Ding Yao grabbed someone's hand and asked uncertainly, "The person who got an S-Rank Rating, is he called Du Xiu?"
"Yeah, Old Ding! Do you know him?"
Ding Yao recalled Huyan Lie's daisy-like smile and slapped his forehead, "Damn! Someone's trying to poach him!"
"No way, I have to find the teacher!"
......
Outside, at the Hunters Guild square.
It was already packed with people.
On the square's pillars, four huge screens were hanging, simultaneously displaying the results of the Senior Apothecary Apprentices.
Nearly a third of Bote City's Origin Cultivator forces had gathered in the square.
The moment the results were out, the entire square buzzed with discussions.
Several leaders of larger Hunter Groups gathered together, standing at the back of the crowd, smoking and chatting.
The screen displayed the list.
It only showed the names of apprentices who passed the assessment and their ratings.
Captain Wang of the Silver Fox Hunter Group glanced at the list on the screen from afar and laughed, "Quite a few passed this time, we Hunter Groups don't have to compete so fiercely."
"Indeed, let's keep some boundaries this time, no bidding wars."
"Heh, I agree."
"As long as you guys don't raise the prices, I definitely won't either."
These Hunter Group leaders, although all were Aperture Opening Realm Origin Cultivators, still needed the potions from Senior Apprentices.
Just like how quick-acting heart pills are good medicine, cold medicine is also indispensable.
Moreover, within the Hunter Groups, there are many in the Qi-Blood Realm, and even ordinary people.
So, every time the Senior Apprentice list came out, these leaders would compete fiercely to secure collaborations with Senior Apprentices.
There's no choice; the relationship between Origin Cultivators and Apothecaries is absolutely a seller's market.
"S-Rank Rating?"
"Damn, where, where?"
"Captain, there's an S-Rank Rating this year!"
"Captain, come quickly! There's an S-Rank Rating Senior Apprentice!"
......
While the group leaders chatted outside the crowd, some members recorded the names and information of the Senior Apprentices under the big screen.
Upon hearing the exclamations from the crowd, the leaders hurriedly tossed their cigarettes and rushed towards the screen.
Fuck, S-Rank?
Are you kidding me?
"Captain Wang! Captain Wang! Du Xiu, Du Xiu! It's that kid! It's that kid! He's the S-Rank Rating Senior Apprentice!" shouted a bald member of the Silver Fox Hunter Group, his face full of excitement.
"Are you sure?" Captain Wang, standing at the back, tiptoed and craned his neck, anxiously confirming.
"Yes! It's him! Absolutely, hurry, hurry!"
The bald man tried to squeeze out, but was pushed back by the crowd rushing in upon hearing about the S-Rank Rating Senior Apprentice.
"Motherfucker! I need to find Master Leng quickly!" Captain Wang slapped his thigh in excitement.
In fact, collaborating with Senior Apprentices is quite risky for Hunter Groups.
Hunter Groups provide herbs for free, and if the apprentice can concoct a semi-finished product, it's not a loss.
Although the efficacy isn't great, at least it's something.
The fear is that the potion concocted is a waste.
Then the Hunter Group would suffer a pure loss.
Moreover, once a contract is signed, it's generally for at least three years, with a monthly provision of a large amount of herbs for free.
If they encounter a foolish apprentice, it's almost three years of wasted effort.
And once the contract is signed, the Hunter Group cannot terminate it unilaterally.
If the Hunter Group terminates it, they almost won't be able to buy potions from the Apothecary Hall in the future.
In a city with only a few dozen Apothecaries and a couple of hundred Apothecary Apprentices, they are not only colleagues who see each other often but might also be fellow disciples.
Offending one is equivalent to offending a bunch, making life difficult.
For Hunter Groups, the best collaboration partner is one who can concoct potions with a high success rate and can steadily become an Apothecary's Senior Apprentice.
During the apprenticeship, the collaboration is pure profit.
Once the apprentice becomes an Apothecary, the collaborating Hunter Group takes off directly.
The "white moonlight" attribute is useful in any field.
A Senior Apprentice from an ordinary family background, before becoming an Apothecary, is practically burning money.
If a Hunter Group invests regardless of cost at this time, the returns once they become an Apothecary are terrifyingly generous.
A potion costs a thousand gold coins,
A skilled Apothecary can earn nine thousand gold coins with tears in their eyes.
What? You say that's impossible?
Potion concoction, won't fail?
I have this success rate, ten sets of herbs, one successful potion, take it or leave it.
There are about two hundred people in the Apothecary Hall, ten thousand Origin Cultivators.
If you ask why Apothecaries are so ruthless, they'll tell you about their youth.
Running under the sunset, avoiding creditors before they became famous.
And for their "white moonlight" Hunter Group, the same potion, costing a thousand gold coins, they can concoct ten.
That's right.
The other nine are earned from other Hunter Groups.
The money earned from Hunter Groups is spent on Hunter Groups.
No problem.
Back to the beginning.
What does an S-Rank Rating Senior Apprentice mean?
It means that during their apprenticeship, the success rate of their concoctions is extremely high, and the collaboration is pure profit.
It means they can almost certainly become a Level 3 Apothecary.
Isn't that worth rushing for?
......
Inside the mixing room.
Master Leng put down the beaker in his hand.
A relieved smile appeared on his face.
Yang Tuyuan quickly brought over a cup of warm water, serving carefully.
"Congratulations, teacher, on the successful concoction!"
Although Yang Tuyuan didn't know what Master Leng had concocted, seeing his usually indifferent teacher smile, he quickly flattered him.
"Mm, tidy up the mixing room."
Master Leng nodded, showing a hint of fatigue.
At this moment, a rapid doorbell rang outside.
Master Leng frowned slightly.
When an Apothecary is concocting potions, their attention is highly focused, and they must not be disturbed.
Otherwise, a moment of distraction could lead to the entire potion failing.
He had just finished his experiment; if he hadn't, the doorbell outside could easily have distracted him.
Yang Tuyuan glanced at Master Leng, seeing his impatience, and quickly went to open the door.
Seeing it was Ding Yao, he immediately frowned, raising his voice a few decibels, questioning, "Don't you know the teacher is concocting potions? Disturbing the teacher at this time, aren't you afraid of causing a failure? No sense of rules!"
Ding Yao ignored Yang Tuyuan, pushed him aside, and hurried to Master Leng, looking anxious, "Teacher, something's happened."
Master Leng took a sip of water, put down the cup, and said calmly, "What's the matter, making such a fuss?"