"Just a good person."
"Ah! Right. A good person. You can tell just by reading his books."
"Books?"
"It's nothing."
Just then, Pharmacist Seon entered the classroom and spoke.
"Nice to meet you. I am Heo Un of the Heo clan of Yangcheon, who has been given the undeserved title of Pharmacist Seon."
The Heo clan of Yangcheon was a family famous for medicine.
Members of the Heo clan traveled all over the country working as physicians, using their family's secret martial arts—the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art and the Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique.
The head of that great family was Pharmacist Seon himself.
The students all applauded, and Pharmacist Seon continued.
"I assume you have already learned the basics of pharmacology. Without further ado, I would like to see your level."
Sounds of despair rose from all around.
Usually, that meant there was going to be a test.
No matter what kind of test it was, I planned to get a perfect score and win Pharmacist Seon's favor.
After all, the list titled "100 Questions to Ask Pharmacist Seon" was waiting patiently in my room.
"Then follow me."
"…?"
Everyone tilted their heads and looked at one another.
Weren't we taking a test?
We crossed the academy grounds and arrived at a clinic.
Pharmacist Seon pointed to the hill in front of us and said,
"That is my private herb garden. Your test is to go in there and gather the herbs listed here."
It was a practical exam.
On the paper Pharmacist Seon had posted were the names of various herbs.
"Snow-White Flower, Shadowling Grass, Rehmannia Root, Chuanxiong…."
There were quite a lot.
Did he really cultivate all of those?
I looked up at the massive hill that was his private herb garden.
It was a sunny, well-lit slope.
It certainly looked like a place where any herb would grow well.
"This is easy. Finding those in a field won't take long."
"Let's go. Hurry!"
The students rushed toward the field, competing with one another.
If the herbs ran out, whoever got there first would win.
At that moment, Pharmacist Seon spoke to me.
"Are you Seoha?"
"Yes. Do you know me?"
"I've heard a lot about you from Arin. That you've been helping her. She says your skills are remarkable—these days, she talks about you all the time."
That little Arin.
She was already pretty, but her actions were pretty too.
Making a good first impression on Pharmacist Seon was exactly what I wanted.
"No, sir. I'm the one receiving a lot of help from Arin."
"In any case, I hope you understand that this is an exam."
"Pardon? What do you mean by—"
"I'm saying don't help the other children."
"…."
Pharmacist Seon chuckled and went inside.
Don't help the others?
Was there even anything to help with when it came to picking herbs?
But surprise!
If you don't help, things are going to go very wrong!
This field was ninety percent poisonous plants and only ten percent medicinal herbs.
Where Shadowling Grass grew, there were poisonous plants that caused paralysis.
Around Snow-White Flowers were poisonous plants that caused severe diarrhea.
Pharmacist Seon.
What kind of twisted hobby is this?
Just then, Sanghyeok spotted me and shouted,
"Hey! Seoha! Hurry and pick yours. Han Yeongsu's group is taking everything and saying they won't leave any for others!"
"…Really? What about you?"
"I'm done."
Sanghyeok proudly held out the herbs he'd gathered.
Seventy percent of them were poisonous plants.
The remaining thirty percent probably weren't picked with any real understanding either.
At this rate, he was headed straight for a failing grade, so just as I was about to give him advice—
I felt a gaze.
Pharmacist Seon was watching me with hawk-like eyes.
…Let's give up on Sanghyeok.
"…You picked them well. Go on."
"You hurry up too, before everyone takes everything."
"Yeah. Yeah."
I nodded and sent Sanghyeok off.
Sorry, Sanghyeok.
Today, you're going to be living in the latrine with paralyzed legs.
Wait.
If your legs are paralyzed, how do you even get to the toilet?
'Don't imagine it.'
More importantly, what about Arin…?
I absolutely could not let Arin get poisoned by those vicious toxins.
Just then, Arin came over carrying her herbs.
"Y-You picked them?"
"Yeah. But there were a lot of poisonous plants? There weren't many real herbs."
Fortunately, everything Arin had picked was genuine. Especially the Shadowling Grass and Snow-White Flower—mistakes with those could be deadly, but hers were definitely real.
She'd reached the point where she could distinguish most poisonous plants.
We'd avoided disaster.
That was the result of her diligently studying herbal medicine after the Shadowling Grass incident last time.
If Arin was safe, then I could pick some too.
"Huh? Lee Seoha. What are you going to do? We picked everything."
Han Yeongsu's group, who had completely trashed the field, spoke to me.
They even ruined Pharmacist Seon's garden just to mess with me.
Truly impressive idiots.
Did they not think about the consequences?
"If I look carefully, there should be some left. More importantly, did you guys manage to pick them?"
"Do you think we can't even tell herbs apart?"
They couldn't.
Han Yeongsu's group was holding baskets that were ninety percent poisonous plants.
And for some reason, they'd gathered a huge quantity too.
"Yeah. Good job. Looks like I lose this time."
"Hahaha, go dig around in the dirt."
Laughing loudly, Han Yeongsu's group went down the hill.
Let us pray for their souls.
Once they were gone, I slowly began searching for herbs.
There were barely any real herbs to begin with, and even those were buried under the soil.
The quantity would be lacking, but I should at least gather what was there.
I couldn't take poisonous plants, after all.
By the time I finished searching, everyone else had gone down, and I was left alone.
Well, Arin was waiting for me, so does that make me the winner?
"If you're short, want me to give you some of mine? I'm fine."
"No, it's okay. It's my fault for not coming sooner."
"I can give you some. I will."
"Don't. At least you should get a perfect score."
"I want to, but…"
As Arin muttered something, Pharmacist Seon approached from the side.
"Let me take a look."
He examined the herbs I had gathered and said,
"Why didn't you pick the ones over there?"
"Aren't those poisonous plants?"
"Poisonous plants?"
"They look exactly like Shadowling Grass, but the tips of the leaves are split. If you eat those, they cause paralysis. And over there, those Snow-White Flowers—"
"That's enough."
Pharmacist Seon cut me off and nodded.
"Just as Arin said. You get a perfect score. How boring."
"A perfect score?"
"Tsk, tsk. What a boring fellow."
With those incomprehensible words, Pharmacist Seon went down.
I didn't miss the chance and quickly checked the rest of the herbs Arin had picked.
I'd already confirmed the Shadowling Grass and Snow-White Flowers since mistakes with those were dangerous, but I hadn't had time to check the rest.
"Can you show me the others too? I just want to confirm."
"Yeah. Here."
But before I could properly check them, Pharmacist Seon turned back.
"You there. What did I say? No teaching. Don't make this boring."
"I'm sorry!"
I shouted loudly and moved to Pharmacist Seon's side.
Arin looked at me in confusion, but there was nothing I could do.
I needed to stay on Pharmacist Seon's good side.
Back at the clinic, Pharmacist Seon gathered the students and spoke.
"Now then, you will each brew a decoction using the herbs you gathered. I trust you've already learned how to prepare them. I'll give you one hour. Get whatever tools you need from the dispensary. And you there. Lee Seoha."
"Yes."
"Come with me. You don't need to make a decoction."
Since he already said I got a perfect score, was he going to assign me something else?
Han Yeongsu sneered at me.
"Looks like he didn't get any herbs. Hahaha, idiot."
I glanced at Han Yeongsu and followed Pharmacist Seon.
Let him be.
His future was already colored in dirt.
Pharmacist Seon brought out a jar of pine nuts and said,
"Shell these."
"Yes. But if the students make decoctions with what they gathered, they'll turn into poison. Is that really okay?"
"It won't be deadly poison. Just mild toxins. They won't die from drinking it once."
"You're really going to make them drink it?"
"Of course. It'll be a good experience."
He's really going to make them drink that?
As he said, it would be a good experience, but if everyone got poisoned, who would deal with the aftermath?
"By the way, how is it that you're so knowledgeable about herbs?"
"I had a lot of interest and studied on my own."
"At your age, that's not a level one can easily reach."
It was natural for him to be suspicious.
Who could, at just fifteen, have eyes sharp enough to identify every herb—especially ones that even professional pharmacists often confused?
This was when I could use my father a little.
"My father is a pharmacist, so I learned a lot from him."
"Is your father a Pharmacist Seon?"
"…Isn't Pharmacist Seon sitting right in front of me?"
"True. So that's not it. Then how are you so outstanding?"
"Maybe I had talent."
"Talent? Hahaha. Talent, you say."
I never thought I'd say something like that.
I was as far from talent as it got.
Then Pharmacist Seon stared at me fiercely and said,
"Fine, let's call it talent. Then how about it—would you become my disciple?"
"…All of a sudden?"
"All of a sudden? When I was fifteen, I wasn't even half as capable as you are now. And yet people called me the hope of my family. If, as you say, this is talent, then you must learn medicine. Would you let that talent rot?"
"Well, that is…"
I only wanted to ask a few questions. I had no desire to become his disciple.
Just training the Falling Moon Sword Art was enough to make my hair fall out—if I became Pharmacist Seon's disciple too, I'd go bald.
Like the Baekdu Sword Ghost.
"Thank you for the offer, but I have no intention of doing so."
"Are you rejecting the proposal of me, a Pharmacist Seon?"
"There are many other things I must learn."
I was sorry, but learning the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art would be useless to me anyway.
And the Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique was the secret art of the Heo clan—there was no way he'd teach it to an outsider like me…
"I was going to teach you the Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique. What a shame."
"Master! Please accept this disciple's bow!"
…So he would!
Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique.
An acupuncture art whose name literally meant saving and killing people.
A mystery of the Heo clan of Yangcheon, said to be capable of reviving even someone whose heart had stopped.
Only a very select few, including the clan head, were allowed to learn it.
And I could learn it?
"Well, look at you."
Pharmacist Seon—no, Master—laughed heartily.
"You'll become someone great. Hahaha!"
Before he changed his mind, I bowed quickly.
But what if I actually have no talent? If I try something I've never learned like the Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique, won't everything be exposed?
Whatever. I'll think about that later.
Before long, everyone lined up with their decoctions, and I returned to my spot as well.
I looked at Sanghyeok, who was grinning foolishly, unaware of his future.
Poor guy.
I'd helped Arin enough to avoid the worst, but Sanghyeok had gathered all kinds of poisonous plants.
Sorry, Sanghyeok.
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.
In short, sorry-not-sorry.
"Now, drink the decoction you made."
Everyone began drinking without suspicion.
Who would ever think there were poisonous plants in Pharmacist Seon's garden?
I watched Sanghyeok confidently gulp down his poison.
He didn't even know what was in it as he downed it in one go.
"Ahh, as expected, things that are good for you taste bitter."
"…Poison is bitter too."
"Huh?"
"Poison tastes even more bitter than medicine."
"No way, poison—uh?"
Sanghyeok looked at his trembling legs and said,
"What's wrong with me?"
"It's a decoction, so the effects come fast."
If he'd eaten it raw, it would've taken time to absorb, but boiled into a decoction, it worked instantly.
The poison had been absorbed very well.
"Listen carefully. Soon, all hell is going to break loose in your stomach. Go to the bathroom right now and don't come out no matter what. Even if you think you're fine, don't come out. Endure for two hours. Now hurry before the toilets fill up."
"…Okay. Got it."
Sanghyeok dragged his trembling legs toward the bathroom.
Right after that, Han Yeongsu's group began to notice something was wrong.
"What is this? Why can't I see all of a sudden?"
"Ubehebehe."
"Wait! I need the bathroom. Aaaah! My legs, my legs!"
One had a paralyzed tongue, another couldn't see—every symptom imaginable.
At least Arin was fine.
As the situation worsened, Pharmacist Seon laughed loudly and shouted,
"Hahaha! Everyone will be fine in a day or two. If you do breathing and circulation exercises, you might recover even faster. That's all for today's class. Think of it as a good experience."
"You're really just leaving it at that?"
"Why, want to stick around and watch more? You—come see me from tomorrow at You hour, five in the afternoon."
"Yes, sir."
One more item had been added to my schedule.
Still, it was the Life-and-Death Acupuncture Technique.
I'd learn it properly.
After Pharmacist Seon left, Arin came over to me.
"Perfect timing, Arin. You take care of the girls. I'll take care of the boys and—"
"Heehee, my friend. My friend."
"...."
A pleasant shiver ran through me.
Arin approached me with a silly smile.
Her eyes looked unfocused.
"My friend. My one and only friend. We're friends, right? We are, right? Seohaaaa."
"Wait a second, you—"
She was drunk.
Ah… I didn't check the root plants carefully enough.
Among root plants, there were poisonous herbs that intoxicated people like alcohol.
Compared to other poisonous plants, they could barely be called poison—but the problem was that Arin couldn't handle alcohol.
"Try to get a hold of yourself. It's basically like you had one drink, right?"
"Mmm… my friend. Friends forever."
Arin collapsed right where she stood.
I mean, she was cute and pretty, sure—but what was I supposed to do with this?
Then a good idea came to mind.
"Well, that's what instructors are for in times like this."
I don't know. I'll leave everything to Kang Museong.
Carrying only Arin, I escaped from that clinic that was nothing short of hell.