Brother Xiao Yan, you really came to buy medicinal herbs?

Half an hour later, at the Marketplace in Wutan City.

Standing outside the herbal shop, Xun'er watched Xiao Yan make a beeline for the counter and finally confirmed that when he had said he wanted to buy a few things that morning, he had not spoken a single word of falsehood.

On the way, Xiao Yan had only glanced at the jewelry sellers, the pastry vendors, and the newly set-up stalls selling sundries.

Only when they passed the herbal shop had he stopped faster than anyone.

"Shopkeeper, do you have Red-Pattern Grass, Green-Bone Vine, and Sinew-Nourishing Flower?"

He handed over his list of herbs and waited eagerly for an answer.

The shopkeeper took a look and nodded with a smile.

"Yes. Please take a seat, both of you."

Xun'er sat down beside him. Seeing Xiao Yan earnestly count the Gold Coins in his pouch, she could not help saying softly:

"Brother Xiao Yan, you really came to buy medicinal herbs."

Xiao Yan's hands paused. Finally catching the meaning behind her words, he looked up with a sheepish laugh.

"We can browse after buying the herbs. There's still time."

Xun'er did not call him out. She merely took the list and glanced over it.

"Are you preparing a Medicinal Bath?"

"Yes, to try nourishing my muscles and bones."

Xiao Yan did not conceal their purpose. Several of these ordinary herbs were available through the clan's cultivation allotment; only the remainder required extra money. Otherwise, the few Gold Coins his father had given him last night might not have been enough.

Before long, the shopkeeper laid several packets of herbs on the counter.

Xun'er picked up a slender piece of vine, examined its cut end, and suddenly asked, "Is this Green-Bone Vine or Green-Joint Vine?"

The shopkeeper froze, then lowered his head for a closer look and hastily slapped his forehead.

"These eyes of mine! The two drawers are next to each other, and I took the wrong one. I'll replace it for you right away."

Xiao Yan took the piece of vine and turned it over for a long while. Their outer colors were so similar that without Xun'er's warning, he would most likely have accepted it without a second thought.

"How did you tell?"

"Green-Bone Vine has fine white lines across its cut surface. This one doesn't."

She pointed it out to him, then smiled.

"I happened to remember it from an herbal guide I read a few days ago."

Xiao Yan silently committed the difference to memory, marveling inwardly. The young lady of the Gu Clan truly could not be judged by the standards of an ordinary girl.

He knew how the plot would unfold, but when it came to this piece of medicinal vine before him, he really could not identify it as clearly as she could.

With the herbs purchased, the two left the shop.

This time, Xiao Yan did not head straight for the next store. First, he bought a packet of warm chestnut cakes from a pastry stall and handed it to Xun'er.

"You've spent all this time running around with me. I should at least give you something to thank you."

Xun'er accepted the paper packet and took a small bite, the smile in her eyes softening.

"Then I'll gladly accept."

At the end of the street, Xiao Yan also chose a plain wooden scabbard for his longsword. It had no decorations, but it was sturdy and comfortable to handle. At last, he no longer had to go out carrying his sword wrapped in soft cloth.

Suddenly, the sounds of an argument came from the other end of the street.

Two men had stopped a mercenary carrying a basket of herbs on his back. One pointed at the ground beneath his feet and demanded a stall fee. Flushed with agitation, the mercenary said he had not even set up a stall and was only passing through to find someone.

Xun'er glanced that way.

"That's the Jia Lie Family's Marketplace. They recently changed Stewards, and they've been stricter about collecting fees."

Xiao Yan followed her gaze and took note of the two men's clothing.

The Jia Lie Family, the Ao Ba Family.

For now, Wutan City remained divided among the three families. His father protected their trade routes and Marketplaces, and had far more to consider than he ever mentioned at the dinner table.

Rather than take Xun'er over to stir up trouble, he turned toward his own family's Marketplace and asked about the prices of all the remaining herbs at a small stall.

The last ingredient actually cost more than all the previous ones combined.

As Xiao Yan stared at his money pouch, his smile slowly faded.

From within the ring, his Grandmaster's voice sounded at just the right moment.

"No need to buy it. There are plants on the shaded side of the mountain behind the clan that can serve as substitutes. I'll take you there this afternoon and teach you to identify them."

Xiao Yan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Master really does care for his disciple.

Otherwise, having only just begun practicing this cultivation art, he would already have needed to ask his father for an advance on next month's allowance.

That evening, his room's door was shut tight.

Bodhi placed a small porcelain bowl beside the table. With a casual sweep of his hand, several medicinal herbs had already turned into a clear, blue-green liquid.

"This is called the Azure Origin Body-Tempering Liquid. I formulated it using the medicinal herbs of this plane. It is just right for gently nourishing your muscles and bones at present."

Xiao Yan leaned closer and sniffed. A fresh, bitter herbal scent wafted toward him.

"These ordinary herbs can make something used for immortal cultivation?"

"With your body as it is now, ordinary herbs used properly are enough to benefit you."

Bodhi poured the liquid into the hot water, sending rings of pale blue-green ripples across its surface.

"Get in and circulate your cultivation art."

Xiao Yan climbed into the tub as instructed. As soon as he settled down, his skin began to tingle. The sensation soon worked its way into his shoulders and back, like countless tiny streams of warmth seeping through his pores into his muscles and bones.

He instinctively drew a breath.

It was hot, but nowhere near as unbearable as he had imagined.

The Eight-Nine Arcane Arts slowly circulated, and the warm medicinal power gradually washed away the soreness accumulated during his daytime sword practice. His exhausted arms actually began to feel lighter.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, letting his awareness sink into the circulation of the art.

When he opened them again, most of the blue-green color in the tub had faded.

Bodhi examined the water's color, told him to get out and wash himself off, then pointed toward the open space in the courtyard.

"Give it a try."

Xiao Yan dressed, walked into the courtyard, and punched the old hanging sandbag.

Thump!

The bag swung high from his blow, and even the knot on the crossbeam's rope snapped taut.

Xiao Yan looked down at his fist, his eyes shining.

His arms, which had been so sore that he had barely wanted to lift them, now felt as though he had slept a full night. Even his Dou Qi circulated much more smoothly.

How was this a bath?

It was clearly a fresh barrel of fine oil for this body of mine!

"The medicinal power has not yet been fully absorbed. Keep training over the next few days. Do not waste it."

"Understood!"

From that day onward, Xiao Yan's days settled into a fixed routine.

He practiced Nine Breaths of Qi at dawn, tempered his muscles and bones during the day, trained with his sword after nightfall, then nourished himself with the medicinal liquid.

Xun'er occasionally came to see him, bringing food or inviting him for a walk around the clan grounds. He no longer greeted every invitation with an immediate claim that he had no time.

But midway through their conversations, he would take out an herbal guide and ask what some particular herb looked like. Xun'er found this rather exasperating, and eventually simply lent him the book.

"Take it back and read it at your leisure. Just don't mistake petals for leaves again."

Xiao Yan solemnly accepted it.

Having a master he could consult at any time certainly made things easier.

But if his Grandmaster had to point out and teach him every little thing, he would be far too useless a disciple.

More than ten days later.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the mountain behind the clan. As the last wisp of Heaven and Earth Qi entered his Dantian, the Dou Qi Vortex within him suddenly trembled lightly and began spinning a little faster.

The hem of his clothes stirred without any wind.

He slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the Dou Qi that had grown considerably stronger than it had been several days ago, he could not help clenching his fists.

Three-Star Dou Zhe!

Two consecutive stars in just over ten days!

If the clan elders learned of this speed, they might scrub the testing stone tablet ten times over to see whether something was wrong with it.

What pleased him even more was that despite his increased cultivation, his aura remained steady. The muscles and bones of his shoulders and back had also grown much stronger, without the slightest feeling of unsteadiness beneath his feet.

"Master, if I keep training like this, will I soon complete the first transformation?"

Bodhi set down his teacup and shook his head with a smile.

"You've only just pushed open the door, and you're already thinking of ascending the hall and entering the inner chamber?"

Xiao Yan was not disappointed. He grinned.

Pushing open the door was enough. Others were still outside looking for the Keys, while he already had his master leading him in.

He stood, selected a bucket-sized rock from behind him, and gripped it, applying a little force.

Crack!

Several cracks spread across the rock's surface.

Xiao Yan dumped the broken stones onto the ground, his eyes startlingly bright. Before, even moving rocks had been a struggle. Now he could crush them with his bare hands.

These were the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts he wanted!

Only after Xiao Yan had enjoyed his excitement did Bodhi beckon to him.

"You've learned to identify most of the herbs. Next, I'll teach you to refine medicine yourself."

At those words, Xiao Yan abruptly raised his head, pleasantly surprised.

"You'll teach me today?"

"What, you don't want to learn?"

"I do!"

The youth answered without the slightest hesitation.

"This is a skill I've dreamed of learning!"