Be Humble

Be Humble

"Why do we have to move?" Zhang He's coachman didn't like what he heard. It was scorching hot, and the shade beneath the trees was nice and cool. What kind of fool would park out in the sun?

"Which country bumpkin are you? You've got a lousy carriage like that, and you still dare throw your weight around in Luowang Prefecture! Do you even know who we are?" The other coachman hadn't expected the driver of such a shabby carriage to be so clueless. His face immediately darkened.

"That's enough, Uncle Liu. Leave the carriage here. Just wait for us to come out. Come on, little brother, bring the things. We're going in." A young woman's voice rang out, as clear as silver bells.

The carriage curtain opened, and a woman in a pale blue robe stepped down. She had large eyes that glimmered with intelligence, a fair, oval face, and dark, glossy hair. Though she wasn't as beautiful as Lian Yunbi, her appearance was still a dazzling feast for the eyes.

As she stepped down, she saw Zhang He looking at her and gave him a faint smile. Only then did Zhang He notice a black mole beside the right wing of her nose. That slight smile made her seem utterly charming.

Zhang He smiled back. The woman's decision to stop her coachman from throwing his weight around earned her a little goodwill from him.

Behind her, a somewhat slender boy leapt down from the carriage. He looked about Zhang He's age. Though thin, he had a spirited air about his brows. He carried two three-foot-long boxes down from the carriage, handling them with great care. There seemed to be something precious inside.

I wonder what he does, Zhang He thought. After giving his coachman a few more instructions, he headed toward the Pharmacist Association.

Behind him, the woman watched Zhang He walk away, feeling a faint stir of curiosity. He had seemed neither servile nor arrogant. He didn't look like someone down on his luck.

Two gatekeepers stood at the entrance to the Pharmacist Association. When Zhang He approached, they actually stopped him.

"Sign in first." The gatekeeper on the left gave Zhang He a once-over and spoke coldly.

Zhang He glanced at a plump man nearby who was carrying some things. The man had walked right in, without being stopped to fill out this pointless registration.

He couldn't help frowning slightly. "Why doesn't he have to sign in?"

"He's a regular. We know him." The gatekeeper hadn't expected Zhang He to question him and grew annoyed. The kid actually dared to talk back? How insolent!

Suddenly, both gatekeepers stood up, their faces quickly breaking into obsequious, ingratiating smiles.

"Pharmacist Shi, you're back."

Zhang He turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a moon-white robe striding toward them with an air of arrogance. A badge hung prominently on his chest.

"Iron-Rank Pharmacist!" Zhang He recognized the badge. It was the same as his own, a symbol of a pharmacist's standing in the Pharmacist Association.

"Mm." Pharmacist Shi replied perfunctorily. He couldn't even be bothered to say another word to the two gatekeepers and strode straight inside.

The gatekeepers didn't mind in the least. Only after Pharmacist Shi had disappeared from view did their ingratiating smiles fade.

They turned back and resumed their cold stares at Zhang He.

"If you're going in, hurry up and sign in. Stop blocking the way. There are people behind you!" When the gatekeeper saw that Zhang He hadn't moved, he barked at him.

What snobs, looking down on people!

Zhang He shook his head, picked up the pen, and wrote his name and the reason for his visit in the register by the entrance. Of course, he also wrote down his status.

The gatekeeper took the register and glanced at it. His expression immediately shifted. He looked up at Zhang He, seeming a little surprised. "You... you're looking for Master Lu? You're a pharmacist too?"

Zhang He leisurely took out his badge. The black token gleamed in the sunlight with a distinctive sheen. The two gatekeepers' faces twitched. They stared at the badge, then looked up at Zhang He, repeating the process three or four times.

"Pharmacist Zhang... please come in, please!" One of the gatekeepers suddenly came to his senses. His face instantly lit up with the brightest smile, and he couldn't have been more deferential.

"Mm." Zhang He put away his badge. He couldn't be bothered to argue with these people; they were just pitiful wretches. With his badge stowed away, he walked straight through the doors of the Pharmacist Association.

Behind him, the two gatekeepers watched Zhang He leave, their faces pale. They wiped away their cold sweat and exchanged looks of disbelief.

"An Iron-Rank Pharmacist, and so young..."

"That badge was genuine, not a fake. Sigh, I can't believe we failed to recognize him. I hope we didn't offend Pharmacist Zhang..."

The two gatekeepers felt a chill in their hearts. In the Pharmacist Association, pharmacists held the highest status. If they offended one, all it would take was a single word from him, and the two of them would be sent packing. Their post as gatekeepers sometimes brought in a little extra money on the side. It was a lucrative job. If they were driven out, they'd regret it until their guts turned green!

Behind them, the woman in pale blue had just reached the steps. She had seen the entire scene unfold.

A look of surprise flashed through her eyes. That young man was an Iron-Rank Pharmacist in the Pharmacist Association? He was far too young!

She knew a little about the Pharmacist Association and understood how highly regarded its pharmacists were. Many pharmacist apprentices were quite young, and some unbadged pharmacists could be young too. But generally speaking, pharmacists who earned a badge were over thirty.

Yet Zhang He looked clearly under twenty!

This man had boundless potential! the blue-robed woman thought to herself, her expression turning pensive.

In the Pharmacist Association's main hall, Zhang He saw a counter much like the service desk at a communications company in his previous life. A dozen beautiful women in matching uniforms were there, handling inquiries in an orderly fashion or busy with registrations.

"May I help you with anything?" A smiling young man walked over. From his clothes, Zhang He could tell he was a member of the staff.

"I'm here to see Master Lu Tiao. Is he in?" Zhang He asked calmly.

"Master Lu is busy right now. If you need anything, one of our other pharmacists can help you." The young man smiled.

Zhang He took out his badge and said evenly, "I have something important to discuss with him. Sorry for the trouble, but please let him know that Zhang He is here to see him."

The young man saw Zhang He's badge, and his expression changed slightly. He quickly nodded. "Please wait a moment." With that, he hurried off.

Zhang He wasn't in a rush, so he strolled around the hall at a leisurely pace.

A moment later, hurried footsteps approached.

"Haha, you finally remembered to come by! How have you been?" A hearty laugh came from behind him. Zhang He turned around and saw Master Lu Tiao standing before him, smiling at him.

"Greetings, Master Lu." Zhang He quickly bowed.

"No need to be so polite with me." Master Lu Tiao took Zhang He by the arm, his face full of warmth. "Come, let's go inside. This isn't the place to talk."

As Master Lu Tiao spoke, Zhang He noticed that many people nearby had turned their attention to them. Their eyes lit up when they saw Master Lu Tiao, and a few seemed about to come over.

Master Lu Tiao led Zhang He quickly farther inside. The people behind them who had been eager to rush over and curry favor with Master Lu Tiao were immediately disappointed. But seeing Master Lu Tiao lead Zhang He away also left them baffled. Who was that young man? Why was Master Lu Tiao so warm toward him?

"As I thought, this Zhang He has quite a background..." The blue-robed woman, waiting nearby to take care of her business, had seen the scene and looked moved.

In a quiet room, Zhang He sat as Master Lu Tiao personally brewed tea. The tea tasted slightly bitter at first, but a delicate fragrance soon spread through his mouth, making his mouth water.

"Last time I went to Mengyin City, I didn't see you. I heard you'd gone out to gather herbs, so I asked Wang Pengyu to pass the things along to you. How have you been? Are you still busy with the Five Poison Beads?" Master Lu Tiao looked at Zhang He with a smile.

This young man was no ordinary person. The Five Poison Beads he had introduced had not only helped the Wang Family Pharmacy quickly establish itself in Mengyin City, but had also brought benefits to the Pharmacist Association. The association had now earned an excellent reputation in Mengyin City! As the person who had introduced him, Master Lu Tiao had naturally profited as well.

"Yes. I just finished the Martial Child Assessment and came straight here. I came for two reasons: to pay you a visit, and because I need the Pharmacist Association's help with something." Zhang He set down his teacup and added sincerely, "This is excellent tea!"

"Oh? What is it?" Master Lu Tiao looked at Zhang He with interest.

"I need to find two medicinal herbs to make a pill." Zhang He took two sheets of paper from his clothes, unfolded them, and handed them to Master Lu Tiao.

He was afraid Master Lu Tiao might not recognize the names of the two herbs, so he had simply drawn them out.

Master Lu Tiao took the drawings. When he looked at the first one, a puzzled expression crossed his face, because he didn't recognize the herb. But when his gaze fell on the second drawing, his expression suddenly became animated.

"What do you need Qushen Red Fruit Wood for?" Master Lu Tiao asked in surprise.

Zhang He's eyes lit up. "You know this herb?" The second drawing showed a Drunken Immortal Peach. The name was different, but Master Lu Tiao's reaction meant he had seen a Drunken Immortal Peach! There was a good chance Qushen Red Fruit Wood was the Drunken Immortal Peach he was looking for. After all, the fruit it bore was red, like a little peach.

"Of course I know it. There's some Qushen Red Fruit Wood right here, though not many people know about it." Master Lu Tiao looked at Zhang He curiously. "This herb has many remarkable properties. Its scent can leave you dizzy and muddleheaded, but if you suffer from something like gout, soaking its petals in water can relieve the pain. Its leaves are even more miraculous. If you hold one in your mouth, it can keep your mind clear. For pharmacists who need to maintain keen senses, that's extremely precious."

Hearing this, Zhang He was certain that Qushen Red Fruit Wood was almost certainly one of the two main ingredients he was seeking: the Drunken Immortal Peach!

"I need the root nodules." Zhang He looked intently at Master Lu Tiao.

Master Lu Tiao spread his hands helplessly. "This Qushen Red Fruit Wood is a treasure of the Pharmacist Association here in Luowang Prefecture. If you take its root nodules, you'll certainly damage it... Besides, its leaves are a perk reserved for the association's senior pharmacists. Only those of Bronze Rank or above can use them. You... your rank is too low right now. You don't qualify to use it at all."