Resplendent – Chapter 401

Chapter 401 – The Pharmacology Duel

“Mr. Wang! If you weren’t a disciple of Grand Pharmacist Huang, I’d have knocked you flat on the ground by now! Senior Brother Liu, are you just going to stand there and watch your junior stir up conflict between two clans’ disciples? Do you not respect the Jiang family at all?” Jiang Zhongtian had reached his limit. He stepped forward with gritted teeth, glaring at the fourth-level apothecary, and then turned to question the ninth-level apothecary beside him.

The fourth-level apothecary sneered. “Don’t think that mentioning the Jiang family will scare me! Your disciples are all useless, none higher than eighth-level apothecaries. You, the legitimate son of Grand Pharmacist Jiang, aren’t even a true apothecary. What makes you think you can compare with our sect? Just wait and see. In this year’s pharmacists’ convention, the Jiang family will be crushed under our senior brother’s feet again!”

“How arrogant! Unfortunately, you’re nothing but a frog in a well, with eyes too small to see the world!” Gu Ye sneered, casting a sharp glance at the fourth-level apothecary. “It’s Grand Pharmacist Huang’s tragedy to have disciples like you!”

“Don’t waste your words. Let your skills speak for themselves!” The ninth-level apothecary didn’t even bother looking at the two low-level Jiang disciples. “Fifth Junior Brother, duel with them!”

The Pharmacist’s Convention forbade fighting or brawling. Any conflicts were to be settled through pharmacology — demonstrating skill in medicine-making. Hence, the term ‘Pharmacology Duel.’ Everyone brought out their most prized medicine to compete and see whose skill was superior!

“Fine!” The fourth-level apothecary sneered maliciously. “Mr. Jiang! Do you dare duel me in pharmacology? If you don’t, kneel and kowtow three times, shout three times, ‘Grandmaster, I was wrong!’ and maybe I’ll let you off!”

Gu Ye snorted. Turning to a furious Jiang Zhongtian, she said, “Xiao Tian, duel him! Let him learn what it really means that there’s always someone better out there! Actually, why not make it more interesting? If you lose, you’ll have to shout in the busiest part of Eastern City: ‘Disciples of Huang are no match for the Jiang family!’ Do you dare?”

The fourth-level apothecary, naturally a coward, immediately froze. Betting so much with even the honor of his sect — he didn’t dare speak a word. However, his fellow disciples nudged him, urging, “Bet with them! Master said you have a chance to advance to sixth-level apothecary. You’re still afraid of two kids who haven’t even qualified as apothecaries?”

“Se… Senior Brother,” the fourth-level apothecary started, lost and unsure, glancing at the ninth-level apothecary beside him.

A glint of cold cruelty flashed in the ninth-level apothecary’s eyes. Slowly, he said, “Now that this involves the sect, it’s no longer just Fifth Junior Brother’s matter! As for the pharmacology duel… “I won’t take advantage of you either. You send out two apothecaries, and our Huang sect will also send two…”

“Shameless! Your side has at least two second-level apothecaries, and theirs are just two novice apothecaries who haven’t even taken the exams yet! And you say you’re not taking advantage of them? How can you even say that? I’m embarrassed for you!”

Two apothecaries with purple collars entered from outside — one was Baili Yunji, whom Gu Ye knew well, a Grand Apothecary of the Baili family; the other was a stranger with a high nose and deep-set eyes, with a slightly exotic appearance. Those shameless words had come from this foreign apothecary.

Seeing Baili Yunji enter, the ninth-level apothecary’s expression changed immediately, and he hurriedly explained, “We are not forcing them! It was this young lady of the Jiang family who volunteered to duel us in pharmacology!”

“Hey! You’ve got it wrong! My surname is Gu, not Jiang, and I’m not a disciple of the Jiang family either!” Gu Ye kindly corrected him. 

Jiang Xiaotian had already stated her identity earlier. She was a disciple of the Huang sect; they simply refused to believe it. She silently warned herself: Later, don’t blame her for being strict with junior disciples!

“Master Baili, Jiang family counts as the same sect as you. Why don’t you say something?” The foreign apothecary glanced at Baili Yunji, a smirk of anticipation playing at the corners of his mouth.

Noticing the nervous expressions of the Huang sect disciples, Baili Yunji cast a long, deep look at his Junior Sister Gu and decided not to disturb her enthusiasm.

He shook his head slowly and said, “It’s just a few young apothecaries dueling out of pride. I won’t interfere. But now that the words are spoken, whatever the outcome, you must bear it yourselves! Make sure you act wisely.”

The foreign Grand Pharmacist looked surprised. The ninth-level Huang disciple exhaled heavily in relief. Without taking the time to ponder the deeper meaning of Grand Pharmacist Baili’s words, he stepped forward and said to Gu Ye, “So, what’s it going to be? Will you duel with this medicine or not? If you don’t dare, then retract your earlier words and apologize to us publicly. Since you’re a novice, we’ll forgive you this once.”

In front of Baili Yunji, he no longer dared to demand a kneeling apology. After all, Grand Pharmacist Baili and Grand Pharmacist Jiang came from the same lineage.

Master said that Grand Pharmacist Jiang had exhausted his talent, and none of his disciples were exceptionally gifted. The Jiang family line was not something Master even took seriously.

But Grand Pharmacist Baili was young and talented, and he was the first to develop pill medicine. Master had studied Baili’s pills for over half a year, yet still could not replicate their effects.

This showed that Grand Pharmacist Baili had extraordinary talent, and his future achievements in the apothecary world were limitless. He was the most likely person to rise to the rank of Grandmaster of Pharmacology. His master had explicitly instructed never to offend this person.

“Jiang Xiaotian, what are the rules of the pharmacology duel? Explain them to me,” Gu Ye asked casually. Since someone was about to humiliate themselves, Gu Ye decided to let them do it.

Jiang Zhongtian didn’t hesitate: “There are two types of duels. One is using the same medicinal ingredients to prepare or make medicine. The one whose medicine has higher quality and better efficacy wins. The other is a literary duel. Each person presents three medicines they have prepared or refined. The one with the higher-level medicines wins.”

“Oh? So that means our pharmacology duel now falls under the second type?” Gu Ye frowned, her small face showing confusion and concern. “What if someone cheats and passes off someone else’s medicine as their own? What would happen then?”

The fourth-level Huang disciple scoffed and said disdainfully, “What kind of bumpkin doesn’t even understand the rules of the apothecary world, yet dares to challenge our senior brother? Truly courting their own destruction! Don’t say later that we Huang disciples are bullying kids!”

Jiang Zhongtian glared at him and continued, “Faking or cheating is a major taboo in the apothecary world. If it’s discovered, the offender will be expelled from the apothecary world and barred from practicing medicine for life! Moreover, every apothecary participating in a pharmacology duel must take part in the annual or triennial medicine-making competition. If they fail to produce medicine of the same or higher level during the competition, they will be scrutinized by the apothecary council. Therefore, no apothecary would risk cheating in a duel and ruin their entire future for nothing.” 

“Oh — I see! How many types of medicine do you have with you? Do you need me to lend you one or two?” Gu Ye glanced at the pouch at Jiang Zhongtian’s waist, worried that he might be unprepared. 

This boy, unlike her, didn’t have a personal storage space filled with a large supply of medicines that could be accessed at any time.