...
After the two got married.
Chen Sheng also moved into the Pill Workshop to live.
Newlyweds, intimately close, as sweet as honey, sticking together for a month without the slightest distance.
Of course, Chen Sheng did not forget his daily cultivation and work.
Huang Wangyou, on the other hand, was accustomed to leisure, continuing her sporadic cultivation.
Chen Sheng let her do as she liked.
In the pharmacy, various herbs exuded different fragrances, while Li Huayao stood obediently by the neat shelves.
Chen Sheng and Huang Wangyou stood side by side.
In addition, there were also two young apprentices, a boy and a girl, standing with a hint of nervousness on their faces.
These days, with Chen Sheng and Li Huayao gradually guiding them, the new apprentices smoothly mastered basic knowledge of pharmacy.
At this moment, Huang Yueyang was stroking his beard, carefully inspecting the herbs prepared by the new apprentices. He nodded slightly with a relaxed expression:
"Starting tomorrow, Tang Yun and Li Huayao will go to the Fire Room."
"Really?"
Li Huayao's eyes lit up, and she clenched her fists. The work in the pharmacy was tedious and tiresome, washing, cutting, drying herbs... all were cumbersome and hard to endure.
The Fire Room was different; it was the true beginning of alchemy,
The Path of Fire Control was profound and the work relatively leisurely. Naturally, Li Huayao was thrilled, unable to hide the smile on her face.
Chen Sheng was also delighted. Although his father-in-law had secretly shared secret knowledge with him, officially everything was in order; he was still learning and growing step by step.
Huang Yueyang gave a few more instructions to the two new apprentices, including the key points of storing herbs, and then left with his hands behind his back.
The two apprentices quickly bowed to the three of them in gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, for your guidance these days!"
Chen Sheng replied warmly:
"It's yourselves you should thank; you're the ones willing to put in the effort."
On the other side, Li Huayao, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, was in high spirits and enthusiastically giving advice to the new apprentices:
"When we are gone, be even more diligent in the pharmacy..."
Watching this scene, Huang Wangyou covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, her heart filled with amusement.
...
At noon, in the inner hall.
Chen Sheng brewed a pot of Dragon Well tea and respectfully handed a cup to his father-in-law, his actions both courteous and skilled.
Watching the swirling heat rising from the cup, Huang Yueyang took a sip of tea and slowly asked:
"The 'Secret Knowledge of Pharmacy' has been in your hands for several months. Have you gained any insights?"
Chen Sheng did not hide anything and organized his thoughts a little.
In those months, he had already thoroughly understood its contents.
The 'Secret Knowledge of Pharmacy' contains thirty chapters in total.
The first ten chapters cover various basic pharmacology and methods of making medicine, precisely what the disciples learn in the pharmacy.
Mastering this knowledge, then learning Fire Control and Condensing Pill, mastering basic pill formulas, one can begin refining basic elixir pills.
From the eleventh chapter onward, it belongs to the real secret knowledge, including many rare pharmacologies and utilities, necessary for refining more challenging elixir pills.
This section encompasses five chapters.
The last fifteen chapters explain the ratios and fusion of various herbs. The depth of explanation reaches the foundational principles, concluding with a deduction of a pill formula.
——The deduction of Huang's Rejuvenating Pill.
Huang's Pill Workshop has three signature products——Huang's Rejuvenating Pill, Huang's Yellow Bud Pill, and Huang's Spirit Feeding Pill.
The Rejuvenating Pill is famous for its great value and effectiveness, and among similarly priced pills, Huang's version is the most potent, earning the favor of many loose cultivators.
Chen Sheng carefully read through this deduction process, finding that it had gone through dozens of versions, with some offering better efficacy but greatly increased costs.
Some had lower costs, but the pill's effectiveness was insufficient.
After repeated research and material adjustments, Huang Yueyang finalized the current version, giving Huang's Rejuvenating Pill a powerful competitive edge in the market.
Chen Sheng pondered for a moment, speaking honestly:
"I've repeatedly studied these days and finally glimpsed some paths. Father-in-law often says, 'Without proficient knowledge of herbs, success in Alchemy Dao is hard to achieve,' and now I find it truly wise."
He looked up at Huang Yueyang, his gaze sincere:
"People often say that the pill formula is the foundation of alchemy, but after observing the secret knowledge, I realized this is a great fallacy. It's the ratio and fusion of various herbs that is the real core!"
"A pill formula can change in countless ways, but the foundational principles remain the same. Mastering these allows one to improve formulas as father-in-law did, or even create new ones."
Huang Yueyang lowered his tea cup, the bottom clinking softly against the table, a rare look of approval on his face:
"You do have some insight."
Pausing, he added:
"Memorize the contents of the secret knowledge thoroughly, then destroy that Jade Scroll."
Chen Sheng nodded, understanding it was to prevent the inheritance from leaking.
"Yes, father-in-law!"
With his Mid-stage Qi Cultivation's spiritual sense, remembering everything was not difficult; as long as he calmed his mind and memorized it carefully, he could engrave all of it into his brain.
Huang Yueyang nodded and continued:
"From tomorrow, in addition to your duties in the Fire Room, come to the inner hall every afternoon to learn the Way of Pharmacy from me. Just remembering it in your head is useless; this knowledge cannot be separated from actual practice."
Chen Sheng nodded: "Father-in-law's words are very true."
Huang Yueyang nodded:
"Since you and Wangyou are married, you call me father-in-law. From now on, your cultivation resources will be provided by me as your father."
With that, he took a storage pouch from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Sheng.
Chen Sheng accepted the storage pouch, swept it with his spiritual sense, and couldn't help but feel shocked.
"Inside are three hundred pounds of spirit rice, four bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, and thirty spirit stones."
"These are your provisions for the year."
Father-in-law was extremely generous; three hundred pounds of spirit rice, even at the market purchase price, required thirty spirit stones.
Not to mention the four bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, intended for the daily Qi Cultivation of mid-stage cultivators, with a market price around thirty-five spirit stones per bottle.
Four bottles equate to about one hundred and forty spirit stones.
Calculating it, father-in-law immediately provided two hundred spirit stones worth of resources, something Chen Sheng could only dream of achieving through farming alone, likely taking ten years to accumulate.
"Father-in-law, this..."
"Take it."
Huang Yueyang waved his hand, his tone carrying the warmth of a senior.
"We're all family, no need to be polite."
"Thank you, father-in-law!"
Chen Sheng no longer refused, obediently accepting the storage pouch.
Finally, Huang Yueyang gave a reminder:
"Tomorrow, when learning Fire Control, you must be highly focused."
"If you don't refine your basic fire control technique to perfection, the secret techniques later will be beyond your grasp."
Chen Sheng nodded: "I will definitely remember the teachings, and won't dare to be negligent."
...
The new room.
Huang Wangyou was sitting at the dressing table, fiddling with a jade hairpin. Seeing Chen Sheng enter, she quickly turned around, eyes sparkling with anticipation as she looked at him:
"Did you get your cultivation resources?"
Chen Sheng walked over and lightly tapped her nose: "My dear wife is truly smart."
Huang Wangyou smugly lifted her chin:
"Of course, how much did you get?"
Chen Sheng handed over the storage pouch.
Huang Wangyou took a probe with her spiritual sense and understood immediately:
"Father has always been impartial, it's the same as my share."
Saying this, she also took out a storage pouch from her dressing box and handed it to Chen Sheng,
Chen Sheng looked, and it was indeed even distribution, also with three hundred pounds of spirit rice, four bottles of elixir pills for early-stage Qi cultivation, and thirty spirit stones.
"No, that's not enough!"
Huang Wangyou suddenly frowned, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on:
"Husband, your cultivation is higher than mine, how can three hundred pounds of spirit rice be enough? The number of spirit stones should be higher too!"
With that, she was about to stand up and go out.
"I'm going to talk to father!"
"Hey, don't go!"
Chen Sheng, a little embarrassed, quickly held her back:
"It's enough, really enough. Father-in-law has already taken great care of me, how can I make more requests?"
Huang Wangyou, being held back, struggled twice but couldn't break free, then pouted:
"But your cultivation uses up a lot..."
Even as she said this, there was no real intention to find her father in her eyes, carrying instead a playful charm as she was held by Chen Sheng.
Seeing her like this, warmth filled Chen Sheng's heart. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently planting a kiss on her forehead.
Huang Wangyou nestled into his embrace and suddenly looked up, eyes twinkling with mischief and a playful smile:
"Then… tonight I'll make it up to you, as a celebration for husband learning in the Fire Room."
Chen Sheng was overjoyed:
"Great!"