"Grandpa Chen, I have gathered all the herbs," Lu Qing said breathlessly as he displayed the medicine basket to Old Doctor Chen in the Half Mountain Small Courtyard.
After digging up the cow bone grass, he had run all the way back, fearing he wouldn't make it in time.
The elder doctor glanced at the herbs in the basket and nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good, very good, it must have been hard for you to gather all these herbs."
"Grandpa Chen, what do you mean by that?" Lu Qing was somewhat puzzled.
It seemed the elder doctor had more to say.
"Do you know why I set the range of the test near the village?" the elder doctor asked.
"I don't know," Lu Qing shook his head.
"It's because the herbs growing near the village are not many, barely a dozen types," the elder doctor said, stroking his beard, "that you could dig up these herbs and bring them here intact within an 'hour' tells me you have been quite attentive to these herbs on ordinary days."
Hearing this, Lu Qing felt embarrassed.
In daily life, he truly had not paid special attention to what herbs were around the village.
Perhaps subconsciously, he thought the busy village surroundings wouldn't have any precious medicinal materials.
So, unless he encountered them while out, he would check with his "Superpower."
But to really say he actively searched for how many kinds of medicinal materials were near the village, he had not.
It seemed his attitude had been too casual.
Even the elder doctor knew what kinds of medicinal materials were around the village, and he, endowed with a superpower, had not achieved this, which was truly inappropriate.
Lu Qing began to reflect on himself.
Seeing that Lu Qing was silent, Old Doctor Chen thought he was acknowledging it.
He smiled a little and said, "Alright, you've passed this test. Now, go invite the village elders up here."
"Invite the village elders up here?" Lu Qing was a bit stunned.
"Yes, I intend to formally take you as my Disciple. There ought to be witnesses present, otherwise it would be too unserious."
"Yes, I'll go right now!"
Lu Qing was pleased and ran down the mountain again.
The villagers, knowing that Lu Qing was to undergo Old Doctor Chen's test today, had been paying close attention.
Seeing Lu Qing running down from the mountain and learning that the elder doctor had invited the village elders to witness the ceremony of officially accepting Lu Qing as a Disciple, everyone was overjoyed.
"Very good, very good, our village is finally going to have a doctor!"
"Good job, Ah Qing, truly worthy of being the smartest child in our village, really passed the test."
"Ah Qing, go tell Old Doctor Chen, we'll be right there!"
The villagers had seen Lu Qing go to Old Doctor Chen's place daily to learn and had once thought he was already the elder doctor's Disciple.
But later Lu Qing told them that he could only be considered an apprentice of Old Doctor Chen and was not yet qualified to formally become a Disciple.
Now hearing that Lu Qing had finally passed the test and was to be officially taken as a Disciple, they couldn't help but be excited.
Lu Qing returned to the Half Mountain Small Courtyard, and before long, the village elders, each neatly dressed, arrived at the mountain.
Some of the elders had even worn the clothes they usually saved for the New Year.
Besides the elders, other villagers at home also followed to watch the excitement.
Some villagers brought offerings of rice, flour, eggs, and meat.
Old Doctor Chen was already waiting at the gate of the small courtyard.
Seeing everyone arriving, he stepped forward and performed a courtesy.
"Thank you, fellow villagers, for honoring me by attending this disciple acceptance ceremony," said Elder Chen.
"Elder Doctor, you are really flattering us," replied village leader Zhang hurriedly. "It is we who should be thanking you."
"Ever since you arrived in Jiuli Village, you have relieved us of many ailments. We have always kept your kindness in our hearts."
"Old Zhang, you overstate things. I merely fulfilled my duty as a physician. It does not warrant such gratitude." Elder Chen replied with a smile.
"Whether it warrants gratitude, we know in our hearts."
Zhang then took a basket from a young man behind him.
"Elder Doctor Chen, we are poor villagers and do not have anything valuable to offer. These few eggs and pieces of cured meat, and the bags of rice and flour here, are intended as a gift for Ah Qing's apprenticeship ceremony. We hope you won't look down upon them."
After he finished speaking, two young men brought up two bags of flour and rice.
This scene left not only Lu Qing stunned, but also Elder Doctor Chen.
Zhang continued, "It is rather shameful to say, but most of us in Jiuli Village fled from other places seeking refuge from famine."
"It was a difficult era. Had it not been for Ah Qing's grandfather's support and leadership, we might not have survived that disaster. We managed to make our way here, finding this place to settle and grow roots."
"One could say, without Ah Qing's grandfather's leadership back then, Jiuli Village might not even exist today."
"Unfortunately, Ah Qing's grandfather fell ill during the escape, and without proper treatment, passed away early."
"And we also failed to protect his son and daughter-in-law, allowing them to be deceived and meet misfortune, leaving only Ah Qing and Little Yan as orphans."
"Today, it's Ah Qing's great fortune to be chosen by you as a disciple. We ask that, considering his lonely and difficult life, you would forgive his future blunders, and grant him several chances."
With those words, Zhang deeply bowed to Elder Doctor Chen.
The other elders and villagers followed suit, also bowing to Elder Doctor Chen.
Watching the lines of villagers bowing deeply before him, even with decades of Qi Cultivation Technique, Elder Chen couldn't help but feel moved.
As for Lu Qing, he was already full of astonishment.
Firstly, the stories told by Zhang were all things the original host didn't remember.
And, he had never anticipated that the villagers would go to such lengths for him.
Elder Doctor Chen snapped out of his daze and quickly helped Zhang to his feet.
"Please, fellow villagers, stand up. You're making me feel utterly ashamed," he said.
Then, addressing Zhang, he added, "Old Zhang, Lu Qing is a very smart child. It is also my good fortune to take him as a disciple, so rest assured, I will instruct him well."
Zhang's face lit up with excitement. "Then on behalf of his grandfather and parents, I thank you deeply, Elder Doctor!"
He handed the basket to Elder Doctor Chen.
"These modest gifts, I hope you won't disdain to accept them."
"I couldn't possibly accept, Old Zhang," replied Elder Doctor Chen. "I know life is hard for you; no need for such formalities."
"A gift cannot be refused. Since it's an apprenticeship, how can there be no gifts for the ceremony?"
After several refusals, Elder Doctor Chen eventually accepted a few eggs and a piece of cured meat from the basket as the apprenticeship gifts prepared by the villagers.
As for the rest, he couldn't accept anything more.
Watching this scene, Lu Qing took a mental note, planning to repay them with money later.
Honestly, he had not anticipated this aspect of the apprenticeship at all.
He thought it was only about kowtowing a few times to Elder Doctor Chen in front of everyone.
But he had overlooked that this was akin to an ancient ceremony in Otherworld.
The formal apprenticeship ceremony was more complicated than he imagined.
After this interlude, Elder Doctor Chen finally invited the villagers into the courtyard.
With everyone witnessing, Lu Qing began the formal apprenticeship ceremony.