Chapter 5: Doubts

  As the lid of the cauldron opened, a thin layer of nearly transparent milky white liquid at the bottom of the medicine cauldron entered the old man's line of sight. The increasingly rich fragrance wafted up to his nose, and he nodded repeatedly, with a faint flush rising to his face: "Not bad, not bad, this kind of Rejuvenating Dew is something that even a fourth-grade spiritual pharmacist may not necessarily be able to refine."

  The old man's eyes, filled with undisguised admiration, looked at Nie Kong: "Little guy, I'd like to take these 'Rejuvenating Dew' back for further study. Would you be willing?" As he spoke, the old man became slightly embarrassed, asking a junior to hand over the spiritual medicine they had refined for research, which was somewhat humiliating.

  Nie Kong smiled and said: "Old sir, if you need it, just take it."

  "Good!"

  The old man picked up a small jade bottle from the table, and without seeing him make any gestures, his right hand swept over the medicine cauldron, and the Rejuvenating Dew flowed like water into the narrow neck of the bottle with precision. "Little guy, take this thing, come to the Alchemy Hall tomorrow."

  The old man took off a jade token from his waist and handed it to Le Ye, "Show this jade token, and someone will bring you to see me." Afraid that Le Ye wouldn't take his words seriously, the old man added emphasis, reminding him: "Remember, you must come tomorrow, don't forget!"

  Nie Kong nodded in agreement, and the old man hastily took the medicine bottle out of the room. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared at the staircase leading to the fourth floor.

  Nie Kong glanced at the jade plaque and saw that it was a deep red color like blood, with only a small medicine cauldron engraved on its surface. There were no other patterns on it. This seemed to be an emblem representing identity as well. Nie Kong had lived in the Nie residence for over ten years, but this was his first time seeing such a plaque. However, judging from the medicine cauldron symbol, perhaps this was something specifically used by the Medicine Refining Pavilion. As this old man was someone from the Medicine Refining Pavilion, it would be possible to ask him about refining medicine in the future.

  Thinking of this, Nie Kong was quite delighted. Under the astonished gaze of the spiritual medicine master outside, he quickly walked downstairs. This time's Medicine Cauldron Avatar could still last for more than 50 minutes, and it couldn't be wasted.

  Ran to a small forest not far from the Lingyao Hall, Nie Kong sat down cross-legged and continuously refined four bottles of "Huishenlu" before stopping. According to Nie Kong's calculations, these four bottles of Huishenlu were slightly inferior to the one he had refined on the third floor, with a medicinal fusion degree of around 90% to 95%.

  After finishing all that, the sky had already darkened, Nie Kong was chewing on some medicinal herbs to replenish the little guy's energy as he walked home, thinking about that jade plaque. It wasn't until he entered the courtyard that Nie Kong suddenly realized he had forgotten to ask the people from the Spiritual Medicine Hall about the old man's identity.

  But anyway, I'll be going to the Alchemy Hall tomorrow, so it's no big deal if I ask later.

  However, there is another issue that needs to be prepared in advance, that is, according to the small guy's transformed medicine cauldron appearance, go and build a new small medicine cauldron to carry with you, so you don't have to worry about not being able to take out the medicine cauldron during the small guy's rest period and revealing something. As for whether the medicine cauldron can refine spiritual medicine with a fusion degree of over 90%, there is no need to worry about it, people make mistakes, horses stumble!

  ……

  A few rays of sunlight emerged from the mountain, sprinkling on the steps in front of the alchemy hall, but couldn't dispel the chill of the morning at all, just like Nie Mazi's mood.

  Nie Mazi felt that she had recently declined to the extreme, first being deprived of her solo alchemy rights by Lian Tianxin and made an assistant to a junior, then completely becoming a laborer, every day opening the door to sweep the floor, then cleaning up medicine residue, grinding medicinal herbs, busy to the point of dizziness.

  All these troubles are caused by that little rascal who came to Lianyao Hall to offer his formula!

  Later, Nie Mazi only found out that the little rascal was named Nie Kong. He had been ill for eighteen years and was about to die when a miracle suddenly occurred, and he recovered without treatment. After that, the little rascal became unstoppable, advancing from Lingyu First Rank to Lingyu Ninth Rank in just a few days. Then, he obtained a quota to enter the Illusory Realm for training. It is said that soon after entering, he advanced to Tongling First Rank. If it weren't for an unexpected accident when his soul returned, causing him to fall into the second layer of the Illusory Realm and nearly killing himself, perhaps he would have reappeared as the brilliant Elder Nie Zonglong of old.

  "Heaven's will! It's really heaven's will!"

  Nie Mashu swept the stone steps of the alchemy room with a broom, muttering viciously under his breath, "You little bastard, you're so arrogant! You're so arrogant! Now I can't even refine spiritual medicine because of you! Why didn't you just die from your illness back then? Now you've run out and are causing trouble everywhere!"

  "Hmm, quite a heavy grudge." A slightly sarcastic voice sounded from behind.

  "Nie Kong, you little scoundrel again?" Nie Mazzi's eyes widened in surprise as he turned around to see that familiar yet detestable smiling face. His teeth clenched in anger, the dense acne on his face began to stir, and he sneered coldly, "What? Have you come up with another 'Strong Chicken Invigorating Yang Soup' formula?"

  Nie Kong gazed at the ugly pockmarked face in front of him, and smiled slyly: "There's no 'Healthy Chicken Nourishing Yang Soup', but there is 'Healthy Muscle Regenerating Meat Soup' which just so happens to be suitable for repairing those pits on your face. Otherwise, coming out during the day like this would make people think they've seen a ghost."

  "You..."

  Nie Masheng had always hated it when others mentioned his "numb face", and as soon as he heard this, his seven orifices began to emit smoke. Unfortunately, before he could erupt, a figure slipped in from the side and said with a smile: "Nie Kong, why are you here so early? Did you discover some good formula?"

  "Big Sister Fengyan."

  The woman who had brought him to the Lingyao Hall to collect medicine was a middle-aged woman. Nie Kong smiled and said, "It's not that there's any formula, it's just that an old man asked me to come here yesterday evening." As he spoke, Nie Kong took out the red jade token, "He said that when you see this, someone will bring me to meet him."

  "This is..."

  Nie Fengyan's eyes revealed a look of surprise, and she gazed at Nie Kong in an unusual manner. "I understand. Nie Kong, you go ahead, the person who wants to see you hasn't arrived yet."

  Seeing the red jade pendant, Nie Mazi's eyes widened in shock.

  When Nai Kong and Nai Fengyan's figures entered the alchemy room, he finally came to his senses, and couldn't help but shiver, secretly rejoicing in his heart that this little rascal had once again walked into good luck, and even got the old man to give him the token! Luckily, he hadn't made a move just now, or else he would have been finished!

  In the Refining Medicine Hall, only a few people had arrived for the time being. After exchanging greetings with them, Nie Fengyan led Nie Kong upstairs. Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, "Sister, can you tell me who that old man is?"

  Nie Fengyan smiled and said, "This... I don't dare to tell you. That old man didn't tell you his identity yesterday, probably wanting to give you a surprise. When he comes, even if you don't ask, he will personally tell you. Alright, stop thinking about it, I'll take you upstairs to wait first."

  As for that old man, Nie Fengyan looked at Nie Kong with a face full of envy.

  Nie Kong was even more perplexed, the Nie family's Medicine Pavilion still had considerable strength, aside from Lian Tianxin and Fifth Elder, there were three other Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine Masters. Looking at her appearance, the owner of this jade plaque indeed held a high position in the Medicine Pavilion, perhaps one of the Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine Masters...

  ……