Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Sea

Ning Chuan listened as Tang San's footsteps gradually faded away, then refocused on the grand task of searching for herbs before him.

Tang San's appearance had only been a minor interlude. His main goal was still to find Poria old enough.

"Phew..."

Ning Chuan let out a long breath. Pretending to be an ordinary person was quite tiring. He once again turned his gaze toward the old pine tree he had been about to inspect before Tang San arrived.

No one knew how many years the old pine had grown there. Its trunk was so thick that it took two people to encircle it, its bark cracked like dragon scales. The soil around its roots bulged upward, bearing faint traces of fungal threads.

Ning Chuan's heart stirred. He slowly stepped forward, picked up his medicinal hoe, and carefully cleared away the loose soil and pine needles around the roots.

As the earth was gradually dug aside, a faint, distinctive fragrance of fungi began to spread through the air.

His spirits abruptly lifted, and his movements became even gentler.

At last, about half a foot beneath the ground near the main root, he touched something hard yet springy.

Ning Chuan set down the medicinal hoe and carefully used both hands to brush away the surrounding soil.

A massive fungal sclerotium, as large as a washbasin and shaped like an irregular flattened ball, gradually emerged!

Its surface was dark brown, rough and uneven, covered in fine wrinkles. It felt heavy in his hands, and its texture was remarkably firm.

"What a huge Poria!" Delight flashed through Ning Chuan's eyes.

According to the Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal, Poria was best when it was heavy and firm. This one, whether in size, weight, or texture, far surpassed ordinary specimens. It was definitely quite old!

Even if it was not yet a hundred years old, it could not be far from it!

After spending some effort, he finally dug the big thing out intact. It sat heavily in his hands, likely weighing more than ten pounds.

Its cross-section was white, with fine powdery flesh and an exceptionally sticky texture. Its quality was superb!

"The second main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill is mine!" Ning Chuan rejoiced inwardly, carefully wrapping the enormous Poria in cloth and placing it in his basket.

Just as he was about to shoulder the basket and search for another area where Fo-Ti might grow, Ning Chuan's ear twitched. He sharply caught the sound of faint footsteps behind him, deliberately slowed.

Someone had returned!

Ning Chuan understood at once, but his expression remained unchanged. Pretending not to notice, he continued adjusting the straps of his basket.

The footsteps stopped not far behind him.

After a brief silence, a slightly hesitant voice called out, "Ning Chuan?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Ning Chuan knew Tang San had come back. He slowly rose and turned to face him.

"Tang San? Why are you back again? Did you leave something behind?" Ning Chuan wore a perfectly appropriate look of confusion.

Tang San's gaze paused on the basket before shifting away again. His tone remained calm. "No. I just... remembered that there seemed to be a place nearby suitable for training, so I came back to take a look."

The explanation sounded reasonable, but deep in those tranquil eyes, he could not conceal his curiosity about the basket's contents.

Ning Chuan secretly laughed, though his face showed sudden understanding. "Oh, I see. Then go ahead and do your thing. I'll head deeper into the mountains and look around some more."

As he spoke, he made as if to leave.

"Wait." Tang San suddenly called out to stop him.

Ning Chuan halted and looked back at him. "What is it?"

Tang San paused, seemingly considering his words. His gaze fell upon the basket once more before he finally asked, "Did you find more medicinal herbs just now? Your basket looks quite a bit heavier."

So he really could not hold back after all.

Ning Chuan was certain of it, but he showed a simple, slightly boastful smile and patted the basket. "Pretty lucky! I dug up a big one under that old pine. It looked like a huge lump of mushroom and was really heavy! I just don't know whether it's valuable Poria."

As he spoke, he casually lifted a corner of the cloth covering the basket, revealing part of the enormous Poria wrapped inside. Its outline was still clearly visible.

Tang San's gaze instantly froze!

With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that the shape and size of the wrapped object were anything but ordinary fungi!

Moreover, the faint, distinctive fungal fragrance in the air confirmed Ning Chuan's words.

It really was Poria! And judging by its size... it was probably incredibly old!

Its value... was absolutely extraordinary!

Tang San's breathing quickened imperceptibly for an instant.

As a disciple of the Tang Sect in his previous life, he knew all too well the value of wild Poria that had grown for so many years!

Whether used in medicine, alchemy, or to assist cultivation, it was an exceedingly rare treasure!

In this world, it was likely even more priceless and scarce!

Such an immense temptation lay before him. Even with Tang San's temperament, he found it difficult to remain completely calm.

Ning Chuan took in Tang San's reaction and knew the timing was about right.

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. Then, as though he had made some decision, he said to Tang San, "Tang San, look... this thing is so big that it's a hassle for me to carry. Besides, I can't eat all of it by myself, can I? I heard medicinal herbs lose their potency if they're stored too long."

After another pause, he looked at Tang San and sincerely suggested, "How about... we split it? Help me carry half of it down the mountain, and that half will be yours. Consider it... payment for helping me out. What do you think?"

The proposal came completely out of nowhere.

Tang San was visibly stunned. A flicker of astonishment and disbelief crossed his eyes.

Split it in half? Give half to him?

This was a rare Poria that had grown for countless years!

Its value was far beyond ordinary gold and silver!

Ning Chuan was just going to give him half so easily?

The enormous windfall left Tang San temporarily unable to react.

He carefully studied Ning Chuan's expression, trying to find any trace of pretense.

But Ning Chuan's face held only the common generosity and sincerity of a village boy, with a touch of foolishness. It was as if he truly only thought there was too much of it and wanted someone to share the burden, while offering a little reward in return.

That was it. Ning Chuan... simply did not understand the Poria's true value!

He probably thought it was merely an unusually large medicinal herb, and that getting a few Copper Soul Coins for it would already be impressive.

Tang San quickly came to his conclusion.

A surge of irrepressible joy and relief welled up within him.

At the same time, a thought uncontrollably arose: If I could find medicinal herbs like this on my own...

Seeing Tang San remain silent, Ning Chuan assumed he was unwilling. He scratched his head and pretended to be simple-minded again. "If you don't want to, then forget it. I can slowly carry it back by myself..."

"No, I'm willing." Tang San immediately interrupted him, his tone carrying a hint of urgency rarely heard from him.

He swiftly adjusted his expression, returning to calmness before adding, "I was going down the mountain anyway. It's on the way. I can help you carry it for a while."

As though afraid Ning Chuan would change his mind.

"That's great!" Ning Chuan revealed a "delighted" smile and said, "Come on, let's split this big thing now. It'll be troublesome if we wait until we get down the mountain."

As he spoke, Ning Chuan set down his basket and took out a machete, preparing to cut the Poria apart.

"Wait." Tang San stopped him, his gaze serious. "You can't cut Poria carelessly. You need to use finesse and follow the grain, otherwise you'll damage its medicinal properties. Let me do it."

Tang San naturally took control, taking the machete from Ning Chuan's hand. He crouched down and carefully examined the huge Poria, lightly pressing its surface with his fingers as he searched for the most suitable place to cut.

His movements were professional and practiced, nothing like those of an ordinary mountain village boy.

Standing beside him, Ning Chuan's eyes flashed with a meaningful glint, but he did not expose him. He merely nodded cooperatively. "Oh, oh, you really do know more. You do it."

Tang San held his breath and focused. His wrist was steady as the machete precisely entered along a natural seam in the Poria's grain. With skillful force, he split the huge Poria evenly in two, wasting almost none of it.

The exposed flesh was snowy white and delicate, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance.

Tang San wrapped one half in cloth and handed it to Ning Chuan. He carefully wrapped the other half himself and tucked it close against his body.

His movements were cautious and meticulous, as though handling a peerless treasure.

"All right." Tang San stood, his tone returning to its usual indifference. Yet the joy he could not hide in his eyes did not escape Ning Chuan.

"Thanks, Tang San." Ning Chuan smiled as he slung the basket, now half as heavy, onto his back. "This is much easier now."

The two headed down the mountain path, one after the other.

The atmosphere was subtly silent.

Tang San seemed immersed in the joy of obtaining half the Poria and in his thoughts about what came next. His steps were light.

Ning Chuan followed behind, watching Tang San's back as he calculated his plans.

Giving half the Poria to Tang San seemed like a loss, but in truth, it was an excellent move.

First, it would further cement his image as someone who could not recognize valuable goods, lowering Tang San's guard.

Second, it would use tangible benefits to thoroughly ignite Tang San's greed and drive for the medicinal herbs in the mountains.

Having tasted the sweetness of half that Poria, Tang San would definitely be unable to restrain himself and would soon go into the mountains alone to gather herbs.

Third, and most importantly, it would draw Tang San's attention to the matter of gathering herbs for money.

When Tang Hao discovered that his son was no longer focused on blacksmithing, but instead frequently ran into the mountains and truly returned with valuable medicinal herbs, how would he react?

Would he strictly stop him? Or would he tacitly permit it, perhaps even support him?

Ning Chuan guessed that, given Tang Hao's complicated feelings toward Tang San and his current state of dejection, he would most likely choose the latter.

After all, improving their family's circumstances and accumulating cultivation resources for his son's future were also responsibilities buried in his instincts as a father.

As long as Tang Hao's attention was drawn to Tang San's herb gathering, his concern for Ning Chuan, the village boy who merely "occasionally went up the mountain to pick up bargains," would naturally be greatly reduced.

That would create a safer space for his future actions.

It was both killing two birds with one stone and shifting the trouble elsewhere.