Chapter 573: To Water or Not to Water

Hearing the voice, Zhang Xiaohua recognized it as Chen Fengxiao, the person in charge of the Herb Division on Tianmu Peak.

As he walked, Zhang Xiaohua replied, “Boss Chen? This little brother was sleeping. Please wait a moment, I’ll be right out.”

He said a moment, but in truth, he had already reached the edge of the cave.

Stepping outside, he saw Chen Fengxiao standing not far away with a smile, his hands folded behind his back. Zhang Xiaohua quickly stepped forward and saluted. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Fengxiao beat him to it. “Little Brother truly has unusual tastes. There is a perfectly good house to live in, yet you insist on staying in a cave. If I hadn’t come up the mountain today to look for you about something, I would never have known.”

Seeing Chen Fengxiao trying a bit too hard to appear casual, Zhang Xiaohua smiled as well. Turning around, he pointed at the sun, which had already climbed high into the sky, and said: “This little brother’s lifelong wish has been to bask in warm sunlight whenever possible. Look, isn’t this cave facing east? Every morning, the very first ray of sunlight is delivered right before my eyes. It’s truly a life like that of an immortal.”

“A life like that of an immortal?” Chen Fengxiao gave a dry chuckle. “Little Brother’s requirements really are unusually low. Still, this cave is dark and damp. Don’t let it affect your health.”

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head. “Many thanks for Boss Chen’s concern. Before going to Spring Rebirth Valley, this little brother also lived in a cave back home. It’s no problem, no problem.”

Then he immediately changed the subject and asked: “May I ask why Boss Chen came up so early? Could it be another wager match?”

“Hahaha!” Hearing this, a smile appeared on Chen Fengxiao’s face. “It seems Little Brother still hasn’t had his fill from the last wager match. You must have gained quite a lot from it to be looking forward to the next one so eagerly. However, last time we schemed against the Pill Division a little too thoroughly. They still haven’t figured out a way to deal with you, so I’m afraid they’ll need to wait a while longer.”

“Surely not, Boss. The Herb Division’s strength was originally inferior to the Pill Division’s. Even after adding me, we still haven’t caught up to them. Why would they be afraid?”

Chen Fengxiao waved his hand. “Those are only excuses. Wager matches aren’t something that can be held whenever someone feels like it. If Tianmu Peak held one every few days, how could the disciples focus on their work? Even while refining pills, they’d be thinking about the next match. How could anything get done? Being able to hold a wager match once a month is already quite good. The last time Little Brother participated was purely a coincidence. It just happened that it had been a long time since the previous one, so Wu Dalang brought it up.”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood. “So that’s how it is. If they were held too frequently, I suppose Baiyue Peak wouldn’t agree either?”

“Exactly.” Chen Fengxiao chuckled. “And these past few days, the Pill Division seems to have received some sort of assignment. Everyone there is busy. Even when I wanted to find Wu Dalang to discuss something, it wasn’t easy.”

Then he looked around before saying: “Actually, the reason I came up the mountain this time is that there’s something I need to discuss with Little Brother.”

Zhang Xiaohua frowned and lowered his voice as well. “If Boss Chen has any matter, please just give the order. This little brother will certainly do everything in his power.”

“Hehe.” Chen Fengxiao said awkwardly, “Little Brother, don’t put it that way. The reason I came is…”

He seemed unable to continue.

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously, “Could it be that Boss Chen still wants more medicinal pills? I don’t have any extras left.”

“No, no.” Chen Fengxiao waved his hands repeatedly. “A miraculous medicine like the Jade Restoration Pill—being able to obtain a single one is already enough. How would I dare ask for more? If Wu Dalang hadn’t let it slip by accident, I would still be standing to the side drooling with envy. Well, this matter really is related to pill refining…”

Seeing Chen Fengxiao repeatedly unable to get the words out, Zhang Xiaohua found it extremely strange. His heart stirred, and he lowered his voice even further. “Oh, I understand now. Is it about pill refining?”

Chen Fengxiao’s expression became somewhat uncomfortable. “Exactly.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s face immediately filled with anticipation. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “That’s wonderful. When can you take this little brother to see Tuodan Hall’s pill room?”

“This…” Chen Fengxiao became even more embarrassed. “The reason I came this time is actually to tell Little Brother that this matter may have fallen through.”

“Huh?” Zhang Xiaohua frowned and asked in surprise, “What? Couldn’t you find a pill furnace for this little brother to practice with?”

“Practice with?” Chen Fengxiao was also stunned.

Zhang Xiaohua slapped his forehead and put on a regretful expression. “Boss Chen, please don’t blame me. This little brother concealed a few things when I spoke of it before. Although I did learn pill refining in Spring Rebirth Valley, it was only some very basic techniques. Ah, forget it. Boss Chen isn’t an outsider, so I’ll just speak frankly. The reason I came to the Incense-Spreading Sect was to properly study the lost art of pill refining from the senior offerings of Tuodan Hall. I had intended to bring this up later, after becoming more familiar with Boss Chen, but since you’ve mentioned it now, I can only say it ahead of time.”

“Oh~ so that’s your plan.” Chen Fengxiao’s expression became somewhat peculiar as he smiled. “That’s understandable, quite understandable. However, I’m afraid this matter is going to disappoint Little Brother.”

Zhang Xiaohua was puzzled. “Why?”

“Some time ago, didn’t Little Brother say that he knew how to refine pills? Since our Herb Division doesn’t have a pill room of its own, I went to look for Wu Dalang from the Pill Division. But I couldn’t find him anywhere. It wasn’t until the day before yesterday, when I finally caught him during a meal, that I brought it up. The moment he heard my proposal, he shook his head like a rattle drum. Only then did I learn that the Pill Division’s pill room has strict rules. Only Pill Division disciples who have passed the Hall Master’s examination are qualified to enter. Our Herb Division simply doesn’t have the qualifications. Since no one in the Herb Division had ever known pill refining before, I overlooked this and assumed that since our brothers could secretly go and watch from time to time, borrowing the facilities would naturally be possible as well.”

“But now it seems that secretly watching was one thing, and entering was another. As long as nobody touched the pill furnaces, it wasn’t a problem. But secretly refining pills there is absolutely out of the question.”

“Ah! So that’s how it is!” Zhang Xiaohua looked astonished.

Indeed, when he had gone there at night before, weren’t Pill Division disciples standing guard outside the pill room? They had clearly been keeping watch. What Chen Fengxiao said was true.

“Not even using one for a little while is allowed?” Zhang Xiaohua said regretfully. “Then… if I wanted to learn pill refining from Elder Lei and the others, wouldn’t that mean…”

Chen Fengxiao nodded. “Exactly. Disciples of the Herb Division cannot use the Pill Division’s pill furnaces. And I’m afraid your wish is destined to come to nothing. Since Wu Dalang won’t even lend us a pill furnace, there’s even less chance of learning pill-refining techniques from their Consacrated Elder.”

“Then…” Zhang Xiaohua began, then stopped himself.

Chen Fengxiao was a perceptive man and immediately understood. Waving his hand, he said, “Forget about any other ideas. Since you’re a medicine boy sent by Spring Rebirth Valley, then while alive you’re a man of the Herb Division, and when dead you’re a ghost of the Herb Division. If you want to go to the Pill Division, there’s no chance at all. Perhaps becoming an outer sect disciple is the most promising and most hopeful path available to you.”

Zhang Xiaohua put on an expression of disappointment, looking utterly desolate. Seeing this, even Chen Fengxiao felt a little sympathy. Reaching out, he patted Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder and said, “It’s not such a big deal, Little Brother. Your martial skills are quite impressive. Spend a few more years up here on the mountain practicing diligently, and perhaps you’ll truly be able to join the Outer Sect.”

Although he said so, from the tone of his voice, it was clear that he did not really believe Zhang Xiaohua would ever reach that day.

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and looked up at the sun in the sky, his face full of confidence. “Yes, I will. That day will come. Thank you for the encouragement, Boss Chen.”

Looking at Zhang Xiaohua’s youthful and spirited face, Chen Fengxiao suddenly felt moved.

Hadn’t he himself been exactly like this when he was young?

Alas, what a pity…

A moment later, Chen Fengxiao smiled and said, “Then continue your cultivation here on the mountain, Little Brother. I truly look forward to seeing our Herb Division produce another disciple who manages to enter the Outer Sect.”

After saying that, Chen Fengxiao patted Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder once more and headed down the mountain path.

At this point, he had completely given up on the idea of pill refining. Leaving aside the fact that the Pill Division could not lend its pill room to the Herb Division, it turned out that Zhang Xiaohua himself was only a half-baked practitioner. He actually wanted to use the Pill Division’s pill room to practice? And even dreamed of learning pill refining from the Pill Division’s Elders? How could that possibly happen?

At this moment, Chen Fengxiao could not help laughing at his own absurdity over the past few days. Thinking about it carefully, it had never been possible in the first place. Zhang Xiaohua was merely a medicine boy selected and sent over by Spring Rebirth Valley. If he truly understood the ancient method of pill refining, how could Spring Rebirth Valley possibly have sent him to the Incense-Spreading Sect? Only Zhang Xiaohua’s explanation—that he had come to the Incense-Spreading Sect specifically to learn pill refining—made sense as his true purpose.

“Forget it, forget it. The current situation is already quite good. I’ll just treat Ren Xiaoyao as a gift bestowed by the heavens. Since he can’t refine pills, I’ll make use of him in future wager matches. As for learning pill refining? He’d be better off practicing martial arts and winning more medicinal pills for himself.”

Watching Chen Fengxiao’s departing figure as he descended the mountain, Zhang Xiaohua smiled as well. During this period, he had been so busy tempering jade boxes and organizing medicinal herbs that he had completely forgotten about his agreement with Chen Fengxiao. Since the Pill Division would not allow the Herb Division to lay a finger on the pill room, Zhang Xiaohua’s life became even more leisurely. If the Pill Division had actually lent a pill room to the Herb Division, wouldn’t he have become Chen Fengxiao’s free pill refiner?

Bai Huan was not around, and Zou Shuming was nowhere nearby spying on him. Zhang Xiaohua did not return to the cave. Instead, he slowly walked to a corner of the herb fields and carefully examined the seed he had been watering with spring water all this time.

As his Divine Sense swept over it, he found that the Yuan Qi contained within the seed seemed slightly greater than that of the other seeds. It appeared that if he continued watering it this way, there might truly be hope for it to sprout.

Thus, Zhang Xiaohua now faced a decision: should he continue watering it or not?

If he stopped watering it, the Yuan Qi within the seed would naturally cease increasing, and it would never sprout. Of course, the Inner Sect disciples would never discover anything unusual either. But in that case, Zhang Xiaohua himself would never learn whether the seed could actually sprout.

On the other hand, if he continued watering it, he could verify his theory, but it would inevitably attract the attention of others.

Of course, was Zhang Xiaohua the sort of person who feared trouble?

He was not.

So Zhang Xiaohua watered the seed again.

The path of Immortal Dao lay in tireless pursuit, in searching above and below without ceasing. If one retreated at the slightest inconvenience, then setting aside the results, one’s cultivation of the heart would already have fallen to an inferior level. How could one possibly succeed in cultivation?

Returning to the pill room, Zhang Xiaohua tidied up the medicinal herbs, then once again placed the Eight Trigrams Purple-Gold Furnace onto the platform. He ignited the earth fire and was just about to take out the formula for the Bone-Consolidating Pill from his money pouch when, at that very moment, his Divine Sense noticed a jade slip of emerald-green color lying in a corner!