The Man in a Dress

How can one describe it?

It's like walking along a path, having already traveled quite a distance, feeling proud of your achievements, when suddenly someone comes up to you and slaps you in the face, then tells you that you took the wrong path.

The junior alchemists of Xiaodan Hall were feeling exactly this way, staring blankly at Chen Xia, unable to speak for a long time. After a good while, one of the alchemists stammered hesitantly.

"This...this is really a...a pill?"

Chen Xia turned the pill in his hand this way and that, examining it. With his extensive knowledge from reading many books on medicinal materials, he recognized that this should indeed be a pill, though he didn't know exactly what kind.

"It should be, yes. Do you recognize it?" Chen Xia asked with a faint laugh.

The alchemist was taken aback, then became rather apprehensive, thinking this was Chen Xia testing him. Having just mocked Chen Xia earlier, he now hurriedly sought to make amends.

His eyes widened as he didn't dare approach any closer. Instead he strained to examine it from afar, while nervously stuttering,

"The...the pill markings are deep, the fragrance is rich, and it vaguely emits a medicinal aura. Based on the books...this is at least a high-grade spiritual pill!"

When he said this, the eyes of the other junior alchemists couldn't help but widen as well, and their voices rose in ever more horrified tones.

"This is at least a high-grade spiritual pill like Snow Day Pill!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other Xiaodan Hall alchemists instantly became alarmed. They looked at Chen Xia as if they had seen a ghost, and their bodies even began to tremble.

Someone capable of refining a high-grade spiritual pill was an outstanding figure even among alchemists, able to hold a high position in Xiaodan Hall.

How could a mere guard refine something like this?!

The other alchemists simply couldn't comprehend it. They stared blankly, still unable to speak.

The alchemist who had identified the pill continued on, forcibly suppressing his shock.

"The pill markings are snowflake patterns, six in total, slightly blue in color. The fragrance is rich. Sir... You refined a high-grade spiritual pill, Snow Day Pill!"

Upon hearing this, the other junior alchemists could no longer maintain their composure. They were so shocked that their bodies twitched, as if they had just been whipped.

Snow Day Pill, a high-grade spiritual pill, was a supreme medicinal pill that even cultivators at the Great Vehicle Realm coveted. How could a mere guard like him refine it?!

The alchemists were truly bewildered and stupefied.

Chen Xia's expression remained tranquil. To him, it was just a single high-grade spiritual pill, nothing precious at all. If the medicinal materials for this batch had been just slightly better, he could have casually refined an even higher grade medicinal pill.

Besides, this water-aspected Snow Day Pill didn't have much use for Chen Xia anyway.

He raised his eyes slightly to look at the junior alchemists of Xiaodan Hall, and said gently,

"I am a very polite person. Although you offended me earlier, I don't hold it against you. What I value most is propriety in dealing with others."

The junior alchemist hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes, Your Excellency is magnanimous..."

"I'll give you this pill as a small gift," Chen Xia said with a faint laugh, casually tossing the high-grade spiritual pill Snow Day Pill into the hands of the junior alchemist.

One couldn't say he threw it like trash, but it wasn't far off.

The junior alchemist was stunned for a moment, looking at the Snow Day Pill in his hand in disbelief. But he reacted extremely quickly, without any hesitation. He immediately knelt down on the spot, raising his voice gratefully with tears streaming down his face.

"This lowly one's name is Li Gao. I am willing to be Your Excellency's ox and horse, serving you loyally no matter the hardship!"

Chen Xia just smiled without responding.

The other alchemists felt this was indeed treating others with propriety.

And the effect could be said to be outstanding.

Li Gao was just shy of calling Chen Xia father on the spot. His own father probably hadn't treated him this well before! Just giving away a Snow Day Pill so casually!

And seeing Chen Xia's indifferent expression, like he was casually chasing off a beggar, without any reluctance at all.

The other junior alchemists looked on enviously. Some wanted to seize the opportunity, so they strode forward and knelt right in front of Chen Xia, loudly proclaiming,

"Oh sir of great talent, I am willing to serve before and behind your horse, undertaking any hardship or grievance, undressing and tying your robe, there is nothing I cannot do!"

With one taking the lead, the other junior alchemists no longer cared about face. They uniformly knelt down and sincerely called out.

Face?

Don't joke around, could face be more important than a high-grade spiritual pill?

Chen Xia looked around at everyone, hands clasped behind his back. He shook his head, speaking plainly, "You may all rise. I prefer your earlier unruly manner."

"Yes!"

The junior alchemists hurriedly nodded their heads and quickly stood up, their expressions returning to how they were before. But when they looked at Chen Xia, they inevitably revealed some fawning.

Chen Xia rubbed his nose and laughed, "Actually I was just casually refining."

"Sir's casual refining is already so amazing. If you got serious, you could probably refine a medicinal potion!" Li Gao hurriedly flattered from the side.

Chen Xia glanced at him but didn't reply. He felt this guy wasn't really praising him.

Only able to refine a medicinal potion when serious?

When Chen Xia got serious, he could refine half a supreme medicinal pill!

The other junior alchemists hurried to sing praises.

"Exactly, exactly! Sir is so talented!"

"Leaves me sighing in admiration. Oh such loftiness!"

"Please make full use of me, sir!"

Chen Xia frowned a bit at this last line and shook his head, waving his hand.

"Since you are all alchemists, help me find some medicinal materials that can nurture qi and blood, benefit the body, and are of the highest quality possible. When you find them, I can help refine a pill for you once."

The junior alchemists hurriedly nodded, their expressions excited as they started pondering where to find such medicinal materials.

After Chen Xia made this remark, he lingered no longer. He continued strolling leisurely through the snow.

His plain blue clothes faintly visible as he came and went.

He thought this would be the end of the pill refining incident, but it turned out to be just the beginning.

Fawning creatures like this often get more zealous the more they fawn.

First it was Li Gao who, after finding Chen Xia's location, came bearing all kinds of gifts to pay respects, disregarding the puzzled looks of the other guards. He walked directly into the pavilion and obsequiously flattered,

"Master...oh no, Sir, this lowly Li Gao has specially come to pay respects to you."

Chen Xia leaned on his hand, gazing out the window at the falling snow, not even turning his head back. He just lightly nodded, "Leave it there."

Li Gao hurriedly set the gifts down, and continued fawning, "Sir, does this lowly one need to serve you in any way?"

"Hmm..." Chen Xia thought for a moment. "Remodel this pavilion for me. I don't really like the layout. It should have ventilation on all sides, a wide roof, and most importantly a comfortable chair."

"Of course, of course!" Li Gao hurriedly nodded and laughed. He didn't fear hard work, only feared having nothing to do.

Li Gao immediately set out to find materials to remodel the pavilion.

Seeing this, the other junior alchemists certainly couldn't fall behind. They hurried over bearing gifts to pay respects, and also received various tasks.

This left the other guards completely dumbfounded.

Especially seeing the gifts piled up to the pavilion entrance, still accumulating.

And the key was that Chen Xia didn't even glance at them. Occasionally when he came out and they blocked his way, he would kick them aside with his foot, like sweeping away trash.

In the end, the guards couldn't stand it anymore. They fiercely slapped their own faces until they turned red and hurt, wondering aloud,

"Why am I not awake yet?"