Yang Chan wasn't surprised that Xu Gaocen arrived at the Medicine Preparation Institute rather late. Intermediate Physicians like him rarely showed up early. Before his arrival, Yang Chan had been comparing various medicinal herbs. Since they changed in appearance after being dried, he mainly examined them by their look, scent, and Medicinal Qi.
The fastest and simplest method was to smell them. Remembering an herb's scent also helped to engrain its associated information more deeply in his memory.
When Xu Gaocen entered the Medicine Preparation Institute, Yang Chan approached him. Four others walked over as well, all of them apparently Xu Gaocen's Pharmacist's Assistants.
Yang Chan had seen these people before at the Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Institute, but he only knew one of them by name. This person had taken part in the Medicine Hall's monthly competition for Official Disciples, placing in the top twenty. His Power was also on the verge of Great Success.
His name was Li Junhao, and he was reasonably well-known. Yang Chan didn't know the other three.
"This is Yang Chan, my new Pharmacist's Assistant. He'll be taking over Chu Mo's duties. Shu Yu, today I want you to familiarize Yang Chan with the tasks a Pharmacist's Assistant needs to complete. The rest of you, carry on as usual."
Xu Gaocen said, his eyes turning to a reserved-looking woman at his side.
'Hearing this confirmed Yang Chan's suspicions. So Chu Mo really was Pharmacist Xu's assistant. When he became an Elite Disciple, the position opened up, and Yang Chan happened to be the one to fill it. It was a stroke of luck.'
"Yes, Pharmacist Xu."
Shu Yu smiled and nodded.
"You three, go prepare the herbs for the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment. Junhao, you get the Gentiana, Xue Jian..."
Xu Gaocen immediately began delegating tasks and set to work.
"Junior Brother Yang, since you've just become Pharmacist Xu's assistant, the first thing you need to do is learn the layout of all the herbs in the Medicine Preparation Institute."
"The one thousand two hundred fifty-three commonly used herbs are all in these three buildings. They're arranged according to their Medicinal Properties, so you'll need to memorize their locations. That way, you won't waste too much time when you need to retrieve them."
"Pharmacist Xu has no patience for people who are slow and prone to error. If you fail to meet his standards after a while, he might reassign you to another Pharmacist. You must remember that, so be sure to diligently memorize the locations of these herbs during this time."
Shu Yu spoke with a serious expression. Seeing Yang Chan nod earnestly in response, she continued onward.
"These adjacent buildings are filled with less common herbs. However, Pharmacist Xu is an Intermediate Pharmacist, so he might need something from in here when preparing medicines. You're not expected to remember the location of every single one, but it would be best to memorize the locations of the herbs needed for External Refining."
"Take the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment we're preparing today, for instance. The Xue Jian for it is in this building, right in this spot."
As she spoke, Shu Yu led Yang Chan inside. They saw that Li Junhao had already found the medicine chest containing the Xue Jian and had taken more than half of its contents.
Li Junhao merely gave the two a slight nod before quickly moving to an adjacent building to find the other herbs.
"There aren't too many of these herbs—just over a hundred varieties in total—but their locations are rather scattered. If you use up the last of something, you need to inform the Steward of the Medicine Preparation Institute. He'll arrange for a restock, otherwise you might find yourself without it when you need it later."
"Of course, the best practice is to take a look inside these buildings every day when you arrive. You know that Pharmacist Xu comes in late, so you definitely have time for it..."
Shu Yu shared her experience in detail, offering Yang Chan a few tips and tricks while also pointing out some important precautions.
Only after she had led Yang Chan on a full tour of the Medicine Preparation Institute did she return to Pharmacist Xu's side. By then, the Pharmacist was already hard at work.
Shu Yu then began teaching Yang Chan the relevant skills: how to weigh herbs, where to place them, how to sort out lower-quality ingredients, and so on. She covered a great deal of information and explained everything in meticulous detail.
Yang Chan listened intently. 'This is all knowledge I need to master before I can become a Pharmacist.' He took his work very seriously; it was simply his way.
By the time Shu Yu had finished her comprehensive instruction, the blazing sun was already beginning to dip toward the west.
Pharmacist Xu Gaocen had also finished his preparations for the day and left without a word. The others saw this and thought nothing of it, being accustomed to his ways.
From the moment he entered the Medicine Preparation Institute to the moment he left, only three hours had passed.
Next to the spot where Xu Gaocen had been working, there were already many boxes of herb packets, all containing the ingredients for Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment. They still needed to be decocted, but that task would be handed off to someone else.
Before he left, Xu Gaocen had told them that after they arranged for the delivery of these herb packets, they were to return to the Medicine Preparation Institute in three days. Their time was their own until then.
Aside from the initial burst of activity, there was quite a bit of free time.
Seeing this, the others called for the Steward, had him arrange for the prepared herb packets to be sent out, and then their work for the day was done.
"If you want to become a Pharmacist, you should spend this time in the Medicine Preparation Institute, memorizing the locations of all the common herbs. You should also learn the various Medicinal Properties of the uncommon ones. That way, when Pharmacist Xu explains medicinal principles, Medicinal Properties, and other related topics, you won't be completely lost."
Shu Yu admonished Yang Chan once more before she left.
Yang Chan nodded but didn't leave with the others.
His knowledge of various herbs and their principles was far greater than Shu Yu or the others could have imagined. He didn't leave; ostensibly, he was examining the different herbs, but in reality, he was watching the other Pharmacists prepare their medicines.
He had even memorized all the herbs and their exact weights required for Xu Gaocen's Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment. He was confident he could replicate it. Although its effects wouldn't be as potent as a batch made with Xu Gaocen's skill, 'once I break through to External Refining, I can apply it to myself. I can also test if external application can increase my Potential Points.'
He had also committed the detailed ratios for the Qi Nourishing Soup to memory.
Upon leaving the Medicine Preparation Institute, he received a bowl of Qi Nourishing Soup—one of the perks of being a Pharmacist's Assistant. Assistants could also purchase medicinal herbs at the lowest possible price.
After a moment of consideration, Yang Chan bought one set of ingredients for Qi Nourishing Soup and another for the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment. He planned to go back and prepare them himself.
The Steward wasn't surprised to see this, as it was what most Pharmacist's Assistants did: practice preparing medicines to master the skill.
If their preparation skills were outstanding, they stood a much better chance of becoming a Pharmacist.
Most of the Pharmacists at the Medicine Preparation Institute had started this way, so Yang Chan's actions didn't draw any attention.
Carrying the two sets of herbs and the bowl of Qi Nourishing Soup, Yang Chan returned to his room instead of heading to the Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Institute.
After returning to his room, Yang Chan practiced three sets of the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist before drinking the Qi Nourishing Soup. Only then did he start a fire and take out the earthenware pot used for decocting herbs.
Now that he had brought back the ingredients for the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment, it was time to try making it. He was already clear on the decoction process. When Xu Gaocen had been preparing the ingredients, he had written down the decoction instructions on a slip of paper for whoever would handle the next step, and naturally, Yang Chan had committed them to memory.