Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Qi Xiao promised to take her back to the sect once everything here was settled. Ying Chun had a remarkable talent for alchemy; even if she was not destined for cultivation, the elders of the Pharmacy Hall would surely be willing to take her on as an assistant due to her skills. Even if she couldn't become an official disciple, the experience she gained in the Pharmacy Hall would allow her to lead a decent life after she left.
Do you see that apothecary? That's the place. From the very beginning, Ying Chun knew that the immortal had bought her to accomplish a task, and now it was time for her to step up. She absolutely could not let the immortal down.
Ying Chun clenched her fists, silently encouraging herself, and then took a deep breath before stepping outside. The errand boy at the apothecary saw the plain-looking girl standing at the entrance and waved his hand dismissively. "Get out of the way; don’t block the door and affect our business."
Ying Chun took a slight breath, mustering her courage to speak. "I’m here to apply for an apprentice position."
Upon hearing this, the errand boy was taken aback and asked, "What did you just say?"
"I said I’m here to apply for an apprentice position."
The errand boy, relishing the situation, immediately called over his companion, who burst into laughter. "Did you hear that? This little girl says she wants to apply as an apprentice! Isn’t that hilarious?"
Another errand boy chuckled and, with a mocking tone, said to Ying Chun, "Little girl, this isn’t a place for you to play around. You should hurry back home to your parents."
Ying Chun felt a surge of anger. She had been so clear; why wouldn’t they believe her? "I told you I’m here to apply as an apprentice! Is there something written on this paper that forbids someone like me from applying?"
The two errand boys exchanged glances. One of them frowned slightly and slowly replied, "There’s nothing written on this paper that says that, but being an apprentice isn’t something just anyone can do. Do you know who’s backing our apothecary?"
"It's an elder from Baiyun Palace. If you keep making a fuss here and annoy the elder, your parents won’t be able to handle it."
"I’m not making a fuss! What I said is true!"
"Quickly now, if you keep lingering here, don’t blame us for throwing you out."
Saying this, one of the errand boys suddenly splashed a large bucket of cold water in front of her. Ying Chun screamed and jumped back repeatedly.
"How can you bully people like this?"
The commotion immediately attracted the attention of passersby. The errand boy quickly defended himself, saying, "I’m not bullying her; this little girl is causing trouble all by herself."
"It’s you who’s bullying me!"
"Hey hey hey! Don’t talk nonsense! If you keep this up, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson!"
The commotion finally attracted the attention of the elders from Baiyun Palace.
An elderly man with long white hair and a beard emerged from the inner hall, frowning and speaking in a stern tone. "What's all this shouting about?"
The servant immediately wilted under the elder's gaze, feeling somewhat wronged. "Elder, it’s not my fault. This little girl is deliberately causing trouble. No matter how I try to chase her away, she just won’t leave, so I splashed her with water."
Yingchun felt even more aggrieved. "I’m not causing trouble! I came here to apply for an apprentice position, but they wouldn’t let me in."
"Hey, you little girl, still trying to be stubborn, are you?" The old man became interested, waving his hand to silence the servant. He stroked his beard and looked at Yingchun with a smile. "Little girl, you say you came here to apply for an apprenticeship. Do you know what you’ll need to do once you’re here?"
Yingchun recalled what Qi Xiao had told her and replied confidently, "I know! It’s just helping to sort medicinal herbs and refining pills."
She stepped forward. "Old sir, don’t underestimate me just because I’m small; I know a lot!"
"Oh?" The elder went into the inner room and brought out a handful of herbs. He pinched a dry, shriveled yellow flower and asked, "Then tell me, what is this called?"
"This is Evening Primrose," Yingchun answered. "It blooms at night and withers in winter. Its flowers open at night and close during the day. It’s nourishing and serves as a mild tonic with certain hemostatic properties; it’s often used in external wound remedies."
The two servants were stunned; they hadn’t expected this seemingly insignificant little girl to articulate her knowledge so clearly.
The elder smiled broadly as he stroked his beard. "You’re correct! Now, what about this one?" He pulled out a round green shell that was completely dried out, its surface dry with a faint sour taste.
"This is Lantern Fruit," she explained. "It often grows by streams or in cool, damp places. Because it’s round and glows at night, it can light the way and is also called Lantern Fruit. Its skin is used to tonify qi and nourish blood; it has wide applications in many recipes for replenishing blood and energy."
The elder was even more pleased with her response. He pointed to each herb one by one, and Yingchun answered them all correctly.
The two servants exchanged astonished glances. They had initially thought this little girl was just joking around, but it turned out she really had some skills.
After a round of questions and answers, the elder's eyes sparkled with interest. "Seeing that you know so much, it seems you’ve studied before. At such a young age, did your parents teach you?"
Yingchun felt a bit guilty; she lowered her head and nodded vaguely.
She felt that she had merely memorized the knowledge from books and didn't consider herself particularly impressive. So she said, "Grandpa, besides organizing herbs, I can also concoct some basic medicinal formulas."
"Then give it a try," the old man replied.
The elder kindly took out his small purple cauldron. Upon seeing the intricate patterns on it, Yingchun felt a moment of trepidation. She quickly waved her hand, saying, "I have my own."
From her bag, she pulled out a plain white alchemical furnace. "Grandpa, may I borrow a place without wind?"
The old man stepped aside to let her in. Two servants, unable to contain their curiosity, followed her inside. They had seen alchemy before but had never witnessed such a young child practicing it.
Yingchun lit the small furnace and then took some basic herbs from the counter. She weighed them carefully and added them one by one at precise intervals. Once the herbs were nearly ready, she cautiously controlled their fusion.
The control of heat and the duration of exposure to fire were crucial factors affecting the quality of the final product. After a stick of incense had burned down, a round and flawless pill emerged, exuding a fragrant aroma.
The two servants were utterly stunned. This little girl could truly concoct pills! They had done so much work in this shop, yet they were outdone by a six or seven-year-old child.
Their faces turned red with embarrassment. Yingchun held up the pill and looked at the old man with some anxiety. "Grandpa, do you think this pill I made is okay?"
The old man stared for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter. "This child is indeed teachable!"
Comment 0 Comment Count