Feng Shui Chapter 98: Li Yuzhou

Xi Yunqing paused, and Chen Xiao quickly added, “For Big Brother to be willing to speak with someone, that person must be quite exceptional. It’s just that I’ve never seen him before, so I can’t help but be curious.”

Xi Yunqing let out a quiet sigh, and with the motion, the tension in his shoulders gradually eased. He said to Chen Xiao, “He’s indeed... a rather unusual person. His name is Li Yuzhou, and he’s an alchemist. If we happen to run into him in the commercial district, I’ll introduce you.”

Chen Xiao gave a soft “mm,” noticing that Xi Yunqing didn’t seem eager to elaborate, so he sensibly dropped the subject. Xi Yunqing felt a wave of relief, if Chen Xiao had pressed him on how the two met, he would’ve found it incredibly awkward to explain. After all, Li Yuzhou had gotten caught up in the aftermath when Xi Yunqing slew a Nascent Soul realm attacker, unintentionally getting involved as collateral damage.

At the time, Li Yuzhou had been testing out a new pill formula. Though the failure rate was high, it shouldn’t have caused his pill furnace to explode. But once Xi Yunqing unleashed his misfortune-driven attack, the furnace didn’t stand a chance, it blew up on the spot. Fortunately, Xi Yunqing had warned him in advance, and Li Yuzhou managed to flee to the outskirts in time, avoiding the internal chaos stirred up by the Zhong family. Once things settled in Hanshan City, he returned.

No matter the field, whether it’s research or experimental work, one needs a solid financial foundation. Unfortunately, Li Yuzhou’s wealth was far from impressive, and the new formula had already drained most of his savings. After the explosion, he didn’t even have enough to purchase more ingredients. So, he decided to find temporary work in the commercial district to earn some money.

As a mid-ranked alchemist with deep knowledge of medicinal herbs, working a stint at an herbal shop would pay quite well. Unfortunately, Li Yuzhou was a true-blue shut-in, with severe communication issues. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t bring himself to speak up. He ended up wandering aimlessly in front of the herb shop, looking more than a little pitiful.

That was when Xi Yunqing appeared.

He had overheard Chen Xiao’s name mentioned at a banquet while chatting with Tong Nuonuo and Du Rong. The City Lord’s warehouse was massive, and Tong Nuonuo had never seen so many rare materials gathered at once; naturally, it left a lasting impression. While chatting idly with Du Rong, he recounted both his and Chen Xiao’s harvests. All Chen Xiao had asked for were some special papers and a few tufts of fierce beast fur, rather modest, really. Tong Nuonuo quickly brushed over that part and excitedly moved on to boast about all the rare materials he had snagged.

He spoke casually, but Xi Yunqing listened intently. Just from that bit, he deduced that Chen Xiao likely wanted the fur to craft brushes. So, while delivering a blueprint to Lord Han, he took a detour to the commercial district to look for a supplier, figuring it’d save Chen Xiao the trouble.

Of course, Xi Yunqing was projecting a little. He preferred to shop quickly and leave, and assumed Chen Xiao would be the same. It never occurred to him that maybe Chen Xiao enjoyed the hunt, the process of going from shop to shop, if that were the case, Xi Yunqing’s effort would’ve cut the fun short.

Li Yuzhou had a sharp memory and immediately recognized Xi Yunqing when he saw him. Naturally, Xi Yunqing remembered him as well, and was surprised to run into him. Li Yuzhou, feeling like he’d stumbled upon a savior, completely ignored the aloof aura surrounding Xi Yunqing and forced himself to strike up a conversation.

Unlike most victims of his misfortune, who usually avoided him like the plague, Li Yuzhou didn’t run away. In fact, he was the rare one who approached him. Xi Yunqing had always been willing to make amends, but the other party usually refused to accept it, so he’d long since gotten used to quietly leaving, figuring the best help he could give was not to bring them further bad luck.

But two introverts speaking was simple and straightforward. After a brief exchange, they each understood the other’s situation. Xi Yunqing also realized that Li Yuzhou’s failure was, in part, because of him, so he sincerely wanted to help. The Han family had businesses in the commercial district, and Xi Yunqing went straight to the manager of one and asked him to arrange a position for Li Yuzhou at a reputable herbal shop.

The Han family was already aligned with the Chongxuan Sect, so their people naturally followed Xi Yunqing’s orders. For something this minor, the manager didn’t even need to consult with Steward Han, he took care of it swiftly.

In return for the favor, Li Yuzhou immediately offered to help Xi Yunqing. He told him that the brush-maker with the best craftsmanship wasn’t actually located in this part of the district, but rather in the section for ordinary citizens.

The two hadn't interacted much previously and hadn’t formed a friendship, but the fact that Li Yuzhou could boldly approach and speak to them in the face of Xi Yunqing’s imposing presence left him unsure whether the man was exceptionally brave, or simply oblivious to social cues.

Xi Yunqing was a man of his word. Since he’d said he would introduce them, he brought Chen Xiao directly to the Herbal Hall, where Li Yuzhou was currently overseeing the counter. It was already their third encounter, and in the eyes of a homebody like Li Yuzhou, that already qualified them as acquaintances. Without hesitation, he greeted Xi Yunqing with casual familiarity.

“Daoist Xi, we meet again. Are you here for medicine this time? Not feeling well?”

Xi Yunqing replied coolly, “No. My brother Xiao was curious about you, so I brought him here to make your acquaintance.”

Chen Xiao barely managed a smile, feeling slightly hopeless about Xi Yunqing’s utter lack of social finesse. No wonder he had trouble making friends. Would it have killed him to say something like, ‘We happened to be passing by and thought we’d visit’?

And Li Yuzhou wasn’t much better. Who greets someone by immediately asking if they’re here to get medicine? If the answer is no, it sounds like a curse waiting to happen.

But between a homebody and a hermit, neither found any difficulty in communicating, they chatted with surprising ease. Xi Yunqing introduced Li Yuzhou to Chen Xiao, and then explained that this was his younger brother.

Li Yuzhou, ever straightforward, turned to Chen Xiao and said, “So you’re Brother Xiao. First time meeting, just call me Brother Yuzhou.”

Xi Yunqing’s brow instantly furrowed, clearly displeased. He had worked hard to earn the right to call him “Brother Xiao,” and here was Li Yuzhou taking advantage of the moment so casually.

Chen Xiao smiled politely. Since he had already accepted Xi Yunqing as his elder brother, calling someone else "brother" would link the two by association. Afraid of upsetting Xi Yunqing, he tactfully ignored the suggested title and instead asked with interest, “What’s the difference between an apothecary and an alchemist?”

Li Yuzhou was easily distracted and didn’t dwell on the earlier formality. He readily explained, “The main difference lies in how each uses and controls fire in their craft, and in the form of the medicines they produce. Apothecaries usually create powders, while alchemists refine medicinal pills.”

Chen Xiao nodded in sudden understanding. “So the powders we used during our trials to repel snakes and insects, those were made by apothecaries?”

Li Yuzhou nodded with a hint of pride. “Exactly. Apothecaries contribute a great deal during field expeditions. Many specialized medicinal powders are their creations.”

Unlike alchemists, who focused more on internal use and the cultivation needs of practitioners, apothecaries specialized in dealing with external factors, repelling, healing, and even offensive use. For example, the poisonous smoke Xi Yunqing had once inhaled was also a product of an apothecary’s hand.

While alchemists often had an air of superiority, apothecaries were far more grounded. Each of them was capable of treating common illnesses, and some could even resolve complex ailments that troubled cultivators. Many of the most renowned healers in the cultivation world were apothecaries.

After learning all this, Chen Xiao grew genuinely interested in the apothecaries’ creations. Under Li Yuzhou’s enthusiastic guidance and recommendations, he ended up buying a generous supply of medicinal powders.