Free Web NovelChapter 130: Chapter 130: Lecture
The market was a flurry of activity.
Life as a medicine apprentice was not easy.
Medicine apprentices with genuine skills did live better than the average Loose Cultivator.
But that was a limited sort of prosperity. Those who harbored the ambition to pursue the Dao always sought to advance their Alchemy Dao.
And that required a great many resources.
A sum that, to an ordinary Loose Cultivator, would seem immense.
At a street-facing stall, two figures scrambled to handle a throng of impatient customers.
Packets of prepared medicinal powder were handed out one after another, all without a single mistake.
Bai Mo watched from a distance. He saw that while Wei An was flustered, he was at least managing to hold his own.
Only the most sharp-tongued and critical customers would open the oiled paper to inspect the powder’s quality and find some excuse to complain.
The shop’s apprentice and Wei An paid them no mind.
They had better things to do, like attending to more customers.
The stall operated on a model of low profits and high volume. Seeing that it was currently packed with customers, Bai Mo decided not to interfere.
"A bowl of Yangchun noodles,"
Bai Mo said, sitting down on a stool and addressing the apron-clad owner.
"You got it. Large or small bowl?"
As he spoke, the owner pointed to a large sea bowl and a smaller one set to the side.
"A small one will be fine."
"Heh, a young fellow like you is in his growing years! I thought for sure you’d order the large!"
The stall was doing good business, so the owner spoke freely.
Bai Mo patted his stomach.
"I just drank my fill of tea. My stomach is still warm from it, so I’m not really hungry. I just wanted something solid to eat."
The stall owner understood immediately.
"Those tea vendors must be making a killing lately!"
"They got lucky, catching the good fortune sent down by the Upper Sect. They’re earning merit by helping people prevent the plague, and they’re not short on cash either!"
His hands moved deftly, and by the time he finished speaking, he had already served the bowl of noodles to Bai Mo.
"A plague?" Bai Mo asked, pulling out his chopsticks and looking at the owner in confusion.
"Yep. There’s been a plague breaking out around the city recently, infecting whole families at a time. Thankfully, it’s been brought under control."
"But I’d advise you, young man, to stay away from dark and damp places..."
By the time Bai Mo had finished his noodles and taken a couple more strolls, the crowds on the street had mostly dispersed.
As the foot traffic dwindled, the day’s toil caught up to the merchants, and a sense of languor settled over them.
When Bai Mo arrived, Wei An and the other medicine apprentice were sorting the herbs they had on hand.
The medicine apprentice grumbled under his breath.
"The quality of the herbs we’ve been getting is getting worse and worse. If this keeps up, the efficacy of our powders is bound to drop..."
Wei An was still examining the item in his hand.
"It looks fine to me..."
Bai Mo quietly approached and shook his head.
"It looks fine on the outside, but most of the inner channels are rotten."
"Isn’t that written perfectly clearly in the Pill Book?"
The two men at the stall abruptly looked up.
Wei An exclaimed in delighted surprise, "Immor—... Shopkeeper!"
The medicine apprentice was even more excited. He immediately put down the herbs in his hand, stepped forward, and bowed.
"Alchemist Bai!"
Bai Mo gave a slight nod, took two steps forward, and took the yellow leaf from Wei An’s hand, holding it up to the light.
"You see? The inner channels are all rotten."
Wei An looked embarrassed.
"I’ll be sure to remember from now on."
The medicine apprentice came closer and said quietly,
"Young Wei has been extremely diligent these past few days. He’s nearly memorized the properties of all the herbs in my shop."
"He’s become quite an expert at sorting herbs!"
Bai Mo was noncommittal.
"You’re Liu Liu, correct?"
Guo Lingjun had mentioned Liu Liu’s name to Bai Mo when she discussed arranging a place for Wei An.
"I am! I’m honored that Alchemist Bai remembers my humble name!"
A smile spread across Liu Liu’s face.
Bai Mo glanced around before finding a seat and sitting down.
"Watching the two of you sorting those herbs just now, I can tell you’re taking things for granted."
"It’s true that the Pill Book contains detailed records of medicinal herbs, but what quality of Pill Book does the average Cultivator get to read?"
"Their descriptions of how to use herbs are shallow at best!"
Wei An was confused by this, but Liu Liu’s expression tensed as he adopted a serious look.
"The teachings of the Pill Book are limited. As long as you experiment outside its explicit prohibitions, you can always find other approaches..."
Bai Mo said calmly, "When reading a Pill Book, you must have your own ideas."
Liu Liu and Wei An didn’t dare to breathe.
Bai Mo picked up the yellow leaf from before.
"This leaf, for example, has other uses."
With that, he tossed the leaf into the air. With a flick of his finger, several motes of starlight shot past.
The body of the leaf disintegrated, but its veins fell down intact, landing on the surface of the herb tray.
"If you weave together the veins from several leaves of similar texture, you can use them as a wick. It’s an excellent material for conducting medicinal oils."
Liu Liu’s eyes widened at his words.
"How is that possible? It’s not as if other Cultivators haven’t tried..."
Bai Mo waved his hand dismissively.
"It requires a special weaving technique, and the texture must also be uniform."
For an Alchemy Cultivator, Alchemy itself is a process of mediating between Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Without understanding how to study and adapt, it is difficult to go far on this path.
Bai Mo had understood this principle long ago.
Looking at Liu Liu now, he could tell the man was still clueless, his mind not yet opened.
"When a Cultivator practices Alchemy—from the initial thought, to gathering herbs, minerals, and essences, all the way until the Pill is formed—the entire process is filled with variables."
"On a grander scale, on the path of the Alchemy Dao, many herbs are products of nature, and rivalries and feuds between Cultivators are common. Do you think any of that will allow you to have a smooth journey?"
Bai Mo tapped the table.
"Simply burying your head in the Pill Book and following it blindly will get you nowhere."
"You must learn to be flexible. If the quality of the herbs is poor, that is the will of the heavens. It’s up to people like us to find a way to make up for the deficiency..."
Seeing how attentive the other man was in looking after Wei An, Bai Mo was happy to offer a few more pointers.
Shortly after, Liu Liu’s Pill Furnace was alight.
Heat radiated in waves from its verdigris-covered body.
Bai Mo stood a short distance away with Wei An, watching silently without saying a word.
A short while later, Liu Liu retrieved a misshapen Pill from the furnace.
Half of the Pill’s body was scorched, and it emitted an acrid smell.
Liu Liu looked at Bai Mo, utterly embarrassed.
"Try another batch," Bai Mo said calmly.
Seeing that Bai Mo didn’t criticize him, Liu Liu’s spirits lifted, and he immediately started two more batches in a row.
Both batches successfully produced Pills, a common type of cultivation-assistance Pill often seen on the market.
The quality of the Pills was acceptable. With a quick glance, Bai Mo could see that to an ordinary person’s eye, there was nothing wrong with them.
However, Bai Mo still had other points to raise.
"Friend, you used up quite a lot of herbs. If you sell these at market price, I’m afraid you won’t make any profit."
Liu Liu sighed, then clasped his fists and bowed deeply.
"That is precisely the case. It’s why the shop still relies on medicinal powders to make ends meet."
"Please, Alchemist Bai, teach me!"
Bai Mo thought for a moment.
"Friend, how many Pill Books have you read? The selection and processing of those herbs, as well as the timing for adding them to the furnace—all of these require specific knowledge."
"Watching you, it seems you’re completely unaware of this..."
...
Liu Liu had many shortcomings, just like most medicine apprentices.
Bai Mo had thought Liu Liu was just following the books by rote, but he hadn’t expected that Liu Liu hadn’t even read the Pill Books in their entirety.
Without a sufficiently comprehensive understanding, unexpected variables would often arise during Alchemy.
He had a goal, but no clear path in his mind to achieve it, so his technique, judgment, and adaptability all fell short.
Bai Mo explained a great deal, until his throat felt dry.
The three of them only stopped when the aroma of cooking food drifted in from outside.
"Alchemist Bai, are you sure you won’t stay for a meal?" Liu Liu urged.
Bai Mo shook his head and started to walk away. "We can take care of ourselves. Remember, Friend, if you wish to advance further in the Alchemy Dao, you must put more effort into expanding your knowledge!"
With that, he turned to Wei An and said, "When the Demon Hunting Team returns from the mountains, they often send things over. Processing them takes a lot of effort."
"You should get a bite on the way."
Wei An agreed, picking up his bundle and following Bai Mo. Before leaving, he shot a meaningful glance at Liu Liu.
They had gotten along quite well over the past few days.
