"The aroma of medicine is thick. It looks like someone is always refining and preparing medicines here."
The moment he stepped onto the third floor, Yang Xiao felt a jolt of alertness.
The aroma of medicine washed over him.
Seeing this, Cheng Boxuan smiled slightly but said nothing. He led Yang Xiao down a long corridor until they reached a room at the very end. Only then did he stop and knock on the door.
"Come in."
A voice, aged yet gentle, drifted out.
Cheng Boxuan smiled at Yang Xiao and pushed the door open.
"Young Master Yang, please."
"Yes. My thanks, Study Lord Cheng."
Yang Xiao nodded slightly and walked right in without ceremony.
The first thing he saw upon entering was a gentle old man looking at him with great interest. The elder wore simple gray robes, but his eyes were remarkably clear and bright.
He seemed quite extraordinary.
What was even more surprising was the faint yet incredibly pure aura he exuded.
'A Martial Arts Grandmaster Level powerhouse?'
Yang Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
"Young Master Yang, this is the former Study Lord of our Juhua Studio, Elder Yao."
Cheng Boxuan introduced with a smile.
"Greetings, Elder Yao. Thank you for your trouble."
Yang Xiao bowed slightly.
"Young Friend Yang, you are too kind. I merely did what was necessary. You, on the other hand, Young Friend Yang... to have such a mastery of pharmacology at your age is incredibly rare. The younger generation is truly formidable."
"Elder Yao, you flatter me."
But Elder Yao just smiled. "Young Friend Yang, there's no need to be so modest. With your current understanding of pharmacology and medicinal properties, I fear even Boxuan is not your equal. Tell me, are you interested in joining our Juhua Studio?"
'Join Juhua Studio?'
Yang Xiao was taken aback.
He had long suspected he might be recruited by the higher-ups at Juhua Studio, but such a direct invitation still took him by surprise.
"That's right. When it comes to identifying the properties and principles of medicine, Young Master Yang's ability is superior to mine. You've also seen that Elder Yao is getting old and has many things to worry about, especially regarding Pills. He is in dire need of an assistant to help him identify some of the more difficult-to-distinguish herbs. I wonder, is Young Master Yang interested?"
Cheng Boxuan said.
'An assistant?'
Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Xiao shook his head.
"My apologies, but my heart is set on the Martial Dao. I don't have much interest in pharmacology and medicinal properties. I'm afraid I must disappoint Elder Yao."
"Your heart is set on the Martial Dao?"
Both Cheng Boxuan and Elder Yao were stunned.
They hadn't expected Yang Xiao to refuse, let alone for such a reason.
Though it was his first time meeting Yang Xiao, one had to remember who Elder Yao was.
He was one of the most highly-ranked figures in the entire Purple Sun Sect; finding out about someone was trivially easy for him.
So, by the time he had confirmed ninety percent of Yang Xiao's answers were correct, he had already learned of the young man's background and identity.
He knew about Yang Xiao's feud with the Ye Family, as well as the fact that he couldn't cultivate.
He had thought that Yang Xiao would be ecstatic at the offer to join Juhua Studio and become his assistant.
But he had never expected the young man to actually refuse.
'And he even claimed his heart was set on the Martial Dao. Wasn't that just bullshit?'
'It seems this kid is just too proud,'
Cheng Boxuan sighed to himself.
Elder Yao, too, felt a sense of regret.
"It is a pity, but we respect your decision. In the future, should you need anything, Young Friend Yang, you can come find me. I will do my best to help you with anything I can."
Elder Yao sighed softly but remained graceful, unlike some powerful figures who immediately turn hostile after being rejected.
"Elder Yao, I actually do have a favor to ask. I hope you might grant it."
"Oh? What is it?"
Even Elder Yao couldn't help but find this a little odd.
'I may think highly of this boy, but for him to make a request right away... He certainly makes himself at home.'
"As you know, Elder, I won a Kunling Pill and a Gang Transformation Pill during the contest just now. I would like to trade these two Pills with Juhua Studio for some Spirit Medicines. Would that be possible?"
"Trade them for Spirit Medicines?"
Elder Yao was stunned for a moment, then smiled to himself.
'This kid really is proud.'
However, his gaze shifted to Cheng Boxuan.
He had stopped handling such transactions long ago, leaving them all to Cheng Boxuan.
But Cheng Boxuan spoke up, "The Kunling Pill is effective at purifying impurities for experts at the Martial Artist Level. The Gang Transformation Pill, moreover, can help a Peak Innate Grand Martial Master break through to the Martial Grandmaster realm. They are both first-rate Pills. Are you certain you want to trade them for Spirit Medicines, Young Master Yang?"
"Yes. I'm hoping to trade for some Fire Attribute Spirit Medicines."
Yang Xiao had already examined the two Pills.
Although others would consider Pills personally refined by Great Pharmacist Wang Qianhe to be extraordinary, to Yang Xiao, they were rather subpar.
He could achieve the same medicinal effects with ordinary herbs or even lower-grade Spirit Medicines, so he had no intention of keeping either Pill.
"Since Young Master Yang's mind is made up, please follow me. Master, I'll take Young Master Yang to the medicine repository."
Elder Yao waved his hand.
He motioned for them to go ahead.
He was a little disappointed that he couldn't keep Yang Xiao, but he didn't press the matter.
Such was his temperament.
"Young Master Yang, please."
And Cheng Boxuan, as his most favored disciple, had inherited his master's disposition.
He had no intention of making things difficult for Yang Xiao, either.
Instead, he led Yang Xiao directly into the third floor's medicine repository.
"All of Juhua Studio's Spirit Medicines of Third-Level and above are in here. Have a look. For the Kunling Pill, I can offer twenty-six stalks of Third-Level Spirit Medicine or two stalks of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine. As for the Gang Transformation Pill, if you'd like Third-Level Spirit Medicines, you can choose any three hundred stalks. If you prefer Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines, I can give you twenty-four. As for Fifth-level Spirit Medicine, we only have three stalks in the entire repository. If you want to trade for them, I can give you two."
This was an absolutely fair price.
One had to understand that even among Third-Level Spirit Medicines, there were vast differences in value and medicinal strength. Take the Thousand-year-old Red Blood Orchid that Yang Xiao had used previously—it was one of the more expensive varieties of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine.
And the Red Flame Dragon Fruit was a peak specimen among Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines.
And now, Cheng Boxuan was actually letting Yang Xiao choose for himself.
By offering such favorable terms, Yang Xiao knew that Cheng Boxuan was still trying to curry favor with him.
Stepping forward, he scanned all the Spirit Medicines in the repository.
It didn't take long for Yang Xiao to make up his mind.
He didn't choose the three most expensive Fifth-level Spirit Medicines, because not a single one of them was rich in Fire Elemental Power.
Instead, he chose a total of twenty-six stalks of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine.
Among them were ordinary Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines like Seven-leaf Red Sun Grass and Pure Yang Fruit, but also top-tier ones like the Red Flame Fire Lotus and Cyan Sunflower, which were comparable to the Red Flame Dragon Fruit.
All told, their total value was roughly equivalent to the Gang Transformation Pill and Kunling Pill he held.
'This little fellow is just as Old Cao said—proud, and unwilling to take advantage of others. What a pity he won't be Elder Yao's assistant. Otherwise, he could have been a huge help to him.'
Cheng Boxuan sighed softly.
Yang Xiao, however, was very satisfied.
With the twenty-six stalks of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine in hand, he bid farewell to Cheng Boxuan.
"If you have a change of heart, Young Master Yang, you can come find me at any time. Elder Yao truly appreciates a prodigy such as yourself."
Personally escorting him to the entrance of Juhua Studio, Cheng Boxuan made one last attempt to retain him.
"I will consider it. Thank you, Study Lord Cheng."
Yang Xiao nodded slightly.
After leaving Juhua Studio, he now had a total of twenty-six stalks of Spirit Medicine, all rich in Fire Elemental Power. If he absorbed them all, he could definitely take his internal Origin Flame to the next level.
But just as Yang Xiao was excitedly heading back to cultivate, a young man in an Outer Disciple Robe, who seemed to have been waiting for some time, appeared.
The moment he saw Yang Xiao walk out the main gate of Juhua Studio, the young man's eyes lit up, and he strode toward him.