Chapter 49: The Stooped Old Man
“Outrageous, simply outrageous!”
A mere Laborer dared to threaten him; Eunuch Lu was truly furious. “I must expel her from the Labor Department.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Hui’s eyelids twitched. He hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage to say, “Eunuch Lu, that Hua Changxi has always been bold. If you expel her from the Labor Department, she might very well dare to go to Eunuch Jia and cause a scene, or even dare to lay a hand on you.”
Eunuch Lu’s face darkened further upon hearing this. He looked at Eunuch Yu, “What rank Martial Artist is that Hua Changxi?”
Eunuch Yu shook his head, “We haven’t sparred, but my pressure had no effect on her.”
Hearing this, Eunuch Lu sat back down with a grim expression, “Are we just going to let this matter go, and let a Laborer climb over our heads and lord over us?”
Eunuch Yu genuinely wanted to cooperate with Eunuch Lu. After all, this would allow him to utilize more Medicinal Herbs. With more Medicinal Herbs, more Pills could be refined, and more Silver would be earned.
He was unwilling to give Hua Changxi a forty percent share of the profits. Furthermore, Hua Changxi’s disrespectful attitude towards them also displeased him greatly.
“Think of a way to teach her a lesson.”
The Alchemy could not stop, but they also couldn’t let Hua Changxi completely control them.
Yu Hui glanced at Eunuch Yu and then at Eunuch Lu, reminding them, “It will soon be time to harvest Medicinal Herbs from the Medicine Farms.”
Eunuch Yu glanced at Yu Hui, somewhat surprised. This godson usually treated that Hua Changxi quite well.
Yu Hui’s expression stiffened under his gaze, and he immediately said righteously, “In my son’s heart, Godfather will always come first.”
Eunuch Yu looked pleased upon hearing this and turned to Eunuch Lu, “What do you think?”
Eunuch Lu hesitated, “Helping out at the Medicine Farm takes several months.”
He wanted to deal with Hua Changxi, but he also didn’t want to delay earning Silver.
Yu Hui quickly glanced at Eunuch Lu, finding him despicable. He wanted to earn money through Sister Changxi, yet also wanted to suppress her; he wanted everything, even more so than his Godfather.
Eunuch Yu also did not want to interrupt the Alchemy. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I have a method that can make Hua Changxi obedient.”
Yu Hui’s expression tensed, and he looked at Eunuch Yu, waiting for him to continue.
Unfortunately, Eunuch Yu said no more, only telling Eunuch Lu to await news.
After Hua Changxi had just dealt with Eunuch Lu and Eunuch Yu, she had prepared herself for retaliation. To her surprise, after waiting for several days, nothing happened.
On the fifteenth day of the second month, Yu Hui informed Hua Changxi that Eunuch Yu had obtained another batch of Medicinal Herbs and asked her to go to Number Nine Qihuang Hall to refine Pills, with the profit sharing remaining the same as before.
“I don’t know what Godfather is planning, but you should be careful in everything you do.”
Yu Hui still reminded Hua Changxi.
Hua Changxi thanked him and then went directly to Number Nine Qihuang Hall.
Upon arriving at Number Nine Qihuang Hall, Hua Changxi noticed that Xiao Xizi, Eunuch Yu’s attendant, was not present.
Previously, whenever she came to refine Pills, Xiao Xizi was almost always there. Even if he wasn’t watching her refine Pills the entire time, he would still come by and wander around from time to time.
Hua Changxi looked at the Medicinal Herbs placed in the Courtyard, her eyebrows raised.
There weren’t many Medicinal Herbs, and they were all prepared.
After examining the Medicinal Herbs, Hua Changxi knew these were for refining the Earthly Gang Pill.
The Earthly Gang Pill was the most needed Pill for Seventh-Rank Martial Artists, as it could assist them in transforming their Internal Energy into Gang Qi.
The Medicinal Herbs used by Seventh-Rank Martial Artists were naturally extremely precious. In the Medical Affairs Department, a Steward of the Storeroom could easily procure them. Outside, a Martial Artist would have to collect them for many years to gather enough for one refinement.
Hua Changxi did not know what Eunuch Yu was planning. While processing the Medicinal Herbs, she warily observed her surroundings.
Soon, she heard several faint footsteps outside the Courtyard. After a few breaths, the sounds disappeared.
Hua Changxi’s senses were now extremely sharp. Although the footsteps had stopped, she could still hear breathing. Without even going out to look, she knew that several people were definitely monitoring her outside the Qihuang Hall.
She seemed to have guessed what Eunuch Yu was planning.
Eunuch Yu most likely intended to frame her for misappropriating Medicinal Herbs. Since no one had rushed in, he was probably waiting for her to finish refining the Earthly Gang Pill.
While Hua Changxi was contemplating these matters, her refining actions did not stop.
The Medicinal Herbs placed in the Courtyard by Eunuch Yu were collected according to the Medical Affairs Department’s formula for refining the Earthly Gang Pill, requiring over seventy types of Medicinal Herbs.
She only needed thirty-six types to refine the Earthly Gang Pill.
Hua Changxi did not want to leave the excess Medicinal Herbs for the people outside to use as evidence. She unleashed her Spiritual Energy, directly turning the Medicinal Herbs into powder. Then, a gust of wind blew, scattering the powder instantly.
At this moment, apart from the Medicinal Herbs being refined in the Alchemy Furnace, there was no trace of any other Medicinal Herbs in the Courtyard.
Not long after, the Earthly Gang Pill was refined. Hua Changxi quickly put the Pills into a Porcelain Bottle and, before the people outside could react, directly climbed over the wall and left Number Nine Qihuang Hall.
She would not surrender obediently. With the Medicinal Herbs gone, she would find a place to hide the refined Earthly Gang Pill. Even if Eunuch Yu wanted to accuse her of stealing Medicinal Herbs, there would be no physical evidence.
The layout of the Medical Affairs Department was generally rectangular. In the front was the Ninth Street Medicine Hall, and at the back were the Apprentice Hall and the Labor Department.
Between the Apprentice Hall and the Labor Department was a vast Plaza.
Number Nine Qihuang Hall was located at the northwest corner of the Labor Department. As soon as Hua Changxi climbed over the Courtyard wall, she was on the Plaza.
With people chasing her from behind, Hua Changxi had no choice but to run quickly towards the Apprentice Hall.
In the center of the Plaza, directly to the north, stood a massive three-legged Stone Cauldron. As Hua Changxi ran, she couldn’t help but glance at it a couple of times.
This Stone Cauldron looked like the Shen Nong Cauldron she had used as a storage jar in her previous life!
Just as Hua Changxi ran past the Stone Cauldron, a buzzing sound suddenly echoed in her mind, as if something was about to burst out of her head.
Hua Changxi’s face instantly turned extremely pale. At this moment, she had only one sensation: her head felt like it was going to explode.
The intense pain drained Hua Changxi of all her strength. Dizzy and disoriented, she directly collapsed onto the ground.
“Quick, Hua Changxi is by the Stone Cauldron.”
The people Eunuch Yu had arranged to capture Hua Changxi had already caught up.
Hua Changxi’s vision was starting to blur from the splitting headache. She didn’t know what was happening to her and instinctively channeled the Spiritual Energy within her body towards her head.
As the Spiritual Energy circulated, the intense pain in her head gradually lessened.
Seeing that this had an effect, Hua Changxi was instantly relieved. Noticing Eunuch Yu’s people getting closer, she struggled to get up.
Just then, a creaking sound came from the north of the Stone Cauldron. The old Courtyard Gate, directly facing the Stone Cauldron, which was rarely opened, was pushed open from the inside.
In the next moment, a White-haired Old Man, hunched over at nearly ninety degrees, leaning on a Walking Stick, shakily stepped out of the Courtyard Gate.
The sudden appearance of the hunched old man caused Eunuch Yu’s men to stop in their tracks.
Hua Changxi looked at the hunched old man walking towards her, her expression also one of great surprise.
From a distance, Eunuch Yu knew Hua Changxi would not surrender easily and was worried about not obtaining the Earthly Gang Pill. He had been secretly following the people he arranged. When he saw the hunched old man, his brows immediately furrowed.
The hunched old man walked up to Hua Changxi and examined her carefully. His eyes flickered with confusion, and then he circled her a few times, “Little girl, what’s wrong with you?”
Hua Changxi instinctively concealed her condition and casually replied, “I have low blood sugar.”
Hunched old man: “Would you like to rest in my Courtyard for a while?”
Hua Changxi found the hunched old man very strange, and his appearance was somewhat frightening. She directly refused, “I’m fine, I won’t trouble the Old Man.”
After speaking, she laboriously stood up.
The hunched old man looked up at her and smiled, “Little girl, you look familiar. You can come to my Courtyard as a guest in the future.”
Hua Changxi glanced at the old Courtyard with its half-open gate. As her gaze fell inside the Courtyard, her head began to feel dizzy and painful again.
As she withdrew her gaze, she vaguely saw a magnificent and imposing Palace. When she forced herself to look again through the pain, it was just a dilapidated Courtyard.
Hua Changxi was too weak to consider whether she was hallucinating. She pulled at the corner of her mouth, forced a smile, and politely declined, “I’m just a Laborer, and I’m busy with my duties every day.”
The hunched old man smiled and said no more. He turned around shakily, glanced at Eunuch Yu in the distance, and then, leaning on his Walking Stick, returned to the dilapidated Courtyard.
The Courtyard Gate closed, leaving only Hua Changxi and Eunuch Yu’s group on the Plaza.
Hua Changxi’s head was still hurting severely, making it impossible for her to think about how to deal with Eunuch Yu. She could only wait for them to make the first move, and then she would react accordingly.
Eunuch Yu looked at the old Courtyard Gate, then at Hua Changxi, and finally waved his hand, leaving with his subordinates.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi was very confused. However, she couldn’t ponder the reason why. Covering her head and enduring the pain, she quickly returned to the Sixth Bureau.
“Where is Hua Changxi? You didn’t catch her?”
Eunuch Lu looked at Eunuch Yu, who had returned empty-handed, with some dissatisfaction.
Eunuch Yu casually glanced at Eunuch Lu, “I saw Old Master Gu at the Plaza.”
Eunuch Lu frowned, “Old Master Gu? What Old Master Gu?” As he spoke, his expression changed, “You’re not talking about that old hunchback, are you?”
Eunuch Yu suddenly lost the desire to speak with Eunuch Lu. This person, whom even the Department Head showed some respect to, was being spoken of with such disdain. It was better to have less contact with such a person.
“I don’t want to continue with the matter of dealing with Hua Changxi. How you cooperate with her is your own business. I will still give her the original profit share.”
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Lu’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant, “You, a Steward in charge of the Storeroom, are actually afraid of a Laborer.”
Eunuch Yu was not angry. At this moment, his mind was entirely occupied with Old Master Gu inviting Hua Changxi to his Courtyard as a guest.
Old Master Gu rarely appeared in public, and he would not casually invite people to his Courtyard.
He knew of only three people who had been invited by him: the Minister of the Heavenly Department, the current Director of the Medical Affairs Department, and Master Zhang of the Celestial Master’s Mansion.
Regardless of why Hua Changxi had caught Old Master Gu’s eye, based on the status of the first three individuals invited by Old Master Gu, he had no intention of clashing with her anymore.
Eunuch Yu let Hua Changxi off the hook, but Eunuch Lu was unwilling to let her off so easily. After much deliberation, he decided to send Hua Changxi to help out at the Medicine Farm.
Knowing that Mao Yong and Mao Wei of Sancha Medicine Farm held a grudge against her, in order to force her to yield to him sooner, he directly added Hua Changxi’s name to the list of those going to Sancha Medicine Farm.
