Chapter 404: The Stunned Zhu Ming Palace Head

Chapter 404: The Stunned Zhu Ming Palace Head

People like Su Chen who recommend themselves are quite common.

Alchemists, however, are a relatively rare group of individuals.

Even if only one in a thousand is an alchemist, there are still many in the entire Jin Kingdom.

A great sect like Zhu Ming Palace naturally attracts many alchemists who wish to join.

The path of alchemy is even more costly than that of a martial artist.

Especially on the path to growth, an unknown amount of medicinal herbs are wasted.

Cultivating even one or two alchemists requires a huge expenditure.

Most of the potions sent in ordinary envelopes are placed in the waste box.

Zhu Ming Palace has no interest in recruiting so many alchemists.

Even if they were to recruit disciples, Zhu Ming Palace would hold its own competitions and directly select new members.

Those who have learned some alchemy techniques from elsewhere and wish to join Zhu Ming Palace would require a lot of extra effort to teach.

At 5:45 PM, the waste box was placed outside Zhu Ming Palace in the designated waste disposal area.

By this time, dozens of people were already waiting.

They were all commoners from nearby villages.

They came here to wait for today’s discarded waste.

The items discarded by Zhu Ming Palace are highly sought after by the commoners.

Even low-quality potions, such as the most ordinary Blood Recovery Potion or Qi Recovery Potion, can be exchanged for a considerable amount of gold and silver.

In front of the waste pile, the commoners lined up.

One by one, they came forward to select potions.

Each person could choose two potions.

After selecting two potions, these commoners had to help transport part of the waste.

This method effectively cleared the daily waste generated by Zhu Ming Palace, making it quite convenient.

Sometimes, there were so many commoners that the waste wasn’t enough for everyone.

For the commoners, the most critical time came after they had selected their potions.

Not far away, a skilled alchemist from Zhu Ming Palace would inspect the potions chosen by the people.

If the potions had minor flaws, the commoners could take them away.

They could handle them as they wished, and the alchemist would briefly explain the effects and usage methods of the potions.

This prevented some potions from being misused, which could cause more harm than good.

Of course, if the potions they selected were toxic or unusable, the alchemist from Zhu Ming Palace would reclaim and dispose of them.

This was an old rule, and the commoners had no complaints.

After all, for the commoners, the loss was minimal.

They just had to wait and help dispose of the waste.

If they successfully selected useful potions every four or five times, they would be set for at least half a month.

Each person in the queue submitted their potions for verification, feeling somewhat nervous.

Today seemed to be a good day, as many commoners had good luck.

The potions they selected, though flawed, still had some medicinal properties and could be used.

The commoners who left with potions couldn’t stop smiling.

However, many potions were still crushed and buried.

Many of the commoners who came had done their homework and knew to pick the more ordinary potions.

The more ordinary, the better the chances of getting something useful.

Potions with unique patterns or distinctive odors were to be avoided.

Even with this knowledge, many of the selected potions were still toxic.

Ordinary commoners had no way to tell which potions were safe to use at a glance.

They could only rely on luck.

When their chosen potions were crushed and thrown away, these commoners could only endure.

After all, no one dared to cause trouble at Zhu Ming Palace.

Troublemakers would not only face the wrath of Zhu Ming Palace but also the other commoners, who would beat them up.

If Zhu Ming Palace banned them from collecting potions in the future, the loss would be too great.

Moreover, Zhu Ming Palace’s actions were genuinely considerate.

They specially arranged for an alchemist to help them.

If the commoners sold the potions and caused someone to die, they would struggle to save their own lives.

Therefore, anyone with a sound mind knew that Zhu Ming Palace was helping them, not harming them.

By 6:15 PM, all the waste had been claimed.

Today, there were still leftover potions. An Internal Affairs Disciple brought the waste box to Hall Master Liu.

"Master, take a look. The commoners from nearby villages are becoming quite knowledgeable about potions."

These potions with obvious flaws, no one even touches them.

In the waste box, there were over ten pills, each with peculiar colors, not the ordinary grayish-brown. Some pills had a reddish tint, while others were greenish. This usually indicated that the medicinal ingredients weren't thoroughly refined. Impurities had mixed with the essence of the ingredients, forming the pills. Most of the ingredients had issues, which was why they needed to be made into pills for consumption. Otherwise, one could just bite into the raw ingredients. If the solution used for pill-making was problematic, then these pills were indeed worthless and couldn't be consumed.

Hearing the Internal Affairs disciple's words, Liu Tangzhu smiled and turned to look at the pills in the box. The differently colored pills inside were indeed eye-catching. They could easily attract attention, but no one would be foolish enough to take them.

"That's why even the commoners can tell there's a problem. Yet, there are so many alchemists in the palace, and they still make such a fundamental mistake."

As he spoke, Liu Tangzhu seemed to think of something. Liu felt something was amiss; he had just seen something in the waste box.

"Bring the waste box over, I want to take another look."

Seeing the disciple preparing to pour out the pills to grind them, Liu Tangzhu stopped him. He had just seen a hint of jade-white in the box.

If the medicinal ingredients weren't pure enough, they could tint the pills with strange colors. But this color range didn't include jade-white. It's important to know that jade-white couldn't mask the brownish color of the pills. Logically speaking, even if the pills were poorly made, jade-white would only make them appear grayish. It's impossible for them to turn jade-white.

Liu Tangzhu felt he had made a mistake. Perhaps he was too eager in his heart to see a jade stone pill.

"I heard in the southern Zhou Kingdom, there are two lesser-known alchemist families who have made significant progress in jade stone pill techniques."

"I just saw a hint of white, but I think I was mistaken. I might have imagined it."

Liu Tangzhu explained with a smile and took the waste box, looking inside. It was just a casual glance, but the next moment, he abruptly stood up.

His expression turned serious as he reached into the box and pushed aside the other pills. He stared blankly at the two jade stone pills, shining brightly inside the box.

He touched them, feeling a texture he had never experienced before. They seemed smooth and moist, a sensation completely different from the other pills.

Liu Tangzhu was about to say something but couldn't find the words. The Internal Affairs disciple beside him, seeing Liu Tangzhu's reaction, was also confused. He opened his mouth to ask Liu Tangzhu a question, but Liu Tangzhu didn't hear a word. His eyes, mind, and thoughts were all focused on the two jade stone pills.

Liu Tangzhu had seen jade stone pills before, but never of such purity. The pill's surface was crystal clear and smooth, very different from the jade stone pills displayed in the Strange Tower and Crystal Pavilion. The two jade stone pills from those sects still had many brownish impurities on their surfaces, with only parts showing the jade stone effect.

But these two pills had achieved a level of perfection in their jade stone technique. Even though they were just basic Qi-Replenishing Pills, their texture was almost flawless.

After a while, Liu Tangzhu finally snapped out of his trance. He saw the Internal Affairs disciple still calling out to him, looking worried.

Liu Tangzhu indeed didn't have the time to listen to what he wanted to say. At this moment, he knew he had to report this to the Palace Head.

The appearance of jade stone pills, true jade stone pills, and they had emerged in their Zhu Ming Palace. This was heavenly fortune that must be seized.

"Go back to the Internal Affairs Hall immediately. Gather all the disciples who had contact with these pills today and have them stay there. Wait there, no matter how late it gets.

The Palace Head will definitely come to inquire about this tonight. Remember, don't let a single person leave."

After speaking, Liu Tangzhu held the two jade stone pills and quickly headed towards the side hall of Zhu Ming Palace. Usually, their Palace Head would either be discussing matters in this side hall or refining pills in the pill room.

As he walked, Liu Tangzhu kept glancing at the pills in his hand. He dared not grip them too tightly, fearing he might damage them. Nor did he dare to hold them too loosely, lest they fall and break.

Soon, Liu Tangzhu arrived at the side hall. Seeing the tightly shut doors, he knew the Palace Head and the elders were discussing matters inside.

He looked down at the jade stone pills in his hand once more. Their crystal-like appearance confirmed they were indeed jade stone pills.

Pills rarely had such a color. Even the white pills made through special methods were quite different from jade stone pills.

Not mistaken, these are two high-quality Jade Stone Potions.

After thinking it through, Liu Tangzhu directly headed towards the side hall.

"Liu Tangzhu, the Palace Master and the Elders are discussing important matters. You cannot enter."

The attendants at the entrance tried their best to stop him.

In the past, no one dared to offend the attendants of the Palace Master and Elders.

But today, Liu Tangzhu was unwilling to wait even a moment longer.

The Jade Stone Potions were enough to cause a stir in the Zhu Ming Palace.

Ignoring the obstruction, Liu Tangzhu barged into the side hall.

The people inside had already heard the commotion outside.

"Liu Hong, how could you be so rash today when you're usually calm and collected!"

Inside the hall, the Fourth Elder, who was in charge of Liu Hong, scolded him with some dissatisfaction.

This was actually giving Liu Tangzhu a way out, as it was better for the Palace Master and other Elders to scold him.

But Liu Tangzhu remained silent and walked directly to the Fourth Elder's front.

He opened his palm.

The scent of the Qi-Replenishing Potion wafted out, and everyone knew what it was from the smell.

As top-notch alchemists, they couldn't help but understand.

The scent didn't spark much interest from the crowd.

The Palace Master and Elders of the Zhu Ming Palace were all alchemy geniuses in their youth.

The Qi-Replenishing Potion was probably something they had mastered early in their studies.

Although the scent was ordinary, they looked up at the two potions in Liu Tangzhu's hand.

The reaction of the Palace Master and the four Elders was exactly the same as when Liu Tangzhu first saw them.

The five of them seemed frozen in place, stunned.

After a while, the Palace Master of Zhu Ming Palace, Yao Wen, couldn't help but reach out.

As she got closer to the two potions, she hesitantly retracted her hand.

The Palace Master of Zhu Ming Palace, the master alchemists of Tahe Sect's Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Alchemy Workshops, in front of whom one might not even dare to glance at their creations.

Yet, when she saw the two potions, she showed such an awkward expression.

"Are these... Jade Stone Potions?"

After Yao Wen retracted her hand, she finally realized she could ask.

"Absolutely genuine, Palace Master. Jade Stone Potions!

And the quality far surpasses those produced by the Strange Tower and Crystal Pavilion!"

As he spoke, Liu Tangzhu placed the two potions in Yao Wen's hand.

Everyone's gaze shifted from his hand to Yao Wen's.

So many master alchemists just stared at the two potions.

After a while, the Palace Master Yao Wen suddenly thought of something.

"Quickly, find a potion box! Touching them with bare hands will affect the properties of the potions."

"Immediately, hurry!"

Hearing this, the Elders also started searching their bodies.

The Third Elder had a potion box on him, but inside was a valuable Spring Grass Solidified Pill.

The Third Elder didn't even glance at it and directly took out the pill.

He handed over the potion box and casually tossed the Spring Grass Solidified Pill to an attendant not far away, telling him to put it away.

With two Jade Stone Potions in front of them, even the Spring Grass Solidified Pill was neglected.

The Jade Stone Potions represented not a specific type of potion but a category of potions.

If one could master this method, then more than half of the potions could be refined using this technique.

The Zhu Ming Palace's potion-making prowess would take a significant leap.

If nothing else, the Zhu Ming Palace's alchemy skills should become the best in the Jin Kingdom.

A group of people huddled together, their eyes scanning the two potions over and over.

The intricate structure of the Jade Stone Potions captivated these alchemy experts.

A dignified master alchemist, their heads bumping together, seemed somewhat comical.

Liu Tangzhu waited by the side for a while and couldn't help but speak up.

"Palace Master, Elders.

Shouldn't we track down the origin of these two potions?"

Upon hearing this, the Palace Master Yao Wen was stunned again.

"You brought these two potions, and you don't know where they came from?"

"I'm not hiding it from the Palace Master. I found them in the waste bin. These two potions were almost buried."

"The waste bin?!"

Yao Wen and the four Elders were all stunned, their faces showing both surprise and anger.

"I speculate that these two potions weren't made by our disciples.

Instead, they were sent by someone from outside, and the Internal Affairs disciples couldn't recognize them as Jade Stone Potions."

Yao Wen immediately closed the potion box.

"Let's go to the Internal Affairs Hall first and find out who sent these!

Call all the Internal Affairs disciples, everyone, everyone!"

The sky had already started to darken, but Liu Hong knew.

The urgency of this matter could be compared to the sect being attacked.

"Palace Master, rest assured. I've already had them guarded, just waiting for the Palace Master and Elders to question them."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end