Chapter 55: NEW - !!!

Chapter 55: NEW Chapter!!!

Hu Bai did not argue with Li Yan about being called a growing adolescent, and instead reached beneath his sleeve and brought out a delicate hairpin that immediately caught the light.

He stepped behind Li Yan and carefully removed the hairpin that was already holding his hair together, allowing the long strands to cascade down his back.

"What are you doing?"

Hu Bai smiled as he gathered Li Yan’s hair in his hands, his movements careful as he arranged the strands before replacing them with the new hairpin.

"This is my favorite of all the gifts because I know you will always use it. You truly were outstanding, honey, and you should never lessen yourself for another man. In our family, we stand with our heads held high, and we never lower them for anyone."

He secured the hairpin in place and admired his work for a moment before looking at Li Yan’s reflection.

"My beautiful rose, how does it feel?"

Li Yan reached up and touched the top of the hairpin gently, feeling the smooth surface beneath his fingers before turning toward Hu Bai.

"I can tell it is well made. I will treat it with care."

Hu Bai smiled at his response, and Li Yan glanced toward the other gifts scattered across the table before deciding that it was time to leave.

He waved his sleeve, and the remaining gifts disappeared into his storage space.

It was not unusual for cultivators to possess storage rings or other storage treasures, so there was no reason for anyone to question where he had placed the gifts.

Li Yan adjusted his new hairpin before looking toward Hu Bai.

"I will be taking my leave now. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, and I would not like to be late."

Hu Bai did not try to stop him, and instead accompanied him toward the gate of the courtyard.

The two walked through the residence in silence until they reached the entrance, where Hu Bai suddenly reached into his sleeve and placed a small, shiny stone into Li Yan’s hand.

Li Yan looked down at it.

"What is this?"

"This is a communication stone. It works when you inject your Qi into it, and as long as we are within close proximity, it will allow us to communicate."

Hu Bai closed Li Yan’s fingers around the stone and smiled.

"You can use it to communicate with me whenever you are bored."

"Why would I want to talk to someone as annoying as you are?"

Hu Bai only laughed and waved him off, completely unbothered by Li Yan’s words.

"I will see you tomorrow if I am free."

Li Yan nodded before turning around and leaving. He walked down Purple Mountain at a steady pace, making his way toward his courtyard.

His courtyard was number twenty-six, which placed it around the middle section of the mountain. He was satisfied with the location. It was neither too close to the summit nor too far down, and the spiritual Qi was still rich enough for him to cultivate comfortably.

"What an eventful day today was. Now you can use the rest of the day to study without distractions. I have taken the liberty to pick out beginner or introductory Pill Formation and Apothecary manuals and books. Endeavour to read at least three Chapters ahead of the class. Teachers like students who are able to ask and answer questions. It shows they understand what they are being taught and want to learn more."

Li Yan nodded as he listened to Xiaoxiao.

He did not mind studying. If anything, he considered learning as important as cultivation itself. He had already made a vow to do whatever it took to become the strongest, and that meant he could not allow himself to become complacent after entering the sect.

The entrance examination had only secured his place among the outer disciples. From this point onward, his cultivation and knowledge would determine how far he could go.

"I know. I will read the manuals."

"Good. Start with the introductory material. There is no need to rush into advanced theories before you understand the foundation."

Li Yan nodded and soon arrived at his courtyard.

He entered and went directly to the desk where he could study comfortably. Xiaoxiao had already selected several manuals and books for him, separating the introductory Pill Formation material from the Apothecary texts so that he could study them according to his class schedule.

Li Yan picked up the first Pill Formation manual and looked through its contents.

"Let’s start with Apothecary manuals and first. According to the lecture time, I have Pill Formation class on the first and fourth day of the week, and Apothecary class on the second, third and fifth days of the week. I should consider myself lucky that they do not clash."

Since Apothecary would be the first class he attended, Li Yan decided to look through the beginner Apothecary manuals first. He placed the Pill Formation manual aside and brought several Apothecary books onto the desk, arranging them neatly before him.

He picked up the first manual and opened it to the title page.

"Xiaoxiao, which one should I start with?"

"Start with that one."

Li Yan looked down at the manual in his hands.

"This is An Introduction to Basic Apothecary, written by Master Tun Zhen. He was a third-grade apothecary who spent most of his life studying medicinal herbs, their properties, and the methods used to process them. This manual was written specifically for beginners, so the explanations are relatively simple and the material is arranged in a gradual order."

Li Yan nodded and turned the page.

Xiaoxiao continued before he could begin reading.

"Before you start, there are a few things you need to understand about reading an Apothecary manual. Do not approach these books the same way you would an ordinary book. Apothecary requires you to understand the relationship between medicinal ingredients, their properties, their effects, and the way they interact with one another."

Li Yan listened attentively.

"You should also pay attention to the author’s wording. When a manual describes an herb as cold, warm, bitter, sweet, poisonous, nourishing, or cleansing, those descriptions are not simply there to make the writing sound detailed. They tell you something about the nature of the ingredient and how it should be handled."

Li Yan glanced at the pages in front of him before looking back at the other manuals.

"So I should pay attention to the properties of each ingredient instead of simply memorizing their names and uses?"

"Exactly. Memorization has its place, but understanding should come first. If you only memorize that one herb treats a certain condition, you may know what the herb does, but you will not understand why it works or what could happen when it is combined with another ingredient."

Li Yan nodded thoughtfully.

Xiaoxiao smiled faintly before raising one finger.

"Your first tip is simple. Do not memorize an ingredient before you understand its properties. When you encounter a medicinal herb, learn its nature, attributes, effects, strengths, weaknesses, and any known reactions with other ingredients before moving on to the next one."