12: Chapter 12 The Initial Formation of the Medicine Powder and the Undercurrents

The child had been wandering for who knows how long, his mind constantly in a state of tension; a full meal and a night of peaceful sleep were more important than anything else.

After finishing all this, he looked at Su Qingyao, pushed the remaining dry rations and that bottle of "Calming Powder" toward her, and said in a low voice, "Keep these. If anything happens, this medicine powder can buy you some time. I'm going into the mountains to find medicine; at the fastest, one day, at the slowest, two."

Su Qingyao did not decline, only nodded, her gaze falling on the short blade at his waist and the medicine basket on his back, saying softly, "Be careful."

Lin Chen gave a grunt of acknowledgment, turned, and pushed the door open to leave.

The faint morning light stretched his shadow out long.

Venturing deep into Black Stone Mountain once again, Lin Chen's goal was exceptionally clear.

Red Sun Grass, which loves the sun and has a fiery nature, mostly grows on sun-facing cliffs or ridges; the Yang-fire Qi contained within its rhizome is the key to neutralizing Yin-rot Qi.

Heart-Clearing Lotus, which loves still water, is often hidden in secluded small pools or slow-moving streams deep in the mountains; the purification power inherent in its lotus seeds can cleanse the turbid Qi of the earth.

His cultivation at Qi Refining Stage 4 allowed his control over his body to far exceed what it was before.

Spiritual Qi flowed through his Meridians, infusing his legs with a light strength; when he executed "Wind-Riding Steps," his figure almost glided across the steep mountain paths.

More importantly, the stone ring on his right thumb had seen its sensing range expand by nearly double as his Spiritual Qi improved.

Spiritual Qi fluctuations that previously required him to be within ten zhang to sense could now be detected as a faint warmth from twenty zhang away.

He avoided all the familiar paths that might have been staked out by Patrol Squad Captain's men, choosing instead the precipitous places that even monkeys would find hard to climb.

At midday, the scorching sun was high in the sky.

Lin Chen was hanging on a nearly ninety-degree south-facing cliff wall.

His toes were digging desperately into a crevice in the rock, his left hand gripping a protruding, tough tree root, his body almost parallel to the cliff face.

Sweat slid down his temples and dripped into his eyes, bringing a stinging pain.

About three zhang away, diagonally above him, a cluster of plants facing the scorching sun, with leaves showing dark red veins, was growing stubbornly in a crack in the rock.

That was the Red Sun Grass.

The warmth transmitted by the stone ring confirmed the Spiritual Qi they contained.

He took a deep breath, exerted sudden force from his waist and abdomen, and his body darted upward like a gecko; his right hand reached out like lightning, precisely grasping the root of a Red Sun Grass.

He dared not use brute force, but instead injected a trace of Spiritual Qi into his fingertips, carefully loosening the surrounding rock and soil to pull the entire plant, along with its deeply embedded tuberous root, out intact.

After two consecutive risky climbs, he successfully collected five stalks of Red Sun Grass, each around ten years old.

Although their age was barely enough, in this outer mountain range, they were already extremely rare.

Having found the Red Sun Grass, he did not linger; he immediately changed direction and headed toward a hidden mountain stream in his memory.

It was a narrow, long valley sandwiched between two mountain peaks; at the bottom of the valley lay a small pool that never saw sunlight all year round, its water clear to the bottom, and the environment was tranquil.

When he brushed aside the last huge fern leaf blocking his path, that jade-green pool came into view.

In the center of the pool, three white lotus flowers, on the verge of blooming, stood gracefully on the water's surface, and the surrounding air seemed to have become a bit crisper.

Heart-Clearing Lotus! And by the looks of it, it was about to mature.

Lin Chen felt a surge of joy in his heart, but immediately became vigilant again.

Spiritual plants of this grade are often guarded by Yao Beasts nearby.

His gaze quickly swept over the surroundings of the pool; the stone ring had not sent any warning of Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

He did not rush forward rashly, but instead picked up a stone and threw it hard toward the center of the pool.

With a "plop," water splashed everywhere.

Ripples spread across the water's surface, but apart from that, there was no other movement.

Could it be that he was overthinking it?

He frowned and waited for a moment longer; it remained calm and peaceful.

He decided not to delay any longer, took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pant legs, and carefully stepped into the icy pool water, walking toward those three Heart-Clearing Lotuses.

The pool water was not deep, just reaching his knees.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch one of the lotus flowers, an extremely dangerous feeling suddenly rose from the depths of his heart!

Almost instinctively, he gave up on picking it, his body threw itself backward, and at the same time, he slapped his palms against the water surface, using the reaction force to retreat rapidly toward the bank.

"Splash—!"

The moment he retreated, a black shadow as thick as a water bucket lunged out from the spot where he had just been standing, kicking up a large spray of water.

It was a giant python covered in blue-black scales, with a tumor-like protrusion on the top of its head, its cold, vertical pupils locked tightly onto him.

A Rank 1 Medium Grade Yao Beast, Water Python!

It had actually restrained its entire aura just now, blending perfectly into the Spiritual Qi environment of the pool, so that even the stone ring had not been able to detect it in advance.

The Water Python missed its strike and let out an angry hiss; its long tail, like a steel whip, swept across with the sound of breaking wind.

Lin Chen's pupils constricted; he was in mid-air, his old strength spent and new strength yet to be generated, making it impossible to dodge completely.

In the nick of time, he could only pour all his Spiritual Qi into his left arm and cross it in front of his chest.

"Bang!"

With a muffled sound, a tremendous force slammed into his arm.

He felt a piercing pain, and his whole body was sent flying by this force, crashing heavily against the rocks on the bank; a sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly spat out blood.

Unable to tend to his injuries, he rolled to dodge; the Water Python's giant tail followed closely, smashing a shallow pit where he had just fallen, sending crushed stones flying.

Lin Chen dared not linger to fight; taking advantage of the gap in the Water Python's attack, he leaped up from the ground and plunged into the dense forest beside him without looking back, driving his Wind-Riding Steps to the limit, his figure disappearing after a few flickers.

The Water Python circled and hissed by the pool for a moment, seemingly wary of leaving the water source too far, and finally, unwillingly, submerged back into the deep pool.

Not until he had run several miles away and confirmed that the Water Python was not pursuing him did Lin Chen lean against a large tree, gasping for breath.

He pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, only to see that his entire forearm was already swollen high, with a blue-purple bruise extending from his wrist all the way to his elbow—a shocking sight.

He fumbled in his bosom for the golden sore medicine that Su Qingyao had prepared for him, smeared some on haphazardly, and tore off a piece of his hem to bandage it simply.

The severe pain made cold sweat seep from his forehead, but as he looked at the few stalks of Red Sun Grass in the medicine basket and the single Heart-Clearing Lotus he had risked his life to snatch, a glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

He would remember this debt.

By the time Lin Chen returned to the dilapidated courtyard, exhausted and injured, it was already dusk.

Su Qingyao was in the courtyard drying some ordinary medicinal herbs; seeing the simple bandage on his left arm and his pale complexion, her eyes tightened.

She asked nothing, only walked quickly into the house, brought out a basin of warm, clear water, and fetched a clean cloth and injury medicine.

She unwound the haphazardly wrapped cloth from Lin Chen's arm; upon seeing that terrifying bruise, she held her breath, her fingertips holding the cloth subconsciously pressing hard against her lips, until they pressed out a clear white mark.

She didn't say a word, but her movements were incredibly gentle, first carefully cleaning the wound with clear water, then applying the ointment evenly.

Throughout the entire process, her gaze remained fixed on his arm, her long eyelashes lowered, masking the emotions in her eyes.

Lin Chen felt the coolness spreading from his arm and the slight, restrained trembling of her fingertips; his heart warmed, and he said softly, "It's a small injury, no matter."

Su Qingyao did not answer, only silently helped him re-bandage it properly.

After finishing all this, she stood up, took the medicine basket Lin Chen handed over, and began to process those hard-won spiritual plants.

She carefully washed the rhizomes of the Red Sun Grass, sliced them into thin pieces, and placed them in an earthenware pot, drying them slowly over a low fire until all moisture was gone and they took on a caramel-like color.

Then, she used a stone pestle to grind them bit by bit into a fine, orange-red powder.

Next, she carefully peeled open the seed pod of that Heart-Clearing Lotus, took out a dozen plump lotus seeds, and used the same method to pound them into a snow-white powder.

The two powders emitted completely different auras—one hot and dry, the other cool and cold.

Following the records in the remnant pages of the Alchemy Manual, and combining them with her own experience in the Dao of Alchemy, Su Qingyao calculated the safest ratio and mixed the two together.

Finally, she took the rainwater she had collected a few days ago and stored in an earthenware jar, poured it in slowly, and blended it into a moist medicinal paste that was yellowish in color and emitted a faint, clear fragrance.

A-Tu, who had been brought back by Lin Chen, had initially been shrinking timidly in the corner; now, smelling that strange fragrance, he couldn't help but curiously edge closer.

Watching Su Qingyao's nimble hands turn the two powders into the magical medicinal paste, his bright black eyes sparkled.

Su Qingyao noticed his gaze; after a moment's thought, she beckoned to him, her voice even softer than when she spoke to Lin Chen: "Come here, help me with a task."

She demonstrated, scooping out a small piece of the medicinal paste from the basin, placing it in her palm, and gently rolling it into a round ball the size of a walnut.

A-Tu timidly extended his dirty little hand, and mimicking her, also pinched off a piece of the medicinal paste.

His fingers were exceptionally nimble; although it was his first time doing this, the medicinal pill he pinched out was even in size, even a bit more regular than the ones Su Qingyao had casually made.

Su Qingyao

[part:gemini-3.5-flash]

In the courtyard, the fading glow of the setting sun spilled down. Two figures, one large and one small, sat quietly on small stools, focusing intently on rolling medicinal pills, forming a peaceful and warm picture.

Lin Chen sat to the side, adjusting his breathing to recover his spiritual power while watching this scene. The hostility and fatigue in his heart seemed to be diluted a great deal by this warm sight.

The three-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.

On the afternoon of the third day, a familiar, arrogant shouting and cursing came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Lin Chen! The three days are up. Have you prepared the Spirit Stones?"

It was Scarface. This time, he had brought two members of the Black Stone Gang with him again. However, instead of entering, they blocked the entrance, looking ready to cause trouble at any moment.

Lin Chen shot a look at Su Qingyao and A-Tu, gesturing for them to stay inside. He then composed his expression, putting on a deliberately troubled and ingratiating look before walking out.

"Brother, you've arrived." Lin Chen cupped his hands to Scarface, keeping his posture very humble. "Five Spirit Stones... is really too much. I haven't had much harvest from entering the mountains these past few days, so I really couldn't scrape them together."

As he spoke, he fished out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone from his robes and handed it over with both hands.

This Spirit Stone was what he had obtained from selling the ghost face mushrooms earlier. He had already absorbed some of its Spiritual Qi, so its luster was slightly dull.

"Could you... make an exception? I'll pay one first, and the rest... I'll slowly scrape together?"

Scarface took the Spirit Stone and weighed it in his hand. Feeling the weak Spiritual Qi, he let out a disdainful snort. "One? Do you think you're brushing off a beggar? Master Hong said that for this plot of land, it's at least three Spirit Stones! Not a single one less!"

Lin Chen's face instantly fell, taking on a miserable look. "Brother, I really don't have any more. How about... you give me a few more days of grace? I'm trying to find a way to go deeper into the mountains to try my luck and see if I can find something valuable..."

Scarface's fierce eyes stared intently at Lin Chen, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.

Seeing Lin Chen's washed-out clothes, the bandage wrapped around his left arm, and the bitter expression on his face that didn't seem fake, he believed him about seventy to eighty percent.

For a poor ghost whose dwelling was so dilapidated, being able to produce one Spirit Stone was probably already his limit.

"Fine!" He nodded reluctantly. "Seeing as you're quite sensible, I'll give you another five days! Five days later, three Spirit Stones, not a single one less! Otherwise, don't blame us brothers for being impolite and tearing down your little courtyard!"

With that, he turned around and left with his men.

Lin Chen noticed that one of the lackeys deliberately slowed his pace as they left. He turned back to take a deep look inside the courtyard, his gaze lingering for a moment on the window of the room where Su Qingyao and A-Tu were hiding before quickly following Scarface away.

The flattering smile on Lin Chen's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold and icy calm.

He knew this was just the brief calm before the storm.

Late that night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Lin Chen took the dried pills and A-Tu, arriving at the edge of the wasteland as silently as two shadows.

"A-Tu, try again, just like I taught you," Lin Chen said in a low voice.

A-Tu nodded, expertly lying flat on the ground. He pressed his ear tightly against the cold earth and closed his eyes, his breathing becoming extremely long and drawn out.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, pointed his finger toward an inconspicuous spot nearby, and said, "Uncle Lin, here... the movement underground is the loudest. It... it feels like there is water flowing very deep below."

The spot he pointed to was not off by even a hair from the core source of the micro-spiritual vein marked by the System log.

Lin Chen felt greatly reassured. Drawing his short knife, he quickly dug a shallow hole half a foot deep in that spot.

He took out three walnut-sized pills, placed them at the bottom of the hole, then quickly covered it with soil, disguising the surface to look like it did before.

Next, under A-Tu's guidance, they buried several other pills at set intervals along the edges of the Spiritual Qi fluctuation area, forming a loose encirclement.

Having done all this, Lin Chen did not leave immediately. Instead, he pulled A-Tu to hide behind a dense patch of bushes in the distance, holding his breath and focusing his mind to observe.

Time passed second by second. About half an hour later, an astonishing scene occurred.

Wisps of extremely faint, greyish-black aura, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, began to slowly seep out from the ground where the pills were buried.

As if they had a life of their own, these auras were "pulled" out from the soil, mixing with the light grey miasma already present in the air, before slowly rising and dispersing into the night like smoke blown by the wind.

The sickening, rotten stench that originally hung over the wasteland seemed to have unknowingly weakened by an imperceptible trace.

Meanwhile, at the eastern end of Black Stone Town, inside a residence converted from an abandoned ancestral hall, the lights were brightly lit.

The burly Hong Biao sat in the main seat, two walnut-sized iron balls slowly rotating in his broad palm, emitting a crisp "clack-clack" sound.

Scarface stood below, respectfully reporting the afternoon's situation.

"...He only gave one Spirit Stone. It looks like he really is squeezed dry," Scarface said with a flattering smile.

"One Spirit Stone..." A sneer curled at the corner of Hong Biao's mouth. "A poor ghost. Still, to be able to take down an Iron-Bristled Boar alone and even harvest ghost face mushrooms, he does have some ability. He still goes to that wasteland often?"

"Yes, Sect Leader," Scarface nodded quickly. "My men are keeping an eye on him. He goes there to look around almost every day, and today he even brought along that little beggar he picked up from outside."

"The wasteland..." A sharp gleam flashed in Hong Biao's eyes, and the iron balls in his hand spun a bit faster. "It seems he really hasn't given up, planning to forage for food in that place. Very well, let him fuss over it first. Although the miasma there isn't fatal, clearing it completely takes quite a bit of effort. Once he cleans up the land, we will go over and take it over, saving us some trouble."

He stopped his movements and slammed the iron balls onto the table, producing a heavy "thud."

"In five days, take your men to collect those three Spirit Stones. If he can't produce them..." Hong Biao paused, his tone turning grim. "Then follow the gang's old rules. 'Invite' him back and make him sign a labor contract to pay off his debt. That woman named Su Qingyao, I heard she looks pretty good? Her looks are not inferior to the niece of Pharmacist Wang from Huichun Hall in town. Bring her back as well, and say... the Sect Leader is merciful, allowing the husband and wife to reunite so they can be 'well taken care of' here."

"Sect Leader is brilliant!" Scarface understood immediately, a knowing, lecherous grin appearing on his face.

Over the next two days, Lin Chen and A-Tu did the same thing. Every night, taking advantage of the quiet hours, they went to the wasteland to bury new pills and observe the changes.

The effect was remarkable.

The area of about half an acre centered on the source of the Spiritual Vein saw the miasma hovering over it thin out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The soil on the surface also gradually changed from its original lifeless, dead grey color to a moisture-rich deep brown.

If one smelled it up close, they could even catch a very faint earthy scent of newborn land from the soil, rather than the rot of the past.

Late on the night of the third day, when Lin Chen dug up the initial shallow hole where he had buried the medicine again, he found that the three pills inside had completely dissolved, leaving no trace.

The soil at the bottom of the hole actually showed a moist, glossy, almost black luster.

He pinched a small clump with his fingers. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and he could clearly feel an extremely weak, yet warm and pure Spiritual Qi radiating from the soil.

At the same time, on the System panel in his field of vision, the [Resource Log] quietly refreshed.

"[Miasma purification level of target area: approximately 35%...]"

"[Soil has initially recovered activity, and the energy level has increased. It has met the minimum planting conditions. You may attempt to sow Tier 1 Low Grade shade-loving spiritual plants (e.g., cloud mist grass).]"

"[Warning: The activity of the underground micro-spiritual vein branch has shown a slight increase, and the rate of Spiritual Qi dissipation has increased slightly...]"

Lin Chen's heart settled. It worked!

The first step of the plan was complete. Next would be the crucial step of truly occupying this land.

However, just as they packed up their things and were about to leave quietly, the always-quiet A-Tu suddenly reached out and pulled hard on Lin Chen's sleeve.

"Uncle Lin..." He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a trace of nervousness and uncertainty as he pointed at an old, long-dead locust tree at the edge of the wasteland. "There... there seemed to be someone just now."

Lin Chen's heart jolted, and he looked sharply in the direction he pointed.

The night wind blew past, the dead branches making a ghostly "whoosh" sound.

There was no one behind the tree, only the wild grass swaying in the wind, casting messy shadows.

His spiritual sense swept over the area, but he didn't detect any fluctuations of spiritual power either.

But for some reason, he chose to believe A-Tu.

This youth had an almost beast-like intuition for the subtle changes in his surroundings.

Someone had been secretly spying on their every move.