Chapter 462 – Elder Zhang’s Research

Elder Zhang’s residence was some distance away from the pill room where Zhang Xiaohua stayed. However, both were located on the left side of the Inner Valley. In front stood a modest bamboo hut, and behind it was the pill refining chamber.

Looking at the tightly shut door to his own room, Elder Zhang chuckled and said: “I haven’t returned to this house in several months.”

Then, glancing around, he asked: “What about your senior brothers? Are they all home?”

Valley Master Nie gave a bitter smile and replied: “Don’t even mention them. Even the other elders are like idle clouds and wild cranes—I’ve no idea where they’ve flown off to.”

Elder Zhang said: “We haven’t served as Elders for many years now. Can’t we just study what we wish and do the things we like?”

Valley Master Nie replied solemnly: “Elder Zhang is right. You all made many contributions to Spring Rebirth Valley back in the day. Now it’s our turn to carry the torch.”

Then, in a mysterious tone, he added: “Please wait a moment, Elder. I’ll be right back.”

Elder Zhang seemed to know what he was up to. He nodded and said: “Mm, go on then, but don’t be long. I’d like to see whether this brat is just an ordinary spring onion.”

When Zhang Xiaohua heard that, his eyes nearly rolled back. He muttered inwardly, “What kind of way is that to talk? If I’m not a spring onion, then what am I? Bah, how could I possibly be a spring onion!”

Valley Master Nie departed quickly with two attendants, leaving behind a few disciples to open Elder Zhang’s door and tidy the place up.

The bamboo hut was quite simple—just a bamboo cot, a bamboo chair, and a bamboo desk. Before long, the disciples had cleaned it up nicely.

Once they were gone, Elder Zhang entered the room, carefully placed the small bundle in his hand onto the bed, then turned to Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Young man, have a seat.”

Zhang Xiaohua glanced at the lone chair in the room, shook his head, and said: “It’s better if you sit, Senior. I can remain standing.”

Elder Zhang didn’t stand on ceremony. He dropped himself into the bamboo chair, rocking side to side as he muttered: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this leisurely. Watching the clouds, listening to the wind, such days are truly pleasant.”

Zhang Xiaohua knew he wanted someone to pick up the conversation, so he simply sealed his lips and acted as if he had brought only an ear with him.

Elder Zhang waited a while but, seeing no one respond, had no choice but to speak to himself. “Sigh, I’ve gotten old. I just want to do the things I enjoy. As for the matters of Spring Rebirth Valley, I mostly ignore them. So, I had no idea that you saved the Valley Master’s daughter, or that you resolved the crisis facing the Valley.”

Seeing Elder Zhang about to offer his thanks, Zhang Xiaohua quickly said: “Senior, though advanced in years, your vigor remains. Surely you will shine anew and compose a new chapter in your legacy. As for this junior, I merely happened upon Miss Nie by chance. Anyone with a heart would have stepped in to help in such a situation.”

“A person with a kind heart? Heh…” Elder Zhang let out a sigh and said, “Such people are few and far between. On the other hand, those with other intentions are far more common.”

Then he changed the subject and asked, “Right, young man, that booklet where you saw the name ‘Flaming Sun Herb’—what was it called?”

Zhang Xiaohua thought to himself, “Sigh, I knew he’d ask. Even if I wanted to keep my mouth shut, I wouldn’t have the chance.”

He had no choice but to say: “It’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you, Senior. It’s just that this booklet is something I read a long time ago, and I don’t think it was even within my sect. I only remember it because the illustrations were particularly vivid, so it stuck in my mind. As for the rest, I’ve long forgotten.”

Seeing how Zhang Xiaohua had pushed everything cleanly away, Elder Zhang wasn’t surprised. He said: “That was a fated opportunity. A pity you were too young at the time and missed it.”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback. “Why do you say that?”

Elder Zhang paused for a moment, then said, “The reasons behind it are long and complicated, but to put it simply: the art of alchemy has existed for untold millennia—perhaps even longer. It already existed in ancient times. And the study of medicinal herbs, which is closely tied to alchemy, has just as long a history. But for reasons unknown, something seems to have gone wrong along the way. Today’s alchemy is no longer what it once was, and even the medicinal herbs have undergone great changes. It is said that in ancient times, herbs grew in abundance—many rare and precious kinds could be found, even ones that were hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years old. But now, all of that is but legend. Most of those herbs have vanished without a trace, completely lost to the world.”

“Moreover, for some inexplicable reason, none of the ancient texts have survived. Not to mention alchemical manuals—even the herb compendiums are few and far between. So, although a number of ancient herbs may still remain, they have already lost their original names. Even if someone vaguely remembers, with names passed down by word of mouth over generations, they eventually changed, until now they’re completely different from what they once were.”

“And what’s more, over the past few thousand years, countless new herbs have emerged from the vast lands. No one knows whether these are ancient species reemerging or entirely new breeds. As a result, alchemy, pill formulas, and everything related have all changed as well…”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t interrupt, quietly listening. Indeed—after the transformations of ten thousand years, even martial arts could be altered beyond recognition, let alone the more obscure fields of alchemy, herbalism, and pill recipes.

After a while, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but ask: “How does Elder Zhang know all this?”

But as soon as he spoke, he regretted it. “Wasn’t that exactly what Elder Zhang was trying to lead me into asking? And isn’t the answer just that he read it from the Spring Rebirth Valley archives?”

To his surprise, Elder Zhang said: “I was once deeply immersed in martial arts as well. I knew nothing of alchemy back then. But by a stroke of fate—much like your own when you were a child—I came across a small booklet left behind by a predecessor. It contained a good deal of knowledge on pills and herbs, which sparked my interest in alchemy. Later on, I joined Spring Rebirth Valley and became an elder.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded thoughtfully. “So he, too, started halfway through the journey.”

“Sigh. It’s just a pity. That kind of booklet—full of someone’s insights into ancient herbs and alchemy—is incredibly rare. I only ever got my hands on one. Even within Spring Rebirth Valley, I’ve only ever found two others. But I always felt that what they contained was far too little. If you hadn’t missed your chance, perhaps I could’ve seen a fourth volume.”

Zhang Xiaohua said apologetically: “It’s a pity that I was too young back then and didn’t realize the value of that booklet. I’ve let you down, Senior.”

Elder Zhang shook his head and said: “Do you know what I enjoy doing the most these days?”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said: “Gathering herbs, I’d guess.”

Elder Zhang couldn’t help but laugh. “My greatest wish now…”

Halfway through his sentence, he reached into the small bundle on the bed and took out a book, handing it to Zhang Xiaohua. “Go ahead and take a look.”

Zhang Xiaohua frowned slightly as he accepted the book, flipping through it page by page. But the more he read, the more astonished he became, until he couldn’t help but exclaim: “Elder Zhang, your understanding of herbs is truly profound. So many of the entries include both the common name and what you’ve called the ‘herbal name’ or the ‘attribute name’… Oh! There are even ancient and modern names listed for many of them!”

Just as he was speaking, he turned to a page where a thin jade slip had been tucked in. That page happened to record information about the Red Flame Herb, and next to it was a note: “Ancient Name: Flaming Sun Herb.”

Zhang Xiaohua took out the jade slip, holding it casually in his hand, and said, “So Elder Zhang had already recorded this alternate name of the Red Flame Herb in this book.”

Elder Zhang chuckled and replied, “Indeed. I once saw that name—Flaming Sun Herb—in a booklet within Spring Rebirth Valley. That’s why I was surprised when you mentioned it. The ancient name isn’t something just anyone would know.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and continued flipping through the book. Sure enough, many of the herbs listed in the later pages bore two names, and quite a few were ones he had seen recorded within jade slips himself. He sighed inwardly and thought, “Indeed, while alchemy is held in high esteem, the true foundation of pills lies in the herbs themselves. Only with someone like Elder Zhang—silently and meticulously laying the groundwork with such detailed research—can better pills be refined.”

The contents of the booklet were extensive—certainly not something Zhang Xiaohua could finish reading right away. He only skimmed through it briefly before closing the volume. Seeing that he had finished, Elder Zhang spoke again: “Let me show you something else.”

With that, he lowered his head and reached once more into his small bundle.

Zhang Xiaohua glanced at the booklet in his hands and was about to slide the thin jade slip back into it. Out of habit, his divine sense swept over the slip—and in the next moment, he froze in place.

Elder Zhang didn’t notice his reaction. From the bundle, he pulled out an even thinner booklet and was just about to hand it over. But seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s dazed expression, he couldn’t help but laugh and called out: “Young man, young man! Come now, don’t be like this. I’ve only made a meager contribution to the field of alchemy, nudging its development forward just a little. There’s no need to revere me like that—I’m just an ordinary man!”

Hearing Elder Zhang’s voice, Zhang Xiaohua finally returned to his senses and smiled. “An ordinary man doing extraordinary things—that is precisely what moves me, Senior. Perhaps today only a handful of people can appreciate this booklet of yours, but history will remember your contribution. Time will prove your insight. You will surely—”

“Enough,” Elder Zhang finally blushed and interrupted, embarrassed. “I’m not that noble. I’m just doing what I enjoy, that’s all. Oh, right—take a look at these pill formulas.”

Though he said this modestly, his tone had grown noticeably warmer.

Zhang Xiaohua placed the booklet carefully on the table, setting the jade slip beside it with equal care. Then he accepted the thin booklet from Elder Zhang. The page it was opened to bore three characters: Crimson Flame Pill. Beneath that were the listed ingredients, methods of refinement, and other instructions—it was a complete formula for the Crimson Flame Pill.

After reading through the Crimson Flame Pill’s formula, Zhang Xiaohua did not dare to read any others. He respectfully returned the booklet to Elder Zhang. Yet a sudden thought struck him. He turned back to the table, picked up the earlier booklet, and quickly searched for the ingredients he had just seen in the formula. As he looked through it, he couldn’t help but feel a jolt of shock. The ingredients listed for the Crimson Flame Pill were exactly the same as those for the Meridian Moistening Pill recorded in his jade slip—only, most of the ingredient names had been changed.

If there was any true difference between the two formulas, it lay in the method of refinement.

In that instant, Zhang Xiaohua understood—this Crimson Flame Pill was none other than the Meridian Moistening Pill! It was just that the martial path could not use the alchemical methods of the Immortal Dao, and thus had altered the process of refinement!