The Nature of a Hundred Herbs

"Uncle Zhang, if I see a medicinal herb in the wild that I don't recognize, how will I know what its uses are? You're here with me now, but what if I were out in the wild and didn't recognize the herb?"

After searching around, Su Ziyang recognized about forty or fifty kinds of medicinal herbs. He took pictures of them and then wrote the names of each herb on the photos.

On the way back, Su Ziyang suddenly remembered this question and asked it.

"Yes. Of course, herb gathering still requires hands-on instruction. Herbs have properties, so you need to memorize them and learn gradually. But there are also rhymes for recognizing herbs. However, you can only have a rough understanding. I'll tell you a rhyme, and you can memorize it."

After saying Zhang Rongyi mumbled a string of verses.

The earth produces plants and trees, each with its own unique properties and uses.

The teachings passed down from our predecessors are intended to be concise and comprehensive.

Hair can dispel wind, and sticky mud can remove toxins;

Hollow structures facilitate urination, while thorns help drain pus.

The stem is square and good at dispersing; the bone is round and the fire is red.

Leaves can relieve pain, and vines can help clear joints;

Red indicates blood stasis, while white indicates lung and uterine clearing.

Bitter taste can clear heat, sweet taste can replenish the middle jiao (spleen and stomach);

Its sour properties astringent and hemostatic, while its pungent and salty properties moisten and harmonize.

Illness plagues me, and medicine seems to vanish without a trace.

Its ability to distinguish shapes and colors is unparalleled, and its ingenious uses are endless.

Harvesting medicinal herbs is best done in the season; root potatoes should be harvested in winter.

The stems and leaves thrive in the height of summer, while the flowers are still in bud.

The fruit is ripe but not overripe; the pit is ripe and then it is of good use.

After Zhang Rongyi finished reciting the verse, he suddenly stopped Su Ziyang and Fairy Li: "Don't move."

Su Ziyang looked down and saw a triangular head, almost the same color as the withered branches and leaves on the ground, flicking its tongue and staring at the three of them.

"This is a branding iron tip. It's highly poisonous! Slowly, quietly, back away. This thing will attack on its own."

Zhang Rongyi blocked Su Ziyang and Fairy Li's path, slowly backing away.

"Su Ziyang, there's something else I haven't told you. It's also a rhyme about gathering herbs in the mountains: Hollow-stemmed plants can cure wind-related ailments, opposite leaves and branches can treat bleeding, thorns on the leaf edges can reduce swelling, sap in the leaves can draw out poison, snake bites can be treated on the spot, internal bleeding and pale complexion require abstaining from alcohol, and swallowing one's anger is a sign of internal injury."

"Where there is poison, there is always an antidote! If you are bitten by a snake while hiking in the mountains, you can look for antidotes nearby."

Zhang Rongyi slowly backed away from the two of them, muttering softly to himself.

Zhang Rongyi was determined to protect Su Ziyang and Fairy Li at all costs, ensuring they didn't suffer any harm. After all, he had volunteered to gather herbs, so any injury to them would be his responsibility!

Unexpectedly, Su Ziyang suddenly circled around to Zhang Rongyi's front, stomped one foot on the ground, made a hand seal with the other, and pointed at the triangular-headed man.

The snake, which had been flicking its tongue, immediately quieted down and lay down on a leaf.

"Huh?" This time it was Zhang Rongyi's turn to be confused.

Su Ziyang walked over and took the snake in his hand. Generally speaking, venomous snakes are not very big, but this snake was obviously very big. Its thickness was only slightly thinner than Su Ziyang's wrist, and it was probably about two meters long.

"This is... a fixed snake?!"

Zhang Rongyi ran over in surprise, watching as Su Ziyang handled the snake like a toy, its mouth almost touching his toes.

"Little trick!"

Su Ziyang, in a pretentious manner, held the snake and said, "The first thing I learned and practiced when I was learning from Master Luo was to go up the mountain to capture snakes."

Su Ziyang never expected to actually use it today; it seems the saying "it's always good to have more skills" is true.

"Wow, I only thought you were an expert in traditional Chinese medicine, I never imagined you had this skill too. I've lived in this area for so many years, and I've always heard of people who could summon and control snakes. This is the first time I've witnessed it firsthand, it's truly eye-opening!"

Zhang Rongyi also touched the snake's head, and sure enough, the snake remained silent and motionless, showing no aggression whatsoever.

"Excellent tactic!"

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!"

Su Ziyang chuckled and put the snake back in its original place. After walking away, Su Ziyang turned back and whispered a spell to the snake. The snake was instantly released from its restraints and quickly disappeared, wriggling its body.

"I've really learned something new today! Let's go down the mountain."

Zhang Rongyi was in high spirits after seeing Su Ziyang use the Snake Immobilization Technique, and his pace quickened considerably as he descended the mountain.

Back home, Zhang Rongyi washed each of the Polygonatum plants she had collected, then took out a bamboo knife and slowly sliced them, laying the slices out to dry one by one.

"Want to try some?"

Zhang Rongyi took a piece and handed it to Su Ziyang.

Su Ziyang put it in his mouth, and a refreshing sweetness made Su Ziyang feel relaxed and happy.

After Huang Jingcai returned, she needed to air-dry the herbs in the shade. Su Ziyang stayed there for two more days, during which he had many exchanges with Zhang Rongyi and gained a lot from the experience.

Zhang Rongyi was supposed to prepare the ointment on the third day, and Su Ziyang wanted to see it, but Mr. Mengfei suddenly called and said he was done and asked Su Ziyang to come back quickly.

When Su Ziyang and Fairy Li returned, Mr. Mengfei was sitting on the hotel sofa waiting for them.

Seeing that Mr. Mengfei seemed unhappy, Fairy Li, as his apprentice's wife, smiled and said she knew a good Hunan restaurant.

When the three arrived at the restaurant, Su Ziyang noticed that the woks used for stir-frying all seemed to be spicy. Since he couldn't eat spicy food, Su Ziyang naturally couldn't eat much. He casually ordered a bottle of green tea, drank his beverage, and watched Fairy Li eat.

Mr. Mengfei didn't seem to have an appetite either; he only ate a few bites as a token gesture before putting down his chopsticks.

"Master, are you done with your work? When are we going back?"

Su Ziyang asked tentatively.

"Sigh." Mr. Mengfei sighed, "Tomorrow, or the day after, I'll take you two out for another day. I know this area better. What happened when you went to compete with others?"

"..."

Su Ziyang recounted his entire relationship with Zhang Rongyi, from their competition to their communication, and then to their friendship, including their gathering of herbs.

You mean that guy had a golden ball hanging above his head?

Mr. Mengfei was clearly quite interested in what Su Ziyang had mentioned.

"Is the person you're talking about surnamed Zhang? I forgot his given name; it's a rather strange name." Mr. Mengfei's words were startling, causing Su Ziyang and Fairy Li to pause in surprise.

Zhang Rongyi.

"Yes, yes. It's called Easy. I don't know what they were thinking, choosing such a name."

Mr. Mengfei said with a smile.

"You know him?" Su Ziyang suddenly felt that the world was too small.

"I don't know him, but I've seen him before. One year, I went to the mountains to collect herbs with one of your senior uncles. We encountered a man sitting cross-legged practicing qigong, and then a golden light, like that of a large cooking stove in the countryside, floated above his head."

At this point, Mr. Mengfei chuckled.

Su Ziyang and Fairy Li, whose mouths were covered in red oil from eating, were even more puzzled, wondering what Mr. Mengfei was laughing about.

"Hahaha. Your martial uncle cultivates Thunder Arts. He's straightforward and has a bad temper. He thought this person was cultivating here and was being harassed by mountain spirits and monsters, so he unleashed a Five Hundred Savage Thunders at the golden light above the person's head."

As Mr. Mengfei spoke, he gestured as he went, and when he finally said "Five Hundred Savage Thunders," Fairy Li spat out the juice she had just drunk. "Cough cough cough. Hahaha, really? That's too reckless! Too reckless!"

"And then?" Su Ziyang stared wide-eyed at Mr. Mengfei.

"This person was sitting on a stone platform. After the golden light was dispersed, he suddenly fell off it. We were terrified, so we ran over and helped him up."

Mr. Mengfei covered his face and laughed, "Later, this person woke up and said his Zhang Rongyi. He was practicing his martial arts here and it seemed like he had just been struck by divine lightning, which shattered his protective golden aura. He even thanked us for saving him..."

"That's really mean." Su Ziyang was speechless.

"Back then, your martial uncle was so embarrassed he couldn't stand it. Hahaha, he compensated Zhang Rongyi with a lot of medicinal herbs, all top-quality tonics. Zhang Rongyi refused them no matter what, and later thanked your martial uncle profusely."

Fairy Li sighed as she looked at Mr. Mengfei, "Sir, you didn't have any serious business when you were young either. You got beaten up, and you could still laugh."

"Sigh. He was young and ignorant. Later, when your uncle went back, he got a severe beating from his master and was forced into seclusion to cultivate his character, forbidden from leaving the mountain for five years. He also scolded me, saying that I didn't advise his disciple, that the old man couldn't teach his disciple well, and that it was my fault."

Mr. Mengfei's eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll take you two to see him tomorrow. He usually has good medicinal herbs. Ziyang, that's what you'll do when you get there. I'll introduce you first, and then I'll give you both a little something as a gift. Hehe! That's settled then."

Although Mr. Mengfei. Mr. Mengfei was all smiles, Su Ziyang and Fairy Li could tell that he was actually in a bad mood. However, as an adult and a master, he had to appear strong in front of the two children.

But who isn't a child in front of their master, hoping to be cared for and loved?

Early the next morning, Mr. Mengfei somehow got hold of a car and set off with Su Ziyang and Fairy Li.

This is a small Daoist temple, completely lacking the grandeur of the temple owned by Old Daoist Master Xiao and Daoist Master Xiao Yang.

There were no tourists in the Daoist temple, only three people. A burly man with a topknot, a thick beard, and a dark face as sharp as steel needles was instructing two young Daoist priests on how to practice horse stance.

"Yes! That's right. Strength originates from the feet, and roots grow from the feet. The time it takes for an incense stick to burn..."

The two young Daoist priests pouted and exclaimed, "Ah!"

"What 'huh'? Who told you to go to the back and bother your advisor? And you even complained to me? Punishing you two is too lenient."

"Zhenze, why are you still so short-tempered?"

Mr. Mengfei said with a smile from behind.

The burly, dark-faced man Zhenze, suddenly turned around and looked at Mr. Mengfei. His eyes widened instantly, and he burst into laughter.

This laugh made Su Ziyang and Fairy Li's ears hurt.

"Xiao Fei, what made you think of me? Let me hug you! You've gotten so thin! I've missed you so much! Hahaha!"

Zhenze laughed again, even covering the ears of the two young Daoist priests who were practicing horse stance.

"Alright, alright. You can stop your supernatural powers now, or I'll make you deaf in a moment." Mr. Mengfei clasped his hands in a gesture of apology to Zhenze.

"Zhenze, you've already taken on apprentices."

Mr. Mengfei looked at the two young Daoist priests behind Zhenze and said with a smile.

"Ah! My master arranged it. He said he'd teach his disciples, that they'd help them find some kind of responsibility, or something like that, um, a sense of responsibility. That must be it. Xiao Fei, who are those two kids behind you?"

Zhenze seemed quite helpless with his two apprentices. Seeing two people behind Mr. Mengfei, he also asked.

"Yes, Ziyang, little girl, come here. Greetings to your Uncle-Master Zhenze."

Mr. Mengfei had agreed that an introduction required a gift. Su Ziyang looked at his uncle, who was quite fierce-looking, and didn't dare to be cheeky. He simply gave Fairy Li a junior's greeting.

"Ah! Your apprentice." Zhenze smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the two of them.

"This little boy is... and the girl is my apprentice's wife, not my apprentice."

Mr. Mengfei winked at Su Ziyang, indicating that Su Ziyang could ask for the gift now.

Before Su Ziyang could even speak after bowing again, Zhenze burst into laughter again. "Alright. I know you too well. You think I won't give your disciple a gift? I'm just like you, incredibly stingy. Come on, kid."

Zhenze led Su Ziyang and Fairy Li to the outside of the main hall and asked them to wait.

A moment later, he emerged from the main hall, carrying two wooden rings, similar to bracelets. "These are Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Bracelet made of lightning-struck wood, good for protection. One for each of you."

Su Ziyang respectfully accepted the Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Bracelet. After receiving it, he felt a tingling sensation in his hand.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle." After receiving the gift, Fairy Li slipped it onto her wrist and bowed to Zhenze.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master," Su Ziyang replied in return.

"No need. Xiao Fei, I've already given you something, don't be stingy."

Zhenze smiled at Mr. Mengfei, then said to his two apprentices, "You two blockheads, stop doing the horse stance. Hurry up and greet your senior uncle."

Greetings, Senior Uncle!

"Greetings, Senior Uncle."

The two greeted Mr. Mengfei respectfully.

"I came prepared!"

Mr. Mengfei took out two brocade pouches from his backpack. "One for each of you."

The two took the brocade pouch, opened it, and found two strings of pearl prayer beads inside.

"Practice diligently! One string of beads each for you two."

Thank you, Senior Uncle.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle."

No need for formalities.

"Stop being so excited, go practice your horse stance. Two incense sticks' worth of time." Zhenze looked at his two delighted little apprentices and poured cold water on them.

The two of them hung their heads and pouted as they went back to practice their horse stance.

"Alright, stop scolding the kids. Just light an incense stick, children. By the way, where's your master?" Mr. Mengfei realized he hadn't seen Zhenze's master.

Zhenze leaned close to Mr. Mengfei's ear and whispered a few words. Mr. Mengfei's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really! Let's go check out the back mountain?"

"Come on, you two, come with me."

Su Ziyang didn't know what they were going to do, but he just followed along.

The group walked towards the back of the mountain, and after about an hour, they found several small bamboo and wooden huts.

Smoke was billowing from one of the rooms.

"Master! Master! Look who's here!"

Zhenze started shouting even before he got there.

"You wretched child, what are you yelling about?" An old man with a white beard, wearing a tattered Daoist robe, came out of the house and cursed at Zhenze.

"Oh! Right, right. I forgot, Master, look who this is."

Zhenze covered his mouth and quickly whispered.

"Xiao Fei?" Master Zhenze was somewhat surprised to see Mengfei.

"Uncle-Master."

When Mr. Mengfei saw Master Zhenze, he didn't simply bow; instead, he knelt down with a thud.

"Child, get up! What are you doing!"

Master Zhenze threw down the tattered fan he was using to fan himself and rushed to help Mr. Mengfei. Zhenze was also startled and followed suit in helping Mr. Mengfei.