Chapter 136 - 132: Strengthening Grass
Chapter 136: Chapter 132: Strengthening Grass
Steward Wang straightened up, patted the dirt from his hands, and walked toward the depths of the enclosure.
Li Yuan withdrew his hand from the Spirit Grass and followed him.
After a couple of steps, Li Yuan spoke.
"What was that one just now?"
Steward Wang didn’t stop walking or turn his head.
"Which one?"
"The one with the bright green stem and silvery fuzz on the edges of its leaves."
Steward Wang grunted in acknowledgment and pointed behind him casually.
"Strengthening Grass. Taking it can consolidate one’s Qi Blood. The effect is gentle and long-lasting, suitable for long-term conditioning. It’s Tier One Top Grade and has been growing for over two years."
He pulled his hand back and continued walking forward.
"This stuff isn’t particularly rare; you can find it outside sometimes, but the quality is inconsistent. The one in this garden was nurtured by the Spirit Vein, so its quality is ten to twenty percent better than what you can buy on the market."
Li Yuan nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.
The two continued deeper along the small path inside the enclosure.
The deeper they went into the enclosure, the higher the grade of the medicinal herbs. A few Spirit Medicines near the corner were short but had thick roots and stems, and the patterns on their leaves were more than twice as dense as those on the outer herbs.
Steward Wang stopped in front of a dark green Spirit Medicine that was half a person’s height.
The Spirit Medicine’s stem was almost as thick as an arm, covered in a layer of dark bark. Its top hadn’t bloomed yet; several thick leaves were tightly closed, and a bulging, bluish-gray bud was faintly visible in the middle, with a faint Spiritual Light flowing across its surface.
"This is one of the main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill." Steward Wang’s tone grew a bit more serious.
He pointed toward the bud without touching it.
Li Yuan glanced at the Spirit Medicine.
"How many of this level are in the garden?"
"Inside the whole enclosure, there are about ten Tier One Top Grade plants. Only two are close to Tier Two, and this is one of them." Steward Wang jutted his chin toward another herb nearby. "That one’s almost ready too, but it’s about ten days behind this one."
The two walked out of the enclosure and circled around the outer edge of the slope.
The herb beds on the periphery were several grades lower than those inside the enclosure, mostly consisting of Tier One Low Grade and Middle Grade Spirit Grass.
As Li Yuan walked, he scanned the herb beds on both sides and noticed a few patches of Spirit Grass that Steward Wang didn’t even glance at as he passed, much less show any intention of introducing.
Those Spirit Grass plants looked very ordinary. Their stems were thin and weak, their leaves a grayish-green, completely unremarkable among the surrounding Spirit Grass.
But on the stone railings of the herb bed were several extremely faint Spirit Patterns, their color so dim they were practically unnoticeable if one didn’t look closely.
He didn’t reach out to touch them, just gave those Spirit Grass plants a couple more glances.
Steward Wang took a few steps, then, perhaps noticing Li Yuan’s gaze, glanced back.
"Don’t touch those."
His tone was casual, but his words were firm.
Steward Wang didn’t elaborate on what those plants were and continued walking forward without pause.
After circling the outer area, the two followed a small path along the stone railings down the slope.
Li Yuan spoke up.
"You said before that after guarding for a period, we could choose one medicinal herb to take. Can we pick from inside the enclosure?"
Steward Wang stopped and turned to look at him.
"Anything except for the few that are close to Tier Two and a couple of other rare ones."
He rubbed his chin.
"Do you need something urgently?"
"I want that Strengthening Grass."
Steward Wang raised an eyebrow.
"Strengthening Grass?"
He tilted his head in thought, his gaze sweeping over Li Yuan.
"What do you want Strengthening Grass for? To consolidate your Qi Blood?"
"Yes."
"That’s fine." Steward Wang tucked his hands into his sleeves, his tone as casual as if he were buying cabbage.
"The Strengthening Grass is Tier One Top Grade. It would cost forty to fifty Spirit Stones outside. For you, let’s call it forty."
"If you wait until your rotation is over to pick, that’s a reward. If you take it now, you have to pay the price for it."
Li Yuan touched his storage pouch.
’I don’t have many Spirit Stones left.’ He had spent a large sum on the Jade Cloud Talisman Brush and the Evil Spirit-Detecting Disc. Combined with daily expenses, he only had about ten Spirit Stones in his pouch.
"Just like that?"
"What’s not casual about it?" Steward Wang scoffed, gesturing around the medicine garden with his chin.
"These herbs look nice sitting in the ground, but who knows how long we can protect them. A while ago, the He family’s Jade Essence Flower was stolen—pulled right out, roots and all. Years of hard work, all for nothing."
He patted the Magical Artifact at his waist.
"Instead of waiting for someone from the Li family to sneak over and clean us out, it’s better to sell them to you guards for some Spirit Stone contributions. At least they’ll be converted into tangible combat strength."
Li Yuan nodded.
"I don’t have enough Spirit Stones, but I have quite a few Talismans on hand. Can I use those to pay?"
Steward Wang waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for all that trouble. You’re from the Talisman Hall, right? You have contribution points, don’t you?"
"I do."
"I’ll file a report and let you use your Talisman Hall contribution points to cover it."
Steward Wang made a motion in the air with his hand, as if signing something.
"You’re not too far in debt, are you?"
"No."
"Then there’s no problem. But the process will take a few days. I’ll give it to you once it’s approved."
Having said his piece, Steward Wang turned and continued down the slope at a brisk pace.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Li Yuan followed behind, and the two walked to the stone houses at the bottom of the slope.
Steward Wang pointed to the easternmost one.
"You can stay in that one. The desk is big enough for making talismans."
Li Yuan pushed the door open and looked inside. The stone house wasn’t large, but the desk was spacious. There was a wooden plank bed against the wall, and the window faced the gentle slope of the medicine garden. In a corner were the traces of a miniature Spirit Gathering Array, making the Spiritual Qi concentration slightly higher than outside.
Li Yuan organized the items from his storage pouch. He stacked his talisman-making materials in a corner of the desk, placed the Jade Cloud Talisman Brush on its stand, and put the Spiritual Ink and cinnabar within easy reach.
He spread out a sheet of talisman paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began to write.
A Fireball Talisman.
The Jade Cloud Talisman Brush felt steady in his hand, its Spiritual Power conduction showing almost no decay. He drew the six Spirit Patterns in one smooth motion. The Talisman Core converged, and a deep, reserved crimson glow emerged.
’Success.’
A second, a third, a fourth. He produced four finished talismans in a row.
After finishing the batch, Li Yuan put down his talisman brush, stood up, and left the stone house.
Between the stone houses and a wooden shed at the bottom of the slope was a small clearing, where a few stones were arranged into a simple stove. Two men were squatting by the clearing; one was whittling a stick, and the other was leaning against a rock, gnawing on dry rations.
The one whittling the stick was a cultivator with the surname Zhou. He was in his early thirties with a dark complexion and was at the Qi Refining Fifth Level. The one leaning against the rock was a cultivator named Feng, around forty, tall and thin, at the Qi Refining Fourth Level. He chewed his dry rations very slowly.
Li Yuan sat down on a rock at the edge of the clearing.
The cultivator named Zhou looked up at him.
"Making talismans?"
"Finished a batch."
"Good. We’re in desperate need of Talismans here." The cultivator named Zhou shaved the last splinter off the stick and set it on the ground.
The cultivator named Feng swallowed the mouthful of dry rations and added in a raspy voice,
"It’s not just Talismans we’re short on. We’re short on everything. The pill supply was cut off half a month ago. The stuff that Pill Refiner up the slope makes is only enough for daily use; it’s completely insufficient if someone gets seriously injured."
Li Yuan didn’t reply, waiting for them to continue.
The cultivator named Feng brushed the crumbs from his hands, his voice dropping a little.
"Lately, the Li family has been sending people over to harass us from time to time. They don’t actually attack; by the time we rush out, they’re already gone."
"Not just people," the cultivator named Zhou added. "Demon Beasts have come by twice as well. They were just small Tier One Low Grade creatures, no real threat, but low-level Demon Beasts shouldn’t be appearing near a Spirit Vein."
The cultivator named Feng let out a breath.
"I’m just afraid of when those Li family Cultivators will decide to make a real move."
Their tones weren’t tense, but rather held a kind of weary resignation.
Li Yuan took a piece of Demon Beast Flesh from his storage pouch and roasted it on the stove using his Fire Control Skill.
The aroma of cooked meat spread through the air. The cultivator named Zhou sniffed it but said nothing.
Li Yuan used his knife to cut off two pieces and handed them to the men. They thanked him and ate them right away.
After eating, Li Yuan returned to his stone house and continued making talismans.
「Over the next few days, Li Yuan gradually adapted to the rhythm of guarding the medicine garden.」
He spent most of the day making talismans, taking breaks to walk among the herb beds and help check the growth of the Spirit Grass. This was Steward Wang’s arrangement; since he was stationed here, he might as well learn some of the basics of being a Spirit Farmer.
Steward Wang taught casually, explaining things as they came up.
Passing by one herb bed, he would bend down, pull out a Spirit Grass, and point to its roots, explaining which shape indicated sufficient Spiritual Qi absorption and which meant it needed a supplement of Spirit Liquid. Passing another, he would pinch the soil and tell Li Yuan that its hardness was a sign of uneven Spiritual Qi permeation from the Spirit Vein, which needed to be loosened with Magic.
"You use Wood Element Magic to loosen the soil for the Spirit Grass." Steward Wang squatted by the herb bed, pressing his palm flat against the dirt.
A thread of faint green Spiritual Power seeped from his palm, drilling down through the cracks in the earth. Under the permeation of the Spiritual Power, the soil slowly softened, and a few curled, fine root hairs gradually unfurled in the loosened dirt.
"You don’t need a powerful spell; an introductory level is enough." Steward Wang pulled his hand back and patted the dirt from his palm. "The Wood Element Magic that Spirit Farmers use for daily care is called the Nourishing Essence Skill. It’s the most basic kind. You just channel a stream of Wood Spiritual Power into the soil to help the Spirit Grass’s roots spread out, and it loosens the soil at the same time."
He took a thin bamboo scroll from his storage pouch and tossed it to Li Yuan.
"Take a look when you get back. It’s not difficult."
Li Yuan caught the scroll, opened it, and scanned it.
The Spiritual Power circulation path for the Nourishing Essence Skill was extremely simple. After converting the Spiritual Power in his body to the Wood Attribute, he would release it from his palm to permeate the soil or the plant itself. The conversion efficiency wasn’t high, but it had very low requirements for fine control over Spiritual Power.
That evening, Li Yuan circulated his energy a few times in his stone house, following the path described on the bamboo scroll.
He drew Spiritual Power from his Dantian and guided it through a specialized conversion path for half a cycle. Just as Fire Element Magic required converting Spiritual Power to the Fire Attribute, Wood Element Magic also required an attribute conversion. However, the conversion path for the Wood Attribute was shorter and simpler than that for the Fire Attribute; he mastered it after just three attempts.
Li Yuan turned his palm downward, and a thread of faint green Spiritual Power seeped out from between his fingers.
The Spiritual Power landed on the desktop, causing a very faint green sheen to appear on the wooden surface before quickly dissipating.
The effect was extremely weak, but it was undeniably Wood Attribute Spiritual Power.
[Magic: Nourishing Essence Skill - Introductory (0/200)]
’I’ve reached the introductory level.’
Li Yuan closed the bamboo scroll and put it away in his storage pouch.
’Now that I have a Wood Element spell, I’m one step closer to mastering the magic of the five elements.’
Li Yuan cleared his desk, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, and began to circulate the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
The Spiritual Qi concentration in the medicine garden was indeed higher than any other place he had stayed. The influx of Spiritual Qi entering his body was nearly fifty percent stronger than at the market-town garrison. After the impurities were filtered out, the Pure Spiritual Power condensed and sank into his Dantian.
After completing one full cycle, the amount of Spiritual Power that settled into his Dantian was significantly more than when he cultivated in the market town.
His Cultivation was steadily progressing.
Outside the window, the night was pitch-black. In the distance, the cyan light screen of the medicine garden’s Array flowed slowly. An occasional night breeze blew past, carrying the clear, bitter scent of Spirit Grass.