Yang Chan listened to Xu Gaocen, knowing the man must be satisfied with his answers. As someone who had been through countless interviews, an assessment like this was a walk in the park.
Assessments like interviews had their share of stock answers that were completely faultless, and this was particularly true for the Pharmacist's Assistant exam.
Sure enough, after they chatted for a bit, Xu Gaocen offered him the position of his Pharmacist's Assistant, laying out all the benefits for Yang Chan: the monthly stipend, the medicinal cuisine, and explanations of Medicinal Properties and pharmacological pairings.
Yang Chan naturally accepted Xu Gaocen's invitation. He had been hoping to work under a Pharmacist based in the Cyan Yuan Sect, which would allow him to remain there as well, ensuring a more stable life.
Once Yang Chan agreed, Xu Gaocen told him to start at the Medicine Preparation Institute the next day and informed him of his work schedule in the Medicine Hall.
The duties of a Pharmacist in the Cyan Yuan Sect weren't too demanding. They generally prepared medicine for ten days a month and could rest for the other twenty, unless they volunteered for extra shifts.
It was a rotational system that allowed for flexible scheduling. Xu Gaocen used to have several Pharmacist's Assistants, but one of them had succeeded in his Martial Arts' External Refining and become an Elite Disciple. He had, of course, given up his position as an assistant, which created the vacancy.
Within the Cyan Yuan Sect, an Elite Disciple's status was equivalent to that of a Pharmacist, so they would never deign to work as a mere Pharmacist's Assistant. This was a perfectly normal choice that most people made.
Even in the Medicine Hall, those who had achieved Great Success with the Wild Ox Force were more eager to break through to External Refining than to become Pharmacists.
With enough Cultivation Resources, a person with decent Talent might break through to External Refining in four or five years. For someone with average Talent, it would take much longer.
In the Cyan Yuan Sect, however, it took at least ten years to become a Pharmacist—often even longer. It wasn't unheard of for people to fail to become one in their entire lifetime.
Accumulating all the required knowledge was incredibly time-consuming, and it also depended on one's Talent.
As Yang Chan walked out of the assessment area, he saw Du Xiaolin, who had already finished his test, waiting for him.
Yang Chan walked on, thinking about his new post at the Medicine Preparation Hall. 'The ten-plus months of free time I had are gone, but getting a more stable, safer assignment isn't a bad trade-off.'
'But starting tomorrow, I'll have to change my schedule.'
"It's okay if you didn't pass. I've been at it for three months and haven't passed either. We just have to keep trying. Besides, there's another assessment in six months."
"You and I don't have Sect missions to do right now, so we can spend more time studying the *Medicine Scripture*."
Du Xiaolin said, trying to console Yang Chan based on his expression.
He knew he probably wouldn't pass the Pharmacist's Assistant assessment this time; his foundation just wasn't solid enough.
Still, the experience taught him what to watch out for, which would be helpful for his next attempt.
To Du Xiaolin, it was perfectly normal that Yang Chan hadn't passed.
"I passed."
Yang Chan replied.
"It's fine, not passing is perfectly nor—you passed?"
A look of bewilderment flashed across Du Xiaolin's face as he spoke. He stared intently at Yang Chan and asked again.
The news was completely unexpected.
He'd thought they were both just testing the waters, but it turned out Yang Chan had gone and crossed the entire river.
The result left Du Xiaolin stunned, and he looked to Yang Chan again for confirmation.
"That's right, I passed. Pharmacist Xu Gaocen told me to report to the Medicine Preparation Institute tomorrow morning to start helping out."
Noticing Du Xiaolin's incredulous gaze, Yang Chan simply nodded.
"Impossible. I spent three months and still couldn't pass, but you passed on your first try?"
"Did Pharmacist Xu ask a lot of questions? I mean, about the common medicinal herbs."
A look of self-doubt crept onto Du Xiaolin's face as he asked the question.
He wanted to know if the difference was due to the questions asked or some other factor.
"Quite a few, actually. He asked about three hundred and seventy-eight common medicinal herbs."
Yang Chan replied.
"That many? No wonder you were in there for so long."
Du Xiaolin looked surprised at first, then a look of realization dawned on his face.
'Am I just that useless?'
The self-doubt on Du Xiaolin's face deepened.
"I was a Medicinal Herb Collection Boy before coming to the Cyan Yuan Sect. I had already mastered most of the common herbs. This past month, I only had to supplement my knowledge on their Medicinal Properties, so it took less time."
"Most of the herbs Pharmacist Xu asked about were ones I already knew."
Yang Chan offered this explanation to keep Du Xiaolin from spiraling into self-doubt.
'We haven't known each other long, but we get along pretty well. Given how hard he works, he'll probably pass the next assessment and become a Pharmacist's Assistant if he just spends a little more time studying.'
"I see," Du Xiaolin nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "No wonder you took the test today. This is the result of all your past hard work. You deserved to pass."
'That makes more sense,' Du Xiaolin thought. Passing after only a month would have been completely absurd.
Du Xiaolin silently vowed to himself, 'If I work hard for another six months, I'll definitely become a Pharmacist's Assistant, too.'
On the way back, Du Xiaolin headed toward the Medicine Hall Scripture Pavilion. He resolved to keep studying the *Medicine Scripture* so he wouldn't be stumped by a Pharmacist's questions again.
Yang Chan didn't go with Du Xiaolin, heading instead to the Martial Arts Training Institute within the Medicine Hall. He'd passed his assessment, so he decided to give himself a reward. 'No medical books for me today.'
Du Xiaolin watched Yang Chan's retreating back, filled with silent envy.
He wished he could do the same. Only he knew how grueling it had been to study medical books for three straight months.
Watching Yang Chan's back, he was overcome with envy.
Du Xiaolin swore to himself, 'Next time, I will pass the Pharmacist's Assistant assessment. I have to!'
...
「The Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Institute.」
The rankings of the six small groups had changed in the past month. Chu Mo, a Beginner for five years, had taken first place in the Medicine Hall's monthly assessment and was rewarded with a box of Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment. He used it to break through to the External Refining Copper Skin Realm, becoming an Elite Disciple of the Cyan Yuan Sect.
With Chu Mo's promotion to Elite Disciple, his former group had become the weakest in the Medicine Hall. Without a single member who had reached Great Success with the Wild Ox Force, the group was rife with conflict and on the verge of disbanding.
Some of them went to find Chu Mo, but he had gone into seclusion immediately after his promotion to Elite Disciple, refusing to see anyone.
Yang Chan's thoughts, however, drifted to the Medicine Hall's Official Disciple competition from half a month ago. 'You had to sign up for it yourself. My Wild Ox Force hadn't reached Great Success back then, and besides, I wanted to keep a low profile, so I chose not to register.'
'I did go watch, though. Even if everyone was only cultivating the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, each person's Fist Technique had its own distinctions.'
'Some pursued a path of ferocity, others one of overwhelming force, and still others a path of agility. They were all different, and as a result, the power they displayed in combat varied, each with unique characteristics.'
'Right now, we are all Official Disciples, so the differences aren't that great. But once we succeed in External Refining and our Power cultivation is no longer hindered, new options will open up.'