Chapter 223 – Meeting again “Oh. That's quite punctual." Ye Qingyu's eyebrows rose, nodding his head.
All the ingredients had been gathered; now he could finally begin attempting to refine the pill.
According to the pill formula Li Shizen gave him, the [Mysterious Heaven Pellet] was an extremely special pill. Its only use was to increase the yuan qi within a martial expert, replenishing their yuan qi. Its effect was similar to an Origin crystal. But compared to the Origin crystal, an item naturally born from this world, it had slightly worse effects. However, it was more easily obtained compared to the Origin crystal.
After his first attempt at the Hundred Herb Hall, Ye Qingyu knew that the ingredients to create the [Mysterious Heaven Pellet] were easily procured. And compared to the value of this [Mysterious Heaven Pellet], the price of these ingredients were not expensive at all.
Bai Yuanxing brought the ingredients from the Hundred Herb Hall over. It was enough to fill two large boxes that were sealed very well. This was a seal specially used by the Hundred Herb Hall, and on the silver wood material there were formations inscribed. It could help further maintain the medicinal properties of these herbs and preserve them.
Once the box was opened, there was a fragrance of herbs that leaked out.
Ye Qingyu inspected carefully for a while. After confirming that there was not any difference to the spirit herbs on the pill formula, he resealed the boxes. He told Bai Yuanxing to bring these two large boxes to the quiet room of the fourth floor.
Mother Wu very quickly carried a hearty and large dinner to Ye Qingyu.
As the tempting smell of food attacked his nose, Ye Qingyu's appetite could not help but be aroused. He came over to enjoy the food.
With his current cultivation, he would not be affected too greatly even if he did not eat for an entire month. But eating was a practice deeply ingrained in a human's soul. Even top level, extreme level experts would not abstain from eating for a long time; they would also partake in mortal food. This was even more so for Ye Qingyu who possessed a glutton for his battle pet.
The intricate dishes and bowls completely filled the table.
Mother's Wu prowess in cooking also grew rapidly. It could nearly be compared to the growth of Ye Qingyu's cultivation.
Jin Ling'er and the other two children stood looking at the delicious food on the table, their eyes opened wide and saliva dripping.
"You two little things, quickly shoo. Don't stay here and make me embarrassed. Have you finished your chores?" Mother Wu quickly gave a signal to her own children, telling them to depart quickly, fearing these children would cause Ye Qingyu to feel annoyed.
As for Jin Ling'er, he was an officially recruited person of the White Horse tower. She naturally did not dare order him about.
The two little children were somewhat hurt, but they knew what to do. They turned and prepared to leave.
Ye Qingyu smiled slightly.
He could see through Mother Wu's intention.
"Don't go, come and eat together.” Ye Qingyu pointed at the seats next to the table with a smile. "A person eating alone cannot enjoy themselves. Only when eating together can food become delicious. Don’t make me seem like a lonely person. Little Ying, Little Qi, come sit over there. Also Ling'er…"
Mother Wu's two children, the boy was called Li Ying, eight years old while the girl was called Li Qi, six years old.
"How can this do…" Mother Wu was shocked.
Ye Qingyu replied with a smile, "Of course this can do. I only made Little Ying and Little Qi accompany me to have dinner, could it be that Mother Wu doesn't want to part with her children?" "No, I…" Mother Wu rushed to explain, then gave a glare to her own children. "This is really something too good for you two little brats, quickly go over![1] [2] " "Hehe…" The two little children jumped over excitedly.
Mother Wu brought out extra bowls and chopsticks, placing them on the table. On the surface, she had a dark face while she was looking at her children, but inwardly she was overjoyed[3] .
Ye Qingyu right now had a significant status and fame within Youyan Pass. Just through the number of people wanting to see him but in the end were sent running away by her broomstick, one could see how important Ye Qingyu was.
Those who had power and status in Youyan Pass, would never ever even give a direct glance to commoners like her. But who was it that had the right to eat together with Marquis Ye? It was them, and not those people who racked their brains to book seats in large restaurants in Youyan Pass awaiting Marquis Ye's arrival.
Hehe, but right now, her children are [4] able to sit in the White Horse tower next to Marquis Ye.
If this was spread out, then those so called important people, would die of envy.
"Little Ying and Little Qi are still helping out at the store[5] ?" Ye Qingyu casually asked.
"Yes, thankfully they're able to earn a little something so that I and their father can live at ease a little more. Thanks to Marquis Ye's care, our family conditions are much better. My mother-in-law’s body is still not that good…" Mother Wu quickly replied, chattering away, her face holding a disguised excitement[6] as she was able to speak so casually to Ye Qingyu.
For a little housewife like her without much worldly experience, her life had completely turned over in this half a year. She was already utterly satisfied.
She even did not have too many expectations for her daughter. She only hoped to save enough money and marry her off proudly and find a wife for his son. Her life would be perfect if she managed to obtain some property.
Ye Qingyu looked at Jin Ling'er, then looked at Li Qi and Li Ying, a thought occurring to him, "How about this. From now on Little Ying and Little Qi don't need to do those assorted tasks, they can't learn anything from it. Why don't you allow them to learn martial arts along with Ling'er, at least they can act as companions for Ling'er. Practicing martial arts is originally a boring and dull process. Their ages are similar, they can help and assist each other.
As these words were said, Mother Wu was frozen.
Kacha!
The bowl in her hand fell to the floor, shattering.
The clear crisp noise caused her to recover her senses.
The next instant, Mother Wu fell to the floor bowing her head repeatedly. "Thank you for your benevolence, thank you for your benevolence… you two little brats, what are you doing there frozen. Quickly bow down, do you not understand just what sort of favour this is? I will never forget Marquis' great debt for the rest of my life…"
As she said this, she was so moved she began crying.
She would never even have imagined in her dreams that Marquis Ye would allow her commoner children to learn martial arts.
In Youyan Pass, although there was not much etiquette and nobility systems, but for children coming out of a family like hers, wanting to learn martial arts was an excessive expectation. They could train in the simplest of moves, but this was not the true yuan qi martial way. For them to really begin learning, there must be a teacher who could instruct and direct them. There were military schools in Youyan Pass, but for a family like them, the fees were far too expensive. It was not even something they dared to consider.
Mother Wu was after all a housewife. But even she knew just how powerful the Marquis Ye was today.
That day when she went to buy ingredients as well as learning to cook, she heard many scholars that discussed Marquis Ye's actions loudly and animatedly in the restaurant. From the mouths of these scholars, she realized that Marquis Ye was an absolute expert only inferior to the [War God of Youyan Pass] Lu Zhaoge. For such a legendary figure to offer to teach her children?
Mother Wu was so overjoyed she was about to faint.
She knew, that the fates of her children had completely changed at this moment.
Therefore, when Ye Qingyu had finished her words, she did not even pretend to reject or decline. She knelt down and expressed her thanks in the first instant. For her children, she was willing to endure any suffering, even if she incited the dislike of Marquis Ye. She was also willing to pay that price.
"Thank you, Marquis." "Thank you, uncle Ye."
The two little children knelt next to her mother and said rapidly.
Ye Qingyu did not know whether to laugh or cry, quickly assisting the three of them up. Then he turned around and specially instructed the Little Li Qi who was six years old, "Remember, call me brother Ye, don't call me uncle…"[7] [8] ……
That night, Ye Qingyu did not leave.
After finishing his dinner, he stayed in the quiet room on the fourth floor. He began to make his preparations for refining the [Mysterious Heaven Pellet]
Ye Qingyu himself did not possess any systematic knowledge of refining pills. All he knew came from the [Pill Mantra], therefore he did not dare take too many risks. That entire night, he did not really begin refining the pill but instead carefully checked over his memories and studied the [Pill Mantra]. He split the ingredients of the pill into fifty equal portions and sorted and arranged it neatly according to the medicinal properties, the age and colour. He did this to confirm there would not be any problems that would appear.
This took him an entire eight hours.
By the time he walked out of the quiet room, it was already the dawn of the seventh day.
Ye Qingyu walked out of the White Horse tower, stretching his waist. He decided to have a walk around the city.
The atmosphere on the streets was slightly more tense and strict than previously. There were armoured patrols of soldiers walking about and some often seen street stands had disappeared. There were still many Jianghu people of the sects carrying swords at their waist walking about. However, they seemed more withdrawn, no longer as arrogant as they once were.
And as for the capturing demon operation, it was still madly continuing on.
There would often be discoveries of the Demon Race, then they would be arrested to the [Beheading Demon Platforms] to be executed. Their heads were hung in steel cages.
Ye Qingyu felt that it was strange, that after the painstaking cultivation of the [Youyan army], how could there be so many Demon Race that had smuggled into the city? This demon capturing operation had continued on for one or two months and there was most likely near ten thousand Demon Races that had been captured and killed. Even if the [Southern Incline Legion] had organized a significant number of spies, but they should have long been exterminated. However, there were constant discoveries, just what was happening?
Could it be that Youyan Pass had long turned into a nest of the Demon Race?
This matter was peculiar.
On the way, Ye Qingyu saw with his own eyes, tens of heated crowds, screaming that they would kill and slaughter all the demons. They swept the streets like a roiling river, their mad expressions causing one to shiver in fear.
"This demon extermination operation, seemed to have already left its intended aim."
Ye Qingyu shook his head.
As he walked casually on the streets and alleys, Ye Qingyu could clearly feel that a bizarre change was currently occurring and brewing in Youyan Pass.
This change was not that good.
Without knowing when, Ye Qingyu lifted his head and saw a liquor house that was familiar to him. The characters inscripted on the wood was particularly eye catching – [Common Liquor House]. It was namely the liquor house that he had encountered Song Xiaojun a few days before.
It was nearly reaching noon.
It was not that busy in the liquor house, with not even half the seats occupied.
"For me to have returned back here…"
Ye Qingyu did not think that he would subconsciously end back here.
He pushed open the wooden door of the liquor house, entering. His gaze casually swept across, and rapidly focused on a familiar person near the window. It was a young girl wearing a crimson red dress and wearing a golden patterned mask. She sat quietly there. [9]