The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Number one, number two, number three..."

Every time Liu Xinyi read out a number, some people in the audience breathed a sigh of relief, while others clenched their fists.

"All physicians whose names have not been called, please leave the room. The second round of assessment is about to begin."

Her tone was flat, without any extra emotion.

But when these words reached the ears of those contestants who failed, it was like a bucket of ice water being poured over their heads.

Someone repeatedly checked the number on the token in their hand.

Make sure you didn't mishear or miss anything.

Then he lowered his hands, stood up silently, and walked off the field.

His steps were as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

The examination hall, which was originally crowded with thousands of people, was emptied of most of its capacity after this order was given.

The empty seats were like seashells left behind by the tide, scattered in the silence where sunlight and the scent of medicine intertwined.

Less than 30% of the respondents passed the test.

The first test eliminated seven or eight out of ten, which shows how rigorous the Medicine God Trial is.

It shows no mercy to anyone.

Why were most of the numbers at the top of the queue not eliminated?

In the audience, someone asked in a low voice.

His gaze fell on the newly posted list, which only contained numbers and no names.

Each number is alone, like a sealed talisman, with no one knowing who is hidden behind it.

"Are you stupid? Don't you even know this?"

The person next to him scoffed, but still patiently explained.

"The top ten numbers are reserved specifically for top doctors. You could say they were the most likely candidates to compete for the title of 'Medicine God' from the very beginning."

"Think about it, if even they were eliminated in the first round, that would be truly laughable."

"Besides, if even the strongest few can't get through, who can?"

"Now that you mention it..."

The man suddenly realized, and his eyes blazed with even greater curiosity.

"Who are the top ten numbers? And number one? Who is number one?"

"I don't know. The rules of the trial state that identities will not be revealed until the very last moment."

"Number One... In previous years, anyone who got Number One was either the youngest Medicine King of that era or the person who eventually ascended to the Liuli Terrace."

"That represents the highest expectation of Divine Medicine Valley."

Tang Xixue sat in her seat, toying with the bronze token between her fingers.

The token was small, just the right size to hold in the palm of your hand, with rounded, smooth edges and a slightly cool touch.

Her thumb slowly brushed across the "one" on the front, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly.

"Junior Sister?"

Liu Fengchun had somehow slipped back, his voice tinged with a hint of probing.

"Congratulations, you've passed the first hurdle."

He felt that the girl looked young, but was probably older than him.

She just said she shouldn't call me "junior sister," so surely "senior sister" is the right way to address me, right?

Congratulations to Fengchun on passing the test.

Tang Xixue nodded, her expression hidden behind her veil, but a faint smile lingered in her eyes.

"I wonder what number your senior sister is?"

Liu Fengchun wanted to say something more, but out of the corner of his eye he suddenly caught sight of two figures walking in this direction.

His smile froze on his face.

Those were the Divine Physician Si Xingxuan, who was known as the Moon-Folding Divine Physician, and the Ghost Physician Jiu Fangzhi.

One in front and one behind, their clothes fluttering, their whole demeanor aloof and unfathomable.

Especially Jiu Fangzhi, who was walking in front, even though he was wearing that silver dragon-patterned ghost mask, the deep and mysterious look in his eyes was enough to send chills down one's spine.

As for the one after that...

Si Xingxuan, the current master of Divine Medicine Valley, is the person Liu Fengchun fears most when walking in the valley, without exception.

Almost the instant Liu Fengchun saw the person's face, he jumped up from his chair.

He flashed away, moving as fast as a leaf swept away by a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, he shrank to the most inconspicuous corner of the field.

The movements were fluid and practiced, so skillful it was almost heartbreaking... Clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.

"You can't see me, you can't see me..."

He curled himself into a ball and muttered something under his breath.

Jiu Fangzhi and Si Xingxuan sat down next to Tang Xixue.

Those two seats happened to be empty. One of them originally belonged to Liu Fengchun, but now that he was gone, the chair was empty and all its warmth had dissipated.

"That junior sister is really unlucky, she actually ran into those two jinxes."

Liu Fengchun peeked through his fingers and silently mourned for her in his heart.

"She didn't even try to escape... Good luck to her, poor thing."

However, the next moment, he saw Tang Xixue greet the two of them.

The movements were natural and spontaneous.

"Senior brother. Zheyue."

It was no surprise that the two of them passed the first test.

One is the Ghost Doctor of Divine Medicine Valley, who uses poison to the extreme; the other is the Divine Doctor of Folding Moon, who can easily poison the entire valley.

If even they fail at identifying the medicine, then there's no point in holding the Medicine God Trial.

Jiu Fangzhi was still wearing that silver dragon-patterned ghost mask, but his voice was unusually gentle.

"Junior Sister".

He sat down to her left, his long black robe embroidered with intricate patterns in dark gold thread, exuding unparalleled elegance.

His posture as he sat down was casual and languid, yet he possessed an aura that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

The once noisy surroundings suddenly quieted down the moment he sat down.

This is the Ghost Doctor; even wearing a mask, he can silence everyone within a radius of several feet.

"Junior Uncle."

Si Xingxuan sat down to Tang Xixue's right and called out in a clear, melodious voice.

Today he was wearing the light blue fringed robe that his elder brother had chosen for him, with a dark purple belt around his waist that accentuated his slender and upright figure.

Those eyes, clear as the sky after the rain, stared at her without blinking.

First, she looked at him carefully, and then a thin layer of mist rose in her eyes, wet and glistening, like orchid petals soaked in the morning dew.

A sour feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart, making his throat feel dry.

Why does Junior Uncle look so alluring today, with his eyes sparkling with spring-like joy?

The alluring charm emanating from her eyes and brows clearly showed signs of being thoroughly ravaged by someone.

He didn't know who the fox spirit on his junior uncle's bed was last night, but whoever it was, she deserved to die.

Tang Xixue noticed his gaze and turned her head away in confusion.

"What's wrong, Zheyue? Are you in a bad mood?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying a hint of caring tenderness.

Si Xingxuan shook his head, and in that instant, as if his expression had changed, all the gloom in his eyes faded away.

He curved his lips into a smile, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth, and smiled at her with unparalleled brilliance.

Like the first ray of sunlight suddenly filtering through the clouds after a rain, bright and clear, so dazzling that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.

"No. I'm in a very good mood after seeing my junior uncle."

His voice had the clear, gentle quality unique to young people.

Tang Xixue looked at his suddenly brightened appearance, a look of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Why is this little yandere so hot and cold all of a sudden?

Just a moment ago the sky was overcast, like the sky before a downpour, but in the blink of an eye it was clear and sunny.

The speed at which these emotions shift is more unpredictable than the wind on the summit of Kunlun Mountain.

From the examiners' table, four pairs of eyes, from different angles, simultaneously locked onto this direction.

"That kid Zhe Yue... he can actually laugh?"

The second senior brother, the Medicine King of the Green Bag, rubbed his squinty eyes and leaned forward with his chubby body, almost pressing down on the table.

"Isn't he a male ghost? What does it mean that he's smiling so brightly at our junior sister?"

"My goodness, this is unbelievable!"

"Those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves."

The eldest disciple, Danxin Yaowang, paused in mid-air, stroking his long, silvery-white beard. A rare hint of wariness appeared on his usually refined and gentle face.

"He smiles so brightly at our junior sister all the time, he must have something on his mind."

"You all know Zhe Yue's personality. The more handsome he looks when he smiles, the more mischievous he is plotting in his heart."

"He wouldn't be trying to seduce our junior sister with his good looks, would he?"

The third senior brother, the Medicine King, frowned deeply and spoke in a very low voice.

"To fight for the position of Medicine God, they actually resorted to such means... How despicable."

"Junior brother wouldn't go so far as to lay a hand on our junior sister, would he?"

Fourth Senior Brother, the Medicine King Taisu, rarely spoke up and said something fair.

A crack finally appeared on his stone-carved face as he looked in that direction with a hint of uncertainty.

"He has always been very fond of his junior sister."

"Who knows?"

The second senior brother snorted, his round face filled with worry.

"Junior Brother is used to doing whatever he wants. He doesn't care what methods he uses."

"He might be smiling right now, but he's already planning how to poison his biggest rival first."

"Let's get rid of the junior sister first, then we old bones. One go, clean and efficient."

"He dares!"

The third senior brother slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups on it to jump.

"If he dares to lay a finger on Junior Sister, I..."

"What? You think you can beat him? Or that you can cure his poison?"

The eldest brother gave him a cool glance.

The third senior brother blushed and it took him a long time to finally utter a sentence.

"I...I'm going to tell my senior sister."

The several medicine masters nodded in unison, thinking it was an excellent idea.

In the entire Divine Medicine Valley, the only person who could make that master and disciple pair restrain themselves a little was probably Senior Sister Liu Xinyi.

"Junior Uncle."

Si Xingxuan suddenly turned her head, her clear blue eyes blinking innocently.

"I really haven't learned how to poison. You have to believe me... My master is different, he's incredibly toxic."

A harmless smile graced his delicate face, as if he were truly just an innocent and harmless boy, and all the rumors about him being ruthless were baseless.

Jiu Fangzhi's lips twitched slightly beneath the mask.

He slowly turned his head, his deep gaze falling on his disciple's face, lingering for a full three breaths.

Then he looked away without saying anything.

Having such a wicked disciple is his blessing!

"oh."

Tang Xixue responded with a calm tone, her words carrying a clear message.

She doesn't believe him for a second.

Zhe Yue had never studied poisoning; he was simply gifted and self-taught.

He had studied the toxicity of every single medicinal herb in the Divine Medicine Valley's medicinal fields.

Which of those bottles and jars in the Seventh Pavilion's secret chamber wasn't personally prepared by him?

It wouldn't be wrong to say he hadn't studied it... He didn't need to study it; he was born to do this.

"The second stage of the assessment..."

Just then, Liu Xinyi stepped back onto the platform, her voice drowning out all the whispers in the room.

She held a scroll of plain silk in her hand; it was the trial charter.

Her gaze slowly swept over the hundreds of faces below the stage as she announced, word by word.

"Refine the Jade Elixir."

As soon as these words were spoken, disciples of the Divine Medicine Valley filed in, carrying uniform bronze medicine cauldrons to each participant.

The medicine cauldron was dark green all over, with intricate spiritual patterns engraved on its body. It was the most basic and most challenging design in the Divine Medicine Valley.

No frills, no shortcuts, everyone starts on the same footing.

Immediately afterwards, a set of medicinal herbs was placed on each person's table.

The medicinal herbs were wrapped in plain white cotton cloth. Once unwrapped, all the herbs inside were exactly the same.

A few taels of snow-seeing grass, a single golden thread Paris polyphylla, five fresh leaves of Dendrobium nobile, a small pinch of powdered Gastrodia elata... all of these are herbs that appeared in the first stage of the assessment.

This arrangement has left many people gasping in surprise.

It turns out that the first test was not only about identifying the medicine, but also about laying the groundwork for the second test.

Finally, a prescription was hidden under the medicinal herbs.

The pages were yellowed and the ink was somewhat blurred, as if they had been torn from an ancient medical book.

The prescription only listed the names of the medicinal materials and their general order, deliberately omitting the crucial "cooking time" and "time of adding the medicine," leaving several conspicuous blanks.

Those blank spaces are the real challenge of this exam question.

"The Jade Pill is not of high grade, but its refining requires extremely high skill."

Liu Xinyi's gaze swept over every face on the stage, her voice neither hurried nor slow.

"If the heat is too high, the herbs will burn; if it is too low, they will disintegrate. If the order of adding the herbs is wrong, the medicinal properties will clash, and all previous efforts will be wasted."

"There is only one set of medicinal herbs in front of you, and the prescription is incomplete. You must deduce the blanks yourself."

"Two incense sticks' worth of time limit... Those who fail to complete the pill within the time limit, whose pills are of poor quality, or whose furnace explodes will be eliminated."

Finally, she spoke up and offered a reminder.

"Furthermore, this medicinal herb itself has been tampered with. Whether you can detect it in advance depends entirely on your own eyesight."

"Now, the timer begins."