"Just bring two or three plates each of vegetarian and meat dishes."
"Right away!" The shop assistant called out, "Two Daoist masters, please wait a moment."
"Fellow Daoist Sanshu, this wine house truly has customers flowing like clouds."
"Indeed. It's rarely seen in other commanderies."
The two chatted idly. Suddenly, a magnetic, low voice came from behind.
"Are you two Daoists new to our Yuehu Commandery?"
As Xu Chuan turned around, he saw a young man barely past weak cap age in moon-white robes, holding an ink bamboo jade fan, approaching. His face was like jade, his eyebrows like cold stars. The corners of his lips held three parts warm smile, neither arrogant nor boastful.
Four guard attendants followed at his left and right, all peak Postnatal martial artists.
This should be the Zhou family descendant mentioned in the divination.
"May I sit and share a table?"
"Young master, as you please." Xu Chuan said calmly.
Seeing his cold words, the young man in moon-white robes didn't mind and immediately sat down in an empty seat.
"I am Zhou Yilin."
"What business does Young Master Zhou have seeking us two?" Xu Mingxian said coolly.
"I admire immortal masters. Now that I've happened upon you by chance, I came forward to speak. Please don't take offense."
"Young Master Zhou, speak directly if you have business."
"Would you two know pill refining? My Zhou family is seeking alchemists. If you can assist my Zhou family, we'll certainly reward you handsomely."
Zhou Yilin cupped his fists toward them.
Xu Mingxian looked at Xu Chuan, surprise in his eyes.
Isn't this quite the coincidence?
Xu Chuan said calmly, "This poor Daoist does know some medicinal principles and healing arts, but I don't know if I can help."
"First tell us what your family can offer as compensation." Xu Mingxian said.
One played the bad cop, the other the good cop.
"How about discussing this in a second-floor private room?"
The two looked at each other and both nodded.
Several people immediately called for the shop assistant and changed to a private room.
"By the way, I still don't know how to address you two Daoist masters?"
"Sanshu."
"Yunming."
"Are you two wandering cultivators?"
"That's right. Does Young Master Zhou look down on us wandering cultivators?"
Hearing this, Zhou Yilin waved his hands repeatedly, "Certainly not."
"Then explain in detail, what help is needed, what's the compensation? If it's too difficult, forgive us for not accompanying you."
Zhou Yilin looked at Xu Chuan. Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "Fellow Daoist Yunming's meaning is my meaning."
Truly wandering cultivators, profit comes first.
Zhou Yilin began slowly explaining, "My Zhou family has obtained an incomplete pill formula by chance. We want to borrow everyone's strength to complete the formula. If we successfully refine the pills, we'll give compensation according to each person's contribution."
"As for compensation," Zhou Yilin deliberately paused, "spirit stones, pills, magical artifacts, technique manuals, etc.—as long as my Zhou family has it, we can provide it."
"Young Master Zhou, are you joking? Your Zhou family has such capability?"
Xu Chuan was also suspicious. Although he'd heard that commandery capitals generally had Qi Refining aristocratic families but to dare make such grand claims truly made one doubt.
"You two Daoist masters needn't doubt. My Zhou family's old ancestor has newly advanced to Foundation Establishment and is also a Great Wei fourth-rank immortal official. If not for my Zhou family's foundation still being insufficient, we'd probably have already moved to the imperial capital."
"So it's a Foundation Establishment aristocratic family. This poor Daoist's horizons were shallow."
Xu Chuan cupped his fists, his demeanor much warmer.
After eating, Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian followed Zhou Yilin to the Zhou family.
The Zhou family was located outside the commandery capital in a place suffused with spiritual qi. Along the way were ten thousand acres of fertile fields and lush mountain forests, all Zhou family property.
The Zhou family was an immortal cultivation aristocratic family, established for over six hundred years, and was a true top aristocratic family of Yuehu Commandery.
Moreover, the Zhou family's old ancestor had broken through to Foundation Establishment, leaping to become the true hegemon of Yuehu Commandery.
In the Zhou family, Qi Refining descendants with spiritual root talent were the true core but those with talent on the martial path were also vigorously cultivated.
After all, with Great Wei's coexistence of immortal and martial paths, interactions with others were inevitable. So they cultivated martial powerhouses to handle these worldly matters.
Along the journey, Xu Mingxian was greatly shocked, thinking: Although our Xu family is developing extremely rapidly, compared to these great families with truly deep foundations, we're still too shallow.
This time might be an opportunity for the Xu family.
"By the way, Young Master Zhou, did you suddenly seek us two because of a clan task?"
"Haha, Daoist Sanshu has keen insight." Zhou Yilin didn't hide it either, "The clan indeed has such a task, seeking alchemists skilled in medicinal principles. Finding one brings great resource rewards."
"I have no immortal cultivation aptitude and can only walk the martial path. But the martial path is equally difficult. Without vast resources, progress is slow."
Xu Chuan nodded at this, then asked again, "Then there should be a test examining medicinal principle changes?"
"As long as Daoist Sanshu has real talent and learning, no need to worry excessively. Even if you don't pass, my Zhou family won't make things difficult."
Xu Chuan thought to himself, "To gather pill-refining talent like this, the pill formula the Zhou family obtained must be very important to them."
The two stayed at the Zhou family.
In nearby courtyards, people also lived, all elderly Daoists past sixty years.
In these days at the Zhou family, Xu Chuan had conversed with them.
Without exception, all were wandering cultivators.
Soon, the Zhou family had a pharmacist come examine Xu Chuan.
Xu Chuan was proficient in medicinal principle changes and could research his own formulas, medicinal cuisine, and improve Qi-Drawing Pill formulas. The examination they gave was naturally no obstacle.
As long as he had a true grade pill formula to research and attempt, he was also confident he could refine it.
"Fellow Daoist Sanshu' depth in the pharmaceutical path far surpasses mine. I admire you. Tomorrow I'll come lead you to join the other Fellow Daoists in researching the pill formula."
The Zhou family pharmacist said, "As for your friend, he'll stay in this small courtyard for now. All food will be supplied by my Zhou family. Moreover, the spiritual qi here is more concentrated than in the commandery capital, which benefits him as well."
"But there's one point, don't wander randomly." The Zhou family pharmacist said solemnly, "Otherwise, my Zhou family can only expel him."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhou. I'll definitely instruct my friend."
The Zhou family pharmacist nodded slightly.
Xu Chuan instructed Xu Mingxian on many matters, having him cultivate the "Gold Element Formula" well here.
The next morning, Xu Chuan followed the Zhou family pharmacist and three other elderly Daoists to a great hall of the Zhou family.
"One person missing. Looks like someone didn't pass the examination."
Xu Chuan surveyed the great hall.
The hall stood imposingly, magnificent in presence. Eight copper pillars stood upright in eight directions, supporting the vast expanse of the vaulted ceiling.
Green cloud and thunder patterns were engraved on the copper pillars.
The hall's interior was spacious, the vault high. The surrounding walls were built of bluestone. Between stone crevices, traces of moss could vaguely be seen, already quite some years old.
The hall's interior lighting was gentle, not making one feel gloomy.
"Their foundation is truly deep."
Just as Xu Chuan and the others settled down, he suddenly heard the light sound of jade ornaments. An elderly man with crane hair and youthful face walked in from outside the great hall.
His silver beard hung to his chest. He wore dark-patterned purple robes and walked steadily as if treading on rock. When those eyes narrowed, radiance seemed to burst forth.
Beside him followed two young juniors, one male and one female. Their features were handsome, wearing green robes, hair bound with green silk ribbons.
"This is an elder of my Zhou family, also our chief alchemist."
During the man's speech, the woman's sleeve robe swept out, four pages of paper flying out and landing in the hands of Xu Chuan and the other three.
Elder Zhou suddenly spoke, "All Fellow Daoists are proficient in medicinal principles. What you hold is the pill formula my Zhou family obtained by chance. As for what it's for, it's inconvenient to disclose."
"We hope all Fellow Daoists will display your intelligence and wisdom to complete it."
"My Zhou family will assign each person a junior who understands medicinal principles, to facilitate Fellow Daoists in giving orders to fetch medicinal materials and such."
"Behind the great hall are three pill refining rooms and also rooms to live in. Shortly, those juniors will first lead all Fellow Daoists to your lodgings to familiarize yourselves."
"The pill refining rooms aren't enough. Please, Fellow Daoists, be understanding. Don't fight or snatch."
"The pills refined can also be given to the juniors to have people test them."
Xu Chuan and the others stood and cupped their fists toward Elder Zhou.
Afterward, four youths aged between eleven or twelve to seventeen or eighteen walked in.
Xu Chuan was assigned a twelve-year-old youth.
Under his guidance, he first went to his lodgings, then went to observe the several pill rooms.
Each of these pill rooms probably cost a fortune to build. Each pill furnace was also a magical artifact.
As for what grade the magical artifacts were, Xu Chuan wasn't yet clear.
Afterward, he began researching this incomplete pill formula in his lodgings.