"What?"
"Apothecary Luo isn't forging pills?"
"Isn't this too much? Apothecary Luo is a 5-star apothecary from the headquarters. We have all seen her pill forging technique and movements, and they are flawless. Yet, you say that she isn't forging pills? Who dares to be so disrespectful? "
"Trying to please the crowd!"
A commotion broke out in the hall. Everyone turned to the source of the voice furiously.
Following which, they saw a young man in his twenties dressed in casual clothes. On his chest was an apothecary emblem with three shining stars.
"A mere 3-star apothecary dares to spout such nonsense?"
"Ignorant!"
Upon seeing the other party's appearance, many people sneered coldly and bellowed.
Apothecary Luo might look young, but her understanding of pills and ability to forge pills far surpassed 99% of the people present.
The process of alchemy was like a spring breeze and rain, without any unnecessary steps, without a single second of error. Looking at it, it was simply a beautiful enjoyment. Such alchemy ability, if it was not called alchemy, what was it called?
Besides, even if someone were to criticize the other party, it should be a 5-star master teacher. A mere 3-star apothecary like you dares to spout such arrogant words despite not knowing what you are doing?
Apothecary Luo frowned.
She wanted to hear the other party's opinion, not doubt.
"This apothecary over here, may I know what is wrong with my pill forging for you to say such words?"
"You wish to know?" The young man raised his eyebrows.
"Of course!" Apothecary Luo's eyebrows shot up.
"You made a total of 127 mistakes in your pill forging. I fear that if I were to speak of them … your confidence would crumble, and you would be unable to forge pills ever again!" the young man said calmly.
"127 mistakes?"
Harrumphing coldly, Apothecary Luo flung her sleeves. "If you can really speak of so many mistakes, I won't be able to take it. If my confidence crumbles, I will only be humiliating myself!"
She was still doubtful that the other party had seen through something, but upon hearing those words, she immediately denied the possibility.
Her pill forging skills were the culmination of countless predecessors in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and she had learned everything from them. It was still acceptable for the other party to notice one or two mistakes, but to say that there were more than a hundred … You must be joking!
With so many mistakes, not only would he fail to refine the pill, he might even explode before the fire could be lit!
There must be a limit to pleasing the crowd with claptrap. Such a bottomless act was shameless to the extreme!
"Are you sure you want to hear it?"
The young man chuckled.
"That's right!" Apothecary Luo nodded.
"Sigh! Since you want to know, if I don't tell you, I'll think that I'm purposely making trouble for you! "
Shaking his head, the young man stood up and walked up to the round platform. Touching the cauldron beside the young lady, he circled the cauldron and looked at Zhang Xuan calmly. "Before I speak, I would like to ask if you know the origin of this cauldron?"
"Familiarizing oneself with cauldrons and knowing the origins of the cauldrons is one of the most basic things for an apothecary. Naturally, I know about it!"
Apothecary Luo frowned and continued, "This is the work of Grade-5 Blacksmith Wu Feng. He successfully forged it twelve years ago, using a combination of Frigid Metal and Greensilver Copper. It is resistant to high temperatures and cold, and it is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle artifact …"
"Good explanation! But do you know that this furnace has exploded once before? "
After hearing Apothecary Luo's explanation, the young man continued.
Naturally, the young man was none other than Zhang Xuan.
If he wanted the other party to willingly help him forge the medicinal solution, he would first have to convince the other party wholeheartedly.
Just as he was fretting over how he could do so, he heard that the other party wanted to hear his opinion. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony.
Even though his current mastery of pill forging hadn't reached 5-star yet, he possessed the Library of Heaven's Path, so he was still able to see through the flaws in the other party's pill forging.
"I do. It did explode once, but it was only the burning of the medicinal herbs. The cauldron itself isn't damaged, and it won't affect the pill forging process!"
Apothecary Luo replied.
This cauldron was bestowed to her by the elders of her clan, and she had been using it for three years now. It had indeed exploded once, but … it was one thing for her to know about it, but how did the other party know about it?
"The cauldron isn't damaged!" Zhang Xuan touched the surface of the cauldron with his finger. "There aren't any cracks either, but the opening of the cauldron is slightly grayish, carrying a smoky hue. If I'm not mistaken, the previous cauldron explosion was during the forging of the 5-star [Searing Flame Pill], right?"
"That's right!" Apothecary Luo frowned as she nodded.
The previous cauldron explosion was indeed during the forging of the Searing Flame Pill. Even though she wasn't the one who forged it, she had participated in the process, so she knew what was going on.
Just by looking at the color of the cauldron and smelling it, he was able to deduce that the cauldron had exploded. Furthermore, he was even able to deduce the cause of the explosion. His eye of discernment was way too incredible!
If she had thought that the other party was just spouting nonsense to attract the attention of others, at this moment, she was starting to think that the other party was indeed capable.
"It really exploded?"
"Even a 5-star apothecary wouldn't be able to deduce all of that with just a glance!"
"Indeed, that fellow might really be able to say something …"
Upon hearing Apothecary Luo admit to it, the crowd beneath the stage was astonished.
Examining a cauldron to understand its origin and condition was something that every apothecary should do. However … to be able to deduce all of that with just a glance, wasn't his eye of discernment a little too incredible?
Even an average 5-star apothecary might not be able to do so.
Previously, the crowd had the same thought as Apothecary Luo, thinking that the other party was intentionally finding fault with them. However, after hearing the analysis of a cauldron, they knew that the other party wasn't as simple as he seemed.
"So what if the Searing Flame Pill exploded? What's the difference between that and other pills? "
Apothecary Luo asked.
The Searing Flame Pill was a yang attribute pill, so it was normal for a cauldron to explode due to its violent heat.
"Of course there's a difference!"
Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If you had continued forging the Searing Flame Pill, it wouldn't have been affected. However, you are forging the Spirit Cleansing Pill! This pill is capable of calming one's mind, and consuming it will benefit one's soul. It's an extremely valuable medicine. The greatest taboo for this pill is to temper one's mind. Yet, you used a cauldron that had exploded before. Do you think that it wouldn't affect the pill? "
"This …" Apothecary Luo hesitated.
Some pills that were effective on one's soul did have high requirements, but … even if there was an effect on one's soul, it should be negligible.
"Do you think that even if there is an effect, it should be negligible?"
Seemingly seeing through her thoughts, Zhang Xuan's lips curled up. "It's true that it wouldn't affect one's soul much if it were forged normally. However, your forging process isn't right, and the effects are obvious. I heard you say that the Green Jadeite Grass would clash with the Cypress Flower if placed in the cauldron, so it has to be soaked in Sweet Carp Juice. Is that true? "
"That's right!" Apothecary Luo nodded.
She had indeed said those words previously, and she had done so as well.
"The Green Jadeite Grass has a violent nature whereas the Cypress Flower has a mild nature. Placing it directly in the cauldron would indeed result in a clash. Soaking it in Sweet Carp Juice is the correct method, but … have you ever thought that the Sweet Carp Juice would react violently with the main ingredient of the Searing Flame Pill, the Green Root Wood?"
Zhang Xuan.
"There will indeed be a reaction, but the Searing Flame Pill has been forged for several years now, and other medicinal herbs have been forged as well. Even if there is some residue, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Apothecary Luo said.
It was true that the Green Root Wood would react with the Sweet Carp Juice, and it was difficult for it to coexist with fire and water. Just that … that was several years ago, so what could possibly happen?
"Nothing much?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Then, he turned to the elder whom he suspected to be the guild leader and asked, "This apothecary over here, may I trouble you with something?"
"Feel free to speak!" The elder walked forward.
"I'll have to trouble you to scrape a little of the grayish-green substance off the mouth of the cauldron!"
Zhang Xuan.
"Alright!" Even though the elder didn't understand the other party's intentions, he still whipped out his weapon and scraped the grayish-green substance into a jade bowl.
"I'll have to trouble you to add some Sweet Carp Juice into it!"
Without touching the jade bowl, Zhang Xuan continued.
"Un!"
The elder nodded his head, and an apothecary hurriedly ran out. Not too long later, he returned with a gourd and poured the light blue medicinal fluid into it.
Tzzzzzzz!
As soon as the medicinal fluid came into contact with the grayish-green substance in the jade bowl, countless bubbles immediately appeared, as though it was on the verge of boiling.
"This …"
A commotion broke out among the crowd.
Even the dumbest of them could tell that the medicinal fluid was reacting violently.
If such a reaction were to occur in the cauldron, it could easily cause an explosion, destroying all of the medicinal fluid.
"How could this be?"
Apothecary Luo was also shocked, and her face paled.
Clearly, she couldn't believe what she was seeing either.
"It's indeed nothing much for the Searing Flame Pill to explode, but don't forget that its main ingredient, Green Root Wood, is extremely corrosive. Once it explodes, it will stick to the walls of the cauldron, making it difficult to clean. Thus, it won't be of much use when forging other pills.
Zhang Xuan.
"Is there a way to resolve this problem …"
Apothecary Luo staggered.
"Of course there is! The properties of Green Root Wood and Turbid Lotus Flower are incompatible. Before forging the Spirit Cleansing Pill, if you were to place the Turbid Lotus Flower into the cauldron, you would be able to expel the remaining medicinal properties of the Green Root Wood easily, thus lowering the temperature of the cauldron …
"This way, the Wooden Fragrant Flower in the cauldron won't have to be placed under the blazing sun for five days together with the Ziying Water, thus eliminating the most troublesome step."
Zhang Xuan.
"This …"
Apothecary Luo was rendered speechless.
As a 5-star apothecary, she was familiar with medicinal properties, so naturally, she could tell whether the other party was speaking the truth or not. Thus, she analyzed the matter carefully, and not only was there no flaw in the other party's explanation, it could even save a huge amount of time and effort.
"Even though there are steps and methods to forging a pill, it isn't the same. It's just like driving a car. Even if one's driving skills are the same, it can't be the same.
"As such, not only must there be steps, one must also make use of the cauldron's flaws to make appropriate modifications. Otherwise, if one were to follow the prescribed steps, it would only make the forging more and more troublesome! "
With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan gazed at Apothecary Luo with an impassive expression, reminiscent of a respected high-tier apothecary.
"This is … the first flaw that I wanted to tell you about!"
(Arriving at the 3rd chapter, please continue requesting for monthly votes!)
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