Chapter 218: Not an Outsider

Taking out the prescription, Wen Gu went directly to discuss it with You Dashixiong.

After considering it, You Dashixiong agreed.

In truth, it was not a major matter.

Before Master Tang went into seclusion, he had indeed said to let this honored guest surnamed Rong do as he pleased, and also hinted that any requests should be satisfied as much as possible.

Since it was something everyone was happy about, there was no need to refuse.

They certainly would not dare to accept an order placed by an outsider.

But this was no outsider!

The new apprentice had already been acknowledged by Doctor Tang; there was no need to worry so much about an order from one of their own.

It was a small order, the quantity was not large, the technical difficulty was not high, and it could be stopped at any time. If Doctor Tang suddenly issued an urgent task, it would not delay anything. Both sides hit it off immediately.

You Dashixiong was not old, but he was very decisive. Otherwise, Doctor Tang would not have handed all these miscellaneous affairs over to him.

With the new order in hand, the expressions of the pharmacists—three parts melancholy and seven parts dejected—instantly turned into wild joy, as if they had been injected with immense vitality!

The younger pharmacists, having too much excess energy with nowhere to vent, ran over to help Wen Gu chop wood, tend the stove, clean, and repair the house.

Li Sihu realized profoundly that his own experience was still too limited!

He had thought that if his employer wanted to open up the situation here, he would take the initiative to bestow benefits.

It was indeed proactive, and it did indeed bestow benefits. By taking the initiative to bring out a prescription and placing an order, everyone else had gathered around!

Li Sihu, as the attendant, was the best person for the pharmacists to strike up a conversation with.

Li Sihu did not need to go out looking for people; within half a day, he had already integrated into their midst, draping his arms over the pharmacists' shoulders and calling them brothers.

The aloofness and politeness that had existed between the two sides before had already vanished into thin air.

The local natives even gave him advice on the assessment.

Outsiders joining Shenyi Gu needed to undergo an assessment, and they knew this Young Master Rong would certainly have to go through this process as well. Regardless of whether there was a pre-arranged outcome or if he was a connection-hire, this step was unavoidable. But there was a trick to how one went about this step!

The locals knew too many little tips; it all depended on whether they were willing to say them or not.

Regardless of whether you had inquired about it or not, them taking the initiative to speak out was a display of a friendly and accepting attitude.

Purchasing raw materials took time; during this period, while the person responsible for purchasing herbs was busy, the others were not idle.

In the courtyard where Wen Gu lived, over by the Kitchen, large pieces of Mutou had already been turned into firewood convenient for burning.

The pharmacists chopped it, finishing it all in a few crisp cracks, and like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, they stacked and arranged it neatly, as if waiting for an inspection. Seeing this wood, one could tell how orderly they were when assembling medicine!

The person responsible for purchasing the herbs was a proper apprentice under Doctor Tang and also a local of Shenyi Gu.

At times like this, the advantages of being a local were fully brought into play. Having decided on a whim to buy herbs, he went down the mountain once and gathered everything. One had to know that the armies of the Six Great Clans of Beidi had taken away a large quantity of herbs on their return journey, and many herb shops in the Town were empty!

At least, they were empty on the surface.

How much was hidden privately, no one knew.

Only the local townspeople, using their local network of relationships, could quietly and quickly gather the herbs.

Early the next morning, as soon as the sky brightened, the "Production Line" began to move.

Wen Gu praised again: "As expected of Doctor Tang's strict selection!"

The pharmaceutical process and the results allowed Wen Gu to understand these people's work capabilities and scope of responsibility the fastest.

He understood the rigor of the "Tang Sect's" pharmaceutical craftsmanship.

Once the final product came out, he could compare it with the one from Xinzhou to see the quality difference of this Nourishing Pill.

Not disturbing the workers, Wen Gu took an unrestrained stroll on the mountain.

He made several observations.

Wen Gu did not deliberately hide his tracks; when he met people, everyone exchanged pleasantries as usual, and he would then maintain his persona and give a self-introduction to increase mutual understanding. Soon, discussions about this "Young Master Rong" on the mountain increased.

He had not yet participated in the assessment and had not yet received his Identity Plate within the valley, so there were many places he could not go. Thus, after wandering on the mountain for a while, Wen Gu returned to his residence to continue observing the work status of those employees of the "Tang Sect." As expected of a group of experienced veterans, their pharmaceutical production was efficient, and Wen Gu soon received the first box of products.

It was not bottled or sealed; as soon as this batch of finished product was made, it was immediately sent to Wen Gu.

Inside the medicine box, a dozen or so pills were neatly arranged.

Each one looked like it had been made by a precision instrument, consistent in size, uniform, and round.

The color and luster were indistinguishable to the naked eye from the pills produced in Xinzhou, though in terms of scent—whether due to a difference in craftsmanship or the origin of the herbs—the ones produced by the "Tang Sect" were a little more intense. Wen Gu gave this batch of newly made pills to Li Sihu.

Li Sihu took this kind of medicine often and was more familiar with it.

This nourishing prescription was a formula drafted after discussion by multiple Pharmacists; it was a targeted recovery prescription.

Li Sihu knew what this medicine was; he had a bottle in his hand. When he was still in Xinzhou, during his treatment, a Doctor had given him the medicine. Coming to Shenyi Gu this time, it was not convenient to carry too much, and he had originally been wondering what to do once this medicine was finished.

Now it seemed that the Xinzhou side had planned for it long ago.

As for how effective the medicine was, he would have to continue observing.

No matter how good or orderly the appearance of the pills was, one still had to look at the medicinal effect.

The pharmacists continued to produce them, and the quantity produced was enough for him to try.

Li Sihu also had a small booklet in his hand to record his physical condition every day while taking the medicine.

He did not know many characters; he could barely understand the general content of official documents, but writing them himself was quite difficult.

Therefore, this small booklet had pre-drawn tables.

He only needed to make marks on it every day based on his actual situation, drawing horizontal lines, checkmarks, crosses, circles, and similar marks under each item. Everyone in the Tang Sect was busy and had no time to pay attention to anything else.

There were quite a few idlers in other sects on the mountain, and they were chatting about the latest developments in the Tang Sect.

There were only so many renowned Doctors in Shenyi Gu who could be ranked, and Doctor Tang had always been cold and distant toward the Six Great Clans. This time, he had suddenly taken in an apprentice from Xinzhou, and those who paid attention to him immediately noticed. Everyone really wanted to know how Doctor Tang and the Zhao Clan of Xinzhou had gotten involved with each other?

Why did Doctor Tang compromise?

"It seems the rumors are true!"

"You mean that batch of South herbs from Yao Shiqi?"

"Only this could make Doctor Tang suddenly feel tempted!!"

That Doctor Tang, he has no interest in money or luxury items; the only things that could move him, after much thought, must be precious medicinal herbs!

"Xinzhou is certainly generous!"

"I hear Xinzhou is fostering young people now; it seems this batch of apprentices from Shenyi Gu is meant to heavily support this kid surnamed Rong!" Borrowing the fame of a renowned doctor to polish one's reputation, one could obtain a promotion upon returning and occupy a key position.

"What right does he have?!"

There were many who were envious and jealous, and many who spoke sour words.

Some even secretly managed to get their hands on a pill newly crafted by the "Tang Sect."

After analysis, it was just a mild, nourishing pill; taking it occasionally could strengthen the body and maintain health.

For a normal person, it had no great effect.

"It's actually just for ordinary health maintenance?"

"It is said that the one surnamed Rong is a descendant of Rong Chengzi, so it's nothing strange for him to bring out a health recipe."

It's nothing strange, but it lacks prestige!

"Perhaps, making medicine is secondary; that kid surnamed Rong is just giving those medicine workers something to do and paying them."

"In other words, this matter is just bait he threw out, actually intended to win people's hearts?"

Wen Gu had only been living on the mountain for two days, and all sorts of rumors about "Young Master Rong" had already begun to multiply.

Doctor Tang was in seclusion, ignoring outside affairs.

Except for the apprentices assigned to deliver meals and handle chores, no one else was allowed to go over and disturb him.

Having just obtained the "divine artifact," Doctor Tang was obsessed with it and wanted to continue being obsessed.

But there was no help for it; he had to be present on the day of the assessment, and he still had to look after his honored guest, Rong Huan.

When he came out of the room, Doctor Tang's mind was still left back there, and he kept sighing, "A divine artifact, it truly is a divine artifact!"

As his master walked out the door, You Dashixiong hurriedly reported on the medicine-making of the past two days.

Hearing his head apprentice say these things, if it had been in the past, Doctor Tang would certainly have had an emotional reaction.

But now, he was so captivated by the "divine artifact" that he didn't take these trifles to heart, nor did he ask in detail.

"Let him be!"

Because he was overly satisfied with the Microscope, Doctor Tang even instructed You Dashixiong: "You all should look after him more often."

The quantity of Wen Gu's order for these pills was not large, and when the medicine workers finished processing them...

It was just right!

It caught up with Wen Gu going to participate in the assessment.

Needless to say, the medicine boys and medicine workers who had just become idle naturally formed a group to go and cheer him on!

Especially the local medicine workers, who felt that at such a time, they must show their enthusiasm.

The assessment was a mere formality, with not much professional content.

Excluding those who were already pre-selected and those with various connections, the remaining ones were the only ones who truly needed to be seriously assessed.

To put it bluntly, it was the renowned doctors of Shenyi Gu picking people to do odd jobs for them.

The guards at the assessment venue were the original residents of Shenyi Gu.

Indigenous mountain folk, or those who had previously been townspeople in the Town, they formed a local armed force that took orders from the highly respected Old Physician Zhan. This armed force was, of course, no match for the garrison troops of the Six Great Clans of Beidi, but the rules set by Old Physician Zhan were that the affairs of Shenyi Gu must be handled by the people of Shenyi Gu. The mountain folk guarding the assessment site wore armor, their faces stern, and their gazes fixed on those young masters were not friendly.

Those young masters were clearly people from the Six Great Clans of Beidi, and Shenyi Gu had always maintained vigilance against the Six Great Clans.

Today, Wen Gu was also wearing a set of sturdy clothes convenient for riding and archery, the material and tailoring very particular, making people categorize him as a "connected person" at a glance. The guard watching the assessment site looked at Wen Gu with an unfriendly gaze.

Just as he was about to put on a stern face and issue a warning, an elbow came from the side, bumping him until he staggered.

The guard's eyes flashed with cold light and he wanted to curse, but when he turned his head to look... it was his own uncle.

At his uncle's age, he hadn't been chosen for the valley's armed forces, but he was good at processing medicinal herbs and had no crooked thoughts, so he had been picked by Doctor Tang early on. "Uncle, why are you here? Aren't you over at Doctor Tang's place?" the guard wondered to himself.

His uncle pointed to the side with courtesy and respect: "This is Young Master Rong, the new apprentice our Doctor Tang has taken in; he's one of our own in the Tang Sect!" The guard thought to himself: Uncle, you're just a medicine worker, what kind of legitimate sect member do you count as?

However, his uncle had no intention of explaining further and gave him two more elbows: "Move aside, move aside, don't delay things!"

The guard held back his anger, stepped to the side, and looked up.

He saw that surrounding "Young Master Rong," both beside and behind him, were not only his own uncle but also several familiar faces, all of whom were locals. Bystanders were allowed around the assessment site, but because it was their local people guarding the venue, they were often more lenient toward locals, letting them in while blocking outsiders. Therefore, even for those young masters who were well-dressed and brought attendants and servants, the number of people they could bring in was limited to just a few.

But this one surnamed Rong before his eyes was simply too cunning!

He didn't know what method he had used to coax so many locals into building momentum for him!

If it weren't for his guard duty, the guard would have liked to shout at those fellow villagers: You all need to wake up!

How many days had it been since the relief garrison of Xinzhou arrived?

Had they even known that one surnamed Rong for three days?

How could their relationship have progressed so rapidly?

Unable to figure it out, he took advantage of a moment when no one was looking to pull a familiar face aside and ask in a low voice: "What kind of love potion did that one surnamed Rong feed you all?!" A certain medicine worker of the Tang Sect immediately put on a stern face: "What nonsense are you spouting? What do you know!"

What love potion?

We are shearing the sheep!

The task isn't heavy, and the pay is high!

In order to better, long-term, and sustainably shear the sheep, we naturally have to be better to this "Young Master Rong"!

This time, the Tang Sect medicine workers considered themselves to have seen it very clearly.

Doctor Tang cooperates with the Zhao Clan.

Doctor Tang eats the meat, and we drink the soup.

Everyone is happy!