Chapter 145: The True Value of a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Zhao Liang’s eyes lit up when he heard the approaching footsteps.
The disciples of the Medicine Hall, who had been pretending to be busy, immediately stopped their tasks and bowed respectfully.
“Elder Wang.”
“Hmm.”
A middle-aged man, wearing an elder’s robe and bearing a striking resemblance to Wang Qian, strode confidently into the medicine storeroom.
Mu Ye reluctantly greeted him, “Elder Wang.”
Elder Wang ignored Mu Ye entirely, directing his gaze at Zhao Liang. “I could hear the commotion in the storeroom from outside. What’s going on?”
Zhao Liang, who had been arrogant before Mu Ye just moments ago, quickly adopted a contrite demeanor. “Elder Wang, I failed to manage the storeroom properly and allowed Junior Sister Mu from the Pill Hall to be mistreated. I am willing to accept punishment.”
“Good. Since you acknowledge your mistake, go and receive your punishment later. Do not repeat such errors in the future.”
“Yes, Elder Wang.”
The exchange between Elder Wang and Zhao Liang was seamless, clearly aiming to sweep the matter under the rug.
Mu Ye’s anger flared. “Elder Wang, your Medicine Hall disciples swapped out the spiritual herbs I reserved. Is this how you intend to handle the issue?”
Elder Wang frowned. “Zhao Liang, explain.”
“Elder Wang, here’s what happened. Junior Sister Mu did indeed reserve a batch of spiritual herbs with the Medicine Hall. Unfortunately, Elder He of the Pill Hall also needed those herbs for alchemy recently, so they were taken first. Without those herbs, we had no choice but to replace them for Junior Sister Mu. As an apology, we even added extra herbs to make up for the inconvenience.
“However, Junior Sister Mu was dissatisfied with our solution, maliciously accused us, and even tried to use the Pill Hall’s Grand Elder to intimidate us. I was left with no option but to ask for your judgment, Elder Wang.”
Zhao Liang’s well-rehearsed explanation deflected all blame from himself, leaving him seemingly innocent.
Finally, Elder Wang looked directly at Mu Ye, his tone haughty. “Although this matter stems from the Medicine Hall’s mistake, compensation has already been provided. You shouldn’t push your luck.”
“I—”
Mu Ye was about to argue her case when she felt Yu Zhao press firmly against her waist. Her words circled in her throat before she swallowed them.
“Let’s go,” Yu Zhao said to her through spiritual transmission.
As an outsider, Yu Zhao saw the situation more clearly than Mu Ye. Elder Wang was clearly aligned with Zhao Liang and had intervened solely to shield him. If Mu Ye continued to argue, not only would she gain nothing, but she might also end up labeled as disrespectful or unreasonable. This would damage her standing in the Green Wood Sect, especially as she vied for the position of Young Sect Master. It was better to retreat for now and reassess later.
Mu Ye, realizing the precariousness of the situation, calmed herself. She inhaled deeply and spoke, “Elder Wang, your lesson is appreciated. I, Mu Ye, will reflect deeply on my behavior.”
Her last few words were delivered through gritted teeth, each one squeezed out like it pained her to say.
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Yu Zhao’s arm and strode toward the exit. Before leaving, she made sure to collect the medicine pouch from the table. It was hers, and she wasn’t about to let the Medicine Hall benefit from her loss.
Elder Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Who is that woman with Mu Ye?”
Zhao Liang hurried to Elder Wang’s side, lowering his voice. “I don’t recognize her. She doesn’t seem to be a disciple of the Green Wood Sect.”
Elder Wang also thought the woman didn’t look like she belonged to the sect. Her sudden appearance raised concerns about potential complications.
However, no matter the situation, the position of Young Sect Master would belong to Qian’er. No one would take it from him.
“Such audacity! Such audacity!” Mu Ye’s voice trembled with anger as they descended the mountain path. Her cheeks puffed out in frustration, reminding Yu Zhao of a peculiar fish she had once seen in the Southern Abyss. This fish, short-bodied and plump, would inflate instantly when threatened to fend off predators.
Mu Ye’s demeanor was undeniably adorable, and Yu Zhao couldn’t help but let a faint smile curve her lips. However, her amusement didn’t escape Mu Ye’s sharp eyes.
“Yu Zhao, are you even my friend anymore?” Mu Ye asked, disbelief lacing her tone. “I’m being bullied, and instead of helping me get even, you’re laughing at me!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Yu Zhao said hastily, suppressing her smile. “It wasn’t on purpose. What are you planning to do now?”
Mu Ye sighed in defeat, lowering her head. “What can I do? They’ve already come up with excuses. Even if I ask Master to intervene, it’ll likely end up being handled lightly, with no real consequences for them.”
“Isn’t the Green Wood Sect about to hold its Young Sect Master selection exam?” Yu Zhao asked suddenly.
“How do you know about that?” Mu Ye asked, startled. The disciples of the Pill Hall had annual assessments, but this year’s exam had been secretly merged with the Green Wood Sect’s selection process for the Young Sect Master. This was a closely guarded secret, even among the Martial Hall disciples.
Yu Zhao, of course, couldn’t admit that she had deduced this from her knowledge of past events. Instead, she lied, saying, “The elder who hosted me at the Green Wood Sect mentioned it.”
Mu Ye nodded, thinking Yu Zhao’s connections were impressive if even Elder Luo was willing to share such sensitive information.
“That’s right,” Mu Ye confirmed. “The exam is less than a month away. I planned to refine Stabilizing Essence Pills, which are of the third rank. They must have guessed this from the spiritual herbs I reserved and deliberately swapped out the ingredients.”
Yu Zhao’s eyes narrowed. “Do you only have one pill recipe prepared?”
“Of course not,” Mu Ye replied quickly. “I have a few other third-rank recipes, but after careful consideration, none are as suitable as the Stabilizing Essence Pill.”
The Pill Hall exam didn’t just evaluate the grade of the refined pill; it also judged completion, temperature control, and several other factors. A higher difficulty didn’t automatically guarantee a better score.
“Did you know Wang Qian has a recipe for a fourth-rank pill?” Yu Zhao asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“A fourth-rank recipe?” Mu Ye froze, both astonished by Yu Zhao’s revelation and intrigued by the potential implications.
With Wang Qian’s current skill level, his success rate in refining a fourth-rank pill was less than ten percent. Surely, he wouldn’t risk it in such an important exam. Yet Yu Zhao shared the story of how Wang Qian had bid extravagantly at the Black Water City Auction to obtain the recipe. Initially, Mu Ye couldn’t help but laugh when Yu Zhao mentioned raising the price on Wang Qian, but her smile faded as the tale continued.
For Wang Qian to buy a fourth-rank recipe at an exorbitant price meant he had a hidden agenda.
Mu Ye’s mind raced. “Could the recipe contain unique alchemy techniques? That would explain why Wang Qian was so desperate to secure it.”
Most recipes simply listed the required ingredients and their preparation order. However, a rare few included specialized alchemical techniques that could significantly improve success rates. Such recipes were understandably far more valuable.
Mu Ye suspected that Wang Qian, having learned of this, had traveled great distances to acquire the recipe. If she were in his position, she would have done the same. After all, the true treasure lay not in the recipe itself but in the exclusive techniques it contained.