Chapter 88: The Path of Alchemy
Ji You then found Kuang Cheng, who in turn found a Division Chief named Mu Qing from the Suxian Bureau.
Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, they quickly led people to isolate those suffering from night sweats in a more remote forest.
As for Yuan Chen, Ji You then brought him back to Tianshu Academy.
His storage gourd contained a Pill Furnace and various herbs, so he didn't need to prepare anything else; he only needed to refine that section of black Qi to find a method to cure the illness.
"I heard that Dan Sect's direct Disciple went to see the refugees outside the city today?"
"Yes."
"The gravely ill Head of the Chen family pleaded with Dan Sect many times, but no one was willing to treat him, this—"
"It's said he was brought by a Disciple from Tianshu Academy; he was distributing porridge to the refugees at the time."
Amidst this bustling activity, the sky gradually darkened.
From finding a method to making a Medicinal Pill, this is actually a very cumbersome process and cannot be rushed, so one can only wait.
So Ji You came to the Wudao Field and began his Divine Thought ascent.
Since he chose to return to Tianshu Academy to continue as a cultivator, he naturally had to work hard on his cultivation and not waste time.
Subsequently, his Divine Thought entered a gurgling cave, and then he saw a crystal-clear, snow-white fragrant foot coming towards him.
But Ji You, maintaining vigilance, immediately reached out and pinched that small jade foot.
Void Mountain was still somewhat peculiar; even Divine Thoughts could touch each other, which was probably touching the Soul.
And the young Master Jian waiting on the mountain instantly flushed, struggling for a while before finally pulling her foot away.
"Don't be mischievous; there's serious business today, I didn't deliberately come late!"
Yan Shuyi looked at him and spoke somewhat obediently:
"Really?"
Ji You nodded: "A group of refugees has poured in from outside the city, and many of them have contracted a plague. I originally went to find Kuang Cheng,"
"The scholar you saw last time; he's currently dealing with those refugees, so I brought Yuan Chen over to treat them."
The young Master Jian let out an "oh," thinking, "Then I won't lose my temper," and then looked up at him.
This was their first meeting since he returned from Ningcheng County. For some reason, she felt much closer to him. Before, when his voice became strange, she felt uncomfortable and wanted to kill him, but now she seemed to have gotten used to it.
It felt as if she had tacitly allowed him to see this side of her, without the struggle she had initially.
However, she noticed that Ji You also seemed to have become a bit strange, specifically in his unwavering gaze, with his right arm tucked in front of him and his left arm naturally hanging down, somewhat like a scholar's usual posture, appearing a bit pretentious.
But—it was quite good-looking.
In the past, when she felt bored, she liked to go to the small town at the foot of the mountain to play, and she had also heard storytellers narrate their own fabricated stories, most of which featured scholars as protagonists.
When described, they were always refined, with a scholar's spirit, and so on.
Just as Yan Shuyi was in a daze, Ji You looked at the hand that had held her jade foot and suddenly spoke, "I think I probably won't wash my hands for a long time...!"
"?"
"Pervert!"
Ji You frowned, thinking, "When I saw Kuang Cheng do this, it seemed really charming."
Why was this gentlemanly way of flirting ineffective when he did it?
And Yan Shuyi looked at the increasingly dense yellow Qi around his Divine Thought, her silver teeth clenching tighter.
At this moment, Ji You also froze, because he noticed a pink gas rising around the young Master Jian, gradually beginning to drift.
Although the reaction was different, he still managed to flirt?
So the two faced each other at the foot of the mountain, and the encounter ended with Yan Shuyi giving in first, unable to maintain eye contact.
"How was the Sect assembly held by your Lingjian Mountain?"
Yan Shuyi snapped out of her embarrassment, hiding her feet under her skirt and saying, "Tianjian Peak wanted to merge with Wenjian Peak, but I stopped it. The Sect is a bit restless now."
Ji You then remembered something else: "Ding Yao saw me pinch your face."
Yan Shuyi narrowed her eyes: "Indeed, my parents already know about you pinching my face. They want to chop off your hand. Let's see if you dare to be so bold again."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then I'll still pinch. Next time I go to Lingjian Mountain, I'll pinch."
The young Master Jian looked at his serious expression, thinking, "Sure enough, if he ever becomes stronger than me, he'll definitely dare to pinch other parts of me."
She should have drawn her sword and poked a few holes in him the first time he pinched her; now that she's let him get away with it, he's becoming increasingly bold.
Seeing her silence, Ji You couldn't help but ask again, "So, with the situation in Lingjian Mountain so chaotic, your parents want you to marry into Asked the Dao Sect?"
"My path is chosen by myself; others cannot control it."
"But you seem very tired?"
Yan Shuyi glanced at him: "What, you want to persuade me to marry too?"
Ji You shook his head: "I want to persuade you not to marry. Everyone on Xuanjian Peak is wary of Tianjian Peak, but don't you need to be wary of Asked the Dao Sect?"
"It's just a distinction between jackals and leopards."
"That's what I think too. So if I'm not the strongest sword in the world, marrying anyone is meaningless. But if I am, I'll marry whoever I want."
"By the way, have you thought about Tianshu Academy's matter?"
Yan Shuyi was startled upon hearing this, thinking, "Marry into Tianshu Academy? That would be a distant marriage."
But before she could finish her thought, Ji You's words sounded in her ears once more.
"Lingjian Mountain and Asked the Dao Sect jointly attacked Tianshu Academy. My Cao Instructor said that once the turmoil subsides, Tianshu Academy will definitely demand an explanation from Lingjian Mountain. What do you think?"
"I naturally know this and am considering it."
Yan Shuyi looked at Ji You: "Your Tianshu Academy has always considered itself a Sacred Sect since ancient times, and this encirclement has caused you to lose face completely. But Lingjian Mountain will not apologize. The matter of seizing immortal opportunities inherently involves life and death. My Lingjian Mountain also has its own prestige and cannot bow its head."
"But my Senior Sister almost died, simply because you wanted the Spirit Stones on her, and my Senior Sister did not intend to seize your immortal opportunities. This is unreasonable."
Yan Shuyi looked at his suddenly solemn expression: "Then—then if I go again next time and apologize to her in person, would that be acceptable?"
Ji You thought for a moment: "That would be fine."
"But Lingjian Mountain still won't announce to the world and publicly bow to your Tianshu Academy."
The young Master Jian then added: "Especially me, if I were to publicly apologize to your Tianshu Academy, the Disciples in the mountain would no longer obey me."
Ji You also knew this would be a dilemma, because it was not a personal matter, but a matter between factions.
In that battle, Pei Ruyi was injured, and Yan Shuyi came to apologize to her; this was between individuals.
But even if Pei Ruyi forgave them, Tianshu Academy would not let it go, because the injury was to Senior Sister Pei, but the blow was to Tianshu Academy's face.
Similarly, Yan Shuyi would not publicly bow to Tianshu Academy, because this would create a rift between her and her Disciples, and it would also play right into Tianjian Peak's hands.
After this, there would likely be something like Lingjian Mountain, under the leadership of Tianjian Peak, looking down on all others, yet bowing to Tianshu Academy because of the Master Jian.
In this situation, he also didn't know what method Tianshu Academy would adopt.
The only way, perhaps, was to marry himself off.
If it really came to that, how would I choose? I might sacrifice myself for Tianshu Academy.
Ji You thought with a righteous expression, thinking, "If I don't enter the tiger's den, who will?"
Yan Shuyi looked at Ji You in the yellow mist, thinking, "We're talking about such a serious matter, what on earth is this guy thinking?"
During the Guyu (Grain Rain) season, Shengjing began to experience continuous rainfall.
Yuan Chen generally understood the characteristics of the illness. After several adjustments, he refined a batch of Medicinal Pills and went outside the city with Ji You, giving them to Qingwa with water.
It must be said that Dan Sect's Alchemy techniques were indeed profound. After several attempts, Qingwa's symptoms gradually receded, and other children who took the medicine also experienced the same.
Subsequently, many doctors came for follow-up examinations, and all said that these individuals were no longer in serious condition.
The common people were not valued in this world, and refugees were even more despised, but once the matter involved Dan Sect, it seemed to become extraordinary.
"He refined a batch of Medicinal Pills for the refugees? And it was personally refined by Dan Sect's direct Disciple?"
"Yes, it's said Ji You sought him out."
"This... isn't this a bit of a waste of precious resources?"
"Exactly, if I knew this Dan Sect direct Disciple, I'd definitely ask him to refine a Medicinal Pill that could help me break through!"
Yuan Caiwei had been wandering with the Inner Sect Disciples these past few days, and every day she returned, she would see her younger brother constantly busy.
She watched him sitting in front of the Pill Furnace, and out of curiosity, she went to see him giving medicine to the refugees.
Yuan Caiwei sometimes felt dazed, as if she didn't quite recognize her younger brother.
When her younger brother was in Dan Sect, although he held the esteemed position of a direct Disciple, he never really liked Alchemy. Instead, he would often secretly find a place to read cultivation novels.
Sometimes his family would scold him, but he would turn a deaf ear.
But this was the first time she saw a serious expression on her younger brother's face while he was engaged in Alchemy.
"I used to hate Alchemy the most, because no matter how good the medicine I refined was, it would be sent away by the family. Who took it, or what effect it had, seemed to have nothing to do with me."
"But this time seems different, because—I saw the expressions on their faces when they looked at me."
After Yuan Chen finished speaking, he looked at Yuan Caiwei: "Sister, do you think we might have spread the Dao incorrectly?"
Yuan Caiwei couldn't help but frown: "Spread it incorrectly?"
"When the Heavenly Dao imparted the great furnace to us, do you think it hoped we would dispel evil and cure illnesses for all sentient beings, rather than just refining Medicinal Pills for cultivators?"
"This—"
Yuan Chen couldn't help but speak again: "Yesterday, I asked several people from Tianshu Academy, 'Do you know who the Head of Dan Sect has been in each generation?' They all said they didn't know."
Yuan Caiwei couldn't help but smile: "My Dan Sect has always acted mysteriously."
"No, Sister, they were forgotten. The succession of Dan Sect Heads should be announced to the world, not explained away by a single word 'mysterious.' They don't know simply because those names were forgotten by the next generation."
"What exactly does younger brother want to say?"
"Brother-in-law told me that since I was born between Heaven and Earth, I should always leave some stories for future generations to read."