Tasting Poison Grass

Ye Qin also spotted the chubby boy—the very same one who had spat at the city gate—and immediately took to his heels, diving into the thick of the crowd. Knowing his own body was frail and that he was no match for the boy, he figured running was his only option.

The courtyard was small, and the chubby boy was soft and out of shape, unable to keep up with Ye Qin's slight frame. After chasing for a short while, he gave up, panting heavily. He continued to curse loudly, seemingly furious that Ye Qin had managed to enter the Herb Gathering Hall just like him, and was even in the same courtyard.

Fortunately, the other children were not the type to stir up trouble. Seeing Ye Qin's hemp clothes in such tatters, they lost interest. Those from better backgrounds wore coarse cloth, while even the poorest among them managed to wear clean hemp; it was rare to see someone like Ye Qin, whose hemp clothes were riddled with holes.

Ye Qin stole a glance around the courtyard and found a safe spot, keeping a wide distance from the chubby boy. He hated that boy to the core. Spitting aside, he hadn't even provoked him, yet the boy had chased him to beat him up. Once he regained his strength, he vowed to give that kid a thrashing, regardless of whether he was the son of a local squire or not.

That evening, the servants of the Herb Gathering Hall delivered over a dozen large buckets of thin porridge and several basins of steamed buns to the courtyard. A servant laughed, "Eat your fill tonight so you have the strength for the medicine testing in the main courtyard tomorrow. Otherwise, you won't have the energy, and you won't be allowed to eat for the entire day tomorrow!"

The children, already famished, swarmed the food and devoured every last bit.

Ye Qin was among the older children, but his frail body made him no match for those younger than him. He fought hard to push forward, finally snatching a bowl of porridge and a bun, which he gulped down greedily. To him, this thin porridge and steamed bun were the most delicious delicacies in the world.

For the first time in over half a year, Ye Qin felt truly full.

But the moment he thought of Da Niu outside the main courtyard, a wave of grief and indignation washed over him. How would Da Niu survive alone in the county town? If Da Niu died, he would be the only one left of the companions who had come out from their village to forage.

Although there were several rooms in the small courtyard, they could not accommodate so many children; at most, they could house a few dozen.

Despite having known each other for less than a day, the children had already begun to form cliques, splitting into dozens of groups of varying sizes.

Ye Qin observed them carefully and noticed the clear distinctions between these groups.

Naturally, the children of wealthy families gathered together, while the commoners clustered in their own groups, and the poor children from the countryside huddled with their own kind.

Judging by their accents and clothing, those from the county town, those from the same nearby towns, and those from various rural areas were clearly segregated, never mixing. As for someone like him, who looked like a beggar, there was no one else. He knew full well that no other young beggar would dare come to the Herb Gathering Hall to apply as a herb-gathering apprentice, and naturally, no one wanted to be near him.

The few children of local squires, including the chubby boy, were the smallest in number but the most overbearing. They ignored everyone else and simply occupied the best room in the courtyard.

The small groups of commoner children from the county town didn't dare provoke the squires' children and took the remaining rooms.

The vast majority of the children from the towns and villages appeared extremely weak and timid; they didn't dare make a sound and simply slept in the open courtyard. While sleeping outdoors at night was chilly, the crowd was dense, and huddling together provided some warmth.

Ye Qin curled up in a corner of the courtyard and drifted into a heavy sleep. He had a nightmare about the grim face of Herbalist Wang. He had firmly etched the image of this "culprit and mastermind" who had driven Da Niu away into his heart. If anything happened to Da Niu out there, he would hold Herbalist Wang accountable.

The next morning, at dawn.

In the largest open space within the Herb Gathering Hall, a high platform and ten small wooden huts had been temporarily erected. Hundreds of children, aged seven to twelve, stood in disarray across the clearing. They had been driven here on empty stomachs, waiting to undergo the medicine testing.

None of them understood how this testing would be conducted, only sensing vaguely that it was fraught with danger.

Surrounding the clearing stood dozens of boys and girls, aged fourteen or fifteen, with cold and arrogant expressions. They wore uniform, ornate robes and held wooden swords, maintaining order. Anyone who wandered off was sure to be struck by them.

The children, feeling the pain, quickly learned to behave and dared not move about. They did exactly as the older youths instructed.

The children speculated about the identities of these older youths, guessing they were likely apprentices recruited in earlier batches or disciples of the inner hall. They couldn't help but feel envious; it seemed the Herb Gathering Hall was indeed a good place. In a few years, they too might be able to wear such fine clothes and learn a few flashy martial arts skills to show off.

After order was roughly established, one of the cold, arrogant youths leaped onto the high platform and bowed to a stout, middle-aged man in silk robes, saying, "Grand Steward Zhang, everything is prepared. The medicine testing may begin!"

Although he addressed him as Grand Steward Zhang, the tone of the silk-clad youth held a hint of disdain. He was a core disciple of the inner hall, studying under a deputy hall master. To him, this Grand Steward was merely a manager of chores with no martial arts skill, unworthy of notice. He only used the title out of necessity.

Grand Steward Zhang didn't seem to mind; instead, he looked pleased, nodding as he stood on the platform, puffing out his chest to address the children in the courtyard.

"Line up! Line up, and stop pushing! Listen to my instructions. Everyone will be divided into ten groups to enter the wooden huts one by one for the medicine test. Whether you can become a herb-gathering apprentice of our Herb Gathering Hall and live a life of comfort depends on whether you can pass this test.

The rules of the test are as follows:

Each wooden hut contains one hundred different herbs.

Fifty of them are poisonous, with varying degrees of toxicity. The mild ones will only cause itching, while the most lethal will kill you within half a quarter of an hour.

Another thirty are non-toxic herbs; eating them will cause no pain or harm.

The remaining twenty are detoxifying herbs that can neutralize the poisons.

If you eat fewer than nine herbs and fall ill, you will be expelled from the Herb Gathering Hall immediately and not recruited.

Those who eat ten herbs can become outer hall probationary apprentices and will be observed for half a year.

Those who eat twenty or more can become official outer hall apprentices.

Those who eat thirty or more can become inner hall pharmaceutical apprentices. The more you eat, the higher your status within the sect.

Anyone who eats between fifty and seventy herbs can be directly accepted as a disciple under a deputy hall master and become a core disciple of the outer hall.

However, before the test, everyone must sign a life-and-death contract here with me. It must state that this test is entirely voluntary, that no one was coerced, and that any accidents are to be borne by yourself, with no blame falling on others. Only after pressing your thumbprint can you enter to test the medicine. Who will go first?"