Only, no matter how complex the relationships were here, Gu Zuo felt that it had nothing to do with him. Other people’s matters were other people’s matters. He actually didn’t need to meddle.
Following that, in the wake of the three people’s conversation, Gu Zuo intermittently learned a few things.
Xi Yangyun and Lu Jiusi both studied under Xu Lingxiu’s father, Elder Xu. They were considered fellow disciples who were quite close. However, Xi Yangyun was someone who’d been accepted many years ago. As a result, his little sister and Xu Lingxiu had grown up together. Thus, he’d also watched Xu Lingxiu grow up — One shouldn’t look at his current youthful appearance. His martial age also wasn’t considered long. In fact, he was already in his thirties. When he’d just arrived, his little sister was still a baby.
As for Lu Jiusi, he’d been studying under a teacher for several years. At that time, he was already a low Immortal Realm. Of course, before that, his relationship with Xi Yangyun was pretty good and his relationships with others were also very good. After pa.s.sing through selection after selection, along with Xi Yangyun’s recommendation, he smoothly became a fellow disciple instructed by the same Master. Using this as a pretext, he jumped from a recently-promoted Core Disciple to an Apprentice with a Master.
As for how Lu Jiusi fell in love at first sight with an eleven or twelve-year-old little girl, his willingness to invest physical and mental efforts to be brothers with Xi Yangyun and for true love for Xi Shuangyun, as well as the great amounts of spent time, energy, and even money and favors... These matters were inadvertently revealed through the three’s conversation.
Gu Zuo secretly thought that Lu Jiusi certainly wasn’t careless. This way of talking from time to time was to show how hard he pursued and how much he paid. He’d known earlier that Lu Jiusi had contributed a lot, but one shouldn’t praise themselves so much! If he was truly sincere, he wouldn’t un.o.btrusively remind others to repay him!
Compared to his big brother, Lu Jiusi was far inferior.
His big brother wouldn’t say anything... He would only do.
Whatever big brother did, there would never be any need for reminders. Everyone would understand clearly.
This was charisma.
After thinking for a period of time, Little Sister Xi Shuangyun had already recuperated some strength.
Having such a heart was naturally her bad luck. However, she also had Big Brother Xi Yangyun who rushed about for her sake, and she had Xu Lingxiu who was willing to do his best for her. So, her luck could also be said to be very good.
One could only hope that she could smoothly pa.s.s this block. After becoming healthy, she could step onto the martial path’s summit. When that time came, the times she fell ill and suffered would hone her!
Thinking up to here, Gu Zuo blanked.
This kind of experience sounded a little familiar... Right, his big brother had previously been plagued with an incurable illness. After being cured, he skyrocketed! Merely, there was only one Gongyi Tianheng in the end. It was impossible for Little Sister Xi Shuangyun to also have the Tiandu Body.
But although it was like this, Gu Zuo’s impression of Little Sister Xi Shuangyun still improved a little bit.
Love the house and its crow? Maybe it was this?
At this moment, Xi Yangyun carefully placed Xi Shuangyun onto the bed, letting her lie down smoothly and steadily. After that, he was the first to walk out. Xu Lingxiu and Lu Jiusi similarly followed.
The piece of plywood Gu Zuo who’d been nearly forgotten also hurriedly went out. Otherwise, as he was by himself inside, others would think he was harboring evil intentions.
After going outside, Xi Yangyun swept pa.s.sed the joy of seeing Xu Lingxiu successfully refine the pills, and became deeply worried: "Lingxiu, how long will it take for you to refine all the Steadfast Heart Pills for my sister to take? With your speed, it’ll certainly be very fast, right?"
Xu Lingxiu gave him a look: "You think refining pills is like stir-frying bok choy!? At most, I could only refine about seven pills in a day without hardly stopping. What’s more, even if my true qi could be restored, my psychic power can’t stand it. This wouldn’t be considered cauldron sc.r.a.p. It’d be great if I could refine five or six pills from an exploded cauldron batch."
Lu Jiusi murmured: "Are there still enough of those herbs?"
Xi Yangyun also furrowed his brows: "If Lingxiu keeps maintaining this state, refining ninety pills will take a little more than half a month... Little sister currently has a flare up every day. I truly hope she can end her suffering as soon as possible."
Xu Lingxiu said unhappily: "You think I don’t want to cure Xiao Shuang even a little bit earlier? I’m already doing my best! Now I dare not say anything else. I can only try my best not to blow up the cauldron, waste less herbs, and refine Steadfast Heart Pills with product grades at least mid grade or above — Right, I don’t dare guarantee that I can refine high grade pills."
Xi Yangyun promptly said: "I know! Lingxiu, with a true qi realm like yours, refining Steadfast Heart Pills is already extremely difficult. I understand that you care about Xiao Shuang."
Xu Lingxiu’s complexion improved, before he furrowed his brows again: "It’d be great if Master was willing to lend a hand."
Xi Yangyun smiled bitterly and said: "How could that be possible..."
The Golden-Level Pharmacist refined suitable pills for the Grand Elders every day. Because they were the Sect’s greatest safeguards against peak existences, it was basically impossible to waste such a long time for the little sister of a puny Apprentice — Even if he acted, refining higher grade Steadfast Heart Pills would take at least five or six days.
As a result, the best situation was through Xu Lingxiu’s request for that Golden-Level Pharmacist to spend half a day to a full day’s energy to carefully teach Xu Lingxiu, letting him master it. Otherwise, just as Gu Zuo initially guessed, even if they asked a high-level pharmacist to act, it wasn’t known how long it’d take for them to research it — As for asking that Golden-Level Pharmacist to teach a high-level pharmacist to shorten the time?
Those high-level pharmacists weren’t apprenticed to the Golden-Level Pharmacist, so how could they be taught?! Let alone that the Steadfast Heart Pill’s prescription was originally very precious, one couldn’t casually divulge it to others.
Xu Lingxiu’s lips thinned: "Okay, no need to say such nonsense. There’s still lots of medicinal herbs, but if I use my psychic power for a long time and don’t get enough rest, I don’t know if I can maintain the rate of successful pills. The skill level of this kind of medicinal pill can’t be developed in the short-term. You guys prepare some contribution points and exchange them for some herbs from the Sect."
Naturally, Xi Yangyun and Lu Jiusi repeatedly agreed.
However, at this moment, the background plywood Gu Zuo was caught up in his astonishment.
Yes, the words "psychic power" spoken twice by Xu Lingxiu had shocked him.
Ever since he started cultivating using the Divine Medicine Cultivation Method, Gu Zuo had known about the existence of psychic power. After that, there was the Spirit Piercing Awl, and he understood the offensive functions of psychic power even more. Then, through his own methodic investigations, he understood even more about his psychic power’s other uses. However, he never expected that he would hear the words coming from Xu Lingxiu’s mouth.
— He definitely didn’t believe that psychic powers were unique to him, but the time, place, and person were all really beyond his expectations.
In additionally, Gu Zuo had completely failed to react to Xu Lingxiu’s use of psychic power! Even if it was during the pill refinement, he hadn’t discovered the fluctuations of Xu Lingxiu using psychic power. Don’t even mention when psychic power spread out to scout, defend, or conceal one’s qi energy.
There was also a possibility that Xu Lingxiu’s psychic power was several times stronger than Gu Zuo’s. In that case, Gu Zuo wouldn’t have been able to sense when it was used. But if it was like this, then Xu Lingxiu’s reactions were abnormal. Moreover, the difference in Gu Zuo and Xu Lingxiu’s realms was one stage. Gu Zuo was also cultivating his Spirit Piercing Awl. The probability that Xu Lingxiu could conceal his reactions so tightly was practically zero.
As a result, Gu Zu was astonished.
In that case...
Should he ask?
Gu Zuo hesitated for a moment.
After Xu Lingxiu talked with Xi Yangyun and Lu Jiusi, he naturally sat down in that position and started his own medicine refining process again.
Xi Yangyun was rea.s.sured and his current state was very tranquil. Lu Jiusi unexpectedly stood up and eagerly said: "Shuangyun’s illness can’t drag on. Yangyun, you need to take care of her here. I’ll go exchange some medicinal herbs for Shuangyun."
With this anxious behavior, if it wasn’t for his recent instigations, as well as Xi Shuangyun’s bad att.i.tude raising Gu Zuo’s suspicions, it would’ve caused the trust in his own intuition to waver.
Xi Yangyun was clearly moved: "I’ll have to trouble you again, Jiusi."
Lu Jiusi confidently said: "My care for Shuangyun is no less than what I’d do for you as brothers."
After he finished speaking, he gave Gu Zuo an indecipherable glance. He cupped his hands to Xu Lingxiu who was in the middle of refining pills, before promptly departing.
At this time, Gu Zuo suddenly understood.
If Lu Jiusi had been acting this way for several years, Xi Yangyun would believe his sincerity to his little sister, Xi Shuangyun, and it would be natural for Xi Yangyun to be moved.
Once Lu Jiusi left, Xi Yangyun and Gu Zuo continued to watch Xu Lingxiu refine pills here.
Perhaps because he’d been networking for his little sister for many years, Xi Yangyun’s bearing always made one feel comfortable. From the very beginning, he’d never made Gu Zuo feel embarra.s.sed. Now that he saw that there were fewer people, he took the initiative to stir up a conversation with Gu Zuo: "Junior Sect Brother Gu, because of Shuangyun’s matter just now, we’ve neglected you. I hope you don’t mind."
Gu Zuo promptly waved his hands: "Not at all."
Xi Yangyun sighed again: "Junior Sect Brother Gu helped out, and we’ve yet to thank you..."
Gu Zuo said: "There’s no need to be courteous. It was nothing."
This alleviated the mood somewhat.
Xi Yangyun then said: "If there’s something Junior Sect Brother Gu doesn’t understand, you can bring it up. Although this Xi isn’t a pharmacist, I’ve learned a few things over the years. Perhaps I can give Junior Sect Brother Gu something to think about."
Ordinary folks had the saying, "A long illness makes the patient into a good doctor". After taking care of Xi Shuangyun for these years, there were many things that pharmacists had explained to him. Compared to ordinary martial artists, he understood many matters concerning pharmacists.
Gu Zu’s eyes shined.
Xu Lingxiu was busy, so it really wasn’t too good to ask him. However, asking Xi Yangyun could be done!
Hence, he softly said: "I’ve always felt there was some special feeling in the Tianfu Acupoint... Just then, I heard Senior Sect Brother Xu mention ’psychic power’ and I’m a little curious if there’s some relation?"
Xi Yangyun smiled and said: "Sure enough, just as Lingxiu said, Junior Sect Brother Gu is quite perceptive." He paused before saying, "That’s right. Maybe the power in my Junior Sect Brother’s Tianfu Acupoint is psychic power."
Because he felt grateful to Gu Zuo, he wasn’t stingy and fully disclosed what he knew about.
"Each person has psychic power from birth. In the wake of the promotion of one’s realm, as the physical body grows stronger, so too does the psychic power increase. However, while martial artists can strengthen the physical body through cultivation methods, martial skills, medicines, and honing methods, there are no methods for psychic power. They can only let it mature on its own.
"And when pharmacists refine medicine, they can use up their psychic power. The longer they focus their minds, the faster they use up their psychic power. Meanwhile, once their psychic power has been used up completely and they’ve rested, the recovered psychic power will be slightly stronger than before... This can be considered a method for pharmacists to hone their psychic power."
Gu Zuo listened, completely enthralled: "Psychic power is effective for a pharmacist refining medicine?"
Xi Yangyun nodded: "That’s right. It’s really useful."
Following that was his detailed explanation.
"The stronger a pharmacist’s psychic power, the higher the possibility for a realm breakthrough in the future. After many verifications, it was found that pharmacists with strong psychic powers are able to successfully refine pills more frequently and they can focus on refining pills for longer periods of time. The same is true for mid-level pharmacists. The ones with stronger psychic power are more outstanding than the weaker ones, and even the product grades of successful pills are usually much higher.
"Just like Lingxiu... He’s currently able to refine medicinal pills fit for Xiantian consumption, and he’s already regarded as a mid-level pharmacist. As long as he stabilizes his success rate, he’ll be a genuine mid-level pharmacist. For his age, this is quite the accomplishment. Although he has innate skill, it normally takes him a long time to refine pills. It’s related to him repeatedly using up his psychic power...
"Junior Sect Brother Gu, psychic power is very important to a pharmacist. If you want to become an outstanding pharmacist, you need to endure this kind of suffering. From now on, try to control the psychic energy in your Tianfu Acupoint!"
Speaking up to here, Xi Yangyun couldn’t help sighing with regret: "Junior Sect Brother Gu is also at the Houtian Realm, yet you can already sense psychic power. This point isn’t an easy feat. If it was under normal circ.u.mstances, only pharmacists who’ve reached Xiantian can touch upon the threshold of psychic energy." He was somewhat curious, "Is Junior Sect Brother Gu’s realm Houtian stage nine?"
Gu Zuo thought for a bit. He was indeed disguising himself as one, and just nodded: "Yes."
Originally, Xi Yangyun had already seen it himself and this kind of inquiry was only to confirm. He sighed at this moment: "Junior Sect Brother Gu’s apt.i.tudes truly aren’t inferior to Lingxiu’s. Lingxiu could sense his psychic power when he was at Houtian stage eight."
Gu Zuo heard this and secretly said: Close call!
Fortunately, he was worried that having a realm that was too low in the Inner Sect would make his big brother lose face. He used his psychic power to disguise himself as being close to perfected Houtian. Otherwise, he would’ve projected himself as Houtian stage seven. Wouldn’t that have made it seem like his potential was more outstanding than Xu Lingxiu’s? That wasn’t a good thing.
At this moment, Gu Zuo showed gratefulness and said: "I’ll certainly double my efforts."
Xi Yangyun saw him like this and also smiled. His heart was comforted.
It was good to make another bond of good karma.
Gu Zuo’s doubts were solved.
He now understood why he couldn’t detect Xu Lingxiu using his psychic power. It was because Xu Lingxiu’s psychic power wasn’t being used autonomously from the start.
So-called pharmacists could spend psychic power, but in fact, it was a type of latent use. Through the consumption of psychic power, it let one focus even more and control medicinal power more subtly and accurately. In the beginning, Gu Zuo’s application in this aspect was to condense psychic power in his eyes. This let him directly "see" the movements and changes of the medicinal power. His techniques were naturally more high-end compared to those involuntary ones.
And Gu Zuo also understood that even the Qingyun Sect pharmacists didn’t have a way to precisely hone their psychic power. Their so-called tempering was considered the most clumsy sort, but while it was crude, it was very effective.
As for improving this slow speed, it was an unsolvable dilemma.
However, Gu Zuo was very curious about a matter...
After briefly hesitating, he asked: "Senior Sect Brother Xi, if a pharmacist’s psychic power has that kind of use, then... What about martial artists?"
Xi Yangyun heard this and promptly recalled something.
Following which, he revealed a smiling expression: "Is this something the young master you follow asked?"
Gu Zuo nodded with embarra.s.sment: "Please don’t be stingy with your advice, Senior Sect Brother."
Xi Yangyun naturally wasn’t stingy. His wording was very systematic as he explained: "Different from pharmacists, a martial artist’s psychic power doesn’t have much use before the Immortal Realm. At most, the stronger a person’s psychic power, the sharper their sense of danger. After reaching the Immortal Realm, a martial artist’s psychic power becomes very useful. Not only can it greatly enhance a martial artist’s understanding of martial skills, it can also produce certain predictive effects when battling. The stronger the psychic power of a person, the stronger the effect. In equal realms, the martial artist with the stronger psychic power will have the advantage. At the same time, a strong psychic power will also produce a type of intimidation. When using a martial skill, it gives the opponent a suppressive force. It also has the effect of restricting the enemy."
Gu Zuo nodded again and again: "So it’s like this. After I return, I’ll tell the young master!"
Xi Yangyun smiled warmly: "The bearing of your household’s young master is extraordinary. He’ll certainly be one with a strong psychic power in the future. You don’t need to be worried about him."
He still had several ways of looking at someone.
Gu Zuo fiddled with his fingers, and nodded his head again.
Xi Yangyun’s pointers to Gu Zuo were very detailed. Seeing this Junior Sect Brother with an earnest and clever att.i.tude, he was reminded of his own pitiful little sister. He couldn’t help expressing the attentiveness he showed when guiding his little sister. As for Gu Zuo, his impression of Xi Shuangyun was the same as loving the house and its crow. He felt that Xi Yangyun, an outgoing and friendly person, was very good. So naturally, he felt that all of them were good.
Afterwards, Xi Yangyun explained some minor techniques Xu Lingxiu would use when refining medicine. Gu Zuo was inexperienced in this area, and when he listened, he felt it was a big harvest.
During this chat, both people were very cheerful.
After Xu Lingxiu refined another two cauldrons, almost all of the time had been used up. Noticing that the color of the sky had darkened, even though they could still continue refining pills in the evening, they couldn’t let Gu Zuo continue staying here.
Hence, Xu Lingxiu paused for a bit. When Xi Yangyun gave Gu Zuo some explanations that he knew the answers to, he impatiently gave one or two pieces of advice. Xi Yangyun only smiled. Gu Zuo’s heart was full of laughter as he listened, occasionally humming in affirmation.
In a short while, Xu Lingxiu flung out his arm and said: "Junior Sect Brother Gu can go back. Come again tomorrow!"
Gu Zuo stared blankly.
Could it be that this was a long-term thing?
Ah, but this kind of affair clearly wasn’t something one could refuse. Gu Zuo then thought that he’d come over tomorrow and take a look at the matter’s development.
Following that, he said his goodbyes to the two and left this place on his own.
After going out, Qian Hu was waiting for him.
Although his treatment wasn’t that good, it seemed that someone still received him as a guest and he wasn’t neglected too badly. Again it was that henchman who knew how things were developing. As for why, it was to win Gu Zuo’s favor.
Gu Zuo had no idea. He just led Qian Hu back to the valley.
Unfortunately, Gongyi Tianheng hadn’t returned after a full day.
The only one left in the valley was Dragon Two. When Gu Zuo asked, Dragon Two naturally pa.s.sed along Tianheng’s message.
Tianheng had led Dragon One and a few others into a mountain range to capture wild beasts. Because the numbers were comparatively large and the road was rather far, the return time would inevitably be late. As for medicinal pills, he’d already brought along some that were essential to him. He also took some medicines that were beneficial to the Tiandu Body. It was to prevent Gu Zuo from worrying after coming back. All of this was told to Gu Zuo by Dragon Two, with a scrupulous attention to detail.
This definitely wasn’t the first time Gu Zuo had been separated from Gongyi Tianheng. However, perhaps because they didn’t have anyone else to rely on in the Qingyun Sect, there was a strong sense of mutual dependence. As a result, a faint melancholy unexpectedly arose in his heart.
He felt...a little like he longed to see his big brother again. How could that be?
However, Gu Zuo quickly threw this mood out.
Medicine refinement! Medicine refinement! Medicine refinement!
He hadn’t done anything the entire day. While it was night, he needed to work hard!
Just like this, Gu Zuo buried himself in the medicine refining room for the whole night.
After the early morning of the following day, he freshened up and hurried to the Violet Tower. He also still brought along Qian Hu.
On the third floor, one could still see Xu Lingxiu refining medicine. However, after watching a round, Xu Lingxiu gave Gu Zuo permission to refine medicine in a certain side room of the third floor.
Gu Zuo originally thought that Xu Lingxiu would watch him, but Xu Lingxiu was occupied with refining medicine and didn’t do so. Instead, it was Xi Yangyun who came over to watch where he pointed out some "flaws". Naturally, there were even more praises.
Luckily, Xi Yangyun didn’t follow along continuously. He was still more concerned about the refining of the Steadfast Heart Pill. As a result, Gu Zuo shut himself in the medicine refining room alone, and refined quite a lot of medicinal pills on his own.
Merely, after he finished refining, he still needed to handle the pill cauldron to avoid being seen through. Ultimately, he refined a good deal of Qi Generating Pills to cover up the previous medicinal pills’ odors.
This continued for four to five days.
Gongyi Tianheng had yet to return.
And Gu Zuo made round trips between the Violet Tower and the valley.
The peculiar thing was that during these days, Lu Jiusi also never showed up.
