The new academy arranged by Yue Wu Huan is located outside the peach grove, a fair distance from the laboratory. Next to it is a massive new pharmacy, housing most common medicinal materials from both the mortal and immortal realms, available for apprentices to request. Highly toxic and precious materials are kept in the original pharmacy, accessible only with Yue Wu Huan's approval.
Beside the pharmacy is a library, filled with many more low-level immortal books, basic medical books, and miscellaneous books than before—most likely accumulated over the past ten years.
Song Qing Shi almost couldn't pull himself away from a book titled "Mysteries of Life-Fire."
"All the books here have been selected by me and are relatively harmless, suitable for apprentices just starting out," Yue Wu Huan said, slipping the book into Song Qing Shi's arms as an indication that he could take it with him. "While My Lord excels in both medicine and poison, all apprentices must undergo several years of training here to evaluate their character and moral integrity before gaining access to precious herbs and poisons."
Song Qing Shi agreed with the arrangement. He was generous in teaching medical skills but didn't want his knowledge of poison to be misused by malicious individuals. Yue Wu Huan's decision to teach medical skills but not poison to the apprentices aligned with his own thoughts.
Yue Wu Huan gestured a spell, and a lifeless figure with wooden-like movements emerged from the woods.
A quick glance told Song Qing Shi that it was a corpse. He asked in surprise, "Is this a poison puppet that you've crafted?"
Poison puppets were lethal constructs made from corpses by Song Qing Shi. He hadn't made many due to the complexity of controlling the array. They were deadly, exploding upon destruction and releasing toxic mists, serving as a hidden line of defense within the Medicine King Valley.
Otherwise, the Medicine King Valley—a place abundant in precious medicinal materials but defended only by a Nascent Soul cultivator and Foundation Establishment servants—would have long been seized by the bandits of the immortal realm.
This poison puppet was not created by Song Qing Shi, but it had been significantly improved with more sophisticated control arrays and integrated mechanisms, making its attacks even more vicious.
"I found the notes on making poison puppets in your lab," Yue Wu Huan nervously explained. "After you fell into a coma, the original poison puppets became irreparable. I had to find another line of defense, so I practiced crafting new ones using corpses from the dissection room."
Considering his own messy and cryptic notes, Song Qing Shi stumbled over his words of praise, "You've improved it excellently. How many have you made?"
Yue Wu Huan obediently answered, "Sixty-four. Most are hidden in the poison mist formation; some guard the treasure chamber and lab, while a few less frightening-looking ones can be carried in mustard seed bags for personal protection."
Before he acquired the Blood King Vine, he severely lacked capable assistants. He had to come up with alternative measures to compete with immortal cultivators.
Song Qing Shi was astonished and couldn't help but ask, "The arrays on these poison puppets are extremely intricate. How did you manage to...?"
Yue Wu Huan replied, "Once I've drawn something, I won't make a mistake."
Song Qing Shi felt incredibly defeated. Although he was the original inventor of the poison puppets, he wasn't particularly skillful at drawing the complex arrays. Each puppet required several failed attempts, and due to his lack of interest in making them, he had only made around twenty, just enough to meet his needs.
He surreptitiously glanced at his own unskilled hands, then at Yue Wu Huan's nimble, steady ones.
He felt the gap between people could be so vast, and it was a bit disheartening.
But glyphs and arrays require meticulousness and steady hands. Yue Wu Huan would undoubtedly surpass him in achievements and become a master in time.
Somehow, that thought made him quite happy.
Over the years, Yue Wu Huan had thoroughly researched the poison puppets. While the ones designed by Song Qing Shi looked menacing, they actually had some leeway built in; they wouldn't harm anyone unless intentionally provoked.
In contrast, Yue Wu Huan cared little for anyone else's life; his poison puppets were designed to be deadly at every turn.
All these years while wandering in search of medicinal herbs, countless cultivators had died at the hands of his poison puppets. Afraid that Song Qing Shi might consider him too cruel, he had been cautiously observing his reactions. Seeing the expression change a few times before finally settling on happiness, Yue Wu Huan felt relieved.
Song Qing Shi heaped praise upon his little angel, "The student has surpassed the master."
Yue Wu Huan smiled, "You're too kind, My Lord. Without your invention of the poison puppets, I wouldn't have been able to defend the Medicine King Valley."
Song Qing Shi pondered and asked, "An Long had a hard time with your poison puppets, didn't he? Otherwise, he couldn't have failed to break in for two years."
Yue Wu Huan sighed, "Lord An initially deduced the weaknesses in your poison puppets. So, I switched them out with my modified versions right when he thought he had succeeded. He was poisoned and had to retreat for half a year. Although I was able to temporarily repel him using Blood King Vines and geographical advantages, he has now fully grasped these techniques."
The Wan Gu Sect is martial by nature, and An Long is among the best. He has an animal-like instinct for danger, profound cultivation, and also a mastery of various poisons taught by Song Qing Shi. His numerous attempts to poison An Long had failed, making him realize that intricate schemes can be powerless before brute force.
Had it not been for Song Qing Shi's habit of documenting everything, and the knowledge about Gu worms left in the lab, as well as a change in his ill fate, he would have been killed by An Long long ago.
Song Qing Shi consoled him, "An Long is a prodigy. The fact that you've thwarted him twice already is extraordinary, something most Golden Core cultivators can't achieve. Now that I am awake and misunderstandings are cleared, he will no longer attack you."
Considering their grudges, Yue Wu Huan smiled gently, "Indeed, Lord An will surely understand my actions."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked into the academy. It was noon, and the apprentices had gone to the dining hall, so Song Qing Shi took the opportunity to look around.
The academy was a square courtyard, elegantly decorated to Yue Wu Huan's tastes. The main building was for collective learning and was equipped with a podium, bookshelves, and various experimental apparatus. Some of the equipment even came from the renowned Tian Gong Fang, and a few pieces were what Song Qing Shi had wanted but couldn't afford before.
Seeing the extravagantly furnished academy, Song Qing Shi felt his spirit stone pouch grow lighter.
"My Lord, we are no longer short on money. The Medicine King Valley and Ye Yu Pavilion have entered a partnership," Yue Wu Huan explained. "I've added some expensive fragrances and pearls to the facial cream you initially formulated. Renamed 'Yu Rong Cream,' it has become a sensation. Besides quickly removing scars, it enhances skin texture, making one even more beautiful. Almost all female cultivators are clamoring for it."
Song Qing Shi was stunned. He had never made any money selling medicines, and now he'd made a fortune selling skincare? Something felt very odd about that.
"Your illness required a great deal of money for medical expenses, so I chose the quickest way to make money," Yue Wu Huan handed him the ledger. "We have spent quite a bit over the years, yet we still have 3.2 million spirit stones left in the account."
Song Qing Shi, initially harboring a bit of unease, instantly brightened up upon seeing the gleaming figures in the account.
He had even cultivated a youth elixir; what was Yu Rong Cream in comparison? With money in hand, he could continue his research, create medicine to benefit society—it was a win-win!
Yue Wu Huan considerately added, "I had Ye Yu Pavilion announce that the formula for Yu Rong Cream was an ancient secret left by immortals, not specifically developed by you. The porcelain jars it's sold in also label it as a medicinal cream for treating scars and optimizing skin health."
Medicinal skincare is still medicine!
Feeling that the dignity of a Medicine King was preserved, Song Qing Shi was satisfied. Aware of his poor financial management skills, he handed the ledger to Yue Wu Huan, graciously stating, "You'll manage the finances from now on; just give me an allowance each month."
The corners of Yue Wu Huan's mouth curled into a beautiful arc, as if hearing something pleasing, and he promised, "Alright, whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."
Song Qing Shi was even more satisfied.
After touring the academy, he retracted his Red Lotus Dan Fire and solemnly sat on the grandmaster's chair on the podium.
Yue Wu Huan called all the apprentices over to pay their respects to their master.
Afraid his nervousness would show, Song Qing Shi adopted the stern expression of his college professors, though inside, he was filled with awe—just who were all these people?
He had initially failed to take a good look at everyone, and now he could only recognize Qing Luan and Ming Hong. Qing Luan had changed due to the impact of the Union Seal, her gentleness replaced by a brisk and efficient aura, reminding him of a school senior from another world.
Ming Hong had turned into a young man. Dressed in red, he not only resembled Yue Wu Huan in appearance but also in demeanor, albeit he was more reserved and less talkative.
A strapping man walked in; it took Song Qing Shi a moment to recognize him as the sunny youth who used to stretch his friends' limbs in the martial arts courtyard. Now taller and darker, his features were still handsome, but his youthful beauty was nowhere to be seen.
Qing Luan explained with a smile, "His name is He Qing Yun. He mainly focuses on cultivating medicinal herbs and spends a lot of time in the fields, hence his appearance."
He Qing Yun scratched his head sheepishly, grinning, "I reckon looking like this, no scoundrel would be attracted to my good looks. I was a farmer and knew nothing but tending to plants. My Lord saved my life; I must repay that kindness. While a mortal's cultivation isn't much, I can still grow herbs for you in the future."
Song Qing Shi nodded, smiling, resolved to elevate their cultivation levels using medicines later on.
Suddenly, he noticed a striking youth, around seventeen or eighteen, with a pair of distinctively charming peach-blossom eyes. Languid and unattentive, the youth yawned discreetly and fiddled with something in his hands while no one was watching.
Song Qing Shi felt as though he had caught a student sneakily playing with a phone at the back of the class. Unable to maintain his stern expression, he smiled and beckoned the youth to come over.
Qing Luan glared at the young man, introducing, "This is Rong Ye, a child who came with the same group as Ming Hong. He hasn't experienced much hardship and is quite mischievous. But he's very dexterous. My Lord, please don't be angry; I'll discipline him properly."
Recalling Qing Luan's stern reprimands, Rong Ye was a little apprehensive. He reluctantly came forward and handed over the toy he had been playing with.
Song Qing Shi detected the implied compliment in Qing Luan's criticism. She was protective of these children, who had experienced hardship similar to hers, and he didn't want to nitpick.
Smiling, he took the object from Rong Ye's hand and examined it closely. It was a delicately handcrafted miniature hourglass. He turned it upside down on the table and, using his experience in alchemy to gauge time, confirmed that the sand would run out in about one minute.
Qing Luan explained, "Rong Ye is careless and often has trouble managing his time while refining pills. He made this to assist him."
Rong Ye retorted, "Qing Luan, ever since I started using this, I haven't messed up my timing. You shouldn't keep bringing up that one failure."
Qing Luan rebuked, "Silence! Others may fail, but only you managed to blow up the pill furnace!"
Rong Ye said in a woeful tone, "I just wanted to see what would happen if I added some Yellow Pill essence..."
"Your craftsmanship is excellent," Song Qing Shi pondered, trying to emulate how his own professors treated their students and give some constructive encouragement. "Beginners in alchemy often struggle with controlling the fire and timing. Using tools like this to manage your time is a smart idea, although it shouldn't become a crutch. Perhaps we should consider custom-ordering some timing devices from Tian Gong Fang to assist in alchemy."
Yue Wu Huan agreed, "My Lord is absolutely right. We should add timing devices to our alchemy workshop."
Qing Luan glared at Rong Ye once more. Low-level alchemy could rely on mechanical timers, but high-level techniques required experience to adjust time flexibly. Relying on shortcuts like this would only doom him to being an alchemy craftsman rather than a master alchemist.
Rong Ye was young and good-looking, with a charming manner that people found endearing. This had led to him becoming a bit overly confident.
She would definitely need to give this foolish youngster a stern lecture later.
Song Qing Shi didn't want to make it hard for these young apprentices. He returned the hourglass to Rong Ye and smiled at him again, saying, "Keep up the good work."
Rong Ye felt his ears blush under the gaze. Before coming to Medicine King Valley, he'd always heard Qing Luan speak of Medicine King Immortal Venerable as a mighty figure in the Immortal Realm. But he hadn't seen the Immortal Venerable's real face until today and was surprised by his youthful and gentle appearance.
Considering Medicine King Immortal Venerable was so fond of Immortal Master Wu Huan, he must be a person of good character, right?
He had heard stories of mortals in the Immortal Realm who, by gaining the favor of cultivators, had their status skyrocket overnight.
Was Immortal Master Wu Huan one of them?
Rong Ye's thoughts began to drift as he sneakily glanced at Song Qing Shi, then back at Yue Wu Huan, who was standing behind him.
...