Chapter Seventy: Harboring Hidden Motives

“I’d like twenty portions of spirit herbs, ten portions of Rejuvenation Pills, and ten portions of Spirit Restoration Pills.”
A clear, crisp voice rang out inside the Herb Hall.

San Shui, who had just started a new job, found this voice strangely familiar. He looked up abruptly and saw a boy with a round, tigerish face standing at the counter.

The boy bore no resemblance whatsoever to Young Master Hu, not even in the way he dressed—everything was entirely different. Was he imagining things? That Young Master Hu had most likely already left Danyang City!

San Shui shook his head, mocking himself inwardly, and was about to look away when he caught sight of the boy’s back. He froze—the silhouette was remarkably similar to Young Master Hu!

At the entrance of the Herb Hall, Gu Weiyu paused, sensing something. She glanced back, but saw nothing. Frowning slightly, she turned and walked out.

Hiding behind the racks of medicinal pills, San Shui’s heart thudded wildly. Though the boy shared no features with Hu Xiaoyu, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Remembering that it was because of Hu Xiaoyu he’d ended up doing menial work at the Herb Hall, San Shui felt a surge of resentment. He wanted to follow and see for himself, but he couldn’t leave his duties; this job had been hard-won, and he couldn’t risk losing it.

Gu Weiyu had no idea that her brief appearance in the Herb Hall had almost been noticed by San Shui.

Leaving the Herb Hall, she headed straight to the alchemist’s workshop in Danyang City—the Dan Pavilion.

Here, for just ten spirit beads a day, one could have a private alchemy room, making it very popular among itinerant alchemists.

The Dan Pavilion wasn’t far from the Herb Hall; Gu Weiyu reached it after only a hundred paces.

She handed over a spirit stone, which gave her access to the alchemy room for a full ten days!

“This is the token that opens your alchemy room; please keep it safe!” The attendant handed her a small wooden token.

Gu Weiyu took the token and glanced at it. It was a specially made token, numbered six—small, but surprisingly weighty in her hand.

“Alchemy Room Six is this way,” the attendant said enthusiastically, pointing out the direction.

Gu Weiyu smiled at him, then walked over and soon stood before the door.

She used the token to unlock the room’s warding spell, and the stone door rumbled open, revealing a space barely four or five square meters in size.

Gu Weiyu stepped inside and surveyed the room, silently noting that compared to the Treasure Pavilion’s alchemy rooms, this place was no match. No wonder it only cost ten spirit beads per day.

She activated the warding spell with the token, and the stone door sealed shut once more.

Inside, there was nothing but a bronze alchemy furnace and a straw mat.

Gu Weiyu moved the cumbersome bronze furnace to the corner, took out her own jade furnace, and settled onto the mat.

She retrieved a set of spirit herbs for the Rejuvenation Pill and calmed herself, beginning the process.

After refining three batches in succession, Gu Weiyu felt an increasingly subtle sensation, and the pills she produced grew ever higher in quality.

On the third batch, she even produced a supreme-grade Rejuvenation Pill!

“Oh! A supreme-grade pill—excellent, excellent!” Even the Little Book, who had been feigning death in her spiritual sea, couldn’t help but praise.

Rarely did Little Book compliment her, so Gu Weiyu felt delighted. “Little Book, you finally said something sensible!”

Little Book rolled over in her spiritual sea, ignoring her.

After finishing the three batches, Gu Weiyu put away her jade furnace; she had no intention of refining more today.

She’d paid for ten days not to work constantly, but to have a place to both refine pills and cultivate.

Danyang City’s spiritual energy was rich, and since she didn’t care about the comfort of her accommodations, the Dan Pavilion suited her perfectly.

It was still before noon. She planned to spend the rest of the day cultivating her strength and spiritual awareness.

As night passed, Gu Weiyu felt her body brimming with spiritual energy, and even her spiritual sense had grown just a little stronger.

Don’t underestimate that tiny bit; it could be the decisive factor at critical moments!

On the second day, she refined another three batches. The time spent was noticeably less, and though there were no supreme-grade pills, the quality remained high-grade, which satisfied her.

When days are full, time passes swiftly.

“Whoo—”
Gu Weiyu exhaled deeply. By the fourth and fifth days, she refined only one batch daily, and the chance of yielding supreme-grade pills increased markedly.

“Three supreme-grade pills!”

Her spiritual sense lingered over the three pills, each etched with mysterious marks, and she couldn’t help but smile.

This was her final batch—the last day at the Dan Pavilion.

Gu Weiyu took out a jade vial and carefully gathered the supreme-grade pills. She now had over a dozen such treasures.

She kept all the supreme-grade pills for herself; the high-grade pills she stored in another vial.

Standing up, Gu Weiyu stowed her jade furnace into her storage ring, moved the bronze furnace back to its original place, and then opened the warding spell to leave.

During these ten days, she’d refined twenty batches; only two had failed, and the other eighteen yielded pills. Such a high success rate—few would believe it if told!

Leaving the Dan Pavilion, Gu Weiyu returned to the Herb Hall, intending to sell some of her pills.

“What? Only a hundred and fifty spirit stones?” Gu Weiyu was dissatisfied with the price offered by the Herb Hall; the Treasure Pavilion had paid two hundred spirit stones before!

Even if part of that was thanks to Chu Meteor, the gap shouldn’t be this wide!

With a wave of her hand, Gu Weiyu swept the jade vial back into her storage pouch. “Sorry, I won’t sell.”

She turned and strode out of the Herb Hall, leaving the appraiser dumbfounded. He hurried after her, calling, “Hey, little brother, please wait—”

He’d tried to take advantage of Gu Weiyu’s youth by pressing the price, never expecting her to simply refuse.

Gu Weiyu ignored him and left without slowing her stride.

She was so indignant she failed to notice that as she departed, a shadowy figure began stealthily following her.

Gu Weiyu changed her direction and entered the Treasure Pavilion.

Stepping inside, she felt a pang of nostalgia—she’d once imagined she’d stay here for a long time.

The appraiser was still Master Qi. After examining her pills, he promptly offered one hundred eighty spirit stones.

That was much fairer than the Herb Hall’s offer, and Gu Weiyu was satisfied, selling without hesitation.

Afterward, she bought another twenty portions of spirit herbs before leaving.

What she didn’t know was that shortly after she left, Master Qi took her pills upstairs to seek out Chu Nanhe.