The Art of Object Manipulation, Core Disciple

"Ye Fanxing correctly identified eighty-seven medicinal herbs!"

Steward Ye picked up Ye Fanxing's written answers and announced her score.

"Eighty-seven! As expected of Ye Fanxing. Even without a blindfold, there were plenty I couldn't recognize."

"Forget recognizing them. Even if you recognized them all, could you remember the order and names of that many medicinal herbs in one go?"

Hearing that she had gotten eighty-seven right, Ye Fanxing let out a long breath and quietly wiped the sweat from her palms.

She had also just looked over the medicinal herbs she had failed to recognize or written incorrectly. In this contest, she had performed beyond her usual ability.

After watching Ye Fanxing's performance, everyone turned their attention to Duan Qingya.

But the moment Steward Ye picked up Duan Qingya's answers, he froze. In his decades as a steward, this was the first time he had encountered anything like this.

When Steward Ye failed to speak, everyone looked at him in confusion.

Feeling their gazes, Steward Ye promptly came back to his senses. He cleared his throat and announced the result:

"Duan Qingya correctly identified ninety-five medicinal herbs!"

Everyone present froze at Steward Ye's announcement, then erupted into heated discussion.

"Steward Ye, are you sure you didn't read it wrong?"

"No way! There's actually someone even more terrifying than Ye Fanxing, and he doesn't look very old, either!"

"What's impossible about that? If he could make the family head suddenly take a disciple after more than a decade without one, this child's ability and talent must be outstanding!"

Upon hearing Duan Qingya's score, Ye Fanxing immediately rushed up to Steward Ye, snatched Duan Qingya's answers, and began reading.

Every medicinal herb Duan Qingya had written down was correct. Naturally, the five he had left blank did not count as correct answers.

"Duan Qingya, why didn't you fill them all in? Do you look down on me that much?!"

Clutching the paper, Ye Fanxing angrily pointed at the utterly unruffled Duan Qingya.

Duan Qingya pulled his answers from Ye Fanxing's hand and casually placed them on the table for everyone else to examine.

"Is there some hidden reward for a perfect score? If there is, I'll consider it next time."

At his words, Ye Fanxing trembled with anger, unable to utter a word for a long while.

"My heavens, this child is so arrogant! The five he left blank were all Medicinal Herbs you could identify by touch with your eyes closed."

"Don't tell me this child started learning to recognize Medicinal Herbs in his mother's womb?"

Amid everyone's chatter, Ye Han, who had been silent for some time, spoke.

"Continue the contest!"

At those words, the venue fell silent again, and Steward Ye led Duan Qingya and Ye Fanxing to the next area.

"The second contest: Incense-Stick Medicine Making!"

"Within the time it takes one incense stick to burn, you must prepare Wound-Healing Medicine and an Antidote according to the formulas provided."

"The formulas are in front of you. Please read them promptly. Reading time also counts toward the time limit."

The moment Steward Ye finished speaking, an incense stick was lit.

Duan Qingya unhurriedly picked up the two formulas and read through the Medicinal Herbs they called for with interest.

By contrast, Ye Fanxing was still tense from the previous contest. She gave the formulas a cursory read and began making the medicines.

Only when a length of incense ash fell did Duan Qingya put down the formulas and give Ye Fanxing a meaningful glance.

"That boy finally decided to move. Otherwise, I would've thought he only knew how to recognize Medicinal Herbs, not make medicine!"

"It's too late to start now. Ye Fanxing has already gathered her Medicinal Herbs and begun preparing them. By the time that boy finds his, she'll probably be finished."

Since this round did not require silence, both Duan Qingya and Ye Fanxing could hear the spectators' discussion.

Learning that Duan Qingya had not yet gathered his Medicinal Herbs brought a little comfort to Ye Fanxing's anxious heart.

But before Ye Fanxing could enjoy that relief for long, she suddenly heard cries of astonishment from the crowd.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? How did he do that? Could this be his Soul Skill?"

"Even a Soul Skill couldn't be that outrageous, could it? Isn't dividing your attention like that a technique exclusive to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"Bullshit! How could this be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's divided attention technique? You really are as ignorant as they say!"

Ye Fanxing could not resist turning to look at Duan Qingya.

She wanted to see just what could make the spectators react like that.

"W-what Soul Skill is this? How can he control so many tools at once?"

Seeing Duan Qingya control four medicine-making tools simultaneously all by himself shook Ye Fanxing's entire understanding of the world.

Soul Power could indeed control objects, but precisely manipulating multiple tools at once the way Duan Qingya did was simply impossible.

Yet Ye Fanxing quickly regained her composure. I'm still in a contest. I can't throw my own ranks into chaos. I have to finish while I still have the advantage!

With that thought in mind, Ye Fanxing immediately quickened her hands, determined to finish both Potions before Duan Qingya.

When the incense had burned halfway down, Ye Fanxing finished both Potions first, while Duan Qingya seemed to deliberately finish a step behind her.

Having been wholly absorbed in making the medicines, Ye Fanxing clearly had not noticed this.

She was rejoicing over finishing her Potion a step ahead of Duan Qingya.

This time, she had truly unleashed all her potential in making medicine.

After testing both contestants' Potions, Steward Ye, acting as judge, publicly announced Duan Qingya as the winner.

"How is that possible?! Didn't I finish first?!"

Faced with Steward Ye's verdict, Ye Fanxing pointed at the seemingly identical Wound-Healing Medicine and Antidote and shouted.

She had thought finishing before Duan Qingya meant victory was firmly in her grasp, yet she had still lost.

"Miss Ye Fanxing, please read the formulas we gave you earlier once more, carefully."

Hearing Steward Ye's words, Ye Fanxing seemed to suddenly realize something. Pointing at the formula, she read it word by word.

Only when she reached the instructions for processing the Medicinal Herbs for the Wound-Healing Medicine did Ye Fanxing realize where she had gone wrong.

Now she also understood why Duan Qingya had not begun immediately.

"Duan Qingya, you won. As compensation for offending you, I'll give you this Redblood Ginseng!"

Ye Fanxing was no sore loser. Without hesitation, she took a jade box from her Storage Soul Tool and tossed it to Duan Qingya.

"Since Miss Ye has offered Redblood Ginseng as compensation, I'd be in the wrong if I said anything more."

Lately, Duan Qingya had been worrying over what he could use to strengthen his own body and Azure Chi's.

A pillow had truly arrived just as he was getting sleepy!

"But don't get smug, Duan Qingya. I'll definitely win next time!"

"If winning comes with rewards like this, I'm happy to oblige anytime!"

At her words, Ye Fanxing stamped her foot hard, huffed, and turned to leave.

Only after Ye Fanxing and her followers had left did Ye Han set down his teacup, rise, and announce to everyone:

"From today onward, Duan Qingya is my personal disciple and will enjoy every privilege of a Nine Heart Begonia Core Disciple!"

"Steward Ye, what privileges do Core Disciples have?"

Hearing that he would receive the same privileges as a Core Disciple, Duan Qingya quietly asked Steward Ye, who stood beside him.

"Core Disciples may freely take any Medicinal Herbs the Nine Heart Pharmacy possesses."

"If you need special Medicinal Herbs such as Redblood Ginseng, you may apply directly to the family, provided you have a suitable reason."

"Furthermore, Core Disciples may freely use the Mimicry Training Grounds established by the family, without having to apply like ordinary disciples."

Duan Qingya barely took in anything Steward Ye said afterward. All his attention remained fixed on being able to use Medicinal Herbs freely.