Chapter 330: The Physician Guild

After Mu Xueqing and the others left the classroom, Zhang Xuan also departed.

To help Lu Chong improve his strength in a short time, he had to purchase enough medicinal ingredients to concoct poison. Staying at the academy, it was impossible to obtain such things.

“There are only two sources for such medicinal ingredients: one is the Medicine King, and the other is the Physician Guild!”

He walked while pondering.

The Medicine King was essentially a supplier of medicinal materials, hoarding large quantities of drugs, hence the title. Back then, the Great Medicine King of Red Lotus City was the largest medicinal trader among the thirteen surrounding kingdoms.

“If there were a Medicine King in Heavenly Martial Royal City, Bai Chan and the others wouldn’t have gone all the way to Red Lotus City to buy medicine… I’d better go to the Physician Guild!”

Bai Chan and many other physicians traveling to Red Lotus City to buy medicine indicated that there was no Medicine King in the Heavenly Martial Kingdom, or if there was, the stock was certainly incomplete. Otherwise, no one would risk traveling so far to make purchases.

That being the case, it was better to go directly to the Physician Guild.

Both the Alchemist Guild and the Physician Guild used medicinal ingredients, but the former concocted medicines related to cultivation, storing mostly tonics and spiritual herbs. The latter, when treating illnesses and saving lives, could also use poisons as medicine. Therefore, only the latter could provide such items.

Leaving the academy, he asked around and soon found out the location of the Physician Guild.

It wasn’t too far from the Heavenly Martial Academy, and after half an hour, he arrived at its doorstep.

The Physician Guild was far inferior to the Master Teacher Hall, but it was still taller and more imposing than the Calligrapher Guild.

Entering the hall, he immediately saw many people crowded inside, queuing in an orderly manner. At the front, there were dedicated apprentices seeing patients, somewhat resembling a hospital in his previous life.

Bypassing the crowd, he approached the front desk, where a girl in her twenties came forward with a sweet smile on her face.

“May I ask what this young master wishes to consult about…”

“I want to buy some medicinal ingredients!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Buy medicine?” The girl hesitated for a moment, then looked at him politely: “Please show your prescription!”

“Prescription?”

He had come to buy medicine—how could he have such a thing?

“You need a prescription to buy medicine…” Seeing his bewildered expression, the girl furrowed her brows.

“Where can I get a prescription?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Physicians and apprentices can both issue them!”

The girl looked at him as if he were a freak: “But apprentices can only prescribe low-grade medicines. If what you want to buy is more precious, you must see a physician!”

He didn’t even know who could issue a prescription, yet he dared to come buy medicine. It was fortunate she had a good temper; otherwise, she would have thrown him out as a troublemaker.

“Oh, the ingredients I want to buy aren’t particularly high-grade, just relatively rare. Let me tell you what they are, and you tell me whether a physician or an apprentice can issue the prescription to buy them!”

Glancing at the long queue, Zhang Xuan decided to clarify first.

If he ended up waiting in line for hours behind an apprentice, only to find the apprentice couldn’t issue the prescription, it would all be for nothing.

“Alright!”

The girl nodded.

“I want to buy Angelica dahurica, Red-tailed Red Leaf, Wolfbane Grass…” After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan listed a dozen medicinal ingredients.

Before he could finish, he saw the girl’s eyes widen like saucers, staring at him as if he were a monster. Then, she stepped back warily and struck the bronze gong behind her: “Guards! Someone is causing trouble…”

“…” Zhang Xuan.

Clatter!

Several armored guards came over.

“Miss Yaru, what’s the matter?”

The guard leader was a tall, burly man with a physique like an iron tower, exuding a strong sense of pressure.

He was actually a Tongxuan realm expert.

“This man is deliberately causing trouble…”

The receptionist Yaru pointed at him.

“Cough, cough…” Not expecting to be taken for a troublemaker when he came to buy medicine, Zhang Xuan shook his head: “I am a teacher from the Heavenly Martial Academy, here specifically to buy medicine!”

With that, he took out his teacher identity badge.

He didn’t want to be kicked out of the guild as soon as he entered.

“So it’s Teacher Liu, my apologies!” The guard leader examined the badge carefully, then clasped his fists and looked at Yaru with confusion: “What’s going on?”

The Heavenly Martial Academy, known as a sacred ground for cultivation, had teachers who held a high status in the royal city and could not be underestimated.

Since he was a teacher, he would have self-respect; how could he cause trouble?

“He… he doesn’t even have a prescription, yet he wants to buy prohibited medicines like Angelica dahurica, Red-tailed Red Leaf, and Wolfbane Grass. If that’s not causing trouble, what is?”

Not expecting this clueless fellow to be an academy teacher, Yaru was taken aback for a moment, then said.

“Buying prohibited medicines?”

Understanding the situation, the guard leader looked at Zhang Xuan: “Teacher Liu, prohibited medicines are not easily sold by the guild. Especially Wolfbane Grass, which is highly toxic. Even with a prescription, it’s impossible to buy unless… the physician himself comes forward. Otherwise, the guild will not sell it!”

“Can’t buy it even with a prescription?”

“Yes! These prohibited medicines are all highly toxic. To prevent unscrupulous people from using them for evil, the guild has deliberately set this requirement. Please understand!” The guard leader clasped his fists.

If he weren’t an academy teacher, he too would have thought he was here to cause trouble.

Coming to the guild to buy prohibited medicines without knowing anything… what nerve.

"Oh!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Actually, he could understand. In his previous life, some potent drugs, like sleeping pills, couldn't be bought even with a doctor's prescription, or at least not in large quantities.

This was also to prevent these highly toxic drugs from spreading and causing unnecessary trouble.

"Since Teacher Liu understands the rules, please leave now and don't make things difficult for us..." Seeing that he understood, the guard leader continued.

But before he could finish, he saw the young man in front of him frown deeply, shaking his head with a helpless expression: "Looks like... I'll have to take the physician exam. Sigh, buying medicine is such a hassle..."

"Take the physician exam?"

"Buying medicine is a hassle?"

The guards and the waitress named Yarou nearly fell over and fainted on the spot upon hearing this.

Physicians ranked high even among the top nine professions, so the difficulty of the exam was可想而知.

You're not even an apprentice, don't even know a prescription to buy medicine, yet you brazenly talk about taking the physician exam, just because buying medicine is a hassle...

Bro, would it kill you not to show off like this?

Especially Yarou, whose face turned an ugly green.

She had seen people who liked to brag, but never anyone who bragged so outrageously.

Even if you don't know that buying medicine requires a prescription and are unfamiliar with many rules, to take the physician exam, you should at least know something about medicinal herbs!

You don't even know that Angelica dahurica, Red-tailed Red Leaf, and Wolf Poison Grass are banned substances... and you want to take the physician exam? Take the exam my foot!

"Teacher Liu, the physician exam isn't as simple as you imagine..."

His expression was unpleasant, but mindful of the other's status as a college teacher, the guard leader held back his anger and snorted.

"Mm, I know! How could a profession among the top nine be easy!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Hearing him say he knew, the guard leader thought he had come to his senses and was about to reply, when he heard the next words and stumbled, nearly spitting blood.

The young man looked at him seriously: "Excuse me... where is the physician exam held?"

He doesn't even know where the physician exam is held... and he wants to take it?

"At the Physician Hall over there..." Suppressing his anger, the guard leader pointed ahead.

Following his finger, Zhang Xuan indeed saw a hall in the distance with three large characters: "Physician Hall!"

"Good, thank you. Please prepare the herbs I mentioned earlier. I'll come pick them up after I finish the exam!"

Knowing the location, Zhang Xuan turned and instructed the waitress Yarou, then walked straight ahead.

"Braggart!"

Seeing him leave, Yarou couldn't help but snort, her eyes full of contempt.

Now she was a hundred percent sure that this guy was here to cause trouble.

Otherwise, who had ever seen someone who knew nothing come to take the physician exam?

"Indeed, it's a bit unreliable. How could such a noble profession as physician be taken on a whim?" The guard leader also shook his head.

If you said you had studied before, that would be one thing, but you don't even know where the exam is held, or that buying medicine requires a prescription, yet you want to take it...

Do you really think this profession is easy?

"That's not necessarily true. I remember there was a case in our guild where someone who wasn't even an apprentice directly passed the one-star physician exam!"

A guard spoke up.

"Oh, you mean Physician Mu Hong, the three-star physician. He's different. He comes from a family of physicians; his ancestors were all physicians. Although he had never taken the guild exam, he had real skills, so he passed on his first try!"

The guard leader said.

What the other said was true; the guild did have such a precedent.

It was the famous Physician Mu Hong.

At that time, although this physician had never taken an exam and wasn't even an apprentice, he often followed his father to treat patients and was already quite famous.

"He's just a reckless fool. How can he compare to Physician Mu Hong?" Yarou snorted coldly.

Physician Mu Hong studied medicine from childhood, began treating patients alone at thirteen, and though he had never taken an exam, he had practically grown up in the Physician Guild and was familiar with everything there.

But this guy in front of them knew nothing, looked like an idiot, and didn't even know about banned substances... how could they compare?

"It's hard to say. Regardless, he is a teacher at Tianwu Academy. He wouldn't disregard his own reputation, would he?"

The guard leader said.

"This..."

Yarou was speechless.

The profession of teacher, though not as prestigious as physician, was still respected due to the influence of famous teachers. A formal teacher at an academy wouldn't stoop to deliberately causing trouble, would he?

"Maybe he is a man of true ability!"

"Yes, perhaps like Physician Mu Hong, he has never taken an exam. If he does, he might make a stunning debut!"

The two guards still had great faith in the teaching profession.

"That's not impossible..." After hearing everyone's analysis, Yarou hesitated, then finally nodded. Just as she was about to speak again, she saw the young man who had just left return, looking embarrassed.

"Excuse me... what are the steps for the physician exam? What books do I need to study?"

"..." Yarou.

"..." The guards.