Chapter 153: Word of Mouth
Hua Changxi did not want to return to the Hua Family early and planned to stay at the Shennong Apothecary Shop to refine pills until the twenty-third. Unexpectedly, Eunuch Yu came looking for her the next day.
“Master, Prince Shou intends to divide the eighteen Qihuang Halls among different people to manage. The Seventh Prince sent someone to inform me of this matter and asked me to find you to hurry back. Otherwise, even if you possess a wooden token, if you are not present, you might not get a single Qihuang Hall.”
Hua Changxi frowned upon hearing this, “Distribute Qihuang Halls? What does Prince Shou intend to do?”
Eunuch Yu shook his head, “Since Prince Shou took over the Medical Affairs Department, he has changed many rules. Now, there is also a Street Master on First Street who oversees all alchemists.”
Hua Changxi fell silent after hearing this.
She knew very well that although spiritual energy had revived and cultivators, demonic beasts, and demonic plants were appearing one after another, causing unrest in many places, the basic order of Great Jin was still intact. In such circumstances, the Royal Family and the Imperial Court were the most legitimate administrators.
Prince Shou had taken over the Medical Affairs Department, and as long as she wanted to stay in the Medical Affairs Department, she had to obey his management.
“Let’s go, we’re returning to the Medical Affairs Department.”
The predecessor of the Medical Affairs Department was the Dan Sheng Hall, and the Dan Sheng Hall was deeply connected to the Shen Nong Cauldron. Hua Changxi was unwilling to completely sever ties with the Dan Sheng Hall like this.
In the current situation, she could only take things one step at a time.
When Hua Changxi and Eunuch Yu returned to the Medical Affairs Department and entered through the back door, they saw laborers carrying their belongings and leaving the Labor Department dejectedly.
Eunuch Yu sighed upon seeing this, “Prince Shou has dismissed all the original laborers.”
Hua Changxi’s brows furrowed, “Without laborers, who will do the work?”
Eunuch Yu shook his head. He no longer had much authority in the Labor Department. The management personnel were all appointed by Prince Shou. He was not familiar with them and could not gather any useful information.
Hua Changxi silently watched the dejected laborers leave, passing by them, feeling their helplessness and powerlessness, and walked towards the Qihuang Hall street at the very back in silence.
“Steward Hua, you’ve finally arrived! Quickly come with me to the Old Plaza Courtyard. The Prince and the Department Head have already gone there.”
On the Qihuang Hall street, Little Li Zi, the eunuch by the Seventh Prince’s side, had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Hua Changxi arrive, he immediately greeted her with a smile.
Hua Changxi glanced at him, told Eunuch Yu to go back and help with his matters, and followed Little Li Zi to the Old Plaza Courtyard alone.
Along the way, Little Li Zi was very enthusiastic, constantly striking up a conversation with Hua Changxi.
“Steward Hua, my Seventh Prince greatly admires your medical skills. He even wants to take you as his master.”
He had specifically sent someone to inform her and arranged for someone to wait for her. Hua Changxi could tell that the Seventh Prince was intentionally trying to befriend her. Although she didn’t know the Seventh Prince’s intentions, she didn’t want to offend a prince, so she accepted his goodwill and said with a wry smile, “I am not qualified to be the Seventh Prince’s master.”
Little Li Zi chuckled, “Steward Hua is too modest. The Seventh Prince often praises your medical skills. Although I don’t understand anything, after following the Seventh Prince to listen to your lectures, I also feel I’ve gained a lot.”
“The Seventh Prince often says that although he hasn’t formally taken you as his master, after listening to so many of your lectures, you already have the reality of a master-disciple relationship. He has long considered you his master in his heart.”
“Whether you acknowledge it or not, he respects you as a mentor. As long as the Seventh Prince is in the Medical Affairs Department, no one will dare to disrespect you.”
Listening to these words, Hua Changxi thought of something and asked with a smile, “I used to be the steward of the Labor Department and could live in a separate courtyard. But now I’m just a small laborer. The courtyard I live in hasn’t been taken back. I suppose the Seventh Prince put in a word?”
Little Li Zi smiled lightly, “These are all trivial matters that are not worth mentioning. Steward Hua, please don’t take them to heart.”
Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered. To the Seventh Prince, these were trivial matters “not worth mentioning,” but it was precisely these trivial matters that could trap her.
If the current steward of the Labor Department were to reclaim the courtyard, she would have no “legitimate reason” to continue living there.
This was the difference between having power and losing it!
Soon, Hua Changxi followed Little Li Zi to the Old Plaza Courtyard.
The once relatively spacious old courtyard had become somewhat crowded because Prince Shou had brought many people with him.
In the courtyard, Gu Xing was still the same, lying on the rocking chair with his eyes closed. Prince Shou should have already communicated with him, but judging by his gloomy expression, their conversation probably didn’t go smoothly.
Seeing that Mu Qingying and the others who possessed wooden tokens had arrived, Hua Changxi automatically moved to stand beside them.
Opposite Mu Qingying and her group stood a crowd of imperial relatives. These people were now the alchemists in the apothecary shops occupied by the Royal Family on First Street.
The Seventh Prince stood among them. Seeing Hua Changxi arrive, he smiled and nodded at her.
Hua Changxi saw it and smiled and nodded back.
“Your Highness, my opinion is that those who possess wooden tokens will each manage a Qihuang Hall. As for the other Qihuang Halls, you can arrange them as you see fit. What do you think?”
The Department Head smiled at Prince Shou. Although he was asking for his opinion, his tone conveyed a certain assertiveness.
It could be seen that although the Medical Affairs Department was nominally taken over by Prince Shou, the Department Head still held considerable influence and decision-making power in many areas.
Prince Shou glanced at the Department Head and then looked back at Gu Xing, who remained silent with his eyes closed, “Senior Gu, what do you think?”
Gu Xing opened his eyes and looked at Prince Shou, “I have already told you my opinion. The Dan Sheng Hall will choose its own master, and the Qihuang Halls have their own selection rules. My opinion is to let nature take its course. But do you, Your Highness, listen? If you don’t listen, why ask for my opinion?”
Prince Shou’s expression darkened, “Senior Gu, are you truly unwilling to offer me some guidance?”
Gu Xing sighed, “My Gu family is just a doorkeeper. We don’t know more than you. If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, I can’t help it.”
Saying this, he closed his eyes again.
Seeing this, Prince Shou’s eyes blazed with anger. Taking over the Medical Affairs Department was something he had actively sought. He had to secure this sacred land of alchemy for the Royal Family.
“If you are of no use, then you cannot continue to stay in this courtyard?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Xing’s eyes snapped open. He looked at Prince Shou, his gaze icy, “You want to drive me away? Don’t talk about you, even if the Grand Emperor himself came, he wouldn’t have the right. Get lost.”
As soon as the word “get lost” was uttered, everyone in the courtyard saw Prince Shou being sent flying by an invisible force. Then, a heavy thud was heard from outside the courtyard.
Hua Changxi craned her neck to look and saw Prince Shou crashing into the stone cauldron in the plaza, sliding down from it. Although he wasn’t spitting blood, judging by his contorted features, the blow must have hurt.
Compared to Hua Changxi’s schadenfreude, Mu Qingying and the others were somewhat shaken.
It was no wonder. In their eyes, Gu Xing looked like he was on his last legs. Prince Shou, a cultivator in the Core Formation Realm, was so easily sent flying by him.
The Department Head was also full of surprise. Although he had some idea of Gu Xing’s strength, this was the first time he had seen him act. Seeing how powerful he was, even stronger than he had guessed, he couldn’t help but be shocked.
Gu Jin Fan’s current mood was nothing but shock. She couldn’t help it; in her past life, Gu Xing was killed by a few mortals. Seeing him become so strong now made her doubt herself.
Gu Xing was tied to the Dan Sheng Hall. Gu Xing’s strengthening meant the Dan Sheng Hall was reviving. The Dan Sheng Hall was slowly activating in a place she didn’t know.
“Did these people do something?”
Gu Jin Fan’s gaze shifted to Hua Changxi and the others who possessed wooden tokens, her eyes wavering uncertainly.
After driving Prince Shou out of the old courtyard, Gu Xing closed his eyes again. Before closing them, he glanced in the direction of Hua Changxi, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
During this period, this girl hadn’t been coming to the Medical Affairs Department much, yet the Dan Sheng Hall hadn’t stopped reviving. What had she done?
Could it be that she had spread the contents of the Qihuang Halls?
To whom had she spread it?
Hua Changxi had noticed Gu Xing’s gaze, but she didn’t understand it. She never thought Gu Xing was an ordinary person, and his display today seemed perfectly normal to her.
However, what she didn’t know was that a part of the reason for Gu Xing’s increase in strength was because she had given the Qi Huang Body Refining Technique to the Hua Family.
Old Master Hua had given the body refining technique to the Hua clan. After the Hua clan received it, they gave some to families they were on good terms with. The wives of the Hua family also copied the body refining technique and gave it to their respective maiden families. Hua Minghe had also shared the body refining technique with the Six Doors.
Through word of mouth, from family to family, from clan to clan, the number of people cultivating the Qi Huang Body Refining Technique naturally increased.
