Offering Ginseng to Seek the Dao

"Ugh..."

Yang An slowly opened his eyes.

He found himself lying on the bed at home, his family gathered around him.

He could not help letting out a long breath.

"An-lang."

"Brother, you're awake!"

Seeing that his family had finally reunited, Yang An could not help revealing a faint smile.

"Yes, I'm finally back."

Sister-in-law could not wait to ask:

"Where exactly have you been these past few days?

Why didn't you send back even a single word?"

Yang An could not help shaking his head, offering only a bitter smile.

"All right, Sister-in-law.

Brother has just been checked over. There's nothing seriously wrong with him; he's merely exhausted. Let's eat first."

The Yang Family also gathered around the dining table.

The table still held the Yang Family's same old three staples: rice cakes, fermented bean curd, white porridge, along with some pickled vegetables and wild greens.

As the Yang Family sat down and prepared to eat, Yang An frowned.

He saw the thick white porridge and rice cakes in his own bowl, then looked at the bowls in his younger brother's and wife and children's hands, which were like clear water with only a few grains of rice left in them.

"Why is your porridge so thin?"

Sister-in-law sighed.

"An-lang, you don't know. During the days you were away from the county town gathering herbs, the price of rice simply wouldn't come down.

The bandits around Kui Mountain County have grown more and more rampant lately. I heard they robbed quite a lot of grain from the various rice shops."

As a porter who ran about everywhere and was well informed, Yang Ning slowly added:

"The city isn't peaceful either. The world has become more and more chaotic. I heard all the gangs and factions have been growing restless.

There have even been quite a few clashes between martial artists. The authorities are becoming less and less able to suppress them, let alone control prices in the city.

The rice and grain at home are about to run dry. Brother needs to nurse his body back to health, so we could only make sure he ate first..."

The strong ran amok without restraint, while the weak became fish and meat beneath the knife.

Yang An fell silent for a moment, then swiftly rose to his feet.

Before his family could say anything, he tightly shut every door and window in the house.

"Brother, what are you...?"

While the entire family wondered at Yang An's actions,

he took a wooden box from his robe and slowly opened it before them.

An unusual fragrance of grass and wood immediately surged forth.

"This is...?"

Inside the wooden box lay an enormous mountain ginseng.

Yang An slowly said:

"This is the fifty-year-old mountain ginseng Hundred Herb Hall has offered a reward for!

Steward Fei said some time ago that if we obtained it, I could officially join Hundred Herb Hall, gain the position of an Inner Hall Guard, and study Hundred Herb Hall's martial arts!"

An Inner Hall Guard of Hundred Herb Hall! Studying martial arts!

The instant Yang Ning heard that, he could no longer stay calm!

That was Hundred Herb Hall, one of the Outer City's most renowned major powers!

Yang Ning's elder brother, Yang An, was the pillar holding up the household. His income was enough to support the whole family, but he was still merely an Outer Hall herb gatherer for Hundred Herb Hall.

But upon entering the Inner Hall, even the lowest-ranking Inner Hall Guard would be a martial artist!

A martial artist capable of Qi-Blood Mutation—not some fake performer putting on airs.

Seeing his family's shock, Yang An smiled faintly.

"This is the great opportunity I fought to win for Ning.

The world is growing more and more chaotic. This is an age where the weak are devoured by the strong.

Since Ning likes practicing martial arts, he must join a faction if he wants to learn the real thing!

I have thought about this for a long time. Tomorrow, Ning will come with me to Hundred Herb Hall first!"

Even Yang Ning, reborn into another life, could never refuse such temptation for a leap across the social ranks.

He hurriedly nodded to his elder brother.

Sister-in-law had already been struck speechless with sobs by this sudden piece of good news.

Yet in these troubled times, when commoners' lives were as cheap as grass, if the Yang Family, adrift amid wind and rain, produced a martial artist, that person could hold this family up!

The Yang Family was destined to remain awake all night.

As dawn brightened slightly, the Yang brothers had already finished preparing.

Yang An touched the wooden box containing the mountain ginseng in his robes, briefly said goodbye to his wife and children, then slung his herb basket over his back and left home with his younger brother.

On their way to Hundred Herb Hall, Yang An, who had been absent from the city for some time, walked while observing the changes within it over these past days.

Sure enough, in hidden corners along the road near their home, several displaced men and women had appeared. Their clothes could not cover their bodies, their food could not fill their stomachs, and their faces were filled with ash-gray despair.

The Yang brothers knew they had once been their neighbors.

There were also far more street ruffians, idle loafers, and gang thugs on the roads. Every one of them had vicious eyes, like starving wolves in the mountains.

But when they saw the clothes identifying the brothers as herb gatherers under Hundred Herb Hall, they slightly shifted their gazes away, though the greed on their faces only grew thicker.

The gloom in the Yang brothers' eyes deepened further.

After quickening their pace for a while, the two left the neighborhood where their home stood and arrived on East Third Street.

Once they reached the main street, the atmosphere changed again.

On bustling East Third Street, clerks inside prosperous shops protected by various powers shouted loudly, while the flow of people in the street remained unbroken.

It was as though it existed in a different world from the corner they had just seen, filled with displaced people and savage malice.

Passing through the bustling crowd and vendors, they entered a quiet storefront along the street.

A plaque hung above the entrance.

Upon it were written three characters: Hundred Herb Hall.

Unlike the motley rabble on the streets, those coming and going here were all travel-worn herb gatherers carrying baskets on their backs.

These people who begged food from the mountains all possessed rather wild temperaments, yet here, they were quiet and restrained.

That was because this was the Outer City's foremost force dealing in medicinal herbs. Not only was it wealthy, it also had martial artists serving as guards and connections in the Inner City.

With one glance, Yang Ning spotted Steward Fei leisurely drinking tea to one side.

This Steward Fei had once been a fellow porter alongside his father.

Because his bones and talent were passable, and because several people from the Porters' Guild had given him their all to support him, he had finally achieved Qi-Blood Mutation and completed Body Tempering, becoming a steward in Hundred Herb Hall.

Yang Ning's father had also been one of the benefactors who had supported this steward, which was why his elder brother had joined Hundred Herb Hall under him out of old affection.

"Steward Fei."

Yang An led Yang Ning in a respectful bow.

"Oh? The 'busy man' has returned, I see."

The medicinal hall steward leisurely drinking tea slowly opened his eyes to glance at them, then closed them again to rest his mind.

"What is it? I haven't seen you for a month.

I had quite a few matters for you these past days, yet you were certainly hard to invite.

What have you come for today?"

"Please forgive me, Steward Fei!

As for the matters Steward assigned, I will certainly handle them upon my return and will not delay Steward's important affairs!

I was away for a month because I obtained a treasure and wished to ask Steward to take a look!"

Hearing the mockery in Steward Fei's words, his elder brother could only smile and apologize from the side.

Yang Ning watched silently, feeling rather bitter inside.

Because their parents had died early, the Yang brothers had been forced to shoulder the family's heavy burden at a young age.

Because the matter had happened so suddenly and there had been few ways out for the family, porter wages could not support such a large household. Thus, Yang An had hoped to rely on their old ties and work under this former acquaintance.

But Yang Ning had also heard a little about this Fei Yan. He was famously sharp-tongued and mean-spirited, cold in gratitude and scant in loyalty. His elder brother had suffered no small amount under him over the years.

"Oh?"

The steward opened his eyes a sliver and cast a sidelong glance over.

"Take it out."

At those words, Yang An opened the box, and a surging fragrance of grass and wood burst forth.

Steward Fei abruptly opened both eyes and looked toward Yang An.

Then his qi and blood surged. In the span of a breath, he arrived beside Yang An, took up the wooden box, and examined it carefully.

"It's old ginseng. The ginseng crown is plump, the roots are intact, and they carry a trace of blood-red vitality. Excellent! Excellent! This is aged old ginseng!"

Steward Fei's face lit up with delight. What he had painstakingly searched for over several months had finally fallen into his hands.

Looking at that delighted face, Yang An respectfully said:

"I heard Steward worrying over it some days ago, so I specifically sought it in the wild and desolate lands beyond. I survived nine deaths to obtain it."

"Mhm, mhm. You've been thoughtful. Very thoughtful."

Steward Fei was wholly immersed in the joy of having his wish fulfilled and answered carelessly.

Seeing the timing was right, Yang An slowly said:

"Steward, this is my younger brother. About that matter you mentioned..."

"So this is your younger brother. Not bad. He'll do.

Hm? What is it you need?"

"It is about seeking that Inner Hall Guard qualification for my younger brother..."

"Oh?"

The steward naturally tucked the wooden box into his robes. The smile remained on his face, but his words were cold as ice.

"When did I ever say such a thing? You must have heard wrong!"

A single bland sentence fell into Yang An's ears like five bolts of thunder striking at once, making his head spin.

"Steward Fei... Steward, surely you jest.

A month ago, when you issued that herb-gathering task, you said that if someone could obtain an old mountain ginseng meeting the requirements, they could become a Guard martial artist.

That was why I ventured into the dangerous wilderness and mountain wastes, surviving nine deaths to obtain this old ginseng. Steward, you..."

Faced with this sudden change of heart, Yang An tried hard to restrain his emotions, but a faint tremor still crept into his voice.