Yang Heng decided not to tell the apothecary about this for now. He would inform them after it happened.
Using the apothecary's hand to get rid of Master Zhang—what could be better?
Getting rid of Master Zhang himself would certainly be satisfying, but it was dangerous after all.
If an apothecary master died for no reason, the apothecary would surely investigate to the bitter end. They might even trace it back to him.
Yang Heng would not risk putting himself in danger for a moment of gratification.
Once the medicinal herbs were robbed, the apothecary would surely fly into a rage. Upon learning that Master Zhang had leaked the information, they would certainly make him wish he were dead and subject him to a bout of brutal torture.
That would be far more satisfying than Yang Heng doing it himself.
There was little risk and great reward. There was no reason not to do it.
After some more time passed, Yang Heng took a detour back to his residence.
He was worried that Wang Ming was a scheming bastard waiting at the road's exit to see whether anyone emerged from this path.
Wang Ming was from Black Wind Stronghold. He must have used plenty of schemes and plots in his day, and his thoughts ran deep. Yang Heng had to guard against him.
Sure enough, when Yang Heng returned to the residence from another direction, Wang Ming was lingering in an inconspicuous spot, staring toward the small path leading to the riverside.
When he noticed Yang Heng returning, he even nodded at him.
Yang Heng openly walked up to Wang Ming and said, "It's so late. You still haven't rested?"
Wang Ming smiled and pointed toward the room. "You know how it is. The smell inside is too strong—I can't stand staying there, so I came out for some air."
"What about you? Same reason?"
Yang Heng nodded.
"Quite some time has passed. The smell should have dispersed by now. Shall we head back together?"
"Alright." Wang Ming nodded.
Wang Ming thought, At this late hour, no one should be heading to the riverside. And the chance that someone just happened to overhear his conversation with Master Zhang is slim. Waiting any longer won't yield anything.
It was better to go back and rest.
If one of the masters got up in the night and saw him still outside so late, it would be hard to explain.
Having thought it through, Wang Ming returned to the residence with Yang Heng.
Sure enough, when Yang Heng entered the room, the stench of urine had faded to the point of being barely noticeable. The spots splashed with urine had also been cleaned up, and everything looked no different from usual.
Yang Heng went to his bed, took off his shoes, lay down, and slept in his clothes.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, all the apprentices were already awake. After breakfast, they prepared the tools, food, and water needed for gathering herbs in the mountains, then rushed uphill in a swarm.
Time waited for no one. If they failed to complete their tasks within the allotted time, the whip would not be a joking matter.
One lash would tear a chunk of flesh from their bodies. Just thinking about it made them shudder.
A few more lashes, and half their lives would be gone.
To avoid the whip, the apprentices did not want to waste even a moment. They wanted to stay in the mountains longer and have enough time to search for medicinal herbs.
Today, not a single apprentice lingered around the mountain's outskirts. Yesterday, several apprentices had feared danger and dared not enter the inner mountain, so they searched for herbs outside. After an entire day, they had not found so much as a hair, let alone medicinal herbs.
After entering the depths of the mountains, everyone went their separate ways, each choosing a direction to leave in.
Yang Heng still headed down the path he had taken yesterday.
First, he was relatively familiar with this path, and some of the herbs he had picked yesterday were still there.
Second, when he had fled in a panic yesterday, he had traveled through secluded places few people visited. The odds of medicinal herbs growing there were higher.
Sure enough, not long after Yang Heng set foot on this path, he discovered an herb growing beneath a shrub—Wood Root.
Wood Root looked exactly as its name suggested. It resembled a tree root, three inches long, as thick as a chopstick, grayish-white, and bare. It could clear heat and dispel cold, dissolve phlegm, and relieve coughs.
The apothecary's public purchase price for one jin of Wood Root was fifty Copper Coins. Its internal purchase price was somewhat higher, but not by much.
This single Wood Root was worth about two coins—better than nothing.
However, Wood Root had different growing habits from other medicinal herbs. It grew in clusters.
If one Wood Root was found, there were bound to be more nearby.
Yang Heng stepped closer to the shrub. He swung the kitchen knife in his hand, and silver light flashed. With a crack, the shrub before him toppled backward like wheat.
At a glance, dozens of Wood Roots came into view. They grew beside the shrub's roots and stems, having previously been concealed by the tall, dense shrub.
Yang Heng dug out the Wood Roots one by one with his wooden spade, placed them into his herb basket, and continued onward.
Though there seemed to be quite a lot of Wood Root, it was not worth much. Even at the fullest calculation, it amounted to only around one hundred Copper Coins, still far from his goal of ten taels of silver.
Yang Heng did not intend to spend the next ten days searching for herbs.
He decided to spend three or four days gathering herbs and completing his task.
For the remaining time, he would find a secluded spot for Martial Arts Cultivation and improve his cultivation.
In troubled times, strength came first.
He did not want to spend all his time combing mountains and fields for medicinal herbs. That would be putting the cart before the horse.
Yang Heng immediately adjusted his strategy, specifically heading for remote and dangerous places, such as cliffs and animal dens.
Sure enough, after this adjustment, the results were immediate, and his harvest was plentiful.
Beside a cliff, Yang Heng relied on his excellent movement technique. Light as a swallow, he gathered many precious medicinal herbs from the cliff face, including Dendrobium, Yin Wind Vine, Coptis Seed, and more.
Dendrobium nourished the stomach and promoted bodily fluids, cleared heat, and detoxified. It was quite precious, serving as one of the main ingredients in antidote pills. One liang of Dendrobium was worth one tael of silver.
Yang Heng had gathered nearly one liang of Dendrobium, making for a substantial gain.
Yin Wind Vine was an uncommon medicinal herb, also quite rare and expensive. Its main use was treating strokes, and it was highly effective at dispelling head wind.
One Yin Wind Vine was worth five hundred Copper Coins.
Coptis Seed could not compare in value to the previous two herbs, but compared with Wood Root, it far surpassed it.
Coptis Seed looked much like an orchid. One plant was worth one hundred Copper Coins, and Yang Heng had picked three in total.
There were actually two more on the cliff face, but they grew far too close to the bottom, almost perpendicular to the cliff wall.
Growing in such a dangerous place, Yang Heng would not put himself in peril for a mere two hundred Copper Coins.
Yang Heng walked around the edge of the cliff. Aside from those few herbs, he found no trace of any other medicinal herbs growing there.
Thus, Yang Heng left the cliff and began searching for wild beast dens.
Based on the beasts' droppings, tracks, and the occasional roar, he searched for their lairs.
After a careful search, Yang Heng found a Wolf Den.
A wild wolf was lying in the cave, sleeping soundly, utterly unaware that an uninvited guest had entered its home.
Only when Yang Heng came before it did the wild wolf awaken.
The moment it saw the two-legged beast before it, a vicious gleam appeared in its green eyes. It bared its fangs and howled.
Its body immediately shifted into an attacking stance. The wolf crouched slightly, stretched its forelegs forward, and lowered its tail.
"Wooo—howl..."
With a loud roar, the wild wolf suddenly pounced at Yang Heng, jaws gaping as it bit for his throat.
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