Chapter 5

The two hurriedly rushed out of the dilapidated temple and didn’t stop until they were out of Crooked Street, where they finally paused to catch their breath.

"Mo... Mo Ge." Xun Liu tightly hugged the package, gasping for breath as he looked at Mo Qiu, his face full of worry:

"When did you get sick?"

In this world, getting sick was no small matter; many families had collapsed because of it.

Even in the pharmacy, it would be very troublesome for them.

"It’s a lie." Mo Qiu shook his head and took out a fingernail-sized piece of Cangxiang from his pocket, putting it in his mouth:

"This thing is called Cangxiang. After eating it, you’ll get a rash."

"Ah!" Xun Liu’s face was tense:

"Then why did you eat it?"

"It’s fine." Mo Qiu waved his hand, his voice slightly muffled because of the thing in his mouth:

"I just keep it in my mouth to refresh and invigorate my mind. A small piece a day won’t cause any harm."

Although he didn’t know its exact use, the brighter the starlight in his mind, the better it should be for him.

"Uh-huh." Xun Liu seemed to understand but not quite, recalling what had just happened, he felt both afraid and worried:

"The temple has been taken over by the Black Tiger Gang. I wonder how Dogzi and Xiaochu are doing now?"

Mo Qiu’s face darkened: "They know we’re at the Qingnang Pharmacy. Logically, if they have nowhere to go, they should come find us."

"Now..."

He hesitated, then lightly shook his head.

The world wasn’t peaceful. There were gang fights in the city and bandits outside. Two weak and helpless little beggars might not survive a bit of trouble.

He looked around and said, "Let’s ask the neighbors if they know anything."

"Okay." Xun Liu, at a loss, did as he was told and immediately went to gather information.

Not long after, the two met again.

"Five days ago, the Black Tiger Gang took over the dilapidated temple and drove everyone out."

"Someone saw a fight. A beggar was covered in blood, and it’s unknown whether he’s alive or dead."

"It might not be them. I heard that some old woman bought the beggars, so maybe they’re fine."

After a while, both fell silent.

Dogzi was someone Mo Qiu cared about, a natural stutterer who had taken care of him when he first came to this world.

Xiaochu was a lame girl, from the same hometown as Xun Liu. The four of them had a relatively good relationship.

"Never mind." Mo Qiu sighed, lightly patting Xun Liu’s shoulder:

"Everyone has their own fate. If they’re fine, they’ll definitely come find us once they settle down."

"Let’s go back!"

Xun Liu opened his mouth but lowered his head, remaining silent.

Back at the pharmacy, it was still early in the evening. The two-story pharmacy, with six rooms on each floor, was the largest shop on the street.

From a distance, the strong smell of medicine could be detected.

The sign of the Qingnang Pharmacy was particularly eye-catching, with famous medical couplets carved on both sides of the pharmacy.

May the world’s people live long, and the medicine on the shelf gather dust.

Mo Qiu stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, staring for a while before sighing and entering.

"You’re back." Master Qin was sitting inside. Seeing Mo Qiu enter, he immediately waved him over:

"Come over, meet your junior brother."

"Yes." Mo Qiu hurriedly responded and looked at a child around ten years old beside Master Qin.

The child, unlike Mo Qiu who was thin and sallow, was well-built and cute, with clean and tidy clothes.

Though young, he was slightly taller than Mo Qiu.

Master Qin pointed and said, "His name is Cheng Shou. He will also be learning medicine. Get to know each other."

"Junior Brother Cheng." Mo Qiu nodded:

"My name is Mo Qiu. I’ve been here not long. Please teach me a lot."

Cheng Shou, clearly a city child, was far less adept at social skills than Mo Qiu. He blinked, unsure of what to say, and only smiled to show his friendliness.

"Um." Master Qin didn’t mind and said:

"When Wei An is busy, you, as the senior brother and older, should teach him more."

"Right."

He paused, then looked at Mo Qiu:

"How’s your recent learning going? How many herbs in the pharmacy do you recognize? Do you understand their properties and processing methods?"

"Brother Wei has taught me, and I’ve memorized them." Mo Qiu’s eyes flickered, and he said:

"I’ve memorized most of the herbs in the pharmacy and understand their properties and processing methods."

"Hmm?" Master Qin frowned, looking displeased:

"Don’t boast. How long have you been here? There are hundreds of common herbs in the pharmacy. How many can you remember?"

He had just asked casually to check progress but didn’t expect the apprentice to make such a boast.

It took him several months to familiarize himself with the herbs back then.

"Master Qin." Mo Qiu bowed formally:

"I have indeed memorized a lot."

Such a bold move was not in his nature.

But today’s events had stimulated Mo Qiu, making him realize that hiding his abilities was not always the best choice.

Sometimes, he needed to show his capabilities to stand firm more quickly.

"Is that so?" Even though Mo Qiu looked serious, Master Qin was still skeptical and immediately said:

"Then tell me, what have you learned about Lengmuku?"

Mo Qiu almost didn’t hesitate, saying, "Lengmuku, commonly known as Diyaozi, is used as a whole plant. It tastes bitter and pungent, is neutral in nature, and has the functions of dispelling wind and activating circulation, dispersing stasis, and relieving pain. It is mainly used for injuries from falls and blows."

"The processing method is to dry it in the sun or use it fresh. Sometimes it needs to be processed with fire and is stored in the third drawer of the Leng row."

"Hmm?" Master Qin’s eyebrows raised, his face showing a serious expression, and he asked again:

"Dinggongteng."

"Dinggongteng, commonly known as Malateng, uses the root and stem. It tastes spicy and is warm in nature, with the function of reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is mainly used for rheumatic arthralgia, hemiplegia, and injuries from falls and blows." Mo Qiu said:

"The processing method is to remove impurities, wash, soak, slice, and dry, then use it directly or grind it into powder."

"It is stored in the seventh drawer of the Ding row."

"Baihuashe!"

This time, it was a less commonly used herb.

But Mo Qiu only thought for a moment before answering, "Baihuashe, warm in nature, enters the liver meridian, tastes sweet and salty, and can dispel wind and dampness, invigorate the tendons and bones, and calm convulsions. It is mainly used for rheumatic paralysis, joint pain, leprosy..."

"The processing method is to dry it in the sun and then process it with fire, calcination, roasting, or scorching... It is stored in the ninth drawer of the Gen row."

"Anxixiang?"

"Baihualongdan?"

"Citrus..."

Master Qin asked, and Mo Qiu answered.

The two were in a corner of the pharmacy, one asking and the other answering. The questions became increasingly difficult, but Mo Qiu answered fluently.

It wasn’t until some rare herbs were asked that Mo Qiu showed hesitation and couldn’t answer.

After a long time...

Under the envious gaze of the child Cheng Shou, Master Qin finally stopped asking, and the corner returned to silence.

"Not bad." Master Qin looked at Mo Qiu and nodded lightly, his eyes showing a mix of surprise, doubt, and a bit of envy.

He sighed, stood up, and said:

"Follow me."

"Yes." Mo Qiu responded and hurriedly followed.

The three entered the back yard. Master Qin had the two wait in the back hall while he returned to his room.

Not long after, he returned with a book.

"Since your foundation is almost solid, let’s start learning something else." He handed the book to Mo Qiu and said:

"This book, 'Baoyao Shangke,' covers injuries from falls and blows, bleeding from cuts and stabs, and some ointments. Start reading it."

"If you don’t understand something, ask Wei An. Don’t just memorize the book; observe the old masters’ methods and learn to apply them practically."

"Yes!" Mo Qiu took the book and hurriedly responded.

Night.

Everyone else in the room was already asleep, but Mo Qiu was full of thoughts and couldn’t fall asleep.

He was worried about Dogzi and Xiaochu, uncertain about the future, and still trying to understand this world...

Finally, unable to sleep, he closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into the dark starry sea.

"System."

"Whoosh!"

The light screen lit up.

As Mo Qiu’s thoughts moved, one by one, square Chinese characters appeared on the light screen.

It was the 'Baoyao Shangke.'

When he couldn’t remember, he opened his eyes and read under the moonlight, eventually copying the entire book onto the light screen.

The next moment.

Mo Qiu suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils radiating uncontrollable joy and excitement.