Chapter 20
On the main peak of the Qingyun Sect.
“My dear, why did you suddenly come looking for your father?” The leader of the Qingyun Sect, a Core Formation Stage cultivator, Mu Chen, looked at his daughter, Mu Qiqi, and asked with a smile.
Mu Qiqi looked at her father and said coyly, “Dad! You make it sound as if I’m the kind of person who disrespects her elders.”
Mu Chen laughed and shook his head, “Alright, alright. Stop saying such playful words. Tell me why you’ve come to find me. I don’t believe that you’d come looking for me for no reason.”
Mu Chen understood his daughter very well.
She was a mischievous person, the type who wouldn’t visit without a reason.
Now that she had come to see him, she must have some other request.
Mu Qiqi looked at her father’s half-smiling eyes and understood that her thoughts had been seen through.
Hence, she said frankly, “Father, I do have something to discuss with you today.”
Mu Chen revealed an expression that said “I knew it.”
“It’s actually not that complicated. It’s just that when I was chatting with a few senior brothers and sisters a while ago, I found something interesting.”
“Oh? How interesting is it?”
Mu Qiqi bit her thumb and pretended to be confused, “The senior brothers and sisters have been coming to the inner sect together to exchange for marrow-cleansing pills. As a result, the demand for marrow-cleansing pills has increased greatly during this period. Elder Han, who is in charge of refining marrow-cleansing pills, is very troubled.”
“Dad, it’s not like you don’t know that the only person in the sect who can refine marrow-cleansing pills is Elder Han. Since so many of the disciples are asking for marrow-cleansing pills, Elder Han doesn’t even have time to cultivate. He can only stay in his residence to refine pills.”
“Oh? There’s actually such a thing.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Chen’s interest was piqued.
It was a tradition of the Qingyun Sect to give the direct disciples marrow-cleansing pills regularly, and it had been a rule for thousands of years.
Although the probability of triggering the marrow-cleansing pill’s special effect was very low, after so many years, there would always be one or two lucky ones in the Qingyun Sect.
One had to know that those who could become direct disciples were people with outstanding talent.
If one was lucky enough to have one’s spiritual root aptitude improve after taking the marrow-cleansing pill, without a doubt, it would increase one’s cultivation speed by another level.
However, it was very difficult to make marrow-cleansing pills. Although the medicinal ingredients required were not rare, they were still considered precious.
Therefore, the matter of regularly giving marrow-cleansing pills to the disciples to gamble on their luck would only happen to direct disciples.
After all, the Qingyun Sect did not have that many resources to let every disciple enjoy the marrow-cleansing pills.
“Since you’ve come to me, I’m sure you’ve found out the reason.”
Mu Qiqi nodded and pouted, “Dad, I heard from a senior sister that the cause of this incident is an outer sect disciple who is buying marrow-cleansing pills. He offers twenty cultivation pills in exchange for one marrow-cleansing pill. This has led to many direct disciples exchanging for cultivation pills from him.”
“Dad, you know the effect of the marrow-cleansing pill. The so-called improvement of spiritual root aptitude is too illusory. If this effect is removed, it is definitely a good deal to exchange one marrow-cleansing pill for twenty cultivation pills.”
“Besides, if the direct disciples really want the marrow-cleansing pill to increase their aptitudes, they can wait until they are in the Core Formation Stage to take it. That’s why the direct disciples in the sect started demanding the marrow-cleansing pill in large quantities in a short time, resulting in a shortage of supply.”
“Nonsense!”
Hearing Mu Qiqi’s words, Mu Chen slapped the armrest in anger.
The reason why the sect had arranged for the direct disciples to take the marrow-cleansing pill was for the pill’s effect on aptitude improvement.
Although the effect was very poor, there would always be one or two lucky ones.
Now that the disciples were doing so, it was tantamount to draining the pond to catch fish.
Qingyun Sect was different from ordinary sects. Their vision was more long-term than ordinary small sects, and they also saw more potential in their disciples.
The direct disciples’ action of exchanging the marrow-cleansing pill for the cultivation pill was no different from exchanging their future for the present.
From Mu Chen’s point of view as the sect leader, this was undoubtedly unacceptable.
Did they even understand the purpose of the sect giving them the marrow-cleansing pill? It was for them to eat, not for them to exchange for something else!
The matter of trading the marrow-cleansing pill was not a big deal.
However, such a public violation of the sect rules, forming small groups, and doing secretive things…
It made Mu Chen, who was wholeheartedly concerned about the Qingyun Sect, very displeased.
Where did this outer sect disciple come from? To think he was taking advantage of the sect’s welfare.
Exchanging pills in private was a small matter, but the bad atmosphere that had been stirred up was a big matter!
Since today, these disciples could use the marrow-cleansing pills distributed by the sect to exchange for other resources, tomorrow, they would use the other benefits of the sect to exchange for even greater resources!
Don’t do any bad thing no matter how insignificant it looks. Some things might seem small, but they often had far-reaching effects.
At the thought of this, Mu Chen said immediately, “Qiqi, I’ll leave this matter to you. All the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall will listen to your orders. You must capture that audacious fellow. I’d like to see how can an outer disciple has such great ability to actually be able to make the direct disciples associate with him in such disgraceful matters.”
“Don’t worry, dad. Just wait for my good news!”
After saying this, Mu Qiqi happily ran out.
Mu Chen shook his head helplessly as he watched his daughter’s excited back.
To be honest, he could tell that Mu Qiqi’s visit today was not of her own accord. Someone must have asked her to come.
After all, this matter wasn’t exactly a big deal.
Normally, it shouldn’t have reached the point where he, the sect leader, would be alarmed.
Someone must be trying to use Mu Qiqi’s special identity to make him pay attention to this matter and resolve it as soon as possible.
Mu Chen only needed to think for a moment before he could guess who that person was.
It was most likely Elder Han of the Pharmacist Valley. After all, if a large number of direct disciples asked for the marrow-cleansing pill at the same time, he would definitely be the one with the biggest headache.
Although the sect had stipulated that every month, direct disciples must be given a marrow-cleansing pill, that didn’t mean the pills had to be regularly distributed every month.
The Pharmacist Valley could delay for a few months and then make up for it.
In addition, the previous direct disciples did not have a high demand for marrow-cleansing pills, so Elder Han only needed to find a specific time to refine a batch of them. It was not troublesome.
However, due to the trading of the marrow-cleansing pills for the cultivation pill, Elder Han was unable to take out so many marrow-cleansing pills on such short notice.
The old man was speechless. Where could he get so many marrow-cleansing pills in such a short time?
To think they were making an old man work overtime, where was their conscience?
Although he had a rough idea of what had happened, Mu Chen did not blame Elder Han.
This was because Mu Chen had placed quite a bit of importance on this special incident.
If the outer sect disciple wanted to exchange for marrow-cleansing pills like this, the number of cultivation pills he would need would definitely be an astonishing amount.
How did a mere outer sect disciple manage to obtain so many cultivation pills?
Could there be other forces behind him?
If that was the case, then the situation was even more serious.
As the sect leader of the Qingyun Sect, Mu Chen’s way of looking at things and perspective was naturally different from ordinary people’s.
When he thought about something, he would consider whether it could affect the development of the sect.
It was obvious that this marrow-cleansing pill incident had the risk of endangering the sect, so it had to be resolved as soon as possible.
Such an evil practice that openly violated the sect’s arrangements must not be encouraged!
…
At the same time, Mu Qiqi, who had just left the main peak, did not go directly to the Law Enforcement Hall. Instead, she went to the core area of the Pharmacist Valley, the Hundred Herbs Field.
Since ancient times, “medicinal pills” was a phrase that came together. In the phrase “medicinal pills”, the latter referred to refined pills, while the former referred to the medicinal ingredients.
A mature pharmacist would usually be an experienced spiritual herb cultivator.
Mu Qiqi came to a thatched cottage in the depths of the herb fields and landed there.
“Grandpa Han! I’ve brought you good news!”
Mu Qiqi didn’t wait for a response before pushing open the wooden door of the grass hut and walking in.
On the way to the living room, she picked a fruit from the herb field and ate it on the spot. She obviously didn’t treat herself as an outsider.
Han Yuanshan, who had just come out of the living room, did not know whether to laugh or cry at this scene.
“Xiao Mu, I say, never mind if you come, why do you have to harm the herbs in my field?”
Mu Qiqi playfully stuck out her tongue and smiled, “Hehe, I’m just thirsty, so I’m eating a spiritual fruit to quench my thirst. Grandpa Han, look at how distressed you are. Here, I’ll give it back to you.”
As she spoke, Mu Qiqi stretched out the half-eaten spirit fruit.
Han Yuanshan looked at the half-eaten spiritual fruit and waved his hand speechlessly.
“Take it away, take it away. You’ve already eaten it, so why are you still saying you’re giving it back to me? If you’re making a scene, I’ll go back and complain to your father.”
Upon hearing that Han Yuanshan was going to complain, Mu Qiqi immediately went forward and held his arm.
“Gosh, Grandpa Han, you’re too stingy. I only ate one of your spiritual fruits. Do you have to tell on me?”
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Tell me what good news you have. Could it be that you’ve caught that stinky brat who is secretly trading for the marrow-cleansing pill?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“If you didn’t catch him, then what’s the good news you’re talking about?”
Mu Qiqi released her grip and placed her hands on her hips. She said proudly, “Grandpa Han, although I haven’t managed to catch that brat, father has already agreed to let me handle this matter. I’ll personally go and capture that outer sect disciple. Wouldn’t that be easy? Hehehe…”
Han Yuanshan looked at the confident Mu Qiqi. He did not know why, but he felt that this so-called good news did not seem to be that good.
Could she really catch him?