The medicinal fields on the mountain behind the Pharmacy Institute covered several thousand mu. They had only looked around the outermost perimeter; entering any deeper required a jade token issued by the institute.
Dongfang Minghui sensed a rich medicinal fragrance drifting out of the fields. Her heart stirred, and she lingered, reluctant to leave.
She had no idea how Situ Hao had persuaded the Pharmacy Institute's dean, but the dean had directly instructed a senior disciple to assign her to tend the Medicinal Herb Garden. This garden, however, was not the same as that garden.
The Pharmacy Institute was a key area of the entire Royal Academy, and people from every department often came seeking spirit medicine. For that reason, the dean had set aside a small garden for supplementary spirit medicine, exclusively for the students' use. Dongfang Minghui was now one of its medicinal apprentices.
Situ Hao pulled her aside and whispered, "Don't underestimate the medicinal apprentices here. Plenty of apothecaries started as apprentices and worked their way up. Just do a good job, and I'll put in a few good words for you with the dean when the time comes. Settle in here for now."
The position of medicinal apprentice kept an extremely low profile within the academy, which suited Dongfang Wanyu very well. "Take good care of yourself. Once your Seventh Sister has everything settled, I'll come see you."
Getting to be a medicinal apprentice and personally handle all these herbs was more than she could have hoped for. She moved into the White Angelica Garden that very day, and the institute supplied her with bedding, a room, and all the other necessities of daily life.
"Junior Sister, this is your room."
The White Angelica Garden's steward led her into a secluded little courtyard. Several rooms stood side by side, with a separate little cottage on the far left. "Senior Brother Situ specifically instructed us to arrange this room for you."
It seemed Situ Hao was quite dependable when it came to getting things done. She had not held out much hope of entering the Royal Academy before, given her level of ability.
Dongfang Minghui looked around and found the room considerably better than the shabby inn she had stayed in. It had not only a bed and wardrobe, but a table and chairs as well. Small as a sparrow, it still had all its vital organs.
"Junior Sister, you must gather in the front courtyard tomorrow during the hour of the tiger to collect dew." The steward made a point of reminding her. "You must be tired today, so get some rest. Be alert tomorrow. Apothecary Xu occasionally sets questions to test you all. Just keep your wits about you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Dongfang Minghui did not really understand some of what he was saying, but he kept offering her pointers, both openly and subtly. She thought having someone backing her really did make a difference. Building good relationships could never hurt.
After seeing the steward off, Dongfang Minghui flung herself onto her bed. The bedding was brand-new. She wrapped herself in it and did not want to move again.
With her recent troubles resolved, all that remained was to wait for the heroine to pass the entrance examination. There were three rounds in total, and the first apparently began the day after tomorrow.
Should I sneak over and take a look?
As Dongfang Minghui pondered it, she fell asleep.
Bang, bang, bang.
Dongfang Minghui was jolted awake by the rough pounding at her door. Seeing that it was only just growing light outside, she rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawned, and went to open it.
"Oh, my dear Junior Sister, everyone's gathering in the front courtyard. How are you still asleep?" It was the steward again, his face anxious. "Didn't I tell you yesterday to gather during the hour of the tiger? Everyone's waiting for you in the front courtyard."
She snapped awake and remembered that he had indeed told her that yesterday. But there were no alarm clocks in ancient times, and she normally slept until she woke naturally.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry and get ready. The White Angelica Garden has plenty of rules. You'll be punished if you're late."
Dongfang Minghui changed into a medicinal apprentice's uniform and hurried over. Naturally, she was late on her very first day.
A woman with her long hair tied up stood in front of the medicinal apprentices. She had an imposing air and looked rather difficult to get along with. Dongfang Minghui felt the woman's gaze on her as soon as she arrived. She lowered her head, and the steward quickly pressed a small porcelain bottle into her hand.
"As usual, whoever collects the most morning dew will be rewarded with a stalk of poria."
Dongfang Minghui stared blankly as everyone rushed into the Medicinal Herb Garden the moment the woman finished speaking. Beside her, the steward tugged repeatedly at her sleeve. "Everyone's gone to collect morning dew. Hurry up and go."
Remembering the reward the woman had just mentioned, she immediately followed.
The White Angelica Garden's medicinal fields were planted in a grid, with narrow paths separating each plot for the apprentices to use when gathering spirit medicine.
She saw everyone bending toward the tips of the plants' leaves, using their hands to guide the dew down the leaves and into their porcelain bottles, collecting it drop by drop.
"I'm your most loyal friend, so you'd better make me proud." Dongfang Minghui held her bottle up to the herbs' leaf tips and let them shake their own droplets into it. Even so, it took her over half a two-hour period to fill one bottle.
The steward had been walking back and forth, supervising them and checking whether anyone was slacking off, when he saw Dongfang Minghui twist her waist, stretch luxuriously, then trot over with her bottle.
"Senior Brother, I've finished collecting mine." She looked around. Everyone else was still bent over collecting dew, so she should have been the first.
The steward paused, took her bottle, and hefted it. "Well done, Junior Sister," he said, pleasantly surprised.
Since she was the first to complete the task, Dongfang Minghui was taken to Apothecary Xu.
"You collected this bottle?" Apothecary Xu opened the bottle and sniffed it, then asked, "How did a mere Spirit Practitioner like you manage that?"
"I collect it often, so I'm used to it. That makes me faster." Dongfang Minghui spun her nonsense without blushing or missing a beat. She felt her ability to deceive people had become first-rate.
Seeing her standing obediently to one side, Apothecary Xu did not question her further. Instead, she said, "You were late in front of everyone today. You should have been punished with a month of pruning branches. Since you placed first in collecting morning dew, your achievement cancels out your offense. Is that clear?"
Dongfang Minghui pouted and replied reluctantly, "Yes."
Inside, however, she could not help grumbling. She must be unwilling to give me the poria, so she's using this as an excuse to confiscate my reward.
Afterward, she joined the others in weeding, catching insects, and watering under the blazing summer sun, transforming completely from a pampered young lady into a medicinal servant.
She worked from dawn until deep into the night, so busy her head spun, before finally getting a moment to rest.
Once back in her room, Dongfang Minghui washed briefly, changed her clothes, and sprawled on her bed, unwilling to move another inch.
Still, she remembered that the heroine's entrance examination was tomorrow. Hmm, how am I supposed to sneak out under such strict supervision?
She hugged her bedding, rolled over, and went off to meet the Duke of Zhou in her dreams.
Early the next morning, noisy knocking woke her again.
"Junior Sister, how are you still asleep?" The moment Dongfang Minghui heard the steward's voice, her mind went blank. With a mournful face, she said, "Senior Brother, I overslept again."
A body clock could not be established overnight. Besides, yesterday had been her first day of work, and she had been utterly exhausted.
"I guessed you'd oversleep, so I came to wake you early. Hurry and get changed." The steward had a headache too. If Senior Brother Situ had not instructed him to look after her, he really would not have bothered.
For once, Dongfang Minghui was not late. She lined up, and the steward handed each apprentice a porcelain bottle. The old rule still applied: whoever finished first would receive a reward.
This time, the reward was a stalk of pinellia.
She did not know how much spiritual energy these herbs contained, but following the principle of never turning down a freebie, she charged straight into the Medicinal Herb Garden. Once again, it took her over half a two-hour period to fill a bottle with morning dew.
Before she could claim her pinellia, the steward hurriedly led her outside. "Senior Brother Situ has urgent business with you."
Wonderful. She had urgent business with him too.
"You leave, and Blue Star Dream starts attacking people again." Situ Hao grabbed her and dragged her toward the exit.
Dongfang Minghui could see that he intended to take her to the Situ Residence. "Hey, hey, let go first. I haven't collected my reward yet."
She certainly did not want him to take her away with a single word after she had finally managed to enter the Royal Academy.
Situ Hao asked patiently, "What reward?"
"It's like this. Apothecary Xu said whoever finished collecting morning dew first would get a reward. Today, it's a stalk of pinellia. I haven't collected my prize yet, and you're dragging me out. What if she refuses to honor it when I get back?"
Seeing how seriously she spoke, Situ Hao nearly spat blood from frustration. "Which is more important, Blue Star Dream or your reward? What did you promise me before?"
His eyes were practically breathing fire, and she immediately backed well away. "Can you speak reasonably? When I went there before, Blue Star Dream wasn't aggressive at all. By nature, it basically doesn't attack first. You people are the problem."
Situ Hao was speechless. He actually thought she had a point.
Seeing him stare at her with a somber expression, Dongfang Minghui smiled again. "I can help you soothe Blue Star Dream, but that will only solve the problem temporarily."
"Go on."
"To solve the root of the problem, you have to respect its own decisions." Seeing his puzzled expression, Dongfang Minghui could not help explaining, "Let me give you an example. Suppose it doesn't like drinking the spirit liquid you feed it, but you insist on feeding it every time. Would you be happy in its place?"
Situ Hao promptly shook his head.
"There you go. You're always doing things that upset it. When it gets angry, of course it attacks people." Dongfang Minghui finally explained Blue Star Dream's situation clearly.
In her eyes, Blue Star Dream was just a little brat, isolated in a small courtyard and terribly lonely. Situ Hao had also nurtured a violent temper in it, so it hit people whenever it was unhappy.
In a situation like this, humans needed to give it enough space and enough love.
"I think I understand a little now," Situ Hao agreed, then grabbed her wrist again. "But our immediate priority is still for you to soothe it first."
By the time Dongfang Minghui was dragged to the Situ Residence, several people had already been carried out, covered in blood, their wounds looking gruesome.
"What exactly did you people do?"
Dongfang Minghui was rather angry. She had not spent long with Blue Star Dream, but it had clearly been a sweet, well-behaved plant.
She had only been gone for a day. Just look at the fine mess these people had made.
"None of you come in." Dongfang Minghui glared fiercely at Situ Hao.
Baffled by her questioning, Situ Hao rubbed his nose and stared incredulously at her retreating back. "Hey, this little girl is getting out of hand. She's practically climbing onto my head."
Tsk. He simply could not understand why Blue Star Dream was only nice to that little girl. Something was clearly wrong. He was the master who had cared for it so attentively.
"What are you staring at? Every one of you had better tell me honestly what you've done these past two days. Blue Star Dream was showing signs of improvement before. How did things get worse and worse in the blink of an eye?" Situ Hao turned and vented all his anger on the medicinal servants tending Blue Star Dream.
Dongfang Minghui's aura was very gentle. Even though she was irritated at the moment, her little face puffed up, Blue Star Dream still sensed her presence immediately.
All the thorny branches on the tree spread out, creeping toward the entrance until they quickly blocked it completely. The medicinal servants trying to peek over the wall were whipped straight off it. Some branches even spread from the entrance across the walls, sealing every exit in an instant.
Only the path Dongfang Minghui had taken remained clear.
"Blue Star Dream, you seem to have grown stronger." Dongfang Minghui stroked its trunk. She did not know whether it was her imagination, but she could sense a powerful, violent force stirring within Blue Star Dream's main body.
"Huihui, I feel awful." Thorny branches reached toward Dongfang Minghui, yet seemed wary of something. In the end, they lashed the ground twice before shrinking back.
She hugged it and stroked it gently, soothing it. "Don't be afraid."
Even through this mere surface contact, she could feel vast amounts of spiritual energy seeping into her meridians through every opening. She used her own spiritual power to guide the incoming energy back and forth through her meridians, unexpectedly opening another three.
"Oh no." Dongfang Minghui was dumbfounded. Not only had her spiritual power recovered, she actually felt on the verge of a breakthrough. This could not have come at a worse time.
Since she had absorbed more than half the spiritual energy, Blue Star Dream felt much better instead.
"Huihui, what's wrong?" Its thorny branches tugged at her sleeve.
Dongfang Minghui immediately sat cross-legged. "Blue Star Dream, I'm about to break through. I can't be disturbed. Will you guard the entrance for me and keep everyone out?"
"Okay!" Blue Star Dream did not understand what she meant, but it understood that she did not want anyone disturbing her. It extended its thorny branches again, reinforcing the already firmly sealed entrance. Now, never mind a person-even a fly would probably struggle to get in.
Almost immediately after speaking to it, Dongfang Minghui sank into her consciousness. Within her soul sea, she clearly saw the six meridians she had opened. Cleansed by spiritual energy, they now shone with a faint emerald glow. The remaining eight meridians were dark gray.
Spiritual energy from outside kept rampaging into her body. Tirelessly, she guided it into her meridians, cleansing them one by one, and soon opened another.
She remembered that the cultivation method Little Lecher had given her mentioned opening all fourteen meridians first, then breaking through the seven hundred and twenty acupoints. After that, her cultivation speed would shoot upward in a straight line, soaring in swift leaps.
Now it seemed that Little Lecher's cultivation method really was correct. She had only opened seven meridians, yet all her spiritual power had recovered, and she could faintly sense another breakthrough approaching.
Just as she hesitated over whether to break through in one push, Little Lecher suddenly awoke. "Breaking through too quickly will do your future advancement a hundred harms and not a single good. Better suppress it for now and break through when the right opportunity comes."
"Little Lecher, you're awake!" Dongfang Minghui was overjoyed, but could not help complaining, "Why did you go silent again after saying just one sentence last time?"
Little Lecher sighed. "You're too stupid. Talking to you is exhausting."
The scorned, stupid Minghui was speechless. The little boat of friendship really could capsize at a moment's notice.
"Why are you spacing out? The spiritual energy is about to burst you open. Suppress it!" Dongfang Minghui immediately used her spiritual power to force the incoming energy into her dantian. Together, they compressed it into a sphere the size of a fingernail.
Only then did the storm of spiritual power cease.
"Good thing I woke up in time, or you wouldn't even have known how you died!" Little Lecher roared at her furiously. It had seen stupid people before, but never anyone this stupid, blindly absorbing spiritual energy without considering whether she could withstand it.
The sound waves left Dongfang Minghui's soul sea slightly dazed. Still, hearing Little Lecher's babyish yet powerful voice reassured her considerably.
In the end, after she wheedled and made a fuss, Little Lecher finally grumbled, "That Golden Thorn Tree outside is a perfect match for you-unbearably stupid. The humans fed it too much spirit liquid, and it's about to burst. In human terms, they're pulling up the seedlings to help them grow."
Understanding dawned on Dongfang Minghui. "So that's what happened." This explained why Blue Star Dream's main body towered into the sky even though it was still a juvenile.
Little Lecher huffed proudly. "Luckily, I woke up and helped you absorb some of the spiritual energy. Otherwise, both of you would have burst."
Dongfang Minghui did not feel like exposing its exaggeration, lest it throw a tantrum. Her little companion had only just returned, and she did not want to anger it into leaving again. "You're amazing, Little Lecher. So, going by what you said, Blue Star Dream will be fine from now on, right?"
"What do you think?" Little Lecher assumed an inscrutable air.
Having to puzzle out its meaning made Dongfang Minghui's head ache. She could not help sighing. "Pulling up seedlings to help them grow."
Usually, people subjected to that kind of forced growth ended up ruined, let alone a plant.
"Surely not. Blue Star Dream is so sweet. If it can't keep growing, it'll be heartbroken," Dongfang Minghui murmured.
Little Lecher huffed twice in displeasure.
Dongfang Minghui emerged from her cultivation for the moment. Her spiritual power had now returned to that of a Level One Spirit Master. To advance to Great Spirit Master, she needed experience and trials-or, in Little Lecher's words, to build a solid foundation.
"Huihui, are you done?" Blue Star Dream had stood guard the whole time. The people outside were frantic. Seeing it seal off the courtyard while Dongfang Minghui failed to emerge, they still dared not attack, afraid they would be met with an even more frenzied assault.
Thinking of its tragic fate, Dongfang Minghui could not help aching for it. She stroked it and asked, "Do you still feel bad?"
Blue Star Dream waved its thorny branches. "No. I feel very comfortable with you here."
"Hmph, of course it's comfortable. It transferred all its spiritual energy to you." Feeling aggrieved, Little Lecher extended its vines, aimed them at Blue Star Dream, and unleashed a flurry of lashes.
"Why are you hitting me?"
"You're exactly who I'm hitting."
Dongfang Minghui was speechless, completely unable to understand why the two little creatures were fighting.
Vines and branches danced through the air, looking like a horde of demons running wild. Both fought with their main bodies, while she obediently stayed put, not daring to move. She had tasted both little creatures' lashes before. They hurt on the body, and hurt even more across the face.
For her own safety, Dongfang Minghui huddled beside Blue Star Dream's trunk to watch the show. She felt the excitement of watching her own child pin someone else's child to the ground and beat them up.
Every fight had a winner and loser. The towering Blue Star Dream took a beating from Little Lecher, then finally came running to Dongfang Minghui for comfort, sobbing its heart out.
"Little brat. All you know how to do is cry." Little Lecher thoroughly scorned Blue Star Dream. Little did it realize that calling someone else a brat in its own babyish voice made it seem even younger, nearly making Dongfang Minghui laugh her teeth out.
Dongfang Minghui's shoulders shook. She could barely hold it in.
"Stupid woman, I just beat some of its excess spiritual energy out of it. It'll be fine for now." With an expression demanding gratitude, Little Lecher gave her an arrogant sidelong glance.
"You're amazing, Little Lecher." Dongfang Minghui gave it thirty-two thumbs-ups in her heart and could not help reflecting that, proud and prickly as her little companion was, it never faltered when something important needed doing.
After its beating, Blue Star Dream seemed to feel even more comfortable. It sniffled a few times, then forgot everything that had just happened and tugged at Dongfang Minghui's sleeve. "Huihui, was that your little companion just now? Can you let it play with me?"
At the mention of this, her head felt as big as an ox's. She thought she needed to have a proper talk with Situ Hao about Blue Star Dream.
"You're finally out." Situ Hao had waited outside for an entire day. If she had not emerged soon, he would have suspected Blue Star Dream had swallowed her alive.
Dongfang Minghui shot him an irritated glance. "Perfect timing. I have something to discuss with you too. Let's find somewhere quiet and talk about Blue Star Dream."
These events showed her how much Situ Hao doted on Blue Star Dream. The problem was that his unthinking actions had nearly ruined a Golden Thorn Tree that could potentially become a high-level demonic plant.
"There's nothing wrong with Blue Star Dream, is there?" Situ Hao led her into the main hall, but when she remained silent, he asked rather uneasily.
"There is. Otherwise, what would I have to discuss with you?"
Situ Hao immediately grew anxious. "What's wrong?"
Dongfang Minghui looked at him angrily. "Were you watering Blue Star Dream with spirit liquid every day before?"
"Yes. I even had people refine the purest spirit liquid especially so it could grow properly. Otherwise, how could it have shot up so tall all at once?" As Situ Hao spoke, he grew rather pleased with himself.
"What are you so pleased about?" Dongfang Minghui slammed her teacup heavily onto the table and said scornfully, "If you hadn't pulled up the seedling to help it grow, how would it have become so irritable that it attacked people indiscriminately?"
Situ Hao was struck speechless. Looking utterly bewildered, he pointed at himself. "You're saying it's because I gave it too much spirit liquid?"
"Yes. Haven't you wondered why it's been refusing the spirit liquid you feed it lately? The spirit liquid has already become a burden. Not only does it fail to help it grow, it causes unbearable suffering instead." Dongfang Minghui took a bottle of spirit liquid from her storage space and placed it on the table. "This is the spirit liquid you had me bring in that day. It refused to drink it, so I put it away."
When Situ Hao remained silent, Dongfang Minghui continued, "Actually, the main thing I wanted to tell you this time is that, if you truly have Blue Star Dream's interests at heart, the best solution is to let it stay with me for a while."
Situ Hao frowned deeply. "That's no problem. I'll have the medicinal servants prepare a room for you right away. Stay at my residence for now. As for the academy, I'll request leave for you."
"You misunderstood. I never intended to leave the Pharmacy Institute."
Situ Hao froze, then narrowed his eyes at her in disbelief. "When you said you wanted Blue Star Dream to stay with you, am I supposed to understand that you want to take it into the Royal Academy?"
Dongfang Minghui nodded.
Situ Hao abruptly rose and paced back and forth through the hall in agitation. This was madness. The idea was fucking insane. "Blue Star Dream means too much to me. It's never left my side. And now you want me to-to-to... How is that possible? I can't do it."
"Oh." Dongfang Minghui stood and smiled. "Since you can't bear to part with it, keep it close. When Blue Star Dream withers, prepare a torch for it. One fire will put a complete end to its suffering."
With that, she walked straight out of the hall.
Missing the heroine's first examination round had already infuriated her. On top of that, she still had plenty of follow-up work to do for Blue Star Dream.
Yet he was ignoring whether Blue Star Dream lived or died simply because he could not bear to part with it. Why should she stand by and fret helplessly?
After she returned, the steward did not make things difficult for her. He merely told her to rest early and make absolutely sure she was not late the next day.
"Ugh." Dongfang Minghui tossed and turned, unable to sleep no matter what she did. "Little Lecher, how can I get past the White Angelica Garden's medicinal apprentices and sneak out to watch Seventh Sister take her exam?"
Little Lecher said, "Go wash up and get to bed."
Dongfang Minghui rolled over again in frustration. "Even if Seventh Sister gets into the academy, she'll be in the General Institute. That's so far from our Pharmacy Institute."
They would clearly be in the same academy, yet it would feel as though they were worlds apart. If she couldn't even see her, wouldn't that defeat her purpose in entering the academy?
"Stupid woman, do you want another Mu Qing incident? Didn't last time teach you a lesson? Your Seventh Sister is sooo amazing, and you're sooo useless. I might as well call you the designated deadweight from now on."
Dongfang Minghui covered her mouth. She had accidentally said what she was thinking aloud.
"I'm telling you-"
"Pfft." Dongfang Minghui couldn't hold it in anymore. Little Lecher's image as a baby was already deeply rooted in her mind. She pictured a bare-bottomed baby standing with hands on hips, solemnly lecturing her.
"Hahahaha!"
Little Lecher immediately stretched out vines to bind her hands and cover her mouth. "From now on, I'll supervise your cultivation at all times. You won't get even a moment's rest."
"Mmph, mmph." Let me go!
Little Lecher planted both hands on its hips and howled at the sky. "Your most urgent task is to find a skill so you can wield your spiritual power with greater ease."
A skill?
By the end, Dongfang Minghui had fallen asleep. Little Lecher talked until its mouth went dry, then looked up and stamped its feet in fury. "You deadweight!"
Early the next morning, before Dongfang Minghui could figure out how to sneak out and cheer on the heroine, an opportunity came knocking.
Apothecary Xu gathered them together. Several plants stood before her, and after examining them carefully, Dongfang Minghui noticed that a few were actually sick.
"I'm sure you're all aware that these are the Royal Academy's busiest days. During the annual admissions, we'll also admit fifty people into the Pharmacy Institute. Yesterday's first round eliminated half the applicants, and more than a hundred and thirty remain for the second round. I've called you here because I have a task for you."
The moment Dongfang Minghui heard there was a task, she pricked up her ears. She thought it probably had something to do with the examinations.
Sure enough, Apothecary Xu soon continued, "Ten of you, step forward and carry these ten pots of spirit medicine to the examination venue. An apothecary there will tell you what to do."
White Angelica Garden had thirty apothecary apprentices, two senior brothers in charge, twenty Junior Potionists, ten intermediate pharmacists, three senior pharmacists, a deputy dean, and a dean. With such a chance to show their faces before them, who wouldn't scramble to seize it?
As a result, none of the thirty would yield, and their clamor instantly turned White Angelica Garden into a marketplace.
Seeing this, Apothecary Xu couldn't help holding her head. "Stop arguing."
Her voice was cool and quiet, yet it was enough to make every apprentice stop arguing and listen.
"There are ten pots of medicinal plants in front of me. Three are intermediate spirit medicines, and one is advanced. If you can identify one or two, I'll consider you to have passed."
For a moment, everyone was dumbfounded, looking at one another in bewilderment.
This was a difficult test. An apprentice's job was to tend the spirit medicines in the medicinal beds. If they could identify medicinal plants, why remain apprentices? They could aim straight for becoming apothecaries.
Dongfang Minghui smacked her lips and was the first to step forward. "I'd like to try identifying them first."
"This is an advanced spirit medicine, and these two are intermediate spirit medicines. There's another one I can't identify." Dongfang Minghui held a little back. After all, she was only an apprentice.
Apothecary Xu glanced at her without betraying any expression. Inwardly, she was astonished, but she still asked, "Would anyone else like to try?"
After Dongfang Minghui, others stepped forward one after another to identify the plants. Most were wrong, though some guessed correctly. Once all thirty had finished, Apothecary Xu whispered directly to the senior brother in charge.
Afterward, ten people, including Dongfang Minghui, each selected a pot of medicinal plants to take to the Examination Area.
The others each picked a lively-looking spirit medicine. By her turn, only a sickly pot of beauty bamboo remained. Beauty bamboo was a very beautiful flower, named for the way its blooms resembled a beauty's smiling face. Its flowers could be used as medicinal ingredients.
But this beauty bamboo's flower was drooping almost to its roots. Something was clearly wrong. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
As Dongfang Minghui followed the group toward the Examination Area, she communicated with it through her mind.
The beauty bamboo apparently hadn't expected anyone to strike up a conversation. It said weakly, "I'm going to die."
"Why?" The apprentices regularly removed pests from these medicinal plants every day and took excellent care of them. How could it die for no reason?
The beauty bamboo shook its head. "Someone cut off part of my legs."
Dongfang Minghui couldn't understand it. The part of beauty bamboo richest in spiritual energy was its flower. What ignorant fool had cut off its roots? What a sin.
"Little Lecher, the beauty bamboo's roots were cut off. Can it still survive?"
Little Lecher felt it was necessary to teach her the most basic facts about plants, especially spirit medicines. Since she wanted to become a pharmacist, knowing the characteristics, medicinal properties, uses, and so on of various spirit medicines was essential.
"What are you trying to do now?" Little Lecher already had a fair understanding of her meddlesome habits. "Don't cause trouble just yet. First, see what the Examination Area needs you to do."
Dongfang Minghui stroked the beauty bamboo's flower. "Hang in there."
Only after reaching the Examination Area did Dongfang Minghui learn why they had brought these spirit medicines: to test the pharmacists' ability to identify them and make judgments.
Ten different spirit medicines, their different medicinal properties, and their spiritual power levels.
"Set them down. You can leave for now and come back in four hours." Dongfang Minghui couldn't have been more pleased to hear this. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
The apprentices headed back to White Angelica Garden. Dongfang Minghui walked at the rear, then quietly slipped onto another path.
"Where would Seventh Sister be?" She remembered that, by the time the heroine entered the Royal Academy, she had already awakened her third attribute. Right, the dark attribute.
But that attribute couldn't be exposed to the public. It would cause an uproar.
Her other two attributes were thunder and earth.
"Let's go take a look at Thunder Hall." Dongfang Minghui asked people along the way before finally finding Thunder Hall. But as soon as she arrived, a group blocked her at the entrance.
"An apprentice from the Pharmacy Institute."
Dongfang Minghui gave a surprised little sound, then realized she was still wearing her apprentice's uniform. No wonder they had noticed so quickly.
"Miss, is there something you need?" Seeing that she belonged to the pharmacists, the person who approached was especially courteous. Anyone else barging into the dual-element hall would probably have been beaten out without ceremony.
Those gifted with the thunder attribute tended to be hot-tempered, and every one of them was brawny. They surrounded Dongfang Minghui.
"Senior Brother, here's the thing. A relative of mine came here for the examination. I only managed to slip out after asking the dean for leave. Could you make an exception and let me in to take a look? Once she passes, I'll leave right away." Dongfang Minghui immediately took yesterday's reward, the pinellia, out of her storage space and pressed it into his hand.
Anyone who had spent long enough at the academy knew that, whoever else you offended, you must never offend someone from the Pharmacy Institute, or you would have a bitter taste of suffering.
Everyone was willing to befriend someone from the Pharmacy Institute. The senior brother gave an equivocal smile. "Junior Sister, I'm only letting you in as a favor to you. You can watch, but don't cause trouble, or even I'll be punished."
"I absolutely won't." Dongfang Minghui assured him repeatedly.
He soon let her through. She slipped inside and watched from the back for quite a while without spotting the heroine, though she did see someone familiar.
Li Yunan, a senior brother assisting with the examinations, was something of a legend at the Royal Academy. A genius with both water and Thunder Element attributes, he had awakened his spiritual power at a young age and was now a Level Three Dual-Element Great Spirit Master.
The Royal Academy had no shortage of dual-element geniuses, but reaching Level Three Great Spirit Master in both elements at once was extraordinary.
Dongfang Minghui knew the heroine would meet several members of her harem at the Royal Academy, but she really hadn't expected to stumble across one every few steps, then another a few steps later.
It had to be because the author was lazy. As the saying went, the pavilion nearest the water caught the moonlight first. This was exactly that principle.
"Seventh Sister must be here." Dongfang Minghui sat in a corner, waiting for the heroine to appear. Li Yunan, one of the male leads, was already here. There was no reason she wouldn't be.
"Miss."
Someone tapped Dongfang Minghui on the shoulder, startling her. When she turned around, she was frightened out of her wits. Pointing at him, she stammered incoherently, "Y-you, you-"
Li Yunan had merely thought she looked familiar and guessed he must have seen her before. Since her clothes also marked her as belonging to the Pharmacy Institute, he had come over to ask, never expecting his tap to frighten her face white.
"Miss, have we met before?"
Dongfang Minghui immediately remembered how she had died. She had recklessly tried to steal the heroine's men, and that was how she had ended up in such a predicament.
"I don't know you. We've never met." She covered her face, terrified he would remember their encounter at the workshop when she had helped Seventh Sister out of trouble.
She didn't want to get involved with these men again. Men were raging floods and savage beasts-far too terrifying. Most importantly, she had no idea when she might run into another man destined for the heroine's harem. She still wanted to live to a hundred. Sob, sob, sob, sob.
Li Yunan was handsome and distinguished, and his exceptional talent had earned him great renown at the Royal Academy. Junior sisters had always adored him. He had never encountered a girl who looked at him as though he were a snake, a scorpion, or a savage beast, desperate to get away.
He couldn't help chuckling and touched his handsome face. "Miss, surely I don't look that frightening?"
Dongfang Minghui was so worried her hair might turn white. How could she listen to what he was saying? She simply kept agreeing. "Frightening."
Li Yunan burst out laughing. He had never met such a candid, adorable girl.
"Ninth Sister, why are you here?" Dongfang Wanyu hadn't noticed the person in the corner before. It was only when Li Yunan, the senior brother serving as a judge, suddenly left his seat that everyone's attention was drawn over.
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