"Everyone, look closely. This incense is simple and easy to learn. First, take five taels of clove, five taels of patchouli, and two taels of cinnamon bark, and grind them all into powder...
Then do this, and then that..."
In a Market Ward in the Weiying Sea, over ten thousand li east of Lijian Mountain, the local cultivators and mortal authorities had both sent people to observe.
Han Jia, an Inner Court Disciple of the Divine Incense Gate, publicly demonstrated how to prepare Plague-Repelling Incense with the assistance of two fellow disciples.
Since this was a mundane incense that those above had decided to make widely available, she held nothing back. Not only was her demonstration vivid and detailed, she explained every technique one by one, fearing that anyone who failed to learn it might delay the vital work of resisting the Demonic Path.
After a while, Han Jia stopped and asked, "Well? Has everyone learned how to do it?"
Everyone nodded. "We have, we have."
"Sure enough, it doesn't look difficult."
"I feel like preparing this incense is much like measuring out medicinal ingredients. Anyone with hands could do it."
Han Jia was delighted. "Good, then. Everyone, give it a try. I'll be here to guide you."
Everyone took up the various tools that had been temporarily requisitioned and began working.
The results, however, were quite unexpected. Most of those who claimed to have learned the method failed to prepare Plague-Repelling Incense that met the specifications.
Even though the Incense Accumulation Sect had improved the formula several times, repeatedly simplifying its many tedious and complicated aspects, not everyone could readily prepare it correctly.
Han Jia looked over their work and discovered that they were either struggling with selecting and processing the ingredients or getting bogged down over timing.
Some