Chapter 17: The Struggle of Pill Masters

The next morning, Lu Xingzhou, unusually, let A'nuo push him out the door; their destination was the Pill Office.

He was going to undergo the qualification certification for a seventh-grade Pill Master.

The Pill Office is responsible for controlling and verifying pills entering the market to prevent issues like passing off inferior goods as superior or discrepancies between goods and descriptions; it is also responsible for grading Pill Masters and recommending outstanding Pill Master candidates to the court.

In this world, the profession of Pill Master is highly valued.

Because Pill Masters are often physicians as well, everyone inevitably faces three calamities and six disasters requiring treatment; people already respect physicians, let alone the fact that many difficult and miscellaneous illnesses require targeted, symptom-specific pills that simply cannot be bought on the market.

An even more critical factor is that important pills such as those assisting breakthroughs, providing instant healing, or extending life and longevity are generally not sold on every street like low-grade pills. Even if sold, they are rare, often serving merely as flagship attractions for major pill workshops. Most Pill Masters capable of refining such pills are recruited by powerful factions with heavy gold, holding high status within their respective factions, and even qualifying for attendants far more powerful than the Pill Masters themselves to protect them.

Not to mention the Nine-Turn Jin Dan that can truly allow one to ascend to immortality; that is the supreme pursuit.

The imperial court naturally places great importance on establishing a perfect system for evaluating and recommending Pill Masters, as the best Pill Masters should naturally be employed by the Emperor.

Naturally, obtaining official recognition as a high-grade master means one will be respected wherever one goes and need not worry about resources. Normally, all Pill Masters in the world take passing the imperial court's grade evaluation as an important goal, rising level by level.

There are also a few outstanding Pill Masters who do not wish to be watched by the court and thus dislike participating in evaluations; Lu Xingzhou is a typical example. Although his level is actually seventh-grade upper stage, or even half-step sixth grade, he has always presented himself only as eighth grade. It was not to play the pig to eat the tiger and trap the Danxia Gang; it was simply that he previously did not want the court's attention, and his not undergoing certification for the past half year was also due to habit.

This interaction between Shen Tang and the Pill Office, however, reminded Lu Xingzhou of this matter; in fact, he could now reveal himself openly, as long as he did not stand out too much.

After all, he had no connection with the Netherworld Palace anymore... On the contrary, obtaining high-grade certification would be beneficial for some future plans.

Yet, as soon as he entered the Pill Office, he was stunned to discover that Liu Qingcang and his daughter, along with Bai Chi, were also there.

It seemed they were also undergoing seventh-grade certification, and were already halfway through.

The evaluation standards for Pill Masters differ from cultivation. Cultivation provides Pill Masters with stable flames and control, as well as sufficient high temperatures. Naturally, to refine high-grade pills, one requires cultivation of the corresponding grade; this is a prerequisite. However, the standard for alchemical skill has its own separate evaluation system.

The eighth, ninth, and seventh grades belong to the lower three grades, and the assessments are relatively easy. Ninth-grade certification only requires you to accurately mix ingredients according to the formula, refine pills of the corresponding grade, and achieve an eighty percent yield of good quality. If one can stably produce superior quality, or refine multiple pills simultaneously, that meets the requirements for middle and upper stages.

Eighth grade is the level at which one can take apprentices. Besides refining pills of the corresponding grade, one must also be tested on one's understanding of pills. For example, whether one can adjust the proportions of the same formula for different patients to achieve symptom-specific treatment. Ultimately, this is still just fine-tuning within existing formulas, which is not difficult.

Seventh grade requires the ability to formulate one's own unique prescriptions based on symptoms, or to create pills with the same effect as existing finished products without following established methods, relying on one's own understanding. For instance, Lu Xingzhou's Qi-Benefiting Pill actually has a formula quite different from those on the market, yet the effect is identical, making it still a Qi-Benefiting Pill.

Overall, seventh grade has a flavor of having truly entered the hall; at least, there are not many such masters in this Xiazhou.

When Lu Xingzhou entered, Bai Chi had already refined a designated seventh-grade pill and completed the refining assessment; the remainder was the assessment of formula understanding.

An old man before him stroked his beard while looking at the formula in his hand, nodding continuously: "Although your Detox Pill is only at ninth-grade level, it is indeed different from all formulas seen on the market, and its cost is low. The flaw is that it can detoxify too few types of poisons..."

Bai Chi was somewhat proud: "This is merely to make it easier to promote; if the range of detoxifiable poisons were increased, the grade would have to be raised."

The old man hesitated slightly: "You are here for seventh-grade certification; providing only a ninth-grade formula is insufficient. Either raise the grade of this formula, or I will add another question..."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Lu Xingzhou, who had just entered the room. His eyes lit up, and he smiled: "This young man's internal organs and meridians suffered severe poisoning in his early years. After years of conditioning, the residual poison has been cleared, but the organs have not fully recovered and still have slight damage. You may formulate a prescription to help him condition his body; this will be your seventh-grade test question."

Bai Chi turned his head in shock, looking at the equally shocked Lu Xingzhou, his face turning very ugly: "I treat him?"

The old man was stunned for a moment: "What? I did not ask you to treat his legs; that is beyond the syllabus. Conditioning the internal organs is all; what difficulty is there?"

Bai Chi swept his sleeve and said: "Chen Zhangsi, please provide another question; I will not treat him."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Then how about giving this question to me?"

The old man, Chen Zhangsi, asked in surprise: "Are you also here to certify for seventh grade?"

"Indeed." Lu Xingzhou signaled A'nuo to push him to the table, took the brush and ink from the desk, and wrote a formula with swift strokes: "This pill may be named Life-Returning Pill, smoothing internal hidden injuries and conditioning the meridians. Zhangsi, please examine it."

Chen Zhangsi examined it carefully for a while, his expression somewhat joyful: "This formula qualifies for seventh grade. Formulating a seventh-grade prescription oneself; at such a young age, one possesses such understanding of pills! What is your name?"

"Lu Xingzhou." Lu Xingzhou handed over his original eighth-grade certification token.

Bai Chi could not help but say: "His own illness; he likely pondered it for years. We do not know if he had others' guidance, so it cannot count."

This was not wrong. Chen Zhangsi looked at Lu Xingzhou: "Mr. Lu, do you have anything to say?"

"Indeed so. In fact, I conditioned my own body originally; it was just that the condition was too severe back then, and it has not fully healed after so many years. One knows one's own affairs too well, so indeed it cannot count." Lu Xingzhou smiled: "However, since he will not treat me, I can treat him. Mr. Bai Chi has hidden gonorrhea; it has not manifested yet, but it will flare up sooner or later... I have a prescription here..."

Liu Yan'er's face turned pale. Bai Chi slammed the table in fury: "Lu Xingzhou, do not slander me with your bloody mouth!"

Chen Zhangsi glanced at Bai Chi, closed his mouth, and said nothing.

Liu Yan'er: "?"

Liu Qingcang: "..."

Lu Xingzhou was too lazy to bother with the distorted expression of Bai Chi. He leisurely wrote a prescription and handed it to Chen Zhangsi: "Whether he treats it or not is his business; we are here for our certification. Is this prescription acceptable?"

Chen Zhangsi looked at the prescription thoughtfully, did not mention the grade, and simply said: "Mr. Lu's understanding of pills indeed surpasses Mr. Bai's. We can proceed to the refining stage; let me see your refining skill... Hmm, how about refining a seventh-grade Guiyu Pill?"

"Wait!" Bai Chi, suppressing his anger: "First come, first served; how can he cut in line like this?"

Chen Zhangsi looked at him and said coolly: "Do not say I am making things difficult for you. Provide another eighth-grade formula different from those on the market, and you pass. By the way, do not try to fool me with the exclusive formulas of the Incense Burning Pavilion; even if I do not recognize the formula, I can recognize the characteristics of the Incense Burning Pavilion."

"I cannot possibly show you my sect's exclusive formulas either!" Bai Chi's face twisted with anger. He slapped out another formula again: "Look at this!"

Chen Zhangsi frowned slightly as he looked at it, appearing somewhat hesitant.

Since it was slapped directly onto the table, Lu Xingzhou saw it as well. He burst out laughing at a glance: "Is this a pill or poison? Yin and yang are unbalanced, ruler and minister are out of harmony; the toxicity is so heavy."

Bai Chi did not care about being seen; after all, with the Pill Office Zhangsi present, if Lu Xingzhou truly stole and refined his formula later, he could sue him and win, making Lu Xingzhou pay until his family was ruined. Hearing this, he said proudly: "What do you know? This is a breakthrough pill to assist in breaking through the eighth-grade cultivation realm. Breaking through naturally requires tiger and wolf medicines; no matter how toxic, many people will gladly endure it!"

Lu Xingzhou laughed helplessly: "A breakthrough pill, impressive. I indeed have never formulated such a thing."

Chen Zhangsi was silent for a long while, then slowly said: "This formula is indeed effective, but it is indeed very toxic... From a Pill Master's perspective, I do not like this kind of short-sighted approach to formulation, but in terms of qualifications, you barely count as..."

Before the word "pass" could leave his lips, Lu Xingzhou suddenly interrupted: "Wait."

Bai Chi shouted angrily: "What are you doing now?"

Lu Xingzhou wrote a few more characters with swift strokes and handed them to Chen Zhangsi, blinking his eyes: "Don't show it to him..."

Chen Zhangsi looked at it for a while, then suddenly stood up: "Good, good! With this adjustment, the effect is not lost, but the toxicity is greatly reduced. Good idea, good idea!"

Bai Chi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

Chen Zhangsi leaned back leisurely in his chair: "The Xiazhou Pill Office has not certified a seventh-grade Pill Master for at least three years... Today, when Mr. Bai came here, I originally thought about barely passing him to save face for Xiazhou. But now, with Mr. Lu's jade beside him, Mr. Bai's skills in comparison are like a firefly next to the full moon; I truly cannot pass him against my conscience. Mr. Bai should go back and practice, and come again next time."

Bai Chi was so angry he was about to explode: "You are colluding and maliciously making things difficult! I will report this to the City Lord!"

Chen Zhangsi rolled his eyes: "Although I act on the City Lord's instructions regarding government affairs, in private the City Lord must smile and flatter me. Do you really think we Pill Masters have no face? Someone, see the guest out!"

Bai Chi still wanted to say something, but Liu Qingcang, who had been sitting with a black face and saying nothing, finally reached out to grab him, shook his head slightly to signal, and Bai Chi angrily closed his mouth.

Liu Qingcang turned to Lu Xingzhou and said coolly: "Xingzhou, if you think using such tactics will make us regret it, you are mistaken. Recently, our Danxia Gang is thriving; the atmosphere is ten times better than when you were here. What future can you have following Shen Tang to sell those cheap sword talismans? If you are willing to return..."

Lu Xingzhou waved his hand to interrupt: "I know you are anxious; just don't be anxious yet."

Liu Qingcang choked on his own breath, nearly suffocating.

"Is it really booming?" A Nuo timidly peeked out from behind Lu Xingzhou: "Can you give us fifty Yuanbao first, so we can see your strength?"

"You!" Liu Qingcang took a deep breath, swept his sleeve, and strode away: "Obstinate and unteachable!"

The Liu father and daughter, along with Bai Chi and the other two, were seething with anger as they left the Pill Office in a huff. Just as they reached the doorway, a sect member rushed over in a panic: "Sect Leader, Sect Leader! It's bad!"

Liu Qingcang kicked him: "If there's news, speak!"

The sect member was kicked into a roll on the ground, scrambling up in a disheveled state: "Over the past few days, someone in the city has been spreading rumors that our Divine Spirit Pills are seventy to eighty percent more toxic than ordinary Qi-Benefiting Pills! With the entire city currently focused on purifying pill toxins, many citizens are demanding refunds, and all the major pill shops have refused to accept Divine Spirit Pills!"

Liu Qingcang ran this news through his mind several times, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

Recommended book: "The Divine Tycoon of the Decadent Emperor Series."

A pure love story with multiple heroines; the author says it is very pure love, but readers under eighteen should not view it.

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(End of this chapter)