Chapter 15: Indenture Contract Abolished; Apothecary Promotion!

Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, another two months had passed. As always, Lu Changsheng remained by Old Wen's side.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Old Wen suddenly let out a long sigh, his eyes soft with relief. "Changsheng, you finished your apprenticeship."

"Finished... my apprenticeship?" Lu Changsheng was slightly taken aback. It had only been a few months, and yet he had already completed his training?

During his time with Old Wen, he had learned countless things. In particular, his ability to recognize medicinal herbs and his knowledge of their properties had grown immensely. This was the kind of knowledge gold and silver could never buy, born from Old Wen's hard-earned experience.

Many of the herbs were not even recorded in the pharmacopoeia, yet Old Wen could name them as if they were common and ordinary. He had certainly been generous with Lu Changsheng, holding nothing back when teaching him.

Old Wen said, "Yes. I've already taught you everything you needed to know. There's nothing more I can add. You're ready to become a true apothecary. I will report to Miaoshou Garden, and someone will come to discuss your indenture and your compensation."

Old Wen’s voice was filled with satisfaction. He had seen many gifted students in his lifetime, but none like Lu Changsheng—someone who had completed their apprenticeship in just a few months, ready to become an apothecary.

"I am grateful, Old Wen." Lu Changsheng bowed reverently. He understood that with Old Wen's endorsement, the matter was essentially settled.

Sure enough, that very afternoon, a steward from Miaoshou Garden sought him out. He was a member of the Zheng family, holding a respectable position. With a smile, Steward Zheng took out two documents, one an indenture contract and the other an employment contract.

"Lu Changsheng, you have been at Miaoshou Garden for exactly one year and one month. By the terms of your indenture, one year and eleven months remain. But Old Wen has reported that you are already qualified to be an apothecary. The rules state that once someone becomes an apothecary or a physician, the indenture is voided and replaced with a contract for paid employment. Here, read it carefully, and if anything is unclear, feel free to ask me."

Lu Changsheng read the contract carefully and nodded. He already knew the benefits apothecaries enjoyed: two silver taels a month, with additional bonuses during major festivals. Those who served for thirty years could even appoint one of their descendants as an apprentice, allowing them to skip the menial apprenticeship entirely. Miaoshou Garden's benefits were second to none in Nanyang City.

Lu Changsheng had never intended to leave anyway, so he nodded. "No problem."

"Good. Then write down your name and press your seal," Steward Zheng said.

Lu Changsheng signed without hesitation. He then took the indenture contract from Steward Zheng, gave it a glance, and set it alight, watching as the flames consumed it. With his current strength, that piece of paper no longer held any power over him. Even so, shedding the title of servant brought him a faint sense of satisfaction. From that day forth, he would be known not as a menial apprentice, but as an apothecary.

With the matter settled, Steward Zheng gave a smile and turned to leave. Shortly after, Lu Changsheng packed his belongings and moved into his new residence. Apothecaries were each granted their own courtyard—nothing luxurious, but quite peaceful and quiet, free from disturbances.

"Apothecary..." Lu Changsheng murmured to himself. He took out a pouch of Eight Treasures Blood-Tonifying Concoction and tasted it lightly.

"This contains dong quai, ginseng,

lurong

[1]..." He closed his eyes as he murmured, naming each of the precious herbs one by one. The eight main ingredients of the concoction were vivid in his mind.

Recognizing medicinal meals wasn't difficult for an apothecary, but creating them was another matter entirely. After all, the most crucial aspect lay in their proportions, which had been refined through generations of physicians' painstaking effort. Moreover, medicinal meals acted directly on the human body. They required a dialectical approach to balance and harmonize each component correctly.

Lu Changsheng had long wanted to create his own medicinal meals, both because they were costly to acquire and because the Eight Treasures Blood-Tonifying Concoction was gradually losing its effectiveness on him. However, preparing the meals without the proper medical knowledge and dialectical thinking was impossible.

It seems that merely becoming an apothecary is not enough. I must become a physician.

That path required another stage of apprenticeship. For an apothecary to become a physician, they had to be formally accepted as a student by a physician.

I have no kin in Miaoshou Garden, nor do I know which physician here is the most skilled. Besides, even if I find an actual expert, he might not agree to take me as his disciple.

Still, after weighing the matter, Lu Changsheng saw no drawback. Becoming a physician could only benefit him. Even in martial arts, a deep understanding of the human body was essential. Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts had been inseparable. Remembering this, Lu Changsheng's determination to become a physician burned even more fiercely.

Within Miaoshou Garden, the only person of real influence he knew was Old Wen. With that in mind, Lu Changsheng rose and went to find him.

"Old Wen, I have just become an apothecary, but I wish to advance and become a physician as well. May I ask for your guidance?" Lu Changsheng went straight to the point.

Old Wen lifted his head. Instead of surprise, his face was filled with quiet satisfaction.

"Good. It seems I was not mistaken about you. With your talent, it would be a shame not to pursue the path of medicine. There are many physicians in Miaoshou Garden, but truly renowned ones are few. Among them, Physician Wu Jing has an extraordinary reputation. His name is esteemed across the land, not just in Nanyang City. If you can study under him, your future will be limitless." Old Wen’s voice carried a note of certainty.

"Physician Wu Jing?" Lu Changsheng pondered the name, which he had definitely heard before. Indeed, he had heard that Wu Jing was incredibly skilled, though somewhat eccentric. He was also known for never having produced any outstanding disciples. After all, not everyone who possessed extraordinary skill was willing to pass it on to others.

However, Lu Changsheng wasn't daunted. With his keen Perception, he figured he could learn most of what he needed just by standing by Wu Jing's side and observing.

"Old Wen, I don’t know Physician Wu Jing personally, so I fear that..."

Old Wen waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. I have a close relationship with him, so I shall speak to him on your behalf. Shouldn't be an issue. In the meantime, just go back and rest. I'll come to you after I've spoken to him."

"I am deeply grateful, Old Wen," Lu Changsheng said with a deep bow. He would never forget Old Wen's kindness, and he was determined to repay it when the chance arose.

Having just been promoted to apothecary, Lu Changsheng was entitled to a few days of leave. With no pressing matters to attend to, he remained in his courtyard, devoting himself to circulating his blood qi.

Over the past two months, Lu Changsheng's Perception had sharpened, and his understanding of the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art had grown deeper. Although Perception alone could not replace the medicinal meals that were required for the Blood Strengthening Stage, it nevertheless gave him a clear advantage. With each circulation of blood qi becoming more efficient, his cultivation progressed far faster than before. That was how he had managed to advance the Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art in an astonishingly short time of just two months.

Once, twice, three times...

Lu Changsheng was completely immersed in the circulation of blood qi, losing track of time.

Boom!

His whole body quivered, and he felt a scorching aura surge out from within him. It felt as though a blazing firestorm had ignited within him. He could clearly sense the mass of blood qi surging through his body, swelling so rapidly it was nearly visible to the naked eye. This time, the surge of blood qi did not remain concentrated as before but spread rapidly through his entire body, threatening to engulf him from head to toe.

At that moment, a line of words appeared before his eyes.

Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art Perfection. Perception +6.

1. This is equivalent to deer antler velvet in Traditional Chinese Medicine, formally known as Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum in the pharmacopoeia, derived from the young, unossified antlers of deer. ☜