June 14th.
Zhang Rongfang, leading more than ten Taoist servants, headed towards the alchemist’s cave carrying bundles of freshly washed and dried dicinal herbs and ores.
Along the way, even before dawn broke, there were Taoists from the Pill Hall bustling about, preparing for the new day’s affairs.
Most were young Taoist boys with their servants, while a few outsiders ca early to wait and request pills.
The people from the Pill Hall were easy to identify, each wearing a badge that represented the hall, displayed prominently.
Zhang Rongfang glanced at Chui Xi beside him.
This fellow proudly hung the badge around her neck like a dog tag, swinging back and forth as she walked.
Paired with her eating spicy grilled skewers, occasionally panting with her tongue out, it was truly a bit piercing to the eyes.
He himself tied the badge halfway up his arm, so it wouldn’t easily fall off and everyone could see it clearly.
"Speaking of which, there are more and more people coming to request pills and dicine recently... Not long ago, I even saw so aristocrats from the Great Capital co in person," Chui Xi whispered.
"Aristocrats?"
"Yes." Chui Xi nodded, "There were even people from the Prince Yan Shun’s mansion, which belongs to one of the six princes of Great Spirit, with imnse power! Yet they’ve also co here recently seeking dicine....."
"Seems like the situation outside isn’t good?" Zhang Rongfang said softly.
"It’s really bad." Chui Xi sighed, "Lately, there have been various murders, brawls breaking out everywhere, and those martial arts experts have such temperants that they might take soone’s life over a disagreent, leaving people permanently disabled if they’re not careful. Sigh...."
She sighed, perhaps lanting the dangerous tis, or the dangers of learning martial arts.
The two escorted today’s alchemy materials, following the internal road of the Pill Hall, heading towards Furnace 134.
They traveled along a dedicated cargo route.
A dozen ters away, there were two other exclusive paths, one for Pill Hall Taoists and the other for external visitors seeking dicine.
The three roads ran parallel, separated only by simple stone bollards, along with squads of martial arts Taoists standing guard.
These Taoists, equipped with broad knives and arm shields, were burly in stature, vigilant eyes scanning all directions.
"Taoist! Please, I beg you, my son can’t hold on any longer! Without more dicine to support him, he... he...."
An elderly man, about fifty or sixty years old, suddenly knelt in front of a master alchemist, weeping bitterly.
"Daoist Yunshi... we just need one, just one!! Really, just one....!" The man trembled, holding out a stack of silver notes, extending them forward.
Upon closer inspection, amidst the silver notes were many small-denomination treasure bills, along with so loose silver and copper coins.
The intercepted Daoist Yunshi looked displeased, not sparing a glance at the other.
"The Ice Red Pills have long been allocated, you’re too late."
He waved a hand, and the guard Taoists imdiately stepped forward, dragging the kneeling man away.
"Let’s go." Daoist Yunshi, expression unchanged, proceeded towards the furnace with a young Taoist.
The man behind him pleaded in agony, but it did nothing to hinder his pace.
The man desperately tried to surge forward, yet a Taoist gripping him firmly prevented his escape.
Zhang Rongfang retracted his gaze, sighing inwardly. Such scenes, he’d witnessed multiple tis.
Though he had been at the Pill Hall only a few days, every day, similar episodes played out here.
From afar, he took in the entire few hundred ters of the Pill Hall’s inner courtyard.
Along the three roads.
The one dedicated to seekers of dicine was filled with people.
Most of them were dressed in disarray, wearing silk robes yet looking haggard.
Many stared blankly, their eyes red and swollen, as if they’d been crying.
Others were tense, glancing around, seemingly afraid soone might snatch the pills they desired....
In a fleeting mont, he spotted a frail boy cradled in his mother’s arms.
The boy, weakly wide-eyed, clutched a small red pinwheel with hands that were missing their palms.
The breeze blew, the pinwheel turned.
The boy smiled happily.
"Do this many people co seeking dicine every day?" Zhang Rongfang asked.
"You’re wondering, despite them being not short of money, why do they still co, aren’t you?" Chui Xi said beside him.
Without waiting for Zhang Rongfang’s response, she continued.
"You should know, besides being the second-largest Taoist sect, our Great Dao Teaching is also known as one of the most famous dical sanctuaries in the whole Great Spirit."
"dical sanctuary....." Zhang Rongfang could have guessed it.
The Great Dao Teaching had wealth, manpower, and leisure, naturally granting them the ti to research pills and dicine.
Even if dicine was rely an adjunct, accumulated over ti, it beca sothing extraordinary.
Suddenly, Zhang Rongfang’s gaze shifted, noticing amidst the queue for dicine a noble woman in a soft white robe with a black coral antler headdress, accompanied by two servants and led by dedicated practitioners from the Great Dao Teaching.
As if sensing his gaze, the woman turned her head, her eyes hinting at so surprise upon seeing him.
Then, she offered him a slight smile.
Zhang Rongfang returned the smile courteously.
It was just a smile, but he had already committed it to mory.
The woman’s gaze, it was evident she recognized him.
With this matter noted, Zhang Rongfang ignored everything else and continued with Chui Xi towards Cave 134 to listen to Daoist Qingyou’s explanations.
In a flash, the morning’s alchemy demonstration concluded, and Qingyou departed.
Zhang Rongfang and Chui Xi exited the cave, each heading their separate ways.
Just as he stepped out of the Pill Hall’s entrance, he saw a few people waiting outside, seemingly for so ti.
Among them, the leader was unmistakably the noblewoman he had just observed.
At midday, the sunlight hit the coral headdress on her head, reflecting a finely polished black sheen.
The black was as deep as night, starkly contrasting with her snowy-white skin.
"Care to chat?" The woman stepped forward, smiling.
Zhang Rongfang observed her, his gaze tightening as he noticed the fleeting golden Feather Talisman in her sleeve.
She was from the upper echelon of the Golden Wing Pavilion!
His heart stirred. Although he knew sneaking here would certainly be discovered by the Great Capital headquarters of the Golden Wing Pavilion sooner or later,
he was indeed surprised that it took them this long to find him.
"Alright." He nodded without hesitation.
The two of them did not bring anyone else, but instead, a Daoist specifically guided them to a secluded and separate courtyard of the Alchemy Hall.
The yard had so neglected flower pots, all filled with withered and dead dicinal vines and flowers.
With a creak, the courtyard door closed, with personnel outside dispersing to guard the area, not allowing anyone to co near.
"My na is Chongming." The woman gently brushed aside the hair scattered by the wind on her forehead.
"The Golden Wing Pavilion has a main master and two vice-masters. I’m one of the vice-masters."
"Chongming... Chongming bird?" Zhang Rongfang realized.
"Yes, it seems you’re sowhat knowledgeable." The woman nad Chongming smiled.
"To be honest, we actually knew you arrived in the Great Capital a long ti ago. Just didn’t have the ti to find you."
"Find ?" Zhang Rongfang frowned slightly. As a high-ranking mber of the Golden Wing Pavilion, he was just a spiritual emissary, with many others on par with him.
Why would they say that?
"You are one of the hopes chosen by the Celestial Maiden, a seed. But right now, you are still too weak. Taiyi died young..." Chongming continued.
"Where is the Celestial Maiden?" Zhang Rongfang asked solemnly, "What does she want to do?"
"I don’t know. But she has reached the most critical mont. If successful, her power will greatly increase, but at the sa ti, she will completely forget about us..." Chongming shook her head.
"And the situation in the Great Capital is very bad now, you shouldn’t have co...."
"I lack the secret techniques and opportunities of the Super Grade, I had to co." Zhang Rongfang replied.
"The Ancestral Court of the Great Dao Teaching indeed has opportunities, but now...." Chongming sighed, "It’s too dangerous. Didn’t the Celestial Maiden ntion the three-year pact to you?"
Zhang Rongfang fell silent.
She did ntion it.
But... his progress had far surpassed the constraints of the three-year pact.
Coupled with Gong Shuyin’s instigation, he prematurely contacted the Great Chong Temple in the Yinhuai Forest.
"Alright, I t you because your identity is now exposed. You no longer need to hide. Sea Dragon, Sensing Sect, all know you’re here.
So next, if possible, stay here and do not leave. If not possible, I will send soone to respond to you. Never act alone." Chongming reminded.
"Understood." Zhang Rongfang nodded.
"Additionally, let remind you not to use Red Sparrow for communication in the Great Capital. Rember, Red Sparrow is useless here; too many people know about it." Chongming pondered for a mont.
"If anything unexpected happens and my people don’t arrive, and you really need help, you can go to Yunwu Manor and seek Wei Feng of the Eight-faced Divine Sword.
Yunwu Manor is on the sa level as our Golden Wing Pavilion; for the Celestial Maiden’s sake, he will surely help."
"Understood." Zhang Rongfang seriously noted.
"Lastly... may I ask you one question?" Chongming appeared curious.
"Are you Zhang Rongfang, Zhang Ying, or soone else?"
"From beginning to end, I have always been Zhang Rongfang, never changed." Zhang Rongfang knew why she might have such a question.
Just by looking at Zhang Rongfang’s background, no one would believe that at nineteen he could have Ninth Grade skills and a Golden Core in Cultivation of Literature.
Because, if he was just Zhang Rongfang, according to records, he went from being powerless to his current Ninth Grade cultivation in just over two years, nearly three.
What concept is this!?
So, it’s normal for the most inford Golden Wing Pavilion to have such doubts.
Others might assu that Zhang Ying practiced martial arts from a young age, but Golden Wing Pavilion’s investigation is clear: he only spent a little over two years from starting practice to now.
No wonder they didn’t believe it.
Chongming said no more.
Actually, when she first looked into all of Zhang Rongfang’s data, she too had suspicions.
Because it was too fast!
Zhang Rongfang went from not knowing martial arts to Ninth Grade too quickly!
Humans can’t progress at that speed.
Only... god-worship.
If a god-worshiping spiritual vein disguised as a person...
Especially since Zhang Rongfang once collected statue parts.
But the Celestial Maiden ate, lived, and sparred with Zhang Rongfang every day back then, which should have ruled this out....
Could it be the Celestial Maiden was so idle, sparing so much ti to accompany and instruct Zhang Rongfang amidst her busy schedule?
If not to confirm he wasn’t a hidden spiritual vein, she wouldn’t have spent that long.
"Currently, the power of our Eastern Sect in the Great Capital is led by Yunwu Manor, the Golden Wing Pavilion, and the Great Brightness Temple. They confront the Western Sect.
The Western Sect is led by the Eminent Monk of True Buddha Temple, combined with the Taiqing faction of the Sensing Sect, Sea Dragon, King Fengtian, and other forces. If you hear these nas, rember to avoid them." Chongming admonished once more.
It was apparent that she was sowhat hesitant in her attitude toward Zhang Rongfang.
"Do you think I’m a spiritual vein?"
Zhang Rongfang suddenly asked. Now in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul, he was already considered a high cultivator, and being only nineteen years old, his responsiveness far surpassed those Nascent Souls in their fifties or sixties.
He imdiately noticed the change in attitude from Chongming.
"Actually...." Chongming opened her mouth, contemplating her words.
Poof!
In an instant, Zhang Rongfang poked a finger into the skin of his right arm.
The hardened fingertips trained by Eagle Claw Skill sliced open the skin, revealing the blood-red muscle beneath.
"Now I’m telling you, I’m not a spiritual vein, but a living, breathing person!"
Zhang Rongfang stated solemnly.
This superficial wound would heal in no ti. His main intention was to prove himself.
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