'The effect is really mediocre. It only added 0.1 Potential Points. The batch I mixed myself probably isn't very good. Still, there's enough Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment left for five more applications, which should add up to 0.6 more Potential Points.'
Yang Chan frowned when he saw the 0.4 increase in his Potential Points in the early hours of the morning.
The ingredients for the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment had cost him five taels of silver, five times what he paid for the Qi Nourishing Soup. And that was using his status as a Pharmacist's Assistant to buy them at cost, avoiding any middleman markups.
Logically, it should have been far more effective. He never expected the results to be so mediocre; it simply wasn't worth the price.
'There's an issue with the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment when it's mixed according to the standard formula. The medicinal properties clash, which affects the final product's potency. It works, but the effect is just average.'
'Still, my skin and muscles feel slightly stronger. That's a benefit beyond the Potential Points, though it's not a major improvement. Using the rest before my Ox Demon's Mighty Fist reaches Tier Two would be a waste.'
Yang Chan mused to himself.
'I don't have any assignments for the next three days, so I can spend more time on my Ox Demon's Mighty Fist. I'll get it to the Tier Two Entry level first. By then, it'll be the perfect time for tempering my skin and muscles, allowing me to get the full dual benefit of the Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment.'
The Bear Gallbladder Skin-Toughening Ointment had a long shelf life and could be stored for a long time.
His previous application had just been a test.
Judging purely by the gain in Potential Points, the Qi Nourishing Soup was much more cost-effective.
Yang Chan didn't have much silver left and naturally had to be frugal. His monthly stipend was set to increase next month, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
The monthly stipend for a Pharmacist's Assistant was quite generous.
'Now that I have my results, there's no need to pull an all-nighter.'
Although Yang Chan wasn't satisfied with his gain in Potential Points, he still didn't want to stay up all night.
...
"Junior Brother Yang Chan! You really can't judge a book by its cover. Look at you!"
"You're Pharmacist Xu's assistant now! Looks like you learned quite a bit back when you were a Medicinal Herb Collection Boy!"
Shi Gaoshun was all smiles as he spotted Yang Chan practicing the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist in the Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Institute and walked over to him.
Yang Chan's expression soured upon hearing this.
'What's that supposed to mean, "can't judge a book by its cover"?'
But then he recalled his previous assignment sun-drying herbs. His skin had been tanned dark, and with his scrawny frame, he must have looked like a scrawny, dark-skinned, underdeveloped kid.
Even after a month of rest, supplementing with two Health Cultivation Skills and medicinal cuisine, he had only partially recovered. He wasn't as scrawny, but while his complexion had improved, his skin still looked dark.
"You too, Senior Brother. I didn't realize you were so well-informed."
Yang Chan slowly brought his practice to a close, then turned to the short and stout Shi Gaoshun.
"Er..."
Shi Gaoshun was taken aback, unsure if Yang Chan was subtly insulting him. Then again, he had been the one to start it.
"It's a real shame you became a Pharmacist's Assistant, Junior Brother. Otherwise, you could be taking part in the Sect's missions."
"You must have heard that several of the powers under the Cyan Yuan Sect have betrayed us, right? The Elders are leading teams down the mountain for missions, and both Elite and Official Disciples can join."
"You get to claim precious herbs, silver, and other things from the families we crush. The Sect only takes a small cut, and the rest is distributed among the participating disciples based on their contributions. You could even get your hands on herbs that help with External or Inner Refining."
Shi Gaoshun said with a grin, as if trying to make Yang Chan feel like he was missing out on a huge opportunity.
After all, the Cyan Yuan Sect's Elders were all masters at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level. With them leading the way, there was basically no danger. They could just march into the traitors' territories and sweep them aside.
And they would get to reap the rewards.
"That really is a shame. But my Cultivation isn't very high to begin with. This will give me time to study the Medicine Scripture, which should be helpful later on."
Yang Chan put on a suitably regretful expression as he explained his plans.
'The Cyan Yuan Sect's move is just as I predicted,' he thought. 'It was only a matter of time. Becoming a Pharmacist's Assistant early was the perfect way to avoid this mess.'
'Even with Sect Elders leading the charge against the traitors, there are bound to be masters among those factions. With my Wild Ox Force only at the Great Success stage, I'd be no match for an External Refining expert. Of course I have to stay away.'
"Don't worry about it. You missed out this time, but there will probably be other chances."
"Even if you don't participate directly, you'll still get some of the credit as a Pharmacist's Assistant. After all, they'll need to take all sorts of medicines with them on the expedition."
"With your current Cultivation, you probably couldn't hold your own against the others anyway. It's safer for you to stay here in the Cyan Yuan Sect."
Shi Gaoshun knew it had taken Yang Chan two and a half years to become an Official Disciple, which meant his Talent was poor. With his current strength, his actual combat skills were surely average at best; he couldn't possibly muster much Combat Power.
That level of strength was fine against ordinary people, but it was nothing against someone who had cultivated Power. He, on the other hand, was close to achieving Great Success in his Wild Ox Force, and his Combat Power was formidable.
He also had regular combat experience, so he was confident he could even take on someone whose Power was at the Great Success stage.
"That's what I was thinking, too."
Yang Chan nodded.
Even though his Ox Demon's Mighty Fist had already surpassed that of many Official Disciples, he was still keeping a low profile, because this bit of strength was really nothing special.
He wasn't about to get carried away.
"Don't worry. When I get back from the mission with some good stuff, you can come buy it from my stall on Cyan Fish Street. I'll be sure to give you the cost price."
Shi Gaoshun added, his mind never straying far from his business dealings.
'He's already taking pre-orders before he's even left the Cyan Yuan Sect.'
"In that case, I wish you a fruitful journey, Senior Brother."
Yang Chan said, by which time his Qi and Blood had slowly started to recover.
"It's nothing. I'm going to go round up a few more people to go with."
With that, Shi Gaoshun left.
'So, he was just looking down on me.'
After Shi Gaoshun had gone, it dawned on Yang Chan. The man thought his Cultivation was too low, that he wasn't even qualified to join them.
He pursed his lips, unconcerned. He wanted to keep a low profile anyway, so he couldn't care less what others thought. Besides, the path he had chosen was its own highway to success—a road only he knew about.
As the sole beneficiary, he would naturally get rich in silence and wait until he had the power to protect himself before revealing anything.
At the External Refining Copper Skin stage, you'd barely have some strength. At External Refining Steel, you'd no longer be considered weak. External Iron Bone Refining would be a minor accomplishment. And as an Inner Master, you should be relatively safe under normal circumstances.
If he had to leave the Cyan Yuan Sect, Yang Chan hoped to at least reach the External Refining stage first. He wouldn't set any "flags" for himself by deciding when he'd be ready to leave, lest he fall victim to Murphy's Law. That would be the worst-case scenario.
'I hope this chaos ends soon,' Yang Chan thought.
The chaos was growing more apparent by the day. This was no longer just about natural disasters; people's hearts were growing restless. To truly resolve this situation, the price would have to be paid in human lives.