2: Spiritual Book

Golden Finger!

Chen Linsheng stared intently at the illusory book panel before him, his heart pounding wildly.

Before he could think further.

A stream of unfamiliar information surged into his mind, bringing with it knowledge of dozens of herbs. Most of it confirmed what he already knew, but about seven or eight completely unknown herbs suddenly illuminated his entire herbal catalog.

At the same time, he felt a faint warm current in his hands, as if they had become more agile and sensitive.

“The function of this spirit book... is to let me increase my skill proficiency to gain divine effects?”

Chen Linsheng instinctively understood.

He was slightly shaken, but thinking of his sister-in-law suffering from illness and injury at home, he temporarily suppressed his shock and tentatively gripped the handle of the cleaver at his waist.

Immediately, an unprecedented sense of synergy arose, as if the coarse handle he was accustomed to had become an extension of his arm.

The sense of power emerging in his desperate situation instantly diluted his body's fatigue and his fear of the deep mountains.

He took a deep breath of the air, which carried the raw scent of vegetation, and his gaze sharpened.

“Find the herbs first!”

Relying on the newly acquired herbal knowledge in his mind, Chen Linsheng's searching efficiency significantly improved.

But the mountain path grew increasingly rugged, overgrown with vines and thorns, severely impeding his progress.

He drew his cleaver and swung it at the vines blocking his way.

The cleaver cut through the air; his movements and exertion seemed smoother and more precise than before.

After a few cuts, the path he cleared far exceeded his expectations.

Just as he swung his cleaver to cut down an old vine, the book panel before him flickered with light, and a new line of text appeared:

[Skill: Cleaver Technique (Beginner)]

[Progress: (75/100)]

[Divine Effect: Proficient chopping, rudimentary stance. Decent efficiency for chopping wood and clearing paths, only capable of self-preservation when facing an enemy.]

“Just as expected!”

Chen Linsheng's spirits lifted, feeling a deeper understanding of the spirit book.

Once proven, forever proven!

These skills were clearly left by his predecessor; after the spirit book appeared, it recorded all the accumulated experience within his body.

This saved him some tedious effort.

Chen Linsheng now felt the cleaver in his hand, and a sense of control, as if it were an extension of his own arm, spontaneously arose.

He was no longer just a woodsman who swung his knife based on brute force and habit, but a skilled user of the blade who understood the techniques of exertion.

“Proficient chopping, rudimentary stance... just reaching the Beginner level has this kind of effect?”

Chen Linsheng's heart burned with excitement. He no longer viewed clearing the path as a burden, but rather as an opportunity to hone his “Cleaver Technique.”

At the same time, he focused on searching in the mountains.

By the time the fog dispersed and dawn broke in the east, his basket was already filled with enough secondary herbs needed to treat cold and fever.

Moreover, he had activated two more skills.

Tracking and Climbing.

[Tracking (Beginner)]

[Progress: (40/100)]

[Divine Effect: Footprint identification, observation of subtle signs. Able to distinguish common beast tracks and observe traces of fallen vegetation.]

[Climbing (Beginner)]

[Progress: (32/100)]

[Divine Effect: Light as a swallow, firm grip. Can climb ordinary cliffs, though the risk of slipping is high.]

The divine effects of these two skills gave him a significant advantage in the rugged and perilous mountain forest.

Relying on the footprint identification and observation abilities within [Tracking].

He could easily spot subtle traces left by wild beasts, thus avoiding danger in advance.

At the same time, he could follow the specific environments where certain shade-loving herbs grew to pinpoint his targets more accurately.

The divine effect of [Climbing] also enhanced his physical coordination and grip strength, allowing him to venture into previously inaccessible areas.

Relying on his newly acquired skills, he soon filled a basket with herbs.

Only the main ingredient, moon shade flower, remained unfound.

“Where exactly is it?”

Chen Linsheng felt anxious. He knew the danger fever posed to the human body and that there was no time to waste.

The complicated decocting process of Chinese medicine was far less immediate than a modern injection.

The sooner he returned, the faster his sister-in-law's illness would be cured.

Just as he felt anxious, the detailed information about the [moon shade flower] flashed through his mind:

“It thrives in extreme yin, usually growing on shady cliffs, and its leaf petals are grayish-blue...”

Shady cliff!

Chen Linsheng's spirit sharpened, and he immediately recalled a treacherous spot on the back side of the mountain wall that he had glimpsed earlier while taking a detour to avoid a wild boar.

He immediately turned back, following his memory.

Before long, he arrived at the base of the cliff.

The cliff face was nearly vertical and covered in slippery moss. Thick tree crowns above shaded it, creating a cool, damp area.

“This is the place!”

He took a deep breath. The instinct of the [Climbing] skill naturally flowed, and his fingertips seemed to sharpen slightly.

He selected an area with more crevices, using both his hands and feet to steadily ascend.

Every climb was far more precise and powerful than before, and his movements truly possessed a hint of “light as a swallow.”

The higher he climbed, the darker the light became, but a unique, subtle fragrance of medicinal herbs wafted into his nose.

His spirits lifted. Following the scent, he cautiously traversed sideways.

Finally, in a natural shelter formed by several interlocking boulders, he saw the object of his search.

moon shade flower!

It grew quietly in a rock crevice, the plant only about three inches tall, with grayish-blue leaves.

Most striking were the three semi-curled petals, almost transparent in texture, which looked like a waning moon even in the dim light.

Chen Linsheng sighed in relief. Using the newly acquired method for harvesting, he easily picked the moon shade flower intact.

Success!

“My sister-in-law is saved.”

Carrying the reassuring main herb, Chen Linsheng let out a long breath.

Chen Linsheng turned to prepare for the descent, when he suddenly noticed a strange plant growing on a rare small flat patch of ground behind the boulder on the shady cliff face.

It was entirely emerald green, its leaves subtly marked with cloud patterns, and at its tip grew a lychee-sized, glowing crimson fruit, emitting a unique fragrance.

In Chen Linsheng's mind, the knowledge his father taught him before he died immediately surfaced: If it looks like an herb but isn't a common herb, first look for light and treasure.

Ordinary herbs are unremarkable, blending into the wilderness, difficult to discern.

Spiritual Plants and exotic specimens often possess a natural halo, with faint light flowing, appearing like a shimmering treasure even in the dark.

This was actually a Spiritual Plant!

Spiritual Plants are extremely valuable, highly prized even by Martial Artists. A single Low Grade Spiritual Plant is worth dozens of taels of silver.

And the Autumn Tax that was suffocating his family was only five taels of silver!

If he picked it and sold it, everything would be solved! Dozens of taels of silver would be enough to pay the Autumn Tax, cure his sister-in-law, and allow his family to live comfortably for many years.

This thought spread through him like wildfire, and his fingers even trembled slightly from excitement.

But the next moment, Chen Linsheng forced himself to calm down.

After exhaling a mouthful of stale air, he carefully observed the environment around the Spiritual Plant.

In an instant, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Chen Linsheng quickly turned and climbed down. After landing, he sprinted away. Only when the flat ground on the cliff was out of sight did he finally relax, recalling the scene he had just witnessed.

On the soil around the Spiritual Plant, there was a smooth, wide depression, and the weeds next to the mark were neatly flattened to both sides.

That was definitely not a trace left by a human.

A snake—no, a massive Python.

Even with all his newfound confidence, Chen Linsheng did not believe he could be a match for a Python.

“My sister-in-law is still burning up with fever... If I get greedy now, I will surely die!”

With this thought in his mind, Chen Linsheng raced down the mountain without looking back, following the path he came from.

Right now, saving his sister-in-law was the first priority!