Chapter 97: Pill Debate
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Frappe
"Give it a try?"
Not only Ouyang Cheng felt as though the world was going mad, Du Man and the rest also felt faint-headed.
[Brother, do you take apothecaries to be like the cabbages and cucumbers sold in the market, so easily obtainable?
Give it a try? Are you playing with me?
As one of the highest-standing Upper Nine Path occupations, who didn't study for numerous years and put in effort multiple folds of that imaginable to an ordinary person to join their ranks?
Yet, you said to give it a try...
Your head!
Do you know the content of the examination? Do you know how can one become a true apothecary?]
"Cough cough cough!" Ouyang Cheng's body staggered and he suppressed his urge to vomit blood. He looked at Zhang Xuan seriously and replied to him, "To become an apothecary, one must be more than capable of knowing and discerning medicinal herbs. One must also learn to formulate medicine, extract and refine the essence of which, condensate and forge it into a pill and many more. Just pill forging itself contains several thousands of methods to do so... It isn't that easy to pass the examination!"
"Indeed. Furthermore, one must possess sharp control over the flame in pill forging. If an error were to occur in any of the sequences, it would end in failure. Only by learning seriously and practicing continuously will one succeed. It is impossible for one to become an apothecary with a moment's effort!"
Du Man added.
"So complicated?"
Zhang Xuan felt helpless, "So it's impossible for me to achieve it in half a month's time?"
The Freshmen Tournament would be held in half a month. His purpose here was simple, that was to find a pill that could awaken Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya's unique constitution so that their cultivation would soar by leaps and bounds and they would be able to achieve victory then.
Thus, he had to settle this matter in half a month's time. If he wasn't able to, what's the use of him becoming an apothecary?
After his conversation with Huang Yu, he had already decided on a goal. That was to become a master teacher! This time, Lu Xun laoshi's challenge was an opportunity as much as a threat. If he was able to emerge victorious, it would prove his capabilities and it was likely that he would catch the eye of a master teacher!
Similar to an apothecary, if one wanted to become a master teacher, they must become an assistant master teacher first. This was a process that they must go by.
If one wasn't valued by a master teacher, how could one become an assistant master teacher?
"Half a month..."
Hearing his words, the crowd went speechless once more.
[Which apothecary wasn't an apprentice apothecary for many years before daring to take the examination?
Yet, right after becoming an apprentice, you wish to take the examination for an apothecary... Half a month some more, you must be joking!]
Especially for Sun Tao and Zhu Hua Hua, they were just barely suppressing the urge to throw their shoes at him.
[Brother, is it really alright for you to be putting on an act like this?
It is even more difficult to become an apothecary than an apprentice. You should have already seen the others struggling so furiously just to become an apprentice.
Becoming an apothecary in half a month?
I think you should just keep it to your thoughts…]
"Zhang Xuan, don't be too ambitious and complacent. You are barely twenty, and becoming an apothecary at thirty is already something unprecedented in Tianxuan Kingdom. Fifteen days is an impossible goal! I advise you to study normally, proceed on step-by-step and don't think too much into the future..."
Ouyang Cheng offered his earnest advice to Zhang Xuan.
[This fellow is talented, but he is way too impatient. To want to become an apothecary in half a month... You must be daydreaming!]
"Alright, since it is so troublesome, then I will not take the examinations. I will look for another way then!"
Upon listening to the words of the other party, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
He didn't have much interest in becoming an apothecary. Possessing the Heaven's Path Divine Art, breaking through was like eating and drinking to him. Pills were completely unneeded to him. If so, what was the use of becoming an apothecary?
If not for Yuan Tao, he wouldn't come here at all.
Thinking that Zhang Xuan had given up because he had found it bothersome, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man quickly tried to persuade him otherwise, "There are many occupations in the world, and apothecary is considered as one of the noblest. You possess such incredible talent and you have also specially taken the trouble to study the medicinal herbs. Wouldn't you have wasted years of your efforts if you were to not become an apothecary at this point?"
"Years of my effort?" Zhang Xuan blinked.
[It was just four hours, where did the years you speak of come from?]
"I still have other matters to attend to. Since becoming an apothecary is such a complicated process, requiring one to learn how to formulate pills, it is unlikely that I am able to grasp the technique of such within a short moment. I will just give up on it!"
Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
"Calm down, there is more than one way for one to become an apothecary. Actually, there is another way other than Pill Forging!" Ouyang Cheng suddenly recalled something and spoke. "Given your formidable memory, this method might be more suited for you!"
"It can't be that you are referring to..." Astonishment appeared on Du Man's face.
"Indeed!" Ouyang Cheng nodded his head.
"But... You should consider the consequences. If he fails, the penalty will be harsh. He might even lose the opportunity to ever take the examination to become an apothecary..."
Du Man was filled with anxiety.
"I know, but this is the only way one can become an apothecary quickly. Otherwise, one would have to walk the conventional path of practicing routinely. Given the countless medicinal herbs and each of their unique properties, it is nigh impossible for one to succeed in a short period of time!"
Ouyang Cheng said.
"But..."
"There are no buts. We are only responsible for informing him of the possibility. The choice is up to him!" Ouyang Cheng shakes his head.
"What is this method you speak of?"
Upon seeing the commotion between the two, Zhang Xuan's couldn't help but ask.
"There are actually two methods for one to become an apothecary. The first method is the usual one, Pill Forging. As long as one is able to forge a grade-1 pill, he will be able to become a 1-star apothecary. This is the standard and traditional method!"
Without hesitation, Ouyang Cheng started to explain.
"The second method is not Pill Forging but Pill Debate!"
"Pill Debate?"
Zhang Xuan was bewildered.
Not just him, even Zhu Hua Hua, Sun Tao and the others seemed to have never heard of it and a perplexed expression appeared on their faces.
"Indeed. You all should have heard of the noblest occupation of the Upper Nine Paths, master teacher!"
Ouyang Cheng said.
"Un!"
The crowd nodded their heads.
Those who knew of the Lower, Middle and Upper Nine Paths naturally knew of master teachers.
This was the highest ranking occupation of the Upper Nine Paths and their social position was superior to that of the apothecaries by numerous folds.
"The more formidable master teachers can offer pointers beyond that of cultivation, pill forging, smithing, formation creation and such are all possible for them!" Ouyang Cheng explained. "However, one has to expend quite a lot of time just to become a master teacher, so how can they have the effort to spend on learning pill forging and smithing to become an apothecary and blacksmith?
"At the same time, if they do not join their ranks, how can they be qualified to teach them?
"To deal with such a situation, a unique examination method was created, Pill Debate!
"It is clear to see from us apothecaries that one requires a lot of practice, forging pills ceaselessly, to become a true apothecary. However, master teachers do not have the time to waste on doing so. In fact, all he needs is to comprehend and integrate the knowledge of pill forging!
"That is to say, he doesn't really need to learn how to forge pills. As long as he has complete knowledge of the theory, he is able to successfully become an apothecary!
"Of course, the examination isn't easy. It requires one to debate with ten true apothecaries about the various aspects of pill forging and one could be disqualified with just a single mistake. Furthermore, a huge penalty will be enforced on one if that happens!"
Ouyang Cheng slowly explained the other method of becoming an apothecary, Pill Debate, to the others.