Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: The Elixir

The Deliberation Hall was a large room with many chairs arranged in an orderly manner. It was usually where the high-ranking members of the sect gathered to discuss important matters.

Today, there were few people in the Deliberation Hall, but the atmosphere was particularly solemn.

Ou Peng, who had been smiling as he bid farewell to his wife, immediately put on a serious face as soon as he entered the hall. The few people who followed him also had solemn expressions. Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing, though they were Ou Peng's direct disciples and core members, rarely came to the Deliberation Hall. After entering, they naturally stood not far from the entrance, not daring to move around recklessly. The fourth and sixth members of the Six Tigers of Piaomiao and Ou Peng's chief disciple, Zhang Chengyue, stood in front of their seats according to the usual rules, waiting for Ou Peng to take his seat first.

Ou Peng walked to the back of the hall, where there was a large chair. He turned and sat down, facing everyone. Seeing him sit, the others also carefully took their seats.

Ou Peng looked at everyone and then said to Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing, "Come over and find a place to sit."

Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing said in unison, "Thank you, Master." They then found two chairs at the lower end and sat down.

Ou Peng said, "Tell me what happened."

Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing exchanged a glance, and Wen Wenhai said, "Yes, Master. This is what happened." Subsequently, Wen Wenhai recounted in detail everything that had happened from the time he and his junior sister left the Piaomiao Sect until they met the two senior masters, including the rescue of the Zhang family. However, he did not mention leaving the token with Zhang Cai or the three herbs they had collected in the secret garden, but he added, "There are two more things I need to report, please allow me to do so later."

After some thought, Ou Peng nodded in agreement.

Then, Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing placed a brocade box, a small flat box, and the herbs they had collected in the secret garden on the square table next to Ou Peng.

Ou Peng did not open the brocade box but said to the fourth member, "Take care of the matter first, we'll wait for you." The fourth member replied, "Yes," and then got up and hurried away. The only ones who showed confusion in their eyes were Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing; the others remained silent.

Not long after, the fourth member returned, nodded to Ou Peng, and sat down again.

Ou Peng then said, "Everyone has worked hard. After all this time, we finally have something to show for it. Let's see what treasures we have." As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face.

Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing did not know that Master Ou Peng was usually very approachable and had a warm smile, but in the Deliberation Hall, he was always extremely serious and had never shown a smile. Today, seeing him smile, the few who knew the situation felt a tingling sensation in their hearts and a look of eager anticipation in their eyes. The treasure that could make the Master smile must be a great treasure indeed.

Ou Peng first took the brocade box and carefully opened it. Inside was a small booklet. He took it out, and it felt soft and supple, neither paper nor silk. The material of the booklet was unknown. On the cover was a large character "Sword," written in a style similar to "Piaomiao," but this character exuded a sense of sharpness and severity. Ou Peng looked at the character, then opened the booklet and flipped through its contents. After reading it, he placed it aside, squinted his eyes, and pondered in silence.

After a while, Ou Peng's gaze returned to the brocade box, and he examined it carefully. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled, and he reached into the box, removing a compartment beneath the booklet. Three small bottles were revealed, placed side by side. The brocade box had two layers, with the compartment for the booklet taking up only one-third of the box's height. Ou Peng carefully took out one of the bottles. The bottle was carved from jade, and its mouth was sealed with an unknown substance. On the bottle was written "Yiqi Pill"! Ou Peng felt a surge of joy. The Yiqi Pill was something that had existed only a few hundred years ago, used to increase internal strength. Its formula had long been lost, and according to the sect's records, taking one Yiqi Pill could increase one's internal strength by thirty years. If he took one, his strength... Thinking about it, his hands began to tremble.

He carefully put the bottle back in the box and took out another one. This bottle was identical to the first, but it was labeled "Zhuanggu Pill." Ou Peng frowned. What was this for? Strengthening bones? There was no record of it in the sect's archives, but since it was placed with the Yiqi Pill, it must be an extraordinary treasure. He would have to ask the other three sects when he had the chance; perhaps their records would have more information. He carefully put the bottle back.

Finally, Ou Peng took out the last bottle. When he saw the three characters on it, he could not help but stand up, his eyes wide open. Everyone in the Deliberation Hall also stood up, wondering what incredible thing the Master had seen.

Ou Peng calmed his thoughts, suppressed his excitement, and sat back down, gesturing for everyone to do the same. He regretted not having Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing come to a private room, as these items were now in front of everyone, and he could not keep them secret. However, these items were too precious, and if the news leaked, it could bring disaster to the sect.

Ou Peng closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Everyone looked at the Master's reaction with curiosity, finding it quite unusual.

When Ou Peng finally made up his mind and opened his eyes, he immediately resumed his usual demeanor. He put the bottle back in the box, picked up the booklet, and handed it to Zhang Chengyue, saying, "Show it to your senior masters, and let everyone see it."

The booklet was passed around, and Ou Peng said, "Chengyue, make a copy of this sword manual and give it to your sixth senior master. Place the original in our sect's library for careful preservation."

Zhang Chengyue nodded in agreement. Then Ou Peng said to the sixth member, "Sixth, you are in charge of training the disciples. Find a few with exceptional talent and have them practice this sword technique. It will add another dimension to our Piaomiao Sect's sword skills."

The sixth member replied, "Yes, Master. I will do my best to promote this sword technique within the sect."

Ou Peng nodded without a word.

Then, Ou Peng said to everyone, "What happened today must be kept secret. It is the highest secret of our Piaomiao Sect, especially the content I will tell you shortly. I will inform the first, second, and fifth members myself."

Everyone stood up, bowed, and agreed.

Ou Peng then revealed the names of the first two bottles, and everyone's eyes sparkled with envy. They were truly great treasures, but no one knew how many pills were in the bottles or if they would get one.

Finally, Ou Peng said, "There is one more bottle, containing pills known as the legendary 'Yanshou Pill.' I wonder if it is true."

As soon as he said this, everyone's expressions became indescribably strange.

The "Yanshou Pill" was not like the "Yiqi Pill," which was a legendary holy medicine in the martial world, known to increase internal strength, and everyone wanted to get one. It was also not like the "Zhuanggu Pill," which even the Piaomiao Sect did not know about. The "Yanshou Pill" was known not only in the martial world but also among ordinary people. It was a legend within a legend, said to extend one's life by ten years. However, despite being talked about for over a thousand years, it had never appeared. Even a smart person could guess that no one knew how long a person's life span was, and if the "Yanshou Pill" claimed to extend life by ten years, who could verify it? Moreover, who would give such a miraculous drug to someone who was about to die? Over time, it became a joke, a story told by storytellers. Now, this seemingly ridiculous joke suddenly appeared in the Deliberation Hall of the Piaomiao Sect, alongside the "Yiqi Pill," a holy medicine of the martial world, in the same packaging. Anyone who saw it would have a mixed feeling of disbelief and amusement.

Was it real? Was it fake?

However, everyone knew that, regardless of its authenticity, if other major sects found out, they would be envious. The Piaomiao Sect would never have peace again, and the possibility of being destroyed was not out of the question.

No wonder the Master was so serious. This matter must be kept secret. But what about the other three sects? Did they get the same things?

Everyone, including Ou Peng, had the same question.

Then, Ou Peng opened the package containing the herbs and was once again stunned. Ginseng, tianqi, mountain spirits, he shou wu... many of them were unknown to him. He looked at the package and felt a deep sense of relief. After all the planning, he never expected to obtain so many precious items. If he had known, he would not have been so reserved or mysterious, and he would have taken action himself instead of following Yan Mingju's plan. Playing rock-paper-scissors and avoiding direct conflict, he suspected the old man must have benefited greatly. Fortunately, Hai and Qing returned safely, and the items were intact. Otherwise, he would have regretted it.

It was no wonder Ou Peng had so many thoughts. What he had seen earlier were legends, possibly exaggerated, and their authenticity was unknown. Moreover, their quantities were limited. But what was now in front of him was real, tangible, and touchable. A few hundred-year-old ginseng could save a life in a critical moment. When combined with other herbs to make healing medicines, their effects would be even greater. Earlier, when he heard Hai and Qing's account, he did not pay much attention, thinking Yan Mingju was exaggerating. Now, he realized he needed to take it more seriously. Moreover, there were many more herbs in the secret garden, and he needed to discuss this with the other forces.

Then, in the same puzzled looks of the others, Ou Peng excitedly instructed Zhang Chengyue to quickly notify the head and elders of the Alchemy Hall to come to the Deliberation Hall.

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