Fang Lin looked calm, even wearing a faint smile. He bowed slightly towards Zhao Dengming and said, "Elder Zhao, I happen to know the answer to your question."
Zhao Dengming raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain? If you're just spouting nonsense, I won't let you off lightly!"
Fang Lin smiled quietly, completely unaffected by Zhao Dengming's threat. "The thing Elder Zhao is referring to should be the Gold Fruit." he said.
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Dengming clearly looked surprised, and many of the Pill Apprentices below had expressions of sudden realization.
"Gold Fruit? Ah! Of course, it's the Gold Fruit! How could I not have thought of that?"
"Its body is pale yellow, warm to the touch, has a pungent smell, blooms in the morning and withers by evening, and matures in ten years. It definitely is the Gold Fruit!"
"How incredible that Fang Lin thought of the Gold Fruit so quickly!"
···
Lu Xiaoqing's face lit up with surprise. She had been pondering for a long while but hadn't thought of the Gold Fruit. Yet Fang Lin had pinpointed it straight away, which was far beyond her expectations.
Sun Hao gritted his teeth in disappointment. He had been hoping to see Fang Lin make a fool of himself, yet he was let down once again.
Kang Lu's face darkened. The Pill Apprentices around him looked at each other, silent as death.
"Brother Kang, did Fang Lin just get lucky and stumble upon the right answer?" one of the Pill Apprentices carefully asked.
Kang Lu glanced at him and snorted, but didn't say anything.
"He definitely got lucky. Even we, the long-established Pill Apprentices, couldn't have thought of the Gold Fruit. How could Fang Lin have?"
"That's right, he barely ever goes to the Herb Garden, how could he know the answer? He definitely got lucky."
"This kid sure is lucky, but he won't be so fortunate next time."
···
All of Kang Lu's followers were in disbelief, firmly convinced that Fang Lin had simply been lucky.
Kang Lu, however, didn't look pleased, he felt that it wasn't just a stroke of luck for Fang Lin.
"Very well, as expected of the standout among our new disciples. Now, listen closely to my second question. It won't be as simple as the first." Zhao Dengming nodded approvingly. He seemed to regard Fang Lin with some admiration.
Fang Lin snickered inwardly but maintained a polite smile on his face. "Please ask your question, Elder Zhao."
Zhao Dengming paused, then opened his mouth, "The second question is also about the Herb Garden. There is a herb in the garden that is pink and odourless, it's hard and cold to the touch. What is this herb?"
For a moment, all the Pill Apprentices turned their gaze towards Fang Lin, waiting to see if he could answer this one. However, most of them didn't believe Fang Lin could. After all, this second question was even more indefinite than the previous one. Anyone would struggle to identify this herb in the Herb Garden.
Even the slowest Pill Assignee could see by now that Zhao Dengming was deliberately trying to make things hard for Fang Lin with such a complicated question.
"Brother Kang, now there's no way Fang Lin can guess this one!" one of the disciples beside Kang Lu sneered.
Kang Lu's face finally relaxed slightly, and he nodded in agreement. He then looked back at Fang Lin.
"Fang Lin, it's time for you to lose your proclaimed genius title!" Kang Lu ominously vowed to himself.
Standing among the Pill Apprentices, Fang Lin gave a cursory glance around, taking in the expressions of everyone present.
"Humph, want to see me fail? You'll be disappointed." Fang Lin sneered inwardly.
"Fang Lin, are you going to answer?" Zhao Dengming spoke out, his voice containing a trace of cold indifference.
Fang Lin smiled, "I was just considering it. I know the answer now. The herb Elder Zhao refers to is the Red Unicorn Branch."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Dengming's expression changed. Although he tried to hide his shock, it was evident on his face.
Kang Lu, Sun Hao, and the other Pill Apprentices waiting for Fang Lin to make a fool of himself, all looked extremely gloomy. Especially Kang Lu, he was practically seething.
Upon reflection, the other Pill Apprentices realised that the Red Unicorn Branch indeed coincided with Zhao Dengming's description, there was no mistake.
For a moment, many of the Pill Apprentices started to perceive Fang Lin in a different light. Answering two difficult questions in a row correctly, it was impossible for him to have simply guessed.
The word "genius" began to echo in the minds of many Pill Apprentices.
Zhao Dengming was no less astonished than the apprentices below. As an elder, he knew very well how challenging those two questions were. Even some of the full-fledged disciples might not have been able to answer them so quickly.
Even though Zhao Dengming didn't want to admit it, he knew that this Fang Lin was indeed a genius. At least in terms of botanical knowledge, he doubted anyone among the Pill Apprentices could compare.
However, Zhao Dengming was invited by Kang Lu to suppress Fang Lin after all. Even though he was amazed at Fang Lin's performance, his intention to suppress Fang Lin remained unchanged.
"Very good, Fang Lin. I have one last question. If you can answer this question, I will give you an ancient Alchemy Tao book. If you can't answer, I won't punish you." Zhao Dengming said loudly.
Fang Lin sneered in his heart. This old man still was not satisfied, even though he had answered two questions correctly.
Lu Xiaoqing was visibly upset, wanting to speak up for Fang Lin, but dared not openly confront an elder.
Fang Lin gently patted Lu Xiaoqing's shoulder to reassure her, then he said, "Elder, you may present the question."
Zhao Dengming made a sound of agreement, shared an obscure exchange of expressions with Kang Lu.
"Well then, I'll ask you, how many leaves does the Ghost Courtyard Flower have? How long does it take to mature? What makes it different from the Black Moon Flower?" Zhao Dengming asked, throwing out three questions at once.
This blatant targeting of Fang Lin was now too obvious, leaving many Pill Apprentices with strange expressions, feeling a tinge of dissatisfaction.
"Elder Zhao must have been bribed by Kang Lu to make trouble for Fang Lin."
"This is too much. As an elder, to repeatedly demean Fang Lin is truly unbecoming."
"Even if Fang Lin is a genius, the question about the Ghost Courtyard Flower troubles even the official disciples, how can he answer correctly?"
...
The Ghost Courtyard Flower is a very strange herb that only blooms at night and appears weak for a hundred days.
The Ghost Courtyard Flower is very similar to the Black Moon Flower, even their external appearances are virtually identical. If one did not know the subtle differences between them, they would be thought of as the same herb.
Even many official disciples have difficulty distinguishing between these two herbs, not to mention Pill Apprentices. Even if both herbs were placed in front of them, they wouldn't spot any difference.
Zhao Dengming's face held a trace of smugness and aggravation. His intention in asking this question was already exceedingly apparent, and he was bound to attract blame within the Pill Sect after this event.
However, Zhao Dengming did not care. He had already received benefits from Kang Lu and had tacit approval from the lead elder, so he wasn't too worried. Even if he was blamed, people would forget as time went on.
"Kang Lu, Kang Lu, I've tarnished my reputation this time for your sake." As Zhao Dengming was thinking about asking Kang Lu for more benefits, he heard Fang Lin's voice ring out.
"This question is not difficult either. A premature Ghost Courtyard Flower has thirty-nine leaves, a mature Ghost Courtyard Flower has ninety-nine leaves, and it needs seventeen to twenty years to mature. The difference between it and the Black Moon Flower lies in the color of the flower's core. The Ghost Courtyard Flower's core is slightly purple while the Black Moon Flower's core is light green. Additionally, the Ghost Courtyard Flower has a single root stem while the Black Moon Flower has multiple branches at the root." Fang Lin said confidently.
Upon the stone platform, Zhao Dengming looked at Fang Lin in disbelief, unable to hide his astonishment.
Below the platform, Kang Lu was as shocked as a wooden chicken, his mind buzzing as if he had been petrified.
The entire Pill Array was silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. All eyes were concentrated on Fang Lin.
The expression on Lu Xiaoqing's face changed as well. The Fang Lin at this moment seemed so unfamiliar to her, nothing like his leisurely self in usual times.
Fang Lin remained calm and asked Zhao Dengming, "Elder, are you satisfied with my answer?"
Zhao Dengming's face turned from pale to purple as he glared at Fang Lin, not wanting to believe that Fang Lin had answered the question correctly.
"How could he have answered correctly? It's impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Zhao Dengming roared internally, his face livid and speechless.
Seeing Zhao Dengming's choke-on-a-rat look, all the pill apprentices immediately understood that Fang Lin's answer should be correct. Otherwise, Zhao Dengming wouldn't have such an expression.
At this moment, the person who looked just like Zhao Dengming was Kang Lu. Kang Lu just sat there, his body rigid, his eyes filled with fury.
Everyone else held their tongues, fearing they might provoke Kang Lu who was in a fit of anger.
At this time, Fang Lin spoke again: "Elder, did I answer incorrectly?"
Zhao Dengming almost spat out old blood from his chest and wished he could jump down and beat Fang Lin up.
But no matter how angry or resentful he was, at this moment Zhao Dengming could only force a smile on his face and say, "Your answer was excellent. It's comforting to see someone like you coming from the pill apprentices."
Fang Lin chuckled and said, "Then, when can I get the Alchemy Tao book that Elder promised me earlier?"
The crowd was speechless. Zhao Dengming felt a fire burning in his head, knowing that Fang Lin was doing this on purpose to mess with him.
Immediately, Zhao Dengming waved his hand and threw an ancient book at Fang Lin.
Fang Lin took the book, put it directly in his pocket, and bowed in thanks to Zhao Dengming.
Many people looked at Fang Lin with envy. For a pill apprentice to receive an ancient Alchemy Tao book was a great opportunity, enough to put Fang Lin far ahead of most pill apprentices.
Zhao Dengming couldn't bear to stay here a second longer. Today he had completely lost face. Not only did he fail to suppress Fang Lin, but instead he bolstered Fang Lin's reputation as a genius.
"Elder, I have a doubt that I hope the elder can clarify." Just as Zhao Dengming wanted to announce the end of the class, Fang Lin suddenly called out.