Ye Qiu frowned slightly.
Identifying the spiritual herb inside the wooden box by smell alone, and also understanding its properties and effects, was no simple task!
Elder Sheep directly burst into curses. “What rubbish identifying herbs by fragrance? Is this not deliberately making things difficult?”
“Old Monkey, he is my sworn brother.”
“Could you, for my sake, lower the requirements a little?”
Unexpectedly, Elder Monkey gave no face at all and said coldly, “Old Sheep, is your face worth much?”
“You…” Elder Sheep flushed with anger and said, “Old Monkey, do not go too far.”
Elder Monkey said, “When in my domain, you follow my rules.”
“Ye Changsheng, if you find it difficult, you can give up. I will not force you.”
“In any case, if you cannot even identify herbs by fragrance, it is impossible to become an outstanding alchemist…”
Before he finished speaking, Ye Qiu said, “Elder Monkey, I will follow your arrangements.”
Elder Monkey then said to Elder Sheep, “Did you hear that? Ye Changsheng himself has agreed. What more do you have to say?”
“I think you are the one panicking when the emperor is not anxious.”
Elder Sheep was furious. “Who the hell are you calling a eunuch?”
“If you have the guts, take off your trousers.”
“Let us compare and see whose is bigger.”
“Crude!” Elder Monkey cursed once, then walked away directly.
Elder Sheep quickly said to Ye Qiu, “Brother Ye, I will not disturb you. You start identifying the spiritual herbs here first.”
“If you have any problems, you can come find me anytime.”
“Rest assured, I will report this matter truthfully to the Lord. Then the Lord will deal with Old Monkey.”
With that, Elder Sheep ran off, shouting as he went, “Old Monkey, stop right there!”
Ye Qiu walked to a wooden box and reached out to touch it.
However, before his hand even touched the box, a burst of light suddenly appeared, repelling his hand.
“As Elder Monkey said, there really is a restriction on the wooden box.”
Then, Ye Qiu sniffed, but detected not a trace of medicinal fragrance.
He could not help complaining inwardly.
“Is this not like taking off trousers to fart? Completely unnecessary?”
“It would be much better to place these spiritual herbs directly on the shelves. One glance would reveal what they are. No need for perception by smell at all.”
“It seems Elder Sheep was right. This Elder Monkey is clearly deliberately making things difficult for me.”
“Hmph, you want me to retreat in the face of difficulty. I will do exactly the opposite of what you wish.”
Ye Qiu calmed his mind, concentrated his spirit, and began to perceive carefully.
Soon, he detected a faint medicinal fragrance and immediately knew what spiritual herb was inside the box.
“This is Thousand-Year Snake Fruit, pungent in taste, warm in nature, with effects of…”
With experience gained, Ye Qiu moved to the second wooden box.
Soon, through the fragrance, he again knew what was inside.
“Ten-Thousand-Year Grass Crow, pungent and bitter in taste, hot in nature, with effects of…”
Ye Qiu came to the third wooden box.
In an instant, Ye Qiu identified over a dozen spiritual herbs by their fragrance.
At first, he needed to linger about three minutes at each box. Later, his speed increased. He only needed to pause for two seconds to perceive what was inside.
In the end, Ye Qiu’s figure became a complete blur. The moment he passed a box, he knew what spiritual herb it contained.
…
In the courtyard.
Elder Sheep caught up with Elder Monkey and complained, “Old Monkey, what is wrong with you today?”
“Why must you make things difficult for Ye Changsheng?”
“The Lord said that if anyone dares to make things difficult for Ye Changsheng, I should report it to him immediately.”
Elder Monkey dropped his earlier coldness and smiled. “Old Sheep, do you think I am doing this to make things difficult for Ye Changsheng?”
Elder Sheep said, “Is it not?”
“Of course not.” Elder Monkey laughed. “I am doing this entirely for the Lord’s sake!”
Elder Sheep was puzzled. “What does this have to do with the Lord?”
“It has a great deal to do with her. Sit.” Elder Monkey pointed to a rocking chair nearby, sat down first, then lay back in the chair, holding a small teapot, drinking contentedly.
Completely at ease.
“Old Monkey, stop keeping me in suspense. Tell me quickly.” Elder Sheep urged.
“Old Sheep, it is not that I am criticising you, but at your age, how can you still be so impatient?” Elder Monkey said, “I heard you have been intimate with Elder Rabbit lately, nearly wearing her out.”
“Who told you that?” Elder Sheep said angrily. “If I find out, I will tear his mouth apart.”
Elder Monkey said, “Do I need others to tell me? You and Elder Rabbit were so loud that everyone within three li could not sleep. It is common knowledge.”
“I did not expect it, Old Sheep. Your body is quite capable.”
“At our age, you still have such vigour. Tell me honestly, have you been taking pills?”
“Get lost. My body is perfectly fine. I do not need pills.” Elder Sheep changed the subject and asked, “Old Monkey, what exactly do you mean?”
“As far as I know, when you took disciples before, the requirement was only to identify one thousand spiritual herbs.”
“Why must Ye Changsheng identify thirty-four thousand?”
“Is this not deliberately making things difficult for him?”
“And you say it is for the Lord. What exactly does it have to do with the Lord?”
Elder Monkey countered, “Old Sheep, the Lord ordered us ten great elders to teach our unique skills to Ye Changsheng, and said she wants Ye Changsheng to cultivate them to great accomplishment. What is the purpose of the Lord’s arrangement?”
Elder Sheep blurted out, “The Lord is doing this, naturally to help Ye Changsheng prove the Dao and become an emperor.”
“That is only one reason.” Elder Monkey said, “Have you thought of other reasons?”
Elder Sheep said, “The second reason is naturally that the Lord wants Ye Changsheng to stay longer in the demon clan.”
“Correct.” Elder Monkey said with a sly smile, “As subordinates, we must understand the superior’s intentions.”
“Since the Lord wants Ye Changsheng to stay longer in the demon clan, I will lend her a hand.”
“That is why I asked Ye Changsheng to identify all the spiritual herbs in the storage completely.”
Elder Sheep suddenly understood and pointed at Elder Monkey. “You crafty monkey, your brain is truly sharp.”
Elder Monkey said proudly, “Of course. Even the Lord calls me a clever monkey.”
“Old Sheep, it has been a long time since you came here.”
“Come, let us play chess.”
Elder Monkey waved his hand, and a chessboard appeared before them.
Elder Sheep did not want to play chess with Elder Monkey. Elder Monkey’s chess skills were poor, and he liked to take back moves. He was about to refuse when Elder Monkey said, “I recently brewed some spiritual wine. It tastes quite good.”
Elder Sheep’s eyes lit up. “Fine, I will play a couple of games with you.”
The two drank spiritual wine while playing chess. In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.
“Old Monkey, how long do you think Ye Changsheng will need to finish identifying the spiritual herbs?” Elder Sheep asked.
Elder Monkey said, “Identifying herbs by fragrance requires talent. Back then, it took me a full three years to identify all thirty-four thousand herbs. In my view, Ye Changsheng will need at least three years.”
“If his talent is average, it might take thirty years…”
Before Elder Monkey could finish, he suddenly saw Ye Qiu emerge from the side hall.
