Hu Chang’an listened with unhurried fascination.
He was a man, but also a martial artist. In a aristocratic family of pharmacists, his position naturally wasn’t stable enough. However, if his strength was outstanding and he could break through to that higher realm in a single move, then it wouldn’t be important whether he was a martial artist or a pharmacist. Moreover, he could protect his younger brother and sister. At that time, for the three of them, his siblings could grasp power and prestige along the path of medicine refinement, and he could lend his strength to support them while he walked the path of martial arts. This was, undoubtedly, even better!
This Myriad Leaking Body was a constitution renowned for its incredible strength.
It was only natural that Hu Chang’an was ecstatic. At the same time, his feelings of gratitude to Gu Zuo deepened.
If Gu Zuo hadn’t diagnosed him, he would’ve considered the Myriad Leaking Body as bone rotting disease all along. Granted that his willpower was strong for now, despair would’ve taken root within his heart if he wasn’t able to break through after a long time.
But now, it was different.
The Hu Clan’s two brothers steeled themselves.
Gu Zuo saw that their expressions were exactly the same, and couldn’t help but find it amusing: “Brother Chang’an, little young master, the two of you don’t need to be anxious. Although my skills aren’t worth much, I still have some understanding in matters pertaining to special constitutions. Awakening the Myriad Leaking Body definitely isn’t an overwhelmingly difficult task. You just need to take the medicines according to the prescription, and it’ll slowly change.”
Hu Chang’an blushed with shame.
Hu Changfeng was also a little embarrassed.
They had been looking forward to Hu Chang’an’s recovery for such a long time. Their present jubilation was indeed somewhat improper.
After restraining their states of mind, Hu Chang’an sent a maidservant to make the best tea so that he could slowly enjoy it with Gu Zuo and his family’s third brother. While the three sipped their teas and chatted, they waited for Hu Changbi’s return. Their moods loosened, and they were greatly satisfied.
Not long after, Hu Changbi hurriedly rushed back. However, her charming face bore resentment, and it could be said that her eyes had turned red out of anger.
Upon seeing this, Hu Chang’an and Hu Changfeng blanked.
Hu Changfeng abruptly stood up: “Second sister, what happened? Who has bullied you?”
Hu Chang’an also had a look of displeasure. He was tolerant of everyone around him, especially his two siblings who depended on him. But no matter how kindhearted he was, at this time, he was angry: “Changbi, who bullied you?”
Hu Changbi’s chest slightly moved up and down, and all of her slender fingers practically dug into her palms. Clearly, her anger wasn’t light. She urgently said: “That Hu Long is an intolerable bully! He’s just too much!”
Hu Chang’an’s complexion shifted: “What happened with Hu Long? What did he do to you?”
Gu Zuo didn’t know who that Hu Long was, but from listening to the name, he should’ve been a member of the Hu Clan. Seeing as how his name was comprised of two characters and didn’t have the “Chang” character, perhaps he was from a cadet branch? Among the aristocratic families Gu Zuo knew of, some had this naming convention, while others didn’t. However, it didn’t mean that this possibility didn’t exist.
Although Hu Changfeng was young, he was maturing early. At this moment, he explained to Gu Zuo in a low voice: “Hu Long is Hu Jun’s lackey. And that Hu Jun is the most powerful young pharmacist among the cadet branches. Right now, he’s only twenty-four years old, and he’s already a golden-level pharmacist. The clan has placed high hopes on him, and he’s also the biggest threat to my big brother.”
Gu Zuo understood.
When the cadet branches were strong and the main branch was weak, one would want to supplant the other. They would certainly cause trouble.
Hu Changbi had gone to fetch medicinal ingredients. Now that she had come back so angry, perhaps she had suffered a loss?
Sure enough, Hu Changbi furiously spoke about her encounter: “I went into the medicine storehouse to get ingredients when I ran into that Hu Long at the doorway. In the beginning, he only said that he was there to get ingredients for Hu Jun. But once I mentioned the ingredients I needed, he wanted to take those ingredients and said that Hu Jun urgently needed them to refine a type of precious medicinal pill. Then, he said that it didn’t matter that our side would have to wait a few days!”
She continued: “I just don’t understand. In the prescription Big Brother Ah Zuo wrote, many of the medicinal ingredients were far-flung and strange. They simply aren’t in common usage. How could that Hu Jun suddenly need them? Moreover, he’s refining a precious pill that’s especially important to the clan? Isn’t big brother’s health more precious than some medicinal pill?!”
What made Hu Changbi even angrier was that, in order to not inadvertently alert the enemy, she didn’t rashly say that the ingredients were necessary to treat her big brother’s illness. She didn’t dare to speak of the matter of Hu Chang’an’s Myriad Leaking Body. As a result, after Hu Long spoke those words, she could only look on helplessly as Hu Long snatched the ingredients and swaggered away. She would speak nothing else of the feelings in her heart!
Hu Changbi furiously said: “If that Hu Jun didn’t have this intention at an earlier time, how could Hu Long, that guy’s lackey, dare to take the initiative to offend our main branch? Although big brother’s current situation is indeed far from encouraging, the main branch is still the main branch. Among the cadet branches, only a single Hu Jun is worthy of any restraining fear. They want to break tradition and plunder the main branch’s position, but reversing the statuses of the cadet branches and the main branch isn’t that easy!”
Merely, the cadet branches lacked the crucial moment to overthrow the main branch, but this didn’t mean that they couldn’t worsen the main branch’s situation… Because Hu Changbi personally went to get medicinal ingredients, it was naturally very important to the main branch. Hu Long’s involvement had made gathering those ingredients difficult! After this, they could imagine that, so long as Hu Changbi went to get ingredients, it wouldn’t be achievable due to Hu Jun’s obstructions from within!
Once Gu Zuo heard this, he also became somewhat irritated. Even the cleverest housewife couldn’t cook without rice. Without medicinal ingredients, he naturally didn’t have any way to refine medicine for Hu Chang’an.
However, there was no other option at this moment. Gu Zuo closed his eyes, and considered things. In actuality, he was checking the stockpile of ingredients in his own storage space.
Fortunately, Gu Zuo had the habit of storing medicinal ingredients. Whenever an ingredient appeared, even if it was a very unorthodox ingredient, he would always collect as much as he could. It was to the point that, every time he encountered something, he would sweep the merchandise clean. In his Divine Medicine Palace Hall, many of the ingredients had multiple duplicates in stock, and the types of ingredients were quite comprehensive.
Originally, when Gu Zuo came to this pharmacist-centered aristocratic family, he thought that Hu Chang’an would certainly be able to mobilize lots of medicinal ingredients, and he didn’t intend to take out his own ingredients. In the end, they were met with trouble, so he naturally couldn’t keep hiding this.
While Gu Zuo checked his inventory, he talked to the three siblings: “Brother Chang’an, I actually have some medicinal ingredients in reserve. However, due to the grade limits, I only have human-level ingredients and a small number of golden-level ingredients here. There’s a few types of special, unorthodox ones that I couldn’t get…”
At first, Hu Chang’an had seen Hu Jun’s way of handling things, and he had been deeply worried and aggrieved. At this time, he heard Gu Zuo’s words, and it was like a sweet rain was pouring down from the sky. He hastily said: “Brother Ah Zuo, are these words true?”
Gu Zuo nodded his head: “My big brother treats me very well. Previously, he gave me free reign to collect medicinal ingredients. So long as I can get a hold of those few unorthodox ingredients, it’ll still be possible to start the initial awakening process for Brother Chang’an. But once Brother Chang’an reaches the Immortal Realm, I’ll need golden-level and profound-level ingredients, and there’ll be nothing I can do without them.”
How could Hu Chang’an be that avaricious and insatiable? So long as he didn’t suffer any side-effects during the early-stages of the awakening, he could always think of something during the later stages. As a result, he hurriedly said: “In that case, what are those couple of unorthodox medicinal ingredients? Brother Ah Zuo, please tell us, and we’ll naturally think of a way to get them.”
Gu Zuo mentioned those three types of ingredients: “Ascetic Seeds, Particle Vine Roots, and Serpentine Grass. The seeds, roots, and grass blades are indispensable. So long as I can get them, I can match the other medicinal ingredients and refine the medicine. These arrangements shouldn’t be delayed. Brother Chang’an’s current body is only slightly fat. But if we’re too slow to resolve it, your strength won’t be able to break through and the true qi contained within your flesh won’t condense. Later on, you’ll become fatter and fatter, and due to the external overflow of power, your skin will become…”
The end result would basically be a big, ball-shaped fatty. Moreover, the surface of his skin would be sticky and greasy. At that time, could this appearance still be looked upon with pride?
Although men didn’t wish to appear beautiful like women, this didn’t mean that they would completely disregard their looks! No matter how it was said, a person’s appearance could still have adverse effects on one’s mindset and wellbeing!
Hu Chang’an looked at his own arm, which had gradually put on weight, and quickly visualized that scene. He couldn’t help trembling. After that, he didn’t dare to neglect anything, and promptly said: “Brother Ah Zuo, rest assured. I’ll certainly get these three types of medicinal ingredients as fast as I can!”
Gu Zuo smiled at him: “In that case, I’ll be waiting quietly for the good news.”
Immediately following which, Hu Chang’an and his two siblings wanted to depart. And prior to leaving, they told the maidservants to do their utmost to satisfy any of Gu Zuo’s requests. The maidservants were to receive him as the highest of guests. They couldn’t slight him in the least. Although those maidservants didn’t know how amazing the resolution that Gu Zuo proposed to Hu Chang’an was, they still attended to Gu Zuo with particular care in accordance with the two young masters and young lady’s instructions.
Meanwhile, Gu Zuo didn’t bother about anything else. In this place, he was considered a visitor who had lodged under another’s roof. In order to not cause any trouble for Hu Chang’an and the others, during the course of waiting for the medicinal ingredients, Gu Zuo only spent half the day refining pills and the other half absorbing medicinal qi to strengthen his psychic power.
One day after another passed just like this. These days were also very peaceful.
That longing for Gongyi Tianheng, which arose after they had separated, didn’t become vague due to the passage of time. On the contrary, during this period of peace and quiet, he couldn’t help but constantly have Tianheng on his mind. His feelings had become increasingly intense. It was just that Gu Zuo also knew that any remarks right now would be pointless. Eventually, he constantly stayed busy to help himself focus, and to prevent himself from being distracted by other things…
In front of an ancient, enormous, and overgrown statue, numerous wild birds hovered in the sky and wild beasts stood tall in great numbers. There were also many martial artists who each drove majestic carriages. All of them had an extraordinary and mighty air.
This was the day when the Roads of Heaven’s Chosen would open once every three hundred years. There were four of such pathways, and each were divided into the north, south, east, and west. Meanwhile, the final exits converged at the four sides of this ancient statue.
Of course, this place had gathered the members of many forces. They came here with the intentions of recruiting geniuses — That’s right. Those from the Peripheral Continents who could pass through the Roads of Death all possessed great talent. They weren’t burdens. When selected to enter their respective organizations, they would reach untold heights along the path of martial arts!
However, many of those who came here were younger generations. Most of those protective seniors were quietly hiding, and wouldn’t reveal their existences.
The younger generations weren’t as calm as those elders. Now that they encountered this grand occasion, all of them were discussing things.
Currently, it was already the twelfth day. Those geniuses and anyone else who had the capabilities ought to be coming out of the Roads of Heaven’s Chosen.
In the afternoon, at the Northern Road of Heaven’s Chosen.
The sounds of shaking roared out, and the earth trembled. Everyone turned around and looked over. They only saw a single person dashing out from the northern side’s narrow and winding road. His hair was disheveled and his face was dirty, but his temperament was swift and fierce. His figure and stature were like that of a savage. Occasionally, he would lift his head, and his eyes would flicker with a coarse and wild light, making him appear even more barbaric!
However, this man’s appearance didn’t make people feel contempt. This was because, while the crowd of martial artists first glanced towards the man himself, their second glance allowed them to notice what was behind him. He used one hand to drag a long piece of rope. And on that rope was a train of rolling and bloodstained human heads.
T/N: Thanks for the correction, Charysa.
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