Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

Fang He was not surprised that his request to become an apprentice was rejected.

Wu Danshi's attitude was clearly not something he developed overnight.

It would be strange if a rogue alchemist could stand firm in the market for decades without having a temper.

Fang He stood by the spirit field, gazing in the direction of the distant market, pondering his next move.

While directly seeking a master's apprenticeship may not be an option, it doesn't mean there are no other paths.

There was also Su Yun'er in that pharmacy, Wu Danshi's assistant. They had been together for six years, so their relationship must have been quite deep.

If we can start with her, there might still be a chance.

He needed a chance encounter.

Su Yun'er usually helps out at the pharmacy, but she always has to go out to collect medicinal herbs.

Once you figure out her patterns, you can create opportunities to bump into her.

Fang He made up her mind and went to the market early the next morning.

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The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the market was sparsely populated.

Fang He found an inconspicuous corner to stand in, glancing southwards every now and then.

That's the direction the pharmacy is in; if Su Yun'er goes out, she'll most likely come from that direction.

After waiting for an hour, the market gradually became lively.

Vendors set up their stalls, and groups of two or three cultivators walked by, the sounds of bargaining rising and falling.

Fang He never saw that familiar figure.

He thought to himself that perhaps she didn't go out to collect medicinal herbs every day.

Fang He came again the next morning.

This time he changed his location, standing next to a used bookstore, pretending to browse the books, but actually observing the passersby.

The stall owner was an old man. Seeing that Fang He had been browsing all morning without buying anything, he looked a little impatient.

Fang Hehun didn't care, tossed down a broken spirit stone to rent a book, and continued to wait.

Another hour passed, and still no harvest.

Fang He was not discouraged.

Farmers have no shortage of patience; crops don't mature in a day, and opportunities don't appear overnight.

He just needs to wait, wait for that opportunity to arise.

On the third day, Fang He came to the market as usual.

In the morning mist, a figure walked from the south.

The girl carried a bamboo basket on her back, her steps light and quick, her figure slender and agile. Fang He's eyes lit up slightly; it was Su Yun'er.

He closed the old book in his hand and slowly went to meet them.

Su Yun'er looked up and saw someone blocking her way, so she paused.

She recognized Fang He as the rogue cultivator who had gone to the pharmacy to become an apprentice a few days earlier.

"Who are you……"

A hint of wariness flashed in Su Yun'er's eyes.

Fang He cupped his hands in greeting, a gentle smile on his face: "You still remember me, young lady? I went to the pharmacy to become your apprentice a few days ago, please forgive my rudeness. I am Fang He, a practitioner of spiritual plants."

Su Yun'er sized him up a few times, remaining wary: "What are you doing here?"

Fang He said, "I came to the market to buy some seeds and happened to run into you, young lady."

He gestured towards the spirit seed stalls not far away, "Young lady, is it something important that you've come to the market so early?"

Su Yun'er hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go collect some medicinal herbs. There's a herb farmer who only trades in the early morning, and Grandpa Wu has difficulty walking, so I'm the one who goes."

Fang He nodded: "I see. You must collect a lot of medicinal herbs every day, right? Wouldn't it be troublesome if you encountered herbs you didn't recognize?"

Su Yun'er raised her head slightly: "I can recognize medicinal herbs very quickly. Grandpa Wu said I have a talent."

A hint of pride flashed in her eyes as she said this, but it quickly dimmed again. "It's a pity I can't learn alchemy..."

Fang He followed up, saying, "I have some knowledge of identifying medicinal herbs. If you don't mind, how about we travel together? I'd also like to learn some medicinal knowledge."

Su Yun'er scrutinized Fang He for a moment, and seeing that he meant no harm, she nodded: "Alright, come with me."

The two arrived at a stall on the edge of the market. The stall owner was a dark-skinned middle-aged man who had several baskets of medicinal herbs on display.

Su Yun'er skillfully examined the medicinal herbs, her movements swift and efficient.

She picked up a herb, looked at its leaves, smelled its roots, and then named it: "Green Leaf Grass, three years old, medium quality."

The stall owner nodded: "Young lady, you have a good eye."

Su Yun'er continued to examine the plants, then suddenly frowned, not recognizing a few of them.

Fang He leaned closer to take a look.

A familiar sensation rose in my dantian, as if there were a pair of invisible eyes that could see through the surface of the medicinal herbs and look directly into their interior.

The feeling brought about by 【Identifying Spiritual Herbs】.

"This is a purple-backed orchid."

Fang He said, "The leaves have purple veins on the back, which can be used as medicine to treat bruises and sprains. This plant is called Lycium chinense root bark, which is the root bark of Lycium barbarum and has the effect of clearing heat and cooling blood."

A look of surprise flashed in Su Yun'er's eyes: "You really know a lot."

Fang He humbly replied, "I know a little bit."

After collecting the medicinal herbs, Su Yun'er's attitude towards Fang He became noticeably more friendly.

On the way back, she took the initiative to ask, "Why did you want to learn alchemy?"

Fang He answered truthfully: "Rogue cultivators have no foundation, so they need a skill to rely on. Alchemy can earn spirit stones and also allow them to refine the pills they need."

Su Yun'er lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before saying softly, "Grandpa Wu doesn't take on apprentices anymore. He did take one before, but the apprentice ran away after a few years and even stole his pill formula... Since then, he has never taken on any more apprentices."

Fang He felt a chill run down her spine.

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder Master Wu was so cold; it wasn't directed at Fang He, but rather that he had a grudge about accepting disciples.

He thanked Su Yun'er for the information, and the two parted ways.

For the next few days, Fang He did not visit the pharmacy again.

He focused on the affairs of the spirit field and his cultivation techniques, but he always kept in mind the information Su Yun'er had revealed.

Master Wu Dan was betrayed by his apprentice, no wonder he is so wary.

To move an elderly person like this, sincerity alone is not enough; you must offer real value.

That afternoon, Fang He passed by a pharmacy.

Su Yun'er squatted at the door, looking at a pile of medicinal herbs with a troubled expression.

Fang He stepped forward and greeted her, "Miss Su, what's wrong?"

Su Yun'er looked up and saw Fang He. Her brows relaxed a little. "Brother Fang, you've come at the right time. There's something wrong with this batch of medicinal herbs, but I can't figure out what's wrong."

Fang He squatted down: "Where did you get it from?"

"My old supplier, a farmer I've been working with for many years, named Lao Zhang. The herbs looked normal when they arrived, but something felt off when I was sorting them..."

Su Yun'er pointed to the pile of medicinal herbs, "Look, these ginsengs are fine in color and smell, but when they are put together, something just doesn't seem right."

Fang He stared intently at the screen.

This pile of medicinal herbs weighs about twenty pounds, mainly consisting of ginseng, mixed with several other auxiliary herbs.

At first glance, it looks normal; the appearance, color, and smell of the ginseng match.

The familiar sensation in his dantian rose again, permeating the medicinal materials and allowing him to see directly into their interior.

Fang He casually picked up a ginseng root and closed his eyes to feel it.

The medicine is mild and gentle, and the flow of vital energy is normal. It's genuine and there are no problems.

He picked up the second one, and it was normal too. The third one... the fourth one...

By the fifth one, Fang He frowned slightly.

This ginseng looks exactly like the others, with a pale yellow skin, long and thin whiskers, and a similar smell.

But in his perception, he sensed something unusual. The medicinal properties inside this ginseng were not warm and gentle, but rather carried a faint chill!

There's a problem.

Fang He opened her eyes.

Su Yun'er leaned closer: "What's the problem?"

"This is a cooling ginseng."

Fang He said, "It looks exactly like True Spirit Ginseng, but its medicinal properties are opposite. True Spirit Ginseng warms and replenishes vital energy, while Cold Ginseng is cold and harmful to the body. If they are mixed together to refine pills, at best the pills will be ineffective, and at worst the furnace will explode."

Su Yun'er's expression changed slightly: "Fake? How could that be? Old Zhang, we've been working together for years..."

Fang He continued to examine, carefully sensing each one.

Gradually, he picked out seven or eight cold-natured ginseng roots from the pile of ginseng and arranged them in a row.

"Look,"

Fang He pointed to the Cold-Cooling Ginseng, "Their ginseng whiskers are slightly shorter than the real ones; it's hard to notice unless you look closely. And here..."

He broke one open, revealing the patterns inside. "The patterns of True Spirit Ginseng are spiral, while those of Cold-natured Ginseng are straight."

Su Yun'er carefully compared them and indeed found the differences.

Her expression was complicated: "Why would Old Zhang give me something fake... Could it be that he was deceived? Or..."

Fang He said, "You need to tell Master Wu about this and let him decide. First, pick out the cold-natured ginseng and don't let it get mixed into the medicine warehouse."

Su Yun'er nodded repeatedly, her gaze towards Fang He filled with gratitude:

"Brother Fang, thank you so much. If these cold substances had been mixed in, the consequences would have been unimaginable. How can I ever repay you?"

Fang He waved his hand: "It was nothing, don't worry about it."

He paused, then said casually, "However... I do have a favor to ask."

Su Yun'er said, "You speak."

Fang He said, "If it's convenient for you, young lady, could I come and ask you some questions about medicinal herbs in the future? I don't know much about them, but I'm quite good at identifying spiritual herbs, so perhaps I can be of some help."

Su Yun'er looked at Fang He with a scrutinizing gaze.

After a moment, she nodded and said, "Okay. Actually, Grandpa Wu is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He... doesn't dislike people with good intentions."

Fang He was overjoyed: "Thank you, young lady."

The two walked and talked, and their relationship gradually warmed up. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the pharmacy.

Just then, the curtain of the pharmacy was lifted, and Master Wu Dan walked out.

He glanced at the two piles of medicinal herbs on the ground, then at Fang He, and asked calmly, "Who's that?"

Su Yun'er stood up and said, "Grandpa, it's the rogue cultivator who came to ask for a master that day, named Fang He. He knows about spiritual herbs and helped me pick out the cold ginseng."

Wu Danshi's cloudy eyes fell on Fang He and lingered for two breaths.

Fang He respectfully cupped his hands in greeting: "Master Wu Dan."

Master Wu didn't speak, but just grunted in response before turning and going back into the house.

Fang He noticed that although this time the voice was cold, it was no longer as impatient as last time.

He left the pharmacy with light steps.

Behind him, Su Yun'er watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Wu Danshi's voice came from inside the room: "What are you standing there for? The medicinal herbs haven't been distributed yet."

Su Yun'er responded and ran into the house with small, quick steps...