Chapter 904 - Just for the Experience
The pill maker certification test was held once a month, and each time was a major event in the city.
“Get your good luck fruits here! Eat one, and you won’t have to worry about the test!”
“Get your wish fruit here! Eat one, and your wish will come true!”
Peddlers were standing on both sides of the road leading to Channel Mountain, selling all kinds of bizarre-shaped fruits and good-luck charms.
The prices were all very expensive. One fruit cost about a thousand crystals, while a good-luck charm cost several thousand. It was a complete rip-off.
However, many people bought them.
“Please, let me pass this time!”
“Oh my god! I’m already over two hundred years old, and I don’t have many years left to live. Please bless me so that I pass this test!”
The middle-aged and old men bought the good-luck charms and prayed to the sky.
Tang Hao was speechless when he saw that. The scene was worse than the major examinations in Huaxia.
The peddlers pushed their goods to everyone they saw, but they skipped over Tang Hao, who was too young and did not seem like he was there for the test.
Many people had already gathered at the foot of the mountain, and all of them were middle-aged or old. The youngest ones that Tang Hao spotted seemed to be in their late twenties.
There were also females, but their numbers were far lesser than males.
The people were either chatting idly in small groups or cramming thick medicinal tomes. They looked like bookworms.
“I heard that a few prodigies have applied this time! Damn, we’re unlucky!”
“Really? Where are they from? If they’re not from some major faction, I’ll cripple them first!”
“Sigh! Only the major factions have the resources to nurture prodigies. Our hopes of passing will be much slimmer if they’re here. When will our bad luck end?”
Everyone sighed.
At that moment, Tang Hao walked over.
The group of people instantly turned their heads and glared at him, as if they wanted to swallow Tang Hao up.
“It’s not me. I’m not a prodigy. I’m just here for the experience!”
Tang Hao jumped in fright and hurriedly wagged his hands.
That group of people stared at him for a while before they eased up.
That kid was too young. Most prodigies were in their mid or late twenties. If one in their early twenties had applied for the test, news about him would have spread.
“Hah, experience! What a waste of money!”
They muttered and turned away, no longer paying attention to Tang Hao.
Tang Hao rubbed his nose awkwardly.
He leaned against the mountain gate and began to wait.
Whenever someone saw him, they would stare at him with hostility until someone reminded them, “It’s not him!”
A moment later, Grandpa arrived. He was still holding onto his walking stick and trembled as he walked.
“Grandpa Wei is here!”
There was a commotion in front of the mountain gate.
Everyone looked at him with respect.
“Grandpa Wei is a role model for our generation!” Everyone was moved again.
Soon, a young man dressed in black came. He was probably twenty-three or twenty-four years old. His face was thin and tanned, and his hair was cropped short. From his sparkling eyes, he seemed quite energetic.
He carried a big green gourd behind his back.
“That’s him! He is one of those prodigies, a disciple of Medicine King Valley!” Someone whispered.
Everyone looked over in unison. Their eyes were filled with hostility as if they wanted to swallow that kid alive.
The young man looked around in puzzlement. “Why are they all so old? Damn, that one looks like he’s going to kick the bucket any time. Why is he taking the test?”
Everyone cursed angrily when they heard those words.
Not long after, a young man and woman arrived. They wore white brocade robes and had a jade pendant on their waists. They looked wealthy and graceful.
On their chests was the emblem of a green cauldron.
“They’re from the wooden tripod mountain. Both of them are prodigies!” Someone recognized them.
Immediately, everyone looked at them with hostility.
Everyone wanted to kill the young man, but their expressions were different when they looked at the young woman.
“Wow! What a beautiful girl!”
“Beautiful and intelligent. Why can’t there be more like her?”
The middle-aged men had perverted expressions on their faces.
“Look at them, Junior Sister. They’re all failures. They’ve taken the test again and again, but they always fail. Don’t pay any attention to them.” The young man glanced around and said disdainfully.
When he saw Tang Hao, he was slightly startled by Tang Hao’s young appearance.
He racked his brain but could not think of a young figure in the southern region’s pill-making world. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“He’s probably here for the fun of it. He’s just a nobody!” He muttered and looked away.
More and more people gathered in front of the mountain gate. There were probably close to three thousand candidates in total.
Tang Hao became bored and went to buy some fruits. He sat there and began to eat.
“Look at him, Junior Sister. He’s wasting his money! Why would he be eating the good luck fruit if he’s only here for fun? So what if he’s lucky? He won’t be able to pass!”
The young man from Wood Cauldron Mountain happened to be not far away, and he pointed at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes and retorted, “So what about it? I’m rich!”
The young man was stunned. Obviously, he did not expect Tang Hao to retort. He pointed angrily at Tang Hao and said, “You, you…”
“What about me? Are you seriously trying to flirt with that girl? Can’t you see that she’s not interested?”
“I…”
The young man’s face turned red with anger.
He tried his best to control his temper; he had a reputation to maintain.
“Let’s go over there, Junior Sister. Let’s not stay too close to such uncouth people.” The man walked to the side.
The woman held back her laughter. She shot a glance at Tang Hao with interest and followed the man away.
Tang Hao glanced over, chuckled, and looked away.
An hour later, a group of people came down from the mountain. The leader was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. He wore an embroidered dragon robe with four dragons on it.
“Oh my god! He’s a level four pill maker!”
A burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd, and everyone suddenly looked respectful.
The dean of the academy had five embroidered dragons, and one with four dragons was already considered a master. He must be an important figure in the southern region.
“My name is Yun Cang, and I have been ordered by the dean to preside over this examination.
“Now, please take out your identity tokens. Once you have verified your identity and checked in, follow me up the mountain. You can find the rules and contents of the examination in these booklets. If you are here for the first time, you can come forward and take a copy for reference.
“After you have finished looking through it, you can ask me if you have any other questions.”
As he spoke, a few disciples of the academy walked up from behind him.
Each of them held a tray in their hands. On the trays were stacks of booklets.
Many people went up and took a copy. Most of them were in their thirties or forties.
Tang Hao also walked up and took a copy.
Returning to the crowd, Tang Hao opened the booklet and read it carefully.
“Interesting!”
Tang Hao raised his eyebrows.
The test was more fun than he had imagined.
