Chapter 2568 — Yet Another Batch of Qi-Gathering Pill Ingredients
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Seeing the disappointment in Wei Zhao's eyes, Old Master Zhuang's heart tightened. Only then did it occur to him that Wei Zhao had also won no small amount of treasure at the Hidden Families Summit, and—most crucially—that Wei Zhao had previously visited the Hidden Han family. Word had it that the Hidden Han family owed its rise to the discovery of an ancient ruin. If that was so, the Han family's treasures were bound to outstrip those of the Hidden Zhuang family. Wei Zhao's disappointment, then, was only natural.
"Senior Lin, I fear these things are beneath your notice, but they are the fruit of many years of collecting by our Hidden Zhuang family!" Old Master Zhuang said with a bitter smile. "The most valuable among them are likely these two sets of ingredients for refining the Qi-Gathering Pill. It is only that our family has no third-rank alchemist and cannot refine third-rank pills. These Qi-Gathering Pill ingredients have been preserved for a thousand years and are of little use..." Old Master Zhuang pointed to a box on one of the shelves.
"Oh? Qi-Gathering Pill ingredients?" Wei Zhao was somewhat surprised—he had not expected the Hidden Zhuang family to possess such a thing as well!
"Indeed. My ancestors brought them back from the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow sect, but third-rank alchemists are far too rare, and the Mystic Pill Sect would never deign to refine pills for us, so there they have sat ever since." Old Master Zhuang explained. "Could it be that you have taken a fancy to these Qi-Gathering Pill ingredients, Senior Lin?"
Old Master Zhuang was a little astonished. The ingredients for refining the Qi-Gathering Pill were fine things, yes—but fine things though they were, they had the feel of chicken ribs: tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away. They had lain here for over a thousand years to no purpose whatsoever. Several generations of Old Master Zhuang's ancestors had failed to find an alchemist, and Old Master Zhuang did not believe he would find one now to refine them.
So the things had sat here, and he harbored not the least hope for them. Yet in his eyes, Wei Zhao was probably just as he himself had been when he first learned of these ingredients—back then Old Master Zhuang too had been full of confidence and lofty ambition, but as the years wore on he came to understand that overthinking only multiplies one's troubles.
"Correct. I have taken a fancy to these Qi-Gathering Pill ingredients," Wei Zhao nodded.
"If you favor them, Senior Lin, then take them," Old Master Zhuang said, quite readily. However precious the things might be, they were utterly useless to him—better to use them to curry favor with Wei Zhao.
"Old Master Zhuang is straightforward indeed. Then I shall not stand on ceremony. One day, when I succeed in refining the Qi-Gathering Pill, you shall not go without your share," Wei Zhao said. He greatly admired forthright men like Old Master Zhuang, who did things without dragging their feet.
"Heh heh, then I shall look forward to it!" Old Master Zhuang laughed. In truth, he was unimpressed. He did not believe Wei Zhao could become a third-rank alchemist—not from any lack of faith in Wei Zhao, but because Wei Zhao could hardly devote too much energy to the alchemical path; cultivation was the true way. After all, those who devoted themselves single-mindedly to alchemy, like the Mystic Pill Sect, were hardly common.
Wei Zhao too could see that Old Master Zhuang had little interest, and he understood the man's thinking. Had the Qi-Gathering Pill been so easy to refine, Old Master Zhuang would never have handed over its ingredients so readily.
"I will not look at the rest. Old Master Zhuang, I merely wish to ask—do you have such materials as blue crystal, pure yellow jade, or colored steel?" Wei Zhao had roughly scanned the Zhuang family's treasure vault; it was all the same sort of thing, and he could not be bothered to search further, so he asked directly.