I Have Medicine

Chapter 610 - (Invitation) Shall we join forces?

Gu Zuo’s pupils suddenly constricted.

‘Heterogeneous Fire!’

Inside that box lay a crystal roughly the size of a fist. It looked like colored glass—smooth and lustrous, yet transparent and colorless. However, deep within the crystal sat a flicker of flame, a faint cyan color. Against the backdrop of the crystal, it shimmered with a brilliant, extraordinary radiance.

This object was clearly a type of Heterogeneous Fire, and specifically, the Verdant Thread Fire, which was quite rare. This type of flame reached incredibly high temperatures, yet its temperament was peaceful, making it very suitable for refining high-level medicinal pills.

The rarity of a Heterogeneous Fire far exceeded that of a medicinal herb with eighty-percent spirituality. Not only was it useful for martial artists practicing fire-attribute techniques, but it was also a priceless treasure for pharmacists. Generally speaking, even if a martial artist who obtained Heterogeneous Fire didn’t have a fire attribute, they would usually prefer to exchange it with others or their own sect for benefits; they would never show it to others lightly.

Now, Duan Yunbeng actually intended to gift this wisp of Heterogeneous Fire to Gu Zuo… Gu Zuo was naturally tempted. In the lotus platform within his dantian, there were still thirty-three lotus seeds that had not been ignited by Heterogeneous Fire, and the thirty-three surrounding lotus petals had naturally not undergone any transformation yet.

That lotus platform was Gu Zuo’s manifestation of the dantian and was intimately connected to his strength. He had a premonition that once he obtained more Heterogeneous Fire to ignite the pedestal, his internal qi realm would break through much faster.

At the same time, Gu Zuo was surprised. Duan Yunbeng was actually willing to part with a Heterogeneous Fire for him.

In truth, Gu Zuo still hadn’t fully realized his own worth. He was young, strong, and possessed limitless potential in the path of pharmacy. There was already a better than fifty-percent chance that he would become a Heaven-level pharmacist in the future. Why wouldn’t people try their best to win him over?

Moreover, Duan Yunbeng was different from the others. While Lei Pengfei and Feng Xueqin used Gu Zuo’s pills to make themselves stronger and fill in their shortcomings—feeling grateful but not excessively so—the pills Gu Zuo refined had essentially saved Duan Yunbeng’s entire future in martial arts. Naturally, his gratitude toward Gu Zuo surpassed that of the others.

Gu Zuo closed the box and said, “This item is far too precious. Please take it back, Senior Brother Duan.”

Duan Yunbeng replied, “Please do not refuse, Junior Brother Gu. In my hands, this item is far less useful than in yours, where it can be put to its best use.” He smiled. “If Junior Brother Gu refuses to accept it, could it be that you look down on me?”

Seeing that Duan Yunbeng had put it that way, Gu Zuo knew he was sincere. Since he needed it anyway, he didn’t act affected and said directly, “Since Senior Brother Duan is gifting me this, is there something else…?”

Duan Yunbeng said, “Junior Brother Gu is straightforward. Once this banquet ends, I will explain.”

Gongyi Tianheng, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow slightly. Gu Zuo thought about it for a moment and felt it was fine. No matter what Duan Yunbeng’s goal was, wasn’t he the one who would make the final decision? There was no need to overthink it. He glanced at Lei Pengfei and saw that he didn’t look surprised at all, meaning he definitely knew about this.

Could it be they reached some kind of agreement?

Then, Gu Zuo also took out two boxes and handed them to Lei Pengfei and Duan Yunbeng respectively: “I have come to this meeting with a small gift; I hope the two Senior Brothers won’t mind.”

Next, just as it had been at Shen Wenhan’s banquet, Lei Pengfei and Duan Yunbeng expressed their amazement at the Five Element Pill Sets. Gu Zuo explained the uses of these pills to them, which led to another round of awe. Many of the other students also saw the gifts exchanged by both sides and were shocked by the massive scale of the generosity. Meanwhile, the gazes they directed at Gu Zuo grew even more fervent.

Once the atmosphere cooled down, the hot spring banquet continued. The students enjoyed a day of service from the beauties and eventually began to leave one by one. Aside from the different format, the entire banquet process—building connections, socializing, chatting, and making friends—was exactly the same.

When almost everyone had left, Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng remained. At this moment, Lei Pengfei waved his hand to dismiss all the maidservants and attendants. Aside from Gu Zuo and Gongyi Tianheng, only he and Duan Yunbeng were left in the hot spring pool.

Gu Zuo understood. These two definitely had something to discuss with them. He sat tight, waiting for them to speak first. Gongyi Tianheng naturally placed his hands on Gu Zuo’s shoulders; he didn’t release any strange aura, but he clearly expressed his intent to support and protect.

Lei Pengfei looked rough and bold, but he spoke quite tactfully now: “Junior Brother Gu, were you satisfied with that wisp of Heterogeneous Fire?”

Gu Zuo’s expression remained unchanged: “Of course, I am very satisfied.” His heart stirred. Could it be related to Heterogeneous Fire?

Duan Yunbeng remained straightforward: “To be honest with you two, I obtained that wisp of Heterogeneous Fire from a Fire Cavern. That place is very mysterious. In my opinion, there should be more than just that one wisp there.”

Gu Zuo was startled: “What do you mean, Senior Brother Duan?”

Duan Yunbeng said: “The location of the Fire Cavern is very dangerous, with many perilous areas. Most of them can be passed more easily if we have specific medicines. As for the few remaining parts, with the abilities of Senior Brother Lei, Junior Brother Gongyi, and myself, we should be able to handle them.”

Gu Zuo pondered for a moment: “There should be many good things there?”

Duan Yunbeng replied: “It can be called a blessed land for pharmacists.”

Gu Zuo asked: “Then… what do you and Senior Brother Lei hope to obtain there?”

Duan Yunbeng explained: “If Senior Brother Lei and I aren’t mistaken, that place was likely a restricted area used by an ancient great power to bestow benefits upon their disciples. In such restricted areas, the fewer people who enter at once, the more benefits they receive. The limit is… five people at most.”

Gu Zuo understood a bit: “So, the two Senior Brothers have chosen me and my Big Brother?”

Duan Yunbeng was very candid: “Junior Brother Gu’s methods are not inferior to some Pill Kings. In fact, regarding the number of prescriptions and the speed of refining, you are even superior. As for Junior Brother Gongyi, although we don’t know him well, based on his performance in the battle of the Prodigy Monument and other events, his strength is not below that of a Celestial Realm martial artist. Moreover, he has powerful methods that he has never fully revealed.”

Gu Zuo was interested: “It can hold five people, so who is the last one?”

Lei Pengfei chimed in: “It’s Junior Sister Feng Xueqin.”

Gu Zuo was surprised: “The two Senior Brothers and Senior Sister Feng… then Senior Sister Feng’s invitation…”

Lei Pengfei laughed: “I am hosting here, so it was inconvenient for Junior Sister Feng to come, otherwise she would be here today. Junior Sister Feng has an upright character and is trustworthy; she is an excellent companion. As for the banquets, the three of us originally sent invitations separately just so that at least one of us could meet with Junior Brother Gu to discuss this. Now that Junior Brother Gu has given us so much face, we naturally don’t want to make things difficult for you by making you travel multiple times.”

They could all see that Gu Zuo didn’t actually like attending banquets; doing it once or twice was only because he felt he had to.

Gu Zuo understood. So, he didn’t need to attend Feng Xueqin’s upcoming invitation either. These three had already formed a group. The main purpose of inviting him, besides gratitude and networking, was this trip to the Fire Cavern.

However, Gu Zuo wouldn’t make this decision alone. He turned his head and looked at his Big Brother. Gongyi Tianheng, who had been acting as a silent background character today, finally spoke: “Everything shall be according to Ah Zuo’s heart.”

Gu Zuo blinked. Gongyi Tianheng asked softly, “Does Ah Zuo want to go?”

Gu Zuo nodded.

Gongyi Tianheng then looked at the two across from them, his posture composed: “If we go to the Fire Cavern, how will the gains be distributed… do the two Senior Brothers have a plan?”

Lei Pengfei said, “Whatever a pharmacist needs belongs to Junior Brother Gu. If it’s something a martial artist needs, the four of us will split it equally while Junior Brother Gu takes nothing. How does that sound?”

Gongyi Tianheng was slightly stunned. It wasn’t that the terms were bad, but that they were too good. Just from Lei Pengfei’s description, one could tell there would be many items for pharmacists, and they were giving that portion up entirely. Furthermore, he was still getting an equal share of the martial artist portion—regardless of his actual strength, his realm was the lowest among the martial artists. It had to be said that Lei Pengfei’s offer was extremely generous; his side was even taking a bit of a loss.

Gongyi Tianheng didn’t even need to ask; the two across from him already had an explanation.

Duan Yunbeng said, “The benefits there are mainly for martial cultivation; we can share those without taking a loss. Some of the power provided for martial artists will likely be absorbed based on attributes, comprehension, or individual cultivation techniques—at that time, it will be up to each person’s own abilities. As for Junior Brother Gu… he will need to put in effort for most of the areas there, and items needed by pharmacists are useless to us anyway, so they should rightfully belong to him. Junior Brother Gongyi needn’t worry about it.”

Gongyi Tianheng nodded gently. “Since the two Senior Brothers have put it this way, Ah Zuo and I will no longer decline your kindness.” As he spoke, he and Gu Zuo exchanged a look.

Gu Zuo understood Gongyi Tianheng’s thoughts perfectly. After a quick mental dialogue, they made a decision. Gongyi Tianheng continued to the two: “If there are many items suitable for pharmacists, Ah Zuo will select some of them to refine pills suitable for everyone and distribute them among you.”

When it came to fighting for interests, the two were never soft-hearted. However, toward those willing to yield interests first, they didn’t mind reciprocating within a certain range.

Hearing this, Lei Pengfei and Duan Yunbeng were naturally even happier. If nothing else, based on the several types of five-element-attributed, self-created profound-level flawless pills Gu Zuo had given them, they knew his potential far exceeded their expectations. He wasn’t just a powerful pharmacist who could perfectly replicate ancient prescriptions; he was a top-tier genius of the path of pharmacy with the ability to innovate!

Now, the two sides had truly established a connection, and in the future, there was a great chance they would develop into allies. Knowing that their allies weren’t the type to be insatiably greedy or arrogant and oppressive due to their skills, they felt much more satisfied.

Finally, the two sides settled on a basic agreement, discussed when to depart and when to meet again, and then went their separate ways. They would simply wait for that day to arrive.