Keeping a Low Profile and Biding One's Time

The sun gradually slanted westward as Ning Chuan, carrying several thick books he had bought on his back, set foot on the dirt road leading back to Holy Soul Village.

He had spent more than half the Purple Soul Coins in his pocket, yet what he got in return were not the Soul Master manuals he had imagined, but a copy of Essentials of Continental Agriculture, a copy of Detailed Records of Various Crafts, and a thick volume of General Text Pronunciation and Interpretation.

Though the books were heavy, they gave Ning Chuan an unprecedented sense of security.

Since advanced knowledge was beyond his reach, he would begin with the land beneath his feet and learn the most basic wisdom of life.

In the fields on either side of the road, farmers had already begun putting away their tools and preparing to head home.

Smoke curled up from distant villages, carrying with it a trace of peace.

Ning Chuan walked at an unhurried pace, recalling the details of the Foundation Establishment Pill's refining method from Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal as he went.

"Alternating between civil and martial fire, use spiritual sense to guide the medicinal properties into merging... When the pill forms, it will be earthy yellow, its fragrance contained within, with faint cloud patterns appearing..."

The descriptions were profoundly mysterious, especially the part about guiding the process with spiritual sense. Under the rules of Douluo Continent, he had no idea how that could be achieved.

Perhaps he needed to use the Station's power to simulate it?

As he pondered this, a familiar figure came into view at a fork in the road ahead.

Tang San.

Tang San had just emerged from a narrow path leading into the deep forest. A half-full bamboo basket was strapped to his back, his trouser legs and cloth shoes were covered in mud and grass clippings, and fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Yet his expression carried a focused and... faintly excited look.

Ning Chuan's gaze narrowed slightly as it fell on Tang San's basket.

Besides several bundles of ordinary firewood meant as a cover, there were faintly visible roots, stems, and fungi of various shapes within the basket. One particularly conspicuous item was a sizeable clump of earth-brown fungus.

Poria! And judging by its size and quality, it had likely grown for many years!

Understanding dawned on Ning Chuan. The half-piece of Poria he had given away had indeed been like a stone thrown into a still lake, completely stirring Tang San's enthusiasm for entering the mountains to search for herbs.

Only one day had passed, yet Tang San had already impatiently gone into the mountains to gather medicine, and he had clearly gained something.

"Tang San?" Ning Chuan showed just the right amount of surprise and greeted him first. "You were... gathering herbs in the mountains?"

Tang San clearly had not expected to meet Ning Chuan here. His steps paused slightly, and an almost imperceptible wariness flashed through his eyes, but he soon returned to his usual calm.

"Mm, I went to chop some firewood." Tang San's tone was flat. He instinctively shifted the basket behind him, trying to block Ning Chuan's view.

Ning Chuan laughed inwardly, but acted as if he had noticed nothing. Instead, he stepped closer with an envious, curious expression. "Ah! Is that... Poria in your basket? Such a huge piece! You're really lucky!"

Tang San's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He seemed unwilling to discuss the matter and answered vaguely, "Mm, I happened to come across some."

Yet Ning Chuan seemed not to notice his distance and continued enthusiastically, "That's great! You can sell it for quite a bit, right? You're amazing, Tang San. You have a sharp eye and good skills. Unlike me—I wandered around the mountains for half a day yesterday and only came back with that!"

As he spoke, he patted the bundle of practical books on his back and gave a self-mocking laugh. "My parents said I'm not cut out for that. I'd be better off honestly buying a few books about farming and reading those."

These seemingly self-deprecating words both flattered Tang San and subtly deepened the impression that Ning Chuan could not recognize valuable herbs and had given up searching for them.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Tang San's wary expression eased somewhat. His gaze swept over the books on Ning Chuan's back, and understanding flashed through his eyes, along with even a faint trace of... disdain?

To him, a peer who could not become a Soul Master and could only turn to studying farming books was no longer any threat at all. He even seemed somewhat lacking in ambition.

"Farming is fine too. It's stable." Tang San replied blandly, ending the subject. He clearly did not want to discuss gathering herbs any further.

The two walked side by side for a while, and the atmosphere was somewhat quiet.

Ning Chuan was happy for the peace and quiet, using the chance to observe Tang San.

He noticed that Tang San's aura was more condensed than it had been a few days ago. His steps were steady, showing that he had not neglected his training in the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, and might even have improved.

Moreover, an extremely faint medicinal fragrance seemed to emanate from his body. It did not come from the basket, but from within him, as though he had taken some kind of medicinal herb.

"It seems he isn't merely gathering herbs to sell. He has most likely already begun using the Tang Sect's knowledge to concoct basic medicinal liquids to aid his cultivation..." Ning Chuan speculated inwardly.

This was not surprising.

Tang San had been a Tang Sect disciple in his previous life and was well versed in pharmacology and poisons. Now that he had a source of herbs, he naturally would not waste it.

This also meant that Tang San's growth rate might be even faster than it had been in the original story.

However, Ning Chuan was not worried.

He had the Heavens Trash Station, the Willow Deity True Spirit, and resources and knowledge from countless worlds. His potential for growth was far beyond Tang San's.

His current low profile and backwardness were only for the sake of accumulating strength and waiting for the moment to soar into the sky.

As they neared the village entrance, Tang San suddenly stopped and looked at Ning Chuan. His tone remained calm, but he unusually said a few more words. "The depths of the back mountain aren't peaceful. You... should go there less in the future."

It sounded like a kind reminder, but Ning Chuan heard a hint of drawing boundaries in it.

Tang San was tactfully telling him: the opportunities in the deep mountains are mine. Don't come meddling.

Ning Chuan smiled inwardly, but put on an expression of having learned his lesson and quickly nodded. "I know, I know. I'll only wander around nearby from now on. I definitely won't go gathering herbs in the deep forest. Thanks for the concern!"

Tang San nodded and said no more. He turned and headed toward the Blacksmith Shop at the end of the village, his figure quickly vanishing into the dusk.

Ning Chuan watched his departing back, the corner of his lips curling into an almost imperceptible arc.

The fish had taken the bait.

And it was swimming even more eagerly than he had imagined.

When he returned home, Liu Lan was relieved to see her son back safely and carrying several thick, proper books. Though she felt some heartache over the money, she was even more pleased, and busied herself preparing dinner.

When Ning Dazhuang saw the books, he said nothing. Still, his dark face seemed to relax somewhat.

After dinner, Ning Chuan used reading as an excuse and returned to his small room early.

After closing the door, he did not immediately enter the Garbage Station. Instead, under the dim light of an oil lamp, he opened General Text Pronunciation and Interpretation.

Since he had decided to keep his feet on the ground, he would start with the basics: learning to read and pronounce words correctly.

The common script of this world resembled the Chinese characters from his previous life in some ways, yet differed in many others. It was the perfect time to study it systematically.