After his injuries healed, Huang Zidong was clearly riding high, becoming a prominent figure in the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop.
His heroic feat of fighting desperately against Gu Labei and others from the Thousand Herbs Hall to secure the Profound Ice Vine had earned him high praise from the Workshop Master, Yi Enguang.
This incident not only allowed Huang Zidong to shed his former image as a minor character but also instantly turned him into a popular figure at the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop.
Any servant or Apprentice at the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop who heard about his deeds would give him a thumbs-up, secretly admiring him.
"Tsk tsk, Brother Huang is truly amazing!" the people of the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop often discussed behind his back, their gazes filled with a hint of worship and envy.
Huang Zidong abandoned his usual low profile; now he often stayed close to the Pavilion Master Yi Enguang, attending various Medicine Refining gatherings, and even getting opportunities to witness many top Alchemists.
Although these Medicine Refining masters paid little attention to this unknown nobody, Huang Zidong felt he benefited immensely, broadening his horizons, especially regarding those mysterious Medicine Refining arts—he was utterly obsessed.
"Hehe, guess what? I actually got to know Venerable Simu from the Thousand Herbs Hall!" As soon as Huang Zidong returned, he couldn't wait to show off to Li Jun.
Upon hearing the name "Venerable Simu," Li Jun immediately looked surprised. "What? You know Venerable Simu?"
Huang Zidong waved his hand proudly: "Knowing him isn't much. After all, the matter with our Profound Ice Vine didn't exactly spread honorably within the circle. Later, the Thousand Herbs Hall invited us over to apologize. Furthermore, I personally witnessed Venerable Simu refining medicine with his own hands—the scene was absolutely astonishing!"
"Really? Venerable Simu refined medicine himself? How did he do it?" Li Jun leaned closer, his face full of curiosity.
A hint of mystery flashed in Huang Zidong's eyes, and he spoke with feigned solemnity: "Do you know what kind of fire they use for refining medicine?"
Li Jun frowned and shook his head: "Firewood, perhaps? What else would it be?"
"Hehe, of course not!" Huang Zidong lowered his voice, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Their fire isn't the kind of firewood we use normally. Did you know they have a special kind of fire sealed inside a Spirit Tool? Once the mechanism is activated, the fire erupts from that Spirit Tool, and it's incredibly fierce!"
Li Jun's eyes widened, his mouth agape: "There's such a thing? Fire can be sealed in a Spirit Tool?"
"Exactly," Huang Zidong became more animated, gesturing wildly as he described it. "Venerable Simu used a fire weapon, rumored to be tempered by Earth Fire. However, I heard some older seniors in Medicine Refining say that fire is divided into several types! There's Earth Fire, Heaven Fire, and Human Fire. Especially Human Fire—that's fire spat out by an Immortal, called the 'Nascent Soul Fire.' Can you imagine? An Immortal using their own fire to refine medicine! The moment the fire is spat out, those Medicinal Materials instantly become different!"
Upon hearing this, the shock in Li Jun's heart was indescribable. He nodded repeatedly, as if these things, which sounded like heavenly scripture, had been deeply etched into his mind.
"I never realized Medicine Refining had so many intricacies! No wonder you've become so formidable lately, Brother Huang. You will definitely become a top Alchemist in the future!"
Huang Zidong waved his hand in feigned modesty, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upward: "Not at all, I'm just an Apprentice, only having done half the work; the road ahead is still long. But these things, you only truly know them after witnessing them firsthand. If I came back and didn't share this with you, wouldn't that be letting you down?"
Li Jun grinned, looking at Huang Zidong with full admiration: "Brother Huang, you are truly amazing. I've never even heard of these things!"
"Let me tell you, our Workshop Master is also an Alchemist. This time I saw him in action; he took every single Medicinal Material..."
The two chatted animatedly, losing track of time until late at night, when Huang Zidong finally yawned, weariness gradually setting in.
"Alright, alright, I should go back and rest too; I have to get up early tomorrow."
Although Li Jun still wanted to hear more, he knew Huang Zidong had been busy all day and needed rest, so he reluctantly said, "Then hurry up and rest. Tell me more about the rest of the Medicine Refining gathering tomorrow!"
Huang Zidong waved his hand and said with a smile, "Okay, we'll continue tomorrow!" After speaking, he yawned and slowly walked out.
The night breeze blew, and Li Jun stood at the doorway watching Huang Zidong's retreating figure, his heart filled with anticipation.
For the next few days, Huang Zidong remained busy. Every time he came to find Li Jun, he was eager to recount the strange tales and anecdotes he had heard from the Medicine Refining gatherings.
Li Jun listened with great relish, his eyes full of admiration and astonishment.
Huang Zidong spoke enthusiastically, and Li Jun listened just as eagerly; the days quietly slipped away amidst these interesting stories.
Life returned to normal, and Li Jun went back to the daily routine of the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop.
While busy completing his assigned tasks, he helped the Apprentices and servants mix medicines, gradually deepening his understanding of Medicinal Materials.
He never neglected the daily tasks assigned by Pan Zhuanghe.
Every morning, he would use the eye washing water to cleanse his eyes, training the acuity of his vision, while also engaging in some basic physical conditioning, eagerly awaiting the day Pan Zhuanghe returned to teach him the Body Refining Technique he longed for.
For over half a year, Pan Zhuanghe had been out Herb Gathering, and Li Jun's progress was clearly visible.
Now, relying solely on his naked eye, he could easily judge the age, quality, grade, and Medicinal Property of Medicinal Materials. Sometimes, even some Apprentices and servants would specifically seek him out to appraise materials.
Each time Li Jun helped them solve a problem, he would receive some small benefits, making him quite pleased.
However, an incident that occurred this day broke the peaceful routine.
After preparing the Medicinal Materials for the eye washing water as usual, Li Jun prepared to take inventory of the Storeroom. Yet, after checking, he noticed something was amiss.
Several precious Medicinal Materials—Brilliant Grass, Bi Vine, and Five Elements Flower—were clearly missing in significant amounts. These materials had only been inventoried last month, and there was no way they could have been used up so quickly.
Li Jun's heart tightened, and he immediately called over several Stewards responsible for the Storeroom, intending to investigate thoroughly.
They checked the accounts one by one and confirmed that there were indeed signs of missing Medicinal Materials.
Xiao Mingqing, frowning deeply, pondered for a moment before saying, "For the past few nights, I've kept hearing strange noises late at night. I thought it was just rats causing trouble, but now it seems it's not that simple."
Zhao Hongping nodded in agreement: "Yes, I heard it too. But even if it were rats, how could they steal such precious Medicinal Materials? Moreover, materials like Brilliant Grass, Bi Vine, and Five Elements Flower—only our Medicinal Cuisine Workshop in the entire Kefeng City possesses them; you can't find them anywhere else."
Xiao Mingqing looked grave and stated firmly, "I suspect we've been robbed!"
A hint of suspicion flashed in Li Jun's eyes, and he said in a low voice, "Brother Zhao, Brother Xiao, we can't make a fuss about this yet. You two keep an eye out these next few nights, guard the Storeroom from the outside, and watch quietly. I will personally stand guard tonight to investigate. If you hear any movement, wait for my shout, and then rush in to catch the thief!"
Zhao Hongping nodded in response: "That's right. If we don't figure this out, and the items are lost under our watch, once the Pavilion Master investigates, we'll all be in deep trouble. Old Pan isn't here either; we must handle this properly."
After discussing it, the few of them decided to continue their work while closely monitoring the Storeroom.
To cover their tracks, Zhao Hongping and Xiao Mingqing publicly announced that Li Jun had recently caught a cold and needed rest and quiet to recuperate, thus reducing his daily activities. Meanwhile, Li Jun quietly made his preparations.
That night, Li Jun placed a pillow in his bed, dressed it in his clothes to create a false impression, and then silently climbed onto the roof beams to sleep, ready at any moment to check the situation at the Storeroom.
The Medicinal Cuisine Workshop was utterly silent that night. Li Jun, perched on the beam, stared intently in the direction of the Storeroom, his gaze sharp as a blade.
The first few nights passed without any disturbance. The Storeroom remained quiet. Although Li Jun and the others felt puzzled, they decided to keep waiting.