My Years as a Menace in the Sect

The news spread much faster and more absurdly than Wei Ping'an had imagined. Zhang Erpang had only let it slip the night before, and by the next morning, the whole place was in an uproar. He was squatting beside the stove in the medicinal kitchen, happily slurping down his porridge, when someone slapped him hard on the back. The force was considerable, making the black iron pot on his back clang loudly and making his ears ring. He almost spilled a mouthful of porridge on his face. He nearly jumped up, clutching the pot and turning around to curse, when he saw a strange disciple in drab gray servant's clothes standing behind him, his eyes gleaming as if he'd seen a generous benefactor.

"You're Wei Ping'an? The one who sells Qi-nourishing pills?"

Wei Ping'an almost spat out the porridge in his mouth, swallowed hard and choked until his eyes rolled back. He immediately squeezed out an innocent face and shook his head like a rattle drum: "What Qi-Nourishing Pill? I don't know anything about it. Senior brother, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just a handyman in the Medicine Testing Hall, where would I get such a thing?"

"Stop pretending, stop pretending," the man leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Zhang Erpang already said you have something good there, it makes your training twice as fast as usual. I'm very tight-lipped, if you sell me one, I absolutely won't tell anyone. How much is it? Name your price!" Wei Ping'an's hair stood on end instantly, and he quietly took a half step back, his mind already planning his escape route. But then he thought, this disciple doesn't look like he's here to arrest people, he looks like he's here to buy goods, it would be too much of a loss to run away as soon as the stall is set up.

He quickly glanced left and right. There weren't many people in the courtyard. Wang Dashan was stirring the medicine cauldron in the distance with his back to them and didn't notice. Everyone else was busy with their own things.

He slammed the bowl of porridge down on the stove, grabbed the disciple's arm, and pulled him to the corner, all the way behind the furthest pile of firewood, before lowering his voice and asking, "Where did you hear that from?"

"Zhang Erpang kept muttering about it all night last night! He said that after taking your pills, the Qi in his dantian flowed smoothly like water, and several people in the next room heard it."

Wei Ping'an cursed Zhang Erpang from head to toe in his mind again, and after he finished cursing, his mind quickly started to make plans.

We have existing inventory and semi-finished products in the back channels. If we can sell a few pieces in the first batch, we can save enough for the cost of the next batch of raw materials. There are definitely risks involved, but fortune favors the bold. As long as we control the quantity, only sell to people with a solid financial foundation, and clearly explain the precautions, there shouldn't be any major problems.

He gritted his teeth and hesitated for three breaths, but finally couldn't resist the temptation of the spirit stones. He pulled the man to the corner and whispered, "Three low-grade spirit stones per stone. Pay first, then deliver. Let me make this clear: this is a qi-nourishing ingredient, not a proper elixir. People with a hot constitution who are taking tonics shouldn't take it. I won't be responsible if it causes any problems."

"No problem, no problem, I have a very cold constitution!" The man reached into his pocket and pulled out three low-grade spirit stones, shoving them into his hand with a snap. He was so quick that he was afraid the man would change his mind. "When can you give them to me?" The spirit stones, still warm from his body, felt heavy in his palm, and his palm instantly broke out in a sweat.

Three spirit stones! He only earned five spirit stones a month from chopping black ironwood in the medicine testing hall! Suppressing his excitement, he feigned composure: "Still here at this time tomorrow. Don't tell anyone else, or I won't give you any."

The man left happily, while he stood in the corner holding the three spirit stones, stunned for a long time, his heart pounding like a drum, making his chest feel tight. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, he quickly stuffed the spirit stones into the innermost pocket of his body, pressed them against his chest, and then hurried back to the medicine testing hall.

Upon returning, he went into the culvert and retrieved the mildest medicinal pill made from Bletilla striata root, which he had prepared earlier. He carefully wrapped it in three layers of oiled paper. The next day, at the same time and in the same corner, he handed over the pill. The disciple immediately opened the oiled paper, smelled it, carefully tucked it into his pocket, thanked him profusely, and left excitedly.

Once there was a first, there was a second. Over the next three days, two more people arrived. One was a handyman from the Spirit Plant Hall, and the other was the warehouse manager from Danfeng. They had both come secretly after hearing the news, acting suspiciously like they were making a rendezvous. He sold one to each of them, at the same price of three spirit stones each, repeatedly reminding those with a hot constitution not to eat them or to take them with tonics.

Three pills exchanged for nine low-grade spirit stones, which felt heavy in his arms, making his clothes sag. That night, he closed the door, took out the spirit stones, and counted them by the moonlight streaming through the window. He counted nine, then turned them over to check their quality—each one was clear and flawless. He counted again, and still nine. He squatted under the windowsill, counting a third time by the moonlight, placing each stone beside his pillow. When he finished, he held them all in his hands, the cool spirit stones pressed against his palms. He was so happy that he could hardly stop smiling. This feeling of earning spirit stones while lying down was so exhilarating that he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep soundly. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw mountains of spirit stones, and he even dreamed of counting them.

The phrase "extreme joy begets sorrow" was experienced firsthand the very next day. On the morning of the fourth day, he was grinding white atractylodes root into powder in the courtyard, the stone mortar making a loud thumping sound, when he suddenly heard a commotion in the square of the medicinal cuisine kitchen in front of him. The sounds were chaotic and filled with panic, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps rushing towards him.

He put down the stone pestle and stood up. Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he saw Zhang Erpang rushing towards him, panting heavily, his fat face jiggling and his face deathly pale. "Ping An, something terrible has happened! That guy from the Spirit Plant Hall… that Zhou Lin who bought your pills yesterday! He's in the square, his face swollen like a pig's head, blood streaming from his mouth! He says he went mad after taking your pills! Now there's a whole crowd gathered, and Deacon Sun is looking for you too!" Wei Ping An dropped the stone pestle, hitting his toe in the ground. The excruciating pain was completely unnoticed. Only one thought kept swirling in his mind: It's over, something really bad has happened.

He turned and ran towards the back of the yard, his movements as fast as if he were being chased by a dog. "Why are you running!" Zhang Erpang grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him back, stamping his feet in frustration. "He's not dead yet, but his face is swollen! If you run away now, it will only confirm that you're guilty!" He paused, the black iron pot on his back pressing against his spine against his slightly trembling back. The cold iron actually calmed him down a bit.

He took two deep breaths to force himself to calm down, his mind racing as he repeatedly recalled the formula and properties of the pill. The white atractylodes root was a cooling and stabilizing herb, the fire-controlling stone was a qi-regulating agent, and the waste pill residue was a mild qi-nourishing ingredient. The proportions were all adjusted. He himself was fine after taking it, and Zhang Erpang was fine after taking it, so why did Zhou Lin have an accident? His face was swollen, he was bloated, and blood was seeping from his mouth and nose... Suddenly, Shen Qingyao's words flashed through his mind: the white atractylodes root was on the cooling side, and the fire-controlling stone circulated qi quickly, making it easy for people with a hot constitution to experience a rush of qi to their head after taking it.

That matches perfectly; it's just that his constitution is prone to heatiness that gets to his head. "How long after he ate it did he become like this?"

He composed himself and asked, "About half an hour ago! He said that while he was practicing his martial arts, his qi suddenly reversed direction, and his face immediately swelled up! Deacon Sun has already sent someone to fetch Senior Uncle Zheng!"

Wei Ping'an pursed his lips and his gaze hardened: "Let's go take a look."

Zhang Erpang was stunned: "Huh? You're not running away anymore?"

"Since I can't run away anyway, I might as well go and see what's going on with him." Even as I said that, my legs still felt a little weak.

As the two walked towards the square, he pieced together about seven or eight parts of the whole story. If it was just a matter of physical constitution, that would be fine, but he was worried that Deacon Sun might have been involved. Sure enough, a crowd had gathered in the square, three or four layers deep, chattering incessantly.

A person sat on the ground in the middle, wearing a gray robe from the Spirit Plant Hall. His face was indeed swollen, his eyes were squeezed into slits, and blood was seeping from the corner of his mouth. He was panting heavily, one hand clutching his chest. Deacon Sun stood expressionless at the front of the crowd with his hands behind his back. When he saw Wei Ping'an squeeze in from outside the crowd, his eyes lit up noticeably.

"Wei Ping'an," Deacon Sun's voice, though not loud, drowned out the murmurs of the room, "You've come at the right time. Zhou Lin of Lingzhi Hall said you sold him a privately made pill, which caused his qi to flow in reverse, resulting in bleeding from his mouth and nose and facial swelling. Is this true?"

In an instant, all eyes fell on Wei Ping'an, and all sorts of gazes pierced him like needles.

He stood in the middle of the crowd, the sunlight shining on his face, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. However, he tried his best to keep his composure and not show any fear. He first looked down at Zhou Lin, whose head was swollen like a pig's head on the ground, and then looked up to meet Deacon Sun's gaze: "Reporting to Deacon Sun, he did indeed buy a packet of medicinal ingredients from me."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Deacon Sun's lips curled into a slight smile as he took a step forward: "Good that you admit it. According to sect rules, it's against menial disciples to privately manufacture and sell untested pills that cause injury..."

"But what I sold him wasn't a finished pill," Wei Ping'an continued. "It was a semi-finished Qi-nourishing medicinal guide. I work in the medicine testing hall, and when I test medicines, I find that some waste pill residue still has residual medicinal properties, so I grind it into powder and mix it with some Bletilla striata root to see if I can make use of the waste. Uncle-Master Zheng knows about this."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the crowd. Old Man Zheng walked in with his hands behind his back. He was dressed in an unremarkable gray cloth robe, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

He walked over to Wei Ping'an, stood still, and nodded slightly. He neither said he knew nor he didn't know, but just standing there made him seem more important. "Let him finish speaking first," Old Man Zheng said in a flat tone, revealing no emotion.

With Old Man Zheng's support, Wei Ping'an felt more at ease and continued, "The medicinal guide itself is safe. I've tried it myself, and Zhang Erpang from the medicinal cuisine restaurant has also tried it without any problems. However, the medicinal guide is important to be appropriate for the condition. Bletilla striata root is cooling and controls fire, so it moves qi quickly. People with a hot constitution may indeed experience excessive qi movement and qi rising to their head after taking it."

He looked down at Zhou Lin on the ground. "Senior Brother Zhou, let me ask you, have you recently suffered any internal injuries? Or have you taken any warming tonics or pills to help you break through to higher levels?"

Zhou Lin, sitting on the ground, paused for a moment, his face swollen, and stammered for a long time before finally managing to speak incoherently, "I...I bought...I bought a Yang-Boosting Pill a couple of days ago to try and break through to the second level of Qi Refining..." The square fell silent for a moment, followed by a low murmur. Deacon Sun's expression changed slightly, turning a few shades darker.

"The problem lies with the Yang-tonifying pill; it has little to do with my medicinal ingredients."

Wei Ping'an continued, "Of course, I also made a mistake in not giving clear instructions. If Senior Brother Zhou trusts me, I'll prepare some heat-clearing and swelling-reducing powder and send it over. Drink it for two days and you'll be fine. If you don't believe me, we can give the remaining medicinal ingredients to Uncle Zheng to check the ingredients and see if there are any prohibited substances. If there are any problems, I'll accept the punishment. If there are no problems..."

Deacon Sun interrupted him sharply, his tone several degrees colder than before: "Alright. Since Elder Zheng is present, the Medicine Testing Hall will handle this matter itself. But you, Wei Ping'an, remember this: you are not allowed to sell untested medicinal ingredients to anyone without the sect's official permission. Any further offenses will be severely punished." He flicked his sleeve, turned and left, his steps quickening even more than when he arrived.

The onlookers, seeing there was no more excitement, gradually dispersed, murmuring amongst themselves as they walked away. Once everyone was gone, only a few remained in the square. Old Zheng walked up to Wei Ping'an, glanced at him indifferently, then walked away with his hands behind his back.

He bent down and looked at Zhou Lin, whose face was still swollen on the ground: "Senior Brother Zhou, where did you get that Yang-tonifying pill?"

Zhou Lin, his face swollen, stammered, "It was...it was sold to me by an outer disciple under Deacon Sun. He said it would help me quickly advance through the cultivation stage..." Wei Ping'an straightened up and immediately understood. Sure enough. He had narrowly escaped this round, but what about the next? He touched the nine spirit stones in his pocket. Not a single one was missing, but they felt heavy and burning hot in his arms.

That afternoon, he went to the culvert and took out the remaining pills, placing them on the stone platform for further examination. He still had some of the Bletilla striata root powder Shen Qingyao had given him. He picked up a newly rolled pill, rubbed it between his fingertips, and put it back. He found a blank book, picked up a pen, and carefully wrote down each formula, adding clear notes: "Bletilla striata root formula is only for those with a cold constitution; contraindicated for those with a hot constitution taking hot medicines." "Fire-controlling stone formula is highly effective for those with unstable foundations; contraindicated for those without a strong foundation; should not be taken with tonics." "Golden thread formula has unknown medicinal properties and is not for sale." After carving, he rolled it up and placed it in the deepest part of the culvert, pressing it under a stone slab. Having done all this, he leaned against the stone wall and let out a long sigh.

As dusk settled, he emerged from the culvert and, just as he reached the entrance to the medicine testing hall, saw someone leaning against the wall. Wearing short, high ponytail and sporting a pale white outfit, she was holding a blade of grass, swatting at ants on the ground. It was Shen Qingyao. Seeing him approach, she tossed the grass aside and clapped her hands: "I heard you almost got taken away by Deacon Sun today?"

"Almost." He walked over and squatted down next to her, recounting the events of the day from beginning to end.

After listening, Shen Qingyao remained silent for a while: "Tomorrow, go and give Zhou Lin a packet of heat-clearing powder. It's a 1:1 ratio of Bletilla striata root and licorice root, crushed and mixed with water, to drink for three days. This isn't entirely your fault, but by giving him the medicine and showing some humility, he'll remember your kindness in the future."

Wei Ping'an was stunned for a moment, then realized, "That's right! Sending some medicine won't cost much and will earn me a favor."

"I understand, thank you, Senior Sister Shen!" She took out a spirit stone from her pocket and handed it over. "Senior Sister, this is the reward you gave me for the white atractylodes root last time..."

"No need," Shen Qingyao had already stood up and taken a step back without taking the spirit stone. "You can pay me back for what you owe me later." Moonlight fell on her back, her ponytail swaying as she quickly disappeared around the corner. He squatted there, holding the spirit stone in his hand, lost in thought for a long time. The evening breeze blew in from outside the courtyard wall, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees. He reached out and touched the edge of a tender leaf; the leaf was soft and cool.

That night, he didn't practice his skills. He counted the nine spirit stones again, picked out the one of the best quality, and used his fingernail to lightly scratch a fine mark on the back as a mark. He then put it in a small cloth bag, crawled into the dark ditch, and hid it under a movable stone slab at the deepest part.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief after covering the marks with a stone slab and a layer of loose soil. He sat in the culvert, leaning against the cool stone wall, and closed his eyes for a while. The Qi in his dantian circulated quietly, not in a hurry to break through or overcome any obstacles, but maintaining its current rhythm steadily.

"I can't be so reckless in the future," he whispered to the air. "Today's challenge was half due to my own cleverness and half due to Senior Sister Shen's advance reminder. I can't rely on anyone else for the next challenge."

The night was still dark outside the culvert, but the lights were still on in Steward Sun's study deep in Danfeng. Clearly, the unfinished scheme was not going to end there.