Entering the Pill Pavilion with Caution

Tianyou Quarter stood on the same main thoroughfare as Dihui Quarter, where the Saint Water Palace’s Skill Transmission Pavilion was located.

Situated in the inner ring of the island, Tianyou Quarter was a place brimming with spiritual fire, serving as the very site of the Saint Water Palace’s Alchemy Pavilion.

The Alchemy Pavilion of the Saint Water Palace was exceptionally unique. Due to the profound foundation of the Saint Water Palace sect, this single branch alone rivaled even the most esteemed alchemist sects on the mainland.

It was the only entity within the ‘Hundred Herbs Alliance’ to join under the name of a sect’s sub-pavilion.

Yet, its unparalleled skill in alchemy commanded such respect that no other alchemist sect on the continent dared to underestimate it.

Every two decades, the ‘Hundred Herbs Alliance’ hosted a continent-wide ‘Alchemy Assembly,’ a grand event designed to discover new talents skilled in the art of alchemy.

The previous assembly’s top prize had been claimed by a newly ascended Golden Core disciple from the Medicine King Sect of Tianliu City.

This outcome had been a persistent source of vexation for Elder Wu Xiong, who oversaw the Saint Water Palace’s Alchemy Pavilion.

Consequently, in recent years, the Alchemy Pavilion had grown increasingly stringent in its instruction of new disciples.

“Wugou,” Hua Youdie began, “the Saint Water Palace is known for its stringent defenses. We’re both only at the second level of Qi Refining. Isn’t it a bit… reckless to openly attempt theft in broad daylight?”

As Hua Youdie watched the constant stream of high-level disciples entering and exiting the Alchemy Pavilion, a shiver of apprehension ran through him.

While his family’s inherited thieving techniques were indeed formidable, their effectiveness still depended on one’s own cultivation level.

He knew well that the stronger a cultivator’s cultivation, the more acute their divine sense became.

In a situation where their cultivation levels were equal, Hua Youdie would have absolutely no fear of being discovered.

However, the Alchemy Pavilion was a heavily guarded area within the Saint Water Palace.

Patrolling disciples passed by at regular intervals.

If they were caught and sent to the Enforcement Hall, their backsides might very well be beaten to a pulp.

Wugou yawned, clapping a hand over his mouth, which had opened wide due to a lack of sleep.

He spoke with a lazy drawl, “At night, the Alchemy Pavilion’s patrols don’t lessen much. In fact, with all the bright lights, it’s even harder for anyone to hide. Besides, the Skill Transmission Pavilion has a curfew at night, and I’m not strong enough yet to break through its defenses on my own. I can’t get out after dark.”

Wugou spoke the truth. His current cultivation was too low to employ many of the immortal arts. Without A-miao and A-wu’s assistance, breaking through the Skill Transmission Pavilion’s defenses undetected by the powerful disciples would be utterly impossible.

“Then how, how do we get in?” Hua Youdie asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

His hope for recovering from his injuries now rested entirely on Wugou, and he genuinely feared Wugou might suddenly abandon the plan.

“We walk in, of course. Unless you can fly on a sword now?”

With that, Wugou brazenly strode right into the pavilion.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Hua Youdie’s heart skipped a beat at Wugou’s audacious move. Seeing Wugou disappear inside and not emerge for a while, he nervously paced back and forth, stamping his foot before gritting his teeth and following.

The moment he stepped into the Alchemy Pavilion, he saw Wugou casually conversing with a female disciple.

A moment of thought brought him to understand Wugou’s strategy.

‘He couldn’t help but inwardly mock himself for becoming such a timid coward.’

Hua Youdie took a deep breath, calming his earlier nervousness, before quickly walking to Wugou’s side.

“Beautiful big sister, I want to visit my injured senior brother. Where should I go to find him?” Wugou asked, his “innocent” eyes wide and his voice clear and sweet.

“Hehe, little brother, you’re so cute,” the female disciple chuckled, bending down to pat Wugou’s head. She then pointed towards the depths of the Alchemy Pavilion, “Injured disciples are usually sent to the waiting room on the second floor. Go up the stairs, turn left, then right, and you’ll be there.”

“Thank you, big sister!” Wugou chirped sweetly, a wide grin on his face.

The female disciple smiled brilliantly in return, cupping Wugou’s face to plant a kiss on his cheek. She playfully tweaked his nose, saying, “Such a sweet talker, little one. Goodbye for now!”

With that, the female disciple stood up and quickly departed. From her brisk and decisive movements, it seemed she had urgent business.

“Wow~” Hua Youdie sighed, the female disciple had been beautiful and radiating charm. That kiss had truly made him envious.

Hua Youdie watched the female disciple leave, only reluctantly pulling back his gaze. When he finally came to his senses, he saw that Wugou had already ascended the stairs.

He silently cursed himself for falling back into old habits and quickly hurried to catch up.

“Stop right there! You two youngsters, what are you doing in the Alchemy Pavilion?”

A stern reprimand echoed from behind them.

Wugou turned to see an old man, clad in a purple everyday robe. The fabric was richly embroidered with dense patterns of flying beasts, birds, and flowers, making the wearer appear exceptionally noble.

Though aged, his vitality showed no decline; with white hair and a youthful complexion, he likely consumed age-preserving pills regularly.

His eyes were profound, naturally exuding an aura of authority without needing to display anger. His status within the Alchemy Pavilion was clearly not low.

Realizing this, Wugou quickly bowed and said, “Elder, we are from the Skill Transmission Pavilion, hoping to visit a senior brother.”

The old man slowly approached, stopping just above Wugou and Hua Youdie. “Disciples from the Skill Transmission Pavilion come here injured every day, groaning constantly. It makes my Alchemy Pavilion feel like a mortal clinic, it’s truly annoying!”

Wugou remained silent. The old man was merely grumbling, devoid of genuine anger, likely long accustomed to such occurrences.

Seeing Wugou’s silence, Hua Youdie followed his lead and bowed his head in礼.

“Hmph, the disciples of the Skill Transmission Pavilion are truly getting worse with each generation—a bunch of cowards!”

The old man forcefully flicked his sleeve, turned, and with his hands clasped behind his back, walked towards the deeper parts of the second floor.

Once the old man vanished from sight, Hua Youdie stuck out his tongue in that direction, a clear sign of his displeasure.

“Let’s go!” Wugou urged.

Hua Youdie nodded.

“The waiting room? This must be it! Wugou, which senior brother do you know here?”

“Just follow along. Keep quiet for now! It’s not your turn to act yet!” Wugou whispered.

As they walked side by side, they saw another Alchemy Pavilion disciple pass by, carrying a tray laden with bottles of pills.

Wugou raised an eyebrow at Hua Youdie, and both quickly gave chase.

“Senior brother, a moment!”

The disciple with the tray turned, and seeing two children, asked, “Are you here to visit a friend?”

Wugou quickly interjected, “Senior brother, could you tell us where Senior Brother Yang Feng, who was sent from the Skill Transmission Pavilion a few days ago, is located?”

“Oh, you mean that fellow with the broken leg? He’s got little ability but a huge temper. I’ve brought him medicine several times, and he actually dared to give me attitude. Damn him, if it weren’t for my duties, I’d have crippled his other leg too!”

The disciple with the tray looked utterly indignant, clearly harboring significant resentment.

Wugou and Hua Youdie exchanged glances upon hearing the disciple’s complaints, shrugging their shoulders in unison.

‘This fellow is still causing trouble even after arriving at the Alchemy Pavilion!’

“Here, you must be his friends. Take this medicine to him for me. I can’t stand the sight of that guy; I’m afraid I might lose my temper and cut him down with my sword if I go myself.”

With that, the disciple casually tossed over a small bottle labeled “Bone Regeneration Pill.”

It seemed Yang Feng was quite unpopular.

Wugou offered a helpless smile, thinking, ‘Yang Feng really deserved that beating.’

“That fellow is in the room next door, by the entrance. Give him the medicine and then leave quickly. I recall the Skill Transmission Pavilion has a curfew, and it’s getting late.”

After giving his instructions, the Alchemy Pavilion disciple went off to distribute more medicine.

Wugou and Hua Youdie retreated from the waiting room.

They walked to the door of the adjacent room.

Peeking in from just outside the door, they saw.

“Well, look at that! Yang Feng’s got it good, a private room all to himself?” Hua Youdie quipped.

Wugou explained, “Yang Feng’s talent is decent, but his immortal path is severed. I’m afraid we won’t see him again in the future.”

Hua Youdie paused, slightly taken aback. “No way, the lad only broke a bone, and he’s so young…”

“Don’t ask questions. Just take the medicine in quickly. I’ll wait for you outside!”

“Huh? Me?” Hua Youdie pointed at his own nose in disbelief.

A short while later.

“Get out, get out!”

With a roar, Hua Youdie stumbled out in disarray. The moment he saw Wugou, he couldn’t help but complain, “With a temperament like that, what kind of immortal cultivation is he doing?”

“Hey~ the medicine-delivering disciple is coming out. Let’s follow him,” Wugou said, tilting his head to signal Hua Youdie to follow.

“Alright~”

“Wugou, there are so many pills here. How are we supposed to find anything?” Hua Youdie asked, half-crouching as he gazed at the countless medicine racks ahead, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

The sun was already nearing the horizon. How long would it take them to find the right medicine?

“Who said anything about finished pills? We’re looking for ingredients, not pills. See that medicine cabinet? The instructions are clearly written in black and white. Just follow the prescription and grab the herbs!”

As he spoke, Wugou pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. All the necessary medicinal ingredients were meticulously listed on it.

Hua Youdie stared at the slip of paper, momentarily stunned.

‘To think this kid had prepared everything beforehand…’

A warmth spread through Hua Youdie’s heart, and he was about to express his gratitude.

“You go find the herbs. I’ll look around!” Wugou suddenly turned his head and said.

“Ah? What if we get caught?”

Hua Youdie’s worry was evident.

“Don’t worry.”

Before Hua Youdie could say anything more, Wugou crouched low and slipped away.

“Hey!” Hua Youdie stretched out a hand, too late to stop Wugou. Several lines creased his fair forehead.

With a helpless glance at the prescription, he headed towards the medicine cabinet.

Wugou scurried about, hunched over, his nose twitching slightly. At this moment, he resembled nothing so much as a hunting dog on the scent.

‘It seems this is merely where the Alchemy Pavilion stores its low-grade pills. The medicinal scents are so mixed and potent, aren’t they afraid of affecting each other’s efficacy? I wonder if there are any Qi Gathering Pills here.’

Wugou had Hua Youdie steal the ingredients directly, naturally intending to refine pills himself.

Although he was already at the second level of Qi Refining, with internal true qi comparable to an ordinary disciple at the ninth level, it was still insufficient. He absolutely needed to have a Qi Gathering Pill on hand, just in case.

If his true qi were to deplete during alchemy, the cauldron might very well explode.

Wugou’s eyes scanned the surroundings, when suddenly he noticed a large table placed beneath a medicine rack ahead.

It was covered with numerous bamboo tubes, scattered papers, and measuring spoons, yet prominently displayed on the highest part of a central cutting board was a large red bottle.

‘Hmm, what kind of pill is that? Why is it placed alone in such a conspicuous spot?’

Wugou stealthily crept over, glancing around cautiously.

He casually picked up a piece of paper.

“‘Marching Pill?'”