Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Over those three days, Yang Heng followed Senior Brother Li up the mountain to gather herbs and gained a great deal.
He made great progress in the growth habits of medicinal herbs, harvesting methods, observing the surrounding environment, and other such matters. He had also witnessed quite a few dangers lurking deep within the mountains.
However, he believed that his own strength was enough to handle them.
Ever since Zhao Er died, everyone had proceeded with the utmost caution and dared not act rashly. Even when they found herbs, they would first seek Senior Brother Li's permission, inspect the surroundings for danger, and only act after confirming that all was well.
Once bitten by a snake, one feared ropes for ten years.
There was only one life to lose, so they had no choice but to be careful.
After news of Zhao Er's death reached the camp at the foot of the mountain, it caused only a brief uproar among the new apprentices. The old apprentices remained utterly unfazed.
When the medicine shop masters heard of it and learned what had happened, they merely said, "He deserved to die," and left it at that.
The medicine shop's cold-blooded nature was laid bare at that moment.
That was the hue of chaotic times, without the slightest trace of warmth.
The medicine shop was neither a charity hall nor a paradise. If the apprentices living here lacked ability and could not distinguish themselves enough to advance into medicine shop disciples, then no one would care if they died.
The new apprentices were merely tools, kindling. If one batch died, another could immediately be recruited; they were insignificant.
The medicine shop gave them food to eat and clothes to wear because there would come a time when they were needed. Otherwise, it would not recruit a new batch of apprentices every year.
It was precisely because gathering herbs in the mountains was fraught with danger, and apprentices were used up so quickly, that new apprentices were recruited each year to replenish them.
The rule of going up the mountain to gather herbs had been set by the Medicine King Gang. Every apprentice in the medicine shops under its command had to pass this trial before advancing into a medicine shop disciple.
Senior Brother Li and the others had gone through the same thing.
In these chaotic times, the medicine shop gave everyone shelter. How could apprentices not give something in return?
The life-and-death contracts they had signed before joining the medicine shop had not been signed for nothing.
It was already too late to regret it now.
On the night of the third day, Yang Heng was lying in bed, about to sleep, when he suddenly heard a burst of sobbing.
After listening carefully for a while, Yang Heng discovered that it was not only apprentices in his room who were crying. Sobs also drifted over from the other rooms.
Under the pitch-black night, wild winds howled.
The crying mingled with the roar of the wind, like cuckoos wailing in sorrowful lament, bringing boundless grief to all who heard it.
Yang Heng sighed at the sound.
If he had not obtained the Martial Arts Manual from Li Kui, then his voice would have been among those weeping now.
Fortunately, he had now stepped out of that circle and gained a little ability to protect himself in these chaotic times. As long as he acted steadily, living well would not be a problem.
Hearing the apprentices cry, the masters shouted harshly, "If any of you let out another sob, I'll send you up the mountain to gather herbs right now!"
The apprentices immediately stopped crying and did not dare make the slightest sound, terrified of angering the masters and being sent up the mountain to gather herbs at once.
The mountains at night were far more dangerous than during the day. They were like a gigantic beast with its jaws thrown wide open, standing there and devouring every person who entered.
The crying vanished, leaving only the whistling wind, which grew ever fiercer, as though protesting the apprentices' plight.
The night passed without incident.
The fourth day of gathering herbs in the mountains.
Starting today, Yang Heng and the others would enter the mountains alone to gather herbs. No senior brothers would accompany them; everything depended on themselves.
Early in the morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, the apprentices finished breakfast and brought the tools necessary for entering the mountains—ropes, iron hooks, machetes, wooden shovels, and the like—as well as that day's food: a bag of hot water and four steamed buns.
Once everything was ready, the apprentices headed into the mountains of their own accord, without needing the masters to urge them.
Over the next twelve days, they had to obtain medicinal herbs worth ten taels of silver no matter what. Otherwise, a whipping was inevitable; in more serious cases, they might even lose their lives.
Yang Heng entered the mountains with the main group.
There were no worthwhile medicinal herbs around the mountain's outskirts, so there was no reason to linger there and waste precious time.
No one stopped as they strode onward.
After a while, they entered the depths of the mountains.
The moment they stepped into the deep mountains, the apprentices began going their separate ways, each choosing a direction and leaving.
Yang Heng broke away from the main group and followed the path Senior Brother Li had taken before.
He had traveled this road once already and was familiar with it.
Moreover, he had never stopped thinking about that Intermittent Flower.
Afterward, Yang Heng had asked Senior Brother Li about the Intermittent Flower's medicinal effects.
Its main use was to invigorate the sinews and veins and heal internal injuries. It was extremely valuable, of great use to martial artists, and rarely seen on the market.
At that time, he had resolved that he would definitely get his hands on the herb.
Even if he could not use it himself, he could sell it to someone who needed it or exchange it for items he urgently lacked.
With treasure right before him, how could he let it slip away?
As for the Silver Ring Snake guarding the Intermittent Flower, Yang Heng had not taken it to heart.
He had seen every detail of how the Silver Ring Snake killed Zhao Er. Its speed truly was fast, but in his eyes now, it was nothing much.
Its movement trajectory was completely visible to Yang Heng.
Besides, he had the Marrow Cleansing Pearl protecting him. Even if he were bitten and poisoned, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would transform the poison into substances his body needed for him to absorb.
Poison also contained nutrients. To some people, it was a delicious sweet treat.
The Marrow Cleansing Pearl's function was to draw nutrients from food entering the body. It absorbed one portion itself and converted the other into substances needed by the body for it to absorb.
At the same time, if there was surplus energy, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would use it to temper the host's five internal organs and every part of the body.
Therefore, Yang Heng was completely unafraid of poison; he could be said to be immune to a hundred poisons.
If the Marrow Cleansing Pearl accumulated energy too slowly in the future, consuming poison to speed up its energy storage might not be a bad path either.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Yang Heng once again arrived at the place where Zhao Er had died last time. Seeing that the Intermittent Flower was still where it had been, Yang Heng let out a breath of relief.
Yang Heng was also somewhat puzzled. Senior Brother Li had already reported this matter to the medicine shop masters, so why had they not acted to pick the herb?
Could it be that they were helpless against the Silver Ring Snake?
At the very least, they could have asked Master Lei to act. Master Lei was a Blood Strength martial artist; dealing with the Silver Ring Snake would have been effortless.
Once a martial artist released Martial Artist's Pressure, the majesty of a higher life-form pierced straight into one's bones. The Silver Ring Snake would not even dare to move.
That way, the Intermittent Flower could be obtained with ease.
Could something have changed?
After pondering it for a moment, Yang Heng still could not make sense of it, so he set the matter aside and focused on dealing with the Silver Ring Snake hidden in the shadows.
Yang Heng looked toward the bushes behind the Intermittent Flower and was immediately delighted. The Silver Ring Snake was still hiding in the same place; it had not changed position over the past few days.
Although he did not fear the Silver Ring Snake's venom, getting bitten would not feel good.
It was hiding behind the Intermittent Flower. This way, he only needed to guard against one direction.
To prevent any unexpected developments, Yang Heng acted at once.
There were no special precautions for picking the Intermittent Flower. Its roots were thick and sturdy, not easily damaged, and even damage did not matter. The most valuable parts were its five silvery-white leaves.
Like Zhao Er before him, Yang Heng spread the five fingers of his right hand and descended from above, grabbing for the Intermittent Flower's main stalk.
Yang Heng moved incomparably fast, accompanied by a gale. In less than half a breath, his right hand was only a hair's breadth from touching the Intermittent Flower.
And at that very moment, the Silver Ring Snake struck!
A streak of silver flashed forth like an arrow leaving the bowstring. With a whoosh, it shot toward Yang Heng's neck at lightning speed.
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