Seeing Ye Qiu emerge from the side hall, Elder Monkey revealed a cold smile and said, “It seems the Lord overestimates Ye Changsheng.”
“He cannot even pass the first hurdle. Is he worthy of refining pills?”
“Giving up so quickly, and he is supposed to become an emperor in the future?”
“What do you mean?” Elder Sheep looked at Elder Monkey in confusion, then followed his gaze and saw Ye Qiu coming out of the side hall.
Elder Sheep threw down the chess piece in his hand and quickly stood up.
“Brother Ye, why have you come out?”
“Is identifying the spiritual herbs too difficult?”
Elder Sheep comforted him. “It does not matter. There is no need to learn the path of alchemy.”
Ye Qiu smiled without speaking.
Elder Monkey said, “Alchemy requires talent. With ordinary qualifications, one has no right to step onto the path of pills…”
Before he could finish.
“Elder Monkey, I have finished identifying the spiritual herbs.” Ye Qiu said.
“Ye Changsheng, your qualifications are ordinary. You should follow other elders to learn their unique skills. I cannot teach you…” Elder Monkey suddenly raised his head, staring at Ye Qiu. “What did you say?”
“Say it again.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “I have already finished identifying the spiritual herbs.”
Elder Monkey asked, “Thirty-four thousand spiritual herbs. Are you certain you have identified them all?”
Ye Qiu nodded. “I am certain.”
“Nonsense.” Elder Monkey did not believe it at all and said angrily, “Ye Changsheng, I tell you, I can understand if you find identifying spiritual herbs difficult, but fooling me will not be so easy.”
“Old Sheep, take him away.”
“Tell the Lord that I cannot teach him.”
Elder Sheep advised, “Old Monkey, do not be angry…”
“Old Sheep, you know my temper.” Elder Monkey said, “I hate liars most in my life.”
“Those are thirty-four thousand spiritual herbs. Let alone identifying by fragrance, even if they were placed on shelves for him to identify one by one, he could not possibly finish in such a short time.”
“Is this not deceiving me?”
“Enough talk. Hurry and take him away.” Elder Monkey said with a face full of disgust, “Full of lies. If he stays here longer, I fear I will not be able to hold back from acting.”
“Alas!” Elder Sheep sighed and said, “Brother Ye, let us go.”
Ye Qiu stood still, looking at Elder Monkey and saying, “I am not deceiving you. Every word is true.”
“Rubbish.” Elder Monkey said, “I am a once-in-a-million alchemy genius in the demon clan. Do you know how long it took me back then to identify all thirty-four thousand herbs?”
“A full three years.”
“Only two hours have passed now, and you tell me you have identified all the spiritual herbs. Who would believe that?”
“Old Sheep, do you believe it?”
Elder Sheep remained silent. He did not believe it either.
After all, Elder Monkey was a heaven-grade alchemist. He did not believe Ye Qiu’s talent could surpass Elder Monkey’s.
“Brother Ye, let us go.” Elder Sheep advised. He feared that if Ye Qiu stayed longer, he would anger Elder Monkey, and Elder Monkey might act against Ye Qiu.
Unexpectedly, Ye Qiu still stood motionless.
“Elder Monkey, you do not know me well. I am naturally sensitive to medicinal materials. Identifying herbs by fragrance is not difficult for me.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “If you do not believe me, just test me and you will know.”
Elder Monkey said coldly, “There is nothing to test. No one can identify thirty-four thousand herbs in two hours. I could not do it. You certainly cannot.”
Ye Qiu’s eyes turned, and he said, “Elder Monkey, how about we make a bet?”
“If I really have identified all the spiritual herbs, then give me all the spiritual herbs in the storage.”
“If I deceived you, I will end my own life to apologise. How about that?”
Elder Sheep quickly said, “Brother Ye, absolutely not…”
“Are you serious?” Elder Monkey narrowed his eyes at Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu nodded. “Absolutely true.”
“Good.” Elder Monkey said, “This is the bet you proposed yourself. If you end your life later, the Lord cannot blame me.”
“Come, let us go to the storage now.”
With that, Elder Monkey strode into the side hall.
Elder Sheep was extremely anxious. “Brother Ye, how could you be so foolish? How could you bet with Elder Monkey…”
“Elder Sheep, rest assured.” Ye Qiu smiled confidently and followed into the side hall.
“This is a serious matter. I must report to the Lord.” Elder Sheep was about to go to the Lord’s sleeping palace, but suddenly stopped.
“No, I cannot leave here.”
“If anything happens to Ye Changsheng, how will I explain to the Lord?”
“I must stay here. Then I can stop Ye Changsheng from ending his life.”
Having thought this, Elder Sheep rushed hurriedly into the side hall.
In the herb storage.
Elder Monkey stood with hands behind his back, came to a wooden box, turned to Ye Qiu, and said, “Ye Changsheng, for the Lord’s sake, I can give you one chance. It is not too late to regret now.”
Ye Qiu said, “No need. Begin.”
“Hmph, I see you will not shed tears until you see the coffin.” Elder Monkey snorted coldly, pointed randomly at a wooden box, and asked, “What is inside?”
“Ten-Thousand-Year Buddha’s Hand.” Ye Qiu answered without hesitation.
Eh, he got it right?
Elder Monkey said, “Properties and effects?”
Ye Qiu answered, “Pungent, bitter, sour in taste, warm in nature.”
“Main effects are soothing the liver and relieving depression, regulating qi and harmonising the middle, drying dampness and resolving phlegm.”
Elder Monkey said, “Recognising one does not count. There are thirty-four thousand in total.”
“What is in this box?”
Ye Qiu glanced. “Thousand-Year Forget-Worry.”
Before Elder Monkey could ask further, Ye Qiu said, “Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, slightly toxic.”
“Main effects are nourishing blood and calming the liver, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.”
“It can also be used to brew spiritual wine.”
A trace of surprise appeared on Elder Monkey’s face. Then he pointed at over a dozen more wooden boxes in succession.
Without exception, Ye Qiu answered fluently, naming the name, properties, and effects of each spiritual herb correctly, without a single mistake.
“Could this kid really have finished identifying them?”
The moment this thought arose in Elder Monkey’s mind, he shook his head fiercely. “Impossible.”
“Even I took three years back then. No matter how great this kid’s talent, he cannot surpass mine.”
“Perhaps in these two hours, he only recognised these dozen or so spiritual herbs.”
Thinking this, Elder Monkey walked deeper into the room and pointed at wooden boxes.
Ye Qiu followed behind Elder Monkey. Seeing his finger move, he answered immediately.
Gradually, cold sweat appeared on Elder Monkey’s forehead.
Because he had randomly pointed at over a hundred wooden boxes, and Ye Qiu had answered all correctly.
“Elder Monkey, why are you sweating? Are you tired? Shall you rest a while?”
“I will identify them. You can check if I am correct.”
With that, Ye Qiu pointed at wooden boxes himself, answering one after another at extreme speed.
In a short while, Ye Qiu had identified over a thousand spiritual herbs.
Elder Monkey’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
“Old Monkey, is Brother Ye correct?” Elder Sheep asked.
“Hmph!” Elder Monkey snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Ye Qiu grew anxious. “Elder Monkey, do not leave. I have not finished identifying yet?”
“No need to identify further. Take all the spiritual herbs!” Elder Monkey said without looking back.
“Thank you, Elder Monkey.” Ye Qiu called loudly, “Elder Monkey, do you have another herb storage? I can continue identifying.”
At these words, Elder Monkey stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
