Chapter 486 – The Fragrance of Medicine

Nie Qianyu saw Zhang Xiaohua’s expression and felt a flash of anger rise to her face. She was just about to speak when Zhang Xiaohua suddenly frowned and said, “Ah, I almost forgot about the matter of refining the pills. The three of you, please step outside for a moment. Once I’ve finished handling this, you may come back in—how about that?”

Nie Qianyu could only sigh helplessly and leave the pill room with Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang.

The moment they stepped out, Elder Zhang gave Nie Qianyu a thumbs-up and said, “Little Yu, you are truly clever! To think of formally becoming a disciple—this old man would never have thought of that.”

Then he turned to Valley Master Nie and said, “Valley Master, now you see the benefit of having a daughter! Without lifting a finger, you can bring this mysterious art of pill refinement into our Rejuvenation Valley.”

Valley Master Nie shook his head and said, “Elder Zhang, you’re thinking too simply. Even if Little Yu were to join the Big Dipper Sect, setting aside how long it would take for her to reach Nephew Ren’s level, once she becomes part of their sect, she must follow their rules. Whether she can refine pills for us or not is another matter entirely. It’s best not to hope for too much.”

Of course, Elder Zhang understood that—he was merely joking.

Inside the pill room, Zhang Xiaohua focused intently on the medicine within, which had already condensed back into a spherical liquid. He cast several incantations from the jade slip into the mixture and carefully observed the changes. He saw the mutual reaction between the Scarlet Flame Grass and Crimson Pearl Grass grow even more intense—the incantations were clearly acting as a catalyst. Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin thoughtfully, while his other hand formed an empty seal, as though trying to discern something from within.

After quite some time, he finally placed the medicinal liquid back into the furnace and stepped out.

This time, Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang were not as eager as before; they likely realized that no matter how quickly they rushed in, Zhang Xiaohua would never let them catch sight of anything inside the furnace anyway.

Sure enough, the furnace, the earthly fire, and the medicinal liquid were all exactly the same as before. The only difference was that the fragrance of medicine in the pill room remained faint and light.

At that moment, Nie Qianyu furrowed her brows slightly and asked softly, “Brother Ren, why does the fragrance of your medicine smell different from before? I remember that whenever you refined pills in the past, the aroma was so rich and overflowing. But now…”

Elder Zhang and Valley Master Nie suddenly came to a realization. They had been so focused on the process of alchemy that they’d overlooked this small detail. What’s more, most records and classics on pill refinement rarely mention anything about the medicinal fragrance. They had simply assumed that the stronger the scent, the better the pill.

Elder Zhang asked with concern, “Hero Ren, could it be that your method was off this time?”

Zhang Xiaohua, having compared martial and immortal methods of alchemy, had already formed some insights. He smiled and said, “I don’t fully understand the reason myself, but I faintly feel that the fragrance comes from the medicinal properties of the herbs. If too much of that scent is released, doesn’t it mean the medicinal essence is dissipating? For example, if one stores herbs in an ordinary wooden box, the fragrance spreads everywhere—but after a while, their potency fades. Only when they’re sealed in jade boxes, where the scent cannot escape, can their efficacy be preserved for long.”

Zhang Xiaohua did not explain the formation surrounding the medicinal liquid, nor did he mention the Five Elements contained within the pills. He merely presented this simple comparison — yet even so, it was an explanation both profound and easy to grasp, allowing the others to understand it immediately.

“This?” The three of them suddenly realized — the theory was indeed simple and logical. But why had none of the alchemy books ever stated it so plainly?

Alas, perhaps only someone like Zhang Xiaohua — who had entered the path of alchemy halfway through and relied entirely on his own exploration — could arrive at such an understanding.

Nie Qianyu then asked, “Then according to what Brother Ren says, the lighter the fragrance of the pill, the stronger its medicinal potency?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded with a smile. “Except, of course, for those pills that have long lost their efficacy with time!”

Nie Qianyu spat lightly and said, “That goes without saying!”

Before long, the entire pill room fell into silence.

Indeed, before them was merely a pool of medicinal liquid — no bubbling, no movement — nothing to observe or understand. What could they possibly ask about?

After a while, Valley Master Nie chuckled and said, “Nephew Ren, I still have some matters to attend to in the valley, so I’ll take my leave first. Nephew, do take care and keep watch.”

With that, he clasped his hands in farewell and left the pill room.

Not long after, Elder Zhang, who had earlier been the most enthusiastic, also lost patience. Muttering to himself, he said, “Young Hero Ren, ah, I suddenly remembered — I haven’t fed my Da Bai yet. It’s probably hungry by now. I’d best go take a look. You go on with your work — I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Without waiting for Zhang Xiaohua’s reply, he clasped his hands in parting and hurried away like a gust of wind.

Only Nie Qianyu remained, glancing at Zhang Xiaohua apologetically before quietly staying by his side.

Yet after a while, her gaze upon the medicinal liquid grew unfocused. Though she dearly loved spending time with Zhang Xiaohua, facing that unmoving pool of liquid for so long, she dared not speak for fear of disturbing his pill refinement — how could she help but grow drowsy?

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua withdrew his divine sense from the furnace and asked softly, “What’s this, Little Fish? The sky’s still bright, and you’re already daydreaming? If you must dream, go ahead — but staying here alone with me, a man and a woman together in this pill room, how am I supposed to answer for those months of reciting the Three-Character Classic?”

Nie Qianyu had been drowsy, but at Zhang Xiaohua’s teasing words, her sleepiness vanished completely. She spat lightly and said, “Ptui! Broad daylight, and you’re talking about ‘a man and a woman alone’? I’ll rest here if I please. Let’s see who in Rejuvenation Valley dares say a single word against it!”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback, then instantly raised his thumb and said with a grin, “As expected of Rejuvenation Valley’s number two figure—truly impressive.”

A faint blush rose to Nie Qianyu’s cheeks. She glanced at the medicinal liquid in the furnace, which still showed no change, and asked, “Brother Ren, will it be like this for the next ten days?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded. “Basically unchanged. Only on the final day will there be any difference.”

“The last day, we won’t be able to watch then either, will we?” Nie Qianyu asked keenly.

“Exactly,” Zhang Xiaohua answered without hesitation.

Nie Qianyu sighed softly. “Father and Elder Zhang will surely be disappointed.”

Zhang Xiaohua merely shrugged and said nothing further. He had already made himself clear—no matter what, he could not let them witness him using incantations to control the furnace.

Seeing that Nie Qianyu looked a little dejected, Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said, “Little Fish Nie, instead of sitting here bored and learning nothing, you might as well go back and study that Grand Evolution Five Elements Formation carefully. That’s something solid—once you master it, you can use it to protect Rejuvenation Valley. Haven’t you always wanted to achieve something by your own strength, something that would make others look at you differently? Isn’t this the best chance?”

Nie Qianyu’s eyes lit up at once. His words struck right to her heart. She immediately forgot the quiet instructions her father and Elder Zhang had given her outside the pill room earlier, and stood up, saying, “Brother Ren, you’re absolutely right! I’ll go bring the formation diagram here and study it right here in your pill room. If there’s anything I don’t understand, you must explain it to me right away!”

“Good heavens…” Zhang Xiaohua nearly cried out. He had only meant for her to go back, yet she really wanted to stay here!

He waved his hands quickly. “Little Fish Nie, you’d best study it in your own room. I still need to focus on refining the pills. If you have any questions, it won’t be too late to come find me after dinner. How about that?”

“But…” Nie Qianyu truly wanted to say, Brother Ren, the people of the Incense Spreading Sect will be here soon. How many more days can you even stay in Rejuvenation Valley? I just want to spend a little more time with you.

Yet such direct words, she could never bring herself to say. So she changed the subject and said instead, “But if I have questions, can’t I come over anytime?”

Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin with a look of deep wisdom and said, “The ancients said it well: ‘Walk your own path, and let others envy you.’ This formation may be static, but you are living. When you encounter difficulties, it’s best to think things through several times on your own. Perhaps you’ll discover your own understanding. What you grasp through your own contemplation, without relying on another’s explanation, is the truest gain.”

“Moreover, in the study of formations, the benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom—there is no single fixed path. If you accept everything without thinking for yourself, you’ll never surpass your teacher or carry the art further than before.”

In short, he was just telling Nie Qianyu to study more on her own and think for herself—so that while he refined pills, she’d come and disturb him less.

How could Nie Qianyu not see through that? She only smiled sweetly and said, “Brother Ren, you are so learned. I’ll certainly take after you and go back to study it carefully.”

With that, she gave Zhang Xiaohua a fierce glare and walked out of the pill room.

Only after Nie Qianyu left did Zhang Xiaohua finally breathe a sigh of relief. Peace at last! The feeling of not being watched was truly delightful. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, sending the medicinal liquid back to the center of the furnace. Then he struck several more incantations, causing the entire liquid to boil violently.

After some time, the liquid gradually calmed. Zhang Xiaohua then waved his hand, pulled over a straw meditation cushion from beside the bed, sat cross-legged before the furnace, and released a thread of divine sense to observe the medicinal liquid closely. At the same time, he closed his eyes to meditate on the formula for Guiding the Spirit.

Yet as soon as he closed his eyes, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing, leaving his mind restless.

Frowning, he opened his eyes—and right before him were several jade boxes placed beside the furnace. Suddenly, realization struck. Of course! He hadn’t yet stored away the remaining halves of the Scarlet Flame Grass and Crimson Pearl Grass. How could he possibly feel at ease?

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Xiaohua took out two green jade boxes from his pouch and placed the remaining halves of the Scarlet Flame Grass and Crimson Pearl Grass inside, sealing them with restrictions. Only then did his heart settle. On the table, there were still many untouched herbs. Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes flickered, and he took out several more jade boxes, dividing each herb in half and storing one portion away.

“Anyway, I’ve already told Valley Master Nie and Elder Zhang that I’d keep half for myself. Taking them now is just to prevent the spiritual energy within from dissipating—hardly counts as taking them without notice.”

Having done all this, Zhang Xiaohua once again sat cross-legged, calming his mind to fully focus on comprehending Guiding the Spirit.

Time passed quickly. Before he knew it, the day had faded into dusk, and neither Valley Master Nie, Nie Qianyu, nor Elder Zhang appeared.