Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 117

Chapter 117: Apothecary Bai Ming’s Breakdown (Second Half)

He felt stifled within, but Bai Ming also knew that he was unable to refute Zhang Xuan’s words.

It was the basics to check the cauldron and flames of the cauldron before forging pills. Even apprentices were aware of it. His action of going straight to forging was clearly a huge mistake.

Using the words in Zhang Xuan’s previous world, if a person didn’t buckle their seat belt, check the tires, and scan the surroundings before starting to drive, they couldn’t refute anything if an accident occurred.

Right now, that was the emotion Bai Ming was experiencing. Lectured by an apprentice apothecary in public, yet unable to refute anything at all. It was clear just by thinking of how stifled he was at this moment.

“Alright, now that I have touched on the cauldron and the flames, I shall talk about the fusing of the medicinal herbs!”

Knowing that the other party would be unable to reply to his words, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to continue interrogating him over those mistakes of his. Instead, he walked over to the medicinal racks. “Acupoint Soothing Pill requires a total of 47 types of herbs. Given the number of herbs that are involved in the forging process, there are herbs that complement one another, as well as herbs that clash with one another. As such, if you don’t control the process properly, it is very easy for the medicinal herb to clash with one another and the pill will be ruined!

“Let me first talk about Apothecary Bai Ming’s forging sequence!

“The first herb he put in was Heart Grass! Heart Grass has calming properties and is resilient to high temperature. As such, it requires strong flames to extract its essence. It is correct to place it into the cauldron first so that it can come into contact with the flames earlier to incite its medicinal properties. However… seven breaths after placing Heart Grass in, he placed in the second herb, Split Palm Flower!

“If I’m not wrong, that Heart Grass he took was only half a year old. As such, its medicinal properties are not strong enough and most of it was concentrated on the leaves instead of the meridians. For such a herb, the medicinal effects will be swiftly released upon meeting strong flames. Under normal situations, he should have placed Split Palm Flower in after four breaths. Yet, he delayed it three entire breaths, causing a loss in the medicinal effect by thirteen percent. Fail!

“On the other hand, Split Palm Flower has a maturity of five years and the medicinal effects of it is relatively stronger. He should have slowly released the Split Palm Flowers by the left wall of the cauldron, and the duration of its descent should be roughly half a breath. During this time, the heart of the cauldron would unleash the medicinal effects of it, allowing it to better mix with Heart Grass. However, Apothecary Bai Ming threw the medicinal herb straight it, depriving it of the opportunity to be heated by the cauldron in advance. As such, its medicinal effect wasn’t fully unleashed and fourteen percent of the medicinal effect was lost. Fail!

“The medicinal effects of these two herbs clash with one another, so he should have quickly placed in Scattered Floral Grass, which has a pacifying effect for the two. Yet he threw in the violent Lone-eyed Dragon Grass, worsening the clash between the two herbs. As such, eleven percent of the medicinal effect was lost! Fail!

“The Lone-eyed Dragon Grass is a herb with yang properties. After placing it into the scorching cauldron, he should have added Cooling Grass to counteract its effects. Yet Apothecary Bai Ming added Wisdom Mother Grass instead. Wisdom Mother Grass is able to neutralize all medicinal herbs, and as such, it is the best choice to serve as a medium between herbs. However, it is precisely because of that that it completely neutralized the yang properties of the Lone-eyed Dragon Grass, greatly reducing the medicinal effect of the Acupoint Smoothing Pill. Fail!”

“… Fail!

“… Fail!

“… Fail!”

……

Zhang Xuan spoke faster and faster, akin to a machine gun. His every word was logical with evidence to back them up. Every single failure struck like a hammer on Apothecary Bai Ming’s face. His face grew paler and paler and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Pill forging was by no means simple. Even with the same herbs, if the maturity was different, it could have different medicinal properties. Not to mention, an apothecary needed to pair them together in a way that complemented them to mix them together and such. Even for a single Acupoint Soothing Pill, three days wouldn’t be enough if Zhang Xuan were to go in depth.

This was also the reason why apothecaries were one of the front-runners in the Upper Nine Paths.

“Everything he said is true!”

“To recall the sequence in which Apothecary Bai Ming added the forty-seven medicinal herbs with a single look? What kind of memorization ability does he possess?”

“The most shocking thing isn’t him remembering the sequence in which the medicinal herbs were placed in…. It is that he was able to tell the maturity of every single medicinal herb and come up with a method to complement them so as to best unleash its medicinal effects…. Is he really human?”

“Now that I’ve heard his words, an apothecary really has to take a lot of factors into account. It is no wonder that my pills are unable to reach Perfection or Inscribed Pill. So this is the reason….”

……

…

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, everyone became mute. It was as though their heads had been smashed with a bat, their mouths agape and their eyes wide.

The heck!

This is what you call pill forging!

What we were doing before was simply wasting herbs and insulting this occupation!

Most probably, if they were to use the method he spoke of to forge this pill, the pill would be able to reach higher heights. Perfection and even Inscribed Pill wouldn’t be problems!

This was no longer a theory that a 1-star apothecary could come into contact with. Only the more advanced apothecaries would pay attention to such minute details!

Everyone was dumbfounded. At this moment, the thought of suicide even ran through Apothecary Bai Ming’s head.

Listening to the words of the other party, his entire pill forging sequence was a failure. How could this be considered pill forging? He must be forging feces instead!

Furthermore… at least when one forges feces, they don’t waste any materials. Yet, when he forged a pill, he wasted all of the medicinal herbs used in it….

Pu!

The stifling sensation in his chest grew heavier and heavier, and he puked a mouthful of blood.

All along, he thought of himself as talented in pill forging, and that he was truly a highly-skilled apothecary. Yet, upon hearing the words of the other party, he realized that his standards couldn’t even match up to that of a child’s!

All of the confidence he held in the past was completely shattered. The current him feared to even approach a cauldron now.

His body trembled violently. Just a moment ago, he stood up proudly and determinedly to punish Zhang Xuan for his humiliation. Yet, at this moment, his complexion was turning more and more awful, as though he were going berserk.

A moment later, he gritted his teeth.

“That’s right. Given my standards, what kind of pills can I possibly forge? All I’m doing is wasting medicinal herbs! From today onward, I, Bai Ming, will not forge a single pill anymore. If I break this vow, let the Heavens tear me apart!”

A vow resounded in the hall.

“What?”

“He vowed not to forge a single pill anymore?”

“Apothecary Bai Ming…”

……

Upon hearing the vow he made, everyone was flabbergasted. They couldn’t help but shudder, upset at the thought of the loss of a comrade.

For an apothecary to vow to never forge a single pill anymore was equivalent to bidding the world of pill forging farewell. The effort he had put in for his entire life had all gone to waste.

And the reason for that was a mere apprentice apothecary pointing out the flaws in his pill forging process!

“Isn’t he being too rash….” An apothecary couldn’t help but comment.

“If you were criticized like that, what would you do?” another apothecary responded.

“I…” The former paused halfway through, unable to find a word to say.

What the other party said was true. If he were in the place of Apothecary Bai Ming, upon realizing that his forging technique was nothing but flaws and the hard work he had devoted into it was nothing but rubbish, the confidence he had held for countless years would probably collapse in an instant!

The moment he lost all his confidence, the trauma he received from it would cause him to be unable to forge a single pill for the rest of his life. Rather than suffer in anguish over it, he might as well simply make a vow to never forge a single pill anymore!

Pill forging wasn’t a joke. Mental state, skill, confidence… all of these factors were absolutely required. Without confidence, how could one be called an apothecary?

“To make an experienced apothecary lose all of his confidence and fear forging just by pointing out his mistakes…”

Such a thought flashed across their minds in an instant. Taking another glance at Zhang Xuan, their hearts skipped a beat.

It was no wonder that he was reluctant to speak of their flaws in pill forging. It was not that he was unable to discern anything from it and resorted to other methods to make up for his weakness. Only now did they know… the other party wasn’t in the least as ignorant as they thought. Rather, it was because he knew too much that he feared he would shatter the last bit of confidence they had!

Brother, we would like to ask you: Are you the apprentice apothecary or are we?

Chapter 118: The True Pill Debate (First Half)

“I admit defeat!”

After declaring that he would no longer forge pills, Apothecary Bai Ming bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan.

It had been slightly more than two hours since the beginning of the Pill Debate and there were already four apothecaries who had admitted defeat.

This conclusion was unexpected for all involved. Even Ouyang Cheng shuddered in disbelief.

Previously, he didn’t hold high hopes for Zhang Xuan’s victory. He didn’t expect it to end up like this!

It was completely one-sided!

It was no wonder that he was able to achieve a perfect score on the apprentice apothecary examination, even recognizing medicinal herbs that the examiners got wrong. His abilities were simply way too impressive!

On the other hand, Wen Xue’s eyes were full of fear and her body trembled nonstop.

To think that she had mocked a person who could leave these apothecaries speechless…. Was there something wrong with her head or was she simply too gutsy?

It was fortunate that the other party had no intentions of fussing over the matter with her. Otherwise, she could’ve even been expelled from the Apothecary Guild!

“I’ll go!”

Upon seeing Bai Ming admit defeat and the silence that lingered around them, Du Man stepped forward.

“Please go easy on me!”

Forcing a smile onto his face, Du Man walked over to the cauldron.

The pill he forged was grade-1 too. It was slightly inferior to the Acupoint Soothing Pill and Tranquil Heart Pill from before.

His movements were fluid and swift. Soon, he managed to successfully forge the pills all of which were at the level of Satiation.

The other party’s attitude was amiable. Besides, they also became acquainted yesterday. As a result, Zhang Xuan didn’t say too much and simply pointed out a few of the more obvious mistakes. The latter admitted defeat straight afterward.

At this moment, out of the ten apothecaries, five had already admitted defeat.

The Pill Debate was halfway through.

“Let’s continue. Who will be the next?”

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan scanned the crowd calmly. Silence continued to linger around them.

In the Pill Debate of other apprentice apothecaries, the examinee would always look at the examiner in fear, afraid that the other party would intentionally come up with difficult questions. Yet this fellow was the exact opposite. All of the remaining apothecaries cowered back, afraid of their names being called. If not witnessed it firsthand, no one would believe it possible.

“I’ll go!”

After another moment of silence, an elder stood up.

Apothecary Lin Mu!

Apothecary Cheng Jiang had once used the excuse of wanting to view his skills to secretly learn his personal forging technique, Frost Threaded Hands.

“Apothecary Lin, please wait a second! This time, I would like to test him along with you!”

Right after Lin Mu stood up, a middle-aged man stood up as well.

Apothecary Jin Chen!

“Together?” Lin Mu frowned.

How can two people forge pills simultaneously for the other party to point out their flaws?

“The fact that he can see through our flaws means that his ability to discern is impressive and he has undergone good education. It’s very likely that he is under the guidance of a master teacher. However, I don’t believe that the knowledge he has stored in his head can be as impressive as his discernment ability, especially given his age! So… let’s not forge pills and instead bring up questions. Let’s not be fooled by him!”

Apothecary Jin Chen harrumphed.

“This…”

Lin Mu was stunned.

“That’s right, why didn’t I think of this?”

“He isn’t even twenty yet. Even if he could read right after he was born, how many books could possibly be read? How much of the content of each book could he possibly recall?”

“A true Pill Debate involves raising questions about pill forging for the examinee to answer. He must have known that he didn’t have enough knowledge, so he intentionally heightened the difficulty to perceiving flaws in forging techniques instead. It is true that the difficulty has been raised, but if he had the guidance of a master teacher and came into contact with good education from a young age, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to see through our mistakes!”

“That’s right, master teachers are extremely knowledgeable while on the other hand we are only 1-star apothecaries. His discernment abilities can’t possibly be weak being the disciple of such a figure. If so, it’s understandable that he sees through our mistakes!”

……

Apothecary Jin Chen’s words relit the flames in the four remaining apothecaries and they regained their confidence.

The fact that the other party was able to see through their mistakes by viewing their pill forging could only mean that his discernment ability was outstanding. It didn’t mean that he had to be knowledgeable.

Since that was the case, questioning him might just turn out to be his weakness. All along, everyone had been fooled by this fellow.

“That’s right!”

Lin Mu came to realization and nodded his head fervently.

It was no wonder that everyone agreed with Jin Chen’s view. After all, accumulation of knowledge required time and effort. This Zhang Xuan, even with an optimistic estimate, couldn’t possibly be twenty yet. Even if he read every day, how many books could he have possibly read?

Furthermore, he still had to remember their contents!

“You want to ask me questions instead?”

Not expecting these people to come up with such a conclusion after a long moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan simply smiled faintly in response. “Alright then, let’s begin!”

After reading through the books in the basic tier book collection vault and the teacher’s Compendium Pavilion, the knowledge in his head right now was significantly greater than that of these apothecaries. Even if they wanted to test his knowledge, he didn’t have anything to fear.

“I’ll see whether you can retain your confidence when I stump you later on!”

Upon seeing that the other party held no fear whatsoever, a cold gleam flashed across Apothecary Jin Chen’s eyes. “According to the rules of a normal Pill Debate, I can raise three questions. If you are able to answer all of them, I will have to admit defeat! On the other hand, if you fail to answer any one of the three… you will have failed. All that you have accomplished beforehand would go to waste!”

There was a complete list of rules and regulations for Pill Debate. The ten apothecaries weren’t allowed to bring up as many questions as they pleased. Otherwise, wouldn’t the examinee tire himself to death when undergoing Pill Debate?

The examiners could only pose three questions each, and if the other party’s answers were correct, they had to admit defeat, However, if he couldn’t answer any one of the questions or he answered erroneously, it would be a straight failure, regardless of how many questions he had answered before that!

“Sure!” Zhang Xuan was also well-aware of the rules. He nodded his head.

“Alright then, here is my first question. When forging a grade-1 Body Tempering Pill, even when the pill comes out from the same cauldron and was at the same level of quality, it is possible for one pill to have outstanding effects while another has miniscule effects. What are the reasons behind this?” Apothecary Jin Chen asked.

Upon hearing this question, the other apothecaries’ attention was piqued.

Body Tempering Pill was a pill often consumed by Fighter 4-dan. It could temper a person’s physical body, allowing one to improve swiftly in the Pigu realm.

This was also the reason why they often forged such a pill. However, just like what Apothecary Jin Chen said, there would often be situations in which the medicinal effects in each pill were different despite coming from the same cauldron.

Consuming the pills that came from the same cauldron, some experienced tremendous effects and advance far in the Pigu realm while others found it completely ineffective for them.

“Apothecary Jin Chen sure picked a difficult question!” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “There is no clear answer to this question in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Yet you posed this question to me. How do you expect me to answer it?

“However… other people may be unable to say anything about this subject, but I have my own ways!

Smiling lightly, Zhang Xuan said, “As for the matter you said, an apothecary named Cheng Ye had already proposed it thirty-seven years ago. Back then, he gathered twenty-three apothecaries and researched the matter for three days straight. He wrote the conclusion to their discussions in a book titled《Cheng Ye’s Body Tempering Theories》. If you have read it, you should know what his conclusion is!

“He thinks that the reason for this difference has something to do with the constitution of a cultivator. Some people are born with a body compatible with Body Tempering Pill while others’ physique may be resistant to it. It’s just like how some people have a high tolerance for alcohol while others don’t!

“Back then, this theory received the approval of many people. However, eighteen years ago, 3-star apothecary Zhang Jian noticed something that disputed this theory. If it was due to the constitution of an individual, then why was the second consumed pill effective for some individuals when the first one wasn’t?”

Chapter 119: The True Pill Debate (Second Half)

“Clearly, the theory about the difference being attributed to the constitution does not hold!

“Thus, Apothecary Zhang Jian investigated the matter and wrote the conclusion of his research into 《Discussions of Tempering Pill》. This book clearly details his opinions and he disagrees with the notion that the difference in effects of the Body Tempering Pill is due to one’s constitution. Rather, it was because the medicinal effects of the herbs weren’t distributed fairly among the different pills during the forging process! As such, even in the same cauldron and among pills of the same quality, there could be different medicinal effects!

“This theory was accepted for a few years until twelve years ago, when someone cast doubts and overthrew it! The one who doubted the theory wasn’t an apothecary but a 1-star master teacher. He questioned: if the medicinal effects weren’t distributed fairly among the different pill, then why did such a phenomenon only occur to Body Tempering Pills and not other pills?

“Therefore, he proposed a bold suggestion. It was recorded in 《Ning Han’s Verbal Records》. This book wasn’t widely sold and there is only a single copy of it in the guild’s basic tier book collection vault. If you all haven’t read it, it is in the 19th bookshelf, at the extreme right corner!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled and continued, “This master teacher named Ning Han came up with a bold proposal. He thinks that the reason there was such an occurrence among Body Tempering Pills was because of the difference between the maturity of the herbs and the forging technique of the apothecaries! Of course, he only brought it up as a theory and didn’t experiment!

“Eight years ago, Apothecary Zhao Yue from Hongxuan Kingdom received an epiphany from this book and conducted an experiment. He changed eighteen of the main medicinal herbs used in the pill and tried forging it using forty-two different kinds of forging techniques. He wrote his conclusion in a book titled《Detailed Explanation of Body Tempering》. It just so happens that there is one of them in our basic tier book collection vault. It is on the 27th row, on the upper left corner, beside 《Yang Zhen’s Pill Forging Guide》 and 《The Method to Forging Jade Blood Pill》! If all of you doubt my words, you can find someone to fetch it here!

“I believe that the answer in the book is the most accurate one, and it should be able to answer your question!”

At this point, Zhang Xuan stopped and gesture for Ouyang Cheng to dispatch someone to fetch the book.

“There’s no need….”

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s explanation, the complexion of Apothecary Jin Chen, who was still gleeful a moment ago, darkened to the color of the bottom of a wok and he stumbled two steps backward. In an instant, he seemed to have aged many years.

“What? If we don’t fetch the book here, I fear that Apothecary Jin will not accept my answer!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Your answer is correct. I have read the book and it is identical to what you said!” Apothecary Jin Chen nodded his head.

“Correct?”

“Identical?”

“That shouldn’t be possible…. Apothecary Jin Chen simply raised a casual question and he was able to answer it so simply. Furthermore, out of the countless books in the vault, he was able to remember its exact position…. How is that possible?”

“Is he still human? You must be pulling my leg!”

……

Upon hearing his acknowledgment, the room broke into a commotion once more.

Previously, they thought that due to the limitations of his age, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have the time to read many books. After this round, they realized that compared to him… they were the ones who hadn’t read many books!

Not only was the other party able to accurately remember the contents, time the book was written, and title of the book, he was even able to point out its exact location in the vault….

For them… it would already be wonderful if they could remember the contents detailed within!

Looked like there really was a huge difference between humans!

“Since Apothecary Jin Chen has acknowledged my answer to be correct, let’s proceed onto the second question!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled.

‘You want to compete with me in memorization ability?

‘What a joke! I have the Library of Heaven’s Path in my mind. With a jolt of my consciousness, the book comes flying to me. I only have to read according to it. Regardless of how good your memory is, you can’t possibly be more accurate than me!’

“The second question. When forging a grade-1 【Strength Enhancement Pill】, why do cracks appear on a cauldron, making it difficult to continue with the forging?” Apothecary Jin Chen pondered for an entire ten minute before asking.

“Incredible!”

“He chose an excellent question!”

“Indeed, the cauldron often cracks while forging a grade-1 【Strength Enhancement Pill】. On the surface, it seems like an apothecary’s question, but to answer the question, you require knowledge of smithing as well!”

“Indeed, let’s see how he will answer the question!”

……

Upon hearing Apothecary Jin Chen’s second question, everyone’s attention was piqued again.

An apothecary’s cauldron was forged by blacksmiths, and the matter of it breaking during pill forging wasn’t strictly within the boundaries of pill forging anymore.

However, if one scrutinized the question carefully, it was still related to pill forging. It was precisely because it lay at the boundaries of the two that many apothecaries did not bother to learn about it, let alone answering such a question.

Since everyone could tell what he was trying to do, how could Zhang Xuan remain oblivious? The corners of his lips curled upward and he replied, “As for this problem, Apothecary Wu Xiao’s 《Cauldron Maintenance》, Apothecary Zhao Qian’s 《Important Matters to Note for Pill Forging》, Apothecary Niu Xuan’s 《Miscellaneous Things You Have to Know》, Apothecary Pang Bo’s 《Protect Your New Cauldron》…”

Without pausing, Zhang Xuan listed the titles of dozens of books before concluding, “… The answers are detailed in these books. Actually, it wasn’t really a difficult question. The cauldrons that you all use are made of ordinary Nine Refinement Metal. This metal may be strong, but it is unable to withstand the clash between extreme cold and heat. The main ingredient required for Strength Enhancement Pill is the blood of a cold-attribute savage beast. When something that cold comes into contact with the hot cauldron, it’s natural that the cauldron’s unable to withstand it!

“If you wish to resolve the problem, it is best to use Heavy Iron Cauldron instead! Or you can also change your cauldron every time after you forge Strength Enhancement Pills!”

Zhang Xuan smiled.

This question might seem difficult, but it was recorded in the books of the basic tier book collection vault as well. It was just that the number of books in the vault was too vast and the apprentices in the guild would often choose to research pill forging techniques so that they could become an official apothecary faster. As a result, there was no reason for them to look into these kinds of miscellaneous books!

Furthermore, after becoming an official apothecary, one’s standing would become completely different. With more guests paying them a visit and with more authority, they would have less time to read books. There were many things that they could learn from the book collection vault, but they never found the time to look for it and as such they were ignorant of them.

This was precisely the reason why the other apothecaries were unable to answer such questions. On the other hand, for Zhang Xuan who had duplicated a basic tier book collection vault in his mind, he had no difficulty answering this question at all.

“I wonder if Apothecary Jin Chen is satisfied with my answer? If not, I can still go on….”

“There’s no need, your answer is correct!”

Cold sweat appeared on Apothecary Jin Chen’s forehead.

When he started to forge Strength Enhancement Pills, he met with such a problem. So he went around asking others to seek an answer. Eventually, he found his answer in a book and that book was one of the dozen books which Zhang Xuan had just listed, 《Protect Your New Cauldron》 by Apothecary Pang Bo.

He thought that this was the only book which had detailed information on this subject, so he raised this question to trouble the other party. Yet this fellow was able to list more than a dozen books in a breath.

It was fortunate that he didn’t name the book earlier. Otherwise, he would be humiliated when the other party listed this huge collection of books.

The heck, what is the head of this fellow made of?

How could he remember everything so clearly?

Upon seeing this situation, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man exchanged glances and smiled wryly. This was nothing! If you all knew that this fellow could even point out the specific page in the book, you probably wouldn’t have insisted on conducting your test like that!

In fact, the other party proposing to point out flaws in their forging technique was indeed raising the difficulty for him. If you wish to triumph against him in a competition of knowledge…

We’re afraid that you could only do it in your dreams….

Chapter 120: Not a Thing

“Since I’ve answered the second question already, name your third one!”

Seeing the other party conceding the second question, Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered to continue lingering about the matter.

“I admit defeat! These are already the two most difficult questions I can think of. I will just be making a mockery of myself if I continue asking!”

Apothecary Jin Chen shook his head.

The other party’s action of listing out the names of so many books felled his confidence. He knew that if he continued like this, the only one being embarrassed would be him. He might as well surrender at this point. At least he could retain some dignity.

“You aren’t going to ask the third question?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before coming to a realization.

Since he was able to easily answer the most difficult questions he could come up with, he would most likely be humiliating himself if he continued.

Zhang Xuan was impressed with Apothecary Jin Chen’s decisiveness.

“It’s your turn!”

He turned around to look at Lin Mu.

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s attention turned onto him, Apothecary Lin Mu gritted his teeth and asked, “I have a question which, honestly speaking, I don’t have an answer to either. If you can’t answer it, it won’t be considered your defeat! However, if you can answer it, I will admit defeat right away. It will be pointless even if I ask any further than that anyway!”

In the Pill Debate, the examiner had to know the answers to the questions they were posing. Otherwise, when you don’t even know the answer yourself, how can you determine whether the other party’s answer is correct?

Now that Apothecary Lin Mu had confessed that he wasn’t able to answer this question either, logically speaking, it was already beyond the boundaries of the Pill Debate. Zhang Xuan could reject to answer his question.

It wouldn’t be considered his defeat if he chose to do so.

“Speak!” Zhang Xuan casually said.

‘Reject? Are you kidding? Since I can answer two fewer questions, it is obvious that I should answer his question.’

“I have been researching 【Meridian Expansion Pill】for a very long and regardless of the forging method, the medicinal herbs, or the cauldron, I double-check them to make sure there is nothing wrong with them. But for some reason, I am unable to form the pill. I would like you to tell me the reason for my failure!” Apothecary Lin Mu asked, after hesitating for a moment

“What kind of question is this?”

“Aren’t you being a little too difficult here!”

“That’s right, you should find the reason behind why you’re unable to successfully forge a pill yourself. How do you expect him to answer that question out of the blue?”

……

Upon hearing Lin Mu’s words, everyone was dumbfounded for a moment before peculiar expressions crept onto their faces.

When posing a question during a Pill Debate, one had to ask something that the other party could answer. Asking the other party how many moles you had on your body, how many meals you had yesterday, how many women you had relationships with… Even gods would be unable to answer these questions!

Right now, Lin Mu’s question was similar to those. You simply said that you were unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill, how do you expect the other party to answer your query?

“Cough cough, Apothecary Lin Mu, you have to ask a question with basis behind it. This question isn’t suitable, you should switch to another one….”

Ouyang Cheng, who was conducting the Pill Debate, couldn’t stand looking at the situation any longer and spoke up.

“I was being too rash….”

Upon hearing the words of the others, Lin Mu realized that his question was inappropriate. Thus, he shook his head and just as he was about to say something else, Zhang Xuan beat him to it. “You weren’t really rash. How about this: you try to forge a Meridian Expansion Pill for me first. I can’t do anything about it through just your descriptions alone!”

“Alright!”

Lin Mu didn’t expect the other party to agree. Nodding his head, he walked over to the cauldron.

Actually, he didn’t intend to ask this question initially, it simply popped into his mind all of a sudden.

Recently, he had been thinking of forging Meridian Expansion Pills, but for some reason, he was unable to succeed. He had researched many different books, tried many different forging techniques, and everything he could think of, but his forging still ended in failure! Upon seeing Zhang Xuan pointing out the mistakes of the others so easily, he couldn’t help asking him.

As long as he was able to find the mistake behind it, he was confident that with his skills he could successfully forge it.

Thinking that it was impertinent to ask this of him on such an occasion, he thought that the Zhang Xuan would reject his question. He didn’t expect him to actually accept his question.

Fwoosh boosh!

The flames burned furiously and all kinds of medicinal herbs flew inside.

Lin Mu’s ten fingers looked like they were playing the zither, continuously dancing all about. Peering from afar, it seemed as though he were playing a heavenly tune instead of pill forging.

With a single look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the apothecary before him had immersed himself in the art of pill forging for countless years and was already well-versed in it.

With such skills and a completely flawless forging sequence, he was still unable to successfully form the pills. This perplexed him.

“There is no errors at all!”

“With such skills, he could successfully forge a Strength Enhancement Pill. Why would he be unable to form the Meridian Expansion Pill?”

“Indeed, that’s strange….”

Everyone’s attention gathered on Apothecary Lin Mu as he started his forging. The more they watched, the more puzzled they became.

It was exactly as he said. Regardless of whether it was the medicinal herb, his movements, or any other significant factors, there wasn’t a single error at all. Reasonably speaking, he should at least be able to form the pills. In fact, the pill would likely reach Satiation!

To be unable to form the pills… That was impossible!

Unfortunately, reality glared straight back at them. Soon, the flames died down and upon lifting the lid of the cauldron, a black sludge of medicinal waste presented itself before the people.

Fail!

“This doesn’t make sense!”

Ouyang Cheng’s wrinkled his brow to the point it folded into creases.

As the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild and a 1-star intermediate stage apothecary—the highest of the group here—his discernment ability was also outstanding. After looking at the entire process, his conclusion was the same as the others, that pills would be formed. Yet the results were contrary to his expectations. A puzzled expression hung on his face and he contemplated the matter seriously.

“Sigh!”

Upon seeing the pitch-black medicinal waste in the cauldron, Apothecary Lin Mu sighed and shook his head. He lifted his head to look at the young man. “This is the question I would like to ask you. If you can answer it, I will admit defeat straight away! However, if you can’t answer, I will switch to a different question. It won’t affect the results of the Pill Debate!”

“Can’t answer?”

Zhang Xuan laughed. Stepping over to the cauldron, he circled around it and examined the medicinal waste. After that, he lifted his head to look at Apothecary Lin Mu with a bizarre expression on his face. “Apothecary Lin Mu sure is vigorous despite your age. I never thought it possible!”

“Vigorous despite my age?”

Lin Mu was taken aback.

‘What does me being vigorous have to do with whether I am able to successfully forge the pill or not?

‘Is there even a relationship between the two?’

The other apothecaries also looked over with doubtful expressions.

Previously, they would have publicly criticized him and doubted his words. However, after witnessing his vast knowledge and his ability, they understood that he had good reason for saying such words.

“Indeed. Upon walking over, I noticed a fragrance unique to women on Apothecary Lin’s body. Furthermore, the scent is refreshing, pure and full of life. If I’m not wrong, she should not yet be eighteen years old!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Indeed, I just brought a concubine into my household. She hasn’t reached eighteen yet!”

Apothecary Lin Mu’s face flushed red.

He was already nearing seventy. He had a foot in the grave, but he had brought a seventeen year old concubine back home. Even though it didn’t mean anything much in this world, he was still embarrassed to have the fact pointed out in front of so many other apothecaries.

“Could it be that… the reason why I am unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill is because of my concubine?”

Soon, Lin Mu arrived at a conclusion. Puzzled, he stared at Zhang Xuan.

If there was no relationship between the two, given Zhang Xuan’s previous actions, he probably wouldn’t point it out.

Just that… how was accepting a concubine related to forging pills?

They were two completely different things!

“You’re right…. If I’m not wrong, that concubine of yours… isn’t a thing!” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying calmly.

“Not a thing?”

Lin Mu was flabbergasted for a moment before frowning. Infuriated, displeasure showed on his face. “Why did you start insulting her?”

Chapter 121: Vying to Go First

‘I asked you to look for the flaws in my method in forging the Meridian Expansion Pill, yet you insulted my concubine, saying that she wasn’t a person. What do you mean by that?’

Even though Lin Mu was good-natured, he was still displeased by those words.

Not only did his face darken, the others also had bizarre expressions on theirs.

What was going on?

Why did he suddenly start insulting others?

“Apothecary Lin, please calm down!”

Zhang Xuan seemed to have guessed that the other party would react like that and he looked at him playfully. “Have you been working hard every day, not resting even during daytime?”

“Er…”

Upon being posed with such a question, Lin Mu’s face reddened and he was a little embarrassed. “I just married my concubine, so I might have… might have… worked a little hard!”

An old man like him married a young wife, not to mention a beautiful lady who wasn’t eighteen yet, so it was no wonder that Lin Mu would shower plenty of love on her. If he could, he would be in bed all day long.

“Haha!”

“Apothecary Lin, I didn’t expect that you would still be so active!”

“You are truly vigorous, truly an old man with the zeal of a youngster!”

“Impressive, I am truly impressed!”

……

Upon hearing the conversation of the duo, the other apothecaries couldn’t help chuckling.

It was common for men to bring in concubines into the household, but for him to bring in a concubine who hadn’t reached eighteen yet and work hard every day, both day and night…. This Apothecary Lin Mu had way too much “drive.”

Upon hearing the laughter of his old buddies, Lin Mu felt embarrassed. Looking at Zhang Xuan, he said, “There… should be nothing wrong with that!”

It was perfectly normal for males and females to be in love with one another; it was a natural phenomenon of complementing the yang with yin. Furthermore, his cultivation had reached Pixue realm, so it wasn’t a big deal for him to go at it several times in a single day!

In fact, it wasn’t a big deal for ordinary humans to go at it several times every day either.

“If that was all, there would be nothing wrong with the situation. However… in order to become more fiery, did you consume some medicine that you shouldn’t have?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“This…”

Gedeng. Lin Mu’s heart skipped a beat.

The other party was correct. Even though he possessed a high cultivation realm, he was still advanced in age, so his physiological functions weren’t working as well as they had before. In order to take better care of his concubine, he consumed some medicine to boost his stamina and strength recently.

“If I’m not wrong, your concubine persuaded you to consume that medicine, right?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Er… You’re right!” Lin Mu nodded his head.

As an apothecary, he knew that all medicine was poisonous in a way or another, so he was reluctant to eat it. However, he was unable to stand his ground against the persuasion of his concubine. As such, he could only consume it. The medicine was provided by the other party, and after which he felt like a wolf, full of incomparable vitality. Furthermore, it left him excited for quite a period of time.

“Despite your correct forging method, sequence, and such, you are still unable to forge the Meridian Expansion Pill!”

With both of his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan circled around Apothecary Lin Mu. Choosing not to pursue the matter about his concubine, he continued to talk about pill forging. “Initially, I was unable to find the reason and that left me puzzled for a moment. I even wondered if it could be a mistake with the cauldron when I suddenly recalled a certain line in a book!

“The book is known as 《Discussion on Pill Formation》. It was written by a 3-star apothecary, Senior Mu Yang. The book is in the basic tier book collection vault, and written within are several hundred reasons why a pill might fail to form. Of which, there was a certain line and quoting directly from it, ‘Upon losing one’s breath, one’s spirit would be incomplete. Even with perfect skills, it would be hard for the pill to form!’ The meaning is simple. It means that if one’s essence is lacking, even if the forging technique and sequences are completely correct, it will be difficult for the pill to be successfully formed. This formation of pill here refers to Meridian Expansion Pill!

“Upon thinking of these, I walked over to you and caught the scent of the fragrance of the body of a young lady and rouge. As a result, I asked you about your concubine! Actually, just by marrying a concubine and working day and night, you shouldn’t have lost your essence to the point that the pill wouldn’t form. The main problem here was that… you have lost your core!”

“Lost my core?”

Lin Mu was taken aback.

“That’s right, humans have a core and losing it results in catastrophic effects. Given that you are an apothecary, you should have heard of it. If you have just worked day and night, given your strength as a Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm, it wouldn’t be anything much. You should recover fully by resting for half a day. However, you shouldn’t have eaten the tonic she gave you. Those tonics were actually poison that stimulate your spirit, making you imagine hallucinations. It is true that it grants you overwhelming vitality and battle power in the short run, but the poison also flows about your entire body and damages your core!

“As time goes by, your body will gradually grow weaker and weaker. In the end, you will die! On the outside, it looks no different to the usual aging process and even more accomplished apothecaries would find it hard to tell the difference! If I’m not wrong, if you were to continue consuming the pill like that, you would age swiftly and—within a single year—you will definitely die! Even deities would find it hard to save you then!

“Meridian Expansion Pill is a medicine that can widen a cultivator’s meridians and can be considered to be a tonic. Losing your core, you are unable to focus your spirit, breath, and psyche, and as such, it is difficult for you to forge such a pill. Failing to forge the pill was very normal!”

At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment. “For this kind of medicine to even fool an apothecary like you, it must be incomparably precious. It would be hard to imagine that… your concubine is unaware of the matter. That is why I said that she is not a thing. If I have offended you, I hope that you can forgive me!”

“This… this…”

Lin Mu shuddered and he staggered backward.

The words of the other party were completely rational, such that it felt like he had witnessed it all happening.

It was true that he felt his battle power rising upon consuming the medicine by his concubine. In the past, he would feel his back aching right after a single go. Yet, after taking the medicine, three to five times was an easy feat for him.

Initially, he thought that he was slowly growing stronger. Never would he have thought that he was being drugged!

Dammit! Dammit!

“That bitch, to think that I showered her with so much love. She actually tried to backstab me….”

Clenching his fist tightly, Lin Mu’s eyes turned red.

“Alright, if Apothecary Lin thinks what I said is not true, there should be a way to verify what I just said! I have finished answering this question!”

Zhang Xuan gestured.

“What you said is completely true, I thank you for your guidance. I admit defeat for this Pill Debate!” Without any hesitation, Apothecary Lin Mu admitted defeat.

The other party’s words were spot-on and his analysis completely rational. Given how he was unable to find a single mistake in what he said, he had no choice but to admit defeat.

Furthermore, it was true that his body condition had slowly been deteriorating recently. Initially, he thought that it was due to his age. To think that his concubine was the cause of it!

Zhang Xuan simply smiled faintly, choosing not to interfere in Lin Mu’s affairs.

It was the other party’s problem. He found it bothersome to get involved.

Afterwards, he glanced at the three remaining apothecaries. “You’re the only ones left. Just ask any problems that you have all together!”

Of the ten apothecaries at the start, seven had already admitted defeat. As long as these three did so as well, he would pass the Pill Debate and become an official apothecary.

“Genius Brother Zhang Xuan, if that’s the case, I happen to have a question that I need to inquire of you!”

An apothecary stood up.

“Brother Lu, don’t be too anxious. Going by seniority, I should be the one to go first. I happen to have thought of a question as well!” Another apothecary stood up.

“Both of you, stop arguing. I should be the one to ask first. No matter what, I became an apothecary earlier than you two….”

The last elder also hurriedly stood up.

“Eh?”

Just a moment ago, they were still cowering in his presence. He had asked them to pose their questions many times previously just to receive a silent response. Yet now they were all vying to ask him questions. Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

Did they… take the wrong medicine today?

Chapter 122: Pill Debate Ends

Not just Zhang Xuan, even Ouyang Cheng and the others were dumbfounded by their actions.

‘The hell, can anyone tell me what is going on?

‘Weren’t they still behaving apprehensively a moment ago? Why are they vying to go first, as though seeing a beautiful lady and charging towards her?’

“You all…”

Wen Xue was also completely baffled.

“I get it, this bunch of fellows, they really…” Du Man shook his head with a wry smile on his face.

“Get what?” Ouyang Cheng looked over.

“Previously, Zhang Xuan was able to point out their flaws through pill forging. It gave a feeling akin to being stripped naked in public. Under such circumstances, no one would be willing to pose questions!” Apothecary Du Man said. “But now, not only did he solve Apothecary Lin Mu’s problem, he even pointed out a hidden threat for him. It is clear that this is an opportunity for them. Given that, who wouldn’t get excited?”

“That’s true….” Comprehending the situation now, Ouyang Cheng nodded his head.

It is easier to know someone else than to know yourself!

It was difficult to notice one’s own flaws. With a single word from Zhang Xuan, they might be able to correct their flaws and induce a giant improvement in their pill forging skills!

“It’s a pity. I was truly foolish then. I shouldn’t have admitted defeat so early on. Otherwise, I could have brought up some doubts I have been harboring inside me for a long time….”

With a pained heart, Apothecary Du Man shook his head.

How did he miss such a good opportunity just like that?

“Just let it go since you’ve already passed it by. You’re at fault for not treasuring the opportunity anyway. On the other hand, I have been dedicated to my responsibilities, making my best to ensure this Pill Debate is impartial. As such, I didn’t even get a chance to pose a question. Say… when this Pill Debate ends, will he give me a chance to ask a question or two? I also have quite a few questions….”

At this point, Ouyang Cheng’s eyes shone brightly and excitement filled him.

Apothecary Du Man had no words.

Wen Xue didn’t know what to say either.

‘The hell? You are a 1-star intermediate stage apothecary, as well as the head of the Apothecary Guild. For you to brazenly say that you want to consult an apprentice… Dedicated to your responsibilities you say? Why do I not see a single hint of what you just said? You’ve just been sitting idly by…’

“Alright, one at a time!”

Soon, Zhang Xuan understood what was going. Shaking his head helplessly, he casually pointed to an apothecary among them. “You!”

“Me? Great!”

Upon being chosen, he hurriedly stood up. “I have a question that I would really like to ask. Recently, I’ve had insomnia and wake up seven or eight times every night. I also often get nightmares. Can you help me check if I have any illness, or if someone is scheming against me, or… if there is a problem with my concubine?”

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

So were the others.

“Cough cough. Apothecary Liu, we are in a Pill Debate, not a fortune-telling or patient treatment session. Pay attention to what you are saying….”

Ouyang Cheng couldn’t help but intervene.

“Ah? But… that’s my question! This is what I want to ask….” Apothecary Liu said with a resolute expression.

“Alright. How about this: you try forging a pill and I will try to see what I can through that!” Zhang Xuan felt a splitting headache consuming him as he waved him away.

“Alright!” Apothecary Liu nodded his head in excitement before rushing over to start forging.

“How about you? What problems do you have?”

After settling the first fellow, Zhang Xuan’s attention turned to another apothecary.

“My question is actually quite simple. It isn’t as shameless as Apothecary Liu’s!” The apothecary spoke with a righteous tone. “My daughter is getting married within these two days, and the one she is marrying is a man called Zhou Xuan. He hails from foreign lands and even though I have investigated his background for quite a while, I have not been able to get any useful information on him. Can you help me check if that lad is reliable or not? If he isn’t, I will reject this marriage….”

At this point, he hesitated for a moment as he looked at Zhang Xuan questioningly. “So… do I have to forge pills as well?”

“Pu!”

Zhang Xuan almost threw up blood.

‘Forge pills? Forge your head!

‘What does your daughter getting married have to do with me or forging pills?

‘I am just a person who is undergoing Pill Debate to become an apothecary, I am not here to divine your fate….

‘Besides, even if I can divine fate, if you don’t tell me the situation with your daughter, what can you forging pills do?

‘Are you sure you aren’t pulling my leg?’

“Apothecary Qin, what the heck does your daughter getting married have to do with pill forging? Why are you asking Brother Zhang for that? What a joke!” The final apothecary flung his hands and harrumphed.

“But… this is the question I want to ask right now….”

Apothecary Qin was conflicted.

“You should at least ask something related to pill forging! You continue to think on that matter, I will go first!” The last apothecary stepped forward toward Zhang Xuan before saying, “Brother Zhang Xuan, seeing how young you are, you probably aren’t married yet. I have a beautiful daughter who can serve as your concubine. Look… if not, my niece is also willing. Ah? If you think that I am taking advantage of you, I still have an elder sister and a younger sister….”

Zhang Xuan was lost for words.

‘The hell! You are already sixty years old with half your foot in the grave. Your younger and elder sister… how unusual and hardcore a taste do I need for that….’

It took a long while before the chaos settled down and everyone got back to the main topic at hand.

“My question is this. The main ingredient of an Antidote Pill, Poison Neutralizing Grass, is too weak and it often burns to ashes before it can reach the bottom of the cauldron to mix with the other medicinal herbs. Where did I go wrong?”

“Poison Neutralizing Grass isn’t resistant to high heat. This is something commonly agreed upon by everyone else. If you throw it directly it into the cauldron, it is inevitable that it would burn up. However, you can soak it in Purple Sun Water for three days before using it in your forging. Not only will it not burn up, its medicinal property will also be unleashed to the maximum….”

“I would like to ask why is it that I often find my breath getting irregular when I am forging pills….”

“That is easy to answer….”

……

…

After getting back on track, the remaining part was simple. Most of the questions could be solved using the knowledge Zhang Xuan had gained from the basic tier book collection vault. If he really found himself at a loss, he would then proceed to get the other party to forge pills and utilize the Library of Heaven’s Path to analyze the mistakes in his process.

An hour later, he finally finished answering the questions of the three remaining apothecaries.

“Alright, now that all ten apothecaries have admitted defeat, I hereby declare the winner of this Pill Debate as Zhang Xuan! From today onwards, he will be a new 1-star apothecary of the Apothecary Guild!”

When the Pill Debate came to an end, Ouyang Cheng announced the results and handed a 1-star badge and a robe over.

“This is the emblem of an apothecary. With this, no matter which Apothecary Guild you go to, you will enjoy special privileges when purchasing pills…”

“OK!”

Taking the two items from Ouyang Cheng’s hands, he casually placed them into his storage ring.

Everyone had guessed that there was some incredible figure guiding him from behind, so they weren’t really surprised by that storage ring in his possession.

Besides, being an apothecary was a lucrative occupation. The storage ring which could cost millions might be exorbitant, but it was nothing much to them.

“Guild Leader Ouyang, where is the advanced tier book collection vault? I would like to take a look….” Zhang Xuan asked.

His main reason for undergoing the apothecary examination was to go to the book collection vault. Thus, the first thing he decided to do upon becoming an official apothecary was to head there to take a look.

“I’ll take you there!”

After which, Ouyang Cheng first walked out of the room and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind him. Before he could travel far, the voice of the previous apothecary rang out behind him.

“Apothecary Zhang Xuan, do consider it for a bit. If my elder and younger sister won’t do, I have an aunt too. She isn’t married yet….”

Zhang Xuan staggered and tears streamed down his cheeks.

‘Your aunt…

‘Is old enough to be my great-grandmother….’

Chapter 123: Solution Found

The Apothecary Guild’s advanced tier book collection vault wasn’t too far away from where they conducted the Pill Debate. It barely took a few steps before they arrived there.

“There are a total of ten official apothecaries in the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild. Most of them only head here to pore through these books upon encountering truly difficult questions. As such, this place tends to be quite deserted. Anyways, feel free to pick out any book that you would like to read!” Ouyang Cheng introduced, pushing open the doors.

Zhang Xuan voiced his acknowledgment before heading into the room.

Even though there weren’t too many official apothecaries in Tianxuan Kingdom’s Apothecary Guild, the books inside were more than a few. It might be unable to compare to the hundreds of thousand of books in the basic tier book collection vault, but there was still more than ten thousand books inside.

They were densely packed in a dozen or so bookshelves.

“Feel free to take a look. If there’s anything you are unable to comprehend, you can ask me. I will be in that room!”

Ouyang Cheng casually pointed.

“Looks like I have troubled Guild Leader Ouyang!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head with a smile.

“There is nothing troublesome about this. You are an official apothecary now, and I will likely have quite a few questions I will need to consult you on in the future!” Ouyang Cheng chuckled and walked out of the vault.

He knew that the other party had his own goals and secrets for coming to this book collection vault, so it inappropriate for him to linger around here.

“I should start looking around!”

Upon his departure, Zhang Xuan cracked a grin. Walking over to the first rack, he started to flip through the books.

He would have to spend a significant amount of time to find that specific book. Since he was bound to be delayed in any case, he might as well copy all of these books into the Library of Heaven’s Path. It would be more convenient to look through them in the future and he could learn more on pill forging as well.

Hualala! Hualala!

The flipping of pages echoed in the advanced tier book collection vault.

After a period of time, Zhang Xuan stopped and his eyes gleamed.

“Indeed, the book I wanted to browse through is here….”

Diligence paid off. Eventually, he found the book regarding unique constitutions and the pills required to awaken them.

“Tianxuan Year 373, Emperor Shen Ling’s daughter, Princess Shen Qiu, had Pure Yin Body. She managed to awaken it upon consuming a grade-3 pill….”

“Unravel Yin Pill?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

He continued to browse through it.

“Tianxuan Year 126, there was an individual who had Emperor Bloodline. He was unable to awaken it using pills. He eventually awakened it by smearing the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast on his body…. However, the probability of success is extremely low!”

In another book, he found the method to awaken the Emperor Bloodline.

“I need to see whether it’s right or wrong!”

He copied the two lines onto a piece of paper and with a jolt of his mind, the contents and flaws of the paper he just copied appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Pure Yin Body can be awakened using the Unravel Yin Pill. Flaws: It can only awaken around ten percent of the constitution, thus it is incapable of unleashing the full strength of the constitution….

“Emperor Bloodline can be awakened using the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast. Flaws: It can only awaken around ten percent of the constitution, thus it is incapable….”

Upon seeing the flaws written in the library, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Only ten percent?”

Previously, he thought that he would be able to fully awaken their constitution through the use of pills. He didn’t think that it could only awaken ten percent.

“However, ten percent is sufficient!” Zhang Xuan smiled.

Unique constitutions were extremely powerful. Even if it was just awakened by ten percent, it was enough to increase one’s cultivation by leaps and bounds. It was more than sufficient for a mere Freshmen Tournament!

“Now, I have to look for a grade-3 Unravel Yin Pill and the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast!”

Upon confirming what he needed, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He finished flipping through all the books before walking over to Ouyang Cheng’s room.

He was the head of the Apothecary Guild. Most probably, he was the only one who could obtain these two items for him.

After flipping through the books in the Apothecary Guild’s advanced tier book collection vault, Zhang Xuan had a rough idea on what Wang Ying and Liu Yang required, and he could buy it along with the other things.

“Apothecary Zhang Xuan!”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, Ouyang Cheng hurriedly stood up.

“Guild Leader Ouyang, there is something I need to trouble you for!”

Zhang Xuan cut to the chase and spoke of his purpose here, “I would like to purchase a few items and I may require your assistance!”

“Oh? What do you need? It shouldn’t be a problem as long as it is something the guild has!”

Ouyang Cheng nodded his head.

“I need an Unravel Yin Pill, a Meridian Rejuvenation Pill, a portion of Colossal Rhinoceros Blood, and a portion of Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution!” Zhang Xuan said.

Meridian Rejuvenation Pill was for Liu Yang’s consumption. After practicing a battle technique beyond his cultivation realm, the meridians in his right arm had withered and required the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill to heal it.

On the other hand, the Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution was for Wang Ying. Her legs had yet to fully recover top form and she was still unable to fight like a normal cultivator. As such, she required the nourishment of this kind of medicinal solution to hasten her recovery.

“It should be easy to obtain Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution, and I can help you look for it. However, the Unravel Yin Pill and the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast… This is slightly trickier!”

Ouyang Cheng didn’t expect that he would require so many things and a deep frown appeared on his face.

“Trickier? Is it possible to obtain it?” Zhang Xuan looked at him.

After going through so much trouble to look for the solution to unlocking his students’ constitution, he would truly be infuriated if he was unable to obtain the items required for them at this point.

“We don’t have these items in our guild. However, if I send in an application to headquarters, it should be possible to obtain them!” Ouyang Cheng said.

“That’s great….”

Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

“However…” Ouyang Cheng frowned once more. “The headquarters are simply too far away. Even if they got another branch from the other, closer kingdoms to send it, it would still take a minimum of ten days!”

“Ten days?”

Zhang Xuan was surprised for a moment. Then, he recovered and continued, “That’s fine by me too. If it has to take ten days, then so be it!”

There were still fourteen days until the Freshmen Tournament. Things might get a little pressing if it arrived ten days later, but he should still be able to finish his preparations in time.

“Alright, I will send in the application to headquarters now then. You can obtain it within ten days. As for the Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Solution, I can get them for you right now!”

Guild Leader Ouyang smiled.

“OK, I will be inconveniencing you then!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head. “How much do the four of them cost? Do I pay for all of them now or do I pay when they are all here?”

After inheriting Yang Mo’s fortune, he had more than a million gold coins in his possession. He could be considered a wealthy man in the capital now.

Purchasing a few medicinal herbs to raise his students’ fighting prowess didn’t matter much to him.

At the same time, he could also show how noble he was as a teacher!

‘It’s just a small sum of money. Am I a stingy person?’

“Meridian Rejuvenation Pill and Body Nourishment Medicinal Fluid aren’t too expensive. Totaling both of them up, it is around four hundred thousand gold coins!” Ouyang Cheng calculated for a moment before continuing, “The Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood would be slightly more expensive. The former is one of the more advanced grade-3 pills whereas the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast is a primordial beast, a whole level higher than that of savage beasts!”

“Right now, you are an apothecary, so you are entitled to special privileges. I can sell them to you at a discount. The Unravel Yin Pill will cost around twenty million gold coins whereas the blood of the Colossal Rhinoceros Beast will cost three million! How about this, I will lower the price down for you. Twenty-three million will suffice!” Ouyang Yang calculated for a moment before saying.

Upon noticing the abrupt silence in the atmosphere, he lifted his head to take a look. Unknowingly, Zhang Xuan was already ten meters away from him. Waving his hands constantly, he said, “I’m just casually asking about those things, don’t take it as real…”

Ouyang Cheng couldn’t even choke out a response.

Chapter 124: Thinking of a Solution

Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears!

He thought that these things would cost a maximum of a few hundred thousand gold coins. With that fortune of a million gold coin that he possessed, spending a little slight amount more didn’t mean much. Anyway, he didn’t really work for the money. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that the cost would total more than twenty million….

He prided himself on his wealth, but before such an outstanding sum, he wouldn’t have enough money even if his wealth multiplied severalfold!

What kind of damned situation was this!

Initially, he was determined to awaken their bloodlines to make up for their weaknesses, thus causing their fighting prowess to soar. They would be able to astonish everyone with their strength at the Freshmen Tournament, and at the same time, Zhang Xuan would gain the image of an expert who cared not for money. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that he would have to spend so much…. This was too much!

If he knew that he would need that much money earlier, he wouldn’t have tried to act cool from the start!

“Why don’t… I just forget it!”

Suppressing his bleeding heart, Zhang Xuan was conflicted.

He was far from the required sum, so he definitely couldn’t buy these items. Yet, all of the effort he had put into this—taking the apprentice apothecary and full apothecary examination—was for these items. Could he allow it all to end in vain?

Accomplishing nothing at all in the end?

Furthermore… he had already bragged about it. Zhao Ya and the others knew that he was trying to look for ways to awaken their constitution. If he were to return empty-handed, how could he lift his head in front of them in the future?

“No, giving up just because it’s too expensive isn’t my way of doing things!”

If he truly gave up on these items, Zhao Ya and the others wouldn’t be able to awaken their constitutions and it would merely be a dream to triumph over Lu Xun fourteen days later!

A transcender should not give up before even trying!

Furthermore, as Zhao Ya and the others’ teacher, the one to point out their path for them, his sense of responsibility would not allow him to simply sit idly by.

Even though he had just become a teacher, he had chosen to take on the responsibilities that a teacher ought to shoulder.

If he didn’t have enough money, he could just look for ways to earn more!

At this point, Zhang Xuan walked back up to him. Looking at Ouyang Cheng, he asked, “Cough cough, Guild Leader Ouyang. Is it possible for me to put those items on my tab first? I will find ways to repay this debt to you in the future.”

“This… it can’t be done!” Guild Leader Ouyang shook his head. “None of those in our branch can forge grade-3 pilsl, so we need to purchase it from the headquarters. As a result, I can’t delay the payment for you….”

“But… twenty million, I won’t be able to take it out within a short period of time….”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“There’s no way around it. How about… you try to learn how to forge pills first? Given your knowledge in the field, there should be a lot of ways for you to earn money,” Ouyang Cheng advised.

The young man before him had knowledge that surpassed that of all of the apothecaries in the entire branch. If he were to forge pills personally, even though twenty million might sound fearsome, for a high-level apothecary, it truly wasn’t a huge sum.

“One can earn a lot of money from forging pills? That Meridian Soothing Pill that you all forged previously, how much could one be sold for?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help asking.

“The Meridian Soothing Pill isn’t easy to forge. And as such, it’s one of the more profitable pills among grade-1 pills. A single pill should be able to sell for fifty thousand or so. If you forge ten in a day, you will earn twenty million in less than two months!” Guild Leader Ouyang asserted.

Apothecary was an extremely lucrative profession. However, it depended highly on the market conditions and whether the supply of medicinal herb could keep up with production. Even though it was possible theoretically, even official apothecaries would find it difficult to forge pills every single day.

“Two months?”

Despair streaked across Zhang Xuan’s face.

In two months’ time, the Freshmen Tournament would have concluded and everything would be over.

If that’s the case, he might as well work on their strength the conventional way. There was no point in him exerting so much effort here.

Besides, the reason why his theoretical ability was that impressive was because of the Library of Heaven’s Path. If he were to forge pills personally… It wasn’t a feasible plan.

Even though every single word of his was profound and logical, if he were to do it personally, he couldn’t even complete the very first step of extracting essence from the medicinal herbs.

He had seen the others forging pills previously and without several dozen years of training and refining his skill, it was impossible for him to get to their level of expertise.

“Is there… any other better way of earning money?” He couldn’t help but ask for an alternative method.

“Better way of earning money?” Guild Leader Ouyang shook his head. Just when he was about to shoot down the possibility, a thought popped into his mind. “The most lucrative occupation in this world is—without a doubt—master teacher. They can earn a hefty fee just by offering some guidance to others. Apothecaries aren’t that bad either, but when compared to master teachers, there is still a huge gap between the two.”

There were many occupations in the job. Appraisers and apothecaries could be considered as some of the more lucrative ones, but they still paled in comparison to master teachers.

Cultivators often find themselves reaching a bottleneck in their cultivation, unable to break through even till their last breath. However, a single pointer by a master teacher could possibly be the key for them to reach higher realms.

With a rise in the cultivation realm, not only would their lifespan increase, their ability to earn money also quickened. As such, most people were willing to dump all of their fortune just for a single pointer from a master teacher.

Indubitably, master teacher was the most lucrative job in the world, unmatched by any other occupation.

However, it wasn’t easy for one to become a master teacher. One had to have students of their own, teaching experience, reputation, and on top of that, one had to go through numerous trials as well.

For example, Zhang Xuan with his Library of Heaven’s Path was able to easily solve many problems. However, without students of his own, he couldn’t take the master teacher examination.

“Can you pay in my stead first? I will search for a way to pay you within ten days!”

As Zhang Xuan said this, a bold idea emerged in his mind.

“Alright!” Ouyang Cheng was oblivious to his thoughts. However, seeing the grim look on his face, he didn’t seem as though he was joking. So he nodded his head.

“I will be leaving first!”

After which, Zhang Xuan walked out.

“Since master teachers were good at earning money… if I pretend I am a master teacher… would I be able to earn money swiftly?”

At this point, Zhang Xuan started to analyze the pros and cons of the bold thought he just had.

Using ordinary methods, it was impossible to earn twenty million gold coins in ten days unless one robbed a bank!

However, if he pretended to be a master teacher, there might be a possibility of him earning the sum within the duration!

If someone tried to so and were exposed, it was highly likely for that person to be beaten to death on the spot. After all, a master teacher possessed vast knowledge, and it would be easy to give himself away especially when he said something flawed. However, Zhang Xuan was different!

With the Library of Heaven’s Path and his ability to hoodwink others he gained in his previous life, it was truly a simple feat to scam others.

Of course, it wasn’t really considered as a scam. After all, with the Library of Heaven’s Path and his Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he could see the flaws in others. Raising their cultivation realm would be something easy and pleasant.

“Alright, I shall do it that way!”

After analyzing the situation, he felt that he could do it and nodded his head in satisfaction.

If he wanted to help Zhao Ya and the others to grow stronger and win the bet he had with Lu Xun, those few items were a must. As such, he had to earn that sum of money.

This was the only way to earn twenty million within ten days.

“I have to prepare some things in advance. Given my current age, no one will believe me if I go around shouting that I’m a master teacher. I need to disguise myself. At the very least, I should look thirty.”

Master teachers were just like apothecaries. If you said you were a master teacher when you didn’t even look twenty, you would probably drown in the other party’s spit before you could even finish your words.

No matter what, he had to disguise himself and alter his facial features. Otherwise, putting aside the fact that it would be difficult for him to induce trust in others, this might also bring him endless trouble in the future.

“Next, as a master teacher, I would need uphold my own identity and reputation. I can’t possibly run to the house of others and offer to give them guidance. If so, they would just think of me as a scammer.”

He lived in the information age previously, and even though he had not done such things in the past, he knew a thing or two about it from the news.

Given the esteemed position master teachers had in this world, it wasn’t practical for him to run to other people’s house to offer them pointers and demand money from them in return.

“What should I do?”

Since he couldn’t run to others to offer his services, how could he look for clients? Without clients, how could he make money?

Zhang Xuan frowned.