Hermit in the Mountains

After Gu Changsheng finished explaining his method of alchemy, he leaned back and took a piece of paper from the cabinet behind him, placing it on the table in front of Zhang Tianhu.

Zhang Tianhu came to his senses, picked up the paper with one hand and looked at it. It recorded the names of more than twenty kinds of herbs, as well as the requirements for the year and quantity of each herb.

He looked at Gu Changsheng with a puzzled expression, "Mr. Gu, what's going on?"

Gu Changsheng presented his gift: "The raw materials needed to refine the Qi-Nourishing Lesser Spirit Pill and the Yang-Boosting Lesser Spirit Pill. The materials listed above can be used to refine one batch of each."

"I'll refine it for you for free the first time, consider it a small gift to mark our cooperation. Next time, you'll need to pay me for the materials I need as a refining fee."

"You provide the materials, but I cannot guarantee the success rate or the yield of the pills."

"Give me the alchemy materials, and I'll have the results in a month."

Without much thought, Zhang Tianhu replied, "Thank you for your support, Mr. Gu. I will personally deliver the raw materials tomorrow."

"Why bother having someone as high-ranking as Director Zhang deliver such a small matter as raw materials? Just send one of your subordinates." Gu Changsheng explained the alchemy method to the other party and offered to refine the pills for free in order to get the other party to focus on the pills and leave Changsheng Peak as soon as possible.

Hearing Gu Changsheng give him face, Zhang Tianhu smiled on the surface, but inwardly he was bitter, thinking that Gu Changsheng really thought being the bureau chief was easy.

The deputy directors within the General Administration are all members of top factions, and the section chiefs under the deputy directors are members of semi-top or first-class factions.

Eighty percent of the key positions within local branch offices are occupied by local factions.

Within the National Spirit Bureau, his words carried little weight as the bureau chief; otherwise, he wouldn't have personally visited cultivators across the country, all in an effort to achieve results and increase his influence.

He was only able to visit Gu Changsheng because the First Elder and the Second Elder spoke up for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to visit. That's just how cruel reality is.

Each visitor slot was highly sought after by various factions. He, as a member of the National Spirit Bureau, only managed to secure four slots, while the Zhang family's faction only had half a slot.

Because Gu Changsheng is the only cultivator who can refine pills, the Grand Elder personally decreed that no one is allowed to contact him privately, but only in the name of the National Spirit Bureau. Otherwise, countless people would have come to visit him long ago.

On the surface, all parties maintain that national interests are the top priority, but each party is seeking greater influence for itself.

"Seeking immortality and seeking the Dao, achieving eternal life." These eight words transcend "power" and "profit," and it is no easy feat to maintain a focus on the greater good.

Everyone knows the principle that the meat should rot in the pot; the overall situation cannot be disrupted, and foreign forces cannot be allowed to taint domestic resources.

Various international forces have also discovered unknown energy in the air and have successively established corresponding agencies to begin research.

Because of China's long history and culture, with numerous stories of seeking immortality and cultivation texts, the country was among the first to discover the existence of cultivation and thus developed the direction of "cultivating immortality".

Research abroad is just beginning and may not even have a direction yet, but that doesn't mean China can relax.

The Chinese leadership still employs the old-fashioned approach, uniting everyone who can be united, hence the adoption of a model of appeasement and cooperation.

If we expand this pot in China, we can cook more ingredients and feed more people.

Gu Changsheng was unaware of the higher-ups' plans; he only cared about his own little world, and what did the outside world have to do with him?

People don't offend me, I don't offend people.

If anyone attacks, he will show no mercy; those who need to be saved will be saved, and those who need to be scattered will be scattered to ashes.

Zhang Tianhu carefully folded the paper and put it in the most hidden pocket. He had completed half of his mission by cooperating with Gu Changsheng, and there was an unexpected bonus.

He didn't care whether Gu Changsheng's alchemy method was true or false; it was still an unexpected surprise, and he could explain it back home.

Since Gu Changsheng had already handed over the alchemy method and even helped them refine pills for free, he no longer mentioned cultivation methods.

He understands the principle that you can't get fat in one bite, and that too much of a good thing is bad.

"Mr. Gu, what are your thoughts on the revival of spiritual energy?" Zhang Tianhu asked, looking at Gu Changsheng with anticipation.

"Director Zhang overestimates me. The alchemy method was discovered by accident. This kind of thing depends on God's blessing." Gu Changsheng said without batting an eye.

Zhang Tianhu didn't give up and continued to ask, "Mr. Gu, if I may ask, do you follow the Internal Alchemy School or the Traditional Martial Arts School?"

"What sect? I don't belong to any sect. I'm oblivious to everything else and am just following the doctor's orders to recuperate in this quiet mountain." Gu Changsheng pretended to be stupid. He didn't know any cultivation methods, and his alchemy skills were an accidental discovery. He didn't care whether others believed him or not.

Zhang Tianhu looked at Gu Changsheng, who was pretending to be stupid, and understood the other party's attitude.

He also understood the implication in Gu Changsheng's words: "I'll stay in my own little world, not getting involved in outside affairs, and I don't want anyone to bother me."

He stopped trying to gather information, thinking there would be plenty of time in the future.

"I apologize for disturbing you today, Mr. Gu. I will visit you again tomorrow." With that, Zhang Tianhu got up and prepared to go down the mountain.

Gu Changsheng slowly rose to see him off, saying, "See you tomorrow, Director Zhang."

He called out to the outside, "Dashan, see Director Zhang down the mountain."

He instructed Yang Dashan, who appeared at the door, "Dashan, Director Zhang is coming tomorrow, you can take him up the mountain."

"Yes, Peak Master." Yang Dashan clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and then raised his hand to indicate, "Director Zhang, this way please."

Watching Yang Dashan and his companion disappear into the bamboo forest, Gu Changsheng withdrew his gaze, sat back on the cushion, and closed his eyes to rest.

At the foot of the mountain, five members of the National Spirit Bureau's enforcement team saw their director descending and lined up to greet him, "Director..."

"Thank you for your help today, Brother Dashan. See you tomorrow!" Zhang Tianhu said with thanks, then turned and left with his men.

He traveled to the Chang'an Military Region as quickly as possible and took a special plane directly to Kyoto to report on his work.

In a quaint office in Kyoto, Zhang Tianhu stood in front of an elderly man, reporting on his work.

"Second Elder, this is what we got from Gu Changsheng."

After speaking, Zhang Tianhu stepped forward, placed the paper Gu Changsheng had given him and the handwritten alchemy technique documents from the airplane on the table, and gently pushed them toward the old man.

After hearing Zhang Tianhu's report, the Second Elder was just as puzzled as Zhang Tianhu. Gu Changsheng did not make any excuses and agreed to cooperate as soon as they met, and even handed over the alchemy method.

Gu Changsheng seemed to know they would definitely go back, and had prepared his words and plans well in advance. Everything was going too smoothly.

All he could think of was that the alchemy method Gu Changsheng had given him was fake, or that Gu Changsheng wanted to hide something more important.

The Second Elder picked up the documents on the table, quickly glanced through them, put them down, and tapped them lightly with his right fingers, pondering for a long time.

He looked up at Zhang Tianhu, "Tianhu, do you think this alchemy method is genuine or fake?"

"It might be true, or it might be false; we need to verify it," Zhang Tianhu said, spouting a bunch of nonsense.

Anyone can say polite words, and no one can find fault with them.

"Tianhu, you've learned to be cunning since becoming the bureau chief," the Second Elder teased with a smile.

"Second Elder, I know nothing about alchemy; this needs to be verified by the research department."

The Second Elder stopped chatting and tapped two pieces of paper on the table. "Tianhu, here are your handwritten manuscript and Gu Changsheng's manuscript. The original manuscripts must not be leaked. You and my secretary will go and print them out later. The original manuscripts will remain with me."

Zhang Tianhu immediately realized what was happening and hurriedly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Second Elder."

The alchemy method was written down from memory based on Gu Changsheng's explanation. If the original manuscript were discovered, people would suspect that he had hidden some core techniques. In particular, if this alchemy method failed to produce pills, he would be attacked by everyone.

Gu Changsheng's original manuscript will be thoroughly examined and analyzed, and his fingerprints or residual information will be collected to verify whether Zhang Tianhu tampered with it. No detail will be overlooked.

The Second Elder picked up the secure phone on the table and called his secretary in. He instructed the secretary to take Zhang Tianhu to the secure room to make a copy of the original manuscript.

After the secretary led Zhang Tianhu away, he picked up the red phone on the table, pressed the '0' key, said a couple of sentences, and hung up, as if he were making an appointment or giving a report.

He hung up the phone, opened a drawer, took out a file folder, opened the folder, and took out all the documents inside, placing them on the table.

He put on his reading glasses and carefully studied Gu Changsheng's file, going through his birth, background, and network of relationships.

He focused on Changsheng's preferences and personality.