C8 Wonder Hand Medical Hall
"Welcome to the Skilled Hand Medical Hall," Ann Xiaobai said with a light smile, gesturing toward the quaint mansion before them. Having imparted a lesson to Chu Feng and his companions, Ann Xiaobai generously agreed to teach Jiang Xiaofan the art of alchemy. After a fifteen-minute walk, they had finally reached their destination.
Jiang Xiaofan gazed in awe at the Skilled Hand Medical Hall before following Ann Xiaobai inside. They were soon greeted by an elderly man with youthful vigor despite his white hair. "Bai'er, you must be exhausted," he said.
"Not in the least, Grandpa," Ann Xiaobai replied, setting down a paper bag filled with spiritual herbs on the table—key ingredients for alchemy.
The old man, leaning on his cane, approached and eyed Jiang Xiaofan. "And who might this be?"
Ann Xiaobai was quick to introduce him. "This is Jiang Xiaofan. I ran into Chu Feng from the Hanging Pot Pharmacy earlier, and he was kind enough to lend a hand. Jiang Xiaofan is here to pursue alchemy."
The elder bowed slightly to Jiang Xiaofan, "Thank you, Young Hero Jiang, for aiding my dear grandson. I am Ann Yunshan, the proprietor of this Skilled Hand Medical Hall."
Jiang Xiaofan returned the gesture, "It's an honor, Elder Ann."
"If you're keen on learning alchemy, follow Xiaobai to the backyard. Should your interest hold, I'll come by later to instruct you myself," Ann Yunshan offered warmly, exuding a sense of medical virtue and compassion.
In the spacious backyard of the Skilled Hand Medical Hall, rows of long tables were laden with various spiritual herbs and medicinal materials. At the center, two pill furnaces stood, with over a dozen Pharmacy Apprentices diligently at work.
The tables boasted dozens of herbs, predominantly of lower grades. Thanks to his knowledge of the Medicine King Scripture, Jiang Xiaofan recognized each one at first glance.
Ann Xiaobai grasped Jiang Xiaofan's wrist, leading him further into the yard. A twenty-year-old apprentice glanced up and frowned upon seeing Jiang Xiaofan, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.
"Xiaofan, welcome to the back hall of our clinic. Here at the Hand Medical Hall, our refined pills are renowned throughout Breeze Town. Many cultivators in the vicinity rely on our Healing Pills for their recovery."
Ann Xiaobai paused in front of a table, her smile brightening, "These spiritual herbs are the primary ingredients for our pill refining. Before you can begin your training, you'll need to familiarize yourself with each one."
She had taken on this task knowing that the deadline was only half a month away. If she were to start from scratch, who knew when she'd be ready? Failing to complete the Pharmacy Conference's mission and not rescuing Jiang Nianrui would be a huge loss.
With this in mind, Jiang Xiaofan shed his usual reserve and declared, "I've studied a book that detailed many herbs; I recognize most of the ones here."
"How presumptuous!"
The previously displeased man scoffed, "It takes even the most gifted disciple half a year to fully grasp the properties and medicinal uses of these herbs. Our Medicine King Scripture may not be a major power, but we do not tolerate the arrogant. Junior Sister, is he with you?"
It seemed that detractors were everywhere, but Jiang Xiaofan simply offered a smile and suggested, "Perhaps you'd like to test my knowledge, Senior Brother?"
"Very well! Today, I'll take you down a peg!"
The man picked up a pale red flower without leaves and challenged, "What is this?"
"People say he's courting disaster. Senior Brother Qin Chuan is an Eighth Grade Yellow Level Pharmacist, and yet this newcomer dares to defy him."
"This herb closely resembles the Wind Feather Flower, but its effects are vastly different. This kid won't be able to distinguish them."
"The art of the Pharmacist is exalted, not just anyone can master it."
...
Ann Xiaobai's brows knitted together as she interjected, "Senior Brother, Xiaofan has only just arrived. This is a Sixth Grade Yellow Level spiritual herb. Moreover, Grandfather has agreed to teach him, so..."
"Dream Feather Flower, a Sixth Grade Yellow Level spiritual herb, composed of seven parts fire and three parts wood, with a semi-yang nature. It's used in crafting superior Golden Sore Medicine, and when added to the Green Sun Profound Pill, it enhances the pill's potency. Have I got that right, Senior Brother?" Jiang Xiaofan replied smoothly, a confident tilt to his lips.
Everyone's jaws dropped in disbelief as Jiang Xiaofan effortlessly provided the correct answer. Qin Chuan was momentarily stunned, his mind swirling with doubt: "Dream Feather Flower can be added to the Green Sun Profound Pill? That's a Third Grade Profound pill. Even I wasn't aware of that. How could he possibly know?"
Ann Xiaobai's face was a picture of surprise. She hadn't expected Jiang Xiaofan to recognize the Dream Feather Flower, realizing she had indeed underestimated him. Observing Jiang Xiaofan's striking profile and the air of confidence he exuded, she had to admit, he was quite handsome.
Snapping out of his astonishment, Qin Chuan surveyed the array of spirit herbs before him, then picked up a green plant and challenged, "And what might this be?"
To the untrained eye, this green spirit herb looked just like any common weed, but a closer inspection revealed tiny black thorns along its stem and distinctly deep green veins on its leaves. Clearly, Qin Chuan was intent on tripping him up.
"Green Heart Grass," Jiang Xiaofan declared, "a Seventh Grade Yellow Level spirit herb, composed of 60% earth and 40% wood elements, and of a cold nature. It's a primary ingredient in the Drunken Heart Pill and can also be used to concoct the Tranquil Yuan Pill and the Numbing Pain Pill."
With a confident smile, Jiang Xiaofan continued, "Senior Brother, you were just working with butterfly branches, Blood Thread Vine, White Flower Grass, and Golden Orchid. Are you, by chance, crafting a Fourth Grade Yellow Healing Medicine?"
At that, Qin Chuan came to a realization: Jiang Xiaofan was far from being an ignorant outsider; in fact, he was more knowledgeable than Qin Chuan himself, especially when it came to the attributes and medicinal uses of spirit herbs.
"Well done!" Qin Chuan exclaimed.
Just then, Ann Yunshan entered the courtyard. He regarded Jiang Xiaofan with a warm smile. "Young Hero Jiang, I'm impressed by your knowledge. Since you're familiar with spirit herbs, how about I take you under my wing and teach you the art of pill refinement?"
Jiang Xiaofan quickly bowed with his fists clasped in respect. "Elder Ann, please, just call me Xiaofan."
Ann Yunshan nodded, then, leaning on his cane, he approached the pill furnace. He picked up several spirit herbs from the table and said, "I'll demonstrate a pill refinement for you now. How much you learn is entirely up to you."
Having finished speaking, Ann Yunshan placed several stalks of spirit grass into the Pill Refining Furnace. Flames danced beneath the furnace as he brought his palm close, releasing a surge of Martial Qi that made the fire roar with increased intensity.
"Refining pills with Martial Qi allows for more precise temperature control, which directly impacts the quality of the pill. My grandfather is a Pharmacist of the Fifth Grade of the Profound Level, and he has quite a knack for pill refining," Ann Xiaobai narrated from the sidelines.
Roughly three minutes later, Ann Yunshan's brow furrowed, and he declared, "Done!"
The aroma of the pill wafted through the air as the flames died down. After a minute's cooldown, the pill's fragrance grew even richer. Upon its removal from the furnace, all eyes were filled with envy.
A masterpiece from a Fifth Grade of the Profound Level Pharmacist, a high-quality Spring Rejuvenation Pill, had been crafted just like that!
Ann Yunshan turned slowly to face Jiang Xiaofan. "Xiaofan, care to give it a try?"
Jiang Xiaofan nodded and stepped forward. The Spring Rejuvenation Pill that Ann Yunshan had just refined was of the Fifth Grade of the Yellow Level, but its exceptional quality was evident from its aroma, suggesting it could rival pills of the Sixth Grade of the Yellow Level.
Jiang Xiaofan had never actually refined pills before. While he frequently played as a pharmacist in games, this was his first genuine attempt.
He selected the same herbs Ann Yunshan had used and placed them in the Pill Refining Furnace. Mimicking the process, he channeled his Martial Qi into the flames. However, within less than half a minute, black smoke billowed from the furnace.
Qin Chuan at his side wore a smirk, but unlike before, he refrained from openly scoffing.
Once the Martial Qi was withdrawn, the furnace settled down. The pill, when retrieved, elicited laughter from everyone—it was nothing more than a lump of charcoal!
"Ding!"
"System Prompt: Pill refining failed. Pharmacy proficiency increased by +1. Current status: Pharmacy Apprentice, proficiency (1/64)."
Ann Yunshan watched Jiang Xiaofan and chuckled, "You've got to practice more. Start with the First Grade Hemostatic Pill. Xiaobai, give him some extra guidance, will you?"
With that, Ann Yunshan departed. Qin Chuan approached, grinning, "Oh, what has our esteemed genius concocted? That pill might just heal someone to death."
Laughter erupted around them.
Everyone mocked Jiang Xiaofan's presumptuousness. As an outsider, he was an easy target, especially since Qin Chuan, their esteemed senior brother, had his spotlight briefly snatched away. Now, it was time for Qin Chuan to emphatically reclaim it.
Jiang Xiaofan felt helpless, conceding to his own lack of skill.
"Enough with the laughter. Xiaofan's first attempt at pill refining is quite impressive! Some of you can't even distinguish spiritual herbs to this day. What gives you the right to ridicule him?"
Ann Xiaobai then took Jiang Xiaofan by the wrist, saying, "Xiaofan, let me show you to your quarters."
She set him up in a modest room—small, but perfectly sufficient for Jiang Xiaofan alone. His thoughts, however, were entirely dominated by the art of Pharmacy.
After a distracted dinner, Jiang Xiaofan sought out Ann Yunshan and purchased thousands of low-grade spiritual herbs. Ann Yunshan refused payment, but Jiang Xiaofan insisted on handing over 100 copper coins.
As dusk settled, Jiang Xiaofan stepped into the courtyard, stoked the fire, and began his pill refining.
He didn't follow the recipe, opting instead to toss a spiritual herb directly into the pill furnace. Half a minute later, the system chime sounded.
"System Prompt: Pill refining failed. Pharmacy proficiency increased by 1. Current status: Pharmacy Apprentice, proficiency (2/64)."
Once more!
"System Prompt: Pill refining failed. Pharmacy proficiency increased by 1. Current status: Pharmacy Apprentice, proficiency (3/64)."
"System Prompt: Pill refining failed. Pharmacy proficiency increased by 1. Current status: Pharmacy Apprentice, proficiency (4/64)."
...
"System Prompt: Pill refining failed. Pharmacy proficiency increased by 1. Current status: Pharmacy Apprentice, proficiency (63/64)."
"System Prompt: Alchemy attempt failed. Alchemy proficiency increased by 1. Congratulations, player has leveled up to Yellow First Grade Pharmacist, proficiency (0/128)."
...
...
Indeed! Jiang Xiaofan was thrilled. To craft a high-level pill, mastering the formula was not enough; a high alchemy level was essential. Unlike other pharmacists who sought experience, he was after proficiency points to level up.
Using a single spiritual herb to gain one proficiency point might be costly, but it was an expense Jiang Xiaofan could manage!
He placed several stalks of spiritual grass into the pill furnace to refine the First Grade Hemostatic Grass, this time without employing Martial Qi. Shortly after, a "ding" echoed in his mind.
"System Prompt: Refinement successful. Alchemy Proficiency increased by 3. Hemostatic Pill x 1 obtained."
...
Jiang Xiaofan's excitement was palpable as he set out to refine more Hemostatic Pills. A 3-point increase in proficiency was much more cost-effective than simply burning through spiritual grass, and besides, Hemostatic Grass could be sold for a profit!
The wooden door of the side chamber creaked open, and Ann Yunshan peered through the gap at Jiang Xiaofan, who was drenched in sweat from his alchemical efforts in the courtyard. A gentle smile graced his face, his eyes brimming with pride and contentment.
