It was rare to see someone as meticulous and careful as this boy in front of him, who even sorted the poisonous herbs, antidote herbs, and ordinary non-poisonous herbs into separate categories. Although a large portion of the herbs were misclassified, the reason was likely that the boy didn’t recognize these herbs, rather than a flaw in his sorting method. This alone showed that his intelligence was above average, not something ordinary children could compare to.

　　Herbalist Foster was secretly satisfied.

　　The “herb testing” at the Herb Gathering Hall appeared to test whether one could recognize herbs, but what it truly tested was courage, intelligence, and composure. Facing life and death, was one foolish or clever? In the critical moment of accidentally ingesting poisonous herbs, being poisoned, and falling into a life-or-death crisis, could one still remain calm and clear-headed?

　　As a herb gatherer, one often had to venture alone into extremely dangerous places to collect precious herbs. In such lonely places where survival was slim, there was no one else to help them. While recognizing herbs was important, intelligence and composure were even more crucial. If one wasn’t calm enough, even if they could identify herbs, panicking in a desperate situation would still lead to certain death.

　　For children participating in the herb test, as long as they excelled in any one of courage, intelligence, or composure, even if they didn’t eat the full ten herbs, they could still be admitted as an exception.

　　As for those who stuffed herbs into their mouths recklessly, disregarding their own lives, relying on luck to pass, or those who mentally collapsed after ingesting poisonous herbs, they were immediately eliminated. Even if such children entered the Herb Gathering Hall, they would meet their end sooner or later.

　　After a quarter of an hour, Henry Clark had picked out three antidote herbs and four ordinary herbs from the hundred available. He was quite confident that these seven would not poison him.

　　However, he still needed two more to make up nine.

　　Sweat began to bead on Henry Clark’s forehead.

　　If even one of these two herbs was highly poisonous, it would be enough to cost him his life.

　　“The incense stick is almost burned out. Eat one immediately!”

　　Herbalist Foster’s cold voice suddenly rang out, pointing at the incense burner.

　　Henry Clark looked up in surprise at the incense burner. So the incense was being used to keep time. Unknowingly, the stick inside was nearly burned out and about to extinguish.

　　He had no choice but to pick up one of the ordinary herbs he had identified and put it in his mouth. With a trace of fear in his heart, he prayed he hadn’t made a mistake and would not be poisoned.

　　Seeing Henry Clark eat a herb, Herbalist Foster immediately took out a second stick of incense and lit it in the burner.

　　Smoke curled in the air. With each stick of incense, Henry Clark was forced to eat another herb.

　　Time ticked by bit by bit.

　　In the blink of an eye, five sticks of incense had burned out in the incense burner. Henry Clark had eaten four ordinary herbs and one antidote herb, with two antidote herbs left in his hand. But he was growing increasingly anxious, because he still hadn’t managed to pick out another non-poisonous herb he was confident about from the remaining pile.

　　Henry Clark was flustered.

　　What should he do?

　　At this moment, Henry Clark suddenly froze, staring at the two antidote herbs in his hand!

　　He remembered something: Mr. Bolton the Steward had once said that if you ate fifty to seventy herbs, you could directly become a disciple of the deputy hall master.

　　But Mr. Bolton the Steward had clearly said there were fifty poisonous herbs here, and eating them would cause poisoning. So how could anyone possibly eat seventy herbs?

　　Suddenly, a thought struck Henry Clark: could it be that the poisonous herbs could also be eaten? The twenty antidote herbs here could cure the poison from twenty poisonous herbs, making a total of seventy! Yes, that must be it. Otherwise, it would be impossible for anyone to eat seventy herbs and survive.

　　He shifted his gaze to the poisonous herbs he had pushed far away.

　　Since Henry Clark could recognize the two antidote herbs in his hand, he naturally recognized their corresponding poisonous herbs. Poisonous herbs and antidote herbs were paired; only by recognizing the poisonous herb could one prescribe the right antidote.

　　Otherwise, what use was it to only recognize the antidote herb?

　　Henry Clark immediately reached out and took the two poisonous herbs. These two were actually common wild poisonous herbs, not very toxic. Occasionally, livestock would eat them while grazing and get poisoned and sick. Humans would also be poisoned if they ate them.

　　Herbalist Foster was slightly moved, looking at Henry Clark with a meaningful gaze.

　　No more, no less—exactly nine herbs.

　　Using antidote herbs to neutralize the poison from poisonous herbs was allowed.

　　Eating one more to reach ten would meet the minimum requirement to enter the Herb Gathering Hall and become a herb-gathering apprentice.

　　Whether the last herb was poisonous or not no longer mattered; the Herb Gathering Hall would treat any poisoning.

　　For every additional herb eaten beyond that, the apprentice’s treatment in the hall would improve.

　　In this herb test, Henry Clark ate a total of eleven herbs. On the eleventh, he was poisoned, but he couldn’t find the corresponding antidote among the remaining antidote herbs. Dr. Foster stopped the test and detoxified him.

　　Herbalist Foster’s indifferent voice said, “Well done. From now on, you are a registered herb-gathering apprentice of the Herb Gathering Hall, and also my disciple. After all the children’s herb tests are finished tomorrow, you and the other successful candidates will train with me.”

　　“Yes!”

　　Henry Clark carefully hid his resentment toward Herbalist Foster, nodded obediently, and left the small wooden hut.