Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia Simplification

"Sister Zhen, don't worry. Good people will naturally be rewarded with good fortune."

Lin Changsheng said with a faint smile.

That day, his face had been covered by a black scarf. With only a glimpse of his back, could anyone possibly trace him?

"Mm, I hope so."

Yan Zhen nodded, then added, "Changsheng, come to my house for dinner tonight. I bought some good ingredients."

"Alright."

Lin Changsheng nodded at her words.

"Also, I brought you a set of clothes. Try them on."

Yan Zhen took a set of clothes from her bundle and held them up against Lin Changsheng.

"Sister Zhen, how could I accept this?"

Warmth rose in Lin Changsheng's heart. Since he had crossed over, Yan Zhen had truly helped him quite a lot.

"Your clothes are very old, so I made one for you while I was at it."

Yan Zhen held the clothes against Lin Changsheng, delight appearing on her face. "About right. They fit quite well. Alright, remember to come for dinner tonight."

"Alright."

Lin Changsheng nodded.

Yan Zhen chatted with Lin Changsheng for a while before leaving.

"She treats you quite well. She even made you clothes."

After Lin Changsheng returned home, Yu Wenjing looked at him, her beautiful eyes blinking as she spoke.

"Yes, she's helped me quite a bit."

"I was originally worried about Ma Zhankui of the Azure Dragon Gang, but now that Ma Zhankui has been killed by that mysterious masked man, Sister Zhen should be safe as well."

Lin Changsheng said with a faint smile.

"So you won't be eating at home tonight?"

Yu Wenjing looked at Lin Changsheng and asked.

"No."

After thinking it over, Lin Changsheng answered. Sister Zhen's invitation was an act of kindness too.

Southern Fujian Commandery.

Northwest.

Within an exceptionally tall mountain peak.

Its interior had been hollowed out, resembling a maze.

At the center of the mountain's belly was a space thirty zhang in radius. On the ground lay an array covered in eerie skull patterns.

A young man of around thirty, with a strange pattern on his forehead, sat cross-legged in the center of the array. A small triangular banner floated around him.

A black glow flickered across the banner, and miserable ghostly faces appeared upon it. Waves of wailing cries came from within, mingling with the flickering flames on the four walls of the chamber, making the place look incomparably sinister.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a scream came from the cave entrance. Following the sound, a phantom soul flew in. It was a woman, her face pale and her eyes filled with unwillingness as she screamed all the way.

At that moment, the banner before the young man flashed with black light and sucked the woman's soul into itself.

The banner was exceedingly strange. Every so often, another ghost would be drawn inside—men, women, elders, and children alike.

"In another year, once I reclaim all the seeds of souls, my Ten Thousand Souls Banner will be complete. Then I can head elsewhere."

The young man looked at the small banner flickering with black light, satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

Pasture City.

Hundred Herbs Hall.

"Angelica: nourishes the blood and calms the mind, strengthens and replenishes the blood, fortifies the spleen and nourishes the stomach, stops bleeding and astringes the lungs."

"Atractylodes: strengthens the liver and regulates qi, moves qi and subdues yang, clears the liver and opens the chest, invigorates blood and relieves pain."

"Ligusticum chuanxiong..."

"..."

Lin Changsheng looked at a thick medical book, the [Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia]. It was entirely filled with the medicinal properties and effects of all kinds of herbs. In other words, he had to devour this medical text within three months.

When the time came for the assessment, if he failed, he would not be allowed to remain at Hundred Herbs Hall.

[Medical text Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia detected. Consume 500 copper coins to simplify it?]

Just then, a panel appeared before Lin Changsheng, displaying a red prompt.

"Huh, this medical text can be simplified too?"

Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up when he saw the prompt. He immediately confirmed with his mind. "Simplify!"

The instant Lin Changsheng confirmed it in his mind, a red prompt appeared on the panel.

"I just need to flip through this pharmacopoeia?"

Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up at the prompt.

This was far too easy.

Lin Changsheng immediately opened the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia to its title page, then looked toward the panel.

"Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia experience +1!"

[Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia (Beginner 1/50)]

"So fast? I've already reached Beginner?!"

Seeing the experience increase by one, Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up.

He held the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia and kept flipping its pages back and forth without reading the contents. In less than a quarter of an hour, he discovered that the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia's proficiency had advanced to Skilled.

As the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia advanced to Skilled, a stream of information appeared in Lin Changsheng's mind. It contained the medicinal herbs recorded within the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia, their various habits and components, as well as techniques for identifying herbs.

This stream of information instantly fused with Lin Changsheng's consciousness.

At that moment, it was as if Lin Changsheng had studied the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia for more than ten days.

"Wonderful, I'm already Skilled."

Seeing this, Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up, and he continued flipping through the Hundred Herbs Pharmacopoeia.

"Look at that fool. Is he even reading the pharmacopoeia?"

"I don't think so. He's flipping it back and forth—can he even see what's inside?"

"My guess is that in three months, he'll be kicked out with a broom."

"..."

At that moment, there were more than ten youths in the classroom behind Hundred Herbs Hall who, like Lin Changsheng, wished to become medicine apprentices. Seeing Lin Changsheng rapidly flipping through the book, every one of them shook their heads.

Lin Changsheng could not be bothered with their chatter.

As long as he kept flipping pages until he reached Great Perfection, he would obtain all the knowledge contained in the pharmacopoeia.

It was countless times better than their rote memorization.

Lin Changsheng's home.

Noon.

"Changsheng, what do you think of today's dishes? Haven't I improved a lot?"

Yu Wenjing brought out three dishes and asked Lin Changsheng as though presenting a treasure.

Today.

Yu Wenjing had made tofu, stir-fried greens, and chicken legs.

"Mm, not bad. You've improved."

Lin Changsheng sat down and looked at the dishes before him. Though he had no idea how they tasted, their appearance was acceptable. They had improved by who knew how much compared to before.

"Ah? You..."

Lin Changsheng picked up a chicken leg and placed it in Yu Wenjing's bowl. When he saw her face, he could not help freezing for a moment.

Yu Wenjing's face was covered in soot from the stove. It seemed that she had truly worked hard to make these three dishes.

"What is it?"

Hearing him, Yu Wenjing saw Lin Changsheng staring intently at her, and her pretty face could not help turning red.

"I think you look very pretty."

Lin Changsheng suppressed the urge to laugh and lowered his head to eat.

Yu Wenjing's pretty face reddened even more at his words. She quietly ate as well and said nothing further.

Knock, knock, knock!

Just then, a burst of knocking sounded at the door.

"I'll hide."

Yu Wenjing's eyes flickered. She turned and went into the back room, while Lin Changsheng rose to open the door. Yet he found a lean figure dressed in blue standing outside, with an elderly man in black standing behind him.

"Who are you?"

Lin Changsheng looked at the two of them, his gaze flickering as he asked doubtfully.