Chapter 294 - The Hu Clan
Along the way, Gu Zuo realized many things. Just like this, he rode the carriage with Hu Chang’an and arrived at the city where the Hu Clan resided. At the same time, from these conversations, he roughly understood lots of information about the Central Continent.
For example, it wasn’t only the organizations here that were divided into the four ranks of iron, bronze, silver, and gold. Even inhabited regions known as “cities” could likewise be divided into these four ranks. Moreover, a city’s rank was determined based on the rank of the largest organization within that city. Even the size and area of the city was judged in this way.
Under normal circ.u.mstances, if the highest-ranked organization within a city was at the iron rank, then the city would also be at the iron rank. Once this organization’s rank fell and no other forces within the city filled the gap, then the city’s rank would also drop. Of course, in order for one’s own organization to be the leader, there would usually only be one organization at the highest-rank. There wouldn’t be multiple forces of equivalent ranks within the same city. However, this wasn’t absolute. In cities at the iron and bronze ranks, if it were those type of ancient cities, then the phenomenon of many iron and bronze ranked forces mingling together in one city would appear.
— But there was no need for doubts. Silver and gold ranked organizations were ones that inevitably monopolized a single city.
The Hu Clan, where Hu Chang’an hailed from, was an aristocratic family that attached importance to pharmacists. However, the determination of his clan’s rank wasn’t based on the realms of the clan’s martial artists. Rather, the level of the pharmacists and the pharmacist level requirements were more rigorous in comparison.
Within Qingyun Sect, human and golden-level pharmacists were already praised as treasured objects, but on the Central Continent, forces specialized in medicine refinement could only barely reach the iron rank if they had at least one profound-level pharmacist — Profound-level pharmacists were able to proficiently refine profound-level medicinal pills. And profound-level medicinal pills were pills that suited martial artists at the Celestial, n.o.ble, and Royal Realms. And if one was a Royal Realm martial artist, one was capable of overseeing a bronze-ranked organization!
This clan of Hu Chang’an was also originally considered an iron-ranked organization, and within the clan, there was a profound-level pharmacist. Merely, this profound-level pharmacist was already quite aged. His profound qi realm was at the Ascendant Realm, and his psyche realm was at the Core Psyche Realm. In those years when he maintained the clan’s glory, he was only barely able to refine medicinal pills for Celestial Realm martial artists. Now, he was old, and his strength had waned. In fact, it had already been a long time since he refined any pills. Moreover, the current Hu Clan’s situation was that, if this Grand Elder of the Hu Clan pa.s.sed away and a new profound-level pharmacist didn’t appear, the Hu Clan would automatically have its rank drop.
Of course, although these matters weren’t a secret, it was also considered the Hu Clan’s internal affairs. This normally wouldn’t be mentioned to outsiders. However, returning to the matter at hand — Because Gu Zuo’s attainments on the path of medicine refinement weren’t small, and although Hu Chang’an was a martial artist, due to his ident.i.ty and his understanding of medicinal ingredients, the two’s discussions were quite congenial. As a result, Hu Chang’an believed that if he received Gu Zuo as a guest, then telling Gu Zuo a thing or two about the clan’s situation was fine.
Gu Zuo consequently understood why Hu Chang’an’s maidservants rejected him somewhat. It was because, right now, not only was the Hu Clan facing great pressure on the outside, Hu Chang’an’s position was being threatened within the clan itself. Under such internal worries and external dangers, any actions taken could possibly stir up trouble. As it happened, Gu Zuo was a person of unknown origin. How could the maidservants rest a.s.sured?
After figuring this out, Gu Zuo didn’t feel that there were any issues with the maidservants’ att.i.tudes. Moreover, despite their dislike, they gave face to their household’s young master and didn’t neglect Gu Zuo as a guest. This, on the contrary, made Gu Zuo feel like he was the one who was actually causing trouble for this household.
Gu Zuo himself really didn’t have any other way to deal with Hu Chang’an’s excessive kindness… What conflicted him the most was that the highest ranked prescriptions in his possession were only at the golden-level. He didn’t have a single profound-level prescription! He wanted to help, but it seemed that there wasn’t anything he could do to lend a hand…
[Side Mission: Safely enter the Central Continent.]
[Mission Items: <> <> <> <> <>]
[Completion Method: Unrestricted.]
[Completion Time: One month.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
[Completion State: Mission already completed.]
Gu Zuo suddenly felt exasperated.
Previously, no missions had been released, but at this time, a mission suddenly came. In an instant, it stated that the mission was already completedk2026; Could it be that the system had discovered his predicament, and especially delivered him some warmth as a result?
Okay. He really did feel very warm. After separating from Gongyi Tianheng, the system had once again raised its sense of existence. This made Gu Zuo’s heart feel that he himself wasn’t that lonely.
These ancient texts were smoothly put into the Divine Medicine Palace Hall’s storage s.p.a.ce. Currently, they had already reached Xuanwu City, so Gu Zuo didn’t have any time to flip through the books. Once they reached the Hu Clan’s residence, then he would consider how he would handle future matters.
Because the present Gu Zuo was getting along with Hu Chang’an, he wasn’t sitting in the rear carriages dedicated for the maidservants. Rather, he was riding along with Hu Chang’an in the leading carriage. At this moment, the caravan of carriages entered the city. At the city gates, no one obstructed them.
While the Hu Clan could barely qualify as an iron-ranked organization, the iron-ranked Xuanwu City was where the clan presided over matters and affairs.
The Hu Clan was located in the east of the city. The residences it possessed were extremely widespread. At the side of the carriage, Gu Zuo raised the window cover and swept his gaze across. He realized that this region was so wide that he simply couldn’t hope to see all of it in one go.
Although this Xuanwu City was called a city, the vastness of its size was incredibly astonishing.
Gu Zuo was inwardly speechless.
As an iron-ranked organization, the Hu Clan probably wasn’t as large as Qingyun Sect, but if the entirety of Xuanwu City was included, then Qingyun Sect wasn’t any bigger than the city itself.
However, Qingyun Sect was cla.s.sified as the ruling force of the Qingyun Continent. Then, what about this Xuanwu City? Not to mention that it occupied the bottom-rungs of the Central Continent, it was only a little bit better than the lowest of the nonconventional-ranked ent.i.ties. Through this, one could see even more how large and terrifying the Central Continent was…
The Hu Clan’s guards were numerous with Immortal Realm personal soldiers keeping order on the outside. In Gu Zuo’s opinion, the power of the garrison of Cangyun Empire’s imperial city wasn’t this strong.
Also, Gu Zuo hadn’t paid attention to something before. The bodyguards escorting them along their journey were Immortal Realms at the very least. As for the personages in the lead, they were all Atomic Realms.
When he thought about it, there would certainly be many golden-level pharmacists in an iron-ranked pharmacist organization. Golden-level pharmacists could refine medicinal pills suited for Atomic and Ascendant Realm martial artists. As such, seizing the opportunity to recruit Ascendant Realm martial artists would be very easy, and it naturally wouldn’t feel strange for Atomic Realm martial artists to act as the captains of a squadron of bodyguards.
Gu Zuo was only somewhat rueful.
Just looking at the tip of the Central Continent’s iceberg was already this shocking…
After this, Gu Zuo followed Hu Chang’an through the residential gates.
The first place they went to was the Eastern Gardens. It was cla.s.sified as a huge garden that contained a building complex of numerous courtyards. With beautiful scenery, it was the most respectable location of the whole Hu Clan.
Nowadays, those who mainly resided within the Eastern Gardens were the direct descendants of the main branch — Such as Hu Chang’an and his two younger siblings.
Gu Zuo was also arranged to go to the Eastern Gardens. It stood to reason that this wasn’t in accordance with the rules, but in the end, the ones who managed this household were still the direct descendants. If the rightful, eldest son wanted to entertain a guest in his own courtyard, then no one could block him, right?
As a result, amid the worried gazes of the maidservants, Gu Zuo smoothly stayed in the outer courtyard of Chang’an Villa. The ones who resided within the inner courtyard were Hu Chang’an and his two younger siblings.
The courtyards were quiet, and the rooms were s.p.a.cious. Perhaps due to the fact that this was an aristocratic family which refined medicine, a medicine refining room, a medicinal garden, and a medicine cabinet were allocated to the side.
Inside the medicine cabinet were many common human-level ingredients. And in the medicinal garden were planted some relatively rare human-level herbs as well as a small portion of golden-level herbs.
…There were no spirit medicines.
Gu Zuo knew that, although the spirituality of those spirit medicines he had acc.u.mulated wasn’t that high, spirit medicines were still very precious things. Even though he wanted to refine medicinal pills that were at the profound level or higher, spirit medicines were likewise indispensable.
He looked at these medicinal ingredients, and his hands couldn’t help but itch at the thought of refining medicine. However, when he thought of medicine refinement, he also couldn’t help but think about his big brother… If he was still in Qingyun Sect, his big brother would be practicing martial arts outside whenever he was refining medicine. Once he finished refining pills suitable for his big brother, he would happily scamper over and slip Tianheng a pill to try out… But now, he couldn’t do that anymore. Only Gu Zuo was left.
Gu Zuo sighed, somewhat depressed.
After staring out in a daze for a while, he shook his head. Several ancient texts suddenly appeared in his hands.
These were all item books that were related to the profound level. Right now, he wanted to reunite with his big brother. This hope was truly too distant and indistinct, so he had better learn and memorize what he ought to study. He would look for any methods inside these texts that might help Hu Chang’an.
After all, Hu Chang’an was a pretty good person. Gu Zuo owed him what could be counted as a life-saving favor…
Gu Zuo sat at the doorway. Without the slightest bit of distraction, he flipped through all of the item books once over. He even took out those previous item books for reviewing.
As he had been getting along with Hu Chang’an for the past two days, he truly felt that Hu Chang’an’s body…had something wrong with it.
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