Afterward, Jing Wen turned his attention to medicinal ingredients, picking up the Jade Slip that listed them.
He carefully went through every entry in the Jade Slip, yet found no trace of Ghost Mortar Grass.
Puzzled, Jing Wen looked up at Steward Sun and asked, "Steward Sun, does your shop have any Ghost Mortar Grass?"
Steward Sun paused slightly at the question.
Ghost Mortar Grass was an obscure medicinal herb, scarce in quantity and rarely sought after.
He did not specialize in the trade of medicinal ingredients, so he quickly searched his memory before answering slowly:
"Ghost Mortar Grass generally only appears at major auctions, if at all. Shops like ours almost never stock it."
Still unwilling to give up, Jing Wen pressed, "What about Ghost Mortar Grass seedlings, or seeds? Does the shop have any?"
Steward Sun burst out laughing and explained, "You may not know this, fellow Daoist, but Ghost Mortar Grass cannot be cultivated artificially, and it has no seeds at all.
"It always appears out of thin air without any warning. People speculate that it has something to do with a particular substance in the soil or air, but no one has ever determined the exact cause."
"Other than auctions, do you know anywhere I could buy it?"
Seeing his persistence, Steward Sun offered a suggestion. "I have seen Ghost Mortar Grass seedlings a few times.
"But these days, most major shops no longer buy them. In earlier years, some cultivators purchased them for research and experiments, but now hardly anyone asks after them.
"If you ask me, fellow Daoist, you could try your luck at the stalls in the Market. Perhaps a fortunate turn of fate will bring you across one."
A faint, wry smile appeared on Jing Wen's face.
Then he changed the subject.