Lu Chen and Qian Ming guarded the alchemy room outside Master Ge's quarters until dusk.
That day, the furnace fire inside the alchemy room never went out.
Through the heavy wooden door, Lu Chen could hear Master Ge Ye's hoarse scolding from time to time.
"Add three more drops of Red Blood Ginseng juice!"
"Idiot, don't touch that jade cup!"
Two young medicine apprentices were scolded until their heads were covered in lumps.
Lu Chen and Qian Ming leaned against the wall. They exchanged a glance, both frowning.
This Master Ge clearly didn't look easy to get along with.
A moment later, the wooden door opened.
A thick medicinal fragrance rushed out.
Master Ge Ye walked out from inside.
His face was exhausted, his hair bun disheveled, and medicinal ash stained his gray robe, yet his eyes shone with startling brightness. He cradled a jade box in his arms as though it held some priceless treasure.
Clearly, the Foundation-Stabilizing Pill had been successfully refined.
The two followed Master Ge Ye, escorting him to Qiao Yuan's residence.
Qiao Yuan's courtyard was very close to Master Ge Ye's residence. Clearly, this was to ensure that if anything happened to Ge Ye, Qiao Yuan could rush to his aid at the first opportunity.
However, Qiao Yuan's courtyard was spacious, the largest in the entire Yam Herb Shop.
It was even larger than the courtyard of the Wang Firm's main household, showing just how highly the Wang Firm regarded Qiao Yuan.
No one guarded the courtyard.
Qiao Yuan's martial prowess was the greatest in the Yam Herb Shop. No one could protect him, and anyone who tried would only get in his way.
Lu Chen followed Ge Ye into the courtyard.
The courtyard was open and empty, its ground paved with blue bricks, with no unnecessary furnishings around it. Several thick ironwood stakes stood against the wall. Two of them had been struck so deeply that palm prints were sunken into them, while another had snapped in the middle, its wood fibers blasted apart at the break as though it had been shattered by some tremendous force.
A tall, burly middle-aged man stood in the center of the courtyard.
He wore no long robe, only a loose short jacket that exposed two thick, powerful arms.
Those hands were enormous.
His palms were broad, his fingers thick, and his knuckles hard and coarse. His palms were covered in calluses. At first glance, they hardly looked like human hands at all, but rather two iron palms polished to a gleam.
Lu Chen's gaze fell on those hands, and his heart tightened slightly.
Zhao Yiting had told him that Qiao Yuan had once shattered a boulder with a single palm strike and could even catch a blade barehanded.
Even more eye-catching, however, were Qiao Yuan's legs.
He stood there seemingly motionless, yet the muscles in his legs crouched like an old ape ready to pounce. His knees and hips sank slightly, his feet planted firmly against the blue bricks. The sinews in his calves were taut as vines, as though they could spring out at any moment.
A pair of massive hands and a pair of ape-like legs.
Palms like Vajra, legs like mountain apes.
This was Qiao Yuan, the stabilizing pillar of the Wang's Ginseng Shop!
"Qiao Yuan, I've finished refining the Foundation-Stabilizing Pills you wanted!"
Ge Ye handed the jade box to Qiao Yuan. "Two pills from one furnace. Consider yourself lucky."
Qiao Yuan accepted it solemnly.
"Thank you, Master Ge."
He opened the jade box and glanced at the two pale-golden pills inside.
The pills were round and smooth, with fine lines across their surfaces. Their medicinal fragrance was deep and mellow, unlike the fierce pungency of Blood-Qi Powder. Instead, they carried a warm, gentle aura. One breath was enough to warm the chest and abdomen.
A trace of emotion finally appeared in Qiao Yuan's eyes.
He had remained at the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm for far too long.
So long that even he could barely remember when he had last broken through a realm.
"This breakthrough attempt may well be my final chance in this life."
He closed the jade box, swept his gaze over the three of them, and finally let it rest on Lu Chen.
"You're new here?"
His eyes were extremely sharp. He noticed the unfamiliar face instantly.
Lu Chen hurriedly clasped his fists. "This junior is Lu Chen, a disciple of the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall. Greetings, Senior Qiao."
"Hidden Dragon Martial Hall..."
Qiao Yuan pondered briefly. "Qin Wuhe's disciple?"
Lu Chen nodded. "My master is indeed Qin Wuhe."
Qiao Yuan sized him up.
The youth was sturdy and agile, with the beginnings of muscular definition. There was a steadiness about him that did not suit his age.
He said indifferently, "I once exchanged blows with your master. His Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist had reached perfection. I hope you can learn even half of his skill."
Lu Chen replied, "This junior will certainly work hard."
Qiao Yuan paid no further attention to a newcomer in the early Blood-Moving Realm. He put away the jade box and turned to look toward his meditation chamber.
"I'll be entering seclusion for three days."
Ge Ye, Lu Chen, and Qian Ming tactfully withdrew from the courtyard.
On the way to escorting Ge Ye back to his room to rest, Lu Chen seized the opportunity to ask for his advice. "Master Ge."
Ge Ye shot him a sidelong glance. "What is it?"
Lu Chen clasped his fists. "This junior has only just entered the Blood-Moving Realm, and my qi and blood have just begun to form. I wonder what medicinal ingredients I should use to assist my cultivation so that I can progress as steadily as possible?"
Ge Ye stopped walking.
He looked Lu Chen up and down several times and snorted. "You certainly know how to pick your moment. I've just finished refining a furnace of Foundation-Stabilizing Pills, and I'm exhausted."
Lu Chen said, "If it's inconvenient for you, this junior can ask another day."
Ge Ye reached up and stroked his messy beard. "Forget it. Since we're going the same way, I'll give you a few pointers."
Lu Chen's expression turned solemn. "Thank you, Master."
As he walked, Ge Ye spoke slowly. "You're in the early Blood-Moving Realm. The most important thing isn't to blindly take powerful supplements, but to follow three steps: cleanse, nourish, and strengthen."
"Cleansing means cleansing and refining the body."
"Nourishing means nurturing the qi and blood."
"Strengthening means growing the vital essence of the flesh and blood."
Lu Chen listened intently.
Ge Ye continued, "The most common mistake young martial artists like you make is believing that the more pills you take, the better. At the slightest provocation, you want to swallow Blood-Qi Powder. You'd take three pills a day if you could, stuffing yourself like a pig."
He let out a cold laugh. "But Blood-Qi Powder is fierce. If your body can't absorb it, it becomes poison."
Lu Chen's heart tightened slightly. If he hadn't asked this question today, he truly would have exchanged all ten taels of silver for Blood-Qi Powder, eaten to his heart's content, and sped up his advancement.
Then Ge Ye asked thoughtfully, "How much silver can you use each month?"
Lu Chen replied, "Ten taels."
Ge Ye raised his brows. "Ten taels?"
Ge Ye had not expected that a young, newly arrived guard like Lu Chen would actually have so much money.
However, he did not ask where it came from. He only said, "All ten taels?"
"All of it."
Lu Chen's tone was resolute. "Silver is only silver while it sits in my hands. Once it becomes qi and blood, it becomes my own ability."
Ge Ye glanced at him. "That's a reasonable way to put it."
He pondered for a moment before saying, "Ten taels isn't a small amount. In your case..."
"First, medicinal baths."
"In the early Blood-Moving Realm, your sinews, bones, skin, and flesh haven't yet been thoroughly nourished by qi and blood. When you practice your fists and stand in stance every day, your body will accumulate hidden injuries and stagnation. If you don't cleanse and refine it in time, the circulation of qi and blood will eventually become obstructed."
"You should take a medicinal bath once every five days."
"The prescription should use Red Blood Vine, Ironbone Grass, aged ginger root, tiger bone powder, and a small amount of Blood-Activating Flower. The medicine isn't especially fierce, but it can invigorate the blood and open the channels, cleanse the sinews, and strengthen the skin. It's most suitable for a martial artist who has just entered the Blood-Moving Realm like you."
Lu Chen committed it to memory and asked, "About how much does one medicinal bath cost?"
Ge Ye replied, "At market price, at least one tael per dose. You're one of our own martial artists. If you buy it from the Wang Firm, it should be cheaper."
Lu Chen nodded slightly.
Ge Ye continued, "Second, Blood-Qi Powder."
"Blood-Qi Powder is the most suitable pill for martial artists in the Blood-Moving Realm to nurture their qi and blood, but you still can't treat it like food. With your foundation, three pills a month is already the limit."
"If you take more and can't dissolve the medicinal power, it'll only go to waste."
The Wang Firm would supply Lu Chen with one Blood-Qi Powder each month. If he bought two more, he could get them at a thirty percent discount, meaning Lu Chen only needed to spend two taels and eight mace.
"Use the remaining money to buy meat. The vital essence of flesh and blood is especially important to martial artists," Ge Ye said at the end.
Lu Chen silently committed everything to memory and said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Ge."
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