18 minutes to Yangbiao

  After the three-year training period, all the surviving twenty or thirty medicine boys who had passed the assessment by Vice Master Ji of the Medicine Collection Hall, under the witness of the medicine collection masters, killed chickens to offer sacrifices to the gods and conducted a sword-handing-over ceremony, officially becoming apprentices of the Medicine Collection Hall.

  Ye Qin took over a symbolic medicinal knife from Wang's hand, carefully tucked it into his body. With this knife, it also means that he has already come out of the teacher, qualified to go out and collect medicine independently or in partnership.

  Then, Vice President Qi announced the rules that apprentices must follow: after becoming an apprentice, the medicinal materials collected must be handed over to the Medicinal Materials Pavilion, and then appraised by an appraiser for their value. The reward will be 5% of the price of the herbal medicine.

  Each month has a minimum quota for collecting medicine - five silver leaf portions of medicinal herbs.

  (This refers to the reward money that can be obtained after an apprentice pharmacist collects medicine, rather than the value of the medicine itself. The value of the medicine far exceeds this amount. In the following calculations, unless otherwise specified, it usually also refers to the reward money. In Wuguo, one hundred copper coins can be exchanged for one silver leaf, and one hundred silver leaves can be exchanged for one gold leaf.)

  Two consecutive months of failing to meet the minimum quota will be punished, with lighter penalties including reduction in reward quotas and heavier penalties involving judicial punishment.

  If a large amount of medicinal herbs are collected each time, the reward will gradually increase by 6% to 10%, and even some extremely precious medicines refined by the Medicine Pavilion can be rewarded, which can save lives at critical moments. If the reward exceeds 10%, you can be promoted to Medicine Apprentice, and the reward will be higher, ranging from 10% to 20%. When it reaches 20%, you are qualified to be promoted to Medicine Master.

  The pharmacy students were overjoyed.

  In the past, I followed a herbalist to collect herbs and could only get 100-200 copper coins as a hard-earned reward every month. Later, when I went out to collect herbs on my own, the price was determined by the value of the collected herbs, and the income I received would definitely far exceed what I had before, at least 500 copper coins (five silver leaves).

  With this stimulation, many young people who had just been promoted to apprentices of medicine picking were eager to go and pick medicine.

  Yang Yicheng, Ye Qin, Feng Xiao, Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying, the five fellow disciples, also agreed to form a group to collect medicine, taking care of each other on the way.

  Ye Qin went to Yang's iron shop before leaving and bid farewell to Cheng Daniu. Cheng Daniu had been working with Old Man Yang for three years, hammering iron, and his muscles had become quite sturdy, no longer like the weak and frail child he once was; every month he could earn some money from hammering iron, at least enough to support himself.

  Ye Qin felt relieved, even if he wasn't there, Da Niu would still be able to live well, and this way he could also feel at ease going into the mountains to pick herbs.

  The five of them left the county town and headed into the deep mountains and ancient forests hundreds of miles away to gather herbs.

  Still following their previous team mode, Ye Qin carried a basket of herbs on his back, bearing the weight of everyone, walking in the middle. Yang Yicheng led the way in front, Sun Ying assisted on the side, Qian Ruoxiu and Ye Qin walked together to drive away insects. And Feng Xiaozhen wandered around hundreds of steps around, picking up some low-value herbs.

  Without Xie Ze, the medicine gatherer, they no longer had to worry about being sent to risk their lives in his place. They seemed extremely relaxed and carefree on this journey, chatting and laughing, and would not intentionally venture into dangerous peaks and valleys.

  For Ye Qin, carrying heavy loads had become a very easy task. After practicing the preface of "Sitting Forgetfulness Sutra" for more than three years, the faint breath in his body gradually grew stronger by several degrees, and his physical strength recovered twice as much each time. These three years of mental training allowed him to make great progress in physical strength and also made him spiritually abundant.

  After more than ten days, they were like traveling and playing in the mountains and waters, somewhat scattered.

  Ye Qin was somewhat worried.

  He calculates the value of herbs in his herb basket every night. Calculating the value of medicinal materials is one of the most basic abilities of a herbalist.

  Because the crowd did not take medicine seriously, the medicinal materials collected so far are not many. He carefully calculated that five people averaged out, which is about one more silver leaf per person's medicinal material, still far from the minimum limit of five silver leaves. However, in terms of time, it has already passed a third of a month.

  Ye Qin told everyone about the situation, and Yang Yicheng, Feng Xiao and others were suddenly shocked. Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying also showed a look of surprise.

  This is no small matter.

  If the task is not completed in the first month, then next month will be dangerous. The punishment of the Medicine Hall is not to be taken lightly. They have seen with their own eyes the bloody human skin in the torture chamber, the blood people who were pulled out of their tendons and bones, all of whom were punished for violating certain hall rules. Some failed to complete tasks, some secretly sold the collected medicinal materials to others, and some were traitors who were caught back.

  The relaxed atmosphere vanished in an instant, and for the next few days, they had to rush to some dangerous places like steep canyons and cliffs that might have precious medicinal materials, and collect as many herbs as possible.

  In these dangerous places, the first to be dispatched was still Feng Xiao. Because his lightness kung fu was the best, and his movements were the most agile and nimble, he had the greatest assurance in picking medicinal herbs from the sheer cliffs.

  Feng Xiaopang was dissatisfied with complaints, but the other four people unanimously wanted him to go, and he had no choice but to go.

  As a result, the medicinal herbs in Ye Qin's basket also began to gradually increase. When it was almost a month later, they had to leave the deep mountains and rush back to Zhujici County Town. Along the way, they picked some low-value herbs in the wild to make up for the numbers.

  Although they did, when they arrived at the county town, the five people poured out all the medicinal materials in the grass basket, divided them into five piles, and carefully calculated again. There were approximately twenty-one silver leaves of medicinal materials in the grass basket, slightly more than that. Even if the price was estimated to be high, it would be at most twenty-two silver leaves, which is still short of at least three silver leaves of medicinal materials.

  Five people looked at each other in dismay.

  That is to say, only one or two people can complete the task of collecting medicine, and the remaining three will definitely not be able to complete this month's collection task.

  Who took five silver leaf herbs and who took four silver leaf herbs?

  "I'm going to take five silver leaves. There are valuable herbs inside, and at least half of them I risked my life to pick!"

  Feng Xiao hesitated for a moment before asking for five silver-leafed herbs.

  Everyone was silent.

  Feng Xiao Mao's risk was the greatest, he had to take five silver leaves, they were unopposed.

  But who took more of what was left?

  Yang Yicheng, Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying all had opinions. Yang Yicheng said that he drove away wolves and tigers on the way, saw mountains open roads, and wanted to take a little more. Qian Ruoxiu said that she caught many insects and medicinal materials on the road, and many of the medicinal materials were found by her, so she wanted to take a little more. Sun Ying said that she also killed many wild beasts, why should she get less?

  It is related to whether this month's medicine collection task can be completed, but no one is willing to give in easily.

  Ye Qin just stood aside, silently watching. Because he had almost never picked herbs before, carrying a herb basket was not much of a "contribution". He also didn't want to join this dispute for the sake of those few herbs.

  He watched the three of them quarrel, and suddenly felt a sense of desolation in his heart. Even though they were fellow disciples, who had united to survive for three years, but now they were also arguing over interests in Myanmar.

  A few people get together to pick herbs, although it's convenient, they easily hurt their feelings because of the fairness of dividing the medicine.

  Maybe it's time to go gather herbs alone.

  It's not just him who has this idea.

  After returning to the county town's Adopting Medicine Hall, all the medicinal materials were sent to the inner hall's medicine appraisal department to appraise the value of the medicinal materials. Ye Qin, Yang Yicheng, Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying only harvested four silver leaves. Since it was the first month, they were dealt with leniency, each receiving a punishment of ten lashes and having one silver leaf deducted, leaving them with only three silver leaves.

  Feng Xiaoyi was exempt from punishment because he had collected enough herbs and received a reward of five silver leaves.

  The five of them returned to their stone house.

  Feng Xiao was the first to suggest splitting up. He thought that by going alone, he could collect more herbs without being held back by others.

  Yang Yicheng coldly gazed at Feng Xiao and snorted: "You've only learned lightness skills, if you were to encounter a wolf, I'd like to see how you defend yourself!"

  Feng Xiaohuo was nonchalant: "Am I stupid? I couldn't win a fight, but can't I run away with my agility? What wolf could catch up to me?"

  Yang Yicheng didn't say anything more and decided to go gather herbs alone, with his powerful external family kung fu skills, he could go anywhere.

  Two days later, when they went to pick herbs again, the five of them each carried their own luggage and parted ways.

  Qian Ruoxiu and Sun Ying decided to go herb-picking together, and before they left, they asked Ye Qin if he wanted to come along with them, thinking that the more people there were, the better they could take care of each other. Looking at their expressions, however, it was clear that they pitied Ye Qin. As the weakest among the five, Ye Qin had no martial arts skills and no agility, only physical strength that allowed him to walk for a long time. The two women probably wanted to bring Ye Qin along out of sympathy as well.

  Ye Qin smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly. If the three of them went together, he would still be at the bottom when it came to dividing the medicine. He decided to go alone and try his luck.

  Moreover, Ye Qin also had a proud heart and didn't believe he would be much worse than the other four.

  In fact, in the past, he followed Xie Ze to pick medicinal herbs. He followed five steps behind Xie Ze for three years and silently memorized every move Xie Ze made during the process of observing and picking medicinal herbs, learning the most practical skills. In comparison, Yang, Feng, Qian, and Sun, because they were scattered all over, learned much less.