Yue Er

Unable to figure out the reason, Jia Xingtian could only shake his head with a wry smile. "After the Pill King resolves his inner knot, he will probably enter a period of rapid growth in both cultivation and alchemy. Such a mindset is very suitable for improving one's cultivation and pill-refining skills!"

"Yes, I have the same plan. Once I have gathered everyone's medicinal ingredients, I will return to the Monster Mountain Range to enter seclusion for a while. Your pills will probably be delayed for some time."

"No rush. Such a state is hard to encounter even once in decades. Seizing the time is what matters." Jia Xingtian smiled, unconcerned. Whether he truly did not mind or not, his words were certainly pleasant to hear. As expected of an old monster who had remained in the Imperial Family for a century.

Jia Xingtian had likely regarded this change as an enlightenment in cultivation or an unusual state entered during alchemy. It had to be said that, without understanding Spiritual Energy, coming up with such explanations was already remarkable. In those two states, under special circumstances and states of mind, the soul would suddenly gain a magnetic attraction toward the Spiritual Energy of the outside world and unconsciously absorb it, causing one's soul power to surge. This matched the changes in Gu He's outward temperament.

After thanking Jia Xingtian for his understanding, Gu He, Teng Shan, and Jia Xingtian took their seats separately. The Two Princesses stood behind Jia Xingtian.

Once the three had seated themselves, Jia Xingtian began introducing the Two Princesses. "This is Yao Ye. Do not let her youth fool you—she has already spent four years in the military. She is currently responsible for security at the east gate and throughout the surrounding district. When the Pill King rode an eagle back into the Imperial Capital, the report ended up on her desk."

Gu He smiled apologetically. "I hope Elder Jia can forgive us. My disciple's cultivation is not high enough to withstand the pressure and discomfort of flight, so he returned riding a magical beast. That magical beast is my disciple's friend, and it would not have been appropriate to release it so far from the Monster Mountain Range. We could only fly into the Imperial Capital."

Yao Ye bowed. "Greetings, Pill King. Greetings, Great Elder Teng Shan."

At this time, Yao Ye was still somewhat immature and did not yet possess the imposing presence she would have five years later, when she could calmly command fifty thousand troops. Before Gu He, the Jia Ma Empire's First Alchemist, she merely offered a proper, measured greeting.

Gu He and Teng Shan nodded in response. Since it was their first meeting, and Gu He saw that Yao Ye had already reached the Dou Master level, he gave her an ordinary Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill as a meeting gift.

Jia Xingtian continued, "This is Yue Er. She is currently studying alchemy under Master Mitchell. I hope the Pill King can offer her some guidance when he has the time."

The Little Princess nervously pinched the corner of her clothes and bowed. "G-Greetings, Pill King. Greetings, Great Elder Teng Shan."

After all, she was only a little girl of twelve or thirteen. She had not yet displayed the quirky, mischievous personality she would possess in the future. She was rather shy and extremely nervous.

Gu He smiled. "There is no need to be nervous. Yue Er, you are still learning about herbs, correct? Such knowledge mainly depends on memorization. At your age, your memory is at its best. Read more books related to herbs; it will be of great help in accumulating knowledge for the future." As he spoke, he took out a thick book from his Ring. Written on its cover were the words "Encyclopedia of Medicine."

"As this is our first meeting, I do not have much to give you. I compiled this book by referring to the Collection of Minerals and Medicines, Collection of Herbs, and Collection of a Hundred Herbs, together with my own practical experience. I believe that once you memorize it, there will be very few herbs in this world that still seem unfamiliar to you."

Yue Er was initially startled when Gu He suddenly produced a book half her height. Upon hearing that he intended to give it to her, she remembered her great-grandfather's temperament. After hearing Gu He's description, he would most likely make her memorize the entire thing. She suddenly felt that life had lost all motivation. With a gloomy expression, the Little Princess struggled to lift the book in both arms. After thanking Gu He, she carried it over to stand behind Jia Xingtian.

Jia Xingtian used his Ring to store the book for Yue Er, then said to Gu He, "The Pill King has given Yue Er his own work on medicine. This gift is truly too valuable. Our Imperial Family once obtained a Seventh-grade pill recipe, but because of its age, much of it has been lost. Less than half of the original remains intact, so we shall use it as a token of thanks."

Gu He knew that Jia Xingtian would most likely use this opportunity to offer him something valuable, but he had expected at most materials for refining Sixth-grade pills. After all, that was his main purpose for coming to the Imperial Capital. Those who had long navigated the political arena of the Imperial Capital could easily infer as much with a little thought. Yet he had not expected to receive a damaged Seventh-grade pill recipe. No alchemist could refuse such a gift, especially someone like Gu He, who had only recently advanced to become a Sixth-grade Alchemist and lacked Seventh-grade Pill Formulae. Therefore, even though he knew that accepting this formula would amount to establishing half a master-disciple relationship with the Little Princess, making it harder to refuse the Imperial Family's requests in the future, Gu He still accepted it.

One had to know that every Seventh-grade Pill Formula contained the painstaking effort of at least one Seventh-grade, or even Eighth-grade Alchemist. Even an incomplete formula possessed immense value for reference. This was especially true for such an ancient pill formula. Even formulas for the same pill differed in value depending on their era, because even if the refining methods were identical, the techniques for controlling flames could vary enormously. Under such circumstances, if he could learn even a little of that era's flame-control techniques from it, then paying a small price was entirely worthwhile.

Gu He accepted the formula and said to Jia Xingtian with a wry smile, "You have given me a return gift I cannot refuse."

He glanced at the formula and saw the words Yin Yang Life Soul Pill written clearly upon it. His pupils contracted. This was a Mid Seventh Grade formula, and its effect was similar to that of the Bone-Regenerating Blood-Melding Pill. The Bone-Regenerating Blood-Melding Pill was a peak Seventh-grade pill, reputedly capable of saving someone as long as they still had a breath left. It was one of the few high-grade pills capable of treating humans.

"That is more like it!" Jia Xingtian said with a smile. "If Yue Er encounters anything she does not understand in the future, she can ask you for guidance more often."

He knew that this had established a connection between Yue Er and Gu He. If Gu He ever sought a faction to join in the future, he would at least consider the Jia Ma Royal Family. Even if he did not join them, his attitude toward the Jia Ma Royal Family would lean slightly more in their favor.

Gu He had already recovered from the shock brought by the Yin Yang Life Soul Pill. He stored the formula away, intending to study it carefully after returning. Hearing this, he pondered for a moment before saying, "I will probably be quite busy for a while. How about this? Once Yue Er becomes a Fourth-grade Alchemist, I will personally teach her for a period of time."

Advancing beyond a Fourth-grade Alchemist was no longer merely a test of one's alchemy. It also required cultivation, soul power, and breadth of vision. The assistance a Fifth-grade Alchemist like Master Mitchell could provide in those areas was limited. When the time came, Gu He would give her a hand and see how far she could ultimately go. It would also count as repaying the favor of this pill formula.

Upon hearing this, Jia Xingtian glanced at Yue Er, already intending to give her strict instructions after returning and make her study diligently. He would also use some of the Imperial Family's precious resources on Yue Er, allowing her to reach the Dou Zhe level as soon as possible and begin practical alchemy. After that, with the Imperial Family's vast supply of medicinal ingredients, Yue Er would surely reach the level of a Fourth-grade Alchemist very quickly.