After driving for most of the day, the sports car finally pulled into a small town.
The streets were narrow, with shops lining both sides. Bulma parked in front of a clothing store and tossed Lin Fan several large bills.
"Go pick out some decent clothes. Don't come back half-naked again. You're a frightening sight."
Bulma tossed her blue hair over her shoulder and hurried toward a glittering jewelry shop nearby. "I'll take a look over there. Let's meet back here in half an hour!"
The shop had a wide selection of clothes, but he had no time to browse. He picked out the plainest gray shirt and trousers, along with a pair of durable leather boots, and hurriedly changed.
At last, he no longer looked like a savage. Paired with the clear, bright eyes that had emerged through his cultivation, he looked exceptionally handsome and refined!
After buying the clothes, Lin Fan waited by the roadside for Bulma, discreetly taking in his surroundings.
The town nestled between mountains and water. The air was damp, and weeds grew wild along the roadside, left untended.
Lin Fan's gaze passed over the weeds. In his sea of consciousness, the basic chapters of the Great Dao Source Scripture flowed naturally, containing a great many illustrations of spirit herbs and notes on their medicinal properties.
Most of them corresponded to prehistoric exotic species, but the Great Dao was simple. Plants and trees drew on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as they grew, and even ordinary weeds could possess a trace of spiritual vitality and medicinal properties worth seeking out.
He spotted several low-growing plants with thick, dark green leaves edged with serrations, as well as a few clusters of vines bearing pale purple flowers.
These plants looked much like a medicinal herb mentioned in the illustrations—one that could replenish a small amount of vital energy and blood and promote wound healing.
At a thought, he walked over and casually bent down, picking a little and slipping it into the pocket of his newly bought clothes.
His movements were perfectly natural, as though brushing away dust. Not a single passerby paid him any attention.
After a while, Bulma returned with several exquisite paper bags. In high spirits, she hummed a tune and tossed them into the back seat.
"All done! Let's go find somewhere to eat. I'm starving!"
The two found a restaurant facing the street. Bulma ordered a tableful of dishes and tucked in with gusto.
Lin Fan, however, only sampled a few mild vegetable dishes. Most of the time, he silently circulated his cultivation method, drawing on the thin spiritual energy in the air to strengthen his foundation and replenish his vitality,
and took the opportunity to use imperceptible wisps of true fire at his fingertips to gently dry the herbs in his sleeve, then kneaded them into pills.
After the meal, Bulma wiped her mouth and took out the Dragon Radar to check their direction again. "The signal seems to have weakened again... Honestly."
She looked up at Lin Fan, her eyes full of expectation. "Hey, Lin Fan, why don't you divine something? See which direction we should go next."
Lin Fan knew what she had in mind. He smiled faintly and pretended to ponder, making a few gestures with his fingers. In reality, he discreetly placed the three roughly made pills he had just kneaded into his palm. They gave off only the faintest trace of medicinal aroma.
"This reading is rather obscure. It's hard to determine the precise direction."
He shook his head first. When Bulma looked disappointed, he changed tack and opened his palm. "But while I was waiting for you just now, I picked a few herbs nearby and used an ancient method to make a few Foundation-Consolidating Pills. They're no elixirs, but they can help with ordinary bruises, injuries, and deficiencies of vital energy and blood. You could try asking at an apothecary nearby. Perhaps they'll trade you some money for them. It's a small token of my appreciation."
The three pills looked thoroughly unremarkable, even a little ugly, with bits of grass clinging to them. They were worlds apart from the white, smooth, beautifully packaged medicines Bulma was used to seeing.
She suspiciously pinched one between her fingers and held it to her nose. It had only a faint scent, impossible to tell whether it was fragrant or grassy.
"Can... this thing actually be sold?"
Bulma looked unconvinced. "It looks like a little ball of mud..."
"As for how effective it is, you'll have to try it to find out. There's an apothecary up ahead. You can take them there and see."
Lin Fan spoke calmly.
Bulma was skeptical, but thinking that having something was better than having nothing—and curious to see what would happen—she carried the three pills into the old apothecary on the corner, whose sign read "Hundred Herb Hall."
Lin Fan followed at an unhurried pace.
The apothecary was dimly lit and filled with a jumble of medicinal smells.
Behind the counter sat an old shopkeeper with a head of hair and beard that was half white, wearing round glasses. He was poring over a ledger and working an abacus.
When he saw a customer enter—especially a brightly dressed young woman like Bulma—he quickly stood to greet her. "What can I get for you, miss?"
Bulma placed the three pills on the counter. "Hey, boss, take a look at these. Will you buy them?"
The old shopkeeper adjusted his glasses, leaned in for a closer look, then picked up one of the pills, rubbed it between his fingers, and sniffed it.
His brows immediately knitted together, and undisguised contempt appeared on his face. "Miss, are you making a fool of an old man? What is this stuff? The ingredients are poor, and the preparation... Hmph, it's just roots and bark mashed together at random! No one would even bother picking something like this up off the road!"
At his words, Bulma blushed, mortified, and shot Lin Fan a glare over her shoulder, as if to say, "See? I knew it."
Lin Fan remained unruffled. He stepped forward and said calmly, "Boss, how do you know it has no effect without even trying it? This is a family recipe, carefully prepared."
"Try it? How?" the old shopkeeper sneered. "Am I supposed to find an injured person to test your mysterious mud pills on?"
As they were speaking, the curtain of the apothecary lifted and a young man dressed like a shop assistant entered, clutching his waist and grimacing. He said to the old shopkeeper, "Uncle Wang, I strained my back moving herbs yesterday. It hurts terribly. Could you give me a plaster..."
Seeing him, the old shopkeeper's eyes shifted as an idea came to him. Pointing at the assistant, he said to Lin Fan, "Very well! If you truly believe your pills work, let him try one. If it doesn't, don't blame me for throwing you both out!"
Bulma tugged at Lin Fan's sleeve and whispered, "Hey, forget it if it doesn't work. Don't embarrass yourself..."
Lin Fan merely shook his head at her, picked up a pill, and handed it to the assistant. "If you trust me, young man, take this pill. It should relieve your pain promptly."
The assistant looked at the unappealing pill, then at his aching back. He hesitated for a moment, but the pain was severe, and he finally steeled himself, took the pill, and swallowed it with some water. "Might as well try. It can't hurt..."
At first, the pill made no difference.
The assistant continued to grimace and rub his back.
The old shopkeeper looked smug, while Bulma was already preparing to drag Lin Fan away.
But after only a dozen seconds, the assistant suddenly let out a surprised "Huh?" A flicker of disbelief crossed his face. He stopped rubbing his back and cautiously tried twisting his waist. His movements were already much smoother than before.
He was both shocked and delighted. After moving around a few times, he realized the stabbing ache had truly and miraculously eased by more than half!
"Unbelievable! Uncle Wang, this... this pill really works! My back doesn't hurt as much, and it feels warm!"
The assistant spoke in surprise and delight.
The smug look on the old shopkeeper's face froze, replaced by utter shock.
He seized the assistant and examined him closely, then repeatedly asked him how he felt. Once he was sure the young man wasn't pretending, he turned sharply to Lin Fan. His expression had changed completely, full of disbelief and curiosity.
"How... how is this possible? How could something made from ordinary weeds work so quickly?"
He picked up the two remaining pills from the counter, his hands trembling slightly. The contempt in his face was gone.
Bulma's mouth fell open. She looked from the assistant to Lin Fan, her beautiful eyes wide, as if she were seeing him for the first time.
Lin Fan remained as calm and composed as ever, as though everything had gone exactly as he expected. He merely said, "Boss, you flatter me. Do these pills meet with your approval?"
How could the old shopkeeper still dare look down on him? He hurriedly replied, "They do! They certainly do! My old eyes failed me. I had no idea you possessed such skill, sir! How much do you want for these pills?"
He had even changed the way he addressed Lin Fan to "sir."
Lin Fan had no idea what the local currency was worth, so he could only turn to Bulma.
Bulma immediately understood. Putting on all the airs of a young lady, she held up five fingers. "Five hundred Zeni each! Not a Zeni less!"
The old shopkeeper hesitated briefly, glanced at the pills, and recalled their effect. Gritting his teeth, he said, "All right! I'll pay what you asked!"
He promptly counted out fifteen hundred Zeni in bills and handed them over respectfully.
Bulma took the money and smugly stuffed it into Lin Fan's hand, winking at him.
As they left the apothecary, sunlight spilled across the long street. Even Lin Fan's gray clothes seemed to lend him an air of elegant refinement.
Looking at him, Bulma felt that the "wild man uncle" she had picked up in the wilderness was becoming more and more mysterious.
Before you continue