Chapter 5: A Single Scale, Half a Claw

No matter what world she had transmigrated to, since a windfall had dropped from the sky and she happened upon it, Hua Changxi saw no reason not to accept it.

After tasting every herb on the medicine rack, the characters in her vision changed to [Annotations on the Hundred Herbs (Minor Mastery): Tasted Herbs 22/100].

Too curious about what lay beyond the Common Plants chapter, Hua Changxi crept to the room where her father and mother lived; seeing them both napping, she hurried back to her own room, changed into men's clothing, and then headed straight for the Hua Family Pharmacy.

"Ninth Sister, why have you come?"

"Are you well again?"

Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang, who were helping in the pharmacy, were dumbfounded upon seeing Hua Changxi; neither had expected her to appear at the shop at this hour.

Hua Changxi quickly fabricated an excuse: "I'm feeling a bit unwell and wanted to grab some medicine to take home."

Hua Sanlang immediately replied, "What medicine do you need? Third Brother will dispense it for you."

Hua Changxi shook her head in refusal: "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you attend to the patients in the shop; I can fetch the medicine myself."

Since there were indeed a few patients in the shop at that moment, and seeing that Hua Changxi moved freely, Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang let her dispense the herbs on her own.

Seeing that her two brothers were not watching her, Hua Changxi walked to the medicine cabinet, opened each drawer one by one, and began tasting the ingredients inside.

[Annotations on the Hundred Herbs (Minor Mastery): Tasted Herbs 100/100]

Having tasted one hundred kinds of medicinal herbs, an ethereal, distant voice sounded in her mind once more.

"The Spiritual Plants chapter of 'Annotations on the Hundred Herbs' has opened."

Immediately, Hua Changxi's mind was filled with detailed descriptions of tens of thousands of spiritual plants, demonic beasts, and spiritual treasures.

Restoring spiritual power, regrowing severed limbs, bringing the dead back to life, nourishing the divine soul...

As she digested the knowledge from the Spiritual Plants chapter, Hua Changxi's heart was filled with both shock and excitement.

The opening of the Spiritual Plants chapter was like throwing open a skylight for her medical research.

At the same time, she confirmed one thing: in this world where she now resided, aside from martial artists, there must exist cultivators of a higher realm.

Perhaps because such cultivators were exceedingly rare, they remained largely unknown to the public.

But not everyone was unaware; at the very least, people at the level of the Red-Robed Daoist and that young lady knew of them.

Although the Hua family had someone serving in the yamen, he was merely a low-ranking official with access to too low a level; it was only by sheer luck that she obtained the opportunity created by the Daoist, allowing her a glimpse into this world's hidden corner.

The astonishing efficacy of the medicinal herbs used by martial artists had already amazed her; now, these newly revealed spiritual plants completely shattered her worldview.

If one were to ask where in the Great Jin Dynasty spiritual plants were most likely to be found, the answer would undoubtedly be the Bureau of Medicine!

Apothecary Xu had told Hua Changxi that the Bureau of Medicine had a special regulation: anyone who discovered a new medicinal herb would be rewarded with a Pill of Shattered Shackles.

Martial artists were divided into nine ranks based on their martial prowess: First Rank, Second Rank, Third Rank... up to Ninth Rank, totaling nine levels.

For a Sixth-Rank martial artist to advance to the Seventh Rank, they had to break the shackles within their body, making the Pill of Shattered Shackles an indispensable elixir for advancement.

Once a martial artist advanced to the Seventh Rank, they could transform their internal energy into qi armor, thereby entering the ranks of top-tier experts.

Therefore, the reward offered by the Bureau of Medicine could not be considered anything less than generous.

The Bureau of Medicine oversaw all medical and pharmaceutical affairs in the Great Jin Dynasty; by establishing such a tempting reward, who knew how many little-known medicinal herbs they had collected.

Previously, upon hearing in the Jingzhao Prefecture that the Bureau of Medicine was recruiting additional apprentices, Hua Changxi had only intended to find a stable job to earn money; now, however, she had an additional, compelling reason to join the Bureau.

"Ninth Sister, have you finished getting your medicine? Does Third Brother need to help you?"

Suppressing her thoughts, Hua Changxi quickly replied, "No need, I'm almost done."

The Hua Family Pharmacy was not large, holding only over three hundred kinds of medicinal herbs in its cabinets; after tasting them all, Hua Changxi casually grabbed a prescription for replenishing qi and blood, bid farewell to Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang, and hurried home.

Speaking of the Hua family in Nanluo Lane of Xiuzheng Ward, they were quite renowned within the ward.

Firstly, the Hua family shared the same clan name as the Dingyuan Count's Manor; although their kinship was so distant it barely counted, they both bore the surname Hua.

For ordinary commoners to claim a connection to the nobility was absolutely a matter that drew attention.

Secondly, there was Old Master Hua's life, which could be called a textbook example of a counterattack against fate.

Hua Changxi's grandfather, Old Master Hua Bin, lost his father at two and his mother at five; with no uncles or elders to care for him above, and no brothers or sisters to support him below, he barely survived to adulthood thanks to aid from the clan.

Many people had little hope for Old Master Hua, believing he would never marry, would remain a bachelor all his life, and that his lineage was destined to die out.

But what was the result? Old Master Hua's luck exploded; he accidentally saved a merchant named Fan from elsewhere, and after receiving silver as thanks from Merchant Fan, he used that money to bribe his way into the Nancheng Military Office, becoming a constable.

After he became a constable, Merchant Fan deemed him worthy of investment, directly betrothed his youngest daughter to him, and even included the house the Hua family currently lived in as part of the dowry.

After establishing his family, things became even more remarkable; the Hua family, originally a single thin branch, suddenly flourished with many offshoots.

Nowadays, the entire household numbered over twenty people.

The prosperity of his descendants truly made others green with envy.

Thirdly, the three brothers of Hua Minghe all served in the yamen.

The eldest, Hua Minghe, was a constable of the Six Doors; the second, Hua Ming'ang, took over Old Master Hua's post, becoming a patrol constable in the Nancheng Military Office; the fourth, Hua Mingcheng, was a jailer in the Ministry of Justice's prison.

Although none held high office, they all ate the government's rice, meaning their access to information was inevitably better than that of ordinary commoners.

Therefore, every move the Hua family made attracted considerable attention from the people of the ward.

After entering Xiuzheng Ward, Hua Changxi became cautious in her movements, trying her best to avoid encountering anyone along the way.

In these times, it was difficult for any family's affairs to escape the prying of neighbors, let alone for the Hua family, which was already under scrutiny.

The matter of Hua Changxi being kidnapped by the Daoist had long since spread throughout the ward.

She had only been rescued yesterday and was still injured; she did not want people to know she was able to go out today.

Hua Changxi returned home through the back gate; the Hua Family Pharmacy was only two streets away from Xiuzheng Ward, so her round trip took just over an hour.

The courtyard remained quiet; Hua Changxi had originally thought her secret departure would go unnoticed, but upon entering her room, she found her mother sitting expressionless on her bed.

"Mother, I was feeling a bit unwell, so I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine."

Hua Changxi quickly lifted the bundle of tonic medicine she had fetched to show Lady Yao.

Looking at her daughter, Lady Yao felt both angry and headache-inducing: "You were just kidnapped, yet you dare to sneak out of the house alone again? Ninth Sister, your audacity is too great."

Hua Changxi muttered in retort: "Mother, this is inside the city, not outside; there are patrol soldiers everywhere."

Lady Yao was choked with anger and added, "You lost so much blood; even though you took the medicine from the Bureau of Medicine, you should still be resting properly."

"If you need to fetch medicine, can't you ask your Sixth Brother to go?"

"I see you care not one bit for your own health."

Seeing Lady Yao was truly angry, Hua Changxi hurriedly apologized: "Mother, I was wrong; I won't do it again."

Lady Yao simply had no way with this daughter; since childhood, she had always had her own ideas. Unless she genuinely agreed with something deep in her heart, no matter how the elders disciplined her, she would dare to offend again next time.

Just as she was about to say more, a sound came from the main hall.

Hua Changxi quickly peered out the doorway, then raised her index finger to her lips, making a hushing gesture to Lady Yao, and whispered:

"Mother, Grandmother has gotten up to weave cloth. Please don't scold me; if Grandmother finds out I went out, who knows how she will berate me."

The customs of the Great Jin Dynasty resembled those of the Tang Dynasty; they did not forbid young women from going out, but neither did they encourage it.

Old Lady Hua greatly disliked the young ladies of the household going out at will, believing that a young lady who loved to go out showed a wild heart and rebellious bones.

Lady Yao also did not wish for her daughter to be scolded by her mother-in-law; she glared at Hua Changxi, stood up, and left.

Soon, the voices of Old Lady Hua and Lady Yao conversing rose from the courtyard.

Hua Changxi breathed a sigh of relief, closed the room door, lay down on the bed, and began to recall the events of the past two days.

Martial artists, demonic Daoists, cultivators...

She truly understood too little about this world; having transmigrated here for thirteen years, she had only glimpsed scattered fragments.

To fully comprehend this world, staying merely within the small world of the Hua family was clearly insufficient.

The Medical Bureau; she must pass the entrance exams!