Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 480 Cloud-Beyond Pill Workshop
Every move of the old Xuanmen should not be taken lightly.

Tang Tong had been staying at the foot of Wangwu Mountain for so long, but on the very day Tie Dan arrived, his home was ransacked and he was brutally beaten. That powerful family had six or seven hermits to support them, but today it was the outer disciples of Yangtai Temple who led the attack. He was incredibly unlucky and died unjustly under Tie Dan's sword.

However, by sheer coincidence, the sect leader, taking advantage of this karmic connection, appeared and intercepted Tie Dan at the door, preventing the letter in his arms from reaching the Qing Tang Sect. In effect, he saved his wife and Daoist partner from a deadly attack.

You can say that Tie Dan is overthinking it, that it's just a pure coincidence.

But Tie Dan didn't believe anyone.

Therefore, he believes this is not a coincidence.

So if he had arrived even a little later, or hesitated and hadn't intervened, Tang Tong would probably have been beaten to death today...

"Oh, this tea is quite good. You really won't have a sip?"

The moment the Moonlit Jade Tea entered his mouth, Tang Tong felt a jolt and couldn't help but exclaim "Oh!"

"You drink yours. I am the sect leader, I have tasted all kinds of delicacies, so it's nothing special."

Tie Dan snorted coldly and looked towards the distant immortal mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.

This is difficult. No wonder even Feng Xinlingzi specially arranged for him to deliver the letter. With a Daoist Lord blocking the way, this task is probably going to be tough.

"Is there any way to infiltrate the Qingtang Sect?"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Tang Tong almost choked to death.
"Are you crazy! The victim has come to our door and you're still thinking about sleeping with his wife! Lust is a dangerous thing, you idiot!"

Tie Dan was speechless.

"What are you thinking? I'm just asking someone to let me see them."

I probably can't get into Daojun's bedroom, and which mountain is the Qingtang Sect located on?
Are there any other sects nearby that I can sneak into through side paths?
"Don't you have many pen pals in the mountains? You should know this best, right?"

Tang Tong sighed.
"She's truly a femme fatale, but it's understandable. After all, the Qing Tang Sect Master was a top-ranking figure on the Fairy Ranking back then, so it's no wonder you were captivated by her."

I understand this overwhelming longing, this inability to extricate myself, this desperate desire to see her despite all the difficulties. We're all family, I'll definitely help you.”

Tie Dan glanced at him sideways, deciding not to correct him for now, lest he interrupt his train of thought.

Tang Tong sipped his tea and pondered deeply.
"However, it's really difficult to infiltrate the Qingtang Sect. It would be fine if we just met once in the outer mountains, but the sect leader is definitely in seclusion in the inner mountain's forbidden area."

I heard from my senior sisters that the Qing Tang Ancestor suffered some kind of trauma back then, which is why he specifically built the sect on the Liuli Cliff, in the Liuli Pure Realm Grotto.

That place is a solitary mountain and cliff carved from a large piece of natural glass jade, with sheer cliffs on all sides. There are no other secret passages to get close to it. Once you climb and fly there, there will be nowhere to hide, and you will definitely be discovered.

Furthermore, the Qing Tang Ancestor carved out an extremely secluded and deep winding path within the Qi Cave at the top of the cliff. This path is filled with countless traps and endless schemes, and only true disciples of the Qing Tang inner sect know about this secret path leading deep into the sect.

Over the years, countless young talents have attempted to infiltrate the Qingtang Sect to secretly meet with their junior sisters. Even if some have succeeded before, the loopholes have likely been patched up. Moreover, with the Sect Master Daojun protecting them, it's probably even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

Tie Dan was curious.

"Is there really no other secret passage? Getting in and out is so troublesome. If the mountain is surrounded and the gaps are blocked, leaving us with no way to go up or down, wouldn't our entire family be wiped out?"

Tang Tong also glanced at him sideways.

“Wangwu Mountain is such a big place with so many people. How could we let our fellow practitioners be besieged by outsiders and not offer any help?”

If it really comes to the point where even Liuli Cliff is under siege, then it's a life-or-death crisis for the Xuanmen (Taoist sect).

Not necessarily. Maybe the people attacking them weren't outsiders...

Tang Tong pondered deeply,
"I thought about it again and again, but outsiders have no idea about the details of the inner sect, so it's all in vain no matter how I think about it."

It would probably be most convenient to have an inner disciple willing to act as an inside agent to take you in.

Unfortunately, all my pen pals were just casual acquaintances, and I doubt anyone would be willing to break the rules and do such a thing…

Tie Dan said, "Oh, I know one. I saved her life in the Ice Plains. She should be back to heal her wounds. I just don't know if she has advanced to the inner sect."

Tang Tong grinned wickedly.
"Oh my? Egg, you and Qing Tang have quite a connection. You're the sect leader, an elder, and a disciple all rolled into one. You're so naughty!"
"Which senior sister is it? I might know her. It shouldn't be difficult to pass on a message and ask her to come out for a chat."

Tie Dan frowned. "I don't remember."

Tang Tong looked suspicious.
"...I say, Egg, do you really know these sect leaders and elders? Or is this just a dream?"

I meant there are quite a few primordial spirit illusion techniques in the black market, specifically for those who cultivate alongside the Qing Tang Sect Master, elders, and disciples…”

Ferritin glanced at him, trying hard to recall.

"I think it was called something like 'round bamboo', but I didn't remember it clearly."

Tang Tong was taken aback.
"Yuanzi? Xing Yuanzhi?"

Tie Dan clapped his hands,

"Yes, yes, that's her. Old Tang, you have some connections. You know all sorts of people."

Tang Tong frowned.
"This is troublesome, it's Xing Yuanzhi..."

Tie Dan was curious.

"What's so difficult about it? She's dead?"

Tang Tong shook his head.
"She's not dead, but the bigger problem is that she has made many great contributions and has already been designated as the sect leader's successor."

However, she was naturally aloof and too outstanding, which aroused jealousy and led to her being ostracized by her fellow disciples; no one spoke to her.

Tie Dan was speechless.

"What a problem."

Tang Tong looked worried.
"You don't understand. Being bullied and ostracized in a woman's circle is probably worse than death..."

Tie Dan didn't care at all.

"It doesn't matter. It's even better if she's a direct disciple of the sect leader. She must know where her sect leader is. Have your group of Daoist partners send a message to ask her to come out and meet you." Tang Tong shook his head.

“They wouldn’t even talk to her, so how could they possibly send her a letter?”

However, it doesn't matter. Xing Yuanzhi is targeted by her fellow disciples, and sometimes her pills are poisoned. Therefore, she regularly goes out of the mountains to purchase materials for cultivation.

We'll just wait and see; she'll show up eventually.

Tie Dan frowned.

"What? Poisoning? Because of jealousy? That's going a bit too far."

Tang Tong shook his head.

"What's this? I heard that she was ambushed while in seclusion, splashed with boiling oil and disfigured, her skin was scalded all over, and she almost died."

However, this misfortune turned into a blessing in disguise. He was rescued by the sect leader, and despite the schemes of his fellow disciples, he achieved Foundation Establishment and Core Formation. Only then did he gain favor and be admitted to the inner sect.

Tie Dan fell silent for a moment.

Tang Tong knew he was reminded of his own experience of being targeted by Uchiyama, and sighed.

"That's how the Xuanmen is. There are only so many positions for true disciples, and resources are limited. The smarter the child, the earlier they understand the ways of the world, and naturally, the more cunning they become and the more ruthless they become."

Moreover, there are very few lineages in the Xuanmen that are specifically for women to cultivate, and the mountain man has tacitly agreed to send those poor girls with talent but no family background to the Qingtang Sect for upbringing.

With so many people vying for those few spots, simply being good at cultivation isn't enough. It's a cutthroat competition where everyone has to strike first, and the struggle is incredibly fierce.

The pen pals I know are not inherently bad; it's just that after so many years of infighting within their sects, their personalities have indeed become somewhat distorted.

Those who are too kind by nature simply cannot survive, while those who are calculating and competitive from a young age will find it difficult to trust others when they grow up.

Even if they were once life-and-death partners, once the other can no longer provide cultivation resources and loses their usefulness, they will kick each other aside, sever their ties, and seek other pleasures.

Because they believe that no one is really good to them, that everyone is lying, that everyone is taking advantage of them, and that everyone treats them like whores and prostitutes.

Because that's the kind of education they received from a young age. Since that's the case, the only way to avoid losing out is to sell themselves for a good price.

Tie Dan glanced at Tang Tong's concerned expression.

"I understand what you mean, but I'm not going through a love tribulation, I'm doing serious business."

Tang Tong nodded, and without further ado, took out his brush and ink and began to write.
“There is a pill shop in the city, which is run by people from other places. However, the owner behind the scenes is a master of alchemy, who can be considered a guest of the mountain. Moreover, it is said that he has some ambiguous relationship with the sect leader. Therefore, Xing Yuanzhi only goes there to get medicine.”

She was very careful in her actions. To avoid being plotted against, she would sometimes ask a pharmacy to purchase the medicines in her prescriptions, and sometimes she would prepare them herself. The time, type, and dosage of the medicines she obtained were different each time.

However, I deduced that the prescription she took should be Taiyin Runmai San, with the chief ingredient being three qian of Jiuye Rongmai Cao, two assistant ingredients being two qian of Chiyang Hua and one and a half qian of Xueyu Sui, three adjuvant ingredients being two qian of Tongxuan Teng, three Huolian Zi and one qian of Zilingzhi, and five fen of Baicaoshuang as the guiding ingredient. It is mainly used to treat damage to the meridians and invasion of cold toxins.

I suspect she has some hidden injuries from the battle, cracks in her spiritual meridians due to a failed breakthrough, or tremors from the backlash of her cultivation technique. Or perhaps she was practicing an extremely yin technique and was tricked, resulting in a cold poison in her body, cold pain in her dantian, cold extremities, and sluggish spiritual energy flow.

The Taiyin Runmai Powder is taken once a month, and it takes a year to see results. She has only used it for three months, so naturally she cannot stop taking it yet. Moreover, one of its ingredients, Baicaoshuang, is not a herb, but rather the dew that condenses from hundreds of spiritual herbs in the morning, which is then refined by the Samadhi True Fire to remove the moisture, resulting in a frost-like crystal. It is used to harmonize the other herbs, guide them to their respective meridians, and ensure that each herb, assistant herb, and adjuvant herb performs its function to achieve complete success.

Although Baicaoshuang (a type of medicinal herb) is not precious, it is too troublesome to prepare by one person. It is collected and refined by specialists in the alchemy workshop. It cannot be stored for a long time, and the amount used is quite large. It must be brewed once every seven days.

Therefore, as long as the alchemy workshop goes to great lengths to prepare the Hundred Herbs Frost, she will definitely appear within three days to collect the medicine. At that time, all you need to do is wait in the shadows.

Tie Dan was shocked when he heard this.
"Did you really calculate that? Not only is it logical and well-founded, but you even calculated the prescription! How can you be so accurate? Is the arithmetic of my Sword Sect also terrifyingly powerful?"

Tang Tong smiled bitterly,
"It wasn't all my calculations. Actually, a lot of information about Xing Yuanzhi was revealed to me by several pen pals, and we discussed it together."

I guess they were trying to subtly suggest I help them poison someone or something. I refused, and that's how we ended things.

Tie Dan sighed upon hearing this.

"Alas, the Xuanmen..."

"Alas, the Xuanmen..."

Tang Tong shook his head and handed over the prescription.

"It's that Yunwai Pill Shop in the west of the city. The owner is quite capable and occasionally sells high-grade pills of level seven or eight. You can go and have a look around, and maybe check it out."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Tie Dan also saw the group of workers who were peeking into the house from outside the courtyard, but were too intimidated by the killing intent of the Giant Sword to approach. Knowing that Tang Tong had other things to do, he left a talisman for Tang Tong to protect him, put away the Giant Sword, and fled into the city to check on the Cloud Beyond Pill Pavilion.

The place was easy to find, located in the West Market. The storefront was unassuming, with four large indigo characters, "Yunwai Danfang," on the ebony plaque. On either side of the door hung a pair of ebony couplets that read, "Medicines are gathered from beyond the clouds, and elixirs are refined in the fire of the world." The characters were elegant and graceful, as if shrouded in mist.

The pavilion was filled with the aroma of medicinal herbs, and the hall was spacious and bright. A cabinet covered the entire east wall, and the copper rings on the drawers were polished to a shine, labeled with common medicinal names such as Poria cocos and Angelica sinensis. The top row displayed precious spiritual plants such as Crimson Flame Grass and Ice Heart Orchid.

On the west side is a consultation room with a purple elm wood medical table with a meander pattern. Behind it is a screen. On the table is a glass calming lamp with a small flame and a bluish light. Inside the lamp is sandalwood incense, which is used to calm the mind and spirit. It is obviously a ritual object for stabilizing the primordial spirit.

The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, clean and tidy. Upon closer inspection, cloud and lotus patterns were lightly engraved on the slabs. They seemed to be decorations, but in fact, they were the edges of a huge spirit-gathering array, silently channeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the depths of the Pill Pavilion.

Seeing that the person he was waiting for hadn't arrived yet, Tie Dan put his hands behind his back, concealed himself, and went directly into the back room of the house for a visit.

Passing through an inconspicuous moon gate in the front hall, and stepping over the protective barrier erected to avoid unauthorized visitors, the view suddenly opens up, revealing an exquisite courtyard with a four-tiered layout. Sunlight filters through the glazed tiles above, soft as the morning sun. In the center of the courtyard stands a black ancient cauldron, neither gold nor jade, its body warm without fire, emitting a faint warmth. It is the pivot point above the earth's fiery eye, used to harmonize the yin and yang energies of the entire Pill Pavilion.

Tie Dan looked around, then, following the prompting, descended the spiral staircase inside the courtyard, where he felt the temperature subtly rise. The surrounding stone walls had changed from the qi-absorbing green jade to the heat-insulating fire-patterned rock, and at the end of the passage, a heavy black iron door separated the inside from the outside. The door was carved with a pattern of nine-turn lotus vines, and in the heart of the lotus was a dark red gemstone, like a sleeping heart.

Tie Dan tried pushing the door open and was surprised to find a heat wave rushing towards him. Sure enough, he saw a pill furnace floating above a complex circular array.

This furnace is not made of ordinary iron; its shape resembles a nine-petaled lotus bud about to bloom, and its entire body is carved from warm jade. Golden-red flames of earth vein fire burn incessantly on the furnace walls, their light and shadow flowing, dreamlike and ethereal, illuminating the entire alchemy chamber in a magnificent glow. Above the chamber is a starry sky conjured by magical power, the stars moving slowly along mysterious trajectories, corresponding to celestial phenomena on a star chart, drawing upon the pure and ethereal energy of the heavens to balance the dryness brought by the earth vein fire.

The design of the entire alchemy room is simple yet exquisite, truly befitting the work of a master alchemist.

Tie Dan was also bored, so he casually lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace and took a look.

Hmm, it's empty, there's nothing there. After all, no one's here, and the door isn't locked, so of course they're not making medicine... Oh, there are words written inside the furnace.

"A guest from the heavens above, burning his heart to refine the mortal world... Hmm???"

(End of this chapter)