Zhu Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhu Xuan (朱宣)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Medicine King Gang; Alchemy Hall
Occupation / Role	Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall; alchemist and mentor
Cultivation	Mid-stage Iron Bone Stage 110
Age	Over seventy, though he appears middle-aged 113
First Appearance	Chapter 110

Background / History

Zhu Xuan is the Medicine King Gang's Alchemy Hall Master. Though his cultivation is slightly below War Hall Master Zhao Tie's, his ability to refine pills gives him a higher standing within the gang. Gang Leader Li Tiansheng values him highly and supplies the people and resources he requests. 110

His residence is a simple courtyard rather than a lavish estate, centered on a pond with lotus plants and fish. Within it stands the Black Iron House, his dedicated alchemy room. 110 111

The gang spent ten years gathering Cold Iron and several million taels of silver to construct the Black Iron House. Its heat-suppressing properties increased Zhu Xuan's pill-refinement success rate by twenty percent and enabled him to begin refining pills for Organ Tempering martial artists, greatly elevating his status. 111

Yang Heng first meets Zhu Xuan after joining the Alchemy Hall. Zhu Xuan waives the usual entry assessment because Yang is Elder Li's disciple and because he considers Yang intelligent, talented, and quick to comprehend. He nevertheless warns Yang that alchemy requires extensive pharmacological knowledge, repeated experimentation, and time that can detract from martial cultivation. 111

After verifying the Lesser Marrow Cleansing Pill formula Yang provides, Zhu Xuan accepts it as payment for Yang's alchemy instruction and gives him ten Replenishing Yuan Pills to support his martial cultivation. 113

Following Yang's defense of the Medicine Garden against the Wind Wolf, Zhu Xuan openly praises him and takes pride in his disciple's growing reputation within the gang. 151

Zhu Xuan later informs Yang that Gang Leader Li Tiansheng and Elder Li have designated him as the future Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall. He agrees with the decision and arranges for Yang to use alchemy materials free of charge, while warning him to keep the appointment secret. 153

Appearance

Despite being over seventy, Zhu Xuan has the outward appearance of a middle-aged man. He carries a refined demeanor and a noticeable medicinal aura. 110 113

• Lives in a modest courtyard despite his high rank within the Medicine King Gang. 110
• Is often seen preparing medicinal ingredients beside the alchemy furnace in the Black Iron House. 155
• His residence is surrounded by exotic flowers and plants with a fresh medicinal fragrance. 111

Personality

Zhu Xuan is proud of his alchemical achievements, particularly the Black Iron House and the prestige it earned him within the Medicine King Gang. He considers the hall selective, valuing quality over the number of disciples it admits. 111

As a teacher, he is patient, observant, and demanding. He tests Yang Heng's understanding, corrects his errors in detail, and emphasizes calmness, diligence, and humility over raw talent. 156 159 177

He is protective of Yang's development, advising him to suspend cultivation when he suffers severe Mental Energy overdraft. However, he also covets valuable pill formulas, including the formula for the Revival Pill. 174

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy

Zhu Xuan is one of only three alchemists among more than one hundred Alchemy Hall disciples. 111

• Skillfully refines pills suitable for Iron Bone Stage martial artists. 110
• Can refine two types of Organ Tempering Stage pills, though with a low success rate. 110
• Demonstrated the refinement of eight Qi Blood Pills in one batch, producing six usable pills and two waste pills. 157
• Attributes his improved results partly to the Black Iron House's Cold Iron construction. 111 157
• Recognizes Yang Heng's extraordinary aptitude and provides direct instruction in pill refining. 157 159

Martial Cultivation

Zhu Xuan is a mid-stage Iron Bone Stage Martial Artist. 110

• Uses Inner Strength to draw residual alchemical powder from the interior of an alchemy furnace during cleaning. 156
• His cultivation allows him to refine pills suited to Organ Tempering martial artists when aided by the Black Iron House. 111

Instruction and Evaluation

Zhu Xuan personally evaluates prospective Alchemy Hall disciples and controls admission to the hall. 111

• Explains foundational procedures such as furnace cleaning, preheating, ingredient handling, and heat control. 156 157
• Identifies weaknesses in Yang Heng's refining process and gives detailed corrective guidance. 158 159
• Warns Yang not to become complacent despite his exceptional results. 159 177
• Advises Yang on suitable missions and assigns him as Medicine Garden Guard Leader when no better Contribution Point tasks are available. 113 114

Equipment / Facilities

• Black Iron House — A seamless Cold Iron alchemy room with four vents, constructed at enormous cost for stability, heat control, concentration, and a higher pill-refinement success rate. 111
• Bronze Alchemy Furnace — Used for refining pills in the Black Iron House. 155 157
• High-Quality Charcoal — Fuel used to heat the alchemy furnace. 155 157
• Stone preparation table, bronze scale, porcelain bowls, and jade mortars — Tools used for weighing, grinding, and organizing medicinal ingredients. 155

Relationships

• Yang Heng — Disciple and alchemy student. Zhu Xuan waives his entry assessment, accepts his pill formula as payment for instruction, provides cultivation pills, personally teaches him, and supports his future appointment as Hall Master. 111 113 153 157
• Elder Li — Respected benefactor. Zhu Xuan grants Yang special treatment partly out of gratitude toward Elder Li and accepts Elder Li's request to support Yang as future Alchemy Hall Master. 111 153
• Li Tiansheng — Medicine King Gang Leader. Li strongly supported construction of the Black Iron House and later approved Yang Heng's designation as Zhu Xuan's successor. 111 153
• Zhao Tie — War Hall Master. Zhu Xuan's cultivation is slightly lower than Zhao Tie's, but his status in the Medicine King Gang is higher due to his alchemy. 110

Story Role / Major Arcs

Yang Heng's Entry into the Alchemy Hall

Zhu Xuan introduces Yang Heng to the Black Iron House and explains both the privileges and demanding requirements of the Alchemy Hall. He accepts Yang without an assessment and becomes a key source of alchemical guidance. 111

Lesser Marrow Cleansing Pill Formula

He verifies that Yang's Lesser Marrow Cleansing Pill formula is genuine, though its ingredients are too rare for immediate refinement. Zhu Xuan uses its value to cover Yang's alchemy-learning costs and gives him Replenishing Yuan Pills. 113

Future Hall Master Appointment

After Yang's Medicine Garden service, Zhu Xuan praises his actions against the Wind Wolf. He later reveals that Yang has privately been selected as the future Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall and grants him free access to learning materials. 151 153

Alchemy Training

Zhu Xuan begins personally teaching Yang in the Black Iron House, demonstrating Qi Blood Pill refinement before overseeing Yang's attempts. He is astonished when Yang succeeds on his third attempt and continues to guide him through increasingly advanced pill refinement. 156 157 158 159 177

Trivia

• The Black Iron House cost no less than several million taels of silver, consuming several years of the Medicine King Gang's savings. 111
• Zhu Xuan states that the Alchemy Hall has over one hundred disciples but only three alchemists, including himself. 111
• He considers Yang Heng's pill-refinement talent exceptional even compared with alchemists he encountered in Duding City. 159