Chapter 388: Chapter 309: Medicine Boy_3
"Forging iron?" Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan also felt a pang in their hearts.
Stonemason, blacksmith, maid - these registered disciples were just here in the sect to do odd jobs!
Ximen Kankan retorted unwillingly, "Old man, what kind of work have you assigned us? Forging iron, stonemasonry - are you treating us like beasts of burden?"
The old man sneered and said, "You came so late and still expect good tasks? Did you think coming to the sect meant living like a lord?"
"You..." Ximen Kankan was about to burst out in anger when Duan Rong held him down.
Duan Rong turned to look at the old man, smiling, "Old Qin, please don’t be mad. We know our status as registered disciples means doing odd jobs! But is there another place we could go? Would you kindly give us some guidance?"
The old man looked at Duan Rong, his heart skipped a beat.
He’d seen plenty of registered disciples, all from aristocratic families, acting arrogantly without knowing their place - he really couldn’t stand it.
But this kid in front of him could actually acknowledge that registered disciples were just for odd jobs, which truly made him take notice.
Duan Rong understood from the old man’s attitude towards them and the tasks assigned, what the hierarchy of registered disciples within the sect was.
The old man said, "Pharmacist Shang is short of a medicine boy. But the requirements are high; you must be able to identify a hundred herbs! Can you do it?"
The old man said, his eyes sweeping over them with disdain.
Upon hearing they could work as a medicine boy, Ximen Kankan’s eyes instantly lit up.
Medicine boy - it sounded much easier than blacksmithing.
Ximen Kankan said, "My family runs an herbal shop; I grew up surrounded by herbs."
"Really?" The old man snorted, taking a wooden board from under the table, with three herbs pinned to it.
The old man placed the board on the table, coldly saying, "If you can recognize even one, you’ll pass."
Ximen Kankan looked at the three herbs.
All three herbs didn’t resemble ordinary ones - one was withered yellow, one frost white, and one covered in black hair.
Ximen Kankan stared at those herbs, his face suddenly darkened; he didn’t recognize any of them.
The old man saw Ximen Kankan’s expression and knew he didn’t recognize them.
Pharmacist Shang was extremely strict with medicine boys; how could a child from a county town’s herbal shop catch his eye?
The old man said, "Didn’t you grow up surrounded by herbs? How come you haven’t come across these three?"
Just as the old man was speaking, Duan Rong suddenly pointed to the withered yellow herb and said, "This one should be Profound Withered Vine!"
The old man’s originally playful expression froze instantly.
Duan Rong continued, "This frost white one should be an immature Frosty Wormwood. The one covered in black hair is a mature Black Velvet Gourd."
Duan Rong finished speaking calmly, then stood aside.
The old man looked at Duan Rong with an expression as if he’d seen a ghost, speechless for a long time.
Ximen Kankan and Xiao Yu saw the old man’s astonished reaction and realized Duan Rong was completely right.
Especially Ximen Kankan, whose family owned an herbal shop. The names of those herbal plants Duan Rong mentioned - he’d never even heard of them. It was too uncanny.
Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong and said, "You recognized them all?"
Duan Rong glanced at Ximen Kankan and said, "It’s normal you couldn’t recognize them. These three aren’t herbs at all! They’re all poisonous plants!"
"Poisonous plants?!"
Upon hearing this, not only were Ximen Kankan, Xiao Yu, and others shocked, but even the old man was taken aback, his hand that was pressing the edge of the board recoiled as if burned.
The old man’s face darkened; he didn’t even realize those three were poisonous plants!
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