Oh wow, just when I finished binge reading. Guess I'm gonna continue reading.
I've always wondered why these people who are surprised by the protag's cheat knowledge never found the innovations out themselves. In most cases, it seems like they can be discovered by experimentation and breaking traditions. But I guess in these cases, trial and error in pill making can result in explosions and such. Still, I can't imagine that someone after the concoction purge didn't think "what if we put this frozen flower in here? Or this weed? Or just whatever I can find?"
But there's also the issue of pride and reputation that these guys put so much stake into, so eh. These fools can't even try to make mistakes...