Watching the others compete had given Yang Chan some new insights, but he didn't choose a future path. He could, after all, choose any of them.
As he cultivated his Health Cultivation Skill, his Lifespan would only continue to grow longer. While others had to pick a single path within their limited time, he could choose to walk many.
Though things were changing in the Medicine Hall's Martial Arts Training Institute, it had little effect on Yang Chan. His goals were different from the other Official Disciples. In their eyes, he was someone with poor Talent who wanted to walk the path of a Pharmacist, which naturally reduced a great deal of conflict.
"Junior Brother Yang, you didn't go to the Medicine Hall Collection Pavilion to read today?"
Shi Gaoshun walked over to Yang Chan's side. He had, of course, noticed what Yang Chan had been busy with recently and was surprised that he had already decided to become a Pharmacist so early on.
Still, it wasn't a bad choice.
"Just relaxing a bit today. I came to the Martial Arts Training Ground to practice my fists."
As Yang Chan spoke, he began practicing in an open space. He was already well-versed in the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, and a full set of the technique flowed with a tiger's might, carrying immense momentum.
Shi Gaoshun watched from the side, a little startled by Yang Chan's fist technique. It somewhat resembled the way a Steward Level expert practiced.
But then he remembered that Yang Chan had only been an Official Disciple for a little over a month and dismissed the idea. The form might look similar, but nurturing Power took time.
Besides, a similar fist technique didn't guarantee the same results in cultivating Power. If the form was there but the intent was different, it would also affect the accumulation of Power.
"Right, you need a balance of work and rest when studying the Medicine Scripture. But to relax by practicing fists… why not take a stroll down Cyan Fish Street? There's a lot of good stuff there," Shi Gaoshun said.
Cyan Fish Street was a marketplace within the Medicine Hall where Official Disciples usually set up stalls to sell common items, medicinal herbs, and other goods.
The reason Shi Gaoshun brought it up was that he also had a stall on Cyan Fish Street.
"I don't have much silver on me, so I'll pass."
Yang Chan shook his head. He truly didn't have much silver left.
In the Cyan Yuan Sect, Official Disciples were exempt from missions in their first year, but they didn't receive much silver. Of course, since daily necessities like food and clothing didn't cost anything, they could save money if they didn't buy cultivation medicines. However, the stipend was far from enough for purchasing such drugs.
One had to complete missions for the Cyan Yuan Sect to meet their cultivation needs.
"In that case, do you still need any Qi Nourishing Soup, Junior Brother?" Shi Gaoshun asked again.
He never missed a chance to push his products on a potential customer.
"Do you think I still need it, Senior Brother?" Yang Chan asked in return.
After becoming a Pharmacist's Assistant, he was allotted a share of medicinal cuisine—a truly valuable resource and the source of his Potential Points. His monthly stipend had also increased considerably.
"It seems you don't need any for now. But if you ever need any exclusive pharmacopoeias or medical texts, you can check out my stall on Cyan Fish Street. I guarantee you'll find something worthwhile."
With that, Shi Gaoshun left to find his next target: an Official Disciple who had just been promoted. They were the ideal customers.
Yang Chan continued practicing his fist technique. Shi Gaoshun looked like a sleazy merchant, but his cultivation of the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist was impressive, and he was on the verge of reaching Great Success.
In last month's competition for Official Disciples, Shi Gaoshun had displayed considerable strength. Although he hadn't placed in the top five to earn a reward, his power was formidable, placing him easily within the top ten in terms of Combat Power.
Once a few more disciples were promoted to Elite Disciple, or if his own strength improved a little more, he would be qualified to contend for a top-five spot. You truly couldn't judge a book by its cover.
Of course, compared to Yang Chan, who was still just practicing his forms, Shi Gaoshun was still a long way off.
As Yang Chan cultivated his Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, the conversation of a few disciples nearby caught his attention.
"I heard that the Noble Families' tribute of medicinal herbs has been pushed back a month this year. The delivery was supposed to happen in the next day or two, but the Sect ordered them to wait another month."
"I heard about that too. Rumor is, a few powers under the Cyan Yuan Sect's protection betrayed us and sent the herbs they were supposed to tribute to other Sects."
"Aren't they courting death? Who in Qing State dares to provoke our Cyan Yuan Sect?"
"I heard it was factions like Lingyu Palace, Taiyu Valley, and the Nanhua Sword Sect. They're trying to seize the Cyan Yuan Sect's Cultivation Resources."
"Who gave those three Sects the gall to target even the Cyan Yuan Sect?"
"There's a major drought this year, and the common folk are destitute. Rumor has it the Noble Families and those other factions just couldn't hold on any longer, so they finally made their move."
"It's true, it's been much hotter this year than in the past. Disasters are striking everywhere."
"The Sect has already issued several notices about dealing with these treacherous factions. They're going to wipe out all the traitors and show every power in Qing State the might of the Cyan Yuan Sect."
"No wonder I've seen so many Official Disciples leaving the Cyan Yuan Sect lately. It was for this all along. They were so secretive about it at first, but it seems this was the reason."
"Some Elders have already left with the Elite Disciples. I expect we'll hear of the results before long."
"Can we participate? My Wild Ox Force has reached Minor Success, so I've got some strength. I could probably earn some merit if I joined in."
"That depends on how things develop. If it comes to blows with Lingyu Palace and Taiyu Valley, then we'll definitely have to go out too."
A few Official Disciples were discussing the matter while taking a break from their practice.
This wasn't the first time Yang Chan had heard about this. He'd overheard similar talk several times over the past half-month, but nothing had ever been officially confirmed.
Yang Chan knew that where there was smoke, there was usually fire.
One thing was certain: factions under the Cyan Yuan Sect's protection had indeed rebelled, and people had been dispatched to handle the situation. The results of that mission had simply not yet returned.
This situation was precisely why Yang Chan had rushed to become a Pharmacist's Assistant.
Unlike others who were eager to participate in a Sect war—even hoping to join the siege on the traitorous factions to reap rewards—Yang Chan wanted to avoid it entirely.
The world was an unpredictable place.
Once a war began, Official Disciples like them would certainly be sent to fight.
Their Combat Power, having comprehended Power, was far greater than that of ordinary people, and even more so when equipped with weapons.
Even so, Yang Chan knew that in a war between Sects, experts at the Power Level were considered nothing more than cannon fodder.
If they encountered an expert at the External Refining stage, they would be utterly helpless, as External Refining represented a massive leap in power.
Other Noble Families and Sects surely had experts of this Level as well. To encounter one meant certain death.
Since Yang Chan desired a long life, he naturally had to avoid such calamities. As a Pharmacist's Assistant, he would most likely remain within the Cyan Yuan Sect, assisting the Pharmacists with tasks like compounding medicines. He could provide support from the main base and avoid being sent out as cannon fodder.
Finally passing the Pharmacist's Assistant assessment today had solved a part of that problem for him. This was all part of Yang Chan's preparations for the worst-case scenario.
He wanted to avoid scrambling to prepare only when a crisis was already upon him; by then, things would be rushed, and the outcome might not be what he desired.