Chapter 256
Many people gathered in front of the female dormitory.
Girls who walked past, and also those who came out of the building fixed their gaze upon the handsome male who leaned on the Mercedes Benz.
That boy was none other than Fang Qiming, the president of the student council.
He was the Prince Charming of many girls’ dreams, having extraordinary looks, an elevated status, and a wealthy family background.
After the excitement died down, many girls’ gazes flashed with envy.
“Council President Fang must be here again because of her.”
“Sigh! I don’t know what’s so good about her. If it were me, I’d agree to go out with him without hesitation!”
The girls discussed among themselves indignantly.
Tang Hao stood nearby. He stole a glance at Fang Qiming.
‘He should be popular among the girls!’ He thought.
Then, he looked at his phone again. There was no news from Liu Bingyao.
He placed the phone into his pocket and patiently waited.
About seven minutes later, a beautiful figure appeared from the dormitory building.
Her body was tall and curvaceous. As she walked, the hem of her long, white full-body dress danced in the air. She was as beautiful as a fairy from the heavens.
Her face looked as though it came out of a dream.
Her surroundings became silent for a while when she emerged.
Everyone stopped talking for an instant.
Their eyes glazed over. Even the girls who were indignantly talking about her struggled to find any words. They looked at that beautiful figure and felt guilty about themselves.
Fang Qiming was cross-eyed. He looked at her with infatuation.
He soon came to his senses, lifted the bouquet in his hands, and walked toward her.
“Bingyao!” He greeted her.
Liu Bingyao glanced at him and furrowed her brows. “Council President Fang, haven’t I told you that you shouldn’t act this way? You’re causing me a lot of trouble,” she said impassively.
Fang Qiming’s body stiffened and the smile on his face froze.
Soon, he relaxed and smiled. “I’ve told you, Bingyao, that I won’t give up. I will persist until I finally move your heart!”
He was extremely emotional when he said that, as though those words had touched his own heart.
Liu Bingyao was shocked and did not know how to reply.
She decided that she had wasted enough time on him. She looked around and her eyes sparkled.
“Please accept these flowers, Bingyao!” Fang Qiming handed her the bouquet.
Liu Bingyao walked around and away from him.
Fang Qiming was instantly embarrassed.
He turned around to see the person she was meeting. He was immediately dumbstruck.
He was incredibly shocked that Liu Bingyao, the Beauty Queen who had been cold to all her pursuers, was smiling pleasantly to an unknown male student. They even looked intimate.
‘How… is that possible?’
He thought that he was dreaming!
Then, his face immediately turned ashen.
He remembered a rumor that he heard not too long ago that Liu Bingyao was behaving intimately with a male student of unknown identity in the cafeteria.
He did not believe that rumor back then, but he was forced to believe it now.
That boy was obviously that bastard in the rumors!
The corner of his eye twitched. His gaze upon Tang Hao turned vicious.
The girls all around were also surprised.
Their gaze fell on Tang Hao.
“So he’s the guy in the cafeteria that day?”
“He looks not bad! He’s still no match for Council President Fang though!”
The girls shook their heads.
In their eyes, Council President Fang was not only handsome and rich, but he was also the student council president. There would not be another more perfect boy than he.
The one currently in front of the beauty queen was dressed rather plainly. That had already placed him on a lower tier than Council President Fang.
“Who is he, Bingyao?” Fang Qiming asked sternly as he stepped toward her.
Liu Bingyao furrowed her brows. She looked disturbed. “None of your business. Let’s go, Tang Hao!”
She grabbed Tang Hao’s hand and walked away.
Everyone around them exclaimed in surprise.
The beauty queen had proactively grabbed the boy’s hand. That must have implied that the two were in a relationship.
Fang Qiming was rooted on the spot. His face was eerily sinister.
“You snatched my woman in front of me? Are you tired of living?” He mumbled to himself resentfully as he watched the two of them leave.
Tang Hao was still stunned as he was being dragged along by Liu Bingyao.
He did not expect Liu Bingyao to be so forward.
“Holy! What’s going on?”
“Oh my god! Is that Beauty Queen Liu? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?”
Cries of surprise were heard wherever they went.
Liu Bingyao’s face and neck were red from embarrassment, but she did not let go. She finally did so when they arrived at a secluded place.
She looked awkwardly at Tang Hao and stammered, “That… That Fang Qiming is a… a nuisance!
“Does he think that he’s better than everyone else? He’s only a student council president. What’s so great about that?” She grumbled.
Before Tang Hao could say anything, she turned around and walked ahead. “Let’s go!”
She took a few steps, then touched her face with her hands. Her cheeks were burning.
Tang Hao scratched his head and could do nothing else but to follow behind.
Cao Fei and a few other students were waiting at the main entrance. They were all students from First High.
First High was the top high school in Westridge District. Many students managed to qualify for Z University every year.
They heard of Tang Hao from Cao Fei, and they were more curious than surprised.
“You’re here, Brother Hao! See, I told you that you can do it!” Cao Fei came up to Tang Hao and acted fawningly.
Liu Bingyao blushed again.
Tang Hao faked a cough. “Ahem! Let’s go!”
Cao Fei looked at the time on his phone. “It’s about time!” They hailed two cabs and rode in them to Blue Sky Hotel.
They arrived at their destination in about twenty minutes.
They got off the cabs and went into the hotel.
Cao Fei led them to a hall, as though he was familiar with the place.
Many people were already at the place. They were all eighteen-year-old teenagers. They gathered in small groups and chatted among themselves.
Everyone turned to look at the people who had walked in.
The entire hall immediately boiled over with excitement.
The group that had just entered the hall was from Z University.
Z University was the top university in the province, and one of the top universities in the entire Huaxia. Z University students were high achievers with bright futures.
The teenagers were eager to build connections with Z University students.
One person among them was the highlight.
“It’s Beauty Queen Liu! She’s here too!” Many people exclaimed.
The atmosphere in the hall was brought to a climax. Many people crowded around them to greet them, especially to Liu Bingyao.
Suddenly, someone was heard speaking loudly over the crowd.
“Isn’t that Tang Hao? Why is he here?”
Chapter 257
“Tang Hao?”
“Who’s Tang Hao? I’ve never heard of him!”
The bustling mood was brought to a halt. Many people showed doubtful expressions on their faces.
They did not remember seeing that name on the list of people who had successfully gotten into Z University that year.
They had never even heard of that name.
Everyone looked at the crowd and their gaze eventually fell on Tang Hao.
They could recognize most of the people in the crowd, except for that one person. He must be the Tang Hao that the person was shouting about.
“Who’s that guy? I’ve never seen him before! Is he from First High too?”
Everyone whispered among themselves.
That voice was heard again, except that he sounded more scornful. “He’s a student from First High, alright! We were in the same class, but he was expelled.
“I think most of you should know the news! He was the one who was expelled after fighting with Tianhao!”
That person came into view as he spoke. He was none other than Liu Junjie, Zhang Tianhao’s best friend.
Liu Junjie’s face was dark and brooding as he glared at Tang Hao.
His eyes flashed with hatred.
Tang Hao had punched him before back in high school. When they met again, Tang Hao had slapped him twice and had publicly humiliated him. He could never forget that grudge.
What made him more envious and hateful was that the lowly, unworthy person in his eyes arrived together with the beauty queen.
When he saw them together the last time, he attributed it to pure coincidence since they did not appear to be very close. However, it was the second time he saw them together.
That was not a coincidence anymore!
‘How dare he?
‘Tang Hao didn’t even graduate high school. He’s also from a mountain village. I’ve heard from Tianhao that he’s a gigolo.
‘Even if he isn’t a gigolo, he’s probably only some menial laborer with his qualifications.’
His heart was burning with envy when he saw Tang Hao standing together with his goddess.
“What? So that’s him?” Some people exclaimed in surprise. They seemed to have remembered him.
Back then, news of the incident had spread widely. A lot of people in Tang Hao’s year knew about it.
“So that’s him! I heard that his family is poor and he didn’t continue his studies after that. It means that he isn’t a college student!”
“If he’s not a college student, why is he here? Furthermore, he came along with the Z University students too!”
Everyone’s expressions toward Tang Hao changed as they whispered among themselves.
Their gaze turned condescending and mocking.
Invitations to that gathering were extended to college students in Provincial City. Tang Hao should not have been invited, but he was present at the venue together with the Z University students. How shameless could he be?
They looked down upon that guy who did not graduate high school.
Many people there were Tang Hao’s classmates. “Junjie, didn’t you say that he’s a gigolo now?” They whispered.
As they did so, they cast a hateful gaze toward Tang Hao.
Liu Junjie’s gaze was sinister. “Yes, he’s a gigolo now! Don’t you know how disgusting he can be?”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise when they heard that.
“What? A gigolo? That can’t be!”
“It’s hard to say. There’s a market for young people like him!”
“That’s utterly disgusting!”
Everyone’s gaze upon Tang Hao turned into disgust.
Liu Bingyao’s face darkened. She was becoming angry.
Liu Junjie had used that to defame Tang Hao the last time they met. It was the same thing again.
The Z University students that came together with Tang Hao had awkward looks on their faces. They did not believe those claims, but they did not understand why Liu Junjie was spreading rumors about Tang Hao.
Then, they remembered that Liu Junjie and Tang Hao were classmates.
Meanwhile, Cao Fei was livid.
He pointed a finger at Liu Junjie. “Dammit, Liu kid! What are you saying? You’re the one who’s a gigolo! You’d better watch your mouth!” He cursed.
Everyone was dumbstruck when they heard that.
Even Liu Junjie was confused.
‘I’m talking about Tang Hao. What does it have to do with Cao Fei?
‘Has he lost his mind?’
However, Cao Fei was indeed a student from Z University, and he was quite popular among the schoolmates. Liu Junjie dared not offend him. “I wasn’t talking about you, Cao Fei!” He explained.
“Talking bad about Brother Hao is the same as talking bad about me!” Cao Fei said angrily.
Liu Junjie was once again confused.
‘Why is Cao Fei speaking up for Tang Hao? He’s calling him ‘Brother Hao’ too! He’s really lost his mind! Cao Fei is from a prestigious university. Why would he call that lowly trash as his brother?’
Everyone was also confused, especially Cao Fei’s ex-classmates.
“Do you know him, Cao Fei?” One of the boys whispered to him.
“Of course I know him. He’s my Brother Hao!” Cao Fei said coldly.
Everyone could only find it ridiculous.
Liu Junjie could not find a response for a long time.
He did not expect that Tang Hao had befriended Cao Fei. When it came to matching wits, Liu Junjie was no match for Cao Fei.
Knowing what was best for him, he kept his mouth shut.
Then, he thought of something and smirked. “Cao Fei, don’t forget why we’re all gathered today. We’re all college students. Does he deserve to be here? He didn’t even graduate high school.”
Everyone looked at him with expressions of approval on their faces.
“That’s right. Not any random rabble can be here tonight.” Some people agreed with him.
Cao Fei smirked and said nonchalantly, “Who says that Tang Hao isn’t a college student? Let me tell everyone here. Brother Hao is now a student at Z University. He’s in the same class as I am too!”
The hall immediately fell into silence.
Everyone had an incredulous look on their faces.
They thought that they had misheard.
‘Tang Hao is in Z University? How is that possible?
‘He didn’t even graduate high school. So how could he be a college student, and a student of a prestigious university at that?’
Liu Junjie came to his senses and laughed. “You must have lost your mind, Cao Fei! I’ve never heard of something so ridiculous!”
Everyone also burst out laughing.
They thought that Cao Fei was speaking nonsense.
Liu Bingyao stepped forward to Tang Hao’s side. “I can vouch for Tang Hao that he is indeed a student of Z University. It’s not just me. These other people here can vouch for him too.”
She then turned to look at the other people that came along.
The roaring laughter abruptly stopped.
The smile froze on the people’s faces.
Then, they sucked cold air into their mouths.
It would have been less believable if Cao Fei was the only one making the claim, but now that even Beauty Queen Liu was saying the same thing, they had no choice but to accept that it was true.
It was nonetheless incredibly ridiculous though!
They had laughed and mocked at Tang Hao earlier, but he turned out to be a Z University student, which meant that they would have to look up to him.
Chapter 258
“That’s impossible!” Liu Junjie roared. His face was contorted.
“How could he be a Z University student? I don’t believe it! Liu Bingyao, don’t think I don’t know your relationship with him. I can’t trust what you say!”
Everyone was shocked as they turned to look at Liu Bingyao.
Then, they turned to look at Tang Hao.
Liu Junjie seemed to imply that the two of them were seeing each other.
That revelation was much more impactful than Tang Hao being a Z University student.
Many people were burning with anger and envy.
Liu Bingyao’s face darkened. “You can ask those people too!” Then, she looked at the people next to her.
Those people nodded.
They might not know how Tang Hao got himself a spot in Z University, but he was undeniably a Z University student.
Liu Junjie trembled and his mind went blank.
Cao Fei might be lying. Liu Bingyao might be lying. However, so many people could not be lying at the same time.
It meant that Tang Hao was indeed a Z University student.
The revelation was like a strong blow to his head with a mallet.
Liu Junjie had always looked down upon Tang Hao. He was someone from the city, and he was also a college student. Meanwhile, Tang Hao did not even graduate high school.
Liu Junjie had always carried a strong sense of superiority.
Everything was turned on its head now. Liu Junjie was only a student of a third-rate university, while Tang Hao was suddenly a student from a prestigious university.
“How could this be?” He mumbled. His face turned pale as though his soul left his body.
The other classmates had similar expressions on their faces.
Tang Hao smirked coldly when he saw their reactions.
He knew that meeting those people would be nothing but trouble.
Suddenly, everyone heard footsteps coming in from outside. A figure came in. He was also a teenager of eighteen years old.
He was dressed in a black suit and stood tall and confident.
He was not exactly handsome, but his appearance was passable.
He looked around as he stepped into the hall and smiled. “So many people came. Not bad at all! I was expecting a lesser crowd. Oh? Why are you all crowded near the entrance?
“Isn’t this Beauty Queen Liu? Good job, Cao Fei!”
His eyes fell on Liu Bingyao.
The hall bustled again when he came in. Everyone stepped forward to greet him.
That person was Li Zhengtao, the famous rich kid from First High.
Li Zhengtao was in good spirits. He nodded at the people to return their greetings.
“I’m happy that you all could come. Everyone here is from First High, and we ought to stay in contact and forge strong connections.”
He smiled even more happily as he spoke.
Then, he saw Tang Hao.
His body stiffened as though he had turned into stone. His eyes bulged as though he had seen a ghost.
He turned around and he grabbed his head. “Wait a second. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Why would that guy be here? This can’t be!”
Everyone was shocked when they saw him behave that way.
“Are you alright, Young Master Li?” Someone asked him.
“I’m… I’m fine” Li Zhengtao waved his hand and said frantically.
Then, his composure wavered again. “This can’t be! Of all places to bump into that guy, why would I see him here?”
Cao Fei was confused. “What’s wrong, Zhengtao?” He asked.
Li Zhengtao turned around and waved his hands. “Nothing’s wrong at all!”
His eyes caught sight of Tang Hao again and his entire face scrunched up. He tried to force a smile but he looked as though he was crying.
He struggled internally for a while, then awkwardly came over and greeted Tang Hao.
“Uncle Tang!”
Cao Fei was shocked. He nearly did a spit take.
Everyone was also stunned.
‘What did I just hear?
‘Li Zhengtao called Tang Hao ‘Uncle’?
‘Utterly ridiculous!’
Liu Junjie was once again dumbstruck. He was more shaken than before.
Liu Bingyao’s mouth opened slightly and her face was full of incredulity.
Tang Hao’s face was unreadable at that moment.
Li Zhengtao was President Li’s youngest son. If he and President Li called each other brothers, then Li Zhengtao would have to call him Uncle, even though they were the same age.
He found it incredibly unsettling to be called Uncle by someone of his age.
However, he returned the greeting. “Hi!”
Li Zhengtao’s face was more awkward than ever. “Why are you here, Uncle Tang?”
“Cao Fei invited me!” Tang Hao said.
Li Zhengtao was stunned. He looked at Cao Fei resentfully.
Cao Fei’s mouth was opened wide. He did not know how to react!
“Why, am I not welcome here?” Tang Hao said seriously.
“No… no such thing! I welcome your presence here, Uncle Tang!” Li Zhengtao said with an ugly smile on his face.
He knew that Tang Hao was very close to his father. If his father caught wind that he was disrespectful toward Uncle Tang, he would be in big trouble.
“Let’s go in, Uncle Tang!” Li Zhengtao said with a forced smile.
“Wait!” Tang Hao said.
“What’s wrong, Uncle Tang?”
“A few people here mocked me earlier!” Tang Hao said coldly.
“What? How dare those people mock Uncle Tang! Who are they?” Li Zhengtao roared angrily.
Everyone started to look guilty.
Many people had indeed said bad things about Tang Hao earlier.
However, the ones who mocked him openly were Liu Junjie and his friends.
Everyone silently shifted their gaze toward Liu Junjie and his gang of friends.
Liu Junjie trembled and his face turned pale as a sheet.
“There’s no such thing, Young Master Li!’ Liu Junjie waved his hands frantically.
He was truly panicking at that moment. If he had crossed Young Master Li, he would have to say goodbye to that circle of friends.
“Throw them out!” Tang Hao said coldly.
“Yes, yes! I’ll get the security here now to throw these bastards out!” Li Zhengtao said urgently. Then, he took out his phone and called the security post outside.
Soon, several burly security guards came over. They dragged Liu Junjie and his friends away.
“Are you satisfied now, Uncle Tang?” Li Zhengtao said with a smile.
Tang Hao nodded.
“Come, let’s go in!” Li Zhengtao escorted Tang Hao inside.
Everyone was shocked when they saw that scene, but at the same time regretful.
They did not expect Tang Hao to have such a relationship with Young Master Li. If they had known earlier, they would have made friends with Tang Hao.
The incident was soon forgotten, and the festivities resumed in the hall.
The gathering ended at about nine o’clock.
Li Zhengtao saw Tang Hao off.
Tang Hao sent Liu Bingyao to her dormitory building, watched her go upstairs, and got a cab to return home.
Chapter 259
Tang Hao left home very early the next morning.
He was going to the medicinal herb market in the city.
Recently, he had devoted his free time to the study of pill-making, and he had quickly exhausted his supply of medicinal herbs. He needed to replenish his inventory, and also try his luck on finding some rare herbs.
Many ancient medicinal herbs had gone extinct in modern times, though there might still be some rare ones growing deep in the mountains. Someone might have plucked them and brought them to the market.
Tang Hao had often heard of stories like that.
His car was still in the workshop, so he went to the market by bus.
The medicinal herb market was located in the south of Provincial City. Its scale was much bigger than the market in Westridge District.
The market was densely packed with stalls. Most of them were distributors, but there were retailers too.
The market was already very crowded even though it was early in the morning.
Tang Hao walked past the stalls and recognized every herb there.
He had completely memorized the Scripture of the Divine Herbalist. He was also very familiar with most modern medical texts, and discerning the herbs was no challenge to him.
When he focused his gaze on a herb, the name of the herb along with its effects appeared in his brain.
Most customers in the market were old. They were there to either stock herbs for their apothecaries or personal use. Not many of them were as young as Tang Hao.
Tang Hao received a lot of attention no matter where he went.
Tang Hao bought many herbs as he walked in the market. He bought all the lingzhi and ginseng he could find.
There was never going to be enough lingzhi and ginseng even though he planted his own. He was not short of money anyway.
From the west entrance of the medicinal herb market, Tang Hao went eastward. There were a lot of street stalls there.
The medicinal herb market was just like any other wet market. The anchor stores were concentrated in the center, while the street stalls surrounded the periphery.
Tang Hao looked around. Suddenly, he seemed to have discovered something.
In one of the street stalls in front of him were several bunches of mundane-looking herbs.
He quickly went over.
He soon discerned that the grass was a medicinal herb named blue nandina.
Blue nandina was very rare. Tang Hao had thought that the plant had gone extinct if he had not seen it right in front of him.
It was not an expensive or potent herb, but he knew that wherever blue nandina grew, another herb named Flower of Youth would also grow there.
Tang Hao had been keeping a close eye on news about that flower, though he had never seen it before. Finally, he had found a lead.
If he could find out where the blue nandina grew, there was a big chance that he could find Flowers of Youth there as well.
Of course, that was only a possibility.
The Flower of Youth was just like the Flower of Rotting Poison. It only grew at places with an abundance of qi.
Qi flow was thin in modern times. Perhaps the Flower of Youth had died out a long time ago and only the blue nandina left.
Tang Hao thought for a while, then he crouched in front of the stall owner and spoke to him. “Where did you get this herb, Boss?”
The stall owner was a plainly-dressed man in his fifties.
He glanced at Tang Hao. “From the mountains. Where else? Do you want it? I can give you a discount if you take everything.”
“I’ll take it, on the condition that you tell me the location where you found it,” Tang Hao replied.
The stall owner’s eyes sparkled. “Don’t tell me this is something incredibly precious?” He muttered.
Then, his excitement quickly died down.
Many people had passed by his stall and none of them even glanced at the hern. He did not believe that the kid in front of him was more knowledgeable than the other people who were much older than he was.
That kid looked too young.
The stall owner grinned. “I’ll tell you if you buy the entire bunch. It’s fifty yuan!”
“OK!” Tang Hao did not say anything further. He took out a fifty-yuan note from his wallet, handed it over, and stuffed all the blue nandina into his backpack.
The stall owner straightened out the fifty-yuan note and grinned widely. “I’m a man of my word, kid. I’ll have to let you know that it’s very deep in the mountains though! You’ll need to be at my level of experience to find it. You’re still too young, it’s too dangerous.
“You don’t know what’s inside the mountains. There might even be supernatural presences that steal your soul.”
He continued rambling for a while more, then he said, “You should know the mountain range to the west of the city, right? It’s from there. Our village is called Dirtclod Village. There’s a road leading into the mountains. Just follow that road, go past a few mountains, and you’ll soon find it.”
Tang Hao memorized the directions.
He stood up and continued walking around.
He soon had another discovery.
Not far away, there was a bunch of medicinal grass on a street stall. The grass was entirely red, and the stems were crooked and looked ugly.
“Bloodhemp grass!” Tang Hao’s eyes sparkled.
Bloodhemp grass was another rare herb. If he could activate its latent potency, it would be able to increase blood production in a patient’s body.
The pill that he gave Lil Xin’er last time had bloodhemp grass as one of the ingredients.
“This is good stuff!” Tang Hao muttered to himself. He quickly walked ahead and spoke to the stall owner. “I want all of these, Boss! How much is it?”
The stall owner lifted his head to look at Tang Hao. He was about to tell the price when someone shouted, “Wait a second!”
That voice sounded old.
“I want the entire bunch!”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. He turned to see who it was. An elderly man in a traditional Chinese suit came over. He looked to be in his sixties, but he was healthy and spirited.
His gaze was sharp as he walked.
Everyone exclaimed in surprise as he walked over.
The stall owners instantly became friendly when they saw him. “Divine Doctor Hu!” They greeted him.
The old man smiled and waved his hands. “Oh, don’t call me a Divine Doctor! I’m not deserving of that title!”
“You’re being modest, Divine Doctor Hu. There’s no one more deserving of that title than you!” The stall owners said.
“Just call me Mr. Hu!” The old man said with a smile.
He continued speaking to Tang Hao as he walked over. “Hey, young man, I’m sorry about this, but I need those herbs, you see…”
Before Tang Hao could say anything, the stall owner stood up. He bagged up the bloodhemp grass and handed it to the old man.
“Here, take this, Divine Doctor Hu!” The stall owner said eagerly.
Tang Hao’s brows were locked even tighter. He was the one who saw the bloodhemp grass first.
“Oh, I can’t possibly…” The old man hesitated.
“It’s fine! You’re a divine doctor. You have first dibs to all my herbs!” The stall owner walked ahead and stuffed the bag of bloodhemp grass into the old man’s hands.
“Wait!” Tang Hao shouted unhappily.
Everyone turned to look at Tang Hao.
Divine Doctor Hu’s hands froze in mid-air.
Chapter 260
“I’m the one who wanted the herb first!” Tang Hao’s tone of voice was impassive.
Divine Doctor Hu’s face blushed red with embarrassment.
However, the stall owners all around looked indignant.
“Hey, you’re just a child. How could you speak like that?”
“Don’t you know who he is? He is a famous divine doctor. He needs the herbs to save the sick and dying. What could a child like you possibly do?”
Everyone shouted in agreement.
Most of the stall owners were at least middle-aged. They were booing Tang Hao.
Divine Doctor Hu coughed lightly. “Ahem, my young friend, I really need these herbs.”
“And I don’t?” Tang Hao retorted.
Divine Doctor Hu was shocked. Then, he burst out laughing.
‘Isn’t this kid still a teenager? And he says that he needs those herbs? I don’t think he even knows what they are!
‘This is such a joke!
‘What does he need the herbs for? Make tea?’
Divine Doctor Hu burst out laughing again when he thought of that.
“I’m not fooling with you, my friend. I need the herbs. A patient is waiting for me.”
Divine Doctor Hu grinned. “I don’t mean to look down on you, but I don’t think you ever know what herb this is! You’ll only squander it! Why don’t you let me have it instead?”
The stall owners booed even louder when they heard that.
In their eyes, Divine Doctor Hu needed the herbs to help his patients. They did not know what use the kid had for the herb.
“What does the kid know?” Some of them mocked out loud.
Tang Hao smirked and said nonchalantly. “It’s bloodhemp grass. Common knowledge.”
Divine Doctor Hu’s expression stiffened. He looked incredibly surprised.
‘Bloodhemp grass is incredibly rare. Not many people should know about it. So how would this kid know?’
“Since you know that it’s bloodhemp grass, then you should know its functions! Bloodhemp grass is good for improving blood circulation, healing bruises, and replenishing vital energy. The effects would be greater if you combine it with other herbs,” Divine Doctor Hu said.
Tang Hao laughed. “What a senseless waste!” He spat out each syllable.
Divine Doctor Hu was shocked.
He was wondering if he had misheard. A teenager of eighteen years was telling him that he was wasting precious herbs!
That was utterly ridiculous!
He might not consider himself as a divine doctor, but he was confident of his herbology skills.
The Hu family had been physicians for almost four centuries. His name, Hu Huaichun, was also very famous in modern times.
However, he had been insulted by a teenager!
He could feel his anger rising.
‘That kid is too brazen!’ He thought as his face darkened.
“Did you say that I’m senseless wasting the herb? Tell me then, how are you planning to use it without wasting it?” He said coldly.
“You’ve underestimated the restorative properties of bloodhemp grass. With another combination of herbs, it could stimulate blood production in the patient’s body. That could help someone who had suffered major blood loss.
“It’s a senseless waste of this precious herb if you use it for a recovering patient’s recuperation. There are so many other herbs that could do the same thing. You don’t need the bloodhemp grass for that.
“You should know that bloodhemp grass is incredibly rare! You’re using an incredibly rare herb to perform a function of which there are many common substitutes. If that’s not a senseless waste, I don’t know what is!” Tang Hao’s tone of voice became sterner as he spoke.
Hu Huaichun had no response to that.
However, he remained indignant. “You’re right that there are many medicinal herbs that can restore a patient’s vital energy, but none of them are as potent as bloodhemp grass. There is no substitute for bloodhemp grass if you want the best results!
“Shouldn’t I use the best available herb to treat the patient?”
Everyone cheered when they heard that.
“That’s a divine doctor for you! He’s always thinking about the best for his patients!”
Tang Hao grunted nonchalantly. “There’s no substitute because your prescription is bad!”
Hu Huaichun nearly burst out laughing when he heard that.
‘This kid is saying that the Hu family prescription is bad?
‘How arrogant can he be to make such a claim?’
“You talk big, kid! Show me your prescription then! If you can’t show me something better, then you’d better take those words back!” Hu Huaichun said coldly.
His gaze toward Tang Hao was full of frustration.
‘This kid is too arrogant! Whose apprentice is he? How dare he look down upon the Hu family?’
Tang Hao glanced at him and said calmly, “You want a prescription? Sure, I’ll come up with one for you now.”
Then, he turned around and headed into the market.
Hu Huaichun was stunned.
He had thought that the kid was only bluffing, but he seemed like he was actually going to do it.
Then, he smirked coldly.
He could not believe that the kid could come up with a prescription that was better than what the Hu family could do.
Some of the stall owners packed up their stalls and followed behind them.
They could not afford to miss the drama. They wanted to see how the kid would humiliate himself.
‘That kid is only a teenager. How dare he challenge Divine Doctor Hu? Has he lost his mind?’
More people saw that scene and followed behind.
Very soon, a large group of people was gathered behind Tang Hao and Hu Huaichun.
They were discussing intensely among themselves as they walked.
“Did you hear that? Someone is challenging Divine Doctor Hu!”
“Really? Who’s the idiot? He’ll only humiliate himself! Who’s Divine Doctor Hu, if not one of the greatest luminaries in the Chinese medical world?”
The commotion soon reached a substantial portion of the medicinal herb market.
Everyone in the market knew who Divine Doctor Hu was. He was a respected figure.
More people crowded around. They looked at Tang Hao mockingly.
Tang Hao walked in front. He looked absolutely calm.
He swept his gaze across his surroundings as he walked.
Suddenly, he stopped walking. He picked up a shopping basket and started putting herbs inside.
Then, he continued walking.
He turned to his sides occasionally and picked up some more herbs.
Hu Huaichun regarded him with condescension. He thought that the kid was only putting up an act. However, when Tang Hao picked up the fourth ingredient, his expression turned grim.
The herbs that Tang Hao picked truly had the effect of restoring vital energy. Furthermore, the properties of those herbs did not clash with each other.
Coming up with a prescription was not merely mixing herbs of similar properties. One needed to consider their potencies and side effects.
About four minutes later, Tang Hao stopped. There were eleven different herbs in his basket.
“It’s done!” Tang Hao turned around and showed the basket to Hu Huaichun.
“This… is my prescription!”