Chapter 88

Ginseng: A precious herb, non-toxic, edible.This ginseng has grown for a long time, exceeding a hundred years. According to legend, ginseng possesses various miraculous effects, and ginseng that has grown for a long enough time seems to have the ability to gain intelligence. Looking at the ginseng before him, with information floating in his mind, Lu Qing smiled. Ever since he dug up that over-two-hundred-year-old ginseng, his luck seemed to have turned around. He had found three more ginseng plants, all over a hundred years old. Carefully extracting this hundred-year-old ginseng and placing it in his medicine pouch, Lu Qing was in a very good mood. There were already four ginseng plants in the medicine pouch, plus the one Xiao Li had brought home earlier. Five ginseng plants, one two-hundred-year-old, and four hundred-year-old ones, if all refined into Blood Replenishing and Qi-boosting Pills, would be more than enough to support his cultivation to the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm. "This is truly a treasure mountain!" Lu Qing looked around and sighed from the bottom of his heart. He hadn’t searched a large area, yet he had found so many hundred-year-old ginseng plants. Combined with the other medicinal herbs he had seen while searching for ginseng, it was evident how abundant the medicinal resources of this mountain forest were. Calling it a treasure mountain was not an exaggeration. However, while the medicinal herbs here were abundant, entering the forest was not easy. In such a primeval forest, it was filled with insects and snakes, hidden beasts, and a slight carelessness could result in death. Lu Qing managed because he was a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist, carrying a medicine pouch prepared by his master to repel snakes and insects. Additionally, Xiao Li, being a spirit beast, seemed to have some deterrent ability against other creatures in the mountain, making it seem easy. For an ordinary herb gatherer, trying to venture this deep into the forest was as hard as climbing to the sky. So even if people knew this place was full of treasures and medicinal herbs, they could only hesitate and withdraw. Of course, this was a good thing for Lu Qing. Only he could freely come and go here, meaning he could come and find any medicinal herbs he needed at any time. Having gathered enough ginseng for his cultivation, Lu Qing temporarily stopped searching for more. This time entering the mountain, besides digging up ginseng, he also wanted to practice the knowledge from the Compendium of Materia Medica. He wanted to observe the growth environments of other medicinal herbs in the mountains. Thus, Lu Qing wandered around the mountain with Xiao Li. With Xiao Li and the medicine pouch, those poisonous insects and snakes didn’t dare come near him. After wandering for a while, he couldn’t help but marvel again at the abundance of medicinal herbs in this mountain. In just a short while, he had seen dozens of different herbs. All of them were growing very well and had strong medicinal properties. Lu Qing also picked some rare and precious herbs that were not commonly seen outside. His master often treated villagers from nearby villages for free, so the consumption of herbs was quite large. Ordinary herbs could be found on the hills near the village. So Lu Qing specifically picked herbs that were not available outside or were rare. After a while, Lu Qing discovered another surprise. Tian Qi: A precious herb, non-toxic, medicinal. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, and relieving pain, making it an excellent medicine for treating both external and internal injuries. Looking at the thick white light on the herb in front of him, Lu Qing was very excited. He didn’t expect to find Tian Qi here. This was another very rare medicinal herb. The famous top-grade Golden Sore Medicine, known as a holy healing medicine in the martial world, primarily uses high-quality Tian Qi. Previously, to treat Young Master Wei’s blood loss condition, his master specifically asked the Wei family for Tian Qi. This showed the power of this herb. Lu Qing immediately started digging it up. Although the white light emitted by this Tian Qi indicated it was not the best quality, it was still very precious. Taking it back could make a large bottle of Golden Sore Medicine, a lifesaving medicine in critical moments, not to be missed. While digging up Tian Qi, Lu Qing also felt a bit puzzled. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, ginseng and Tian Qi never grow in the same place. Their growing environments are completely different. Ginseng likes shade and coolness, can withstand low temperatures, and dislikes direct sunlight. The climate in the deep mountains here suits it. But Tian Qi is different. It likes humidity, can’t tolerate high temperatures or extreme cold, and grows best in places with warm winters and cool summers. Logically, it shouldn’t be found here. Lu Qing knew from his memories that the area around Jiuli Village snows in winter. What caused Tian Qi to defy its growing habits and appear in this forest? After digging up the Tian Qi and putting it in his medicine pouch, Lu Qing fell into deep thought. Now that he thought about it, something indeed seemed off. The abundance of medicinal herbs in this forest was astonishing. So many hundred-year-old ginseng plants appeared at once, other herbs were growing exceptionally well, and now even Tian Qi, which shouldn’t be here, was thriving. Earlier, Lu Qing thought it was just the good environment and the rarity of human activity that led to the abundance of herbs. But now, seeing ginseng and Tian Qi growing in the same area, he realized something was amiss. His first thought was whether there was something mysterious about this mountain. Thinking about it, Lu Qing looked at the Black Beast beside him, "Xiao Li, you’ve been moving around this mountain for a while, have you noticed anything unusual nearby?" Unusual places? Xiao Li tilted its head, puzzled, clearly not understanding his question. Seeing this, Lu Qing pondered for a moment and continued, "Is there any place nearby that feels different from other places, like more dangerous or particularly comfortable?" This time, Xiao Li seemed to understand a bit. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality. It tilted its head, thought for a moment, then bit Lu Qing’s clothes and pointed in a certain direction. Is there really such a place? Lu Qing was startled. Looking at Xiao Li’s actions, he asked, "You mean I should follow you?" The Black Beast nodded. "Is it dangerous?" If it was dangerous, he wasn’t planning to go. Risking his life for a bit of curiosity wasn’t worth it. The Black Beast shook its head. After thinking for a moment, Lu Qing decided to trust Xiao Li’s instincts. "Alright, let’s go. Just walk slowly, or I won’t be able to keep up." So, the Black Beast bounced ahead, and Lu Qing followed behind, activating his Blood Qi. Although they were in the mountains, their speed was not slow. Soon, Lu Qing followed Xiao Li to a valley. "Is it just ahead?" Seeing Xiao Li stop, Lu Qing asked. The Black Beast nodded, gesturing with its paws to indicate this was the special place it mentioned. Lu Qing observed for a moment and felt there didn’t seem to be any danger. On the contrary, upon reaching this place, he felt relaxed, with a sense of tranquility, even his mind seemed clearer. Feeling invigorated, he knew he had come to the right place. Even without considering anything else, just the atmosphere that cleared his mind and relaxed his body indicated the uniqueness of this place. Seeing Lu Qing standing still, Xiao Li, puzzled, pulled his clothes and led the way into the valley. Lu Qing quickly followed. Entering the valley, Lu Qing was stunned. Inside the valley, birds were singing, flowers were blooming, streams were flowing, and the scene was full of life. Inside and outside the valley were like two different worlds. Xiao Li seemed very familiar with the valley. As soon as it entered, it led Lu Qing deeper inside. At the end of the valley, there was a waterfall cascading down into a pool, with water splashing everywhere. "Ow~" The Black Beast stood on a large rock in front of the waterfall, pointing at the waterfall and calling to Lu Qing. "You mean there’s something inside?" Lu Qing looked at the waterfall in surprise. The waterfall wasn’t large, and the water curtain wasn’t thick. Soon, he noticed something peculiar. There seemed to be a cave entrance behind the water curtain. "Ow~" The Black Beast called again. "You’re saying I should go in?" Lu Qing asked. The Black Beast nodded. Lu Qing hesitated. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Xiao Li, but exploring an unknown cave without any information was risky. Not to mention, this valley seemed peculiar, who knew what was inside the cave. If there were any strange beasts, entering would be courting death. "Xiao Li, how about we go in together?" After thinking for a while, Lu Qing said. The Black Beast, a Red Spirit Beast, was much stronger than him. With it by his side, Lu Qing felt much safer. The Black Beast immediately shook its head, looking at the water curtain with disdain. Lu Qing remembered that this creature hated water. Except for drinking water, it wouldn’t touch water. Last time, when it played with Xiao Yan at home, it got covered in dust, and Lu Qing wanted to give it a bath. It nearly tore the house apart. In the end, he had to wipe it down with a damp cloth. Even so, the little creature threw a tantrum and ignored Lu Qing for quite a while. "No problem, I’ll carry you in, and I won’t let you get wet at all." Lu Qing smiled. "Besides, you want to know what’s inside, right ?" The Black Beast hesitated. Seeing this, Lu Qing laughed. He knew that this creature hated water so much that it hadn’t been inside. Moreover, judging by its behavior, something inside was attracting it. If even such a water-hating creature was attracted, what was inside must be extraordinary. After all, Xiao Li didn’t even care about a hundred-year-old ginseng. "Don’t worry, I’ll wrap you in my clothes, and you won’t get wet at all," Lu Qing assured. Seeing Lu Qing’s insistence and the temptation of what was inside, the Black Beast reluctantly nodded. Seeing the little creature finally agree, Lu Qing immediately took off his backpack and placed it on a large rock. Then, he took off his outer coat and made a nest out of it. The Black Beast immediately crawled inside. It didn’t mind the smell of Lu Qing on the clothes. After all, it slept in the same room as Xiao Yan and Lu Qing at home. Even its nest was made from Lu Qing’s old clothes, so it was used to it. Seeing the Black Beast inside the clothes, Lu Qing strapped on his battle knife. Yes, he had brought the battle knife this time. Besides poisonous insects and snakes, there might be wild beasts in the mountains. How could he not bring a handy weapon? Securing the knife and the medicine hoe at his waist, Lu Qing picked up the Black Beast and stepped back a few steps, activating his Blood Qi and leaping towards the waterfall. At the moment his body touched the water curtain, Lu Qing curled up, protecting Xiao Li in his arms, and rolled into the cave entrance behind the water curtain. Once inside, Lu Qing immediately drew his medicine hoe, ready for any attack. Luckily, his precautions were unnecessary; nothing came at him from the cave. Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He had seen too many “opening door” traps in movies and didn’t want to experience one. Feeling Lu Qing stop, the Black Beast poked its head out from his clothes. "See, I told you you wouldn’t get wet." Lu Qing checked and found that apart from his coat getting a bit wet, the Black Beast was completely dry. He, on the other hand, looked like a soaked rat. But Lu Qing didn’t mind. If he wanted, he could dry his clothes by activating his Blood Qi. However, with the cave’s situation still unclear, he didn’t want to waste his energy on such a trivial matter. "Ow~" The Black Beast was delighted to be dry. "Let’s go inside." Lu Qing looked around the cave. Seeing nothing unusual and feeling no danger, he decided to go further. After all, having come this far, he had to see what was inside. He took out a fire stick, lit it, and continued walking with the Black Beast. But soon, he realized it was unnecessary. After a few steps and a turn, the cave gradually brightened. The stone walls, resembling stalactites, sparkled with a mesmerizing glow. Looking at the fire stick in his hand, Lu Qing smiled and put it out, continuing with the Black Beast. Interestingly, although the cave entrance was behind a waterfall, the inside was dry. This pleased the Black Beast, which came out of Lu Qing’s arms and stood on his shoulder. The cave was deep but not dark. The further they went, the brighter the glowing stone walls became. Lu Qing used his ability to check and found that these stones were a unique, harmless luminous mineral, so he continued. As he ventured deeper, the clarity of mind he felt since entering the valley intensified. He even felt a strange attraction from the cave’s depths. After many twists and turns, Lu Qing and the Black Beast reached a spacious area. When Lu Qing saw the scene before him, he was stunned.