Chapter 1324: Chapter 497: Buddha Country’s Arrangements (Part 3)
Zhou Xuan listened and found it mystical.
Since this elixir, after consumption, neither increases nor decreases lifespan, what’s the point of taking it? Is it just for the ’joy’—is happiness the most important?
For a moment, Zhou Xuan thought that this elixir couldn’t be used for cultivation, and was only suitable for dealing with certain "melancholy" and "joyless" human maladies.
"The ’Joyful Longevity Pill’ is of the eleventh level, and indeed it’s not very useful elixir, but this elixir isn’t solely for curing human maladies."
Danzi said: "If there are some Hall Disciples who need to perform Divine Skills, which require the cost of lifespan, yet those disciples just don’t have a long enough lifespan, the Divine Skills cannot be performed,
If those disciples happen to possess a large number of ’Joyful Longevity Pills,’ consuming dozens at once, their lifespan instantly accumulates, and their Divine Skills can be performed."
"Is there a Tangkou using lifespan to perform Divine Skills?"
Zhou Xuan asked Danzi.
"Some strange cults in the human world have this, and there might be more above the Heavenly Dome."
Danzi said: "Therefore, even though this elixir seems low-grade and generally ineffective, in the eyes of those disciples consuming life essence, it’s nothing short of a life-saving elixir."
"As such, in the human world’s Fire Pit, the demand for this kind of elixir is high."
Zhou Xuan upon hearing this said: "Then hurry up and give me the formula, my Alchemy Factory is about to start operating officially."
"You haven’t done Alchemy before, you also don’t know how to use the Fire Pit furnace, even if I tell you, you won’t be able to make the elixir."
Danzi said: "Then call Mr. Bai Lu here and I’ll tell him, he will help you with the alchemy."
"Are you challenging me? How do you know... how do you know I can’t do alchemy?"
Zhou Xuan still insisted on getting the formula.
However, Danzi vehemently refused and kept repeating: "If you blow up the furnace when doing alchemy, that’s a disgrace to me. If others find out, they might think I’m ignorant of Alchemy Dao, I can’t bear that shame."
"Moreover, alchemy requires a master guiding, teaching knowledge and passing on experience hand-to-hand, you shouldn’t act recklessly."
Zhou Xuan detected Danzi’s pride and retorted: "You are an elixir yourself, quite concerned with appearances, but you are also mindful, worried I can’t successfully create elixir, alright, I won’t argue with you, if you want to see Old Bai Lu, I’ll bring him."
He turned to leave the stone temple but remembered the white cicada and asked: "By the way, Danzi, you know a lot, so let me ask you, I captured an autumn cricket from a Pill Master’s Secret Realm, is there any saying about autumn cricket?"
"I only know alchemy, other things, I know nothing."
Danzi is focused on being a "craft elixir," excited in talking about elixirs, uninterested in other topics,
Zhou Xuan didn’t bother to ask more, went outside the stone temple, and brought Mr. Bai Lu into the temple.
When Mr. Bai Lu heard that he would learn the formula for "Human Pill," he immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, palms facing up, kept knocking on his knees, wailing,
"All my life, I’ve been concocting Qi Pills, and now you’re asking me to learn this heinous Human Pill!
What sort of decency is this? What sort of decency?"
Zhou Xuan immediately persuaded: "Old Bai, don’t be so stubborn, Human Pill and Qi Pill are both elixirs, just make them."
"Cannot do it, if I make them, I’ll be failing my ancestors above, and my Taoist practice below, it’s indecent!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan immediately vented on the "troublesome nature" of Alchemist Bai Lu, raising an eyebrow, said,
"Old Bai Lu, if you insist on discussing decency, then we have to discuss this notion of decency,
Back then, who was the scoundrel who loudly proclaimed their Taoist achievements were great, shouted ’Daoist I’ve succeeded,’ ’Daoist shares lifespan with Heaven and Earth’? Was that decent?"
"This... this..." Alchemist Bai Lu’s voice started shaking.
Zhou Xuan continued: "You, an alchemist, wants to share lifespan with Heaven and Earth? Isn’t that rebellious?"
"All nonsense, all nonsense!"
"Hardly nonsense." Zhou Xuan adjusted his cuticle, said calmly,
"Today, undoubtedly, the Dan Taker from "Heaven and Earth" will come to deliver "Hundred Human Phenomena" to me, so if I casually mention,
that I have an old alchemist here who wants to share lifespan with "Heaven and Earth," what the Dan Taker will do, I dare not imagine!"
Alchemist Bai Lu was filled with fear, repeatedly grabbed Zhou Xuan’s finger, smiling obsequiously, said: "Mr., I think, this Human Pill and Qi Pill are just a dispute of sect, these are breaking the rules?"
"And then?"
"From today, all biases, all old rules, starting with me Old Bai Lu, for the way of the elixir, will remove sect biases, eliminate remnants, starting with me."
"Isn’t that resolved?"
Zhou Xuan clapped his hands, said: "You stay here and listen to Danzi preach, I’ll go talk to Lao Yun about that autumn cricket, chat about it, and then come find you again!
Study earnestly, learn well, once my Alchemy Dao is successful, I’ll give you a few long-lived elixirs, then you might indeed share lifespan with "Heaven and Earth."
"Alright... I’ll learn... I really regret my mouth, everything that comes out is trouble."
Alchemist Bai Lu regretted not earlier, if only he hadn’t been so "careless with his words" before, how good it would be.
...
Zhou Xuan left the temple, wandered in the shop for a while, did not see Li Changxun or Yun Ziliang, then asked Little Fuzi who was about to go out.
"Fuzi, where are your Grandpa Yun and Grandpa Li?"
"Oh, they went to the street side to watch others play chess." Little Fuzi said while putting on his coat.
"What are you going to do?" Zhou Xuan asked again.
"I’m going to squat at Hua Zi’s house, see if Hua Zi is returning or not." Little Fuzi was most concerned about Hua Zi.
Zhou Xuan nodded, waved his hand and said: "Then go ahead."
"Young master, there’s fish stewing in the pot, rice pot is simmering on low heat, if you’re hungry, scoop a bowl and eat, I’ve also cut a plate of fresh chili, it’s placed in the pantry, to prevent bugs from crawling."
"Got it, got it." Zhou Xuan appreciated Little Fuzi’s carefulness, and went to the kitchen, scooped a large bowl of rice, poured fish soup over the rice, added some pieces of fish, half a plate of fresh chili, carried the bowl and went out to watch the play.
He knew that what Yun Ziliang and Li Changxun called setting up chess was "street endgame", gambling money.
"This Dragon Seeking Lineage has quite the gambling culture, anything with luck involved, they have to dabble in it."
Zhou Xuan held the bowl, headed to the street corner where the endgame stall was...
