HAGLTP Chapter 35

The Liuli Medicine King Valley was bustling with activity, as the triannual assessment was set to begin today.

All the disciples were in high spirits, and it wasn’t just the disciples; the Liuli Medicine King Valley had been established for nearly a hundred years and was renowned in the martial world, with a considerable network built up over the centuries.

Whenever such significant events occurred, the valley would be filled with guests.

On one hand, they came to support the activities of the Liuli Medicine King Valley, and on the other, various sects wanted to take the opportunity to build good relationships with these future great pharmacists. After all, wandering the martial world was fraught with dangers, and no one could predict when they might need help, so it was wise to strengthen ties in advance.

As the assessment was about to begin, the waiting disciples gathered in the arena, a group of young people all dressed in the valley’s uniform light yellow attire, their hair neatly styled, sitting there with proper demeanor.

“Look at the spirit of the disciples under the Wind Valley Master; one can see that the Liuli Medicine King Valley is brimming with talent!”

“In our ordinary sects, it’s already a great fortune to have one or two outstanding disciples, but seeing today’s scene, one truly understands what it means to have a wealth of talent.”

In the guest seats above, several important figures from other sects continuously praised the disciples sitting in the main seat.

The old man had white hair and beard, yet he sat there with a vigorous spirit and an extraordinary demeanor, exuding the air of a leader.

This was the valley master of the Liuli Medicine King Valley, also its founder, known as the Medicine Immortal, Feng Yazheng.

Over ninety years ago, Feng Yazheng, in his early twenties, established the Liuli Medicine King Valley single-handedly, his medical skills astonishing the martial world. Over the following decades, he continuously expanded his influence and built good relationships, subtly establishing the valley as the foremost sect in the medical arts.

Feng Yazheng looked at his disciples and gently stroked his snow-white beard: “Everyone is flattering me; a healer must enter the world and experience hardships to grow. They still have a long road ahead.”

Upon hearing this, everyone praised him again.

Seeing that the time was almost right, the elder presiding over the assessment was about to announce the start when a figure in red leisurely stepped into the arena.

Surrounded by a sea of uniform light yellow, this person stood out in bright red, their hair not neatly tied like the others but casually flowing down their back, moving as if blown by the wind, drawing an unrestrained arc.

“Wait, outsiders are not allowed to enter the assessment area for disciples,” a guard quickly reached out to stop this unfamiliar visitor.

“Please take a seat at the back to observe.”

Xiao Lu smiled at him: “What’s wrong? Is this your first time guarding the inner door assessment?”

The person was taken aback, thinking, how do you know?

Xiao Lu leisurely pulled out a wooden token: “I am also a disciple of the valley.”

The guard looked at him suspiciously, noting his red attire and that striking face.

That shouldn’t be; someone like him, if he were a fellow disciple, everyone would surely remember him.

Although Bo Lu had participated in the valley’s assessments before, he was low-key, often arriving very early and deliberately changing into attire similar to everyone else’s light yellow, sitting in a corner, not drawing attention. After the assessment, he would leave in a hurry, so many disciples had no impression of him.

However, the guard had checked the token repeatedly, and it was indeed correct: “How strange.”

As the assessment was about to begin, the commotion between the two attracted many curious gazes, and whispers began to circulate.

“Who is that person in red?”

“Looks unfamiliar; are they one of our fellow disciples?”

“Doesn’t seem like it; look, they don’t even have the sect uniform, they just don’t look like one of us.”

“Then what are they here for? To steal knowledge?”

“Who would steal knowledge during an assessment? They’re so high-profile, as if afraid no one would notice them.”

The whispers grew louder.

At this moment, someone from the sect’s leadership spoke up: “If you’ve arrived, take your seats quickly, don’t delay.”

Only then did the guard return the token to Xiao Lu, signaling him to enter quickly.

Xiao Lu looked into the crowd and saw a man in his thirties, with a gentle demeanor, nodding slightly at him; this was the third master uncle who had been secretly helping him.

Retracting his gaze, Xiao Lu took a seat at the edge designated for outer disciples, and whispers erupted around him again.

“Turns out he really is one of us! Have you seen him before?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”

“Do you think he could be that one person?”

“Which one?”

“The one who has been living outside the valley and can’t come back.”

“Oh, I know, his master was expelled for stealing a prescription, and he fell from the position of a direct disciple, forced to live outside, and has never had the face to return.”

“I know even more details; it’s said that he was almost expelled from the sect. Fortunately, the grand elder protected this disciple, allowing him to stay in the sect. Even so, he clung on and lived outside until he died.”

“Not only that, but he also took on a disciple; who knows what kind of nonsense he taught.”

Immediately, countless ambiguous gazes swept toward Xiao Lu, filled with curiosity, disdain, mockery, and ridicule.

Xiao Lu paid no mind, quietly waiting for the assessment to begin.

He was here to reap benefits; would he care about how the sheep being sheared viewed him?

Having built a reputation over decades in the martial world, the assessment of the Liuli Medicine King Valley was naturally not simple. The assessment was divided into two parts: one part involved answering questions on pharmacology and medicine theory with pen and paper, and the other part was a grand competition involving the top-performing disciples.

As the exam papers were unfolded, Xiao Lu clearly heard a chorus of sighs and sobs from the surrounding outer disciples.

This was also the norm for the outer disciples; aside from studying medicine theory, they were also responsible for the sect’s chores, and the instructors were not as experienced as those in the inner sect, let alone guidance from renowned masters.

Thus, every year, most outer disciples aimed just not to be at the bottom.

The subsequent grand competition was something even the outstanding disciples from the inner sect had to work hard to earn a chance at, and it had nothing to do with these marginal figures.

In previous years, Bo Lu had not wanted to stand out, so he blended in with the disciples, submitting a mediocre exam paper.

A few disdainful gazes fell on him, all from the top-ranking outer disciples.

This year’s exam questions were unusually difficult; even those outer disciples who had never missed a major class found them challenging, so what could this guy, who never attended classes, possibly do?

But they only saw the red-clad figure writing swiftly and answering with ease.

Xiao Lu was here to reap benefits; he flipped through the memories in his mind, matching them with the questions, and if there was anything unclear, he directly had his assistant Ivan look up the information in his mind.

Previously, he had Ivan scan the entire book on the medicine furnace, and now it felt like he had a personal library at his disposal.

The leisurely figure drew envious glances from a few who were quietly watching him.

Someone thought, just write whatever; the instructors responsible for the assessment are quite strict. Just because you write a lot doesn’t mean you’ll get a good score.

He doesn’t even attend major classes; he definitely doesn’t study privately. Who knows, he might end up at the bottom after all? Someone thought disdainfully.

An hour later, the written exam concluded.

The elder in charge of the assessment announced the list of participants for the grand competition, along with their respective sect affiliations, and among them was a name that stood out—

Outer sect, Bo Lu.

He was the only outer disciple to enter the grand competition.

In fact, most of the outer sect disciples didn’t know who Bo Lu was, but they all turned their gazes toward that striking figure in red.

Facing the many uncertain looks, Xiao Lu stood up gracefully, walking straight ahead without glancing sideways, joining the others in waiting to ascend the grand competition stage.

“Turns out it really is him.”

“Can’t tell; he’s quite impressive.”

“What’s so impressive? Didn’t you see his name is last? He’s entering at the bottom; it’ll be embarrassing when he goes up.”

“What do you know? The list for the grand competition isn’t ranked by scores; it’s based on the status of each sect’s elders. Look, the grand elder’s disciples are ranked before the second elder’s, and the Mingyue Hall’s are before the Youcao Pavilion’s; there are many subtleties in this, and the outer sect can only be ranked last.”

“Oh, I see. Hey, it’s been years since anyone from the outer sect entered the grand competition; I didn’t even know.”

Mo Xue stood outside, occasionally hearing discussions about Xiao Lu.

Most of the disciples waiting to participate in the grand competition were already familiar with each other, now gathering in small groups, whispering to each other, creating a harmonious atmosphere, at least on the surface.

Only Xiao Lu, in his eye-catching red, stood alone in a sea of light yellow, isolated and ignored, feeling out of place.

Xiao Lu didn’t care about the opinions of those around him; his gaze was fixed on the high platform, which was not just a stage for the grand competition awaiting him.

In the plot, Bo Lu would be framed, meaning he was involved in the grand competition.

Why would someone who was usually low-key suddenly make such a high-profile move?

For fame and fortune? Unlikely.

Xiao Lu thought of Shen Yunhe, who often came to visit in a weakened state.

Perhaps it was for them. The secret vault of the Medicine King Valley held many precious herbs, and in front of the disaster-prone protagonists, a few small herb fields wouldn’t be enough for them.

·

The bell rang, announcing the start of the grand competition.

The grand competition of the Liuli Medicine King Valley always emphasized practical skills, assessing the disciples’ abilities in observation, inquiry, and diagnosis, as well as their capacity to prescribe appropriate treatments.

Standing before the disciples this time was a group of seemingly young and strong individuals, yet they appeared pale and unsteady on their feet.

The elder presiding over the grand competition said, “These are disciples from the Xiangshan Alliance, who have come to assist you in the competition. Each of you will draw a lot, and the corresponding number will be the person you need to treat.”

There was no further introduction about this group; not a single extra hint was given.

The original plot didn’t detail this, and Xiao Lu was unclear about the content of the grand competition.

He observed the group; judging by the calluses on their hands and the distribution of their muscles, these were all martial artists skilled in external techniques.

Logically, such individuals shouldn’t be unsteady on their feet.

Moreover, their symptoms were very similar; there was no ailment that only affected the young or the physically strong.

Such reactions could only indicate that they were injured and had been harmed by the same type of martial arts technique.

The disciples took turns drawing lots, and Xiao Lu drew number eleven.

It was a somewhat immature-looking boy, who, upon realizing that the only outer disciple was him, suddenly looked displeased.

The boy seemed to want to say something but was abruptly pulled by his senior sister, who signaled him with her eyes that this was not the time to act out.

“…” The boy disdainfully pouted, ultimately holding back his words and reluctantly took a seat in front of Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu could roughly guess the boy’s thoughts, but at this moment, he didn’t care; he was just a little lamb on his path to reaping benefits, and he could forgive the occasional rebellion.

“Please place your hand on the pulse pillow, young hero,” Xiao Lu said.

“You, can you even understand?” The boy muttered.

“Perhaps you could trust me a bit more; at least I’m more reliable than that group standing below,” Xiao Lu smiled at him, carrying a hint of a healer’s benevolence.

The boy glanced at the other disciples who were not involved in the competition, then returned his gaze to the red-clad figure, whose brows were slightly curved, and he could even vaguely see his own reflection in those dark eyes.

For some reason, his heart skipped a beat.

The boy still huffed disdainfully, suddenly turning his head away in a show of contempt, but his face secretly flushed red as he obediently placed his hand on the pulse pillow.

Xiao Lu carefully examined the boy’s pulse and discovered that there seemed to be a domineering energy circulating within him, clashing with the boy’s own martial arts, continuously surging within his meridians, placing a significant burden on his body.

At this moment, the boy was certainly unable to use his martial arts; if this dragged on too long, it would not only harm his meridians but, in severe cases, could even cause his martial power to regress.

“Who injured you?” Xiao Lu asked him.

The boy shot him a glance: “I can’t say; that’s what your elders stipulated.”

“Alright,” Xiao Lu nodded, “then let me ask another question: when were you injured?”

“Twenty days ago.”

“Have you used any medicine?”

“Qianjin Huayu San, Dayu Huoluodan.”

“Seems like neither worked,” Xiao Lu smiled.

The boy pouted: “If it had worked, would I be here looking for you?”

Xiao Lu still asked unhurriedly: “Have you heard the saying ‘blocking is not as good as guiding’? The most important thing right now is to expel the energy lingering in your body. If we don’t eliminate this root cause, no amount of blood-activating and stasis-removing will be effective.”

Only then did the boy turn his head and look him in the eye: “Do you really have a way? Tell me about it.”

Xiao Lu smiled at him, and in the boy’s curious gaze, he picked up a brush and began to write a prescription: “Just wait obediently.”

He was only concerned about the outcome of his benefits and had no intention of being a gentle and understanding older brother.

The boy: “…”

So infuriating.

Watching the red-clad pharmacist calmly scribble a large amount of seemingly flowing text on the paper, which upon closer inspection was incomprehensible, and then getting up to fetch medicine, the boy couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

Perhaps he wasn’t the unfortunate one who drew a quack.

Of course, it was just a flicker of anticipation, a tiny bit the size of a fingernail, the boy thought.

In the grand competition, disciples were allowed to use their prepared herbs, and Xiao Lu naturally brought some.

But he first went to the communal herb storage; after all, some herbs were not cheap, and if he could also reap benefits from here, why not?

At this moment, the other talented inner disciples were also opening their medicine boxes; they had prepared for this grand competition for a long time, and all their herbs were of the highest quality, looking down on the ordinary herbs in the communal storage.

Seeing Xiao Lu actually picking and choosing inside, some showed disdain, while others remained indifferent, but inwardly they were sneering.

As expected, he’s just an outer disciple with a name; his vision is lacking, to even consider such things?

Some were secretly pleased at this scene, thinking that this suddenly emerging opponent was not a noteworthy threat; this year’s grand competition would still belong to their inner disciples.

Xiao Lu didn’t care about the various meanings behind the gazes; after selecting his herbs, he went to the side to prepare the medicine.

At this moment, he couldn’t help but miss his good disciple.

When Mo Xue was around, he didn’t have to make the medicine himself; with just a glance, his capable disciple could do everything quickly and well.

Having enjoyed those days of not having to worry about anything, making medicine himself again felt like a heavy labor.

·

The boy looked at the bowl of medicine in front of him, his expression changing drastically: “What… what is this?!”

He looked around in panic; some were taking pills, others were drinking decoctions, but no one was holding a bowl of dark red, viscous liquid like him. Wasn’t this going to kill him on the spot?

Indeed, just a child, so afraid of taking medicine. Xiao Lu shook his head inwardly, then, out of a spirit of helping others, swiftly grabbed the boy’s chin and forced his mouth open.

“!!!” The boy was startled; how could a pharmacist move so quickly!

But there was no time to think; the entire bowl of medicine was already poured into his mouth.

“Ugh—ugh, ugh, ugh…” The boy’s cries were muffled by the medicine.

Help! The quack is killing me!!!

Not far away, the boy’s senior sister watched her junior brother collapse in pain, and then saw the red-clad pharmacist smiling warmly as he pulled out a large roll of silver needles and approached her brother, a cold sweat trickled down her back.

Would her junior brother survive to come down from the stage?

The Liuli Medicine King Valley was a major sect; it shouldn’t be that bad…

·

The treatments for the disciples had concluded, and an elderly elder in green robes came to the stage, checking each Xiangshan Alliance disciple’s pulse and examining their treatment progress.

The elder occasionally nodded while stroking his beard, and sometimes frowned and shook his head.

When he stroked his beard, the corresponding disciples showed joy, and when he frowned, the disciples responsible for the treatment wore worried expressions.

Human joys and sorrows are not connected.

Finally, the elder approached the boy who was flushed yet somehow exuded a sense of weakness, as if he had just been pinned down and beaten by ten strong men.

The boy was gasping for breath, lacking the strength to lift his head, even worse than when he first appeared.

Looking at his spirit, it seemed there would be no good news.

Silently shaking his head, the elder placed his hand on the boy’s wrist.

“This—” The elderly elder suddenly widened his eyes, incredulously lifting the boy’s head to examine him, then checking his pulse again, even channeling internal energy to probe the boy’s condition.

After repeating this several times, the hearts of the onlookers were constantly raised.

“Remarkably, the chronic illness has completely disappeared!”

【Author’s Note】

Xiao · Pharmacist · Lu: Disciple, why do they all have that expression after taking my medicine?

Mo Xue: Perhaps they were too moved, so they lost their composure for a moment.

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me with a ‘overlord ticket’ or watered the nutrient solution between 2021-12-18 18:44:55 and 2021-12-19 20:22:02~

Thanks to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Lu Sheng 38 bottles; Chen Hongdou 10 bottles; Ning 7 bottles; Mu Luo 5 bottles; 34410809 4 bottles; Li Ming Lie Yan 1 bottle;

Thank you all for your support; I will continue to work hard!