Resplendent – Chapter 544

Chapter 544: Playing Dirty

“You—” Huang clutched his chest, eyes bulging with rage, his face twisted into a ferocious expression.

The Sage Apothecary, fiercely protective of his protégé, bristled with displeasure. He snapped at him. “Youngster Huang, what do you think you’re doing? As a Grand Pharmacist, intimidating candidates before an exam is a grave offense. You knowingly broke the rules. What right do you have to serve as judge?”

“Exactly! Exactly!” Gu Ye lifted her adorable little face, feigning innocence. “Master, I saw Grand Pharmacist Huang clutching his chest and looking unwell, so I asked out of concern. But he repaid kindness with hostility. He looks like he wants to tear me apart. I’m so scared! Master, if I fail this exam, he must take full responsibility!”

“Bah-bah! Don’t speak nonsense! You were trained personally by me. How could you possibly fail a mere Level 9 pharmacist exam?” The Sage Apothecary shot Grand Pharmacist Huang a fierce glare, then raised his hand to signal the gathered representatives of the different Apothecary Guilds, demanding Huang to be replaced as a judge on the spot.

Grand Pharmacist Huang’s behavior was witnessed by everyone present—there was no room for denial. The open hostility between the Huang and Jiang families was an open secret throughout the pharmacist community. The contestant he had just threatened on stage was none other than Grand Pharmacist Jiang’s junior sister. His motive was clear: he feared the Jiang family producing a Level 9 apothecary who could once again outshine them.

But if he wanted to threaten and intimidate, shouldn’t he at least pick on Grand Pharmacist Jiang’s own son? Was he picking on the weak, seeing the young girl as an easy target? The judges present, all Grand Pharmacists themselves, were thoroughly disgusted by his conduct.

Poor Grand Pharmacist Huang—he didn’t even get a chance to act before getting knocked out! His judging seat was taken by an old acquaintance of Gu Ye’s—Senior Brother Baili.

As a protocol, a Grand Pharmacist should recuse himself from judging the assessment due to having direct disciples or relatives participating. 

This assessment featured both his apprentice-niece and junior sister, so Baili Yunji had initially declined to serve as a judge. However, with only ten Grand Pharmacists in the world, and three of them having direct descendants or disciples participating, Grand Pharmacist Huang was unexpectedly replaced at the last minute. To complete the panel of six judges, the esteemed Baili Yunji had no choice but to be summoned.

Spotting her Senior Brother Baili’s jade-like, scholarly countenance, Gu Ye waved excitedly. Lately, between the examination and the pharmaceutical factory site selection, she’d barely seen her master, let alone Senior Brother Baili. After so long apart, he seemed even more handsome! 

Wow, Senior Brother Baili is smiling at me. Who could resist that smile?

On the viewing platform, the Fourth Prince nudged Prince Ning with his elbow. “Cousin, your rival has arrived! My future sister-in-law seems rather taken with that fair-faced grand pharmacist. Tsk-tsk, look at her eyes—they’re so bright they could blind someone…”

Ling Juechen felt deeply annoyed: That girl is admiring someone else again. 

Next time he must remind her: no more staring intently at other men! She was only allowed to swoon over him! 

In truth, every woman in the stands had her gaze fixed on one person: the exceptionally handsome and elegant Grand Pharmacist Baili Yunji. Of the six judges, five were elderly men. He alone was a dashing young gentleman in the prime of his life. With his striking features and impeccable bearing, who wouldn’t want to gaze at him a little longer? Yet Baili Yunji, long accustomed to the admiring stares of women, kept his eyes fixed solely on that petite figure.

Gu Ye had tricked Grand Pharmacist Huang and reunited with her Senior Brother Baili, leaving her in high spirits. Humming a wildly off-key tune, she busied herself with preparations for her alchemy work.

They had brought their own herbs, which had already been sorted to save time. They only required a quick rinse before use. Lin Nuo scrubbed the ginkgo leaves diligently before asking, “That man earlier, is he the world-renowned Grand Pharmacist Baili? The youngest Grand Pharmacist in the profession?”

“Indeed! My Senior Brother Baili attained the rank of Grand Pharmacist before turning twenty. Impressive, isn’t it? But after this convention, his title as the ‘youngest Grand Pharmacist in the world’ will have to be handed over!” Gu Ye raised an eyebrow at Lin Nuo with unabashed pride, winking at him.

Lin Nuo froze for a moment, then his eyes brimmed with excitement and elation: “ Master, are you saying you’re confident of becoming a Grand Pharmacist at this convention? Come to think of it, creating just one new medicine qualifies one for Grand Pharmacist status. Your Gu Pharmaceutical has launched so many new formulas. For you, Master, the title is practically a sure thing.”

“How can you be so sure those medicines are all my original creations, and not the culmination of twenty years of painstaking effort?” Rumors circulated in the pharmacist world that the Sage Apothecary favored his young apprentice, imparting all his core techniques to her. Some even claimed the formulas behind Gu Pharmaceutical’s medicines were all passed down from him.

Many still felt aggrieved on behalf of her senior brother, their words tinged with a hint of provocation. If only those who spread such rumors channeled their energy into pioneering new medicines instead of sordid schemes, the pharmaceutical world might have gained several more grand pharmacists!

Lin Nuo had reviewed her notebook on alchemy. Her insights were unconventional and distinctive, breaking through the barriers of traditional pharmaceutical practices. Every renowned pharmacist possessed a distinctive style in their craft, and the Sage Apothecary’s was particularly pronounced.

Twenty years can refine one’s pharmaceutical skills to near perfection, but it wouldn’t completely overturn one’s original style. Thus, Lin Nuo concluded that despite her young age, his master had already achieved a level of mastery in pharmaceuticals that stood entirely on its own.

He couldn’t be certain about pills, but he knew that all types of granules were undoubtedly his master’s original creations. At thirteen, she had already surpassed the status of a grand pharmacist. And he had the privilege of following her, witnessing her rise. Just thinking about it made his blood boil.

The Instant Heart-reliever Pills required for Gu Ye’s assessment hadn’t been mass-produced in her pharmaceutical factory. She had only personally made a batch to sell to familiar customers. Her decision to prepare this medicine for the assessment was also a promotional move, leveraging the Great Pharmacists Convention to create a striking advertisement for the future opening of her factory.

The Instant Heart-reliever Pills had only been sold in the Northland. Coming from the south, Lin Nuo had never heard of them and initially assumed they were an entirely new herbal formula. Introducing a new medicine during a Level 9 pharmacist assessment was no small feat, and it wasn’t something just anyone could accomplish.

The vast majority of apothecaries might spend their entire lives without ever creating a single new medicine. Half of the Grand Pharmacists on the judging panel had achieved nothing beyond developing one new formula. Come to think of it, only the prodigiously gifted Grand Pharmacist Baili had unveiled a new medicine during his Level 9 assessment, hadn’t he?

Lin Nuo was permitted to participate in the entire production of the Instant Heart-reliever Pills, completing most steps independently under his master’s guidance. He was so excited his hands trembled, nearly dropping the herbs.

It was Gu Ye who patted his shoulder and offered reassurance, “Calm down! Keep your cool! I’m counting on you to be my right-hand man. If you can’t handle a little excitement now, how will you handle the big things with me?”