After Nie Qianyu finished speaking, she led Zhang Xiaohua to where Solomon's Seal was planted. In the medicinal plots of one- and two-year-old plants, she helped Zhang Xiaohua dig up several roots. Turning back, she handed them to him and asked, "Brother Ren, Solomon's Seal is not easy to wash. Hold onto these for now. When we reach somewhere with water, I'll wash them for you."
Zhang Xiaohua found this strange and blurted out, "Why wash them?"
But he immediately understood. Of course—Hui Chun Valley "decocted pills." If they were not washed clean, would the Grain Abstinence Pill not contain an extra ingredient? If someone discovered it, would it not become a "Soil-Infused Pill," just like the "water-injected chicken" Young Master Li Jinfeng had mentioned?
Seeing Nie Qianyu's confusion, Zhang Xiaohua explained, "Ancient pill refining emphasizes using pill fire to temper away the impurities within herbs. Though there is plenty of dirt, pill fire can remove it all. There's no need to trouble yourself washing them spotless."
A flush flickered across Nie Qianyu's face as she smiled. "I have read through the steps of ancient pill refining as well, but I never considered this point. It seems Hui Chun Valley's pill-refining methods truly do have their problems."
Taking the Solomon's Seal Nie Qianyu handed him, Zhang Xiaohua's heart stirred. This Solomon's Seal could be harvested and preserved for a long time, but many herbs used in pill refining were extraordinarily delicate. Without proper storage, the vitality within them would quickly dissipate. Hui Chun Valley did not need to consider such matters, but he could not afford not to prepare in advance.
After thinking for a moment, he seemed to recall that the appendix of the Artifact Refining Compendium contained a method for making jade boxes. He would have to refine