I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

"According to the rules of Jishetang, what should be done about those who collude with outsiders, line their own pockets, and sell inferior goods as superior ones?"

Zhao Zian's gaze fell on Accountant Sun.

"Returning to your employer, according to the rules, he should be given fifty strokes of the cane, dismissed from his post, and never to be employed again!"

Liu San collapsed to the ground.

"Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life!"

"I was confused for a moment! I will never dare to do it again! Please forgive me this time!"

Zhao Zian looked down at him.

"You eat Jishetang's food, take Jishetang's money, yet you repay Jishetang and the patients who trusted Jishetang with these poisons. All your hard work is pushing Jishetang's century-old reputation into the fire?"

Zhao Zian waved to the two men beside him.

"What are you still standing there for?"

"Drag him out."

Two men grabbed Liu San and dragged him out of the front hall.

The remaining staff and Accountant Sun didn't dare to breathe.

Zhao Zian's gaze fell on the medicinal herbs.

"Move all these things to the processing room."

"what?"

Accountant Sun raised his head.

"Master, these... these are all useless medicines! Especially the angelica, it's been fumigated with sulfur, the poison has seeped into it, it's completely unusable. And the polygonatum, it's damp inside, it'll only get moldy if we keep it. We'd better take it outside the city and burn it clean as soon as possible."

The other guys also looked puzzled.

What does the boss mean by this?

"I have my own ideas."

Zhao Zian walked towards the backyard.

"move."

"What are you waiting for! The employer tells us to move, so we move!"

Accountant Sun urged everyone on.

Several workers carried the large bags of waste medicine into the processing room.

Zhao Zian followed him in.

"Alright, you can all leave now."

"The employer?"

Accountant Sun looked bewildered.

"You're handling all this all by yourself?"

"I know what I'm doing."

Zhao Zian did not offer any further explanation.

"For the next two hours, no one is allowed to step into the processing room, nor are they allowed to peek in from the outside. Understand?"

"Yes, boss."

Accountant Sun bowed and replied.

The door closed.

Accountant Sun stood in the courtyard.

"Accountant Sun, what do you think... the master is up to?"

One of the guys came over and asked.

Accountant Sun glanced at him.

"How would I know? Do you think we can guess what the boss is thinking?"

That batch of medicinal herbs was just a pile of garbage.

Especially that batch of angelica root, which was treated with sulfur.

This thing is not even good for treating diseases; feeding it to pigs will make them foam at the mouth on the spot.

Even a god couldn't save him.

Even if the owner is a master of medicine, processing medicinal herbs is a separate skill.

……

Inside the processing room.

Zhao Zian completely ignored what the people outside were thinking.

All things in the universe are mutually generative and mutually destructive.

Sulfur is toxic, hot and dry, and belongs to the fire element.

To remove it, ordinary washing with water or burning will only make the toxicity penetrate deeper.

It must be drawn out from within by using something of yin nature.

In common pharmacology, licorice water and mung bean soup are considered to be cooling in nature and can be used to relieve some of the heat toxins.

But the poison of sulfur penetrates deep into the bones.

These things can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

Zhao Zian walked to the corner of the wall, where several half-full rice bins were piled up.

He scooped out several large ladles of rice and poured them into a wooden basin.

The first rinse of rice water is cloudy and whitish.

In the countryside, women know to keep this stuff for washing their hair and face, as it makes their skin smooth.

Its nature is extremely yin and extremely soft.

But that alone is not enough.

Zhao Zian poured the first rinse of rice water into the earthenware jar and took out a paper package from the medicine cabinet.

The paper package was opened, revealing dozens of morning glories inside.

This substance is cold in nature and can promote urination and expel dampness, heat, and toxins from the internal organs.

He took seven grains, crushed them into powder, and sprinkled them into the rice water.

He then put the lid on the earthenware pot and set it aside.

Zhao Zian mixed the wood ash with rice husks, put it in an iron pot, and stir-fried it.

After frying for a full half hour, the ashes in the pot were pitch black.

He found several large wooden boxes, first laid calcined ash at the bottom of the boxes, and then covered them with gauze.

Then spread the damp Polygonatum and Codonopsis on gauze.

A layer of calcined ash, a layer of medicinal herbs, and so on.

Finally, close the lid.

After all this was done, the rice water in the earthenware jar had fermented sufficiently.

Zhao Zian poured the angelica root that had been fumigated with sulfur into a large wooden barrel.

He lifted the earthenware pot and poured the specially prepared medicine over it.

White smoke rose from the surface of the angelica root.

This is a sign that the sulfur poison has been forced out.

Zhao Zian put on leather gloves and scrubbed them repeatedly.

I washed it three times and changed the solution three times.

By the last rinse, the sour smell had disappeared.

Those boxes of Polygonatum and Codonopsis have been mostly sold out.

Zhao Zian opened the box and took out the medicinal herbs.

He picked up a Solomon's seal and snapped it in half with his fingernail.

At the cross-section, the texture is firm and has an oily sheen.

……

The door to the processing room opened.

Zhao Zian came out from inside.

"Boss!"

Sun, the accountant, went to greet them.

"Come in, everyone."

Zhao Zian turned to the side.

Accountant Sun and several assistants went inside.

Several bamboo mats were covered with processed medicinal herbs.

On the left are the angelica roots that were once blackened by sulfur fumigation.

At this moment, they are a healthy brown color, with intact roots and a dry surface.

On the right are those Solomon's Seal and Codonopsis, which once had dampness inside.

Now, they are all glossy and shiny.

"This...this..."

One of the guys rubbed his eyes.

"Is this still that batch of rejected drugs?"

"My God, how is this angelica root possible?"

Accountant Sun walked over to the angelica root and picked up a root.

There wasn't a trace of sulfur smell!

It has only the pure aroma of angelica.

"Master..."

Accountant Sun looked at Zhao Zian.

"How...how did you do that?"

Zhao Zian smiled faintly.

"It's just a family recipe, nothing to mention."

"Re-register these medicinal herbs in the warehouse at the price of top-grade herbs."

"Yes! Yes! We understand!"

Accountant Sun and his assistants nodded hurriedly.

Just kidding, who would dare to gossip about such miraculous methods?

They've really seen something new today.

"Accountant Sun, you stay here. The rest of you, move the medicinal herbs back to the storeroom."

"Yes, boss."

The group carried the medicinal herbs.

"Master, is there anything else you need?"

Sun, the accountant, bowed.

"Accountant Sun, go outside and keep watch. I still need to refine the medicine."

"From now until I come out, no one is allowed to approach the processing room. Even if the sky falls, no one is allowed to disturb me."

"Yes, sir!"

Accountant Sun withdrew.

……

Inside the processing room.

Alchemy!

He walked to the alchemy furnace in the room.

"Ordinary fire refines ordinary medicines, while spiritual fire refines spiritual elixirs."

Zhao Zian currently lacks spiritual power and is unable to generate spiritual fire.

But he possesses the skills of alchemy and talisman formations!

He bit his fingertip and used his blood as a guide to draw runes on the ground at the bottom of the alchemy furnace.

"Fire Gathering Formation, activate!"

He threw a flint into the firebox beneath the alchemy furnace.

Flames rose up.

The Fire Gathering Array can increase the effectiveness of ordinary fire several times and make the firepower more concentrated and stable.

The furnace temperature rose sharply.

Zhao Zian did not immediately use the Hidden Jade Grass.

High-quality medicinal herbs are full of spiritual energy; directly burning them will only cause them to lose all their spiritual energy.