Wu Ying was grateful he had still been chewing when she spoke. Chao Kun had not been as lucky and was now attempting to clear his lungs from food which had gone down the wrong way.
“Eh! Anyway, Senior Liu is calling me. I’ll fight you another time!” Li Yao said, waving goodbye to Wu Ying. She bounced off, stuffing another bite of the bun into her mouth as she left.
“Does she know?” Wu Ying said after he’d swallowed.
“We’re not sure,” Chao Kun confided softly. “We think not. If she does, she’s the devil itself.”
“Devil? What kind of devil?” Tou He said. “I do not have my master’s touch, but I do have a few Taoist psalms which might help.”
Chao Kun and Wu Ying shared a look before they turned to the ex-monk, smiling as they answered in unison. “Nothing at all.”
“Long Wu Ying, right?” another voice interrupted before Tou He could speak.
Wu Ying turned, smiling as another of his sparring partners came up to introduce himself. Soon, Wu Ying found himself caught up in the friendly chatter of his ex-partners, trading tips and compliments. Though, the ex-farmer noted, a few he’d fought failed to seek him out and stood to the side, watching the entire scene with looks of distaste.
Their actions did not mar Wu Ying’s overall good impression of the martial specialists. They were, for the most part, more intent on the progress of their martial forms and abilities than external concerns like birthright. Here, the fist ruled, rather than blood.
Chapter 5
Days later, Wu Ying found himself slipping into the crowded lecture hall that would host Liu Song’s lecture. In the past few days, Wu Ying had successfully joined the blacksmith class, having worked the bellows to the satisfaction of Elder Wang. In addition, Wu Ying had spent time with the martial specialists. His initial impressions had proven true, to his delight. The group was even less stuck-up than the blacksmiths, and what little animosity Wu Ying had felt for his upbringing was directly dealt with on the dueling stages, which he happily accepted.
Which was why the disdainful sniffs, the “accidental” elbow bumps, and the discourteous replies to questions about the availability of empty spots in the lecture hall was even more jarring for Wu Ying. Whereas the martial specialists might be openly but friendlily competitive and blacksmiths competitive but cordial, pill refiners were just competitive.
Eventually Wu Ying found a seat in the upper tiers of the lecture hall, a seat that provided one of the worse possible viewing angles. But luckily, the section was also relatively empty. Seated with a pad of papers by his side and his ink brush ready, Wu Ying took a moment to review the hall again. The lecture hall was extremely busy for a beginner’s lecture. As he tried to puzzle out the reason why, Wu Ying saw numerous individuals pulling out careworn copies of the Principles and Species of Roots and Herbs. Wu Ying winced, realizing he had forgotten to purchase his own.
Before he could chide himself further, Liu Tsong made her way onto the stage. In her hands was a large wooden box she set on the stone table before turning to the attendees. Her gaze swept over the group, taking them all in and waiting till they quieted before she spoke.
“I am Lee Liu Tsong, here to represent my master, Elder Wei. This class is meant for those looking to study the basics of pill refining and will cover the most common herbs and plants you will be required to know when you begin refining,” Liu Tsong said. “Now, turn to page eighteen of your book.”
What followed over the next four hours was a lecture on numerous plants listed in the book, their characteristics as explained in the Principles, as well as the incorrect, misleading, or missing information and common mistakes. For example, northern yu ginseng was easily mistaken for southern shen ginseng due to the way the lower leaflets of the southern shen sprouted from a lower point on the stem but the northern yu all came from one point. In addition, during different times in its growth, the ginseng itself would look different, with varying amount of compound leaves.
On top of identifying the plant, Liu Tsong went into detail about the differences in potency and effect which occurred when the plant was harvested at different times. As each plant also had numerous portions that could or could not be used—from leaf to stem to root and, of course, the various berries or nuts or flowers it might create—each discussion of a plant took up to forty minutes.
Wu Ying found himself scribbling notes constantly. The sheer amount of detail Liu Tsong provided meant no beginner would be able to remember it all. It soon became apparent that while everyone in the hall was paying close attention to Liu Tsong’s words, some of the attendees were only occasionally making notes in their books while others, like Wu Ying, were desperate to take it all down. It did not take much conjecture to realize that some were experienced pill refiners, here to verify the details of their prior notes and potentially learn a little more. Certainly whenever Liu Tsong came to interactions and potential complications, they paid more attention.
The hours passed in a blur, leaving Wu Ying lamenting his lack of paper and preparation. Toward the end, Wu Ying was forced to set aside his brush and focus on Liu Tsong, doing his best to remember all the pertinent details. If there was one advantage Wu Ying had, it was his background. While some of the newer nobles frowned and sucked air through their teeth whenever Liu Tsong described or pointed out minor variations in a plant, Wu Ying found he could spot those differences easily. A childhood running around the nearby forests and plains, often tasked with finding wild herbs and vegetables to add to the family cookpot, was paying off. While he might not have recognized some of the names Liu Tsong used, in many cases, he recognized the plants themselves. And their variants.
Watching her discuss the different ways to tell the difference amused him, as he recalled the cruder methods the villagers used. Check if a plant bloomed on the third day of the new moon? Why not break off a leaf and rub it on the edge of your arm? If your skin flared up in a few minutes, it was Bottle Fern. If not, you could pick to your heart’s content.
Of course, Wu Ying had to admit he was learning a lot too. The exacting methods Liu Tsong briefly touched upon could distinguish plants Wu Ying had never heard of and they were all, by far, safer and less onerous on a cultivator’s body.
“Now, the long-eared double-tailed spotted mushroom looks similar to the long-eared single-tailed spotted mushroom. It is at its base you can tell the difference. While the single-tail version is non-toxic and often used by farmers to season their food, the long-eared double-tailed mushroom is highly poisonous. Ingesting even a quarter cap of this mushroom will kill an Energy Storage cultivator,” Liu Tsong said, tapping the cork board and pointing at the differences between the two.
Wu Ying leaned forward, paying particular attention to the last mushroom. In truth, the difference was not hard to see, as the spots were relatively numerous. Of course, that was if the mushrooms were not bruised. Bruising could easily make it difficult to tell.
“For the double-tailed—” Liu Tsong paused as the peal of bells informed everyone that another hour had completed. She straightened, waving to dismiss the group. “That will be all for today. Another lecture will be held next week. Make sure to review your notes before then.”
The class stood in unison and bowed to Liu Tsong, some going so far as to offer verbal thanks. Afterward, they streamed out of the hall while Liu Tsong packed up her living examples. A couple of keen male students joined Liu Tsong on stage, vying to help the beauty and shooting each other glares. As Wu Ying watched the competition between the two, the cultivator changed his mind about approaching Liu Tsong and instead offered her a quick wave goodbye as he finished packing up his own supplies. Being seen as another contender for her affections would likely create even more difficulties for himself.