Yu Lie followed Fang Wumu into the depths of the dimly lit chamber.
As they walked further in, he immediately noticed rows of neatly arranged boxes containing scrolls, booklets, and parchment.
Some of the items were new, smooth, and delicate, while others were old, dry, and wrinkled, resembling brittle leaves that might crumble at the slightest touch.
Seeing this, Yu Lie realized that Fang Wumu hadn’t been lying earlier.
The dim lighting in this place was indeed meant to preserve the original copies of the various alchemical formulas and medicinal recipes.
After all, paper and similar materials become fragile with age, and alchemical formulas, in particular, must be kept intact without any missing or blurred characters.
They are documents that require the utmost care.
Yu Lie guessed that aside from the lack of light, this secret chamber likely had other carefully arranged features to ensure the preservation of these formulas.
"I wonder if this Medicine Hall has any protective formations in place?" he thought to himself.
Formations, whether small-scale for creating quiet spaces or large-scale for altering landscapes, are essentially solidified magical effects fixed in a specific location.
They have numerous uses and are far beyond what a mere Daoist apprentice like Yu Lie could comprehend.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
Fang Wumu, holding a red lantern and despite being blind, moved with relative ease.
He pointed to a row of shelves and said, "The alchemical formulas on these shelves are related to the transformation of copper tendons and iron bones."
Yu Lie’s interest was piqued.
He immediately stepped forward and began examining the shelves.
Fang Wumu, as the adopted son of Elder Fang, surprisingly acted quite subserviently, following Yu Lie closely and holding the lantern for him.
One by one, the names of the alchemical formulas passed before Yu Lie’s eyes:
"Qi-Nourishing Tea Pills," "Overlord’s Strength Powder," "Meridian-Opening Bone Pills," "Bone-Transforming Soup," and so on.
There were dozens, if not hundreds, of different formulas, each detailing the effects, preparation methods, and even illustrations.
It was all quite intricate.
Yu Lie’s eyes lit up with excitement.
These were genuine alchemical formulas, either aiding cultivation or enhancing physical strength.
The preparation methods were strict and no longer the kind of simple pills that ordinary people could make.
However, among the many formulas, some had only slight differences in effect, while others had the same effects but were tailored to different states of a cultivator’s body, hence the different names.
Alchemy and medicine-making were not about randomly concocting a pill that could work for everyone.
Some pills, despite using the same ingredients, might invigorate a male cultivator’s blood and energy but cause a female cultivator to suffer severe blood loss, even risking her life.
In the world of mountains and seas, alchemy had not only branched into three major schools but had also developed into a highly complex and rigorous discipline.
As a result, cultivators who didn’t know how to refine pills had to be cautious even when taking medicine.
If they came across a pill, they wouldn’t dare to consume it without first consulting an alchemist or a reputable medicine hall.
This was especially true for pills not produced by official alchemy halls or well-established medicine shops.
Such pills often hadn’t undergone quality checks and could be harmful rather than beneficial.
Instances of fraud and scams were countless.
For example, the "Bone-Tempering Pills" Yu Lie had discussed with Old Yu were a prime example!
With so many formulas, Yu Lie couldn’t possibly go through them all in one sitting.
He quickly skimmed through a few major categories, gaining a rough understanding of the formulas on the shelves, and then turned to Fang Wumu, cupping his hands respectfully.
"Do you have any formulas related to flesh and blood alchemy that are easy to start with and have good effects?" he asked.
Fang Wumu nodded immediately.
"Yes, we do."
He walked over to the shelves, feeling his way along, stopping occasionally to point out specific formulas.
"This one, the 'Iron-Cutting Bone-Tempering Wine,' has the most stable effects. It can be applied externally or taken internally. Drinking a cup daily for six months will ensure the complete digestion of the copper tendons and iron bones transformation. However, the ingredients are quite expensive, requiring saffron, iron-bone sheep testicles, and the whip of a thirty-year-old adult tiger. The whip of a younger tiger won’t do."
"Then there’s the 'Sheep Intestine Fire-Water Harmony Pills.' You heat sheep intestines, mix them with refined sheep milk until it becomes a thick paste, then stuff it into a sheep and raise it in a cold, harsh environment to induce a false pregnancy. Afterward, you cut open the sheep to retrieve the pill. Each pill is about the size of a chicken egg. Taking eighty-one of these will temper your bones!"
"And the 'Fish Spittle Essence Pill.' This formula requires combining it with another pill called 'Crimson Daughter’s Blood Pill,' which enhances blood and energy. You place the latter pill in a fish’s mouth, allowing it to swallow and mix with the fish’s saliva. After seven rounds in a day, the fish dies, and the pill is complete."
Fang Wumu spoke with such ease and familiarity that Yu Lie couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for him.
This guy had clearly memorized these formulas to a remarkable degree, rivaling even Song Danqing, whom Yu Lie had met in the library.
Yu Lie listened attentively and then cupped his hands again.
"Brother Fang, your expertise is impressive. I’ve learned a lot."
Fang Wumu, hearing this, tightened the black cloth over his eyes and said with pride, "Brother Yu, rest assured. I’ve personally examined every single original formula here. The intricacies within them can’t be fully described by the brief notes on the shelves. You’ve come to the right person!"
Yu Lie raised an eyebrow.
"This guy has actually read through all the formulas!" He felt a mix of envy and jealousy, realizing that working in the Medicine Hall indeed came with many benefits.
Then he glanced at the blindfold on Fang Wumu’s face, wondering how a blind man could have read all those formulas.
Fang Wumu, as if sensing his thoughts, pointed to his eyes and whispered, "Don’t be fooled by the blindfold. I’m not actually blind. I have a pair of seven-treasure crystal glasses that I hold up to my eyes. Through them, I can see just enough to read. Besides, if people didn’t think I was blind, how could I have gotten away with reading so many original formulas? It’s the perfect excuse."
Upon hearing the word "glasses," Yu Lie realized that Fang Wumu wasn’t truly blind but likely severely nearsighted or farsighted.
As for the latter part of his explanation, Yu Lie simply chuckled to himself.
The head of the Medicine Hall was Fang Wumu’s adoptive father.
Using blindness as an excuse to bypass the rules was already a convenient explanation, and no one would dare to question it further.
However, Yu Lie couldn’t help but feel more cautious around this man.
Despite having a powerful backer, Fang Wumu had initially been dismissive of Yu Lie but then quickly switched to being friendly and accommodating upon realizing Yu Lie was a mid-level Daoist apprentice.
This wasn’t the behavior of a typical spoiled "second-generation" noble.
Yu Lie thought to himself, "This Fang family is not to be underestimated. I must be careful."
His tone became even more amiable.
"Excellent, excellent. Meeting you today has been a great help. Brother Fang, I wonder…"
The two of them chatted amiably in front of the alchemical formula shelves for a good while.
After nearly an hour, Yu Lie left the dim chamber with a satisfied expression, his sleeves filled with copied formulas.
Fang Wumu even escorted him all the way to the hallway outside the hall.
Only after Yu Lie had walked some distance did Fang Wumu stroke his chin, turn around, and head back inside.
………………
That night.
Fang Wumu arrived at a quiet room and, after having a pretty maid announce his presence, quickly entered, calling out, "Father, trouble, trouble!"
Elder Fang was seated on a cushion, his face flushed as he regulated his breathing.
Upon hearing the word "trouble," his eyes widened, and he snorted, signaling the female attendant beside him to kneel.
He then cleared his throat and spat a glob of phlegm into the maid’s mouth.
The maid covered her mouth, stood up, and silently left the room.
Elder Fang sprang to his feet and asked urgently, "What kind of trouble? Has there been a leak?"
Fang Wumu shook his head and immediately reported that Yu Lie had advanced to the mid-level Daoist apprentice stage.
Hearing this, Elder Fang’s eyes widened again.
He tugged at his beard, both relieved and suspicious.
"That little brat has already reached the mid-level? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
But realizing that Fang Wumu, his own son, wouldn’t lie to him, Elder Fang lowered his voice.
"Wumu, what should we do?"
Fang Wumu sighed.
"Father, you shouldn’t have been so harsh that day! Fortunately, this kid knows how to play both sides. Today, I let him take two extra formulas, and he accepted them. We might still be able to mend the relationship."
Seeing his son speak like this, Elder Fang’s face stiffened, and he snorted.
"If you weren’t so useless, I wouldn’t have had to offend him in the first place! Do you think I don’t know that anyone who earns a copper token must have some merit?"
He paused, then added in a low voice, "I even followed your advice and tried to be friendly with him that day, but he didn’t appreciate it. In that situation, if I hadn’t stood my ground, wouldn’t I have lost face?"
Fang Wumu’s expression froze for a moment, but before he could say anything, Elder Fang continued, "My son, what’s done is done. No more talk of the past. What do you suggest we do now to fix this? What’s the plan?"
The two of them began to discuss in hushed tones within the quiet room.
Finally, Elder Fang asked, "I had to rush you into the alchemy hall because we had no choice. Without you keeping an eye on things, how could we carry out our secret plans? How is the progress on the human pills today?"
…
(End of Chapter)