Refining Ruins Cauldron

If it weren't for the fourth level of Qi Refining protecting him, that attack would have been enough to take his life!

Gu Qingyun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking somewhat disheveled.

A disciple dressed in gray came over and quickly handed over a Rejuvenation Pill.

The other person looked at Gu Qingyun with a hint of pity in their eyes.

"Just arrived?"

"Yes, it was just reported."

Gu Qingyun accepted the pill, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"I knew it."

The disciple sighed, not daring to speak too loudly.

"If you encounter Fairy Ziyan again, remember to stay far away. Don't let curiosity kill the cat."

Why?

Gu Qingyun's expression froze, his face full of confusion.

"You're new here, do you even know how the last menial disciple died?"

The disciple asked again.

Gu Qingyun nodded: "They all say he was killed by the alchemy furnace."

"Yes, but no."

The disciple's expression was complicated; he seemed hesitant to speak, but ultimately continued.

"Actually, he died because of Fairy Ziyan."

Gu Qingyun's pupils contracted, realizing that things were not simple.

He didn't dare ask any more questions, and just listened quietly.

"That day, the alchemy furnace didn't explode on its own; it was Fairy Ziyan who slapped it with her palm."

"The newly arrived handyman disciples had never seen such a scene before. They were so frightened that they ran away on the spot."

"At that time, Fairy Ziyan was very upset. She had failed to refine pills many times in a row, and her temper flared up."

"She struck the disciple to death with a backhand slap."

By the end, the gray-robed disciple's expression was filled with fear, and he even subconsciously glanced at the alchemy room where Fairy Ziyan was, afraid of being overheard.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyun's face paled.

Just because someone showed fear, they were killed on the spot?!

Such blatant disregard for human life—is there no justice left?!

"Then... what about Elder Huo Qian? Such a big matter, and there's not even an explanation?"

Gu Qingyun swallowed hard and realized that he was having some difficulty even speaking.

It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his heart, almost making it hard for him to breathe.

"Manage? With what means? Do you even know who's behind Fairy Ziyan?"

The gray-robed disciple smiled helplessly, a hint of bitterness on his lips.

"A Golden Core Realm cultivator, and a deacon elder of the Enforcement Hall! Who dares to offend her?!"

"Furthermore, Elder Huo Qian and Fairy Zi Yan have a past relationship. To put it bluntly, they're the ones who call the shots in the Pill Hall. What are we compared to them?"

Hearing this, Gu Qingyun roughly knew the truth, and his fists clenched involuntarily, his heart filled with inexplicable anger.

"That was a human life, and you're just going to let it go like that?"

The gray-robed disciple did not respond.

The cultivation world is so cruel; the weak are never judged.

There will be no rules, and they will not be written for the weak!

At this moment, Gu Qingyun could feel a deep sense of powerlessness.

From the inside out, born from the heart.

The so-called sect rules, which say that they do not allow infighting, are still meaningless in the face of a Golden Core Realm backer.

The Qi Refining Realm disciples who were trampled to death like ants didn't even receive a sound; their deaths were in vain.

The gray-robed disciple knew that Gu Qingyun was feeling uncomfortable, as he himself had been through the same thing.

But so what?

What can people like them, who have no background, no ability, and no talent, do besides swallow their anger?

He patted Gu Qingyun's shoulder lightly and sighed, "Forget it, many things are predetermined, and it's not something you or I can control."

"As a menial servant, in front of those true immortal masters and great powers, I am no different from a tool that can be discarded at will."

"Take my advice: there's hope as long as you're alive. Once you're dead, everything is gone. From now on, stay as far away from others as possible."

"Especially Fairy Ziyan, it's best to stay away from within a hundred meters of her. As for the others, good luck."

The gray-robed disciple, feeling he had done all he could, said nothing more and turned to leave.

Gu Qingyun leaned against the wall, blood still stained the corner of his mouth.

Although the injury stabilized after taking the Rejuvenation Pill, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is an unchanging principle in the cultivation world.

Without strength, one is nothing but an ant.

The weak are wrong even when they breathe.

No matter how reasonable it may be, it cannot compare to a casual strike from a powerful opponent.

Only when you are alive can you reason things out.

When life is gone, everything returns to dust and ashes!

In the past, Gu Qingyun might not have understood enough, but at this moment, he truly felt it clearly.

……

The next day, after a night's rest, Gu Qingyun had almost fully recovered.

He left the room just as dawn was breaking.

Unexpectedly, the alchemy room was already lit up with fire.

The disciple was preparing things with his head down, his movements hurried yet skillful and earnest.

This person was none other than Nian Chen, who had reminded Gu Qingyun yesterday.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Nianchen."

Gu Qingyun took the initiative to greet him.

If he hadn't reminded me, I really wouldn't have known about these rules of the Pill Hall.

"No, we're both just menial tasks. I can't bear the title of senior brother. Just call me Nianchen."

Nianchen waved his hand and quickly replied.

"Remember this, Elder Huo Qian has a relatively good temper. He usually only focuses on studying pills and doesn't care about anything else."

"Focus on doing your job well, and as long as you're careful the rest of the time, life will still be more comfortable than in the herb garden."

As they were talking, Nianchen led Gu Qingyun to the side room.

The herbs and medicinal plants displayed here are neatly arranged and quite organized.

There was a grinding tool on the table next to it, containing some powder, which should be the powder that had already been ground.

"What we need to do is prepare supplies for the elders."

Nianchen then proceeded to introduce the topic.

"Before each alchemy session, the elders would prepare a list in advance. We just need to follow the list to find the medicinal herbs. It's not too difficult."

"The rest is to deliver the prepared medicinal herbs to the corresponding alchemy rooms."

Gu Qingyun carefully noted it down; the task was surprisingly simple.

Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Nianchen quickly reminded him, "Don't think it sounds simple; it's actually quite difficult to do."

"Different medicinal herbs require different processing methods, especially precious medicinal herbs. Even the slightest mistake in handling them could ruin the entire plant!"

"You know, if it were those precious medicinal herbs, even if we sold ourselves, we might not be able to cover the losses."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Gu Qingyun wasn't stupid; he understood the implication and quickly nodded earnestly.

It seems I'll have to be extra careful from now on.

As he spoke, Nianchen took a booklet out of his pocket.

The booklet didn't look thick, but it was crumpled and looked like it had been flipped through countless times.

"Take this and memorize everything on it."

Nian Chen said, "When I first arrived, it was Squad Leader Zhao Xingsheng who gave it to me. If I couldn't remember something, I would just copy it down in a notebook and refer to it when I needed it."

Gu Qingyun took the booklet, which was titled "Dan Tang Jing" (The Classic of the Alchemy Hall).

Once opened, it contained only basic information about medicinal herbs.

From names to species, habits, appearance, and handling methods, it is quite detailed.

"With this, as long as you can remember it, you can temporarily gain a foothold in the Pill Hall."

"If you can't remember, you're doomed!"