Chapter 186: Chapter 186: The Elder’s Wisdom, Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity

Gao Yuanlong and the others entered Elder Hua’s residence. The courtyard within was even more magnificent than what was outside. Beyond the elegant pavilions, there were all sorts of rare medicinal herbs, making Gao Yuanlong, Di Qiu, and the others linger their gaze.

As Intermediate Pharmacists, they had access to many medicinal herbs, but not the especially precious ones. To obtain them required paying a considerable price.

Rare Spirit Medicines like the Primordial Spirit Flower and Celestial Feather Leaf, for instance, were used to refine concoctions that aided the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera.

Elixirs like the Five Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill greatly aided the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera and were thus incredibly expensive. Consequently, these ingredients were almost all sent to the Sect’s two Advanced Pharmacists, Elder Hua and Elder Yan, as only they could refine Elixirs of such a high level. The difficulty of this process was on a completely different level from refining a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill.

In any case, Gao Yuanlong, Di Qiu, and the others had never even attempted it. They were self-aware enough to know they simply couldn’t refine an Elixir of this level and didn’t waste their time trying.

They were better off spending that time attempting to refine the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill. They could think about subsequent steps after they actually succeeded.

Gao Yuanlong and the others walked through a long corridor and garden before arriving at the residence of Elder Hua, Hua Yongnian. They found him tending to his Spirit Medicines.

Pharmacists all had their habits; many would cultivate special Spirit Medicines. Most ingredients could be gathered from the wild, but some unique Spirit Medicines had to be personally cultivated. Otherwise, they would be impossible to find when needed.

Ingredients that aided the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera, especially the primary ones, were extremely troublesome to gather. Even across all of Qing State, the annual yield was small.

The Elixirs refined from these ingredients almost all ended up in the hands of figures like Sect Leader Liu Xuan and the Supreme Elders. They used them to improve their Cultivation, hoping to nurture a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, though the difficulty in doing so was naturally immense.

Otherwise, Sect Leader Liu Xuan and the three Supreme Elders of the Cyan Yuan Sect would not have gone to such lengths to orchestrate a plan, planting operatives in other regions. This led to a large number of injured disciples, all of whom were sent to the Medicine Hall and Pharmacy for treatment.

This was a major reason for the influx of patients that Yang Chan and the others were treating. The affair in Yu State he knew of was just one piece of the puzzle; the rest had not been explicitly stated, and investigating the specific details was nearly impossible.

This was because disciples tasked with gathering information about breaking through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Level, even if injured, would only be sent to pharmacists designated by Sect Leader Liu Xuan. Only the less important disciples were sent to the likes of Yang Chan.

Medicine Hall Master Gu An naturally knew about these matters but paid them no mind. This had been tacitly approved before, and he, too, hoped a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster would emerge from the Cyan Yuan Sect.

The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty seemed stable on the surface, but an undercurrent was surging beneath. Otherwise, an Evil Cult like the No-Life Evil Cult would never have emerged. This was merely an omen.

The same was true of the previous uprising. Although it failed, a seed had been planted, meaning great chaos was not far off. In times like these, the Cyan Yuan Sect desperately needed a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster to hold down the fort.

For now, the Cyan Yuan Sect was still the dominant power in Qing State, but if chaos were to erupt, even self-preservation would become a challenge.

In the face of such a momentous tide, even a Major Sect could not hold its ground. History was filled with countless such examples.

Hua Yongnian meticulously tended to the Spirit Medicines, watering them with a specially brewed Medicinal Liquid. Cultivating these Spirit Medicines was, of course, different from growing ordinary herbs; the process was far more complex.

This was especially true when the cultivation site did not match their natural habitat, which demanded even more time and immense effort.

Hua Yongnian was very thorough. Gao Yuanlong, Di Qiu, and the others dared not speak to disturb him. This was the tension one felt when facing an Advanced Pharmacist.

Just a short while ago, Gao Yuanlong had been furious, looking as if he were leading a charge. Now, however, he didn’t dare utter a word. The other Intermediate Pharmacists were in the same boat, all waiting for him to speak first.

’Since Gao Yuanlong led the way, it’s only right that we wait for him to speak. It wouldn’t be proper for us to jump the gun.’

Hua Yongnian tended to the Spirit Medicines for no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Throughout this process, Gao Yuanlong and the others maintained a calm and composed facade, having lost all the courage they had upon arrival.

"Pharmacist Gao, Pharmacist Di," Hua Yongnian began slowly after leading the Intermediate Pharmacists into a reception hall and having someone pour them water. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The moment he spoke, he addressed his question to Gao Yuanlong and Di Qiu, who were seated at the very front. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

As an Advanced Pharmacist of the Cyan Yuan Sect who had lived for nearly a hundred years, his experience was naturally vast. He had guessed their purpose before they even arrived and knew full well who was leading the group.

As a master at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level, his vision wasn’t clouded by age, and his mind remained exceptionally clear.

Tending to his Spirit Medicines instead of speaking right away had served a purpose: to let them cool down first, which would make the matter easier to resolve.

At Hua Yongnian’s question, all eyes in the room fell upon Gao Yuanlong. Given time to cool their heads, the others were no longer so rash. They were now waiting to see how Gao Yuanlong would respond, intending to make their own choices only after observing Elder Hua’s attitude.

Humans have an instinct for self-preservation, and these Intermediate Pharmacists were no different.

The slots for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference had been finalized by Elder Yan and Medicine Hall Master Gu An. Approaching Elder Hua offered only a slim chance of success.

’If it’s a lost cause, there’s no need to force the issue.’

This was especially true for the few Intermediate Pharmacists with poor alchemy skills. Their chances of getting a slot were slim, so there was even less reason for them to get involved, as they wouldn’t gain much from it anyway.

Furthermore, Yang Chan had earned his slot on the premise that he could refine a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill. His alchemy skill far surpassed that of many present, his potential was immense, and if he continued to improve, his ceiling was very high. He could very well be the Cyan Yuan Sect’s next Advanced Pharmacist.

It might take some time, but he should reach the Intermediate Pharmacist level relatively quickly. If Yang Chan’s alchemy skills continued to grow, they might one day need to ask him for favors.

These Intermediate Pharmacists still had many years of life ahead of them. It was only natural for them to act in their own best interests—this was the most logical choice.

"Elder Hua," Gao Yuanlong began after taking a deep breath, "we came to confirm something. Was one of the slots for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference really given to a Basic Level Pharmacist, Yang Chan?"

His tone was completely at odds with his original intention to confront him, but this was the result of having calmed down. In the heat of anger, a person is capable of anything, but once calm, they begin to weigh the pros and cons.