Chapter Fifty: Preparing the Medicine, Refining the Elixir

Three treasured medicinal plants.

The most valuable among them is called the Black-and-White Blossom.

It is worth three hundred taels of silver.

Upon receiving the news, we rushed there overnight, striving to escort these herbs back as swiftly as possible.

But just as we neared the Water Curtain Ravine, a gang of river bandits attacked us and robbed everything.

Old Zhao and Little Wu were struck down in the blink of an eye; had Master Qian not acted in time, I too would have been cut down…”

A worker with lighter injuries recounted the incident vividly, his tone filled with the sense of surviving a calamity.

“Black-and-White Blossom, a treasured herb?”

Even Chen Yushu couldn’t help but feel regret.

He knew of this Black-and-White Blossom; it was a rare medicinal flower recorded in the Herbal Classic.

Once it blooms, its petals are always black; only after being picked does it slowly turn white.

Every petal is infused with potent medicinal energy, greatly enhancing a warrior’s vitality and aiding breakthroughs—its value is extraordinary.

“Three treasured herbs, together worth at least four hundred taels of silver.

With other precious ingredients, the total comes to five hundred taels.

Money moves hearts.

Clearly, someone’s greed led them to collude with river bandits to target us.”

The man continued, his voice thick with anger.

Chen Yushu and his companions listened quietly, saying nothing.

For these words, they truly had no response.

They were mere apprentices, without the right to be involved in such matters.

…

That afternoon, just as Chen Yushu finished brewing a batch of medicine, Steward Zhou waved him and Xu San over.

Seeing this, the two hurried to him.

“Come with me. We need to retrieve some herbs from the storeroom,” Steward Zhou instructed.

Neither dared delay and followed closely behind.

“Steward Zhou, with such heavy losses to our pharmacy, did the shopkeeper say how it would be handled?”

Xu San, curious about the day’s events, couldn’t resist asking.

“It will be dealt with.

This time, losing the herbs is a small matter; the real loss is our reputation.

Though the Liu Family Pharmacy has always kept a low profile, that doesn't mean we are easy to bully.

In Jianghuan Town, whether it’s the authorities, martial halls, the Yin Office, or even the Tiger Fang Gang and the Sea Raiders, they all give us respect.

After this incident, the shopkeeper was furious.

He’s already gone to the town magistrate and arranged a meeting with the leaders of Tiger Fang and Sea Raiders.

It seems a major confrontation is brewing.

Before leaving, the shopkeeper specifically instructed me to prepare as much Nourishing Essence Soup and Vitality Pills as possible.

The soup is both for encouragement and compensation.

For example, every worker involved in this escort, injured or not, may claim two portions of Nourishing Essence Soup here.

As for Vitality Pills… only our Liu Family Pharmacy can produce them in Jianghuan Town.

We supply only thirty pills a month.

This time, judging by the shopkeeper’s intentions, he plans to make more than a hundred in one go.”

As Steward Zhou spoke, he quickly led Xu San and Chen Yushu to a room at the back courtyard.

This was the pharmacy’s storeroom.

Inside were many rare medicinal ingredients.

Chief among them were those required for concocting Nourishing Essence Soup and Vitality Pills.

Tianma seeds, Watercloud worms, Ox gallstones, Starroot grass… Each ingredient was selected by the shopkeeper, then extracted and carried out one by one by Chen Yushu and Xu San.

In the end, there were twenty-seven kinds of herbs, weighing over three hundred pounds.

Fortunately, both young men were strong; even Chen Yushu could now carry more than a hundred pounds.

They soon had everything moved.

Besides storeroom herbs, Steward Zhou had them retrieve many common ingredients from the courtyard manager as well.

All were finally carried to a private room on the pharmacy’s second floor.

“This is our pharmacy’s pill chamber.

Only the shopkeeper and Physician Jiao are permitted to enter and prepare medicines and concoct pills here,” Steward Zhou said proudly, directing them to place the herbs inside.

“Medicine preparation? Pill concoction?” Chen Yushu asked curiously.

“Medicine preparation is for the soup; pill concoction is for the Vitality Pill,” Steward Zhou explained, smiling. “Do you know why our Liu Family Pharmacy’s reputation surpasses other pharmacies and clinics?

Beyond the skills of Physician Liu and Physician Jiao, it’s because one can learn martial arts here.

But most importantly, we possess the pill chamber and the pill recipes.

We can make Nourishing Essence Soup and Vitality Pills for martial artists.”

Pride shone on Steward Zhou’s face.

Martial arts heritage.

Pill recipes that quickly enhance a warrior’s strength—these are not found in ordinary clinics.

“Steward Zhou, you said only the shopkeeper and Physician Jiao can enter to prepare medicines and pills. Does that mean only they possess this heritage?”

Suddenly, Chen Yushu’s mind stirred, as if he’d discovered something, and he asked in return.

“What’s this? Want to learn?” Steward Zhou smiled, and seeing Chen Yushu nod, he continued, “Many wish to learn.

But those with the chance are few.

The pill-making heritage is Liu Family Pharmacy’s core secret.

Unless you possess extraordinary talent, you won’t have the opportunity.

Even Xu Lihao, who tried everything to become Physician Jiao’s disciple and learn the pill-making arts, failed.

He could only follow Physician Liu as a medical apprentice.”

“So what must one do to become Physician Jiao’s disciple and learn this pill-making heritage?” Chen Yushu pressed.

“Take first place in the year-end assessment.

Then perhaps you’ll have a sliver of hope.

After all, Physician Jiao is getting old.

He won’t be here for many more years; last year, the shopkeeper advised him to take on a couple of apprentices, and he agreed…”

With that, Steward Zhou said no more.

He’d told all he intended.

He confided in Chen Yushu simply because he saw promise in him.

After all, entering the stake training within three days—Steward Zhou hadn’t seen such talent in Liu Family Pharmacy in all his years.

For an apprentice with such potential, he was happy to offer some guidance.

“First place in the year-end assessment?”

Chen Yushu’s heart tightened.

This was a high bar.

Especially for someone like him, who had just joined the pharmacy.

His starting point was far lower than the other medicine apprentices.

Others had studied for one, two, even three years; some for four or five.

And him?

Less than a month.

His stance training was not even at the minor achievement stage.

Not to mention identifying and differentiating herbs, or brewing medicines—he was far behind the others.

…

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