Chapter 409: Refining Pills from Precious Ginseng

Winning over two Fourth-Rank Martial Artists was, in truth, Wangchuan’s greatest gain.

Wangchuan understood very clearly:

By taking control of Zhou Yunhai and Guan Qifeng’s families and forcing the two of them to hand over pledges of allegiance, he had seized the one weakness that truly mattered to them. Other than serving under him, they no longer had any other road left.

This was Jianghu.

The moment they chose to storm his hall and kill, their future had already been decided.

If you set out to take someone’s life, then you had better be prepared for the possibility of losing control of your own.

The surrender of those two men did not merely mean that Sanhe Commandery Hall now had the foundation of three Fourth-Rank Martial Artists and a far stronger set of trump cards. Wangchuan also knew that he had gained two sparring partners.

After the Caobang disciples brought the two men’s families back to Sanhe Commandery, Wangchuan immediately arranged for Chen Ergou to send them to Rongcheng County and place them under Fei Zai’s care and supervision.

He then invited Divine Physician Shen to come to the Hall and treat Guan Qifeng’s injuries. After that, he invited the physician into his own courtyard.

“Senior Shen.”

“Please have a look at this ginseng for me...”

Divine Physician Shen opened the box. The moment he saw the wild mountain ginseng inside, its roots full and plump, his eyes lit up, and he could not help drawing in a breath.

“What a treasure! This is almost five hundred years old by my estimate. It truly is an exceedingly rare precious ginseng. Hall Master Wangchuan, your fortune is enviable indeed!”

“It is a pity that although I hold such a treasure in my hands, I do not know how best to use it. I hope Senior will instruct me.”

Wangchuan explained why he had invited him.

As Divine Physician Shen carefully examined and appraised it, he handled it with obvious fondness and said, “A precious ginseng like this is rare. It can be used in medicinal cuisine for daily consumption to strengthen the body and improve one’s physique, or it can be refined into pills and medicine...”

At that point, he looked up at Wangchuan and said,

“That depends on how Hall Master chooses to use it.”

“If you choose the former, it can strengthen your body and improve your constitution. It also offers some benefit to your spirit and Inner Power. In truth, it is quite simple to use. It only needs to be turned into medicinal cuisine and taken daily.”

“And what about refining it into pills and medicine?”

Wangchuan remembered that Elder Zheng had originally intended to turn it into medicinal pills.

Divine Physician Shen lowered his gaze and said,

“To refine it into pills and medicine, one must combine it with over a dozen precious medicinal ingredients, drawing out all of its medicinal properties and sealing them into a pill... Many martial artists have previously commissioned Medicine King Valley to refine such treasured pills. According to rumor, they can greatly increase one’s Inner Power cultivation, and their effects are even stronger than Lesser Rejuvenation Pills.”

Wangchuan’s eyes lit up with delight.

“What pill is so powerful?”

“The Three-Flavors Pure Yang Pill! It is said to be two to three times as effective as a Lesser Rejuvenation Pill!”

Divine Physician Shen said in a grave tone,

“With this one wild mountain ginseng, at least six Three-Flavors Pure Yang Pills can be refined.”

Wangchuan was even more delighted.

Six pills stronger than Lesser Rejuvenation Pills. If they did not produce conflicts, did that not mean he might have a chance to push 《Xuanwu Art》 to an even higher realm?

He immediately asked Divine Physician Shen to help him refine the Three-Flavors Pure Yang Pill.

Divine Physician Shen nodded and agreed at once.

“That can be done!”

“However, refining pills and medicine will take quite a bit of time, and it will require more than a dozen rare medicinal ingredients... The cost may come to three hundred taels of gold.”

Divine Physician Shen did business as a businessman.

Without hesitation, Wangchuan took out three Gold Notes and handed them to the physician.

“Please rest easy, Senior Shen, and refine the pills as you see fit. Use whatever medicinal ingredients are necessary. If it is not enough, we can discuss it again.”

“Good!”

Divine Physician Shen rose, took the box, and said,

“Then this old man will accept the commission. The pills will be ready in seven days at most.”

“During that time, I will arrange for Hall disciples to stand guard so that no one disturbs Senior Shen while you are refining the medicine.”

Wangchuan rose and personally escorted him out.

“Oh, right.”

Just as he was about to leave, Divine Physician Shen suddenly remembered something and said in a lowered voice,

“A message has arrived from Qinghe Commandery.”

“Based on the information Hall Master provided, the Lu Family has already captured the two Beggar Sect Outer Elders who intended to do them harm. The Lu Family Patriarch and the Lu Family Young Master specifically asked this old man to pass on their thanks for Hall Master’s warning! The Lu Family says they now owe you yet another favor.”

Wangchuan smiled at those words.

“The Caobang and the Lu Family are already watching each other’s backs. We are allies and comrades. Please tell the Lu Family not to take it too much to heart. However, if the Lu Family Young Master has time, he is welcome to visit Sanhe Commandery again and exchange pointers in swordsmanship with me.”

Divine Physician Shen nodded.

“I will certainly pass your words along. Shen takes his leave.”

Then Divine Physician Shen departed with the box.

...

Rongjiang Town, Kuaiji County.

The news that Elder Zheng and more than a dozen guards in his household had all been killed had already spread.

The county constables had found the corpse of the Beggar Sect Main Altar disciple Qiu Dahong in the nearby woods and immediately reported the matter to Six Gates.

The two Constable Captains of Six Gates were away, so the case was processed according to procedure and entered the stage of questioning and investigation.

But there had been no eyewitnesses...

Even the dogs that had witnessed the attack had been killed.

Naturally, Six Gates found nothing.

Still, they had already identified the dead man in the woods and Elder Zheng and concluded that the act had been committed by an enemy of the Beggar Sect, one whose strength was by no means weak.

“The man who killed Elder Zheng had only middling attainment in Poison Sand Palm, but his swordsmanship was exceptional. He killed Elder Zheng easily even with guards present... That means the killer must be a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist, perhaps even stronger!”

“This Qiu Dahong was likely sent by the Beggar Sect to contact Elder Zheng.”

“Notify the Beggar Sect to come claim the body.”

“Notify the Constable Captains. Another major case has happened.”

“These really are troubled times.”

Six Gates and the yamen were both suffering from no small headache over it.

At that very moment...

A fleet cut back through the waves from the capital and returned to Sanhe Commandery.

The fleet looked imposing and full of vigor.

Naturally, this was the fleet led by Zhao Heiniu.

However, Constable Captain Yu and Constable Captain He had already left with their own men in advance.

Bai Jingtang had disguised himself as an ordinary Caobang disciple, mixed in with the group, and followed them all the way back to Sanhe Commandery Hall.

“Deputy Hall Master Zhao!”

“Hall Master Zhao is back!”

A great many Caobang disciples had returned, and the Hall immediately became lively and bustling.

Even Lin Cunxin came out to greet them.

Wangchuan waited in the main hall.

Zhao Heiniu led Lin Jiahe, Wang Yuehui, Yang Feiyue, and the others straight into the main hall. Behind them, more than a dozen brothers carried in one large chest after another, all of them visibly heavy.

“Hall Master!”

“This subordinate has returned. This mission was dangerous, but fortunately I did not fail your trust!”

The entire bearing of Zhao Heiniu had changed. His spirit and vigor were far stronger than before, and there was now an added confidence in his eyes and movements, along with the bearing of someone capable of standing on his own.

Wangchuan rose and walked up to Zhao Heiniu, then patted him on the arm.

“Captain Zhao, has your 《Xuanwu Art》 broken through?”

The latter smiled.

“Hall Master truly has sharp eyes.”

That was as good as an admission.

Wangchuan’s smile deepened.

It seemed that Captain Zhao had found more than one good fortune on this journey. He would have to ask him in detail later.

But for now...

He looked around the room again and smiled with satisfaction.

Every single Third-Rank Martial Artist had returned safely.

“Good!”

“It is enough that you all came back safely!”

“Hall Master, our safe return this time was all thanks to Captain Bai and the two Constable Captains!”

Zhao Heiniu stepped slightly to the side and looked behind him.

Following his gaze, Wangchuan’s eyes landed on the last of the young men dressed as Caobang disciples. He bore some resemblance to Bai Yuhui. It was none other than Bai Jingtang.

“Captain Bai.”

“Thank you for helping us this time.”

“If not for you holding the line, the outcome of this mission would have been hard to predict.”

Wangchuan offered his thanks with complete sincerity.

Standing among the crowd, Bai Jingtang was also carefully sizing Wangchuan up.

Only a few months had passed, yet Wangchuan seemed like a completely different person.

Fourth Rank already!

And beyond that, every movement of his naturally carried a powerful presence, giving off a faint sense of pressure.

Bai Jingtang was deeply surprised.

She had not expected...

that after she left Warring States Game Studio, Wangchuan would truly catch up so quickly, and even begin to show signs of surpassing her.