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Chapter 14 - Test Time

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Zhujiao awoke to the soft light of dawn filtering through the orphanage’s small, grimy window. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, the stiffness from the hard bed still present in his back. The other children were already up, going about their morning routines with the usual mix of reluctance and haste.

With a sigh, he got up and dressed quickly, tucking the small coin pouch securely into his tunic. He knew better than to leave it lying around, not with the other children eyeing his every move. Clearly he would have to find a place to hide his wages – maybe Madame Liu would be willing to hold on to it for him?

Something to look into.

Breakfast was the usual bland fare – a single bowl of rice and a small piece of flatbread. At least he wasn’t at risk of getting fat. Once ready, he slipped out of the orphanage and made his way to the clinic, keeping a wary eye on the rougher groups of people.

He’d asked around a little over the last few days, and had learned a little more about the dangers here. Unsurprisingly there were several gangs based out of the slums, of varying size and power.

While some were little more than groups of people banding together for mutual protection, he had been warned about three main gangs that he had to watch out for.

The Red Talons were the least dangerous – at least, to people like him. They focused mainly on theft and burglary, and while they were apparently based out of the slums they mostly targeted the wealthier parts of the city. He suspected that the warehouse he had seen yesterday was likely one of theirs, which meant they were a more extensive operation than he had initially thought.

The Iron Wolves liked to style themselves as a ‘noble’ gang, advertising themselves as protectors. Of course, some people couldn’t afford their ‘protection fee’, and wasn’t it just terribly unfortunate that those businesses were targeted by some ‘unknown vagabonds’?

The older kids in the orphanage advised him to keep his head down and, if he somehow attracted attention from one of the Iron Wolves to just play along and act like they were heroes.

He didn’t really know if Lao Yi was paying protection money to the Iron Wolves or if he had some kind of deal with the Red Talons that kept him out of it, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to look into it a little. While the Iron Wolves wouldn’t be interested in him personally, it would pay to be prepared in case they dropped by the clinic.

The last gang was the one that everyone talked about in hushed tones – the Black Scorpions. They were involved in the most heinous crimes, including kidnapping, extortion, and murder. Their income came from ransom demands and contract killings, and they were known to be completely merciless.

Rumour had it that a few years ago, the city lord had called in a few cultivators to clear them out, but that was a temporary measure.

The Black Scorpions were precisely the type of gang to be interested in an orphan like him, especially because he was learning a valuable skill.

Well.

Theoretically learning a skill, anyway. At the moment the only thing he’d learned was how to really thoroughly sweep a small section of the floor.

Anyone trying to kidnap him would be in for a rude surprise, especially once his Qi channels recovered enough for him to cycle again. That said, he was under no illusions – he could only barely be considered a cultivator, and he had exactly no experience fighting.

If someone was seriously trying to kill him, advantages or not, he would be dead.

It was with that cheerful thought in mind that he arrived at the clinic. Lao Yi was already bustling about, arranging herbs and preparing for the day. The old man’s seemingly boundless energy was both impressive and exhausting to Zhujiao.

“Morning, Lao Yi,” he called out, trying to mask his fatigue with a cheerful tone.

Lao Yi looked up and smiled. “Morning, Zhujiao. Ready for another day of sweeping?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Zhujiao managed a grin. “Always.”

“Too bad! Today, we’re doing something different.”

That… could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing. Still, anything had to be better than sweeping the floor for hours on end.

“I can’t wait?”

He followed Lao Yi to the back room, his steps lighter with anticipation. The room was cluttered with various herbs, tools, and scrolls, but one particular scroll lay unfurled on the table, its intricate calligraphy and detailed illustrations catching Zhujiao’s eye.

Lao Yi picked up the scroll and handed it to Zhujiao, his expression turning serious. “This scroll,” he began, “contains the descriptions and uses of twenty-five herbs. You have two days to memorise everything on it. After that, I will test you. If you fail, you’ll no longer be my apprentice.”

Zhujiao blinked. He hadn’t even known he was an apprentice instead of just cheap labour. Still, if the old man expected him to balk at having to memorise a measly twenty-five herbs, he would be in for a surprise.

He had been to university.

Well, technically speaking, he had failed university, but that really had more to do with suddenly falling deathly ill than a lack of ability.

“Certainly, master!” he chirped, enjoying the look of surprise that flashed across the older man’s face.

Huh, who knew being a troll could be fun?

“Well, I’m glad you’re not intimidated, my young friend,” Lao Yi said, narrowing his eyes a little. “In fact, if you’re that confident, I’m sure you won’t mind doing it in a day and a half?”

Zhujiao suppressed a groan. ‘Note to self, don’t act smug around the old man.’ His pride wouldn’t let him back down now, so he forced himself to keep grinning. “Not at all, Master. A day and a half it is,” he replied, taking the scroll with a confident nod. If nothing else, the challenge should be a welcome change from his usual menial tasks.

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Hopefully.

***

He now remembers why he hated studying so much.

Learning about the herbs is interesting, sure, but it’s also not a topic of study that he has any experience with. His subject of choice in the Before was art, so while he has a bunch of strategies to keep himself motivated not many of them actually relate to memory techniques.

He was making progress though – fortunately enough there were four herbs on the list that he was already familiar with thanks to his time learning from Wei and Jin.

He pauses for a moment, staring through the dirty, cracked window and out into the back alley he had the misfortune of cleaning. He… hadn’t really thought about his hometown for a while now.

He was familiar enough with his own propensity to avoid difficult topics, and he recognised that it was largely on purpose. From a purely logical viewpoint there wasn’t much for him back there. Oh, sure, Auntie Hua would have doubtlessly taken him in, but doing so would have strained her resources to the breaking point.

He was old enough to be able to contribute, particularly with his hunting skills, meagre though they were. He could see it now; he would have started helping out as best he could by selling the meat and furs from his hunting. His cultivation would have to fall to the wayside – it was an expensive and time-consuming endeavour, not the kind of thing it was really possible to half-ass.

He would end up pursuing the career of hunting. He didn’t love it, per se, but it was enjoyable enough that he wouldn’t have minded doing it, and it would pay the bills well enough.

If he was being honest with himself, that wouldn’t be a terrible way to spend his second chance at life. A quiet, slightly dull, but ultimately comfortable life.

He didn’t want that.

In the Before he’d had plans to see the world, to do all sorts of exciting things. Having those plans be cut short with illness had been a significant blow, and he wasn’t willing to slip back into mediocrity so easily.

Auntie Hua and Meilan would be fine. Sad, certainly, and he fully intended to swing by when he was older and could afford to leave the city, but… he wouldn’t be staying.

Lao Yi shuffled into the room behind him, clattering about as he grabbed a particular jar off the bench.

“Those look like heavy thoughts, young man,” he said lightly, pausing to look at Zhujiao’s efforts.

Zhujiao flushed lightly, bending his head back over the scroll. “Just a little distracted, old man.”

“Hmm. It can be good to think heavy thoughts sometimes, but don’t let yourself be weighed down by them.” The old man advised.

Zhujiao blinked in surprise but tried to keep the expression off his face. That had sounded… almost wise, really. At this rate, he might start to think that the old man knew what he was talking about.

Apparently, he needed to work on his poker face because Lao Yi snorted at him and wandered back out to the front, muttering about youngsters with no respect. He fought down a smile, turning his attention fully back to the scroll.

However he decided to deal with the lingering threads from his past, he needed to finish this first.

These herbs wouldn’t memorise themselves, after all.

***

His sleep that night was troubled. It wasn’t anything new – he’d always come down with a bad case of nerves the day before any test, but the consequences were a little more immediate for failing this particular one.

If he lost the chance at becoming a proper apprentice for Lao Yi… well, it wouldn't be the end of the world, exactly, but it certainly wouldn’t be good. Just speaking realistically, a child his age, even with his advantages, would struggle to find any sort of meaningful work.

Especially because he doubted Madame Liu would be willing to offer him another opportunity if he failed this one.

The tossing and turning all night made him sluggish enough the following morning that by the time he got to breakfast all the flatbread was gone, leaving him with a bowl of rice that was somehow even blander than usual.

He has half a day to finish memorising the contents of the scroll, which is… doable. Probably. He’s fairly confident in his ability to at least recognise each herb on the list, but some of them have very specific uses which is a little harder to remember.

As Zhujiao approached the clinic, he felt a gnawing pit of anxiety in his stomach. His sleep-deprived mind was sluggish, and he was worried he might not retain all the herbs’ details he had crammed into his brain. He entered the clinic, greeted by the familiar sight of Lao Yi bustling about.

“Morning, Lao Yi,” Zhujiao called out, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

“Good morning, young man,” Lao Yi replied, his tone unusually serious. “Are you ready to begin your test?”

Zhujiao’s heart skipped a beat. “A-Already? Wasn’t I supposed to have an extra half day?”

“If you haven’t learned enough by now, an extra few hours won’t make a difference.” Lao Yi snapped.

More than anything the sudden change in demeanour took him by surprise. It was a far cry from the usual gentle kindness the old man showed to his patients, or the sly mischievous nature he tormented Zhujiao with.

He forced his expression into a polite mask. “Alright then. I’m ready.”

Lao Yi nodded once, sharply, then launched into the quiz without further ado. The questions came rapid-fire, each one demanding precise and detailed answers.

“Describe the properties and uses of huáng qí.”

At least it was an easy enough first question – he’d paid particular attention to this herb because it had Qi in the name, even though it turned out it had nothing to do with cultivation.

“Huáng qí is also sometimes called astragalus, and is used to stave off infection, help those who have trouble sleeping, and improve heart function.”

Lao Yi nodded, his expression unreadable. “And what about Bai Shao?”

“Bai Shao can improve blood flow and help relieve pain. It can also help with mood swings.”

Another comparatively easy question – Bai Shao was one of the first herbs on the list. He relaxed a little, though he was still very nervous. He had been worried for a moment that he had offended Lao Yi somehow and the old man was using this quiz as an excuse to get rid of him. It still wasn’t impossible that that was the case, but it was looking less likely now.

The questions came thick and fast. Lao Yi was giving absolutely no indication if his answers were correct or not, even on the occasions that he knew he was missing something.

As the quiz went on, Zhujiao couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in his chest. There were a few questions that he knew he had gotten wrong, and he could swear that Lao Yi was asking about things that weren’t in the scroll at all.

The old man had moved on from asking directly about the herbs and was instead presenting him with scenarios – a young woman comes into the clinic complaining about constant headaches; what do you prescribe and why?

If a wound won’t stop bleeding, which herb is most effective? If a wound won’t start bleeding, what would you do?

It was relentless.

By the end of it, he was mentally exhausted, practically swaying on his feet. Lao Yi’s face remained inscrutable as he marked Zhujiao’s answers. When the quiz finally ended, the old man set his notes aside and fixed Zhujiao with a steady gaze.

“You missed two questions,” Lao Yi said, his tone still serious.

Zhujiao swallowed hard, bracing himself for the worst. “I’m sorry, Master. I did my best.”

“I know. In fact, I’m very impressed, not to mention a little embarrassed, considering I usually give my prospective students a week to prepare.”

The words take a moment to filter in, but when they do he feels a rush of indignation. Most students get a week!? If he had a week, he would have smashed that quiz with no problem!

“Peace, apprentice!” Lao Yi chuckles, raising a hand at his expression, “Allow me to explain. You see, this is not a test you were supposed to be able to pass. Being a healer is a stressful job, and you will very rarely have the time to fully prepare yourself. That little quiz was less about how well you could memorise things – though knowledge is, of course, an important part of our work – and more about seeing how you would deal with a stressful situation with no right answers.”

The old man scratched his head ruefully. “To tell you the truth,” he confided, “I was starting to worry you would actually get all the answers right. Then I would have been in a pickle!”

Zhujiao took a deep breath, pushing down his irritation. He really hated the idea of a no-win situation – something of a holdover from listening to the doctors tell him he was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

Still, he could acknowledge that it was a smart test. Not everyone had the mental fortitude required to be a doctor, and it was better to find out now than when someone’s life was on the line.

“I understand. It was a clever way to test my abilities under pressure.”

Lao Yi’s face softened slightly, the stern lines easing into a more familiar look of mild amusement. “Indeed. And you passed, which means I’ll be taking you on as a proper apprentice. But remember, now that I know what you’re capable of, my expectations will be even higher.”

Zhujiao nodded, feeling a mix of pride and trepidation. “Thank you. I won’t let you down... Master.”

Lao Yi huffed a laugh at the formal address. “None of that now, just call me Lao Yi. In any event, now we have the really fun part of the day... the paperwork.”

Zhujiao laughed at the joke.