "After that, does Master Zhong have any thoughts on the new pill?"
Zhong Cai said matter-of-factly, "I'm not a person who likes to use my brain much, and I listen to less."
Wu Shaowei paused, "It has nothing to do with whether or not I use my brain, right?"
But he quickly realized that it was because Master Zhong Dan cared about her younger cousin! So she made sure he felt involved in everything and took care of his self-esteem.
Wu Shaowei: "..."
I'm even more envious of my cousin! Not only did Master Zhong reject all beautiful women for my cousin's sake, but he's also so considerate and thoughtful!
Then think about his wife. She treated him fairly well, but perhaps because their marriage was arranged based on qualifications and family background, there was little affection between them. Even though their interests aligned, she always seemed to be lacking something compared to this couple.
However, Wu Shaowei quickly changed his mind.
Actually, this kind of envy is not the first time. His parents were very loving and had no extramarital affairs, and they had five children in a row.
Unfortunately, their children weren't so pure. Apart from the eldest sister who was focused on cultivation and had no intention of marrying, both of his brothers had wives and concubines, and his sister also had many suitors.
He himself was the least qualified among his blood relatives. Even though he longed for pure love, he ultimately chose a suitable wife and had someone in his harem, intending to try his best to improve the qualifications of his children.
Since it's the path you chose, there's no need to always have regrets.
·
...However, despite thinking this, Wu Shaowei felt a bit of annoyance watching the two people opposite him interact. So he didn't want to linger, and after finishing his tea and talking for a while, he left.
After the person left, Zhong Cai yawned and lazily asked, "Old Wu, are you familiar with this relative?"
Wu Shaogan sipped his tea and replied, "Not very well. But he's a junior highly regarded by Elder Wu Tianxin of the Pill Hall, and we've had a few dealings with each other before."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment: "The Pill Hall, huh? They must have a lot of knowledge and a lot of medicinal herbs on hand."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "What he gave you was probably a gift from Elder Tianxin, so that he could build a good relationship with you."
Zhong Cai recognized the Spirit Bell Resin, recalled the pill formulas he knew, and said, "Spirit Bell Resin is one of the main ingredients of the Golden Cauldron Pill. The Golden Cauldron Pill's efficacy is between that of a first- or second-level pill. It can help cultivators at the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm open their Dao Palace. However, most of the medicinal materials used are second-level, so it is still considered a second-level pill."
Wu Shaogan looked at Zhong Cai, knowing that he still had something to say.
Zhong Cai sighed and said, "I am only at the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, my profound energy is very weak, and I have no wood or fire. I can't expect to try it for the time being."
Wu Shaogan had recently learned some things about alchemy, so he comforted him, saying, "The main problem is that you're lacking wood and fire. Once you get the wood and fire, with your current amount of Xuan Qi, as long as your technique is skilled enough, it's still possible to refine a batch of pills. After you finish refining, take a Qi-replenishing pill, and use that time to review the previous batch. Once your Xuan Qi has recovered, you can continue."
Zhong Cai was indeed comforted.
Wu Shaogan patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You continue refining first-level pills. Later, I'll have Xiang Lin ask the Wu family's private treasury if they have any wood or fire. If they do, we can just find a way to exchange it with the family. If not, I'll have Xiang Lin look for it later. In such a large city as Kunyun, there must be places that sell wood and fire. Even if they don't have it in the city, we can go to even bigger places."
Zhong Cai immediately became happy again.
·
Wu Shaowei took the lead, followed by a large group from the Wu family, men and women, all of whom were Wu Shaogan's peers. As if by prior arrangement, all the Wu family members brought second-grade medicinal herbs. Those with greater wealth brought rare herbs and rare treasures suitable for blending medicine, while those with less wealth brought ordinary herbs—all citing reasons such as congratulating Zhong Cai on becoming a first-grade alchemist.
Several days passed before things finally calmed down.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan sat facing each other in the cultivation room, and together they opened a large pile of boxes and chests on the floor.
In an instant, inspiration struck.
Various medicinal herbs sway their branches and leaves, emitting aromas that vary in strength and subtlety, and different scents.
Zhong Cai pointed her finger around, unable to suppress a look of astonishment. There were a full 115 of them!
"Wow, I didn't even notice, there are so many?"
Because visitors came in shifts day and night, Zhong Cai didn't have time to take stock. Now that he has put all the items together, he is truly shocked.
Zhong Cai blinked and said, "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and explained, "It's not an exaggeration. Second-grade medicinal herbs are cheap to begin with. I'm just getting acquainted with you to show the Wu family's respect for alchemists, making it easier to recruit other outstanding alchemists in the future." He glanced at Zhong Cai, then suddenly realized what he meant, angrily flicking Zhong Cai's forehead and saying coldly, "And don't pretend here. Your alchemy talent already surpasses all the alchemists in Kunyun City. Stop pretending! You just want me to praise you, don't you? I did, are you satisfied now?"
Zhong Cai chuckled, a smug look on his face.
That's right, he just wanted Wu Shaogan to praise him.
He's not stupid; surely he understands why so many people are here?
Helpless, Wu Shaogan could only flick the bell and rub the forehead again.
This time, however, Zhong Cai felt she had been hit too hard, so she raised her hand and hit Wu Shao back.
The two looked at each other and then laughed.
Then, their eyes all fell on that pile of things.
Zhong Cai patted the mustard seed bag, and an empty wooden frame appeared beside it.
The wooden frame has ten columns, and each column has ten compartments.
Wu Shaogan stood on one side of the wooden frame, while Zhong Cai identified the medicinal herbs and handed them to him, pointing out how to arrange them.
"Old Wu, this is a second-grade rare herb, Crimson Thought Grass. Put it in the rightmost slot, any slot will do."
"The second-level rare treasure, Starlight Dew, is quite expensive even though there's only a small bottle. Let's put it in the leftmost compartment."
"Willow Leaf Herb, a second-level common medicinal herb, can be placed in the middle slot, any column will do."
"The Wood Spirit Fruit is also a second-grade precious medicine, located on the far right."
"Spring withering grass, a second-grade common medicinal herb..."
Wu Shaogan paced back and forth in front of the wooden frame, jumping back and forth repeatedly.
After muttering to herself for a while, Zhong Cai suddenly burst out laughing.
Wu Shaogan, however, understood him well and said irritably, "You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Zhong Cai said with a grin, "It's to help you get some exercise."
Wu Shaogan glared at him.
Zhong Cai laughed even louder.
Despite the commotion, Wu Shaogan continued to follow Zhong Cai's orders.
The two of them busied themselves and quickly filled almost all one hundred slots. Some people had given the same type of medicinal herbs, so they were naturally placed in the same slot. They managed to fit them all in.
After finishing, Zhong Cai looked at the fully stocked wooden frame and grinned.
"Fifty-six rare medicinal herbs, forty-six common medicinal herbs, seventeen rare and precious herbs... Add to that the wealth you've accumulated, and you can concoct quite a few prescriptions."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Let's keep saving them until you reach the required cultivation level. But using wooden shelves to store them isn't a long-term solution. We should buy a high-quality medicine cabinet as soon as possible for greater convenience."
Zhong Cai agreed with this.
After a moment's thought, Wu Shaogan said, "The family's mission hall allows you to trade various resources. I'll go with you sometime and pick out what's available; perhaps we'll find a suitable medicine cabinet. If not, we can buy some outside." He then added, "Just ask the steward about the family's wood and fire reserves; there's no need for Xiang Lin to inquire."
Zhong Cai smiled and agreed, "Let's do it that way."
·
For the next ten days or so, Zhong Cai focused on refining pills without becoming agitated despite the large number of visitors.
A few days ago, he used it to refine Qi-replenishing pills, hoping to get more pills from one batch, or perhaps occasionally refine a top-grade pill.
This is mainly for Wu Shaogan. Seeing that his health is gradually improving, who knows when he might want to travel far away? It's better to prepare early so we don't have to worry.
However, the bottleneck in making pills is not so easy to overcome. Zhong Cai worked hard from morning to night, but in the end, he still failed to reach the standard of a top alchemist—to make nine to twelve pills while including high-grade pills.
But Zhong Cai's efforts were not in vain. Every batch he opened produced high-grade pills, sometimes even three or four high-grade pills in one batch, with the rest being mid-grade pills. At the same time, his pill-making rate also increased further, from 70% to 80%.
Seeing that the refining of Qi-replenishing pills had once again hit a bottleneck, Zhong Cai began refining Yang-Extreme Pills to clear his mind.
He refined this elixir for his own benefit.
He had originally brought precious medicine to protect his head, which would have allowed him to attempt to break through to the fifth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm. However, having inherited the skills of a master alchemist, he found that the effects of the pills far surpassed those of the precious medicines, so he naturally chose the pills.
·
The fourth to fifth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm requires tempering the skull. When Xuan Qi is introduced into the skull, it can easily impact the brain if one is not careful, and then the brain can easily explode.
Therefore, the medicine should form a barrier on the surface of the skull. As long as the barrier is not broken, the brain is safe.
Most cultivators use rare medicinal herbs, which form a barrier that can withstand 10% to 20% of the impact of profound energy. As for elixirs, starting from low-grade, the barrier can withstand at least 30%, 40%, 50%, and 80% as the grade of the elixir increases.
The Yang Yang Pill is slightly better than the Head Protection Pill. This "slight difference" is reflected in the fact that each grade increases the defensive ability by half a grade. That is, the lower grade can withstand 35% of the impact, and so on. When it reaches the highest grade, it can withstand 100%.
So if Zhong Cai were to use a top-grade Yang-Extreme Pill to break through, he could temper his skull however he wanted without fear of exploding himself. With such vigorous tempering, his breakthrough speed would be much faster.
Since cultivators have long lifespans and Zhong Cai has a skill to rely on, he is naturally willing to give himself the best.
Although the Yang Dan is slightly more difficult to make than the Hu Shou Dan, it was still quite easy for Zhong Cai.
A few days later, he successfully refined the pills. A few days after that, he once again reached the level of an extraordinary alchemist, producing eight pills per batch, of which two to three were of medium grade, with a success rate of 70%.
During this time, Wu Shaogan continued to assist Zhong Cai, minimizing wasted time.
·
At this moment, Zhong Yun and Zhong Lan'er jointly handed in their visiting cards.
Wu Shaogan received the visiting card. Since Zhong Cai was still immersed in alchemy, he didn't invite anyone in. He just had Zhong Da deliver a message explaining the situation and that they could reschedule.
Zhong Yun and Zhong Lan'er did not make any further appointments, but instead had Zhong Da bring in a bundle, saying it was for her brother.
Wu Shaogan didn't open the package until Zhong Cai finished refining the pills, then handed it to him.
"Your legitimate wife's two children... were given to you by her stepmother."
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow, pulled Wu Shaogan to sit at the stone table, and examined the items together.
The wrapping was unfolded, and there were quite a lot of things inside.
A small box, a small case, and four letters.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but chuckle: "They still have quite a lot to say to me."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "I'm afraid they're all thank-you notes."
As expected, the box contained a gift of two thousand gold pieces, the small box held snacks as a token of gratitude, and the four letters all expressed gratitude in the tone of a younger sibling. Some were affectionate, some offered to give for hunting, some were more formal, and some even included small handprints...
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow: "They've all put in a lot of effort."
Wu Shaogan put his arm around Zhong Cai's shoulder, and the little green roc in his sleeve darted out and jumped onto Zhong Cai's head, scratching at him.
Zhong Cai grabbed it, held it in her hands, and rubbed it again and again.
·
Zhong Cai replied to each letter, being polite and behaving like an elder brother.
After these replies reached the Zhong family, probably seeing that Zhong Cai finally had some free time, the Zhong family's head steward also sent a visiting card and quickly delivered the Zhong family's congratulatory gifts through a side door.
The largest chest represents the Zhong family as a whole, and it contains ten thousand taels of gold.
The eight small boxes belonged to each of the Zhong family's branches. Zhong Cai opened them one by one, and they were all filled with gold.
The second branch where Zhong Lin'er lived, the seventh branch where Zhong Qian'er lived, and the eighth branch where the head of the family lived all received 1,000 gold coins, the most; the first branch where Zhong Qiao'er lived received 100 gold coins, the least; the other four branches each received 300 gold coins.
Zhong Cai laughed: "My family is really generous."
Wu Shaogan laughed and said, "Buy whatever you want yourself."
·
On the Zhong family's side, the concubines and illegitimate sons of the fourth branch were all in good spirits after reading the reply, and they became even closer to Zhong Cai. However, Zhong Yun and Zhong Lan'er, who had the highest expectations, were instead filled with gloom and despair.
Zhong Cai's letter to them was also affectionate. The two were not upset because of this, but because they had gone to the Luo family with their mother recently, but their purpose was not achieved.
Luo Fengxian asked the two women to persuade the head of the Luo family to follow Zhong Cai. If they succeeded, it would also demonstrate their value. However, who knew that her third sister, Luo Fengying, went there with the same goal in mind.
Although Zhong Cai is a very talented alchemist, he has only recently entered this field. While everyone feels that his future is bright, it can also be said that his path ahead is unknown.
Luo Fengying also admired Yuan Feng, who was not only a master alchemist but also a level two alchemist.
Zhong Cai is Luo Fengxian's stepson, and their relationship is quite close.
However, Luo Fengying's second daughter, Fang Qingqing, is already engaged to Yuan Feng. In a month or two, she will marry into the Yuan family as his wife. As her grandson-in-law, wouldn't Yuan Feng be even closer to her?
The Wu family, into which Zhong Cai married, was indeed a top power in Kunyun City, but Yuan Feng was an inner disciple of the Dan Ding Sect—the Dan Ding Sect was one of the top alchemy forces in the area, with extremely high entry requirements; only a second-level alchemist could barely enter the inner sect.
Compared to before, no matter how hard the brother and sister tried, they couldn't move the head of the Luo family.
Finally, Luo Fengying pulled out her trump card.
Yuan Feng gave her a spot to join the Dan Ding Sect, although she could only become an outer disciple. She would only be expelled if she failed to enter the inner sect for a full thirty years...
Luo Fengying was willing to give this spot to the head of the Luo family, who could then appoint anyone he wanted.
At this point, the head of the Luo family would no longer waver in the slightest.
Luo Fengxian and the other two could only leave with regret.
·
Unable to get help from the Luo family, Zhong Yun and Zhong Lan'er looked at each other, not knowing what to do to impress Zhong Cai.
Helpless, the brother and sister could only rack their brains.
Luo Fengxian herself did not expect this turn of events, and for a time, she had no other options.
·
As usual, Zhong Cai put away her belongings and took out the pills she had refined over the past few days.
Wu Shaogan, this "assistant," was very reliable. He smiled and summarized for him, "The Qi-replenishing pills were fired 160 times in total, with 120 successful batches, producing a total of 80 low-grade pills, 680 mid-grade pills, and 200 high-grade pills." He then rummaged through the pills in several other boxes and continued, "The Yang-Extreme Pills were fired 140 times in total, with 36 successful batches, producing 158 low-grade pills and 74 mid-grade pills."
Zhong Cai looked at the altar beside her and muttered, "It seems like Dan Yun still has..."
Wu Shaogan said, "Probably a little over four thousand."
Zhong Cai slapped his right hand with his left.
Wu Shaogan was taken aback: "What are you doing?"
Zhong Cai said with a serious expression, "I'm stopping myself from chopping off my own hands."
Wu Shaogan: "Huh?"
Zhong Cai explained, "If I don't hit myself, I'll be tempted to draw a card."
Having been tormented by him for many years, Wu Shaogan immediately understood and gave him a sidelong glance.
Zhong Cai chuckled: "I'm saving up for a ten-pull, it gives you a level six rare medicine, worth several hundred Xuan stones, how awesome is that!"
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and agreed, "That's true."
The two tidied up and put away all the pills, discussing what to do with the lower-grade Qi-replenishing pills as they did so.
At the same time, Zhong Cai casually gave two hundred high-grade Qi-replenishing pills to Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan didn't stand on ceremony with him and put everything into the gourd.
·
The next day, Zhong Da took the one hundred low-grade Qi-replenishing pills and twenty low-grade head-protecting pills given to him by Zhong Cai to the medicine hall to sell. Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan went to the mission hall together, with Xiang Lin following behind to protect them.
Wu Shaogan hadn't left the courtyard for a long time. As he stepped out the door, he looked around and found his mood was much the same as before. He felt neither melancholy nor fear.
As for the reason?
He glanced at Zhong Cai, who was walking on his right with a happy face, and couldn't help but smile as well.
·
The Wu Mansion has a very large interior area and features many gardens.
Most of these gardens were allocated to individual residences, while some were used for other purposes. However, the houses and courtyards within each garden had their own unique style, making them very pleasing to the eye.
Outside the garden are countless buildings of all sizes, with wide roads connecting them, and beautiful scenery that is either spectacular or serene everywhere.
The Wu family had a large number of members, and countless servants and maids. They walked on different roads, big and small, and there was a lot of bustling activity.
Today should have been no different from any other day, but the young members of the Wu family found themselves stopping involuntarily as they walked, looking at a few people approaching from the left side of the corridor.
An extremely handsome young man and a pretty boy half a head shorter than him walked side by side, chatting and laughing as they strode forward like the wind. Behind them followed the death guards, whose faces were obscured, their presence almost imperceptible.
Many of the younger members of the tribe showed strange expressions.
"Is that person—my cousin from Shaogan? Is that Master Zhong Dan next to him?"
"It must be them. But didn't Shao Gan's cousin...? Why is he so happy? Could it be because Master Zhong is completely devoted to him..."
"I hadn't seen my cousin Shaogan around, and I thought he didn't want to come out, but now it seems that's not the case. He's really strong-willed; if it were me, I would have given up long ago!"
"Are they heading towards the Mission Hall? Let's go check it out!"
There was a lot of chaotic discussion, and more and more groups of three or five people were getting together to follow the past.
These are considered good; some tribesmen didn't say anything on the surface, but their eyes held a subtle mockery.
[They're completely useless and still dare to come out? Aren't they ashamed...]
[Wu Shaogan used to be so smug, but now he's bowing his head! Look at how he fawns over the alchemist! Pah!]
[Having suddenly become an alchemist after marrying a male concubine, Wu Shaogan could no longer have an affair, and he was probably filled with regret.]
[The guy surnamed Zhong will eventually get fed up with Wu Shaogan's good-for-nothing act. It'll be interesting when he gets dumped!]
However, Wu Shaogan was the son of the family head, and Zhong Cai was a promising new alchemist in the family. No matter how much malice they harbored, they could only keep it to themselves and dared not show it at all.
·
Amidst laughter and conversation, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan arrived at the mission hall.
The Mission Hall is a row of small halls, with side halls on both sides in addition to the main hall.
The main hall is where clansmen accept quests, the left hall is for turning in quests, and the right hall is for exchanging resources.
Each of the three halls has several stewards in charge of handling affairs. The stewards and their assistants are all direct descendants of the Wu family.
Many people from our tribe come and go here every day.
Zhong Cai looked around and compared it with the Zhong family's mission hall... the Wu family's was indeed much more imposing.
Wu Shaogan led him to the right and said, "Let's go in and queue up first."
Zhong Cai said "Oh" and stepped across the threshold with him.
Wu Shaogan is indeed a celebrity. Even though he has been inactive for more than two months, he still occasionally makes headlines, making him unforgettable.
So the clansmen who appeared near the mission hall and spotted him all scrutinized him openly and secretly, each with their own thoughts.
Wu Shaogan calmly allowed everyone to look him over, standing at the back of the line with Zhong Cai, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Zhong Cai secretly glanced at him.
Wu Shaogan picked up a booklet from the long table and handed it over, amused, saying, "Why are you looking at me? Look at this instead."
Zhong Cai took it and casually remarked as she flipped through it, "You're quite handsome."
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow.
If they weren't out in public, this guy would definitely praise him a few more times.
·
The booklet was very thick, with over a hundred pages. It depicted the level-one resources that could be traded with the clan members in the mission hall. Each page listed several resources, with prices attached after each name.
Zhong Cai read through the pages one by one, until she reached the section for alchemists.
It's only eight pages long.
[First-class rare herbs: 2 silver per plant for 10-year-old plants; 5 silver per plant for 20-year-old plants; 10 silver per plant for 30-year-old plants, increasing by 1 silver for each additional year; 20 silver per plant for 40-year-old plants, increasing by 3 silver for each additional year; prices for special rare herbs are negotiable.]
[First-class common medicinal plants: 50 copper coins per one-year-old plant, 100 copper coins per two-year-old plant... 1 silver coin per nine-year-old plant.]
[Top-tier rare and precious herbs: Cleansing Spring Water (100 drops per bottle, worth 100 silver coins), Honey Milk (50 drops per bottle, worth 100 silver coins)...]
[Other Grade A Medicinal Herbs...]
[Several types of resources...]
[Level One Elixir Formulas: Qi-Boosting Pill, Herb-Based Pill, Bone-Tempering Pill, Blood-Replenishing Pill... Price: 100 Gold Coins per Item.]
·
Elixir formulas are hard to come by. Even though the Wu family has passed them down for so many years, there are only twelve common first-grade elixir formulas that can be sold within the clan.
Although the Wu family doesn't have many alchemists of level two or above, with such a large population, even if not many can summon an alchemy furnace, quite a few clansmen have tried alchemy.
Most of them gave up after a period of time, but some persisted and achieved some results—for example, Wu Shaogan's niece, Wu Zhaohong, whose innate treasure was not very good and who was determined to become an alchemist. In the end, it took her more than ten years to finally learn how to refine bone-tempering pills.
Besides Wu Zhaohong, the Wu family has twenty or thirty other first-level alchemists, all of whom have spent more than ten years, yet can only master at most one type of first-level pill. Some have spent decades, and can probably refine three to five types, but the success rate is very low, and the number produced per batch is also small. Although they can make a living, their skills are really mediocre—even if they spend another hundred years honing their skills, they may not be able to refine a single second-level pill.
Almost every slightly larger organization has this type of alchemist. Although they are classified as first-level alchemists, they are actually treated as alchemists and are not valued at all.
A true first-level alchemist can usually refine more than ten kinds of first-level pills.
·
In the Wu family, only alchemists who have reached level two or above and whose pill-forming rate is not too bad are worthy of preferential treatment—after all, those at the Palace Opening Realm and the Enlightenment Realm are the backbone of the Wu family.
Why was Zhong Cai able to be immediately recruited by the Wu family after she successfully refined a certain elixir?
Firstly, because Qi-replenishing pills are difficult to make, and secondly, because it takes him very little time to successfully refine them.
This is enough to show Zhong Cai's great potential. If the Wu family doesn't show their goodwill sooner, are they really going to wait until he becomes a second-level alchemist before adding to his glory?
Of course, misjudging the direction of the courting is another matter entirely.
·
Zhong Cai looked around and quickly found the medicine cabinet.
[Medicine cabinet with 100 drawers (20 silver dollars), 200 drawers (40 silver dollars)... 1000 drawers (200 silver dollars).]
—Of course, there's no need to hesitate, choose the one with a thousand drawers.
Zhong Cai continued searching, but unfortunately, even after flipping through the entire book, he still couldn't find Mu Huo.
Then he suddenly realized that wood and fire were used to refine second-level medicinal materials, so they should belong to second-level resources. Indeed, they wouldn't be recorded in the book of first-level resources.
He's misunderstood; let's ask him later.
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