Yue Ying had other matters to attend to. Seeing that Jiang Lu had no problems, she returned to the front courtyard. She was not worried that cultivators who passed the test would be unable to find her.
The other apprentices would tell them to wait. Besides, how could so many cultivators have such luck? Two or three people would already be considered quite good.
The next day, Jiang Lu followed Yue Ying into the courtyard and saw that three people were already standing there.
When Yue Ying saw one of them, she eagerly went over to greet him. Presumably, like her, he was an apprentice responsible for leading them.
The other three were the two cultivators with Fire Spirit Roots. When they saw Jiang Lu, they nodded at her.
Jiang Lu returned the greeting, then stood quietly to one side without speaking.
Chi Li and Cangchen were not very large now, so she took the chance to make a cloth pouch and hang it at her waist. The two of them were quietly nestled inside, showing two pairs of curious eyes.
After all, everyone had seen the two of them. She had neither a storage pouch nor a Spirit Beast pouch in public. If the Spirit Beasts suddenly vanished, it would naturally arouse suspicion.
Thus, she did not bring them into the space.
Moreover, recalling how they had rushed at her when they first met, these two beasts were not obedient. For now, she could only take the risk and wait until she understood the situation better.
Besides, although she was weak and no one paid attention to her, it was better to be cautious. Who knew whether opening the space would create spatial fluctuations that might be noticed by some powerful expert?
There were quite a few powerful experts in the city. She did not dare underestimate anyone, and would decide only after she understood the surrounding circumstances.
After waiting for a short while, they saw a cultivator in his forties or fifties approaching. He wore a brown robe, with fine wrinkles on his face and clear eyes.
The moment he stood before them, they felt a powerful pressure descend. Fine beads of sweat seeped from Jiang Lu and the others' foreheads.
The three of them clenched their teeth, refusing to let themselves make a sound.
After a good while, the cultivator nodded in satisfaction. Their temperaments were not bad.
"Since the Medicine King Pavilion has recruited you, it proves that your abilities are not bad. Now, I will explain the rules of the Medicine King Pavilion."
"You are apprentices. The Medicine King Pavilion can teach you certain things, but you must also put in the corresponding effort. There are cultivation techniques, mental cultivation methods, and other books in the Scripture Pavilion in the rear courtyard. You have half an hour each day to study them. If you cannot read, you may ask the disciples on duty."
"Those unwilling to go study will receive two low-grade spirit stones each day."
"Of course, that is only on the premise that you have completed your own work. Next are all the rules of the Medicine King Pavilion..."
"Alright, I have said what I needed to say. You two, take them to their respective branches."
"Yes."
Yue Ying and the other cultivator answered, then led the three of them away.
Jiang Lu looked at the separate courtyards one by one, somewhat curious. Yue Ying explained to them:
"These are the branch halls of our Medicine King Pavilion. Inside are disciples sorting spiritual herbs or refining pills, but those are all true disciples of the Medicine King Pavilion. We merely help with miscellaneous tasks."
When they reached one place, Jiang Lu saw the other three enter a courtyard. She continued onward behind Yue Ying.
They did not stop until they reached a medicinal garden. Yue Ying placed her token against the gate, and it opened. She led Jiang Lu inside.
"Master Wen, this is the new apprentice, Jiang Lu. She will be following you from now on."
At those words, the figure in the medicine patch straightened and glanced at the two of them before nodding.
"Fine. Yue girl, go attend to your work. This girl will stay here."
"Alright, Master Wen."
After saying that, Yue Ying nodded to Jiang Lu and left.
Jiang Lu walked over. "Master Wen, you can just call me Jiang Lu."
"Fine, Jiang girl. The work here is simple: plant the fields, pull weeds, and notify them when the herbs mature and are ready to be harvested."
As he spoke, he lifted the spiritual plant in his hand and waved it before Jiang Lu.
"Do you know what this is?"
Jiang Lu shook her head. Master Wen chuckled softly. Naturally. Of the Rogue Cultivators who came in, how many would recognize it?
"Fine. Then your task today and tomorrow is to memorize the appearances and habits of these spiritual plants. Can you read?"
Jiang Lu shook her head.
Seeing this, Master Wen said it did not matter; he would teach her. After speaking, he handed her the book from his robes and waved for her to read off to the side.
"Alright, Master Wen!"
Jiang Lu accepted the book and walked to the ridge between the fields. Suppressing the excitement in her heart, she thought, Wasn't this the chance to learn?
She then opened it and began reading. The book contained the appearances, names, habits, and uses of spiritual plants. She needed to remember every one of them, or she would easily make mistakes when handling spiritual plants or refining pills in the future.
After reading a few pages, Jiang Lu discovered that she seemed to have a photographic memory. As if wanting to verify her thought, she gradually sped up.
Before long, she had finished reading it. Covering the words, she looked at the illustrations, and the corresponding information immediately sprang into her mind.
She turned to look at the spiritual plants in the medicine patch. In an instant, she knew their names and how well they were currently growing.
The corners of her lips curled upward slightly, then quickly flattened again.
She then took the book and entered the medicine patch to compare them one by one. She could not exactly tell Master Wen that she had already finished reading and learned everything in such a short time.
As a disciple who did not even know whether she had Multiple Spiritual Roots or a Mixed Spiritual Root, learning so quickly was not a good thing.
Seeing Jiang Lu study while examining the spiritual plants, Master Wen nodded in satisfaction. She was eager to learn. She seemed like a good seedling.
More than ten days later, Jiang Lu returned the book to Master Wen. After he tested her, he nodded.
"Not bad. Your foundation is solid. Follow me and do it once. From now on, you will be responsible for the spiritual plants in this area. If you do not understand something, come ask me."
As he spoke, he led Jiang Lu to the medicine patch.
"Yes, Master Wen."
During the day, Jiang Lu tended the spiritual plants. At night, she went to the Scripture Pavilion to read. Although there were not many books here, only a few thousand, aside from basic information about the Immortal Cultivation Realm, there were also some mental cultivation methods and cultivation techniques. The remaining books mostly concerned spiritual plants and pills.
Although the Medicine King Pavilion allowed disciples to come read the books, they were not permitted to take them out. With only half an hour each day, disciples could not learn much, especially since they also had to cultivate.
That was why they allowed even apprentices to come study without restraint.
However, there were always fish that slipped through the net.
Jiang Lu had a photographic memory and read very quickly. In less than two months, she had finished every book. Since she turned pages so quickly, the disciple guarding the Scripture Pavilion merely thought she was searching for something and did not grow suspicious.
The Immortal Cultivation Realm was different from the novels she had read on Blue Star. Here, cultivators loathed the demonic path and evil cultivators to the bone. The orthodox path's techniques had long been standardized, differing only by sect.
If someone was an evil cultivator, it could be recognized at a glance.
The top forces in every field had established an Alliance specifically to deal with demonic sects and evil cultivators. Upon discovering one, a person could report it and receive rewards according to the severity.
As for harming fellow disciples and sect members, sects and Lineages would deal with it even more severely.
Those with narrow hearts and no sense of the greater picture could not be trusted by sects and Lineages, no matter how strong or talented they were. Besides, such disciples suffered more heavily from inner demons, making advancement difficult in the future.
But when training outside, killing others and seizing treasures between the various factions was entirely normal. Each relied on their own abilities.
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