Chapter 45

Words : 1132 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Hundred-year-old Ginseng!When Lu Qing read the information about the plant root in his hand, he was astonished. This was an exceptionally precious herb documented in the "Compendium of Materia Medica"—ginseng! And it was over a hundred years old! "Little one, what a grand gift you've given me!" Lu Qing looked at the ginseng in his hand, then glanced at the small black beast, exclaiming in amazement. It's known that among the hundreds of herbs recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica," ginseng is one of the most valuable. Moreover, the older it is, the more valuable it becomes. Ginseng that's several decades old is already highly effective and worth a fortune. The one in his hand, being over a hundred years old, was exceedingly rare. In many apothecaries, such a ginseng could serve as a treasure of the establishment. "I guess it wasn't in vain to fish so much for you." Lu Qing was very pleased. Although he wasn't sure of the exact value of this Hundred-year-old Ginseng, it was clearly more valuable than the Red Moon Carp. After all, although the Red Moon Carp has nourishing properties, wealthy people buy it more for its exquisite flavor. But this Hundred-year-old Ginseng was different; it could genuinely save lives. Such precious herbs are often invaluable, and once they appear, people scramble for them. Moreover, this ginseng in Lu Qing's hand emitted a faint red glow, indicating it had begun to develop the characteristics of a spiritual herb. Such a treasured herb was likely even more valuable than ordinary ginseng. Compared to this, the fish he'd been feeding the little black beast were nothing in comparison. Looking at the Black Night Spirit Lynx, now leisurely licking its paws and washing its face, Lu Qing's eyes shifted. He squatted down and said ingratiatingly, "Little fellow, let's make a deal. If you find more things like this, bring them to me, and I'll catch any fish you want to eat, okay?" If anyone saw Lu Qing's current expression, they'd find his smile resembled that of a creepy uncle trying to entice a child with candy. Whether the little black beast understood him or not, it finished licking its paws, gave Lu Qing a sideways glance, then elegantly hopped to the fence and disappeared into the night. This time, Lu Qing noticed its gaze clearly. He felt as if he had been despised by a small beast. Lu Qing paused, then shook his head with a smile. Despite being looked down upon by a small beast, he was in high spirits. Bringing the wooden basin back to the kitchen, Lu Qing lit an oil lamp, fetched a wet cloth, and sat in the hall to carefully clean the ginseng. With meticulous care, the ginseng gradually revealed its complete form. The main body was plump, resembling a small radish. Its long roots made it look somewhat human-shaped. If left to grow longer, it might indeed take on the form of a small person. Regrettably, some of the roots were obviously broken, making it less than perfect. Clearly, the little black beast had snapped the roots while digging it up. Though Lu Qing regretted this, he knew he shouldn't be too greedy. Truthfully, for the black beast to dig up a ginseng was already surprising enough. He couldn't expect it to retrieve the ginseng as flawlessly as a seasoned herbalist. After admiring the Hundred-year-old Ginseng for a while, Lu Qing carefully put it away. He planned to take it to his master the next day to find out how to maximize its value. Despite having thoroughly studied the "Compendium of Materia Medica," his knowledge of herbs couldn't compare to his master, a divine physician. The next morning, Lu Qing rose early, practiced Tai Chi in the courtyard, feeling refreshed before making breakfast. After breakfast, he took Xiao Yan to the Halfway House. Upon meeting the old doctor, he immediately presented the ginseng wrapped in cloth. "Master, last night I unexpectedly obtained a herb and want your opinion on how best to use it." "Oh, what herb?" The old doctor was curious. Had his disciple gone herb picking at night? "It's this herb." Lu Qing unwrapped the cloth, revealing the ginseng inside. "This is..." The old doctor's eyes widened upon seeing the herb. "This is ginseng?!" Surprised, the old doctor took the cloth bundle from Lu Qing and closely examined the ginseng. "It's indeed ginseng, and a top-grade centenarian fresh ginseng at that!" After a thorough inspection, the old doctor sighed in admiration. "Lu Qing, where did you get this ginseng? Did you go into the mountains last night?" The old doctor looked at Lu Qing in astonishment. This kind of top-grade Hundred-year-old Ginseng usually grows in remote, uninhabited mountains. Ordinary herb pickers rarely venture into such areas. Even he, with years of herb-picking experience, had rarely encountered such specimens. Judging by its freshness, the ginseng had been recently dug up. How did Lu Qing get it? Could it be that he ventured into the deep mountains last night? But that seemed impossible. Facing his master's curiosity, Lu Qing smiled, "Master, you'll never guess who gave me this ginseng." "Someone gave it to you? Who?" The old doctor was even more curious. Who would be so generous as to gift such a precious Hundred-year-old Ginseng? "It was the black beast I told you about before. After I fed it fish last night, it brought me this ginseng." "It was that black beast?" The old doctor was astounded. Lu Qing then recounted the events of the previous night in detail. Not only did it astonish the old doctor, but Xiao Yan was also wide-eyed in amazement. "It seems that black beast is indeed highly intelligent, almost capable of understanding human speech." After listening to Lu Qing's account, the old doctor marveled. "I think so too. I feel it might even understand us." Lu Qing recalled the scornful look the Black Night Spirit Lynx had given him before leaving. "This is the reward for doing good deeds." The old doctor stroked his beard. "If you hadn't been kind-hearted, feeding it every night instead of driving it away, how could you have this fortunate encounter?" Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality. I didn't drive it away because I was scared of it! Hearing his master's words, Lu Qing felt a bit embarrassed. That little creature was formidable; who would dare to provoke it? "Master, according to you, since this ginseng is over a hundred years old, how valuable is it?" Lu Qing asked.

Chapter 45

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