I Have Medicine

Chapter 601 - (Formal Lecture) Pill refining, first and foremost…

Pharmacist students all had followers, and followers could be carried along, so many pharmacists were accustomed to bringing one person for protection, even when attending a lecture.

Of course, they could only bring one person.

These martial artist students intercepted the pharmacist students. If they weren’t acquainted, they found a way; if they were familiar, it was even easier, as they directly asked to be brought in and allowed to listen to the lecture.

Martial artist students were, after all, the main members of the Longque Academy. The pharmacist students also knew that today’s course was very interesting. After some thought, most agreed.

In this way, the total number of people attending the lecture in that palace might not have increased significantly, but the composition of the crowd became much more complex.

Before long, the students found the location of the hall and entered it.

The seating was already prepared inside, with space for roughly one pharmacist and their follower to sit cross-legged in every five-foot square, with enough room for a pharmacist’s furnace in front. It wasn’t spacious, but it wasn’t cramped either.

Soon, everyone settled down and looked toward the high stone platform at the front.

That stone platform was several yards square and equally high. It was the position for every lecturer, allowing everyone below to see the lecturer clearly.

The class was due to start in about the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

The students whispered amongst themselves. Some who were familiar sat together, their hearts full of curiosity.

They felt a bit impatient, wishing the lecturer would appear before them immediately so they could clearly see what this fierce character actually looked like.

The time of one incense stick quickly passed, and finally, two people walked in from the side entrance.

One was tall and the other was shorter. The tall one was nearly nine feet in height, and the shorter one was about half a head shorter than him, making him appear much smaller by comparison.

As the two approached, the many students saw their faces clearly.

The young man walking in front had delicate features and a calm yet spirited demeanor. He was clearly a pharmacist. The person following him was exceptionally handsome, with the noble and graceful bearing of a young master from an aristocratic family, and his gait showed a resilient mind and extraordinary presence, marking him as a martial artist prodigy.

No matter how you looked at them, these two didn’t seem like fierce characters. But if they weren’t the fierce character, why did they walk out of the front side door? Could it be that they took the wrong door and were actually students coming to listen to the lecture?

The students were full of speculation, but some people, upon seeing the two, showed certainty in their expressions.

They clearly knew these two people and didn’t think they had taken a wrong turn…

Next, a silver wheel suddenly appeared under the feet of the spirited young man.

The silver wheel spun rapidly, cutting through the air with a rushing sound, quickly lifting the young man until he reached the top of the high stone platform. The handsome young prodigy, however, stopped moving and stood quietly to the side, seemingly waiting patiently for something.

The next moment, the young man landed on the stone platform, the silver wheel under his feet quickly vanished, and he sat down cross-legged without hesitation—he was indeed that fierce character!

It was just that the appearance of this fierce character… was far too incompatible with his reputation.

That was right. Anyone who looked at such a young man would think he was a good-tempered pharmacist with no temper. How could anyone associate him with a fierce character in the slightest!

But now everyone was certain of his identity…

Then, the young man wasted no words and spoke directly: “I am honored by the academy’s regard, inviting me to serve as a guest lecturer. From today onward, every seven days at the Wei hour, I will teach in this hall for four hours.” He paused slightly. “I will begin with the methods of human-level pharmacy. Those who are unwilling to listen may leave. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the hall doors will be sealed. Those who remain will be expected to stay until the end of the lecture.”

When those words came out, the rules were set.

The pharmacists and martial artists present stirred slightly, but not a single person left.

They had originally intended to gauge Gu Zuo’s capability, so even if they felt his appearance was different from what they imagined, they absolutely had to listen.

The young man nodded slightly: “In that case, seal the hall doors. I will begin the lecture!”

Immediately after, the handsome prodigy, who was merged like a shadow in the shade of the stone platform, moved. With a wave of his hand, a huge palm struck out, and with two loud *boom* sounds, the enormous stone door was sealed shut!

The interior of the great hall instantly fell silent.

The handsome prodigy withdrew his hand and once again merged into the shadows of the stone platform, not revealing the slightest hint of his presence.

At this moment, he was silently protecting the pharmacist on the stone platform.

Below the stage, the numerous students sat quietly, waiting for the young man’s lecture.

After sweeping his gaze over the many students, the young man slowly began: “In pill refinement, the foremost importance lies in the realm of psyche, followed by the realm of internal energy. Neither can be neglected. Beyond that, deep study of medicinal ingredients is also the absolute priority. There are commonly one hundred and eight thousand kinds of ordinary medicinal ingredients that can form formulas for Human-level pills. Among them, those suitable for Houtian martial artists number over thirteen thousand two hundred. Those suitable for Xiantian martial artists number over ten thousand eight hundred and thirty-one. Those suitable for Immortal martial artists number over eight thousand six hundred and ninety-one…”

As he spoke, some pharmacists were slightly stunned.

‘A-are there really that many kinds?’

Although they all started by refining Human-level pills, many pill books only mentioned a total of just over ten thousand formulas related to Human-level pills, even counting the Houtian, Xiantian, and Immortal Realm. Yet, the lecturer said there were over thirty thousand!

They wondered if this was true or false…

Many clever people knew that since this fierce character stated it, it was likely true; otherwise, if discovered, wouldn’t his reputation be ruined? However, how could they confirm the number of these formulas? After thinking it over, it seemed there was only one way that would be most convincing—but the thought sent a shiver of alarm through their hearts.

‘Could it be that this fierce character possessed all thirty thousand-plus formulas!’

Immediately, others remembered that when this fierce character previously offered rewards to the world, he produced many Profound-level pills, many of whose formulas were extremely rare, even long-lost.

If that was the case, did it also mean that this person had once received a terrifying inheritance and obtained countless pill formulas?!

As the students were shocked by the number of formulas, they couldn’t help but think of another question—how many formulas had this fierce character actually learned? Did he remember all of them? They recalled once more that a fierce character so young could already refine so many types of formulas; just how terrifying was his natural talent!

Countless thoughts whirled in the students’ minds, leaving them somewhat bewildered.

They came to listen to the lecture intending to test the fierce character’s ability, but after hearing just a few sentences, they were confused instead!

It was simply…

However, the young man’s lecture continued: “Now, I will give several examples, each with dozens of similar ingredients. You all should carefully differentiate them, otherwise, once there is an error, even with the formula, it will be difficult to form the pill. The first is Gardenia Grass, Joined-Heart Grass, Double-Silk Grass… All of them have long, beardless leaves and a rich emerald color… However, Gardenia Grass has extremely fine white lines beneath its leaves, Joined-Heart Grass has a thick, short root, and Double-Silk Grass grows from two stems at the base…”

He gave about seven or eight such examples. In each example, there were at least thirty to fifty ingredients that were similar but had different medicinal effects. These were often the very reasons pharmacists frequently caused their furnaces to explode or successfully formed very few pills during refining. Simultaneously, when introducing the ingredients, he also introduced corresponding pill formulas, though he did not fully clarify every ingredient in every formula—after all, pill formulas were mostly exclusive to pharmacists, and exposing them would be detrimental to many pharmacists, even destroying their livelihoods and causing them great difficulty.

After hearing all this, the pharmacist students couldn’t help but have their eyes light up, and they listened even more attentively.

There was no other reason than the solid foundation and the knowledge they had never noticed before—don’t just look at it as knowledge introducing ingredients. There were so many medicinal ingredients in the world; who dared to guarantee they remembered every single one! Among those groups of thirty to fifty kinds, the students at most knew ten or twenty kinds, and there were so many more they had never even heard of!

Could they not seize such an opportunity?

They knew that mastering more medicinal ingredients not only increased their pill-refining skill but also allowed them to research more formulas through understanding the medicinal effects!

Ultimately, this might become the very foundation of their standing…

Then, the young man moved on to refining techniques: “Pill refining has cultivation methods and hand seals. Exclusive methods cannot be taught outside, but experience and minor tricks can be shared without harm. When we refine pills, there are several postures prone to error. The first is the sitting posture… The second is… And then there’s the trick to tempering medicinal liquid. The method is called ‘Vibration.’ Any ingredient whose medicinal property is relatively mild can use this method to speed up the tempering process…”

This was about common mistakes, methods for improving and speeding up the refining process, and small, overlooked tricks that could enhance the quality of the pills.

This was all equally useful material. With just a little guidance, many pharmacist students had moments of realization. Some even pulled out paper and brushes, while their minds focused completely on comprehending what they had just heard. They simply wrote down what they hadn’t had time to fully grasp yet, without wasting brainpower trying to memorize it.

After lecturing on so much, the young man’s voice remained unhurried, yet none of the pharmacists in the hall were discussing the topic with their martial artist students or other peers anymore. Every single person was listening raptly, not at all criticizing the lecture material as being too rudimentary.

What’s wrong with Human-level pills? Human-level pills are fundamental pills, and it is from here that one can see the foundation!

After a round of lecturing, the young instructor changed the subject: “These types of pills are all graded pills, but the medicines in the world encompass all things, and there are several other types of pills whose uses are extremely vast.”

Hearing this, the pharmacist students felt a shock in their hearts.

The young instructor slowly said: “These types of pills are called ‘Unconventional Pills’. Among those I know, the first is the Battle Soul Pill, the second is the Poison Pill, and the third is the Deceptive Pill. Their power is immense, and they are unpredictable.”