Chapter 102: Bloodline Totem
A Niu heard the sound of the wooden fish, which was clearly abnormal. Hua Changxi learned that the sound of the wooden fish rang out every night, so she decided to stay at the apothecary shop overnight to see what was going on.
“Sister Pu Cao, let me see the account books from this period.”
Seeing that it was still early, Hua Changxi flipped through the account books and quickly discovered that the sales of pills in the apothecary shop had increased significantly in the past two months.
Firstly, Great Merchant Zhuo purchased a large quantity of pills;
Secondly, Yu Hui introduced a eunuch named Little Gui Zi to purchase pills. Little Gui Zi would purchase over fifty thousand taels of pills each time he visited.
Hua Changxi noticed that the time Yu Hui introduced Little Gui Zi to purchase medicine coincided with her saving Eunuch Xuan, leading her to guess that Little Gui Zi was likely a subordinate of Eunuch Xuan from the Eastern Depot.
The pills purchased by Great Merchant Zhuo and Little Gui Zi accounted for eighty percent of the total sales, with the remaining twenty percent mostly sold by the other ten apothecary shops.
Hua Changxi looked at Pu Cao, “Sister Pu Cao, have you checked the other ten shops?”
Pu Cao nodded, “I have. Yu Hui is quite reliable. The shop names have all been changed to Shen Nong Hall, and the plaques are marked with serial numbers. Anyone can see that those ten shops are branches of our Shen Nong Hall.”
Hua Changxi looked at the purple mortal plant medicinal herbs on the medicine cabinet and asked, “Has anyone come to buy books?”
Pu Cao replied, “Some have inquired, but few have bought. However, the other ten shops have sold some.”
Hua Changxi nodded, “The Zhuo family’s apothecary shop has been operating for so many years, and its reputation is still quite good.”
Pu Cao looked at her, “Changxi, the shop assistants in the ten branch shops are still the original Zhuo family members. In this case, does the apothecary shop still belong to you?”
Hua Changxi rubbed her temples, “I know what you mean, but I don’t have time to deal with these matters. I’ve already asked Yu Hui to look for suitable candidates for stewards, and you should also pay attention to whether there are suitable people.”
Pu Cao nodded in agreement. Since moving to Feng’an Ward, she hadn’t been idle. She often walked through the streets and alleys and knew most of the people in the ward. In fact, there were quite a few capable people in the ward.
Hua Changxi added, “Whether it’s a steward or a shop assistant, there are no gender restrictions when selecting them.”
Pu Cao’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly agreed with a smile.
Hua Changxi continued to look at the account books, observing the sales volume of the pills, and rubbed her forehead.
There would be more and more customers in the future, and it was clearly not enough for her to refine and sell pills alone.
She had identified a few good candidates from the Labor Department, but they were mortals and could only refine mortal pills. Only cultivators could refine elixirs.
Hua Changxi looked at Pu Cao, “Sister Pu Cao, have you been reading medical books recently?”
Pu Cao replied while tidying the counter, “I have been. I’ve finished reading the purple mortal plant medicinal herbs book and the medical books you recommended. I was just about to ask you to recommend some more books for me to read.”
Hua Changxi asked, “Do you like studying medicine?”
Pu Cao nodded and smiled, “Yes, I do. If I become a doctor, I can not only treat my own illnesses but also help others. How wonderful would that be.”
Hua Changxi said, “Sister Pu Cao, I’ll teach you alchemy.”
Pu Cao’s hands paused, “Really?”
Hua Changxi nodded, “After dinner tonight, I’ll wait for you in the alchemy room.”
Pu Cao was overjoyed, “Okay.”
After dinner, Hua Changxi refined a few batches of ordinary mortal pills in the alchemy room, allowing Pu Cao to familiarize herself with the alchemy process.
At midnight, there was movement from A Niu’s room. Hua Changxi and Pu Cao quickly left the alchemy room and saw A Niu walking out of his room as if he had lost his soul, heading straight for the back door.
Green Ox wanted to stop A Niu, but Hua Changxi raised her hand to stop him.
Hua Changxi carefully sensed the surroundings but couldn’t hear the sound of the wooden fish. However, A Niu was clearly being drawn away by something.
“You two stay here, I’ll follow him and see.”
Watching Hua Changxi follow A Niu out of the courtyard, Pu Cao was a little worried and looked at Green Ox, “Will Changxi and A Niu be alright?”
Green Ox shook his head, “Don’t worry, not many people can harm Hua Changxi.”
Pu Cao looked at Green Ox, “You seem quite afraid of Changxi?” Every time Changxi came over, Green Ox didn’t dare to linger in front of her.
Green Ox’s ox face was wrinkled, “She has an indescribable aura that suppresses me. I get weak in the knees whenever I see her.”
Pu Cao didn’t understand cultivators and just assumed Hua Changxi’s strength was greater than Green Ox’s.
Meanwhile, Hua Changxi trailed far behind A Niu, following him for several streets, and finally arrived in front of a dilapidated house in the southwest corner of Feng’an Ward.
Seeing A Niu enter the abandoned house, Hua Changxi worried that the person in the shadows might have other detection methods, so she didn’t dare to get close. She flew into the air on her Somersault Cloud and looked down from above. Soon, she saw a monk in white sitting cross-legged in the courtyard of the abandoned house, his eyes closed as he struck a wooden fish.
The wooden fish he struck made no sound, but ripples of spiritual energy continuously spread outwards.
As soon as A Niu entered the courtyard, the monk in white opened his eyes, a clear smile on his face, and stopped striking the wooden fish.
As soon as the sound of the wooden fish disappeared, A Niu regained his clarity. Seeing himself in an unfamiliar place, his face changed greatly, “Where is this place?”
The monk in white smiled, “Bull God Protector, you have finally arrived.”
A Niu didn’t listen to what the monk in white said. He looked around warily, turned, and was about to flee.
Seeing this, the monk in white’s expression darkened. He spun a golden alms bowl in his hand, pointing its opening at A Niu. A beam of golden light shone on A Niu, and his body was instantly immobilized.
At the same time, a giant ox shadow appeared on him, accompanied by a deafening ‘moo’.
The ox shadow and the ox sound flashed and disappeared, but it was enough for A Niu to see clearly.
“Do you see? You possess the Divine Ability of the Bull God, you are the Bull God Protector, and you bear the mission to awaken the Bull God.”
A Niu shook his head violently, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Seeing his resistance, the monk in white could only change his strategy. He took out a cultivation method called the purple Great Strength Bull Demon Technique and tempted him, “Do you want to become an invincible powerhouse? By cultivating this purple Great Strength Bull Demon Technique, you will become an unparalleled top-tier powerhouse.”
A Niu was still unmoved, “I’m living a good life now, and I don’t want to become a powerhouse.” After speaking, he ran towards the outside of the abandoned house.
Seeing this, the monk in white shook his head, “Bull God Protector, you cannot escape the mission to awaken the Bull God.” As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed and blocked A Niu’s path, reaching out to grab him.
At this moment, the monk in white suddenly felt a palpitation. He looked around and finally looked up at the sky.
Seeing Hua Changxi flying down on a cloud, the monk in white’s expression changed greatly. He grabbed A Niu and fled.
Hua Changxi’s expression changed. There were many people in the ward, and if a fight broke out with the monk in white, innocent people would surely be injured.
With this thought, Hua Changxi quickly condensed spiritual energy in her right hand. The next moment, a giant Buddha’s hand shot out, striking the monk in white like lightning.
“Bang!”
The monk in white was sent flying, and A Niu broke free from his grasp, falling to the ground.
The monk in white was bleeding from the blow. Seeing how powerful Hua Changxi was, he cast a resentful glance at A Niu and could only grit his teeth and choose to flee.
Hua Changxi naturally wouldn’t let him go and quickly pursued him.
Seeing Hua Changxi relentlessly pursuing him at an extremely fast speed, the monk in white became very anxious. During the chase, he noticed Hua Changxi deliberately avoiding the surrounding houses and immediately had an idea.
“Boom boom~”
The monk in white directly attacked the surrounding houses, and in an instant, several houses were destroyed.
Seeing the monk in white indiscriminately attacking the surrounding houses, Hua Changxi’s expression darkened. A fire lotus condensed in her palm and shot out with a ‘swoosh’, growing from small to large and instantly engulfing the monk in white.
“Ah~”
A shrill scream echoed in the night sky. Before the sound faded, the monk in white had been burned to ashes by the fire lotus. A gust of wind blew, leaving no trace.
“Clatter~”
A string of prayer beads fell to the ground. Hua Changxi picked them up, then returned to help A Niu up, and quickly left the scene.
The destruction of the houses and the shrill screams awakened everyone in Feng’an Ward. They cautiously walked out of their homes, wanting to know what had happened.
After Hua Changxi brought A Niu back to the apothecary shop, she gave him a healing pill and then asked Green Ox to take care of him.
“Sister Pu Cao, during the fight just now, several households were damaged. You and I will go and check. If there are any injured, have them come to the apothecary shop for free treatment, and say it’s the apothecary shop helping the neighbors.”
Pu Cao nodded upon hearing this and went to the street with Hua Changxi, following the crowd towards the street where the houses were destroyed.
Six households had their houses destroyed, but fortunately, no lives were lost. For anyone who was injured, Pu Cao arranged for them to be sent to the apothecary shop for Hua Changxi to treat.
Just as Hua Changxi finished bandaging the wounds of the injured, the Five City Military Command arrived to inquire about the situation.
“We don’t know what happened. In the middle of the night, we were sleeping soundly when we suddenly heard a rumbling sound, and then the house collapsed.”
“Fortunately, the neighbors appeared in time and rescued us.”
“That scream was terrifying. When we went to look, we saw nothing, as if we had misheard that scream.”
The people in the ward actively reported what they knew to the officials.
The officials from the Five City Military Command couldn’t find any key points after listening to their accounts and could only return to report.
After the officials from the Five City Military Command left, Hua Changxi looked at the injured crying in the apothecary shop and said to Pu Cao, “These six households have young descendants. Arrange for them to work in the branch shops. You can let them draw an advance on their wages to repair their houses first.”
Pu Cao nodded. Seeing Hua Changxi frowning, she comforted her, “Changxi, don’t blame yourself too much.”
Hua Changxi shook her head, “I shouldn’t have fought in the city.” She paused, “The officials will definitely come again.”
Pu Cao quickly replied, “Don’t worry, I know how to deal with them.”
Hua Changxi hummed, “I’m going back to my room to rest for a while.”
Back in her room, Hua Changxi took out the prayer beads she had picked up.
The prayer beads had eighteen beads. Seventeen of them were scorched black, and only one bead was not burned by the fire lotus and remained intact.
Thinking of the monk in white casually taking out a cultivation method, Hua Changxi guessed that this prayer bead was likely a magic treasure for storage.
The monk in white was already dead. She confidently dripped a drop of blood onto it and soon sensed the space within the bead.
There were quite a few items in the space, including cultivation method books, spirit stones, spiritual plants and fruits, as well as some pills, spirit talismans, magic tools, formation disks, and formation flags.
“What is this?”
In the space, there was a transparent sphere the size of a grapefruit. As soon as Hua Changxi took it out and touched it, flames appeared inside the sphere, and then the flames engulfed the sphere at a visible speed.
In an instant, the entire sphere blazed with fire.
Hua Changxi quickly withdrew her hand. The flames retreated into the sphere like a receding river, disappearing.
“Is this… a spirit testing stone?”
Looking at this scene, Hua Changxi felt it was very similar to the reaction of a spirit testing stone. Her eyes lit up, and she took the spirit testing stone to A Niu’s room, asking him to place his hand on it.
A Niu placed his hand on it, but unfortunately, the sphere showed no reaction.
Green Ox saw this from the side and raised his hoof, indicating that he also wanted to test it.
Hua Changxi let Green Ox touch the sphere. As soon as his hoof touched the sphere, it immediately emitted a strong green light.
Seeing this, Green Ox immediately grinned.
Hua Changxi looked at Green Ox, then at A Niu, “Oxen have spiritual meridians, but humans don’t. It’s truly strange.”
Then, Hua Changxi called Pu Cao in and had her touch the sphere.
As soon as Pu Cao’s hands touched the sphere, a green light and a red light lit up inside. The two lights were evenly matched, quickly filling the entire sphere.
“Changxi, what is this?”
Hua Changxi replied, “This is a stone for testing spiritual meridians. Sister Pu Cao, you have a spiritual meridian and can cultivate.”
Pu Cao’s expression brightened, “If I cultivate, can I become an immortal like you?”
Hua Changxi smiled, “Not an immortal, but a cultivator.” Her peripheral vision noticed A Niu lowering his head with some disappointment, and she comforted him, “A Niu, you can also cultivate.”
For those with bloodline ancestral return, the most suitable cultivation method is body refining. The purple Nine Revolutions Profound Technique obtained from Five Finger Mountain is a profound body refining cultivation method.
A Niu suddenly raised his head, “But I couldn’t make the sphere light up.”
Hua Changxi said, “Let me study it. You can definitely cultivate.”
A Niu had always trusted Hua Changxi. Hearing her say this, his expression immediately improved.
Hua Changxi took the spirit testing stone back to her room and then flipped through other items in the prayer bead space. Soon, she took out the golden alms bowl that had illuminated A Niu’s ox shadow.
After burning the golden alms bowl with a fire lotus and seeing no abnormalities, Hua Changxi dripped a drop of blood onto it.
After the blood merged into the golden alms bowl, information about the golden alms bowl appeared in Hua Changxi’s mind: Totem Alms Bowl, capable of illuminating bloodline totems.
“Totem…”
Totems are generally symbols of a clan.
Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered, and she really wanted to know what deity her ancestors were protected by.
So, she placed the golden alms bowl on the table, pointing its opening towards the door, and then quickly walked into the range illuminated by the bowl’s opening.
When she aimed at the bowl’s opening, a golden light shot out from the golden alms bowl. As the light enveloped her, Hua Changxi felt the blood in her body ignite, burning and boiling, as if something was awakening.
Then, a dazzling, colorful lotus flower emerged and bloomed from Hua Changxi’s body.
“It smells so good, what is this fragrance?”
“It smells like lotus.”
“Where is this lotus fragrance coming from?”
At this moment, the apothecary shop and its surrounding neighbors all smelled the lotus fragrance.
Hua Changxi was not too surprised to see the lotus flower. Previously, after consuming the fire-elemental ancestral fruit—Flowing Light Red Lotus—she had obtained the Fire Lotus Fén Jì Divine Ability, and she had some suspicions.
However, the next moment, her eyes widened.
“Caw~”
A clear and melodious bird cry sounded, and then a radiant fire bird emerged from Hua Changxi’s body.
In the courtyard, Green Ox fell to his knees with a thud. To the stunned Pu Cao and A Niu, he performed a full prostration, his entire body trembling as if he had encountered something terrifying.
Hua Changxi was also surprised. She wasn’t surprised by the lotus in her bloodline totem, but a fire bird was something she hadn’t expected.
Isn’t this fire bird a Vermilion Bird?
Were her ancestors protected not only by a lotus but also by a Vermilion Bird?
Soon, Hua Changxi figured it out. She had a father and a mother. Her father’s side had a deity, so her mother’s side must also have a deity.
The Hua family surname is Hua, so it’s likely her ancestors were protected by a lotus. Then the Vermilion Bird’s protection must have come from her mother’s ancestors.
The Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Spirits. Her mother’s ancestors are quite formidable!
Hua Changxi put away the golden alms bowl, lost in thought, “There’s an ox, a snake, a flower, and a Vermilion Bird. The bloodline totems are not animals, but flowers and plants. Could it be that humans in the past were protected by the Demon Race?”
