At a quarter past the hour of the Serpent, the valley’s bell chimed, its long, drawn-out peal signaling the disciples to gather at the medicinal hall behind the main hall.
Within Medicine King Valley, there were currently one hundred and twenty-eight disciples of the Qing generation. Excluding those newly accepted into the sect this year, a total of one hundred and three participated in the assessment today.
The assessment was divided into three parts:
Written examination, diagnosis, and prescription.
One hundred and four low tables were arranged in the medicinal hall, each with paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones. Prayer mats were placed beneath the tables. The entire hall was bright and spacious. Valley Master Si Teng, along with a host of elders, sat at the head table, while disciples of the Ji generation were seated around the hall.
Nan Shiying sat in the front row, in the center. Qing Zhu was on her left, and the person to her right, from the moment they were seated, kept glancing at Qing Zhu. Nan Shiying leaned back slightly, clearing her line of sight, and with her arms crossed, prepared to spectate the unfolding drama.
“Qing Zhu, shall we have a competition?”
The man’s gaze towards Qing Zhu was filled with a competitive spirit. His slightly rough voice was intentionally lowered, grazing past Qing Zhu’s ear, causing him to frown.
Nan Shiying cast a subtle glance at him – how much medicine had he sampled?
Qing Zhu turned his head to look at Qing Lu. Seeing Qing Lu’s eyebrows slightly raised, indicating a desire to outperform him, Qing Zhu’s peripheral vision swept over Feng Luan, who had his arms crossed and a faint smile playing on his lips. Qing Zhu swallowed almost imperceptibly.
Compete in what?
Compete in who loses more miserably?
He remained silent, ignoring Qing Lu’s challenge.
“You…”
Seeing that Qing Zhu had not responded, Qing Lu’s brow furrowed. He was about to say more when a voice from above interrupted him. It was the Valley Master’s voice: “Time is up, distribute the exam papers.”
As Si Teng finished speaking, disciples of the Ji generation stepped forward, distributing the scrolls piled on the table to everyone in turn.
Ji Feng paused for a full five seconds as he passed Nan Shiying.
He truly couldn’t understand what was so intimidating about this pale-faced young man, whose skin looked as if it could be squeezed for water.
Had she even grasped the introductory medical texts?
Engaged in courtly matters and working for Ji Jinmo, did she have time to study medicine?
Ji Feng still harbored doubts about Qing Zhu’s claims. He decided to keep a close eye on her, determined to see what capabilities she possessed.
Facing the scrutinizing gaze from her side, Nan Shiying’s eyebrows slightly rose. Without needing to look up, she could feel eyes upon her from all directions, some probing, some curious, some disdainful. Being the center of attention, anyone with an unstable mindset would surely have panicked, but Nan Shiying remained as steady as a mountain, completely unafraid. She opened the scroll and surveyed the questions on the exam. After a cursory glance, she picked up her brush.
Hearing the scratching sound beside him, Qing Lu looked up. He watched the person next to him write as if divinely guided, the tip of the brush moving across the paper, quickly filling it with dense characters. He then looked down at his own paper.
The assessment had only just begun, and he hadn’t written a single word. He was still calculating whether the patient’s illness in the question had manifested in early spring or summer, and whether to consider seasonal and elemental attributes in his diagnosis, while the other person had already moved on to the next question.
Was this the speed of a normal person? Was she just writing down random gibberish?
Qing Lu’s heart grew unsettled. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, all extraneous thoughts had subsided.
He focused all his attention on the exam paper before him.
A single stick of incense burned in the censer before Si Teng. When the incense was extinguished, the examination would cease. This incense stick was as thick as half a little finger and would burn for a good two hours. With the incense halfway gone, Nan Shiying put down her brush and slowly stood up.
“Finished!”
Her eyelids drooped slightly, conveying an air of exhaustion, as if she had expended immense effort. However, Old Poison knew that this was simply her being purely bored.
It seemed the questions posed by Senior Brother were truly not very good!