Today We're All Herb Gatherers

"Take money with a clear conscience, do things with a clear conscience. If you, Mr. Zhao, feel your life has been cheap, then find an expensive doctor to treat you!"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't indulge Master Zhao.

He hardened his heart to fleece the gullible, but little did he know that his heart was still not black enough.

But Zhang Xuezhou keenly realized that he didn't need to change his tune.

He looked at Dong Zhongshu, who was about 20 meters away, and could clearly sense that Dong Zhongshu seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.

Combining the words of the second concubine Hongyi with the presence of the third concubine, Luoluo, and the fourth concubine Qingmeng behind Dong Zhongshu, Zhang Xuezhou felt that he understood some things.

But the one who suffered in this matter was not him, but Dong Zhongshu.

He used Zhao Liang's body to break the spell. After Kong Ning shot Zhao Liang, he healed most of the arrow wound. He was not the one who directly injured Zhao Liang, but Dong Zhongshu's use of Zhao Liang's body to perform the ritual had a different result.

The Zhao family wouldn't listen to Dong Zhongshu's explanation that the trouble was caused by fighting the snake demon; instead, they would only blame Dong Zhongshu, since the people had gotten into serious trouble because of Dong Zhongshu.

Zhang Xuezhou was still a little confused as to why Dong Zhongshu seemed like someone who couldn't afford to offend Master Zhao.

But regardless of whether Dong Zhongshu felt comfortable or not, Zhang Xuezhou felt comfortable at this moment.

When Master Zhao reluctantly agreed, he had someone bring over five strings of cash and place them aside. Zhang Xuezhou then used his Deer-Slaying Blade to bleed the deer swiftly.

"The Iron Body Technique I practice..."

Just as Master Zhao was about to recount the techniques he had cultivated, his body became so difficult to cut with ordinary knives.

However, the bruising in the chest and abdomen area came out too quickly.

And the pain relief and comfort that followed came in a short time.

His once proud, invincible body, which was supposed to be impervious to swords and blades, was knocked down by a single slap from the snake demon. Now, it was easily pierced again, and the demon even guided his injuries to heal rapidly. As Master Zhao's injuries healed, he also experienced a new kind of stimulation.

"There must be a cure for my Liang'er in this world!"

Regardless of the treatment method, as long as the condition can be cured, Mr. Zhao will not have any reservations.

What he feared was having no way out.

Lost in his own thoughts, Master Zhao only snapped out of it and opened his eyes when he felt a patting sensation on his body.

"Get up and try walking around!"

Zhang Xuezhou's suggestion made Master Zhao stretch his arms and legs.

He rolled over and got up from the stretcher that had been carrying him.

"I'm all better! I'm really all better!"

He touched the injured parts of his body.

Apart from a lingering slight stinging sensation and a lack of strength, his body had indeed almost completely recovered.

"The healing Technique Method not only drew upon Law Power, but also prematurely depleted your body's strength, which you need to replenish through food," Zhang Xuezhou advised. "Eat more meat to nourish your body recently, and if possible, make some ginseng soup."

"Thank you, Brother Zhang!"

If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Xuezhou was merely a cultivator skilled in healing arts, Master Zhao might have also hailed him as a deity, just like those ignorant commoners.

He agreed to Zhang Xuezhou's instructions, and then heard Zhang Xuezhou complaining of being tired.

"Wang Er, hurry up and help me collect the herbs, the older the better!"

Zhang Xuezhou spent the five strings of cash without hesitation.

Involving medicinal materials such as ginseng, poria cocos, atractylodes macrocephala, polygonatum sibiricum, he shou wu, cypress seed, coix seed, rehmannia root, and pine nut, he also began to pursue the age of the ingredients, seeking to refine five-day Grain Avoidance powder and seven-day Grain Avoidance powder.

The money passed through his hands briefly before being quickly distributed.

Five strings of cash, which is a full five thousand and a half taels of silver, seems like a lot of money, but it can only buy six hundred doses of the most common Grain Avoidance powder ingredients.

Even Zhang Xuezhou couldn't avoid failures when refining. The success rate of refining small quantities of Grain Avoidance Powder was around 50%. However, when it came to repeated refining, his chances of success did not increase. Instead, they would decrease due to the difficulty in consistently and carefully refining the powder.

If all of it were used for the Three-Day Grain Avoidance Powder, Zhang Xuezhou estimated that his finished product would be around two hundred doses.

Based on his current daily routine, these Grain Avoidance should last him for nearly two years.

However, his body was out of control for quite some time. If possible, Zhang Xuezhou would certainly prefer to endure five or even seven days of hunger after falling into a coma, rather than being well-fed for three days and starving for four.

As his Grain Avoidance technique improved, Zhang Xuezhou felt he would gradually become less dependent on Grain Avoidance powder.

The money that Master Zhao spent on medical treatment will likely sustain him until then.

"Perhaps after I enter the Consciousness Creation Realm, the Grain Avoidance technique should be able to satisfy my needs, or at that time, simply taking some three-day Grain Avoidance powder will be enough!"

Zhang Xuezhou's pursuit of higher cultivation levels was not just empty talk. Having obtained the Spirit-Forging Pill refined for him by Zou Bugui, Zhang Xuezhou had some confidence in his heart.

He is highly motivated to break through his current limitations.

While many people strive to become better and more capable, he was solely focused on survival.

This is no less than that of cultivators practicing in military regions, and may even be more powerful than that of some military region cultivators.

Zhang Xuezhou was extremely clear-headed, constantly calculating what he needed.

Wang Er quickly noted down his request.

With money to pave the way, Wang Er Ermazi kept urging the two pharmacy clerks.

"It's a pity you didn't have a single ounce of money before; all my aged ginseng and he shou wu were bought by others," Wang Er sighed.

"Not asking in advance isn't necessarily a bad thing!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand.

Zhang Sanyang, who bought medicine from the Zhao family, lost his life, and the medicinal herbs were also stolen. Zhang Xuezhou felt that being a step behind wasn't too bad.

His response to Wang Er Ermazi triggered a memory for Master Zhao.

"Master Zhang, will the medicine that Old Man Jiang sought be effective for my son?" Master Zhao asked.

"Angelica sinensis, ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, Ganoderma lucidum, and cinnabar fruit that are over a hundred years old are all powerful medicines for replenishing Qi and Blood. I don't know if they are suitable for the condition, but Zhao Junwei's body must be deficient in Qi and Blood after a long illness. It would not be a bad thing to replenish them appropriately," Zhang Xuezhou replied.

"Wang Er Ermazi!"

Zhang Xuezhou's response was not satisfactory, but it was the best reply Mr. Zhao had heard so far.

He shouted, ordering the herbal medicine middleman on Ju'an Street to quickly purchase herbs from the surrounding villages.

"I'll add another ten and a half strings of cash," Master Zhao said, patting his chest. "Hurry up and mobilize several hundred herb gatherers to collect herbs. If that's not enough, I'll bring more money!"

"I don't have that many herb gatherers. There aren't even twenty herb gatherers in the surrounding villages!"

Wang Er Ermazi looked miserable.

It's a good thing that people are buying medicine, but a shortage of medicinal materials is a bad thing.

Dealing with a normal customer like Zhang Xuezhou, who isn't in a rush or pressure, is fine. But dealing with someone like Master Zhao, Wang Er Ermazi felt like those ten strings of cash were burning his hands.

If we can't meet Master Zhao's demands in time, there's a high chance his pharmacy will be vandalized and attacked, and it will all be a losing proposition.

Are you really buying medicinal herbs in large quantities?

"We can gather herbs too!"

"That's right!"

"If you search deep into the mountains for three to five days, you'll find angelica and ginseng everywhere!"

What does Dragon Blood Fungus look like?

"How much were these medicinal herbs purchased? What was the price?"

"I heard from this immortal that he also needs pine nuts, and there are plenty of pine nuts on some old trees over in the South Mountain!"

I know a few places where Solomon's Seal grows!

Wang Er Ermazi looked troubled, while the nearly one hundred people who had gathered around to watch Zhang Xuezhou recover from his injuries heard about the path to wealth.

Whispers continued to circulate.

Watching a miracle save someone is a form of gossip that broadens one's horizons, provides topics of conversation, and can even serve as something to boast about repeatedly for the rest of one's life.

But finding and selling medicine is how they make a living.

If Wang Er could collect large quantities of various medicinal herbs, they could all become herb gatherers today.