Shen Hui's gaze was drawn to the book in Qingyi's hands.
It wasn't thick, and its pages had yellowed. From what Qingyi had just said, Shen Hui guessed it was probably a booklet on identifying herbs or the basics of cultivating them.
"Senior Brother, this book..."
He pointed to it, a trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Might I borrow it for a look?"
At once, Qingyi handed it over without hesitation.
"This First Record of Hundred Herbs was obtained by our master during his travels many years ago. It records how to identify and cultivate some common medicinal herbs, and should be quite helpful for tending these plants. Go ahead and read it, Junior Brother."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Shen Hui took it with both hands and carefully opened it.
Sure enough, besides rows of dense writing, there were many hand-drawn illustrations of plants, with their names and uses marked in tiny script beside them.
He flipped through it casually, his gaze passing over the illustrations and notes, all utterly unfamiliar to him.
He recognized some of the characters he had learned over the past two days, while others made no sense at all. Still, the drawings gave him a rough idea.
Just as he turned to an illustration of a plant with long, narrow, serrated leaves, something stirred in his heart without warning.
It was like the light prick of a very fine needle, and a sudden "understanding" welled up:
[Spend 10 Dao Xing points to master First Record of Hundred Herbs?]
Shen Hui was startled, but his face remained impassive.
He even furrowed his brow slightly, as if studying the book in earnest.
So this cheat could be used like this?
It could not only boost his cultivation by adding points, but also let him learn knowledge outright?
He forced himself to stay calm, stole a discreet glance at the faintly visible Parchment Interface, then decisively chose to confirm.
The next moment, he felt a wisp of clear wind brush past his spiritual platform.
Everything in the copy of First Record of Hundred Herbs in his hands—from beginning to end, including every illustration, explanation, and even the inconspicuous notes in the margins—was imprinted in his sea of consciousness.
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Shen Hui slowly closed the book.
His fingers brushed over the slightly rough cover as he took in the vast body of knowledge about plants that had appeared in his mind.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again. They were now perfectly clear.
"Senior Brother, according to this book, this plant likes shade and dampness and fears dry heat. It also says, 'Its roots are delicate and favor clear spiritual energy. If the earth qi is impure, its vitality will easily weaken, its leaves turning yellow and curling...'"
As he spoke, he crouched and pointed at the soil in the earthen pot.
"Though this pot is filled with Moist Soil from beside the Back Mountain Hot Spring, this earthen pot..."
He reached out and lightly tapped its rim. A dull "thunk, thunk" sounded.
"The pot keeps the earth qi out. There's only a limited amount of soil inside, and over time, the soil's spiritual moisture will inevitably be used up. Naturally, it'll be left with 'nothing to sustain it.' Perhaps that's why the plants are drooping."
Jinghui's eyes lit up when she heard that, and she nodded like a pecking chicken. "That's right, that's right! Junior Brother makes sense. This pot must be suffocating them!"
Qingyi, however, gave a slight shake of his head. "What Junior Brother says is one possible explanation. But the book also says that newly planted spirit herbs need careful tending in pots. That is precisely what we've been doing."
Jinghui immediately wavered. She turned back to Shen Hui and blinked. "Well... Senior Brother does seem to have a point. We did follow the book."
Shen Hui smiled faintly. "Growing them in pots is indeed the safer method. But the spiritual qualities of the Moist Soil in this pot have already weakened. If they stay trapped inside, their vitality may be even harder to restore."
Jinghui promptly nodded along again, her expression earnest. "Junior Brother makes sense. They really do look like they're about to die..."
Seeing his junior sister swaying from one side to the other, Qingyi couldn't help finding it amusing.
But when he looked at Shen Hui, there was a little more seriousness in his gaze.
It seemed this newly initiated junior brother had substance behind his words. He wasn't just talking off the top of his head.
"Then what would you suggest, Junior Brother?" Qingyi asked.
"I'm only guessing."
Shen Hui hedged his bets first, then continued. "Since growing them in pots hasn't worked well, perhaps we could try one of two methods."
As he spoke, he held up one finger. "First, we could take a small risk and carefully crack the bottom of the pot in a few places, letting the soil connect with the earth qi below so the plant can adapt gradually. That would serve as a transition."
"Second..." He pointed toward the back mountain. "Since this plant likes 'clear spiritual energy' and also needs the nourishment of earth qi, why not transplant it near the hot spring's source? The air there is heavy with moisture, and the earth qi is gentle. It might be just what the plant needs."
Qingyi stroked his palms and pondered. "Cracking the pot... or transplanting it near the hot spring's source... Both are clever ideas. But if they don't work, could it..."
"Oh, Senior Brother..."
Jinghui immediately waved a hand. "It's already in this state. What harm is there in trying? That's better than sitting around waiting for it to wither in its pot, isn't it?"
"That may be true, but our master entrusted us with caring for them..."
"But isn't our master at his wits' end too?" Jinghui spread her hands and blinked.
Seeing the two of them holding to their respective views, Shen Hui suggested, "To be safe, perhaps we could use one of the weaker plants for an experiment."
Qingyi considered it briefly, then finally nodded. "...All right. In that case, we shouldn't delay. Let's go now."
He turned to Shen Hui. "Junior Brother Qingxuan, would you like to come take a look by the Back Mountain Hot Spring?"
Shen Hui thought it over briefly, then readily agreed.
"Sure. I was just looking to get outside."
His cultivation had reached its limit for the day, and he'd been looking for something to do.
With their plan settled, the three of them set out at once.
"I'll go get my sword!"
Before Jinghui had even finished speaking, she had already darted off toward her room like a cheerful little bird.
"Get your sword?"
Shen Hui blinked, looking a little lost.
"Junior Brother has only just joined the temple, so you may not know," Qingyi explained with a smile. "The woods on the back mountain are dense, with plenty of wolves and insects about. It's not as safe as the temple. And all of Junior Sister's skills lie in her sword..."
Shen Hui immediately understood.
It was always wise to take precautions when walking through the mountains.
Before long, they were ready.
The three of them left the eastern courtyard and followed a narrow trail, worn into the earth by footsteps, toward the back mountain.
Jinghui led the way, skipping along with a sheathed long sword in her hand.
Qingyi followed close behind, the root ball of the most wilted Spirit Nourishing Grass wrapped in a damp, soft cloth.
Shen Hui brought up the rear, carrying a small garden trowel and a wooden dipper.
The mountain path wound onward, and the trees grew thicker.
Though it was late autumn, many evergreen trees remained lush and green, dotted here and there with brilliant gold and fiery red leaves.
Sunlight struggled to pierce the layers of branches and leaves, scattering shifting flecks of light over the ground carpeted with fallen leaves and moss.
After about half an hour, a rocky pool shrouded in mist suddenly came into view.
The water was clear and cold, yet bottomless. Milky-white, warm mist drifted above its surface, slowly rising and blurring the jagged rocks and a few old, slanting trees around it.
"We're here. This is the place."
Qingyi stopped and pointed at the pool. "The source is in a fissure at the bottom. The water here contains more spiritual energy than in ordinary places."
Jinghui could barely contain herself. She darted to the pool's edge, leaned over to peer in, and muttered, "I wonder if the wild persimmons on that tree are ripe yet..."
Shen Hui went to the water's edge as well, crouched down, and cautiously dipped his hand into the pool.
The water was neither too hot nor too cold; its temperature was just right. As he felt it, a mountain breeze suddenly swept across the pool, scattering the gathered mist.
The fog churned like an angry tide.
Suddenly, a huge, striped tiger emerged from the mist that had just dispersed.
It stood as tall as a man at the shoulder, its coat sleek and shining. At that moment, it was drinking from the water on the opposite bank.
The breeze swept away the mist, leaving them barely two zhang apart—close enough to stare straight at each other.
Shen Hui's heart clenched. The tiger slowly raised its head.
Its amber eyes, like two cold candle flames, fixed on the three uninvited guests across the pool.
"ROAR—!"
A low growl rolled from deep in the tiger's throat like thunder rumbling over the earth.
It lowered its body slightly, muscles tensing all over as it prepared to pounce.
Just as the air grew taut with tension, Third Senior Brother's calm voice sounded beside him:
"Cultivation is hard-won. Don't bring ruin upon yourself."
The brief words drowned out the tiger's roar and the wind in an instant.
The tiger's coiled body stiffened slightly. A flicker of hesitation crossed its wild, ferocious eyes.
Then the low growl in its throat gradually faded, and its taut muscles slowly relaxed.
In the end, it gave the three of them a long look.
Then it actually backed away, disappearing into the mist.
Only then did Shen Hui slowly let out the breath he'd been holding in his chest.
He stood and looked at his senior brother and senior sister, whose expressions remained unchanged, unable to hold back his question. "Senior Brother, was that... a demon?"
Qingyi shook his head and bent down to inspect the spirit herb in his hands, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Not a true demon. It's simply lived a long time and, by chance, received a bit of the world's blessing. Perhaps in its ignorance, it has learned to absorb a little of the essence of the sun and moon, giving it a bit more spiritual awareness than an ordinary tiger."
"Is it... strong?"
Shen Hui wanted to get a sense of the world's "power scale."
Qingyi smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "Mountain beasts that have gained intelligence know when to advance or retreat better than beasts that only know bloodlust and killing."
Jinghui gave a cold snort beside them and patted the hilt of her sword, her chin raised. "It looks like nothing more than a big cat that's barely taken its first steps on the path of cultivation. If it dared to pounce, I could run it clean through with one thrust!"
Shen Hui looked at his senior sister's confident expression, then recalled the tiger's massive body. Running it clean through might be a little tricky, since your sword clearly isn't long enough!
Still, given how Third Senior Brother had driven it away so effortlessly, Shen Hui figured his fellow disciples were probably well equipped to handle mountain creatures with a little cultivation under their belts.