It seemed he would have to sweeten the pot, so Tang Wen added, "Room and board included. A second-grade apothecary will receive fifty high-grade spirit stones a year.
"Seventy for first rank, ninety for transcendent grade, a hundred and twenty for a twelfth-level apothecary, and a hundred and fifty for thirteenth level.
"For now, I'm hiring just ten. Places are limited, everyone. Once you've gone home and thought it over, you can come and speak to me.
"But I'll only be available for a while. After that, I'll be going into seclusion to cultivate, and you'll have to wait some time before you can find me again."
Apothecaries were divided into more than ten levels, with higher levels corresponding to higher ranks.
A tenth-rank apothecary was just starting out, at level one, while a first-rank apothecary was level ten, and transcendent grade was level eleven...
Moreover, an apothecary's rank was proportional to their martial cultivation. A first-rank apothecary had to be in the first-rank realm, and an eleventh-level apothecary had to be a transcendent-grade realm martial artist.
That way, if anyone applied, Tang Wen would acquire not only apothecaries, but also a group of experts.
As for the compensation, it was definitely more than they could earn working alone.
Yet not a single person signed up. It seemed these fellows valued face more than money.
"Senior, I have another favor to ask. Let's have some tea in the tea room," Tang Wen invited after the apothecaries left. Heavenly Tears Elder nodded and entered the tea room.
"Senior, you saw the instruments used in the surgery just now, but I feel they aren't sharp enough," Tang Wen said.
"Mm, they are indeed somewhat lacking. Their sharpness is at best comparable to middle-grade treasure swords, inferior to high-grade ones." Heavenly Tears Elder