Gathering Herbs in the Mountains

More than ten days passed in a flash.

That day, before it was time to get up in the morning, Lu Changsheng had already risen early.

He hurried to the secluded corner where he practiced martial arts at night.

The sky was still dim, but a faint glimmer of light had appeared.

Lu Changsheng had gotten up so early in order to practice the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique.

Over the past ten days or so, he had persisted in practicing the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique. Almost every day, he could hear the blood within his body surging like a rushing river.

He understood that the day he sensed Qi and Blood was not far off.

Perhaps it would happen within the next few days.

Thus, he trained even more diligently.

As usual, Lu Changsheng practiced the strange postures of the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique.

At once, the blood within him surged as though a mighty river were rolling onward.

Moreover, the sound grew louder and louder, and Lu Changsheng's entire body turned crimson.

Boom.

The next moment, Lu Changsheng's mind thundered.

An image appeared in his mind.

He seemed able to "see" a bright-red mass of blood surging through his body in a particular manner.

"Qi and Blood—this is Qi and Blood!"

Lu Changsheng was overjoyed.

He had finally sensed Qi and Blood and gained entry into the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique.

However, upon carefully sensing his Qi and Blood, Lu Changsheng suddenly realized that he had been mistaken before.

Qi and Blood was not blood.

What he had heard was not the sound of blood flowing, but Qi and Blood.

Qi and Blood was a special form of energy within the body that nourished a person's physique.

The stronger one's Qi and Blood, the more robust one's body became.

Lu Changsheng immediately checked the Attribute Panel.

Host: Lu Changsheng

Comprehension: 99 (utterly ordinary)

Basic Saber Technique: Minor Accomplishment

Basic Sword Technique: Minor Accomplishment

Basic Staff Technique: Minor Accomplishment

Tiger Pounce Hand: Major Accomplishment

Great River Blood Strengthening Technique: First Layer

Sure enough, the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique had entered the first layer on the Attribute Panel.

In Lu Changsheng's perception, his Qi and Blood now amounted to only a small clump.

Yet as time passed, so long as he cultivated the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique, he could gradually strengthen this clump of Qi and Blood.

The Great River Blood Strengthening Technique had three layers in total. Lu Changsheng had only cultivated it to the First Layer.

Reaching the First Layer counted as gaining entry, which meant he no longer needed to practice those strange postures every day.

He could directly control his Qi and Blood, "circulating Qi and Blood" through his body.

Lu Changsheng gave it a try, and sure enough, he saw his Qi and Blood circulating through his body again and again.

However, after circulating it several times, his Qi and Blood still had not increased much.

Instead, Lu Changsheng was seized by unbearable hunger, and his entire body felt unwell.

"Elder Liu once said that strengthening Qi and Blood requires nourishment. That is why the martial artists of the Guard Team need to supplement themselves with Medicinal Cuisine every day—to ensure they have what is needed to strengthen their Qi and Blood."

"But I haven't entered the Guard Team, and I have no Medicinal Cuisine to replenish myself with. The rate at which my Qi and Blood grows is slower than a snail."

"At this pace, I probably won't reach the Second Layer of the Great River Blood Strengthening Technique even after several years."

Lu Changsheng frowned.

Even though he had sensed Qi and Blood, he still could not enter the Guard Team.

Having taken so long to sense Qi and Blood, he would be considered poorly gifted by the Guard Team, with no value in being trained.

There was another way: buying Medicinal Cuisine.

The Guard Team's Medicinal Cuisine was actually quite ordinary. It could be bought at apothecaries outside. As long as one had silver, one could purchase Medicinal Cuisine and replenish oneself.

But the key was that Lu Changsheng had no silver.

Forget silver—he did not even have a single copper coin.

"I need to find a way to make money."

Lu Changsheng thought it over. He was currently a Menial Apprentice, so he had no wages at all.

Moreover, he could not leave Miraculous Garden.

After all, Menial Apprentices had all signed Indentured Contracts with Miraculous Garden. If they ran away and were caught, they could be beaten to death on the spot.

Of course, Indentured Contracts also had fixed terms.

The term seemed to be three years.

Three years was the limit set by the authorities, who did not permit anyone to keep slaves.

Thus, an Indentured Contract could last no longer than three years. After three years, it had to be converted into employment.

From this perspective, the authorities seemed rather decent.

At the very least, Lu Changsheng would not have to remain an Apprentice of Miraculous Garden for the rest of his life.

But if he could not consume Medicinal Cuisine for all three years, then Lu Changsheng would be taking a huge loss. He did not want his martial arts to make no progress for three whole years.

Lu Changsheng thought about it for several days but could not come up with any good solution. He could only set it aside for now and take things one step at a time.

"Get up, get up."

That day, as usual, the Apprentices gathered in the square.

Steward Zhang's expression was faintly grave as he said in a deep voice, "The weather has been growing colder lately, and there are more patients suffering from wind-cold ailments. Meanwhile, a group of fierce Bandits has blocked the trade route, and our medicinal herbs are gradually becoming insufficient."

"You have all studied medicinal herbs for some time and can recognize a few of them. Now, the Garden's physicians will take you into the mountains to gather herbs. Guards will escort you, so you need not worry about safety."

"If you gather enough medicinal herbs, there will also be Reward Silver."

Upon hearing this, the many Apprentices revealed delighted expressions.

Reward Silver!

As Menial Apprentices, they had no wages at all. Their pockets were cleaner than their faces.

They had not expected this opportunity to earn Reward Silver.

As for how arduous gathering herbs in the mountains might be, they did not care in the slightest.

"Enough. Set out."

Thus, escorted by a group of physicians and members of the Guard Team, the Apprentices entered the mountains in a grand procession.

A little over ten li outside Nanyang City lay Woniu Mountain.

Woniu Mountain was vast, and its forests contained venomous insects and savage beasts.

The deeper one went into the mountains, the more dangerous it became.

Gathering herbs in the mountains was in fact extremely difficult, even highly dangerous.

The Apprentices had entered the mountains in high spirits, but the moment they got inside, they began to groan without end.

Yet this was not up to the Apprentices. Since they had already entered the mountains, they had to gather herbs.

Those who gathered many herbs would receive Reward Silver, while those who gathered few would naturally be punished.

No one wanted to be punished, so they could only scatter in every direction to gather herbs.

The Guard Team would drive away venomous insects and savage beasts within a certain range, but they could not possibly follow every Apprentice.

Thus, the Apprentices scattered, quickly disappearing throughout the mountain forest.

Lu Changsheng's luck was not very good. After more than an hour in the mountains, he had only gathered a few ordinary herbs.

With this little bit of herbal medicine, forget earning Reward Silver—he would probably be punished when he returned.

"I heard that some precious herbs grow deep in the mountains."

"If I need Reward Silver, I'll have to risk going deeper into the mountains."

Lu Changsheng considered it. The depths of the mountains were merely difficult to traverse. As for venomous insects and savage beasts, if he was a little careful to avoid them, there should not be any problem.

After all, the members of the Guard Team were not just there to eat for free.

They surely had ways to drive off some venomous insects and savage beasts.

Thus, Lu Changsheng made up his mind and headed deeper into the mountains.

Along the way, the thorns in the forest tore open the skin on Lu Changsheng's body.

He was covered in cuts and scratches.

Fortunately, they were all superficial wounds and nothing serious.

At last, Lu Changsheng saw a Valley.

The Valley was filled with many precious medicinal herbs.

"Is that Ginseng?"

"I didn't expect there to be Ginseng deep within Woniu Mountain."

Lu Changsheng had sharp eyes. He spotted what appeared to be some Ginseng growing in the Valley.

Ginseng could be cultivated.

But wild Ginseng was rare, and aged wild Ginseng was even more precious.

Lu Changsheng immediately entered the Valley and began digging up wild Ginseng.

After digging up some wild Ginseng, Lu Changsheng lifted his head and saw that the cliffs around the Valley were also covered in precious medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, Lu Changsheng spotted what seemed to be a cave halfway up one of the cliffs.

Moreover, the cave was very well hidden. If one did not look carefully, one truly would not notice it.

Lu Changsheng's heart stirred.

This Valley was unusual. It seemed particularly suited to the growth of medicinal herbs, which was why so many precious herbs had grown here.

But once precious medicinal herbs matured, they had to be processed immediately. Otherwise, they would rot and go to waste.

There were so many herbs that Lu Changsheng could not possibly dig them all up.

But if he informed Miraculous Garden, he would at most receive some Reward Silver.

Compared with all these medicinal herbs, what did that little Reward Silver amount to?

Lu Changsheng was badly in need of silver. If he could turn these herbs into money, he would surely obtain a great deal of silver.

"This cave can temporarily be used to store the mature medicinal herbs. I can process and preserve them first, then find a way to take them out of the cave and exchange them for silver later."

Thus, Lu Changsheng climbed into the cave.

The cave was very dry.

However, Lu Changsheng saw that there were actually bedding and simple household utensils inside.

"Someone lives here?"

Lu Changsheng's heart jolted.

At the same time, Lu Changsheng heard a rustling sound coming from outside the cave.

He looked around.

He hurriedly hid in a secluded corner inside the cave.