Chapter 92: How to Be a Good Herbalist

With the scent of the Beast Lure gone, the enormous earth dragon froze in place, tilting its massive head as if puzzled—wondering why its delicious treat had suddenly vanished. Its bewildered appearance was, unexpectedly... rather endearing.

Xiao Jihan pressed his lips together and banished the thought.

Despite its name, the earth dragon had no relation to dragons; it was merely a long, subterranean creature, earning its title from dwelling beneath the earth. Xiao Jihan regarded its confused expression, then retrieved another porcelain bottle from his sleeve, uncorking it and shaking gently.

Immediately, the aroma of Beast Lure wafted from the bottle, and the earth dragon—previously lost in a daze—was instantly captivated, lunging toward him. Its colossal body stirred the ground and swayed the surrounding trees with each movement, exuding such fierce momentum that any ordinary cultivator would have drawn their sword without hesitation.

Yet Xiao Jihan remained calm; as the earth dragon attacked, he quickly sealed the bottle.

Deprived of the scent, the earth dragon halted abruptly, stunned in its tracks.

But it was a spirit beast—and a seasoned one at that. In a moment, it realized that the treasure it sought was held by this cultivator. Xiao Jihan casually tossed the porcelain bottle in his hand, looking at the earth dragon. “Do you want it?”

The earth dragon slowly nodded its huge head.

“If you do, I have plenty more.” Xiao Jihan produced two identical bottles from his mustard seed pouch. “If you want them, I’ll give them all to you.”

At these words, the earth dragon’s eyes sparkled—if it had eyes, that is.

“But there’s one condition.” Xiao Jihan opened a bottle and held it forward. “Let me pass, and you’ll have all these. Refuse, and I’ll put them away, never to be found again.”

He recapped the bottle as he spoke.

The scent appeared and vanished, driving the earth dragon nearly mad. It nodded without hesitance.

Xiao Jihan hadn’t expected it to be so easy; generously, he uncorked the bottle and handed it over.

As the bottle departed, a beam of light appeared before him. The immense earth dragon shrank instantly to the size of a common snake, wagging its tail at him in delight.

Xiao Jihan couldn’t help but chuckle at its antics.

He set down the porcelain bottle, and the earth dragon immediately dove inside. Xiao Jihan opened another bottle and set it down as well, observing that the earth dragon showed no further reaction. Only then did he turn and leave.

At the end of the dense forest was a thick fog, so dense that nothing within could be seen. Without hesitation, Xiao Jihan stepped forward and entered.

Inside, all was still a milky white. Testing the way, he took another step. Suddenly, a sign emerged from the mist, bearing a single character: “Question.”

Meanwhile, the Medicine King, supervising Yan Shu as she finished gathering herbs, furrowed his brow. “What day is it today, that someone has actually passed the second trial?”

Yan Shu perked up at once. “Medicine King Grandpa, his name is Xiao Jihan—your true successor, especially talented in alchemy! Not like me, who can’t even grasp medicine theory or pill recipes, let alone adapt them!”

The Medicine King snorted. “I say you’re just lazy! And how do you know I’m the Medicine King? How did you know who the challenger is?”

Yan Shu certainly wouldn’t tell the truth. She dodged the last question, summoning all her ingratiating skills, and replied with a flattering smile, “It’s all due to your remarkable presence! Though you left behind only a soul fragment, your elegance and demeanor are unmistakable.”

“And besides, my Third Senior Brother has your portrait hanging in his pill room. Before every alchemy session, he offers you incense, praying for your blessing to successfully refine his pills!”

The Medicine King was pleased by the first part, but his face darkened at the latter. “Incense? I’m not dead!”

Yan Shu had forgotten—the customs here differed from her original world. Only mortals offered incense to immortals, and cultivators reserved it for commemorating the deceased.

“It’s just a gesture to show his admiration,” Yan Shu hurriedly explained. “My senior brother offers it with a mortal’s sincere heart, devoutly honoring you!”

At this, the Medicine King’s expression finally eased. He tossed a book before Yan Shu. “Smooth-talker! Memorize this book tonight. Tomorrow I’ll test you—any mistake, and you’ll be punished with ten years of drying herbs!”

“And don’t think of escaping. Once you enter Medicine King Valley, without my permission, not even an ant can leave!”

Yan Shu was speechless.

She knew this well. In the original book, Xiao Jihan stayed ten whole years, only leaving Medicine King Valley after mastering alchemy and gaining the Medicine King’s approval.

Resigned, Yan Shu picked up the book. The cover read, “How to Be a Good Herb Farmer.”

She suddenly had a bad feeling.

The third trial was the Question.

It tested knowledge of medicine theory, pill recipes, medicinal properties, medical principles, and so on.

Xiao Jihan differed from Yan Shu; with no one to guide him, he cherished every book he could find, every scrap of knowledge he gained. Though his learning was limited, both medicine theory and medical principles followed discernible patterns. As for pill recipes, he possessed a certain talent for alchemy. The questions were progressive, and he quickly grasped their logic.

Yan Shu spent the night poring over “How to Be a Good Herb Farmer,” while Xiao Jihan answered questions throughout the night.

When dawn’s light finally spilled across the land, the mist gradually dispersed.

A teleportation array appeared before him.

Xiao Jihan stepped inside.

Yan Shu had studied all night; the next morning, the Medicine King sat in his reclining chair in the courtyard, instructing her to bring out yesterday’s gathered herbs for drying.

Yan Shu was exasperated. “Medicine King Grandpa, didn’t we just sort and store them yesterday? If we have to dry them today, why bother organizing and storing them yesterday? Couldn’t we just leave them inside?”

The Medicine King snorted. “Because I wish it!”

Fine, you’re the master; you make the rules.

Yan Shu sighed and dragged out the sorted herbs. This time, she arranged them by category on bamboo trays before carrying them out.

By the time she finished, the sun had risen. The Medicine King tapped his ruler and pointed to the spot before him. “Come, let’s see how well you memorized last night’s book.”

Let’s do this!

Yan Shu wasn’t afraid—she had survived the college entrance exam; memorizing a book was hardly daunting.

The Medicine King rapped his ruler. “What preparations must be made before planting herbs?”

“First, one must understand the habits of the chosen herb…”

The greatest distinction between cultivators and mortals was spiritual power. With its aid, not only was memory enhanced, but even in exhaustion, one could remain alert.

After all, she had passed the entrance exam and even earned top honors in the city. Forced memorization of a book was no challenge for her.