Chapter 6, The Gift from Wu Xie of Yushan

Only then did Xiang Yang feel at ease as he took out the porcelain bottle, poured out the pill that he had partially crushed, and placed it in his mouth. Earlier, when he was with Wu Xie from Yushan, he had made excuses, but since the other party had left the pill behind, he figured he might as well take it; he was not the type to be overly particular.

In the shed, Xiang Yang opened the porcelain bottle and brought it to his nose for a sniff, a fragrant aroma wafted towards him, a sensation that was even more pleasant than the first time he smelled the Eight Treasure Porridge

Liu Guzhao glanced around and nodded. The three of them began to eat together. The food in the Internal Affairs Hall was far superior to the plain fare in the Golden Body Hall. Not to mention the hearty meats, even the rice grains were as large as pearls, truly exceptional. Even someone as gluttonous as Liu Gu, who could eat three bowls, felt satisfied.

Xiang Yang scoffed, "Whether to love or not, I can just hand it over to my senior brother when he returns!"

"No! How could I not? This is something given to me by my master!" Xiang was anxious, quickly snatching up two small pills into his hands. Remembering what Wu Xie from Yushan had said earlier, he feared that if his master returned, he might not get a chance to enjoy them. Impatiently, he stuffed them into his mouth.

The man smiled gently and said: "This is the place where Master Liu of the Golden Body Hall resides? I am Wu Xie from Yushan Hall..."

On a small path not far from the woodshed, a kitchen servant dressed in a blue cloth robe was joyfully walking back while holding three lacquered wooden lunch boxes, tightly clutching a small amount of change in his hand

After finishing the meal, servants came to clean up. Xiang Yang glanced at Xiang Xian, who was lying on his back, holding his stomach and groaning after overeating. He tugged at Liu Gu's sleeve, and the two of them went outside the room, took out a porcelain bottle, and handed it over.

Yushan Wu Xie looked at the porcelain vase in front of him with surprise, but did not reach out to take it. Instead, he smiled again and pointed to Xiang Xian, who was crying and throwing a tantrum on the ground, saying: "This little brother seems to be quite hungry. This Bu Yuan Dan can still endure some hunger. Alas, the Golden Body Hall is truly getting worse day by day. Nowadays, to attend this grand ceremony of establishing a sect, there is even no food to eat..."

This discovery filled Xiang Yang with great joy, as he at least knew that the treasure hidden in his chest was still of use. As for why it sometimes appeared and sometimes did not, he was still unclear, but he believed there would come a time when he would understand it.

Xiang Yang smiled as he took the porcelain bottle, and he was indeed not mistaken; this senior brother was truly a good person

At this moment, Xiang Yang had already risen to his feet, standing face to face with Yu Shan Wu Xie. Although he was only nine years old, he had a naturally strong physique, and after several months of practicing the Golden Body Technique, he had grown taller by half a head. He appeared to be akin to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth, standing in front of the slender Yu Shan Wu Xie, making their heights quite comparable.

Xiang Xian lay on the ground in a daze for a while, then pointed at Xiang Yang and began to cry loudly, mumbling indistinctly: "You hit me! I am hungry! I want to find my master! I want to eat something!"

Upon ingestion, the elixir transformed into a warm current that flowed directly into the abdomen. The medicinal properties of this elixir were significantly milder than those of the Eight Treasure Porridge, yet the vitality it contained was exceptionally abundant. Once it entered the stomach, it became a warm flow that circulated through the meridians. Each time it reached the dantian, both the dantian and the energy within it would increase by a minuscule amount, while the warm current would diminish slightly.

What happened to this little brother? Is someone bullying you?

The senior brother resides at the peak, and Liu Gu calculated the time, realizing that the journey would take at least one or two hours. Therefore, he summoned Xiang Yang and instructed him and Xiang Xian to absolutely not leave the house, before following Yun Qin.

Indeed, it is that bastard! That is the newly appointed leader of Yushan Hall! Liu Gu was immediately agitated: What else did he say?

The two meditation sessions took four to five hours, from the morning until the time of the setting sun, when Liu Gu hurriedly returned.

Who would take poison to harm others when it comes to someone like him and Xiang Xian, who are just beginners? Moreover, that kid has been fine for quite a while, which reassures Xiang Yang

Xiang Yang said with a mischievous smile: "He also told us not to let you know, saying that the Golden Body Hall is just a pauper, and that you would be envious when you see this elixir!"

After simply tidying up the thatched cottage, Liu Gu settled down with the two children. The next morning, Yunqin indeed hurried over, saying that she had already made an appointment with that senior brother to meet at his residence around noon

He glanced at Xiang Xian, who was lying on the ground tightly clutching the porcelain vase, and gently shook his head at Wu Xie from Yushan: "I am not Master Liu's disciple, but rather his junior apprentice, so I cannot address you as 'Shishu'. Please take this small gift back!"

Xiang Yang laughed and pointed to the porcelain bottle in his hand: "If I believe it, will I still give this elixir to you, my senior brother? Hmm, he said this is a Yuan Supplement Pill, senior brother, please take a look and see if there are any issues."

Yushan Wu Xie glanced at the two children in the room, a glimmer of cunning light flashing in his eyes, yet his face remained smiling. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a porcelain bottle, gently waving it, causing it to slowly descend to the ground. He pointed and said: "I am of the same generation as Master Liu, so I can be considered your uncle in the martial arts world. These two nourishing pills shall serve as my gift for our meeting. Call me 'Uncle,' and then you can each take one. However..."

Yushan Wu Xie from Yushan Hall said he came to find you. Upon seeing that you were not present, he mentioned something about a meeting gift...

He poured two powdery white pills into the palm of his hand, then pinched one of them, breaking it into two pieces the size of a fingernail, and rolled it into a ball. He then nudged it with his foot towards Xiang Xian and handed it over, saying, "Here, since you have called me 'Shishu', this immortal pill is for you"

As he spoke, he shook his head and unexpectedly turned around to leave. Once outside the door, the feathered garment behind him unfurled and transformed into a pair of wings, allowing him to float away.

Two children, one crying and the other sitting at the door with a stern face, at that moment, a voice sounded behind Xiang Yang.

A bastard is just a bastard! Liu Gu cursed a few times, then looked at Xiang Yang and asked, "You don't really believe him, do you?"

He paused for a moment, then said with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor fully serious: "It is best not to inform Master Liu; the Golden Body Hall is used to being poor, and these few elixirs might even make him envious..."

Xiang Yang paid him no mind, turned around, and began to meditate facing the wooden wall. For some reason, he entered a state of cultivation remarkably quickly; as soon as he calmed his mind, the warm flow in his dantian could circulate through his meridians with his consciousness. He felt a warm and comfortable sensation throughout his body, and for a moment, he became enamored with that feeling, as if it would be quite nice to cultivate like this for eternity.

He spoke as he gently stepped aside, his foot landing on Xiang Xian's hand. After a cry of agony, he flicked his toe, sending the porcelain vase flying into his hand, which he then turned to pass to Wu Xie of Yushan.

With no adults present, the two children stared at each other for a long time, and simultaneously let out a hum, turning their heads to sit at opposite ends of the wood shed, as far apart as possible.

In Xiang Yang's perception, it seems that after such a transformation, the vital energy within the elixir is more easily absorbed by the dantian. If it could be said that before the transformation, each time it allowed the dantian and the qi mechanism to grow by a tiny hair's breadth, now it is akin to a strand of hair.

Yushan Hall?" Xiang was momentarily taken aback, forgetting to continue crying and making a fuss. Xiang Yang had heard his three masters mention this name; twenty years ago, the two disciples taken in by Jingshen Hall were snatched away by them. Yushan Hall is located not far from the Longxian Gorge of Jingshen Hall and is a branch that covets this precious cultivation land the most.

This sitting lasted for several hours, and it was not until my stomach growled with hunger that I woke up. The time had already passed noon, and no one had come to this thatched hut; naturally, no one would bring food.

Xiang was lying on the ground and did not notice his small movements at all. When he saw him handing something over, he immediately stopped crying, reached out to take it, and looked at the two pea-sized items in his palm, somewhat dumbfounded: "Is this the elixir? Why is it so small?"

As soon as he arrived, a servant in a blue robe brought three portions of meals, seemingly aware of the large appetites of those in the Golden Body Hall, as the dishes were all filled to the brim

As for the porcelain bottle containing most of the elixirs, he naturally tucked it into his pocket

Xiang Yang furrowed his brow, stood up, took two steps forward, and pulled him back forcefully: "Where do you think you're going? The hall master said we are not allowed to go out!"

Liu Gu uncorked the bottle, took a sniff, then poured it out to take a look, shaking his head: "I don't quite understand it either, but I have heard of the Bu Yuan Dan; it is a good medicine for replenishing vital energy. From the looks of it, it seems to be true."

At the moment of discomfort, a faint creak came from the door of the woodshed behind him. Xiang Yang turned around and saw Xiang Xian pushing open the door, one foot already stepping outside

"Who sent the elixir?" Liu Gu's eyes widened in surprise as he hurriedly took the porcelain bottle from Xiang Yang's hands and began to examine it.

... ...

Xiang Yang looked at him with a smile, retreated to the depths of the wooden house, and sat down in meditation, but his eyes kept glancing at Xiang Xian's reaction

After consuming a pill, he sat in meditation for a full two hours. His dantian and vital energy had noticeably expanded compared to before. He still had another pill that he was not in a hurry to take; firstly, he was unsure if taking them consecutively would pose any risks, and secondly, he wanted to wait for Liu Gu to return and examine it for him. Unlike Xiang Xian, he did not harbor such thoughts. His intuition told him that Liu Gu would never covet this pill, and even if he truly desired it, Xiang Yang would not feel distressed.

Senior Brother, this is the elixir that someone delivered this afternoon

Strangely, the pebble that had remained still during Xiang Yang's previous attempt to open the Dantian seemed to have taken effect this time. The heat flow would briefly disappear for a moment as it passed through the chest, only to reappear again.

His mind is quite simple; whoever treats him well, he will treat well in return

Xiang Yang looked at him with disdain. In the village, this guy was known as the "slimy slug." When he was in a position of power, he was arrogant and self-satisfied, but when he couldn't win, he would cry and seek help from the adults. Even in the mountains, he remained the same. Xiang Yang couldn't be bothered to engage with him and simply sat down at the door. Since Liu Gu had said that no one was allowed to go out, he would rather let Xiang starve than allow him to step outside.

One incense stick, two incense sticks... That young man is still lively and energetic, and he seems to be enjoying himself. He is no longer hungry and is lying there humming a little tune.

"Who are you?" Xiang Yang turned around and saw a man in his thirties, wearing a brown feather coat and of a slender build, standing behind him, though he did not know when he had appeared.

Elixir? Xiang Xian's eyes immediately lit up, and he rushed forward, rolling and crawling, repeatedly shouting "Thank you, Master Uncle," as he tightly grasped the porcelain bottle in his hand, looking as if he wanted to swallow one of Xiang Yang's pills all for himself.

Liu Gulai did not anticipate that things would turn out this way; he had not brought any food. Xiang Yang was also at a loss and could only endure and continue meditating. However, after practicing the Golden Body Technique, his appetite had increased many times over, and he could hardly withstand the hunger. Before long, he found himself unable to bear it any longer.

Xiang Yang was somewhat puzzled as to why no one came to deliver lunch at noon. However, he did not think much of it. Noticing that Liu Gu seemed a bit gloomy, he obediently opened the lunch box and placed it in front of him: "Senior brother, you have been busy all day, please eat something first..."

He is now close to reaching the Copper Body realm, and his strength is not just one or two times greater than Xiang Xian's. In a moment of carelessness, he exerted all his strength and was unexpectedly pulled up into the air. In surprise, he let go, and with a loud bang, he crashed against the wooden wall inside. However, that wooden wall is flat, smooth, and somewhat elastic. Since Xiang Xian has also mastered the Golden Body Technique to a certain extent, although the sound of the impact was loud, it did not cause him any significant harm

Saying this, he handed the bottle back, and with a sense of disinterest, remarked: "He is not entirely wrong; our Golden Body Hall has indeed fallen into a lamentable state. Other branches have good disciples who treat the Supplementary Yuan Dan as a staple. However, no matter how poor we are, I, as your senior brother, will not covet your belongings"

Whenever the three masters mentioned this name, they would curse vehemently. In the mind of nine-year-old Xiang Yang, those whom the masters disliked must surely be bad people, and he immediately became alert: "Master Liu has gone up the mountain. If you have matters to discuss, please come back later."