Curing Disease and Making Money

Curing Disease and Making Money

"Mm, Junior Nephew Shi, I heard you can cure Blackening Disease. Is that true?" The Middle-aged Scholar studied Shi Yue carefully before asking.

"I can treat Spirit Grain and Spirit Herbs that have only just contracted Blackening Disease and haven't rotted yet." Shi Yue considered the question briefly before replying.

"Excellent. Come with me. My Spirit Herbs have Blackening Disease, so you can treat them." The Middle-aged Scholar gave the order.

"This... This disciple obeys." Shi Yue hesitated briefly, but agreed in the end.

Faced with an order from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Shi Yue had no grounds to bargain.

The Middle-aged Scholar flicked his sleeve, and a palm-sized White Small Boat appeared in a flash.

The White Small Boat swelled in the wind, growing to more than two zhang long before stopping. It hovered about a foot above the ground.

The Middle-aged Scholar stepped aboard, then turned and instructed Shi Yue, "Get on. It'll be faster to ride my White Phosphorus Boat."

Shi Yue answered and obediently boarded the White Flying Boat.

The Middle-aged Scholar formed a Hand Seal with one hand. A hazy white barrier immediately appeared, covering the entire White Flying Boat.

The Middle-aged Scholar said, "Go!" With a whoosh, the White Flying Boat transformed into a streak of white light and shot toward the horizon, under the astonished gazes of the onlookers. After a few flashes, it vanished into the distance.

The White Flying Boat moved so fast that Shi Yue, standing aboard, staggered and nearly fell.

Fortunately, Shi Yue braced himself with both feet and managed to stay upright. Once steady, he looked out through the white barrier.

The mountains and buildings outside the boat swept backward at a speed visible to the naked eye. The towering peaks and ridges below became tiny black-green specks, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Soon, the White Flying Boat reached its destination: a very spacious medicinal garden.

The garden covered five mu and grew dozens of kinds of Spirit Herbs and Spirit Grain. Shi Yue also spotted several fruit trees.

The fruit trees were in better shape, with only a few yellowed leaves. The Spirit Herbs and Spirit Grain, on the other hand, were in dire condition. They had turned black all over and were toppled in patches across the Spirit Field. The air was thick with the stench of rot.

"Junior Nephew Shi, take a look and see whether these Spirit Herbs with Blackening Disease can still be saved. If they can, give it a try." The Middle-aged Scholar gestured toward the Spirit Field.

"May I ask Uncle-Master to tell me how the Spirit Herbs first fell ill? That way, I can choose a treatment based on the circumstances." Shi Yue considered briefly before asking.

In truth, one look at the Spirit Field had been enough for Shi Yue to know that the Spirit Herbs had Blackening Disease. But rather than treat them at once, he put on an air of mystery and asked about the whole affair.

The Middle-aged Scholar was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so Shi Yue had to take this seriously and leave him with a good impression.

Instead of taking offense at Shi Yue's questions, the Middle-aged Scholar looked pleased. In his eyes, this was how a responsible Spirit Planter should act. He carefully explained how the Spirit Herbs had fallen ill.

After listening to the Middle-aged Scholar's account, Shi Yue felt reassured. He could confirm that the Spirit Herbs had Blackening Disease.

He hurried over to the Spirit Field and crouched down. Picking up a clod of soil, he sniffed it closely a few times. Then he picked up a withered Spirit Herb, sniffed it a few times as well, and stood.

"How is it, Junior Nephew Shi? Can these Spirit Herbs still be saved?" The Middle-aged Scholar had watched Shi Yue's every move. Without realizing it, he had begun speaking to him more politely.

"Reporting to Uncle-Master Liu, this disciple has thought of a method we can try. It may not work, though. Your Spirit Herbs have been ill for too long, and I can't be sure they'll recover." Shi Yue nodded and spoke with a grave expression.

"Mm, give it a try." The Middle-aged Scholar nodded, his expression kind.

Shi Yue acknowledged him and turned his hand over, producing a green orb the size of a fist. With a flick of his wrist, the orb flew out and hovered above the Spirit Field.

He struck the green orb with a Hand Seal, and it shattered. An extremely pure surge of plant essence poured out.

Some of the Spirit Herbs absorbed the plant essence, and the black qi around them faded a little.

The Middle-aged Scholar nodded to himself at the sight.

Plant essence alone could not cure these Spirit Herbs of Blackening Disease. Shi Yue was merely trying to cover his tracks. If he immediately brought out the gourd Magic Tool and watered the Spirit Herbs, they would recover at once, making him seem rather unremarkable.

Shi Yue's fingers swiftly formed Hand Seals as he chanted under his breath. Before long, his chanting stopped. A yellow glow spread across both hands, and he pressed them into the Spirit Field.

Ripples of yellow light flowed from Shi Yue's palms and sank underground. Some of the soil in the Spirit Field gradually changed from black to yellow.

A short while later, Shi Yue withdrew his Hand Seals, and the yellow glow vanished from his hands.

Shi Yue stood and flicked his sleeve. The gourd Magic Tool appeared in a flash and hovered above the Spirit Field.

After he struck it with a Hand Seal, the gourd's stopper popped open. A pale yellow liquid, giving off a foul stench, poured out and fell into the Spirit Field.

Shi Yue controlled the gourd Magic Tool, using the liquid to water the entire Spirit Field.

Wherever the liquid fell, black qi rose. The soil in the Spirit Field changed from black to its normal yellow, and the Spirit Herbs returned to normal. Perhaps because they had absorbed the plant essence, their colors looked even more vivid.

At the sight, the Middle-aged Scholar's face lit up with delight. His gaze toward Shi Yue held a hint of approval.

"Uncle-Master Liu, it's all taken care of. As long as you use the Spring Rain Art on schedule, the Spirit Herbs will grow normally." Shi Yue put away the gourd Magic Tool and spoke calmly.

"Junior Nephew Shi, well done. But what's the liquid in that gourd? Why does it smell so strange?" The Middle-aged Scholar praised him, then shifted the conversation.

"Oh, it's a liquid made by soaking several kinds of herbs. It smells a little odd, but it can boost the vitality of Spirit Herbs and Spirit Grain, improve the soil, and drive away some pests." Shi Yue explained with a serious expression.

"I see. Will you need to water them with this liquid again?" the Middle-aged Scholar continued.

"Mm, if the disease doesn't recur, there's no need. Just use the Spring Rain Art on schedule."

"Mm, here are twenty Spirit Stones. Take them as payment for treating the disease." The Middle-aged Scholar took out twenty Spirit Stones and handed them to Shi Yue.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master." Shi Yue's face brightened as he accepted the Spirit Stones with both hands.

The Middle-aged Scholar asked Shi Yue a few more questions, then let him leave.

After leaving Uncle-Master Liu's residence, Shi Yue flew back to Green Cloud Peak on his Magic Tool.

As soon as he landed, more than a dozen Qi Refining Stage cultivators crowded around him.

"Junior Brother Shi, please help treat my Spirit Herbs!"

"Junior Brother Shi, we're all from Azure Origin Peak. Please treat my Spirit Grain first!"

"Junior Brother Shi, more than half my Spirit Grain has already died. If you don't help, it'll all be gone!"

They all talked at once, asking Shi Yue to help treat their Spirit Herbs.

For a moment, Shi Yue didn't know whom to help first.

"Junior Brother Shi, more than half of my two mu of Spirit Beans have died. I'm willing to pay ten Spirit Stones—no, fifteen! I'll give you fifteen Spirit Stones as payment. Please help me!" A red-faced old man with thick hands and feet couldn't push his way through the crowd, so he shouted instead.

At the mention of Spirit Stones, Shi Yue's eyes lit up. He squeezed through the crowd and hurried over to the red-faced old man, smiling. "You're too kind, Senior Brother. Please lead the way. I'll treat them right away."

"Junior Brother Shi, come with me." The red-faced old man's face brightened. He summoned a Leaf Magic Tool and jumped aboard.

Shi Yue also summoned his own Leaf Magic Tool and jumped on.

The two of them turned into streaks of green light and flew toward the horizon.

When they reached the red-faced old man's residence, Shi Yue followed the same procedure. First, he asked a few questions, then examined the soil and Spirit Beans in the Spirit Field. Next, he cast the Earth Spirit Art and Spring Rain Art, and only after that did he water them with the liquid.

Shi Yue's actions made the red-faced old man regard him much more favorably.

When the red-faced old man saw his Spirit Beans return to normal, his wrinkled face broke into a smile. He thanked Shi Yue profusely, paid him fifteen Spirit Stones, and personally saw him off.

As soon as Shi Yue returned to his residence, a crowd of Qi Refining Stage disciples gathered around him. This time, they had learned their lesson: they immediately offered to pay him a certain number of Spirit Stones.

When something was scarce, it was valuable. Shi Yue would treat the Spirit Field of whoever offered the most Spirit Stones first.

Over the next two days, Shi Yue was swamped. He didn't even have time to drink a mouthful of water. He constantly traveled between the various peaks, helping fellow disciples and senior martial uncles and aunts treat their Spirit Fields, and made a fortune.

Of course, some sharp people spotted this business opportunity too. They ingratiated themselves with Shi Yue and asked around about the origins of the liquid in his gourd Magic Tool.

Shi Yue kept his lips sealed. He wasn't about to let this source of income get out.

(Recently, readers have been saying that updates have been slow. The author knows he hasn't been updating quickly, but this is a farming novel, not a wish-fulfillment novel, so it's hard to write fast. To ensure the quality, the author carefully checks every chapter, afraid that readers will be disappointed if it isn't well written. He's a bit of a perfectionist, so please understand. Of course, that's no excuse. The author will work hard!)