CHAPTER 975: CHAPTER 972: HIGH EXPECTATIONS

"Every year I need to prepare half a month in advance to refine the Shaoyang Pill for Yun Hongxi. Even with shortcuts, refining all the herbs takes me a week. But Lin Tian finished it overnight. I, Jiang Xiu Ying, am truly outdone." Jiang Xiu Ying muttered to herself, her tone filled with admiration as well as contentment.

As a doctor and also a pharmacist, she was naturally delighted to see a rising star like Lin Tian. Of course, if it was someone narrow-minded like Liao Ping, there would only be jealousy in their heart.

"Elder Jiang, how does Lin Tian’s talent compare to the Ghost Valley Inheritor back then?" Wang Wanxi asked curiously.

"The Ghost Valley Inheritor was a junior pharmacist. Although Lin Tian is just a pharmacist apprentice, in terms of talent, the Ghost Valley Inheritor doesn’t even come close to one ten-thousandth of Lin Tian’s talent." Jiang Xiu Ying said very surely.

Wang Wanxi was even more amazed and said with great interest, "It’s said that pharmacists can refine elixirs beneficial to Ancient Martial Artists. If that’s the case, Lin Tian will definitely be the most popular person in the Ancient Martial World."

"Not necessarily," Jiang Xiu Ying shook her head, disagreeing with Wang Wanxi’s statement. "A person of innocence can be guilty by merely possessing a treasure. If he masters advanced refining skills, those powerful entities will surely covet his abilities and find ways to control him, which is extremely disadvantageous for him."

Wang Wanxi just smiled and said, "With his abilities, it would be difficult to pose a threat to him, and with Lin Tian’s astonishing talent, do you think his master would be someone simple? If they mess with the apprentice and bring out a hidden master in the process, those with ulterior motives would be the ones to weep."

"Indeed, such a dazzling young talent, I wonder which school he hails from." Jiang Xiu Ying sighed, then looked towards Zi Yan: "Zi Yan, you’ve known Lin Tian the longest, do you know the origin of his school?"

Zi Yan shook her head and said, "I don’t know. Even the Xiao Family’s Miss doesn’t know about his master’s background. We suspect Lin Tian’s master might be a hidden master."

While they were guessing Lin Tian’s lineage, little did they know that all of Lin Tian’s skills came from a zombie girl. The zombie girl wasn’t as simple as a hidden master; if there were gods in this world, the zombie girl might be the closest existence to a god.

"Alright, let’s go and wait downstairs. Lin Tian should wake up before noon. If there’s anything, we can talk after he wakes up." Jiang Xiu Ying said, then led the group back to the living room.

Lin Tian slept deeply, completely unaware that someone had come to see him, nor did he realize how much speculation he had caused.

In a haze, he felt warm all over and woke up to see that the sun was already high in the sky, the hottest time of the day.

Lin Tian checked his watch, and it was already past eleven o’clock. He flipped up energetically, stretched lazily, and immediately felt refreshed and invigorated.

"Ah, waking up naturally and counting money until your hands cramp, truly two of life’s greatest pleasures." Lin Tian couldn’t help but shout happily.

He thought he was alone in Yunxiang Inn, but his shout drew a response: "Junior Brother Lin, what are you wailing about? You’ve woken up, why aren’t you coming down? We’ve been waiting for you all morning."

Just by the title, he knew it was Zi Yan. In a great mood, Lin Tian shouted downstairs, "Senior Sister, I just had a dream and even dreamt of you. I didn’t expect to hear your beautiful voice upon waking, making me think I was still dreaming."

"You... you jerk, what nonsense are you talking about? Get down here and see how I deal with you!" Zi Yan’s embarrassed voice came from downstairs.

Lin Tian was very puzzled; usually, his senior sister would tease him first. It’s rare that I get to tease her for once, why is she acting so proper now?

Lin Tian scratched his brow, shaking his head in confusion as he walked downstairs. When he reached the living room, Lin Tian finally realized why Zi Yan was embarrassed and angry, because not only was her master there, but Yun Xiaotian and even the Yun Family’s mistress, Wang Wanxi, had come.

Flirting with someone’s disciple in front of their master, even with Lin Tian’s thick skin, he almost choked on his own saliva in shock.

Wang Wanxi and the others looked at Lin Tian and Zi Yan, suppressing smiles. Lin Tian could only pretend to cough and said, "Ahem, Elder Jiang and Aunt Wang, why are you here? It’s an unexpected honor for someone like me."

"Alright Zi Yan, don’t glare at Lin Tian anymore. Lin Tian, stop with the seniority talk and tell me about your all-night refining." Jiang Xiu Ying interrupted Zi Yan, as she had said before, saying, "Your young people’s world is beyond my control, I’m just concerned about the refining business."

Lin Tian followed Jiang Xiu Ying’s lead and said, "It was nothing last night, just an all-nighter refining herbs, felt a lot like playing games all night. By morning, I was so tired I just lay down."

"Playing games?" Jiang Xiu Ying was puzzled for a moment, then laughed, "Lin Tian you sure know how to make jokes. I’ve seen the herbs you refined; do you realize how enormous a task you’ve accomplished?"

"An enormous task? I just got in the mood and refined all the herbs in one go. It did take quite some time, but if I were to refine again, it would take me three hours to finish." Lin Tian said somewhat embarrassedly, thinking that the work he completed overnight would take other pharmacists only a few hours, after all, he was just an apprentice, a novice.

He had this realization, but when Lin Tian saw everyone stunned, he uneasily said, "Elder Jiang, Aunt Wang, did I say something wrong just now?"

"You didn’t say anything wrong, but you misunderstood me." Jiang Xiu Ying said with a wry smile, especially at Lin Tian’s claim of completing it in three hours next time, leaving her even more helpless, wondering, is he even human?

"You may not know this, but it takes me at least seven days to complete all the herb refinement, and you did it in just one night. Moreover, just now you said it would take only three hours once you’re proficient, making me feel wholly inadequate." Elder Jiang remarked with emotion.

"Elder Jiang, I didn’t mean it that way..." Lin Tian said apologetically, thinking he had hurt Jiang Xiu Ying’s pride, who after all, was a revered figure and an authority in the medical field.

Jiang Xiu Ying gestured Lin Tian to stop speaking, then smiled warmly, "Lin Tian, I’m happy, the better you are, the happier I am. There are too few pharmacists, really too few, and even fewer excellent ones. This profession needs a genius like you, or else, it might face extinction."

"I have been involved in medicine since I was aware of the world, for more than half a century in fact. Yet in all these decades, I’ve seen only one true pharmacist. This profession needs someone excellent to carry the leadership, and I see the potential in you." Jiang Xiu Ying said earnestly.