"An advanced orthodox method?"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone nearby who overheard looked up in shock or delight, turning toward An Jing as a clamor instantly broke out.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother!"
"Wow, as expected of Big Brother An!"
"Could it be that Eldest Senior Brother has already completed both the mental method and the martial skill? So fast?!"
"Well, of course!"
"That's our senior brother for you..."
In an instant, the entire drill ground was filled with cheers of congratulation and praise; everyone was genuinely happy for An Jing.
After all, An Jing had already proven that whenever he mastered a technique and offered to teach others, he did so with complete sincerity. Whether they could grasp it was another matter, but he never hoarded his knowledge.
Since that was the case, what did it matter if An Jing learned the orthodox method ahead of the rest? If their own talent fell short and they never qualified for it, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. But if they possessed enough talent, An Jing learning it early meant he could guide them down the road.
If anything, it was best that An Jing master it early! When the time came for him to guide his juniors, he would have even more experience to draw upon!
As for jealousy, it wasn't that no one felt it.
Yet what good was jealousy? Practicing martial arts wasn't like studying literature. If you couldn't beat someone, you genuinely couldn't beat them; you couldn't talk tough in the slightest, because talking tough only earned you another thrashing.
Faced with such warm goodwill, An Jing cupped his hands in a salute, then followed Instructor Li toward the Medicine Pavilion with a measure of delight.
His delight naturally stemmed from the orthodox method. Neither the Abyss-Facing Qi-Nourishing Stance nor Armor-Penetrating True Jin had posed much difficulty for him; he had attained great mastery long ago and was nearing complete perfection. How could he not be thrilled to receive a higher-level orthodox method to further elevate himself?
As for the other half of his feelings, it was considerably more complicated—a blend of curiosity, worry, confusion, and calm detachment.
He hadn't anticipated being held in such high regard, which had disrupted his plans.
Still, plans could be adjusted, and this was an opportunity in its own right.
Ever since he had heard that bizarre sound in the Medicine Pavilion, An Jing had kept a close eye on this core building of Suspended Fate Manor.
Unfortunately, the physical inspections conducted every five days were far too brief, and he had to lead the group as well, leaving him no time to observe his surroundings closely. This time, he should have his chance.
An Jing also knew that the beast meat and medicinal broth originated in the Medicine Pavilion, undergoing coarse processing here before being sent to the kitchen's back quarters for preparation.
Calculating the days, today indeed seemed to be a meat-eating day. With any luck, he had a high chance of catching sight of the raw ingredients for the various beast meats and medicinal concoctions.
It was time to find out.
Before long, Instructor Li went ahead to pay his respects to the Manor Lord, leaving An Jing waiting by the entrance of the Medicine Pavilion.
"Yo, isn't this our little champion?"
"Congratulations. Very few are ever bestowed an orthodox method before the trials."
"Not bad, kid."
The apothecaries bustling in and out of the Medicine Pavilion all recognized An Jing. Several among them had presided over his physical examinations and were quite familiar with him, even going out of their way to smile and greet him.
An Jing returned their greetings politely one by one, pretending to casually observe his surroundings and the movements of the apothecaries.
There were not many apothecaries—seven in total—all studying under Manor Lord Yao. They moved in and out frequently, mostly to gather the medicinal herbs laid out to dry beside the pavilion and haul them inside by the cartload.
Many of them An Jing recognized as the primary ingredients in the medicinal broth they drank. There were also some he did not recognize, leaving him unable to determine what those herbs were used for.
In addition, numerous large water vats sat across the open ground on either side of the Medicine Pavilion. An Jing found nothing odd about this; in this world, without running water, preparing medicine naturally required storing ample supplies.
While waiting, An Jing happened to see a team of servants carry water vats out of the Medicine Pavilion, then haul others inside.
The only peculiar detail was that these vats gave off a rich, sweet, and fishy medicinal odor.
Some sloshed heavily as they were moved, seemingly filled to the brim.
*Could there be medicine stored directly in water vats?*
At first, An Jing found it hard to imagine, but when he considered that the Medicine Pavilion usually had to prepare enough medicine to supply hundreds of people, it no longer seemed so strange.
*Hmm?*
Just as An Jing was committing the appearance of the herbs to memory so he could ask Gu Yeqi to identify them later, he suddenly froze.
Frowning slightly, he took a sniff, immediately catching a familiar scent of meat.
*Here it comes.*
With a heavy rumble, a massive shadow emerged from the front doors of the Medicine Pavilion. Two sweat-drenched apothecaries and three instructors chanted rhythmic calls as they shoved an extraordinarily large, heavy cargo cart through the entrance.
A rich, meaty aroma wafted from it, and when An Jing looked closely, he was immediately stunned.
For inside the cart was nothing other than a mass of bones.
Piles of various beast bones, scraped completely clean!
*What kind of beasts are these?*
An Jing could distinguish bones belonging to wolves, tigers, jackals, and leopards—and even a pair of massive ox horns, as well as the wing bones of large birds.
The clean-scraped beast bones formed a small mountain, requiring a cargo cart and several grown men straining together just to move it.
"It's stuck!" Halfway down, the cart became lodged in a small depression on the steps of the Medicine Pavilion. Seeing this, An Jing immediately knew this was his opportunity and stepped forward without delay.
"Can you manage, An Jing?" The instructors had originally intended to heave it themselves, but seeing An Jing volunteer to help, they all chuckled. "Don't throw your back out, now."
"Of course I can." Drawing close for a better look, An Jing instantly realized that these bones were indeed extraordinary. Their scent alone carried a bizarre vitality that made restlessness flare up in his chest. Suppressing the sensation, he exerted his strength in an explosive burst.
Armor-Penetrating True Jin erupted. In an instant, An Jing hoisted the entire cart slightly, levering it free of the depression.
"Impressive!" Even the instructors couldn't help praising him. "Your mastery of Armor-Penetrating True Jin is truly thorough. You can unleash it not just from your hands and legs, but through your entire body. No wonder the Manor Lord wants to bestow an orthodox method upon you."
"All right, we have work to finish. You've got great fortune ahead of you, kid."
An Jing watched them push the cart away. He noticed that whenever the instructors spoke of the orthodox method, their faces were filled with intense envy. *Could it be that these instructors never learned the complete orthodox method either?*
That made sense. They were likely among those who had learned martial skills but failed to master them fully—the castoffs from past selections. Even Instructor Li probably hadn't learned the complete orthodox method.
That was possible, but not particularly important right now.
For when An Jing drew near just now, he had noticed what was truly peculiar about those beast bones.
*Patterns...*
An Jing muttered internally as the strange details on the bones resurfaced in his mind. *Across those beast bones were countless grayish-black, bizarre patterns that made me feel dizzy just looking at them...*
For a brief moment, an inexplicable rage had even welled up in his chest before quickly subsiding. An Jing grew wary. *Are those patterns the source of the violent roaring?*
Was enduring that urge to roar madly the only way to remain in Suspended Fate Manor?
*This is definitely not the meat of ordinary ferocious beasts! It's not as though I've never seen ferocious beast meat before... Could they be... demons?*
While An Jing was still lost in thought, Instructor Li came back down.
"Go on up."
Envy shone in his single eye as well. "The Manor Lord is waiting for you."
An Jing snapped out of his thoughts, nodded immediately, and ascended the stairs.
Manor Lord Yao rarely stayed in the Medicine Pavilion on ordinary days; instead, he wandered about, observing the growth of herbs in the fields to either side, and frequently inspected the children's training. Only during general physical examinations and on meat-eating days did he spend the entire day inside the Medicine Pavilion.
An Jing also knew that many instructors referred to Manor Lord Yao as Deputy Envoy Yao. Suspended Fate Manor was merely a branch of a larger organization, and Manor Lord Yao was an officer within it. Even "Yao" might not be his surname, but rather a title signifying his duties with medicine.
A deputy envoy implied the existence of a chief envoy. Beyond fostering members, the manor's primary function was concocting medicine.
Before long, An Jing arrived on the fifth floor.
"Little An."
Manor Lord Yao was currently reviewing several requests at his desk, upon which sat a curious wide-mouthed vessel of dark gold that gave off an eerie luster.
Seeing An Jing standing at the doorway, he looked up and said casually, "Come in and sit."
Watching An Jing take a seat across the desk respectfully without uttering a word, Manor Lord Yao couldn't help remarking, "You truly are calm. It was clearly announced that you'd be bestowed an orthodox method today, yet you don't look the least bit thrilled. You really don't act like a child."
"Because this disciple knows that greater gifts carry greater expectations."
An Jing lowered his head slightly and replied with earnest gravity, "The Manor Lord and the instructors have shown faith in me, and while I am naturally glad, I also understand this is a heavy responsibility that must be taken seriously."
"Mm."
Manor Lord Yao's expression remained unchanged. He retrieved an unremarkable-looking booklet from a drawer at his side and handed it to An Jing. "Take a look."
An Jing glanced at Manor Lord Yao before picking up the booklet.
*Imperial Heaven Spirit-Piercing Primordial Qi-Nourishing Art*.
Chapter 17