“Firewood is a profound subject!”
Thus, Senior Brother Hao began to explain the principles of firewood to He Pingsheng.
The firewood used for Alchemy is divided into two types.
One type is hard firewood!
One type is soft firewood!
Soft Materials are used for kindling; generally, there are no special requirements, and dry thatch can be used.
However, there are many classifications for hard firewood.
Based on different wood types, it is divided into elm firewood, chestnut firewood, date firewood, paulownia firewood, and so on.
And each different type of wood also has different specifications, such as large firewood, medium firewood, and small firewood.
To refine different Medicinal Pills, different types of firewood must be used!
And when refining the same batch of Medicinal Pills, different periods require controlling the size of the fire. This control over the fire's size is achieved by combining large, medium, and small firewood specifications.
“Of course!” Senior Brother Hao said, “You don't need to understand how to control it specifically; building the fire is my job. Your job is to chop and cut firewood!”
“Go cut firewood from the mountain according to my requirements, then, after drying the firewood, chop it into the sizes I need!”
“The specific specifications are over there; you can go and see for yourself!”
He Pingsheng walked out of the main hall and went around to the back.
Behind it was a shed specifically for storing firewood.
He took a look; there was a lot of firewood inside, of various specifications and types, all neatly categorized and stacked.
“No one has come to perform Alchemy recently!” Senior Brother Hao, who had followed him over at some point, said, “You can go to the mountain to cut firewood first and familiarize yourself with the work!”
He Pingsheng immediately became curious: “How does Senior Brother know that no one is coming to refine Medicinal Pills recently?”
Senior Brother Hao smiled and said, “That’s very simple. If the Immortals of Xiuzhu Peak are going to perform Alchemy, they will notify us a few days in advance to prepare, and they also need to tell me what kind of Medicinal Pill they want to refine and when!”
“Otherwise, if we’re not prepared, what kind of Medicinal Pill would they refine when they arrive?!”
He Pingsheng immediately looked at him with reverence: “Senior Brother is truly impressive; even those Immortals need to apply to you in advance?”
“Hehehe…” Senior Brother Hao chuckled and said, “That’s right… Although our status is low, sometimes they still need to ask us for things, don't they?”
However, there was a hint of falseness in Senior Brother Hao’s smile.
After looking around, He Pingsheng picked up an axe and went up the mountain to start cutting trees.
He recognized various types of trees.
The work of cutting firewood was no easier than carrying water, but unlike carrying water, there was no set quota for how much had to be completed each day, and the consumption of firewood was far less than that of drinking water.
So, overall, it was relatively easy.
After dinner in the evening, He Pingsheng locked himself in his small room, then took out the remaining Gold Bone Pill and gently placed it in the old clay basin.
After placing it, he put the clay basin by his bedside and stared at it without moving, wanting to see how this gathering treasure basin could turn one treasure into two.
But he waited until midnight, and the basin remained absolutely still.
No way!
He couldn't stand staying awake any longer and had to go to sleep first.
The first thing he did upon waking up the next morning was to look into the dark clay basin.
However, to He Pingsheng’s astonishment, the single Medicinal Pill in the basin had not moved at all.
It was still one Medicinal Pill!
Its quality had not changed either!
He looked at the basin from all sides, and a hint of disappointment rose in He Pingsheng’s heart: Could it be that I judged incorrectly, and this basin is not a gathering treasure basin at all?
Is this just an ordinary basin?
Then how do I explain what happened before?
Did someone play a trick on me?
…
“Why are you so distracted?”
“He Pingsheng, you have something on your mind!”
Senior Brother Hao pushed his bowl across the table after eating and said, “Tell me about it?”
He Pingsheng quickly said, “No, no, no…”
“No is best!” Senior Brother Hao said, “Wash my bowl for me, and I’ll tell you some good news!”
He Pingsheng picked up the two bowls, went out to wash them clean, and then returned to the main hall.
Senior Brother Hao said, “In five days, Jade Profound Martial Uncle from Xiuzhu Peak will come to perform Alchemy… and it’s for refining Foundation Establishment Pill!”
He Pingsheng naturally didn't understand what a Foundation Establishment Pill was, but a hint of apprehension rose in his heart.
Because someone had said before that the most dangerous time was when Immortals performed Alchemy.
If the Alchemy failed, the precious medicinal herbs collected with painstaking effort and financial resources would be gone.
At that time, in their exasperation, they might take out their anger on the Medicinal Pill boys and Utility Disciples, and being injured or crippled would be minor matters.
How could it not make one apprehensive?
“Phew…” Senior Brother Hao took a deep breath: “Go prepare… Refining Foundation Establishment Pill requires a lot of chestnut firewood. Prepare well, prepare plenty!”
“It’s best to pray that Jade Profound Martial Uncle can succeed in Alchemy!”
He Pingsheng didn't know what a Foundation Establishment Pill was, but Hao Yun knew.
How precious were the Materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill? If the Alchemy truly failed… hiss, hiss, hiss… the consequences would be unimaginable!
“Yes… I’ll go right away!”
He Pingsheng temporarily forgot about the gathering treasure basin, picked up his axe, and walked up the mountain.
A day of hard work!
But the chestnut firewood was enough.
The next few days would just be chopping the firewood into suitable sizes.
Night!
Back in the room!
He saw the black clay basin again.
He Pingsheng was unwilling to give up, so he filled half the basin with clear water from outside and placed it by his bedside!
He couldn't sleep, constantly monitoring the situation of the clay basin.
In the dead of night, the moonlight was like water, casting down from the sky!
A ray of moonlight passed through the window lattice of He Pingsheng’s bedroom, falling onto the bluestone floor, dappled and softly beautiful.
It was at this moment that He Pingsheng suddenly noticed tiny light particles, like atoms, appearing on the illuminated ground. They then gathered and moved towards the black clay basin.
This…
At this moment, He Pingsheng became excited again.
No problem!
This gathering treasure basin really had no problem.
Moonlight essence, fusing into the water.
The water seemed to have no change.
But after He Pingsheng stared at the water for an hour, he found that the water's color seemed to have turned slightly green.
And it also seemed to have increased slightly.
When he woke up the next morning, he looked at the clay basin with two dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot eyes, and suddenly discovered that the water in the clay basin had already gathered into a full basin!
Green water.
As green as precious jade, reflecting the morning sun, presenting a vibrant emerald hue.
Phew…
He felt relieved!
It proved that this thing was indeed a gathering treasure basin!
“Splash…”
He Pingsheng, with the fastest speed, poured the full basin of clear water under his bed.
No matter what, this thing couldn't be kept.
If the item was gone, it could still condense again.
But if any clue was discovered, it would be completely over.
As the water was poured onto the ground, an incredibly fresh Qi immediately permeated the air.
Taking a breath, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
He Pingsheng thought: I wonder if this thing can be drunk?
But now was not the time to research it. He would catch a squirrel later and test it on it.