Chapter 90: The Apothecary

Chapter 90: The Apothecary

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Please leave.

Liu Jins eyebrow twitches.

It is not the words that annoy him. It is the way they are being said. Khong Hu speaks without malice or derision. His posture reflects nothing but straightforward honesty. Hes not looking down on Liu Jin in the slightest but instead speaking from the bottom of his heart.

He is even bowing his head to him!

You and your companions have already caused trouble in the Sparring Hall and the Inner Disciple quarters. Id rather the Apothecary remained as is.

I am alone.

That is marginally better, yet my request remains the same.

Liu Jin crosses his arms. I realize senior brother is older, but were both Inner Disciples. Does senior brother really have the authority to forbid me from entering the Apothecary?

An awkward pause follows.

...I was really hoping junior wouldnt think of that.

Which says a lot about Khong Hus opinion of Liu Jin.

If that is the case Liu Jin makes an awkward gesture with his hand, trying to shoo Khong Hu out of the way. Hes blocking the entrance.

Very well. Khong Hu frowns as he straightens up. I suppose I cant stop you from entering. In that case, I should at least prevent you from making a fool of yourself. Follow me.

The Apothecary is located a few miles away from the Inner Disciples mansion. Unlike other buildings inside the Eternal Flame Clans compound, the Apothecary is made wholly out of wood and has an odd box-like shape. When looked at from afar, the building almost looks like a giant cabinet.

And yet, despite its quirkiness, it is one of the most important buildings in the entirety of the Eternal Flame Clans compound.

This is the Apothecary, one of the most important buildings within the walls of the Eternal Flame Clan, Khong Hu says, unknowingly echoing Liu Jins thoughts. It is here where all manner of herbs, Spirit Beast parts, and other such things are stored.

Unlike the Sparring Hall or the living quarters for Inner Disciples, there are no wide, spacious rooms here. Instead, there are numerous narrow halls with multiple doors on either side and signs all around.

The Eternal Flame Clan has control over a wide variety of territories. As such, we harvest resources from all over the Crimson Cloud Empire and beyond. These are then brought here by disciples such as you and me. The Apothecarys job is not only to store these ingredients but to decide how theyll be split among the Sect and for what purposes theyll be used.

The Medical Pavilion needs medical herbs. The Armory requires fangs, claws, and metals to make weapons. Disciples need cultivation pills to grow stronger.

The one that decides how everything is split between members of the Eternal Flame Clan is the Apothecary. That is how important this building is.

Internal Disputes, External Relationships, and Exploration. Within the Eternal Flame Clan, only those three departments hold as much authority as the Apothecary. Together, those four are the main pillars of the Eternal Flame Clan, all of which are under the wise guidance of Patriarch Feng.

Khong Hu had not said anything about that when guiding Liu Jin and Huang Shing through the compound. Of course, back then, they had only been Outer Disciples, so Liu Jin can somewhat understand why Khong Hu didnt bother going into detail about the Sects inner workings.

You understand what I am saying, dont you? This is not a place where tomfoolery of any kind is tolerated, Khong Hu warns him. Elder Xue, who is in charge of the Apothecary, is wise, strong, and without patience for fools.

Senior brother needs not worry, Liu Jin replies. The only reason I am here is to work and earn points. It is not my intention to cause any trouble.

It is true. Despite the hectic day Liu Jin had yesterday, he had managed to get a good nights sleep. None of the protective talismans he placed in his room went off. The other disciples, it seems, respect the rule of not fighting within the walls of the mansion. It means he probably wont have to worry about sneak attacks.

Formal challenges, however, are an entirely different problem, which is why Liu Jin had gotten up very early in the morning and headed for the Apothecary. He hadnt expected to run into Khong Hu at the door, but running into Khong Hu was better than running into literally anyone else from last night.

Will the rest really not come here? Khong Hu looks at him dubiously. Not even the one you took the exam with?

I doubt this is the sort of work that would interest Huang Shing.

Liu Jin had even tried to warn Huang Shing away from Bei Hong and Lu Mei last night.

You do realize Bei Hong wouldnt have batted an eye if he had rendered you unable to take the Selection Exam, right? Liu Jin had told him. There is no reason for you to involve yourself with him further.

Maybe, but the same goes for me. I am not so forgiving Id have been able to overlook it if we had actually come to blows, and it is not as if I feel some great loyalty to Brother Bei. However, beating those disciples together was fun, so I dont really have any reason to turn my back on him right now.

That had been his reply.

Ill admit senior brothers concerns are not unmerited, Liu Jin says. We did cause a ruckus yesterday, but I am here as a simple disciple who wants to make points. That is all.

Khong Hu holds his gaze for several seconds.

Well, I suppose you can help out with the inventory, he says, breaking the contest. We just received a new shipment from our Night Plum City Branch. I will warn you right now, though. This work is one that requires utmost diligence!

I assure you, Brother Khong, my diligence will leave nothing to be desired.

~~~

Many hours later, Liu Jin walks out of the Apothecary, having made a hefty amount of points, much to Khong Hus slack-jawed shock.

It is about what Liu Jin expected. Harvesting parts from Spirit Beast corpses. Identifying and classifying rare herbs. General inventory tasks. All of them are things he has experience in. Compared to having to decode Doctor Wus notes, the work he has done this afternoon is all too simple. His skills are a good fit for Apothecary-related tasks.

While Liu Jin did not have the opportunity to meet Elder Xue, he did make a good impression on some of the older disciples. They made him promise to return tomorrow.

All in all, today has been a good day.

Liu Jin smiles and holds his head high, enjoying a rare moment of silence, the likes of which have been repeatedly denied to him ever since he joined the Eternal Flame Clan.

I am not prone to boasting, senior brother, so believe me when I say if we were to fight right now, Id win. There is no doubt in my mind about it. If we were to fight, thatd only harm senior brother and achieve none of the goals senior brother wants to achieve. That is why I want to ask senior brother to reconsider his challenge.

Liu Jin gives Pan Qiu a respectful nod.

I trust senior brother will make the proper choice.

~~~

Did you have any trouble on your way here?

To Liu Jins surprise, Bei Hong is waiting for him on the first floor of the mansion. His new robes now sport signs of the battles he had partaken in during the day.

None at all, Liu Jin replies, shaking his head.

Bei Hong stares at him for a moment, taking in Liu Jins pristine appearance.

I see, Bei Hong says after a while. Around here, we got quite a few challenges from a few of the dogs who thought barking and biting were the same thing. All of them trash, of course. But you might have to look over your shoulders for the next couple of days. Thats how these sorts of things usually go.

Ah, so he wasnt unaware of this possibility while causing trouble yesterday.

Does that make Bei Hong more or less perceptive than Liu Jin had initially assumed?

Thank you, I appreciate the warning.

I also wish to apologize.

Liu Jin is so shocked he forgets to blink. Thats how little he expected Bei Hongs words.

For Bei Duyis actions? He asks just to make sure.

What? Bei Hong frowns and snorts. No, why should I apologize for the actions of people I dont care about?

Then why

Lu Mei.

He says it so easily, it sets off another round of questions in Liu Jins head.

She seems to have taken a liking to you. I am sorry for that.

This time Liu Jin does blink.

Is Brother Bei not angry?

Truth be told, Liu Jin had expected Lu Meis behavior to prompt some jealousy or possessiveness from Bei Hong.

Why should I He trails off as he realizes what Liu Jin is getting at. No. Lu Mei and I are friends, and no more. Thank the heavens for that.

The resoluteness, the certainty in his voice, catches Liu Jin by surprise once more. Considering how popular Lu Mei is among males, he had not expected Bei Hong to be any different.

Listen well, Bei Hong says when he notices Liu Jins confusion. A woman has to be pretty, but not so pretty it will cause trouble. She needs to come from a well-to-do family, but not one thats annoying to deal with. More importantly, since youre going to have to deal with her for the rest of your life, her personality cant be too troublesome. The ideal woman must possess these three things.

Bei Hong lifts a finger for each item, going through the list with such practiced ease Liu Jin can tell this is far from the first time he says this.

Now, look at Lu Mei. Shes pretty. No one can deny that, but she fails at all three categories. Lu Mei might as well be a negative example of an ideal woman. Thats how dangerous she is.

Thats Im not sure what to say to that.

You should keep my words close to your heart and never forget them, for they will spare you pain and misery, Bei Hong replies seriously, attempting to be sagely even. For whatever reason, Lu Mei has developed an interest in you.

He looks at him from head to toe after saying that, his expression dubious.

I cannot say I understand her tastes, but I do know her personality. Shes the sort that keeps prodding and poking until she satisfies her interests before moving on to whatever catches her eye next. Normally, I wouldnt bother telling you any of this, but the four of us fought together to become Inner Disciples. That means youre not trash, which entitles you to a warning.

Liu Jin stays silent for a while, staring at Bei Hong.

Finally, he takes a deep breath and sighs.

I see. Thank you. I will take your warning under consideration. Ill do my best to ignore her.

No, that will not work. Bei Hong shakes his head. Its the worst you can do. That will just encourage her.

Then what would Brother Bei recommend?

Bei Hong looks at him as if he had just asked a stupid question.

If I knew, I would have started with that. I started with an apology because Lu Mei always gets her way.

In that case, I think Brother Bei will find me an unusual exception.

Liu Jin has come here for a reason.

Lu Meis whims, wherever they may lead, are not something that will distract him from his purpose.

~~~