Start with a space

After a sound sleep in bed, Zhang Xiaoshan gradually opened his eyes. He turned his head lazily and looked out the window.

He saw the sky outside was turning pale, and he realized that dawn was approaching. He couldn't help but whisper to himself: "

Well, time to get up."

Zhang Xiaoshan quickly turned over, got out of bed, and completed a simple wash with swift movements.

Suddenly, he remembered that Zhu Wuhong had told him yesterday that he would take him to the Medicine Refining Pavilion to meet Taoist Shen, his master.

"After meeting the master, I don't know whether he will teach me magic or the art of alchemy?"

Zhang Xiaoshan was a little excited and talked to himself.

Thinking that he would soon meet Taoist Shen, Zhang Xiaoshan couldn't wait to walk out of the room and came to the door of Room No. 9 next door.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Zhang Xiaoshan raised his right hand and knocked on the door three times gently, but there was no response from inside the house.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

He thought for a moment, raised his hand again, knocked three times, and shouted:

Senior Brother Zhu, it’s time to get up.”

After a moment, the door creaked and slowly opened.

"Junior brother, you got up too early, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Zhu Wuhong was sleepy, half-closed his eyes, glanced at Zhang Xiaoshan, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Brother, it's already daybreak. When are we going to the Medicine Refining Pavilion?"

Zhang Xiaoshan replied with a smile on his face.

Zhu Wuhong raised his hands, rubbed his eyes, and then said:

Don't worry, let me wash up and then we'll go eat."

After a while, the two came to the cafeteria in the palace and enjoyed a sumptuous meal. Then they talked and laughed, and walked towards the medicine pavilion in a happy mood.

The two walked side by side in the corridor of the house, and Zhang Xiaoshan couldn't help but ask Zhu Wuhong: "

Senior Brother Zhu, when I meet the master later, do you think he will teach me the immortal arts or the art of alchemy?"

Zhu Wuhong raised the corner of his mouth and said with a smile:

I remember two years ago, when I became a disciple of Taoist Master Shen, my master asked me to start as a firewood boy.

During this period, I needed to learn about three kinds of elixirs and some related medicinal materials. In addition, he also gave me a magic method and asked me to practice it on my own.

It was only after I worked as a wood-burning boy for a month that I started trying to make elixirs.

And you? Today you are going to meet our master, so I guess you should start as a firewood boy. "

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Xiaoshan, a playful smile flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Xiaoshan frowned after hearing this, then nodded, thinking to himself:

It seems that the art of alchemy is not something that can be achieved overnight, and one needs to start from the basics."

He took a deep breath and encouraged himself secretly: "No matter what, I will work hard!"

The two continued to walk along the corridor. Along the way, Zhang Xiaoshan kept asking Zhu Wuhong questions about alchemy, and Zhu Wuhong patiently answered them one by one.

Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the Medicine Refining Pavilion.

"I think the other brothers have already arrived. Let's go in quickly."

Zhu Wuhong said with a smile.

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded, then stepped into the door of the Medicine Refining Pavilion, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

All I saw was a spacious room with fifteen bronze tripods about one meter high placed in the center.

Next to the bronze tripod, there was a square table. Next to seven or eight bronze tripods, three children were squatting on each of them. They were adding wood to the fire under the bronze tripod.

At the wooden table next to the bronze tripod, there was a young man. Some of them picked up a plant and smelled it, while others were selecting various plants with both hands.

Soon, Zhang Xiaoshan smelled the scent of herbs and immediately realized that the plants on the table should be the medicinal materials used for alchemy.

After observing the surroundings, Zhang Xiaoshan seemed a little overwhelmed.

Zhu Wuhong noticed Zhang Xiaoshan's expression and said with a smile:

Junior Brother Zhang, this is your first time here and you are not familiar with everything.

You stay with me first."

After saying that, Zhu Wuhong walked towards a wooden table next to a large cauldron.

"Hello, Senior Brother Zhu!"

At this moment, three children suddenly came over, bowed to Zhu Wuhong and shouted in unison.

Zhu Wuhong nodded slightly, and the three children hurriedly squatted beside the large cauldron and began to add firewood under the cauldron to make a fire.

"Junior brother, are you curious about this place?"

Zhu Wuhong stood beside the wooden table, picked up a medicinal herb, sniffed it, then turned to look at Zhang Xiaoshan and asked.

"Yeah, I don't really understand what everyone is doing."

Zhang Xiaoshan answered softly.

Zhu Wuhong smiled, pointed at the three children surrounding the cauldron, and said, "

The three of them are the boys burning wood. They are heating up the big cauldron and are also familiarizing themselves with the temperature required for alchemy.

At this moment, I am selecting medicinal materials and refining them in preparation for making pills.

Look at those over there."

As he spoke, Zhu Wuhong stretched out his hand, pointed at the other seven or eight people standing at their respective wooden tables, and continued, "

Those are the master's disciples. When you see them in the future, you should call them brothers.

What we are doing now is to refine at least one batch of elixirs here before morning every day for the master to check. "

"You are supposed to refine at least one furnace of elixirs here every day for the master to check. What does this mean?

Isn't it the master who teaches you the art of alchemy every day?"

Zhang Xiaoshan asked with a hint of doubt on his face.

"The master has already taught us the methods of refining the elixirs we are each going to refine."

Zhu Wuhong smiled and explained: "

We refine a batch of pills here every day for the master to check, so that the master can give us some guidance, so that we can know our shortcomings and correct them, thus quickly improving our pill refining skills.

The rest of the time, we practice on our own."

"I see."

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded and said.

"Junior brother, you are about to learn the art of alchemy."

Zhu Wuhong patted Zhang Xiaoshan on the shoulder with his right hand and said:

You can now stand by and watch how these three boys burning wood heat up the alchemy furnace. This is called preheating, and it is also for the convenience of the next alchemy."

After listening to Zhu Wuhong's words, Zhang Xiaoshan walked over to the three boys burning firewood and observed their movements carefully.

I saw them skillfully putting firewood into the fire chamber below the alchemy furnace and carefully controlling the temperature.

After an incense stick of time, a middle-aged man in a purple Taoist robe, with a smile on his face, strode into the door of the Medicine Refining Pavilion.

He stopped, looked around and nodded slightly. This person was Taoist Shen.

"Morning, Master Shen!"

The boys who were burning firewood were the first to see Taoist Shen. They quickly stood up, bowed and shouted.

Then, Zhu Wuhong and the others, including Zhang Xiaoshan, also turned around and bowed, saying:

Good morning, Master!

Taoist Shen nodded, walked straight to the front of more than ten alchemy furnaces, then turned to face everyone and said with a smile:

A few more firewood boys have come in these days, and I accepted another apprentice yesterday, so today we will let everyone get to know each other."