Chapter 103: We Can't Leave Empty-Handed
The visit to Dan Sect was originally a spontaneous idea from You Buyu, and there were no other tasks.
So after dinner, everyone was led into the courtyard behind Yuheng Hall.
Dan Sect never kept outside guests, nor did it have guest rooms. These dozen or so rooms were specially vacated by Disciples because they knew they were coming.
The rooms still had copper Pill Furnaces and fire fans that hadn't been moved, and a strong, pleasant scent of medicine wafted from them, which was refreshing to smell.
Ji You walked into the room, unaware that Senior Sister Pei had already maxed out the favorability of someone else's blind date for him. He only felt that You Buyu's gaze just now was even darker, while Yuan Caiwei's eyes were like water.
"Ru Long, lie on the ground and lick the bricks. Maybe there will be some medicinal dregs of High Grade Spirit Medicine."
??
Bai Rulong thought to himself, 'Don't fool me, I'm not stupid.'
How could there be so many High Grade Spirit Medicine? At most, there would be medicinal dregs of High Grade Spirit Medicine on the ground. He then lay on the ground and observed for a while.
Ji You, on the other hand, opened the human-sized Pill Furnace and pondered for a long time: "Do you think if I throw myself in, I can cultivate a body of bronze skin and iron bones, and fiery golden eyes?"
"Probably."
"Come on, you get in. I'll refine you first and see."
Meanwhile, Yuan Caiwei had already arranged for everyone to settle in. She then stood in the courtyard, glancing at Ji You, who was studying the copper Pill Furnace in the room, her eyelashes trembling as her eyes flowed.
Actually, before returning from Tianshu Academy, her mood had been somewhat complex.
She had reached the age where she had to marry. Originally, she had thought of marrying a talented young man from a small Worldly Family in the Upper Five Realms. Regardless of whether there would be feelings, she would accompany the Dao of Alchemy for the rest of her life, until her hair turned white.
Therefore, she did not lie in Qiling Mountain; Junior Third Realm Completion was not among her criteria for choosing a husband.
She was also proud. When she was sixteen or seventeen, she had also thought of marrying a graceful Young Master from an Immortal Sect, so she would not allow herself to marry just anyone.
So she kept delaying, until Yuan Chen always said she wouldn't be wanted if she didn't marry soon.
But which woman doesn't want to marry? Ultimately, it's because she can't find a suitable person.
Small Worldly Families are sometimes too small, and the people they interact with are more utilitarian, constantly asking about Spirit Pills.
Young Masters from large Worldly Families, on the other hand, might have ambitions, and she worried they might be detrimental to Dan Sect in the future.
Later, the incident of the Yao Race ascending in Qi Ridge happened. Her father felt that a chaotic era was approaching and wanted to unite with a larger force, so he chose You Buyu for her.
You Buyu was a direct Disciple of the Jixiang Hall Master and an Integration Dao Realm expert.
For his age, breaking into the Sky Soaring Realm should be a sure thing, and he even had a chance to enter the Boundless Realm.
Such a person had far exceeded her criteria for a spouse. Logically speaking, she should have been satisfied. But that day, when Ji You invited her to dinner, she didn't know why, but as if by a ghost, she shed her Dan Robe and dressed up like a young lady from a prominent family.
After returning to Dan Sect, she would always think of that person and occasionally lose herself in thought.
It turned out that a person's choices sometimes had little to do with Realm or Worldly Family; even she herself couldn't explain why.
However, among the group who came to Dan Sect this time, You Buyu was also present.
He represented the face of Tianshu Academy and was her blind date, so she couldn't very well speak to Ji You in front of everyone.
Moreover, her father had just told her that You Buyu was very good and seemed to have taken a liking to her.
If only she had known...
If only she had listened carefully to Brother Ji's words back in Qi Ridge.
At this thought, she couldn't help but recall those few days in the small courtyard in Ningcheng County, and the image of Lingjian Mountain's Master Jian always clinging to him surfaced in her mind.
Am I really not as discerning as Yan Shuyi?
Yuan Caiwei gazed at Ji You for a long time, then turned and returned to her small building, taking out the painting she hadn't finished earlier. She continued to sketch under the rustling sound of willow leaves outside the window.
It was a small alley built with black bricks, with seven Spirit Swords floating in the air within the painting.
Just then, footsteps sounded, and the newcomer, full of joy, pushed open her bamboo door from behind.
"Sister, where's my brother-in-law!"
Yuan Caiwei quickly covered the painting in her hand, looked at Yuan Chen, and feigned composure as she spoke: "You dead Junior Brother, why didn't you knock?"
Yuan Chen didn't notice his sister's small action and spoke with some indignation: "I got caught reading a novel while doing Alchemy two days ago, and Father punished me with two days of confinement. As soon as I got out, I heard that brother-in-law came to the mountain. Is it true?"
"Yes, he's here, in the backyard of Yuheng Hall, Room Ding."
"Oh, oh, then I'll go find him—"
Yuan Chen finished speaking and was about to step out, but just as his front foot crossed the threshold, he couldn't help but turn his head, looking at his sister with a strange expression.
Because he suddenly remembered that among the Tianshu Academy Disciples who came this time, there was also You Buyu, the one who had a blind date with his sister at Tianshu Academy that day.
"Sister, you know who I'm talking about, right?"
Yuan Caiwei froze for a moment, then turned her head away, her cheeks slightly flushed: "If you're going, go quickly."
"Do you know or not..."
Yuan Chen mumbled, then jogged all the way to the backyard of Yuheng Hall and found Room Ding.
At this moment, Ji You was squatting in front of the Pill Furnace, arranging firewood, and telling Bai Rulong, who was squatting inside the Pill Furnace, to bear with it, and that it would be fine in forty-nine days.
Yuan Chen was a bit confused: "Brother-in-law, what are you doing?"
Ji You heard the sound and looked out, seeing Yuan Chen. He then shook the firewood in his hand: "I heard that if you throw someone into a Pill Furnace and refine them for forty-nine days, they can develop bronze skin and iron bones, and fiery golden eyes. I plan to try it on Ru Long."
Yuan Chen looked up at Bai Rulong inside the Pill Furnace: "You—you just believe my brother-in-law like that? Do you also have an older sister?"
Bai Rulong poked his head out from inside: "At first, I didn't believe it, but Brother Ji said that fiery golden eyes can see through anything!"
"??"
Bai Rulong and Qian Yunxiao, these two, loved Dao Heart Clarity the most, almost as much as Ji You loved silver. They were the kind who would jump into a pit even if they knew it was one.
However, upon hearing Yuan Chen say that it would kill people, Bai Rulong still very obediently jumped out.
"I heard Father say that brother-in-law is just passing through Dan Mountain this time, and his ultimate destination is Lingjian Mountain to seek the Dao?"
"That's right."
Yuan Chen glanced at him, then lowered his voice and quietly asked, "Are you going to see Master Jian, Sister?"
When they were in the small courtyard in Ningcheng County, Yan Shuyi always liked to put her feet on his feet during meals, but he didn't know Yuan Chen had seen it.
Now, hearing him expose the secret hidden in his heart, he couldn't help but frown, thinking that no one should know about this.
"Brother-in-law?"
Ji You came back to his senses: "I'm going to observe swordsmanship, to see if I can secretly learn something. Since returning from Qi Ridge, my sword has encountered a Bottleneck, and I always have to find a way to make my sword stronger."
His words were not false. Now, with the Yao Race entering the borders, the Barbarian Race attacking Hantie Pass, and undercurrents surging among the various Immortal Sects.
His desire for strength grew stronger, and that was also the purpose of his trip to Lingjian Mountain.
Otherwise, he could have met Master Jian in Void Mountain, and would not have needed to risk breaking his leg to seek the Dao.
As the ancient saying in Qingyun goes, 'More skills never hurt.'
His cultivation speed was already fast, and he was willing to learn even small self-defense techniques.
Otherwise, when he first entered Tianshu Academy, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to Dual Cultivation in martial arts.
And his continuous self-refinement through micro-illumination, using the shattered Qi of Spirit Origin, was precisely because he deeply felt the astonishing physique of the Yao Race after a battle on the street.
Thinking of this, Ji You suddenly turned his head: "I heard that your Dan Sect has several medicinal pools that can strengthen bones and warm the Meridians?"
"How did brother-in-law know?"
"You Buyu said so. He's been rambling about it the whole way."
The group from Tianshu Academy was originally heading directly towards Lingjian Mountain, but changed course to Dan Mountain due to You Buyu's selfish motives. To avoid any gossip from the Disciples, he described Dan Sect as being full of Spirit Treasures.
His expression was as if he had truly become the son-in-law of Dan Sect.
However, Dan Sect indeed had medicinal pools. What was soaked in them were the leftover materials after Alchemy, and it was said that there were even scraps of High Grade Spirit Pills inside.
It was already a bit embarrassing to come to Dan Mountain empty-handed; they couldn't possibly go back empty-handed again.
Yuan Chen lowered his voice: "The medicinal pool is only open to Inner Courtyard Disciples; Outer Courtyard Disciples can't enter. If brother-in-law wants to go, I can sneak you in."
"Brother-in-law really didn't misjudge you!"
"Let's go, brother-in-law!"
Ji You turned to Bai Rulong: "Ru Long, do you want to go for a bath?"
Bai Rulong immediately sat up, his eyes lighting up: "Medicinal pool?"
"That's right. Go call Senior Brother Ban as well."
Ji You turned to Yuan Chen: "Are they separated by gender?"
Yuan Chen nodded: "Males and females are naturally separated."
"Can we also include Senior Sister Pei and Senior Sister Wen?"
"Of course, they're all our own!"
It was already dusk, and night began to slowly envelop them. The group stealthily walked along the mountain path and saw a pool where Spiritual Qi was steaming.
At the bottom of the pool were submerged medicinal materials, or low-grade pills, soaked and boiled. After a hundred years of sedimentation, they were crystal clear, practically a High Grade broth.
Even from a distance, Ji You and the others could feel the surging Spiritual Qi within it.
Ban Yangshu opened his mouth: "As expected of Dan Sect—"
Ji You turned to Ban Yangshu: "Senior Brother, remember not to spread the word after we leave."
"Naturally."
Ban Yangshu said, then glanced at him, thinking to himself that You Buyu had been boasting all the way here, bragging about how amazing Dan Sect's medicinal pool was, as if he were introducing his own family's possessions.
But what happened?
After dinner, when You Buyu asked Yuan Caiwei if he could go to the medicinal pool, he was politely refused.
Junior Brother, Junior Brother, no wonder everyone outside is saying that you are Dan Sect's true son-in-law.
Ji You didn't know what Senior Brother Ban was thinking. He simply took off his boots and untied his clothes, step by step, causing Ban Yangshu and the others, who had been chatting and laughing, to suddenly freeze.
Ji You looked at them: "Why aren't you taking them off? Don't you like it?"
Ban Yangshu and Bai Rulong exchanged glances, then pointed to the wooden house next to them: "Uh, I'll go inside to take them off—"
Yuan Chen, meanwhile, held his breath, thinking, 'Good heavens, my Master Jian, Sister, is so blessed, but if my own sister saw this, wouldn't she regret it to death—'
Too bad she probably won't get the chance to see it.
At the same time, the sound of splashing water came from the women's medicinal pool next door, indicating that Senior Sister Wen and Senior Sister Pei had already entered the water.
Ji You didn't delay either, and then walked into the medicinal soup, feeling a warm force begin to surge into his body, spreading through his limbs and bones.
He could clearly feel a sense of clarity surging up his spine into his mind, which was incredibly refreshing.
If he were to cultivate the Dao while bathing, it would probably have twice the effect with half the effort.
It was a pity that such a grand gesture could only be afforded by Dan Sect.
Ban Yangshu and Bai Rulong also entered the water at this time, feeling the medicinal power continuously surging into their bodies. They sighed and then sat down at a distance from Ji You, continuously absorbing the medicinal properties.
Yuan Chen was not far away, looking at the flickering candlelight in the bamboo building in the distance, and then suddenly spoke as if he had made up his mind: "Brother-in-law, actually, this medicinal pool is the most ordinary one; its medicinal strength isn't that high. If you go further, there's a smaller one with stronger medicinal strength. Do you want to go?"
"Is it far?"
"Just past a small bamboo forest ahead."
Ji You turned to look at the bamboo forest nearby, then waved his hand: "Never mind. What if Senior Sister Wen calls me over to help her scrub her back, and I don't hear her?"
Yuan Chen pondered for a moment: "That medicinal pool, one soak is worth ten thousand taels of gold."
Ji You narrowed his eyes, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
Valuable? Then I'll have to go see it.