Chapter 56: Entering the Pharmacy
As soon as he entered the room, Chen Tianlong could smell a faint medicinal scent, and this scent wasn’t just any medicinal smell, but a fragrance.
"Do you know? Aside from you and Mengting, no one else has ever entered here." Tan Tian looked at his masterpiece with some pride.
"Wow, is this your pharmacy, Master?" Chen Tianlong looked at the equipment, which was similar to the pharmacies outside selling medicine, and guessed.
"Wrong, to be precise, this is the Divine Pharmacy. Every herbal material here is rare in the world, and they are all top-grade. These are what I have collected over the years."
In the past ten years, Tan Tian traveled all over the country. Besides gathering precious herbs from various places, he personally went into the mountains to dig and collect.
He believed that only by verifying the herbs listed in the Compendium of Materia Medica himself, like his ancestor Li Shizhen, could he apply the medicine more accurately when treating symptoms.
"Wow, that’s amazing!"
Chen Tianlong sincerely admired it, and looking at the dazzling array of items in the big room, his enthusiasm for learning medicine was ignited.
In the pharmacy, there was a large round table with a few stools scattered around.
"Chen Tianlong, the reason I brought you to the pharmacy this time is to test your sensitivity to pharmacology, which is what people call innate talent." Tan Tian said with a slight smile.
"Oh? How will you test me?" Chen Tianlong asked with some curiosity.
"You’ll know in a moment."
With that, Tan Tian walked to a medicine cabinet, pointed to the names of dozens of herbs on it, and said, "Chen Tianlong, you have ten minutes to memorize the name of each herb and its corresponding scent. I’ll test you later."
After speaking, Tan Tian sat down at the round table and started pouring a cup of tea, sipping it calmly. Seeing his master say this, Chen Tianlong didn’t delay any further, nodded directly, and began to act.
Chen Tianlong started with the first medicine cabinet, gently pulling open a small drawer, then took out a small amount to observe carefully, occasionally sniffing it in front of his nose, memorizing its scent, color, and name, then putting it back before moving on to the second small drawer...
Just like that, ten minutes flew by. Chen Tianlong had a quite good memory, so in such a short time, he had basically memorized the essential information.
He then walked over to Tan Tian, confidently saying, "Master, I’m ready. You can start testing me now."
"Haha, not bad. You managed to remember so many herbs in such a short time." Tan Tian smiled, looking very satisfied.
At this moment, Tan Tian stood up and walked to a large cabinet. After opening it, he took out a flat lid. Inside, some herbs had long been prepared, but they were mixed together, a total of ten types.
Tan Tian placed the lid on the table, then smiled at Chen Tianlong and said, "Go ahead and identify these herbs, what they are called, and how many types are there in total?"
Chen Tianlong was initially stunned, then he smiled slightly and walked over, starting to carefully identify them.
Chen Tianlong took a general look; the flat lid was mixed with all kinds of colors. The sight might make one a bit dizzy, let alone identify each herb one by one—it’s truly a tricky task.
Without much thought, Chen Tianlong picked a few herbal pieces from the lid. A few minutes later, he lifted his head, smiled slightly at Tan Tian, and said, "In total, there are ten types of herbs."
"Ah?"
Tan Tian was extremely shocked. He had actually guessed correctly, but immediately thought it might be by chance. So Tan Tian promptly asked, "Then, Chen Tianlong, can you tell me which ones they are?"
"Hmm, sure."
Chen Tianlong nodded, neither too fast nor too slow. He casually picked up a herbal piece, placed it under his nose to sniff, and then thought for a moment and said, "Gastrodia, the surface is yellowish-white to pale yellow-brown, slightly transparent, mostly with irregular longitudinal wrinkles."
After speaking, Chen Tianlong placed the herb onto the table beside him, continued with other herbs, and said, "Du Zhong, outer surface pale brown, relatively smooth, inner surface smooth, dark purple, has a faint smell, tastes slightly bitter."
"Winter, flower buds of asteraceae, spicy and warm in nature. Danggui, double-hanging fruit oval, side edges have wings, taste sweet, spicy, bitter, warm in nature. Zhongning Goji Berries are oval, purplish-red, white navel, fragrant..."
Seeing Chen Tianlong enthusiastically explaining the methods of identification, Tan Tian was dumbfounded; this was beyond talent, it was sheer genius.
To be honest, even he, once hailed as a young medical prodigy, might not have been able to identify all the herbs in one go within ten minutes back then.
"Haha, Chen Tianlong, it seems you’re truly hidden! Master is impressed."
Tan Tian couldn’t help but praise.
"Hehe, I just had some exposure before, Master overpraises. I only have a good memory." In front of this Divine Doctor master, Chen Tianlong dared not take credit.
"Haha, Chen Tianlong, there’s no need to be modest. If in the future, you can carry forward my medical skills, I will be very relieved." Tan Tian laughed heartily and made a decision.
At this moment, Tan Tian walked to the cabinet next to them, took a book from the top shelf, and handed it to Chen Tianlong, "This is a Pharmacology book, I, as a teacher, am giving it to you, hoping you can gradually grasp it in the future. It also contains my experience practicing medicine over the years, be sure to understand it well."
After receiving the book respectfully, Chen Tianlong flipped through it, then held it in his hand.
Meanwhile, Tan Tian noticeably didn’t stop there. He walked to another cabinet, pulled out a small box from the bottom, and took out something wrapped in cloth from inside.
"Master, what’s this?"
Chen Tianlong was stunned, asked curiously.
"Silver needles, don’t forget what Master is famous for. This is my trump card, Fuxi Nine Needles."
To study the effect of acupuncture on the Eight Extraordinary Meridians of the human body, Tan Tian had practiced actual operations on live people on the Ren Meridian, Du Meridian, Chong Meridian, Dai Meridian, Yin Qiao Meridian, Yang Qiao Meridian, Yinwei Meridian, Yangwei Meridian, combining the essence of ancient acupuncture, Fuxi Nine Needles, creating an acupuncture method with his own characteristics, New Fuxi Nine Needles.
This New Fuxi Nine Needles is not only a set of acupuncture methods for treating illnesses but also a deadly hidden weapon technique.
Water can carry a boat, but also capsize it. Needles can save people, but also kill.
And the function of the Fuxi Nine Needles goes without saying, depending on the user’s intent.
"Tianlong, my disciple, this technique has been sealed for twenty years, so far never opened. For the reason, I don’t want you to know yet. I hope after you learn it, you will use it for good deeds and not take lives lightly."
After Tan Tian handed the item to Chen Tianlong, he continued, "The Heart Method and Technique of Fuxi Nine Needles have already been recorded on the ninetieth page of the accompany pharmacology. I hope you can carry forward these unique skills of mine in the future."
"Okay, Master, I will certainly remember your instructions."
Clearly, Chen Tianlong was very moved, as this was Tan Tian’s treasured martial knowledge being fully passed on, reflecting his trust in him.