Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Promotion to Intermediate Pharmacist (Part 1)

In Wang Gang’s eyes, even if Yang Chan was talented as a Pharmacist, it would take him decades to become an Advanced Pharmacist. With his own Lifespan limited by his inability to break through to the Inner Master realm, Wang Gang would likely never live to see Yang Chan’s promotion, so it wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.

They were both Intermediate Pharmacists, but he was the more senior of the two. There was no need to give Yang Chan any face.

He was conducting the assessment within the rules, so no one could say a thing.

As for his descendants, once he was dead, why would he care if the world flooded?

’If they can’t make something of themselves, who can they blame? I’ve already spent so much energy training them. If they still can’t achieve anything, they’re simply useless.’

For someone of Wang Gang’s status in the Cyan Yuan Sect, there wasn’t much left to care about. It was better to do what pleased him; it might even let him live a few more years.

"Pharmacist Wang, I have a few more questions to confirm. What did this disciple eat before setting out? In the mountains, what herbs did he gather, and in what order? How long after did he begin to feel weak and experience blurred vision? Was there any unusual smell in the air?"

"When he felt something was wrong, how long did it take for him to take an Antitoxic Pill? Was it a common Antitoxic Pill? How long after taking it did he feel his body recover?"

"And after that, how much longer was it before he gathered the Shanxiang and Ganqi? What was the order he picked them in? What was the approximate time between them? Were there any other peculiar scents or anything else nearby?"

"How much later did he develop symptoms of uncontrollable vomiting and convulsions? And within what timeframe was he administered a special type of Antitoxic Pill? What kind was it?"

"How long did it take to transport him from the mountains to the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Pharmacy?"

Yang Chan fired off a series of questions.

"Don’t be offended, Pharmacist Wang. When you posed your question, there were many points you left unclear. I haven’t met the disciple, so I can’t use the traditional diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. I can only rely on these questions to understand the disciple’s condition and its cause."

"Otherwise, the symptoms this disciple exhibited could point to too many things. The uncontrollable vomiting and convulsions indicate his situation is dire. If the wrong medicine is used, he could miss the best window for treatment and die."

Yang Chan added.

He knew exactly what Wang Gang was up to. It was obvious. The question had been incomplete from the start, riddled with deliberate openings.

’Of course, he could charitably call it an "assessment." In that case, I can’t possibly "disappoint" him. I have to fire back with questions of my own, see who has more of them, and use his own words to uncover the truth.’

’As for him trying to save face from the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, well, I’ll just give him a slap across it. That should give him plenty of face.’

He preferred to keep a low profile, but when someone deliberately caused trouble, he had to push back. Otherwise, he’d be seen as a pushover, and everyone would try to walk all over him, leading to even more problems down the line.

Sometimes, showing a bit of talent and a bit of a temper could solve a lot of problems.

Besides, as a young man on the verge of becoming an Intermediate Pharmacist, how could he not have a temper?

’It wouldn’t fit the image of a genius Pharmacist. I should display some of the fiery spirit of youth. When trouble comes knocking, I should hit right back.’

In Yang Chan’s view, Wang Gang wasn’t much of a threat. His potential was spent. In both alchemy and Martial Arts, he had reached the end of his path.

’When someone like this practically begs to be put in his place, how could I not oblige?’

It would also make it clear to the other Intermediate Pharmacists that they shouldn’t provoke him lightly.

He didn’t like trouble, but he didn’t mind resolving it. If they put themselves in an awkward position they couldn’t get out of, they shouldn’t blame him for not showing them any courtesy.

"Before heading into the mountains to gather herbs, the disciple ate food from the Cyan Yuan Sect. I don’t recall the specifics, but it was all normal food. It wasn’t the trigger."

Wang Gang’s brow furrowed. Yang Chan’s request was perfectly reasonable, so he had to try and recall what the disciple had eaten before going up the mountain.

It was a valid diagnostic criterion, but he had performed his diagnosis on the spot. How could he have had time to ask a semi-conscious person what they’d eaten the night before? It was unrealistic.

So, he had no choice but to rule out that possibility, because he simply didn’t have an answer.

"He ran into trouble about an hour after entering the mountains. During that time, he gathered herbs like Guanxiao, Guandan, Rheum, and Spurges. As for the order, I’m not entirely sure."

"Then, within about thirty minutes, his body grew weak and his vision blurred. There was an extremely pungent, almost spicy, odor in the air."

Wang Gang relayed the information Yang Chan requested, but his answers were vague and incomplete. This wasn’t intentional this time; he simply didn’t know the details.

Compared to Yang Chan’s professionalism, he came across as an amateur. The feeling was deeply uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to continue.

He also shared information he had deduced retroactively.

This was information he had pieced together in hindsight, after his diagnosis and treatment.

He had meant to lay a trap for Yang Chan, but now he was forced to reveal this information, practically giving him clues.

This made Wang Gang’s expression turn ugly, but he had no choice but to answer Yang Chan.

After all, he wasn’t the only one conducting the assessment; Xu Gaocen and two other Intermediate Pharmacists were also present. If his targeting was too blatant, he would be the one to suffer in the end.

Harassing him within the scope of the assessment was one thing, but stepping outside those bounds was another matter entirely.

Both Hall Master Gu An and Advanced Pharmacist Elder Hua were people who could influence his fate. If he went too far with Yang Chan, they might come down on him just as hard.

"After the disciple felt something was wrong, he immediately took a common Antitoxic Pill. His body recovered after about fifteen minutes."

"Then, he continued gathering herbs in the mountains for about another hour. He collected the Ganqi first, and then about fifteen minutes later, he found the Shanxiang. There were no peculiar scents nearby."

"After walking for about a quarter of an hour, he started vomiting uncontrollably and convulsing. About seven or eight minutes later, a Cyan Yuan Sect Disciple found him and gave him an Antitoxic Pill meant for snake venom." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"When his condition didn’t improve, he was brought directly to the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Medicine Hall."

"The journey from the mountain back to the Cyan Yuan Sect took about thirty minutes."

Wang Gang spoke as he recalled the events, revealing one crucial piece of information after another—information he was forced to disclose. It made him extremely uncomfortable.

He had intended to cause trouble, but now it was as if he were helping his opponent.

It was a classic case of a plan backfiring spectacularly.

’Still, even with this information, there are a few possibilities. Let’s see how he diagnoses it from here.’

"I have one last question, then. When you saw the disciple, Pharmacist Wang, what was the state of his complexion? I need a very specific description."

After listening, Yang Chan already had a strong suspicion. But he asked one final question to rule out the remaining possibilities.

It would also serve to confirm his hypothesis.

He was fairly certain of the answer, but to be absolutely sure, he asked one more.

’Why not ask a perfectly reasonable question? Besides, I quite enjoy watching Wang Gang’s face contort. It’s very entertaining.’

’It’s a free show, no applause or payment required. Why wouldn’t I enjoy it?’

’Getting something for free is its own kind of joy.’

Sure enough, as Yang Chan posed his question, Wang Gang’s expression flickered through several shades in an instant. The spectacle made the other observers secretly snicker.

The problem Wang Gang had posed was difficult, but under Yang Chan’s detailed cross-examination, he had basically given a full confession, all but spelling out the answer for him.

A layman might have been baffled by this exchange, but to the other Intermediate Pharmacists, the situation was crystal clear.

Even if they had initially found the problem tricky, they all knew the answer now. This was getting interesting.

It also made the other Intermediate Pharmacists regard Yang Chan with a new level of seriousness. He wasn’t just a Pharmacist who specialized in Alchemy.

His skills in other areas were clearly outstanding as well.

This was evident from the moment Yang Chan began his questioning. Every query was aimed at a key point. Each answer provided a clue while simultaneously ruling out incorrect possibilities, systematically leading to the true source of the problem.

"When I saw the disciple, the upper half of his face was ashen blue, while the lower half was deathly pale. His complexion was not good at all."

Wang Gang slowly spat out the answer to Yang Chan’s question.

Although it was a bitter pill to swallow, this was a testament to Yang Chan’s skill. In front of the other Intermediate Pharmacists, he couldn’t refuse to answer, much less tell a blatant lie.

The condition looked severe, even life-threatening, but its cause was simple, and the treatment was not complex.

The difficulty lay in making a swift diagnosis and administering the correct medicine. Otherwise, if the window for treatment was missed, the person would die.

This was all exacerbated by the long delay in getting him back.

"Then I understand the situation."

"The disciple’s weakness and blurred vision were caused by gathering two-to-five-year-old Spurges. He simultaneously inhaled some of the herb’s fragrance and the extremely pungent scent of corpse flower pollen, which triggered the initial reaction."

"Taking a common Antitoxic Pill suppressed the symptoms temporarily, but over the long course of gathering herbs and traveling, its effects wore off. Compounded by exhaustion, his body gave way to uncontrollable vomiting and convulsions."

"This was because the corpse flower pollen had accumulated in his system, leading to a sudden, violent toxic reaction."

"Then, being given a special Antitoxic Pill for snake venom by another Cyan Yuan Sect Disciple only aggravated the condition further. That’s what led to his upper face turning ashen blue and his lower face turning pale by the time he arrived at the Cyan Yuan Sect."

"This is a case of mixed toxicity from the corpse flower pollen and the fragrance of the Spurges. By itself, the poison isn’t actually that strong. If the disciple had just rested for a while longer, he would have been fine."

"Taking the Antitoxic Pill for snake venom aggravated the condition, putting his life in danger."

"I presume that when you treated him, Pharmacist Wang, you first administered Decomposition Grass. Once his symptoms subsided, you then gave him a common Antitoxic Pill."

Yang Chan stated his deductions with an air of complete confidence.