Chapter 44: The Eight Trigrams Alchemy Furnace

Upon hearing Qiu Chuji’s words, Fang Xu could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, Fang Xu had indeed been somewhat anxious earlier, worried that Qiu Chuji might refuse his request. What would he do then? Fortunately, Qiu Chuji, in his heart, still hoped to see the Quanzhen Taoist Temple flourishing with incense and devotees. He wished for his fellow disciples and the master to return to behold a transformed Quanzhen Taoist Temple.

“Of course. A gentleman’s word is as steadfast as a team of four horses,” Fang Xu replied with a smile, his brows revealing rare satisfaction. It was a matter beyond his control; at this moment, having finally persuaded Qiu Chuji to agree to his request, Fang Xu had no intention of wasting time. He ordered the attendants at his side, though they did not quite understand what Fang Xu intended to do.

After all, to renovate the entire Quanzhen Taoist Temple would require a fair sum, not insignificant, though not exorbitant either. In the attendants’ minds, there was no need for such extravagance. Was it not an honor to serve the imperial family, and should one expect any reward? Shouldn’t they feel privileged instead? But to Fang Xu, such notions were entirely mistaken.

Indeed, serving the imperial family might be considered an honor, but the imperial family was not unreasonable; what must be done must be done. Moreover, he had already given his word to Qiu Chuji. Was he to break his promise now?

Fang Xu believed that in all matters, one should uphold sincerity as the foundation. If even the most basic honesty was lost, how could others trust him? In fact, if he were to deceive Qiu Chuji, what face would he have before those masters and disciples of the Quanzhen Taoist Temple who had sacrificed for Great Qin? Thus, it could be regarded as Fang Xu’s own token of goodwill.

Since Fang Xu had issued the command, the attendants set out to descend the mountain without hesitation. Only a few highly skilled guards remained to ensure Fang Xu’s safety, selected personally by Qin Suwen and recommended by General Meng.

There was little choice in the matter. In General Meng’s opinion, the tale of Fang Xu’s “Wolf Is Coming” had spread far and wide, inspiring resistance against the barbarians from beyond the frontier. It was quite possible that those hidden among Great Qin’s ranks might try to assassinate Fang Xu, which worried both Qin Suwen and General Meng.

To General Meng, Fang Xu was a hero of Great Qin. He even felt indebted to Fang Xu for saving his life. Why so? If Fang Xu had not recounted the “Wolf Is Coming” story and enlightened him, General Meng might not have reacted in time. When he learned of the barbarian raid the previous night, he was drenched in cold sweat, relieved that there were no casualties and the border was not breached.

Otherwise, the fate of the soldiers and civilians at the frontier would be dire, and General Meng knew he would be unable to absolve himself of blame, no matter how many lives he had. If not for Fang Xu, General Meng and the frontier’s soldiers and civilians would have been left at the mercy of others, like fish on a chopping block.

Reflecting on the earlier clash between Elder Zhang and General Meng, General Meng felt he owed Fang Xu his life. He resolved that should Fang Xu ever seek him out, as long as it did not violate his principles, he would agree to Fang Xu’s request. But before that, he hoped nothing untoward would befall Fang Xu.

It was well known that the barbarians had infiltrated Great Qin, just as Great Qin had spies among the barbarians. Such agents were common knowledge. If those barbarians embedded within Great Qin learned that their defeat was due to Fang Xu, his fate was all but certain.

In the palace, Qin Suwen felt secure, assigning two skilled attendants to protect Fang Xu closely. But now Fang Xu needed to venture outside.

Thus, Qin Suwen felt uneasy and made a decision: she assigned her own attendants to Fang Xu, revealing just how special Fang Xu’s status was in her eyes. Of course, Fang Xu himself was unaware of this, as he was busy discussing with Qiu Chuji how to improve the alchemical furnace.

Since Qiu Chuji had agreed to Fang Xu, he was determined to fulfill his promise—so long as Fang Xu did not deceive him; otherwise, all would be off the table.

Fang Xu understood this well, so he gave his orders openly and honestly, and Qiu Chuji believed Fang Xu would not deceive him. After all, Fang Xu was a man of stature; surely he would not haggle as a common villager might.

What Qiu Chuji did not know was that, in Fang Xu’s eyes, Qiu Chuji was not a mere villager, but a gem shining with golden light. For Fang Xu knew his success depended entirely on Qiu Chuji.

With daylight still early, Fang Xu persuaded Qiu Chuji to refine a batch of pills for him to see. He needed to inspect the goods, and also wished to see whether Qiu Chuji truly understood the art of alchemy.

Qiu Chuji had no objection, knowing that Fang Xu’s doubts were natural. If he were in Fang Xu’s place, he would doubt himself as well.

Thus, without further words, he led Fang Xu to the alchemy chamber reserved for the temple master. As soon as they entered, Fang Xu’s attention was drawn to a massive alchemical furnace.

Although Fang Xu had seen incense burners and pill furnaces in his previous life, none had ever given him such a powerful impression as this one. It even conjured images of the Eight Trigram Furnace of the Supreme Elder from Journey to the West—it was likely no less impressive.

Seeing Fang Xu so transfixed, Qiu Chuji felt a small sense of pride. After all, this furnace was considered the temple’s greatest treasure.