What... what's happening?
"Elder, these..." Jiang Tang looked at the drifting Jade Tokens with some hesitation.
If there were any highly difficult tasks, and he failed to complete them, he wouldn't be able to explain himself for staying outside.
"These were personally selected by Elder Liuqing for you; you can confidently go and do them," the Steward Elder noticed Jiang Tang's twitch and couldn't help but chuckle. He waved his hand, swept his sleeve, stored the Jade Tokens in a brocade pouch, and handed it to Jiang Tang, "Elder Liuyue has specifically instructed that as long as Jiang Tang completes the tasks before next year's Outer Sect assessment, returning to the Sect will suffice."
Elder Liuyue... truly a good person.
Jiang Tang bowed deeply in thanks, received the brocade pouch, watched the Steward Elder leave, returned to his courtyard, took a bath, and then began to use his Divine Sense to check the tasks.
All of them were tasks that could be easily completed and would earn silver.
Silver, ah.
Jiang Tang's eyes lit up, feeling a surge of energy throughout his body.
He applied to leave the mountain that very day.
Glancing back at the mountains enveloped in Immortal Qi, Jiang Tang resolved to complete the tasks well—whether there was silver or not wasn't the issue; it was mainly because completing tasks was rather enjoyable.
Thinking about the tasks on the Jade Token, Jiang Tang decided to make his first stop at a nearby small town to find the disciples from Holy Medical Valley stationed there, get certified, and become a Second Grade Medic.
Then, he would visit a Medicine Sect disciple's clinic to purchase medicinal herbs, using the name of an Immortal Sect disciple, borrow their pill room to concoct a batch of Second-turn Rejuvenation Pills, and then... sell them to Medicine Sect disciples.
Plainly speaking, it was going there to show off—the abundance of resources in the Immortal Sect and the many well-trained disciples they produced.
Jiang Tang silently twitched the corner of his mouth.
As he took his leave, he was completely unaware of a pair of sinister and icy eyes that had fixed on him the moment he left the foot of the mountain.
After asking around in all directions, Jiang Tang zigzagged his way and finally found the Holy Medical Valley pharmacy tucked away in an alley.
Outside, a long line of common folk waiting for consultations had formed.
Seeing this, Jiang Tang quietly sat down beside a stone trough and used his Divine Sense to check the Spirit Field Space.
Eryao and Niu had finished cultivating and also saw the two new patches of Spirit Field.
As Jiang Tang's right hand, Eryao very conscientiously helped to cultivate the third mu of Spirit Field, dividing it into five ridges, breaking up the soil, fertilizing, and sowing seeds.
The first batch of Spirit Plants had matured and had been collected into the Qiankun Bag.
When Jiang Tang entered, Eryao was helping Niu with loosening the soil of the fourth mu of the Spirit Field.
Upon seeing Jiang Tang, Eryao didn't throw itself into his arms as usual but instead conscientiously loosened a whole mu of land, unloaded the plough from Niu, used a cleaning spell to wash its own body, and then threw itself towards Jiang Tang.
"Daddy!" Eryao clung to Jiang Tang's arm, wagging its tail and acting spoiled. Its fluffy head rubbed back and forth, but it didn't forget to hand over the Qiankun Bag filled with Spirit Plants, "Daddy, these are Spirit Plants for Taoist Sect talismans, please keep them safe."
"My hardworking Eryao," Jiang Tang pulled out a handful of candy and gave it to Eryao. Only then did he take the Qiankun Bag and tucked it into his chest, "Daddy has work to do soon, but in a few days, when he concocts the Disguise Pills, he'll take you out for a fun trip."
In these past days, he had recalled the medical canons and found a kind of Disguise Pill that could change the appearance of Demonic Beasts—it was just right for the little dragon. Once he concocted it, the little one could transform into an ordinary Demonic Beast to go out and play, without worrying about encountering any ill-intentioned villains.
Eryao obediently nodded its head.
Jiang Tang did not call for Niu but went forward to the two mu of Spirit Field ahead, sprinkled some Spirit Water, and took a look at the Spiritual Plant Seeds by the side of the cattle shed.
It seemed he was running low again.
Well, he would restock them sometime later.
Jiang Tang saw that the crowd had mostly dispersed and finally rubbed his somewhat numb legs, stood up, and walked into the clinic.
"Young Master, our medical hall is about to close for the day, please come again tomorrow," said a servant cleaning the floor littered with herbal residues, catching sight of Jiang Tang slowly walking in, and couldn't help but speak up.
He furrowed his brows.
It was almost closing time, and if he attended to this Young Master now, it was bound to cause a delay.
He was also hoping to get home early to hold his son.
"Isn't it said that you close at the third quarter of the hour of You? There's still some time left. I'm here to seek your master, to discuss an important matter." Jiang Tang gave a faint smile and slowly produced a token.
The servant took a close look and realized it was a token of an Immortal Sect disciple; he quickly changed his expression to a fawning smile, put down the broom, and scurried inside.
It wasn't long before he hurried back out.
This time, he was followed by a handsome young master.
The young master was dressed in a golden robe, with a white peony jade pendant hanging at his waist, evidently a disciple of the Medicine Sect.
Upon seeing Jiang Tang, the young master saluted with a bow, "Fellow Daoist, have you come for a consultation?"
"No. I'm here for name-registration certification to become a second-tier alchemist. May I inquire if the pill room is available for use now?" Jiang Tang shook his head and returned the salute.
The Medicine Sect disciple was taken aback, then quickly smiled, "Of course, please come inside, fellow Daoist."
Seeing this, the servant hurriedly stepped forward to lead Jiang Tang into the pill room.
"To certify as a second-tier alchemist, one must at least concoct one type of second-turn pill of medium or higher quality. Additionally, one must write down ten common first-tier pill prescriptions. If these two tasks cannot be accomplished within one and a half hours, please come again another day, fellow Daoist." The Medicine Sect disciple smiled slightly, handing over a tray of paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.
"Alright," Jiang Tang nodded.
"Another reminder for you, fellow Daoist, you should bring your own medicinal materials. If you need to use the materials from our store, you must purchase them before use," the Medicine Sect disciple added.
Jiang Tang shook his head, "I have my own medicinal materials. Please wait for me for a short while, fellow Daoist."
The Medicine Sect disciple waved his hand, and once he was behind closed doors, the disciple turned to the servant beside him, "Go invite the presiding elder here, and you can finish work and go home to rest. I heard your wife has given you a new plump baby boy."
He teased with a playful smile.
The servant scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed grin, "Yes, Young Master."
"Off you go then, you're granted a small half-month leave, to take good care of your wife and child. If they're frail, take some pills from my account book over there," the Medicine Sect disciple pointed to the account book near the shopkeeper.
The servant's heart felt touched.
He had never been so well-treated by nobility before, and this was the first time in his life.
It was said that disciples from the Medicine Sect and Holy Medical Valley are mostly of good nature, and it appeared to be more than just a well-earned reputation.
He quickly bowed and thanked him, then invited the presiding elder before hurrying off work.
"Huating, what matter brings you to seek me?" The presiding elder yawned and sat lazily on an armchair.
"Elder, a disciple from the Immortal Sect has come to certify as a second-tier alchemist," said Huating, also known as the young master, bowing to the elder.
"What is his age?"
"He has just registered his information—he's nineteen and is a servant disciple," Huating looked down.
"Nineteen... a servant disciple... and a second-tier alchemist," the elder mused thoughtfully.
Most of the servant disciples of the Immortal Sect are those with extremely poor aptitude.