Qin Meng left the academy and arrived at the House Qin. Almost barren castle, but that's what he needed at the moment. Peace and tranquility. No distraction. There was no trace of the maid either, so he went into his room.
A thick book materialized in his hand:
On the first page was the introduction of the author, where he had written long paragraphs of his marvelous achievements for ten pages straight into the book. Qin Meng wasn't interested in learning about the author, so he skipped the introduction. Only then did the main part start — the name of the first herb was Bruise Bay Leaf.
Under the heading was a picture of a plant with long green leaves covered in blue circles and yellow lines. It was mostly used as an antiseptic. Though that wasn't its only use. It could also work as an antidote to slow down some weak poisons. Not that many people used it to prevent poisoning. They had better options available, after all.
Qin Meng flipped the page, and another herb appeared, and then another and another. Soon he started to feel bored and sleepy. Although he forgot nothing he read, it was taking too long. At this rate, he'd take around six months to remember the entire book. He didn't want to waste most of his time memorizing it.
Otherwise, when'd he get the time to cultivate… CULTIVATE?
Qin Meng's eyes flashed. He jerked the book inside his ring before closing his eyes, and when he opened them, he was already in front of the gigantic cauldron. He looked at the ring on his finger and the book appeared in his hand. "It worked!" he grinned.
Now he could memorize the book and cultivate at the same time. This was amazing.
However, as soon as his gaze fell upon the book, something even more incredible happened. With just a single glimpse, he learned everything on the page!
He did not know how it happened, but it happened, and it was an undeniable truth. It was just like breathing or blinking your eyes. It just sort of occurred, as if it was a normal and natural thing to happen. It thrilled Qin Meng. He started to flip page after page, and it took just a glance for him to absorb every content in front of his eyes.
***
Five days later, Qin Meng arrived at the Alchemy Department and knocked on Qian Jie's lab door. It didn't take long for the gate to open and a woman in white clothes appeared. Her eyes were no longer red, her hair was tied in a cute ponytail, and no traces of fatigue were on her face. In light makeup, she looked quite pretty.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice brought him back to his senses when he was staring at her like an alien species. "Didn't I tell you to memorize the entire book before coming back?"
"Oh, I've already done that," replied Qin Meng with a cheeky smile.
"Are you here to waste my time?" Qian Jie frowned. "If you are, then it won't do you any good, even if you are Leng Yueyan's loverboy."
"Loverboy… I like the sound of it—"
"Cut the bullshit and tell me why are you here?" Qian Jie interrupted.
"I told you, I've already remembered everything in the book," Qin Meng replied again, this time with a serious tone and expression.
Qian Jie looked shocked when she felt Qin Meng's deep gaze. Her heart started to beat faster. "A—are you telling the truth?" she asked again. She'd spent a year remembering the entire book. How could she accept that someone did the same thing in just five days? Where would her face go?
She eyed Qin Meng and then invited him inside.
As soon as he entered the room, Qian Jie shot him with a bunch of questions. First Bruise Bay Leaf and then Hibernation Weed and then Ice Vine… and soon Qian Jie's unwillingness to accept his words turned into shock and then the shock transformed into numbness. Because Qin Meng answered every question correctly. Her lips trembled, trying to find a tougher one, but then she realized that she'd already asked the toughest of them already.
"Is this for real?" she muttered, staring at Qin Meng in awe and wonder. She'd never seen—or heard—about anyone who could memorize the Chart of Hundred Thousand Medicines and Herbs in just five days.
If this news spread, what waves would it produce in the entire kingdom? She could not fathom.
"Now, can you teach me the alchemy?" Qin Meng's voice interrupted her train of thought. She lifted her gaze and said, "Of course I'll teach you. You're going to become a living legend. As your teacher, there will be a place for me as well in the history textbooks."
"Aren't you exaggerating too much about it?"
"No, not at all," Qian Jie shook her head. "You don't know what you've done, and how precious this gift is… Every alchemist dreams to get an ability like this."
Qin Meng felt unsettled when he heard her words, realizing that he made a grave mistake. He shouldn't have revealed this ability. It could bring a lot of trouble to him. However, he wanted to learn alchemy, so he could not avoid it, anyway. He stared at Qian Jie nervously and said, "Can you, please, promise me to not tell anyone about it?"
"Why?" asked Qian Jie in surprise. "Do you know how many alchemists would go crazy to take you as their apprentice if they know about your ability? This is a great opportunity."
Qin Meng, however, shook his head. There were already many who had become unsettled because of his admission in the academy. If they knew about his Photographic Memory, they would definitely try something nasty. And he'd no intention of attracting any more attention than he already did.
Qian Jie eyed him and shook her head. "Well, if you don't want to reveal it, I won't tell anyone about it."
And so his first alchemy lesson began.