The Legend of Daimyo Ginseng

"The Great Warm Valley is rich in Child Ginseng, and among them are many aged specimens. The villagers of Yangxi Village make a living by cultivating these and occasionally venturing into the mountains to forage for wild ones to sell," Ya Midie said, lowering his voice.

"This place actually produces Child Ginseng? And the village has people who know how to farm it?" Shimura Xian Yu asked, surprised, but then puzzled: "Although Child Ginseng is a decent medicinal herb, the market price is only about 58 taels per catty. How could it possibly make the Five Great Shinobi Villages covet it? Uncle Ya, I am young and haven't read much, so don't try to trick me."

Xian Yu was indeed surprised that this region produced Child Ginseng, and even more surprised that someone in the village knew how to cultivate it artificially.

One must know, growing ginseng is not the same as growing cabbage!

But clearly, this level of profit would certainly not catch the eye of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

"Hehe, don't be so impatient, Little Yu. Let Uncle Ya explain it to you slowly. Actually, this matter really does have something to do with you!" Ya Midie gave an awkward laugh and continued in a hushed tone: "The people of Yangxi Village originally relied on foraging for Child Ginseng for generations. As excessive harvesting made wild ginseng increasingly rare, people were forced to adapt. To survive, the villagers spent generations researching, and since this mountain valley is truly perfect for growing Child Ginseng, they developed a hereditary craft: farming it."

"Since then, Yangxi Village has relied on transporting the Child Ginseng to Linshui City, over a hundred miles away, to sell it and buy daily necessities. Combined with the rice they grew in their spare time, they lived much more prosperously than people in many other places."

"But ever since a group of bandits gathered here years ago and established the Black Wind Stronghold in the northwest of the Great Warm Valley, the good days for Yangxi Village came to an end. Not only were their shipments of Child Ginseng frequently raided by the Black Wind Stronghold on the way to Linshui City, but many of the village's young men were killed or injured. It wasn't until both sides reached an agreement—where Yangxi Village handed over seventy percent of their ginseng profits to the Black Wind Stronghold—that they finally had a few years of peace." Ya Midie felt a sense of indignation for the villagers as he said this.

Although the market price for ginseng was decent, it was still just that. If they harvested once every six years, with a labor force of about a hundred people, producing 100,000 catties of Child Ginseng a year would be the absolute limit. Based on the Konoha pharmacy price of 58 taels per catty, even when spread across 128 villagers, it only amounted to an average monthly income of about 3,700 taels per person.

Yet, even this so-called 'good life' was being forcibly bled by seventy percent by the Black Wind Stronghold!

"Since an agreement had already been reached, why did the Black Wind Stronghold come to kill people this time? Could it be... that some change occurred?" Xian Yu muttered, lost in thought.

"This matter also goes back to the Child Ginseng. Little Yu, do you know what else Child Ginseng is called?" Ya Midie asked mysteriously.

Xian Yu paused, then replied uncertainly: "Prince Ginseng?"

"Correct! That is Prince Ginseng. Legend has it that a long, long time ago, in a prosperous country in the far east, the ministers would kneel and shout 'Long live the Daimyo' when meeting him. Their Daimyo was called 'Ten Thousand Years.' Their crown prince was called 'One Thousand Years'... Ah, pfft! Director, give me a chance, let's do that again. Their crown prince was called 'One Thousand Years.' And all the Prince Ginseng originated from that country." Ya Midie stopped there.

Prince Ginseng? Prince Ginseng? One thousand years is the prince... then what about ten thousand years...

Xian Yu's pupils constricted. He looked at Ya Midie in horror and said: "Uncle Ya, do you mean... the villagers of Yangxi Village dug up a Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King?"

"Haha, Little Yu, look how scared you are. Actually, it's all just legend. Ordinary people are lucky to live to sixty; who could possibly identify a spiritual object that is a thousand or ten thousand years old?" Ya Midie laughed lightly at first, but his expression suddenly turned serious as he lowered his voice again: "But the Daimyo Ginseng did appear. I don't know if it's a thousand, ten thousand, or how many years old. But I do know that someone once ate a Daimyo Ginseng and lived to be over one hundred and fifty years old!"

This time, Xian Yu was truly shocked!

Perhaps talk of ten-thousand-year ginseng or life-extending properties would sound like nonsense to others. But Xian Yu had seen the Sixty-Year Pill, which could increase a person's lifespan by 60 years, during his own draws.

Although he was still shocked that such magical things could appear in the native Naruto world.

At least it was easier for him to accept than it would be for others.

However, Xian Yu remained skeptical about the term 'ten thousand years.'

"Uncle Ya, you seem to know a bit too much, don't you?" Xian Yu's expression suddenly turned cold.

He wasn't stupid. Ya Midie had come to him today for no reason to tell him all this. If he had no ulterior motives or goals, did he really think Shimura Xian Yu was 'young and ignorant'?

Desire has always been the source of tragedy. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also asks you what you're staring at.

In his past life, Xian Yu was an orphan who endured much suffering. He knew how cruel people could be, and he knew the despair of being trapped in a dead end with no one to help.

At the same time, he knew one truth: never hesitate to assume the worst of others.

"Little Yu, don't misunderstand! I only found out by accidentally overhearing a private conversation between Huaqi and the village chief. After you and Xiaomei killed Black Wind and the other four leaders, the Huaqi chairman and his men went to the Black Wind Stronghold..."

They attempted to seize the treasure accumulated by Black Wind over the years!

They captured many women and children from the stronghold and interrogated them under torture, but they still couldn't find the location of the hidden treasure.

Instead, they accidentally discovered the fact that 'Yangxi Village had dug up a Daimyo Ginseng, and Black Wind had led a team to massacre the village.'

After returning to Yangxi Village, the Huaqi chairman proposed to the village chief that the Huaqi Caravan should escort the Daimyo Ginseng to a big city for sale.

But the village chief refused! He said that when the Black Wind Stronghold attacked the village, the Huaqi Caravan stood by and watched without lifting a finger to help. He couldn't trust them. Even if it were to be escorted, he would only hire you and Xiaomei.

You were the ones who saved the entire village.

The village chief will be coming to find you soon. Even if I didn't tell you this, the village chief would tell you himself in a moment.

Ya Midie spread his hands, indicating he truly had no malicious intent.

"In fact... you two proved your strength by killing Black Wind. The Huaqi chairman is wary of you and Xiaomei being in the village; otherwise, he would have already moved to seize it... The village chief clearly knows this too. He wants to rely on you, and he can only rely on you. That's why the village will definitely hand the Daimyo Ginseng to you for escort. That's why I said this matter has to do with you. Furthermore, after the Black Wind Stronghold incident, the village chief of Yangxi Village, to prevent a second Black Wind Stronghold, has already announced that he hopes to find a merchant guild to cooperate with for long-term transport of their Child Ginseng. That is the second 'big cake' I mentioned! The third big cake is Black Wind's treasure. Although we don't know where it is yet, according to intelligence, it definitely hasn't left the Great Warm Valley. The wealth Black Wind accumulated over so many years is absolutely terrifying. It's at least over ten million taels!"

Xian Yu felt his heart starting to beat a little faster. Wealth moves the heart; if these three things were handled well, he would gain immeasurable riches.

"Little Yu, will you accept the employment of the Yangxi Village chief?" Ya Midie asked with some curiosity.

But Xian Yu knew that with the villagers of Yangxi, the women and children of the Black Wind Stronghold, and the motley crew of the Huaqi Merchant Guild.

The level of confidentiality here...

Even if someone told Xian Yu right now that the Jonin of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were already on their way to snatch the Daimyo Ginseng, Xian Yu wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Calm as a stagnant well, immovable as a mountain, holy as a Buddha; the blue mountains have wells that are empty, the pine seas have islands called maples. After reciting a few lines of the heart-clearing mantra, Xian Yu's heart calmed down significantly. Just kidding, is he, Shimura Xian Yu, the type of person to have his mind clouded by a mere few tens of millions of taels? To agree to go to his death?

No matter how much money there is, you need to be alive to spend it!

"I accept the employment," Xian Yu said with a straight face.

Born in sorrow and died in peace—it means if you don't struggle and strive, you might as well be dead.