Chapter 600: Ordinary and Cozy Little Pharmacy

Mu Daozi's eyes widened, filled with confusion, as he stood frozen, staring blankly at the person bleeding profusely. He felt a sense of unreality.

In his mind, this person should have been incredibly powerful.

"What... what's going on?"

Mu Daozi trembled, his breathing instantly becoming rapid. He felt the world spin and his body go limp. He couldn't imagine why any of this was happening, nor could he comprehend what level of cultivation would allow someone to reduce Reverend Hei Tong to such a state with a single glance. Even more perplexing, he couldn't understand why such a person would seek him out; he hadn't offended any powerful individuals.

As he stood there completely stunned, Li Youfei sighed. Although the other party had betrayed his sect, he was, after all, once his disciple. So, he stepped forward, grabbed Mu Daozi, and walked over to Xu Qing, holding him up and slapping him repeatedly. Slap after slap disfigured Mu Daozi. With a respectful expression, Li Youfei asked Xu Qing, "Master, should we kill him?"

At this question, Mu Daozi immediately snapped out of his dazed state. Pain flared throughout his body, but he dared not cry out. Instead, he stammered, "Master, is there some misunderstanding? I... I haven't offended anyone!"

"Was it your people who destroyed the medicine shop in Mud City?" Li Youfei glared at his former disciple, gritting his teeth.

"Medicine shop?" Mu Daozi shuddered, his eyes wide with confusion. The next moment, he remembered that medicine shop in Mud City, and his eyes suddenly widened, his mind buzzing. He remembered now: there was a medicine shop in Mud City, and Chen Fanzhuo had warned him not to touch it. But he hadn't listened.

"How could this be? What kind of medicine shop was that? How could this happen?" Mu Daozi was filled with endless regret, fear, and despair. His emotions fluctuated violently, and coupled with the severe beating from Li Youfei, he fainted on the spot.

Li Youfei looked at Mu Daozi's expression and recalled the time he had taught him, sighing inwardly. He then looked at Xu Qing with a pleading gaze, knowing that his former disciple's life or death rested solely on Xu Qing's decision. Xu Qing saw Li Youfei's plea, glanced at the unconscious Mu Daozi, and spoke calmly. "One hour. Restore it to how it was."

Li Youfei breathed a sigh of relief, bowed gratefully to Xu Qing, woke up the barely conscious Mu Daozi, grabbed him, and quickly departed.

An hour later, with Mu Daozi horrified after learning part of the truth, under his frantic shouts and the collective efforts of everyone in his faction, Xu Qing's small medicine shop was restored. Not only the medicine shop, but all the buildings in Mud City were returned to their original state. This speed demonstrated that everyone had given their utmost, daring not to slack off in the slightest. To ensure the medicine shop's interior was also as it was, Li Youfei even found Chen Fanzhuo, as he had been inside the shop and knew its layout. Under Chen Fanzhuo's guidance, the medicine shop was essentially restored to its original condition; even the signboard was repaired, as was the "out of office" wooden plaque Xu Qing had hung on the door before leaving that day.

As for the residents... at Li Youfei's insistence, Mu Daozi's subordinates, trembling, dressed up as residents. Mu Daozi was among them. Thus, with their dedicated presence, Qingling Hall reappeared in Mud City.

Standing outside the small medicine shop, Xu Qing looked at the familiar surroundings, feeling a sense of relaxation. He bowed to the Elder beside him. "Thank you, Elder. Please, you first."

Ling'er, also content, spoke sweetly to the Elder. "Thank you, Elder, for helping my Brother Xu Qing and me rebuild the medicine shop."

The Elder smiled, his gaze falling upon the medicine shop, and walked in with his hands behind his back. Xu Qing followed. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu glanced at Li Youfei, whose forehead was still sweating. They patted his arm and walked inside.

As soon as they entered, Ling'er enthusiastically introduced her medicine shop to the Elder. "Elder, this is the back room. Brother Xu Qing used to refine pills here, and I used to keep accounts at this counter. Business was very good!" As Ling'er spoke, she took out the small grass seedling and placed it back in its original spot. "And this is Little Miao. It's very cute and dances when it's happy."

The parrot immediately stared at it. The small grass seedling trembled, trying hard to sway.

While Ling'er was introducing the shop, the Captain looked around, observing everything, and whispered to Xu Qing, "Little A'Qing, this shop is a bit small. Can so many people fit here?"

Li Youfei, hearing this from behind, quickly pulled out his jade slip to summon people. Soon, the surrounding residents arrived and opened up the houses on either side of the medicine shop, instantly expanding its size several times over.

By the time they finished, it was dusk. As Mud City outside quieted down, lights were lit inside the small medicine shop, filling it with a warm ambiance. Under the lamplight, everyone sat around the medicine shop's table, looking at each other. The Elder was teasing the parrot. Although Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu tried to get used to the presence of the Reclusive Deity by their side, their inner tension wouldn't dissipate quickly. Sitting like this, they felt as awkward as new brides. Xu Qing and Ling'er were fine; the former was long accustomed, and the latter was naturally good at charming elders.

As for the Captain, he blinked. Throughout the journey, he had realized that the Young Master had been in the Bitter Life Mountains for about two months, for an unknown reason, but the second reason was definitely related to Xu Qing. He must have taken an interest in Xu Qing's Purple Moon power and intended to temper it, allowing Little A'Qing to grow quickly. Perhaps he needed Little A'Qing's abilities to unseal his brothers and sisters?

"This won't be simple. The Red Moon Temple must have extremely strong defenses." The Captain mused, recalling the Young Master's behavior along the way. He noticed that the Young Master enjoyed the mundane world and had no aversion to staying in this small medicine shop. "That's right, he's a widowed elder, after all. He probably prefers the warmth of a family gathering." Thinking of this, the Captain immediately looked at Ning Yan and the others. "Which of you can cook? Hurry up and make dinner for Elder!"

Ning Yan was bewildered, Wu Jianwu scratched his head, and Li Youfei hesitated. Ling'er's eyes, however, lit up with eagerness. Back in Duanmu Zang's Firefly City, she had learned many cooking skills from the older sisters and aunts. Brother Xu Qing always loved her cooking, so she was about to speak. Xu Qing, seeing this, preempted Ling'er and spoke, "But there are no ingredients." The Captain, hearing Xu Qing was about to cook, was also curious and quickly asked the others. Finally, under Wu Jianwu's gaze, the parrot reluctantly shook its body, dropping a pile of large fish. It loved to eat fish and had caught many on its way to find Xu Qing. Whenever it secretly went out, it would catch fish to eat. Its father, of course, knew this.

"You guys, stop slacking! Don't you see how messy it is here? Go clean up!" The Captain smiled. Ning Yan's gaze deepened. Wu Jianwu pretended not to see, but he knew Second Ox's plan was about to unfold.

Just like that, everyone started working. Some cleaned the floor, some wiped tables and counters, some arranged medicinal pills. At the parrot's request, they even changed into rough linen robes, looking less like cultivators. As for the Captain, seeing too much work to be done and the Young Master seeming to need a maid, he thought of You Jing and simply released her from the world fragment.

The moment she appeared in the medicine shop, You Jing's aura burst forth, accompanied by gnashing teeth. "Chen Erniu, you bastard..." Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu paid no mind to You Jing's appearance; they didn't even look at her, continuing to work. But as soon as she spoke, the Captain's eyes widened, and he proudly interrupted, "Little Youyou, how dare you! Look who's here!" The Captain gloated and pointed behind You Jing. You Jing froze. She sensed something was wrong and instinctively looked back. With just one glance, moments later, there was one more maid in the medicine shop.

Thus, time flowed on. Outside, the sky grew dark, and the wind howled. The coldness of the night began to spread. Mud City had few lights, and every household trembled. Only this small medicine shop, with Xu Qing's cooking, gradually diffused a fragrant aroma. The scent of home cooking transformed into human warmth, permeating the medicine shop.

An hour later, Xu Qing placed some dishes on the table. The air was filled with aroma, a table full of fish dishes. There were fish meatballs, grilled fish skin, fried fish pieces, and braised fish eyes. The Captain was surprised at how lavish it was.

Ling'er's mouth watered at the sight. She quickly sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and gazed eagerly at Elder Young Master. The Elder smiled, picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, chewed slowly, and nodded slightly. "Don't be too reserved. Everyone, try some."

The Captain, curious, cautiously picked up a piece. After eating it, he praised it, but inwardly mused that it wasn't as tasty as divine meat. Ning Yan also took a bite, showing a similar expression of being moved, but internally thought it was mediocre. Wu Jianwu took a sip of soup and sighed. Having not eaten common food for a long time, he felt like composing a poem to complain but held back after glancing at Xu Qing. As for You Jing, as a maid, she was entitled to a few bites, but after just one, she didn't want any more. In her memory, human flesh was the most delicious, and if she could eat Second Ox, it would be even tastier. Only Ling'er and Li Youfei ate the most. The latter kept flattering, while the former's eyes sparkled.

"Brother Xu Qing cooks so well!" Ling'er blinked, thinking that perhaps her own cooking was better, and decided to show off her skills in a few days.

Just as she was thinking this, the Elder took a sip of fish soup. "Xu Qing, your cooking technique seems to be from the southern culinary tradition. This soup tastes a bit peculiar. It was originally supposed to be snake soup, right? Replacing snake with fish as an ingredient makes the flavor a bit lacking."

Ling'er's body stiffened. "And this fish skin, it should also be snake skin, and the meat too. This is cooking fish using methods meant for snakes."

The Elder, after tasting, looked at Xu Qing and Ling'er playfully. Xu Qing looked at the Elder, then remained silent. Ling'er gasped, her eyes filled with fear. She instinctively moved closer to Xu Qing and quickly said, "Brother Xu Qing, snakes aren't tasty, but they can be eaten." Xu Qing nodded.

The Elder laughed upon hearing this. At this moment, he had shed his lordly demeanor and appeared as a kind and benevolent elder. Everyone continued to eat. As the first meal since arriving concluded, everyone's hearts gradually truly adapted to living with a Reclusive Deity.

You Jing washed the dishes, and the night passed quietly.

The next day, early morning. The medicine shop, closed for half a year, finally reopened. Previously, Ling'er would open the door, but today was different; Wu Jianwu opened it. Wu Jianwu, dressed in a rough linen robe, stood at the entrance after tidying the wooden plaque. He didn't go back inside but stood there, his expression changing a few times before he finally gritted his teeth and spoke loudly.

"Half a year has passed, a new day dawns,White pills for a penny for every guest!"

His voice echoed, spreading in all directions. This was the Captain's idea. He felt their medicine shop needed a greeter, and Wu Jianwu was naturally the most suitable. As Wu Jianwu spoke, the surrounding residents trembled and came out, looking at Wu Jianwu. They also saw a small chubby person inside the medicine shop, like a shop assistant, constantly wiping the floor. This assistant was very strange, with a large belly, as if something was wrapped inside his clothes. Beside him was Li Youfei. His status determined his job; his status was the lowest, so he could only be the shop's general handyman.

On the other side was the Captain. He assigned himself the position of guard! "Our medicine shop is located in the perilous Bitter Life Mountains, and for those vicious cultivators, we must have guards to protect the peace of our small shop." This was the Captain's declaration of his appointment.

As for Elder Young Master, he was naturally the old shopkeeper. He held a bead in his hand, smiling as he looked at the medicine shop. Inside the bead was sealed a person, whose face would occasionally flash within it—it was Reverend Hei Tong. Xu Qing was still the alchemist, and Ling'er continued to keep accounts; she enjoyed doing this. In addition, this newly reopened medicine shop had an extra senior maid specifically to serve the old shopkeeper—she was You Jing. And business was even more booming than before. On the first day of reopening, over two hundred people respectfully purchased white pills with spirit coins, which meant Ling'er needed extra time for her accounting.

Thus, several days passed. Xu Qing, besides cultivating, researched curses every day, and Wu Jianwu also adapted to his position. He stood outside daily, reciting different poems, living quite freely. Ning Yan, occasionally tired, would sit on the door frame, listening to Wu Jianwu's poetry. While enjoying the tranquility, he unknowingly found that he could often understand it. This discovery caused some panic in his heart. Li Youfei was the busiest among them. While doing chores, he also had to instruct Mu Daozi outside not to make it so fake; the disciples who came were so scared their legs turned soft, which looked too unsightly. Then there was the Captain, who stood there every day with his arms crossed, holding a long sword, coldly observing all guests, looking like a master. As for You Jing... because the Elder liked drinking tea and teasing the bird daily, her job was to brew tea and pour water, and incidentally, serve the parrot. These scenes were the daily life inside this ordinary small medicine shop.

Until seven days passed. As everything in the medicine shop was progressing well, Xu Qing, whose tribulation injuries had fully recovered, embarked on the next phase of his tempering.

"Xu Qing, since your injuries have healed, come with me. Your inner power needs to be properly unearthed." The Elder's voice echoed in Xu Qing's ears. Xu Qing took a deep breath, stood up, and with a flicker, left the medicine shop with the Elder.

When they reappeared, they were in mid-air. They traveled forward, soaring through the sky above the Bitter Life Mountains. Along the way, they encountered many cultivators; some were flying, others fighting within the mountain range. Yet, in their eyes, Xu Qing and the Elder seemed non-existent. Even when directly encountered, these cultivators of the Bitter Life Mountains saw no trace of them and continued with their activities as if nothing was amiss. Xu Qing was not surprised by this; he knew the Young Master's abilities. As for their destination, Xu Qing looked at the direction and had a guess: they were heading towards the Red Moon Temple in the Bitter Life Mountains.

This was indeed the case. Several hours later, the Elder brought Xu Qing above the Red Moon Temple. The Red Moon Temple in the Bitter Life Mountains was located on the highest peak of the mountain range, holding a revered position. Its divine envoys were terrifying, and their invisible might suppressed the entire desert. But in the Elder's eyes, it was clearly not so. He swaggered with Xu Qing directly into the Red Moon Temple on the mountaintop.

Standing on the plaza, the Elder glanced around, then raised his right hand and beckoned a Nurturing Dao realm middle-aged man who was about to leave. The middle-aged cultivator in the Nurturing Dao realm instantly turned, changed direction, and flew directly towards Xu Qing. In an instant, he landed on the plaza, looked at Xu Qing, and stood motionless. Witnessing this bizarre scene, Xu Qing remained silent and looked at the Elder.

"One hundred breaths, Xu Qing. Unleash your full cultivation and engage him in a life-and-death battle with all your might." The Elder spoke indifferently. "Go kill him and devour his Red Moon faith. If you don't succeed after one hundred breaths, everyone in the Red Moon Temple here will discover you, and I won't help you. If you can do it, fine; if not... then it depends on your fate."

As the Elder spoke, his body ascended, standing between heaven and earth, closing his eyes to wait. The moment he closed his eyes, the motionless Nurturing Dao realm cultivator's hollow eyes were replaced by a crimson glow. He glared at Xu Qing as if seeing his lifelong arch-nemesis, letting out a low growl as his cultivation erupted. Swirls of energy instantly formed within his body, nine in total, like nine stars, outlining an illusory hidden treasury. Inside this treasury, a volcano seemed to be vigorously erupting, creating rumbling sounds that spread in all directions. Simultaneously, a bloody light penetrated the middle-aged cultivator's body, projecting outwards and merging with heaven and earth, forming a colossal figure hundreds of feet tall. This figure was a treant, with a thick trunk, brown branches, and black flowers. The ground also trembled violently at this moment, as roots emerged from cracks in the earth, floating around. In a blink of an eye, the entire plaza was filled with countless branches. As the ground shattered, countless blood-red grasses grew wildly from within, transforming the surrounding earth into a red grassland.

From afar, the enormous treant within the grassland seemed to possess the power to devour mountains and rivers. The fierce glint in its eyes and the terrifying pressure emanating from its entire body converged into streaks of lightning that appeared out of thin air, thundering down in all directions. This scene was incredibly astonishing, and it was Xu Qing's first direct confrontation with a Nurturing Dao realm cultivator!

In an instant, the countless red grasses growing from the ground and the innumerable branches rushed towards Xu Qing. Their speed was immense, forming countless afterimages, exceeding the limits of a Nascent Soul cultivator, giving Xu Qing no chance to react as they instantly closed in. Xu Qing's pupils contracted. The crisis from all directions created a strong sense of life-or-death. He knew his combat power was inferior to the opponent's, and his speed was also a bit lacking, making avoidance impossible. At this moment, his body flickered, and his divine body erupted, instantly reaching five feet in height. The toxins within him and his Purple Moon power spread, colliding abruptly with the surrounding branches and red grasses.

A roar echoed. Although Xu Qing was extraordinary, he still had a gap compared to a Nurturing Dao cultivator. In a blink of an eye, countless red grasses acted like sharp blades, and countless branches like tentacles, enveloping him. Even with Purple Moon suppression and poison prohibition corrosion, there were too many red grasses and branches around; they constantly dissipated and reappeared, accumulating around Xu Qing in an instant. They formed a secondary mountain of vegetation, continuously rising, reaching a hundred feet high in a flash. Its top spread out like an umbrella, actually forming a giant palm. This palm descended heavily towards Xu Qing, who was buried beneath the vegetation.

Amidst the roar, as the palm descended, the vegetation shattered, and a terrifyingly powerful suppressing force erupted, threatening to directly crush Xu Qing's location. But at this moment, a colossal figure materialized from the earth: it was Ghost Emperor Mountain! In this critical moment, Xu Qing poured all his cultivation into Ghost Emperor Mountain, forming the Ghost Emperor's shadow. The moment it appeared, its hands rose and slammed with full force against the descending palm.

The deafening roar rose to the sky. The palm made of vegetation crumbled inch by inch, shattering and completely disintegrating in a flash, scattering like rain in all directions. Simultaneously, cracks appeared on Xu Qing's Ghost Emperor body, which also collapsed, revealing Xu Qing's figure. Xu Qing spat out blood, his face pale. The pressure from the Nurturing Dao realm made his internal organs tremble. His breathing was rapid, but his eyes were unusually calm. He had no hesitation, instantly bursting forward, rushing towards the Nurturing Dao cultivator who was unleashing countless lightning bolts with a wave of his hand.

At the same time, the Elder in the sky spoke indifferently. "Eighty breaths left."

"Brother Shen!""Hmm!"

Shen Changqing was walking along the road, meeting familiar people, and they would greet each other or nod. But no matter who it was, everyone's face was devoid of extra expression, as if indifferent to everything. Shen Changqing had grown accustomed to this, because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution that maintained the stability of Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons and strange creatures, though it also had other secondary responsibilities.

It could be said that everyone in the Demon Suppression Division had much blood on their hands. When a person has witnessed enough life and death, they become indifferent to many things. When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing was somewhat unacclimated, but he eventually grew used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast. Those who could remain there were either powerful masters or individuals with the potential to become masters. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter. The Demon Suppression Division was divided into two professions: Demon Suppressors and Demon Slayers. Everyone who joined the Demon Suppression Division started as a low-level probationary Demon Slayer.

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From there, they would advance step by step, eventually hoping to become a Demon Suppressor. Shen Changqing's predecessor had been a probationary Demon Slayer, the lowest rank among Demon Slayers. Possessing his predecessor's memories, he was very familiar with the Demon Suppression Division's environment.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a pavilion. Unlike other grim places in the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, presenting a unique tranquility amidst the blood-soaked division. The pavilion's main door was open, with people occasionally entering and exiting. Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering the pavilion, the environment abruptly changed. A wave of ink mingled with a faint scent of blood assailed him, causing him to instinctively frown, though his brow quickly smoothed. The bloody smell on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash off.