After leaving the Instructor Hall, Yang Chan first went to the Medicine Hall's registry to add his name to their rolls before heading to the Internal Affairs Hall.
He hadn't expected what happened at the Instructor Hall, and he didn't want it to happen again. Once his name was registered with the Medicine Hall, the issue of instructors fighting over disciples wouldn't occur anymore, saving him a lot of trouble.
When Yang Chan came out of the Internal Affairs Hall, he was carrying quite a few things, with two Servant Disciples beside him helping to carry some of them.
They were all daily necessities, a rather complete set of various household items.
After he returned to the Official Disciples' living quarters in the Medicine Hall and found his assigned room, he began to get organized.
An Official Disciple's room was much larger than the small huts for Servant Disciples. The inside was very clean, with no gaps like mouse holes. Judging by how new the building looked, it couldn't have been built more than ten years ago.
By the time Yang Chan finished organizing his room, it was already dusk.
Seeing it was about time, he changed into the blue robes of an Official Disciple. They were woven from silk and felt extremely fine. He had received two sets, so he could wash and rotate them.
When he arrived at the Medicine Hall's communal kitchen, already dressed in his blue robes, a line had already started to form.
The situation with Official Disciples was a little different from what he'd heard; the rumors were exaggerated, to some extent. The food for Official Disciples wasn't unlimited, where you could eat as much as you wanted. Instead, everyone received a fixed portion: a large bowl of rice, two cornbread buns, half a bowl of meat, half a bowl of meat broth, and a bowl of pickled mustard greens.
Every three days, one could collect a bowl of Qi Nourishing Soup from the communal kitchen. Yang Chan was a day late, so he would have to wait another two days.
'Yang Chan was slightly disappointed, but at least his goal of eating meat every day had been achieved. The portions were far better than what Servant Disciples received.'
'A bowl of Qi Nourishing Soup was equivalent to 0.2 Potential Points, which was what he had previously accumulated over two days. With today's food, though, he wasn't sure if his points would continue to increase.'
...
The Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Ground.
This was the designated place for the Official Disciples of the Medicine Hall to practice martial arts.
When Yang Chan arrived, some people were already practicing the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, others were lifting stone millstones to train their strength, and some were ramming their bodies against large, upright boulders.
These people were all Tempering their bodies, preparing for External Refining.
"Junior Brother, you must be a newly promoted disciple, right?"
As Yang Chan walked onto the Martial Arts Training Ground, a short, rather chubby man with a round, pockmarked face approached him, a wide smile on his face.
"That's right. And you are, Senior Brother?"
Yang Chan nodded and asked in return.
"I am Senior Brother Shi Gaoshun. Those who know me call me Brother Jun. Seeing as you're new to the Martial Arts Training Ground, Junior Brother, you probably aren't familiar with how things work here. How about I give you an introduction?"
Hearing this, the smile on Shi Gaoshun's face grew even wider. 'A potential customer, and a new one at that. This kind of person is the easiest to get silver from.'
Yang Chan glanced at Shi Gaoshun. 'It seems some people are named the opposite of what they are, just like the man in front of me.'
'Of course, maybe it was just wishful thinking on his parents' part.'
"In that case, thank you, Senior Brother. I've just arrived and truly don't know the situation here."
Having just become an Official Disciple, he didn't know the unspoken rules of the Martial Arts Training Ground. Although he was wary, getting some information from the man before him would be good.
There was friction among the Cyan Yuan Sect's Servant Disciples, as seen with Wang Sheng and his group. Even though Yang Chan had tried to keep a low profile, he couldn't avoid it.
'There were bound to be conflicts among the Official Disciples as well.'
"That's easy. Here in the Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Ground, look at where everyone is. Most of the people practicing their fists haven't reached Great Success in their Wild Ox Force. They're still Nourishing Strength. Most of them are disciples who haven't been here for long."
"As for those lifting the millstones, they're training their strength, Tempering their physical power. Even if their Power hasn't reached Great Success, they're not far off. They're preparing for External Refining. These are generally disciples who have been here for two or three years."
"And those who are ramming their bodies against stone pillars or having others strike them? They're preparing for External Refining Copper Skin. They're the strongest among the Official Disciples, having been here for four to five years."
Shi Gaoshun paused, looking at Yang Chan without continuing.
"Senior Brother, is there something you need my help with?"
Seeing this, Yang Chan knew the man was finally about to reveal his true purpose.
'It's just like a salesman's pitch. First, they hook you with a bunch of interesting information, then they get you to ask questions, and step by step, you fall right into their trap.'
Yang Chan had seen this kind of tactic before. However, he did need information, and as long as it didn't hurt him, there was no harm in playing along.
"Well, I know a few people who have already achieved Great Success in Wild Ox Force. The Qi Nourishing Soup they get every three days isn't very useful to them. I see you've just been promoted, Junior Brother, and are in urgent need of Qi Nourishing Soup. It can help your Power reach Great Success much faster, saving you a lot of effort."
Shi Gaoshun said with a smile, revealing his objective.
Once one's Power reached Great Success, they required more potent medicinal herbs. Even with the monthly stipend and mission rewards, it was hard to cover the expenses, so they would naturally sell their unneeded Qi Nourishing Soup.
For a newly promoted disciple, this was something they desperately needed.
"Doesn't the sect have rules against this?"
Yang Chan was a little surprised, but he now understood that this "Senior Brother" was a medicine peddler.
'Still, the Qi Nourishing Soup was something he really needed.'
"Once you've collected your Qi Nourishing Soup, as long as no one takes it by force, the sect doesn't care what you do with it."
"But this Qi Nourishing Soup is very precious, so the price is naturally not low."
Hearing this, Shi Gaoshun's smile never left his face. Based on his past experience, this was another good sheep to be fleeced.
Newly promoted disciples received a reward from the Cyan Yuan Sect, and his goal was naturally to fleece Yang Chan of all his new silver coins.
As for outright robbery, no one would dare do such a thing.
Official Disciples of the Cyan Yuan Sect were different from Servant Disciples; they were true members of the sect. If you robbed someone, you'd be reported to the Stewards before you knew it, and you'd definitely face the consequences.
"So what is your price, Senior Brother?"
Yang Chan asked. If the price was right, he didn't mind buying from this Senior Brother.
"Three taels of silver for one bowl."
"After all, you only get one bowl every three days. It's not easy to come by. Junior Brother, if you drink an extra bowl every three days, you're guaranteed to achieve Great Success in Wild Ox Force within a year."
Shi Gaoshun held up three fingers while touting the benefits of the Qi Nourishing Soup.
Yang Chan was stunned for a moment after hearing the price.
'So he was being treated as a fat sheep to be slaughtered.'
"Senior Brother, do you know what I did before I joined the Cyan Yuan Sect?"
Yang Chan didn't respond to the offer, asking a question instead.
"What did you do before, Junior Brother?"
Shi Gaoshun was a bit confused by Yang Chan's question.
"A Medicinal Herb Collection Boy."
"After collecting herbs, I'd sell them to medicine shops. Among those herbs were the ingredients for Qi Nourishing Soup."
Yang Chan replied with a smile.