Chapter 28: If Not You, Then Who?

"Last year? What happened?" Chen Yushu was taken aback, and a name unexpectedly surfaced in his mind.

He had already spent several days in the pharmacy and naturally learned the names of the four apprentice physicians there. The one who had just become an apprentice last year was precisely Xu Lihao from Room Three, the so-called "Brother Hao" admired by many apprentices.

"Last year, our pharmacy had a genius among the apprentices—Xu Lihao. He grasped the basic stance training in seven days and, within a year, reached proficiency. Back then, he had just started as a decoction apprentice. Although he ranked at the bottom during the year-end assessment, he was still accepted by Doctor Liu as a special exception.

And this year, you appeared. Even more of a prodigy than Xu Lihao. You entered the basics of stance training within three days. I imagine it won’t take you a year to reach proficiency. For apprentices who were confident in taking first place this year, this is hardly good news," Xu San said, giving Chen Yushu a half-smile.

Chen Yushu fell silent.

"Wang Kui and Lu Yuan are among the best of us decoction apprentices. They were the ones most likely to take first place at the year-end assessment. Now that Steward Zhou has brought you in, it’s only natural for them to feel hostile toward you and refuse to mentor you," Xu San explained. "But I’m different. I have no hope of taking first place. There are plenty of benefits to mentoring someone: there's help with the work, more time to study, train, drink tea, and chat. Isn’t that much more relaxing?"

Chen Yushu couldn't help but laugh and felt a touch of gratitude. At least this person was genuinely kind to him.

"Alright, back to business. From now on, I’ll teach you everything you need to know. But you still have to do your share of the work," Xu San said, his expression turning serious. He walked into the shop from the courtyard and began the instruction. "Preparing and decocting medicine is actually quite straightforward. Usually, the physician writes a prescription, you gather the herbs accordingly, and then put them in the fire room to decoct. But all of this depends on recognizing the herbs. If you can’t tell them apart, you’ll make mistakes. One error, and the decoction might turn into poison, or be ineffective. It’s a serious matter. So, you must first learn to identify the herbs."

As he spoke, he quickly led the way to a side room in the pharmacy, where some books were kept. After a brief search, he handed over two volumes. "Here are the Herbal Classic and the Compendium of Medicinal Materials. Take some time to familiarize yourself with them."

"Understood, Senior Brother Xu," Chen Yushu said, taking the books.

"But not just yet. As a newcomer, it’s best to show some diligence. Who else will do the odd jobs if not you? See those decoction stoves? Clean each of them thoroughly. And look at all the dust on the floor—it needs to be swept up as well..." Xu San waved his hand and pointed to a pile of medicine stoves in the side room.

Chen Yushu nodded without protest. He came from a poor background—such work meant nothing to him. He hadn’t come to the Liu family pharmacy as an apprentice for comfort. To have learned martial arts was already a dream come true, not to mention the unexpected bonus of inheriting the Yin Walker’s legacy and the White Tiger Visualization method of cultivation. Doing some cleaning and washing was hardly worth objecting to.

After a round of cleaning that took half an hour, he was assigned to sort and store various herbs in their compartments. Since he had old samples for comparison, he made no mistakes and even learned to recognize some herbs in the process.

Just as he finished his tasks, hoping for a moment’s respite, patients began to arrive. The physicians made diagnoses, wrote prescriptions, and herbs had to be gathered and decocted.

Despite there being seven or eight decoction apprentices and three or four apprentice physicians, the pharmacy was always bustling, seldom a moment’s leisure. Only near noon, when the flow of patients lessened, did the apprentices take breaks. Only then did Chen Yushu get a chance to sit aside, take out the Herbal Classic and the Compendium of Medicinal Materials, and begin reading.

Both books listed the names and effects of medicinal herbs—essentially popular science texts, some even with simple illustrations. As Chen Yushu read, he committed the information to memory.

The afternoon passed in similar busyness. The entire day was spent in constant activity. It took three whole days before he gradually became familiar and adapted to the routine.

For Chen Yushu, the overall atmosphere among the apprentices was quite good. Though Wang Kui and Lu Yuan harbored some prejudice against him, they did not deliberately target him. Steward Zhou, Doctor Liu, and Doctor Jiao were not overly harsh; even when mistakes were made, they only gave mild reprimands and were never severe.

Sometimes, when apprentices inquired about herbs or medical principles, they would even take the time to explain. As for the pharmacy manager, Su Ming, he rarely appeared in the shop, and even when he did, he mostly stayed upstairs with little contact.

...

Exhale.

Inhale.

As night fell, Chen Yushu stood in the rear courtyard, slowly practicing his stance training. His movements flowed naturally, each gesture synchronized with his breath, creating a unique rhythm that stirred the energy and blood within, causing it to circulate more quickly.

If anyone were to approach and listen closely, they would even hear a faint, rushing sound of blood flowing through his body.

Suddenly, Chen Yushu’s body tensed, the veins standing out on his fair skin, surging with a particular force. At once, fine beads of sweat began to emerge, soon covering his entire body, gradually forming droplets that glistened like water.

"The King of Medicine’s Stance Training—every move is precise, and when coupled with the breathing technique, it tempers nearly every part of the body. When all thirty-six forms are performed in sequence, the surge of heat is at its most intense, maximizing the practitioner’s physical improvement," Chen Yushu reflected, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

He relished the feeling of sweating profusely after training.

King of Medicine’s Stance Training +1

He glanced at his attribute panel.

King of Medicine’s Stance Training: Beginner (56/100)

"It’s a pity. Without the Nourishing Essence Decoction to supplement me, my progress in stance training has slowed. Relying solely on the energy from three meals a day, advancement is much too slow," Chen Yushu sighed helplessly.

Stance training required steady progress, step by step. To maximize the efficiency, he had to raise his mastery. For example, a single session at the beginner level produced one unit of ‘heat’; at the proficient level, two units; at minor mastery, four; at major mastery, eight; and at perfection, sixteen...

The numbers multiplied, and the quality of the ‘heat’ improved as well. A single unit of ‘heat’ at perfection could equal several, even a dozen, at the beginner stage.

Naturally, the training effects were worlds apart.