"The Miracle Elixir"

Zhong Wen crouched in his room, in front of him rested an earthenware pot with a fire burning beneath it. He anxiously watched the contents within the pot and occasionally added some lake water into it.

Gradually, the water in the pot evaporated, leaving behind a condensed white residue at the bottom. Zhong Wen reached out and picked up a small piece of the white crystalline substance, gently licking it.

Salty, with a hint of something peculiar.

He made it!

Although it couldn't compare to the refined salt he used to consume in his past life, the taste of this salt was far superior to the coarse salt produced directly from seawater. Zhong Wen suspected it had to do with the quality of the saltwater from the Medicine King Valley.

Finally, he could bid farewell to saltless days!

Tears welled up in Zhong Wen's eyes. At this moment, all thoughts of spirit stones, elixirs, and martial techniques were cast aside.

"Zhong Wen, it's time for dinner!"

A little girl entered, carrying a tray of food. She noticed Zhong Wen lying on his back with his hands raised to the sky in a rather dramatic pose and curiously asked, "What are you doing?"

"I've just created a treasure," Zhong Wen turned around, speaking mysteriously.

"What treasure?" The mention of a treasure instantly piqued the little girl's interest, and her eyes sparkled.

"This thing is called the 'Miracle Elixir,'" Zhong Wen held up the salt container proudly. "Just sprinkle a bit of it in your food, and everything will taste incredibly delicious."

"That's amazing!" The little girl's mouth watered at the thought. "Could you give me a little to try?"

"No problem," Zhong Wen waved his hand generously. "Is this chicken soup? Come on, I'll show you the power of the 'Miracle Elixir' right now."

With that, he took out a piece of the salt and tossed it into the large bowl of chicken soup, stirring it slowly with a spoon.

"Gurgle!"

The distinctive fragrance of homemade chicken soup wafted through the air, and Zhong Wen's stomach rumbled in response. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, and took a small sip.

"Ah~~~"

An indescribable sense of satisfaction, deep from the soul, spread throughout his body. Zhong Wen couldn't help but let out a moan of delight, feeling so content that he almost fainted.

"Is it that delicious?" Zhong Wen's reaction aroused the curiosity of the little girl. She couldn't resist but scoop a spoonful of soup, blowing on it gently, and then tasting it.

It was incredibly delicious!

A taste she had never experienced before tingled her taste buds, leaving her feeling a bit dizzy.

Regaining her composure, the little girl turned her gaze back to the earthenware pot in Zhong Wen's hands, her eyes completely transformed.

"Zhong Wen, can you give me some of your 'Miracle Elixir'? I want to let my master and senior sisters taste it," she said with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Xiaodie, you're such a good kid, always thinking of others," Zhong Wen affectionately patted the girl's head. "I've only made this much 'Miracle Elixir' for now. Take some, but be cautious not to use too much in your soup; otherwise, it might become bitter."

With that, Zhong Wen scooped out a portion of the salt and placed it in a bowl, handing it over.

"Got it!" Xiaodie nodded eagerly, cradling the bowl and running out of the room.

"Phew~"

Basking in the sunlight that streamed into the room, and listening to the sounds of birds and cicadas in the courtyard, Zhong Wen leisurely enjoyed his bowl of chicken soup. Having eaten his fill and feeling a bit tired from the lack of sleep the previous night, he was contemplating taking a nap when the door was pushed open once again.

This time, in addition to Xiaodie, there were Liu Qiqi and Zheng Yueting.

As soon as they entered, both girls fixed their gaze upon Zhong Wen.

"Mr. Zhong..." Liu Qiqi went straight to the point, "Xiaodie told us that you created the 'Miracle Elixir'?"

"You can just call me Zhong Wen," he smiled. "Yes, I've recalled some things over the past few days, and the 'Miracle Elixir' is a formula I accidentally obtained."

"Zhong Wen, can this 'Miracle Elixir'..." Liu Qiqi hesitated for a moment, her face showing a trace of uncertainty.

"Brother Zhong, could you sell some to me?" interjected Zheng Yueting.

Zhong Wen gazed at her flawless, beautiful face for quite some time, making her blush slightly before he replied, "Miss Zheng is Miss Liu's good friend, so there's no need to pay me for it. I've only made a limited amount of this 'Miracle Elixir' for now. Feel free to take it if you want."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper-wrapped bundle containing the salt he had extracted from the earthenware pot.

"No, you don't need to give me so much; half will suffice," Zheng Yueting politely waved her hand, "Such a treasure, I wouldn't have dared to ask for it in the past. However, my mother has been unwell lately, with no appetite. She hasn't eaten for over ten days, surviving on thin porridge alone. I want to see if this 'Miracle Elixir' can make her eat."

"Miss Zheng, with such filial piety, I'm sure your mother will recover soon," Zhong Wen reassured her.

Liu Qiqi hesitated how to speak up.

Suddenly, Zhong Wen reached out and grabbed her right hand, placing the half-bag of salt Zheng Yueting had returned to him into her palm.

Liu Qiqi was taken aback, about to decline, but Zhong Wen softly said, "This isn't difficult to make, and I was planning to improve your everyday meals anyway. Take it."

"Thank you!" After a moment of silence, Liu Qiqi expressed her gratitude.

If one looked closely, they would notice a faint blush on her fair cheeks. Unfortunately, Zhong Wen didn't notice; his thoughts were elsewhere.

This girl practiced martial arts every day and didn't even have calluses on her hands—so tender and smooth! Zhong Wen secretly resolved not to wash his hands today.

"Zhong Wen, have you finished eating?" Xiaodie ran over to Zhong Wen, her big eyes fixed on him without blinking.

"Yes, I'm full."

"Then can you tell me a bit more about 'Journey to the West'?" The little girl wore a pleading expression.

"Well... alright." Zhong Wen couldn't resist Xiaodie's cute look and gave up on his nap.

"Great!" When Zhong Wen nodded, Xiaodie eagerly ran to the table, climbed onto a chair, placed her hands on the table, propped up her chin, and displayed an expectant expression.

"Shall we go?" Seeing that Zhong Wen was about to tell a story to Xiaodie, Zheng Yueting wanted to leave, so she pulled Liu Qiqi along.

"Let's wait a little longer."

To her surprise, Liu Qiqi also sat down like Xiaodie, imitating the posture of an audience.

She should have been too old for stories like this, why did she still want to join in?

Zheng Yueting found it a bit strange but didn't want to leave alone, so she also pulled up a chair to keep them company.

"Last time, we talked about the Monkey King accompanying Tai Bai Jin Xing to the heavens, their first arrival in the heavenly realm, and their entry into the heavenly palace. The southern heavenly gate was made of blue-colored lustrous glass, emitting a bright golden light, and auspicious purple mist. Inside, there are thirty-three heavenly palaces, including the Cloud Sending Palace, Vaisravana Palace, Five Bright Palaces, Sun Palace, and Hua Le Palace... Each palace has a roof adorned with golden beasts. There are also seventy-two precious halls, including the Morning Meeting Hall, Ling Xu Hall, Precious Light Hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Spirit Official Hall..."

Zhong Wen, full of enthusiasm, took on the role of a storyteller, vividly describing the heavenly realm. "In this heavenly world, they look down upon me, the Monkey King! At Flower-Fruit Mountain, I ruled as king and ancestor. Why would I be persuaded to raise horses for others? Taking care of horses is the work of younger generations and lowly servants. How can they expect me to do it? I won't, I won't! I'm going to leave!"

This description of the heavenly realm was filled with vivid and imaginative details, captivating Xiaodie's eyes and even Zheng Yueting was engrossed, having long forgotten her intention to leave.

By the time Zhong Wen reached the part where the Third Prince Nezha and the Monkey King each transformed into three-headed, six-armed beings and engaged in a fierce battle, the three girls were completely immersed in the story. Liu Qiqi clenched her right fist, her excitement growing, wishing she could join this earth-shattering battle herself.

Unbeknownst to them, an hour had already passed.

"...The Jade Emperor issued an edict, ordering General Giant Spirit, Celestial Stallion, and others to escort them to the Execution Platform, where they would be dismembered!"

Zhong Wen's throat was dry from talking so much. "Alright, we'll stop here today. To find out what happens next, you'll have to listen to the next installment."

"How can you stop now!" Xiaodie was just reaching the most critical part. Seeing the Monkey King about to be executed, how could she be satisfied with this?

She tugged at Zhong Wen's sleeve, swaying back and forth, refusing to give up. "Tell us a bit more, please."

The two girls sitting behind, although silent, had expressions that showed their support for Xiaodie.

"Be good, I didn't get enough sleep yesterday, and I'm quite tired today. This story is still quite long, so I'll take a break and continue tomorrow," Zhong Wen gently patted Xiaodie's head and coaxed her.

"Okay!" Xiaodie was kind-hearted and didn't want to push Zhong Wen to exhaustion. She stopped urging him and her mind was filled with the image of the Monkey King's heroic and magnificent feats. She had completely forgotten about her evening studies and martial arts practice.

Liu Qiqi and Zheng Yueting were not children anymore and felt embarrassed to act spoiled in front of Zhong Wen. Seeing that he was determined not to continue, they had no choice but to leave the room. Outside the door, their voices gradually faded away.

"Do you think this Monkey King will die?"

"He probably won't; the monkey is the protagonist."

"That Erlang God is too powerful; he defeated the Great Sage Equal to Heaven."

"That's cheating. He relied on the Howling Celestial Dog to fight two against one; otherwise, he probably wouldn't be a match for the Monkey King."

"I need to go back home for a while to give 'Miracle Elixir' to my mother. Can I come again tomorrow?"

"Do you want to listen to Journey to the West?"

"Yeah, I've never heard such an interesting story before. If I can't hear the rest of the plot, I'll surely die!"

"Fine, do as you wish. If you want to stay, that's okay. I also need to go down the mountain, so let's go together."

"Great! Can you tell me the earlier parts of Journey to the West?"

"Mainly, it's about a monkey who emerges from a stone."

"...Is that it? Your storytelling skills aren't all that great."

"If you don’t care to listen, then I won’t continue!"

At this moment, Zhong Wen was no longer feeling sleepy. He lay in bed for a while but couldn't fall asleep. He decided to sit up, cross-legged, and enter the "Xinhua Scripture Repository" in his mind.

The massive bookshelf didn't appear as barren as before. Although most of the categories were still empty, there were now two to three hundred books on both the "Spirit Medicine" and "Alchemy" shelves. While they were far from being full, they gave the bookshelf a somewhat filled appearance.

With a mischievous smile, Zhong Wen focused and began to read the books from the Medicine King Valley.

Opening one book after another, long passages of text rushed into his brain, jostling to be absorbed. Even with the magical reading ability of the bookshelf, Zhong Wen still felt dizzy and almost crashed from the influx of information.

Half an hour later, Zhong Wen had memorized all the knowledge about spiritual medicines and alchemy from the Medicine King Valley. He now had the confidence of a master's in both fields.

If he had had this ability in his previous life, he could have easily started a training academy and probably made a fortune. Would he even have struggled to buy a house? Zhong Wen sighed.

Glancing out the window, he saw that it was still early. Zhong Wen climbed out of bed and sat at the table, ready to practice copying Initiatory Learning.

Promote literacy and eradicate illiteracy, starting with myself!

Zhong Wen focused and lifted the pen in his hand...

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The "Shengyu Trading Company" was a grand three-story building occupying nearly an acre of land in Fufeng Cty, making it one of the most impressive structures in the city.

As dusk approached, the front desk clerk was yawning and lazily sweeping the floor, preparing to close for the day. He was in his early twenties, unmarried, and had no intention of settling down early. All the silver yuan he had saved from working at the trading house had been contributed to a girl of a local brothel "Cuiyi Courtyard". His mind was filled with thoughts of her fair skin and exquisite figure, causing him to salivate. He couldn't wait for the shop to close so he could see her.

"If I could marry her, my life would be worthwhile," he thought to himself.

At that moment, a red-clothed young woman with a long ponytail, a picturesque face, and a long sword strapped to her back entered through the door. She seemed almost like a fairy or goddess.

"Is the shopkeeper here?" the young woman's voice was melodious.

The clerk didn't respond; he was simply captivated by the sight of the red-clothed young woman.

"Hello, is the shopkeeper here?" The young woman furrowed her brow and asked again.

"Oh, oh, miss, are you looking for our shopkeeper, Mr. Wang?" The clerk finally snapped out of his daze and realized his awkwardness. He quickly tried to rectify the situation. "You're very lucky; if you had come a moment later, he would have left."

"I have a precious item I'd like to sell. Can I discuss it with the shopkeeper?" the young woman inquired.

"Of course, please wait a moment. I'll go and inform him." The clerk, still drooling and without even setting down his broom, rushed upstairs.

After a short while, a plump middle-aged man in a silk robe appeared before the young woman.

"Young lady, my surname is Wang, and I’m the shopkeeper of the 'Shengyu Trading Company.' I heard that you have a valuable item you'd like to sell?" The middle-aged man spoke politely and with a gentle demeanor that easily endeared him to people.

"That's correct. I have something I'd like you to take a look at." The young woman retrieved a small cloth bundle from her bosom, opened it to reveal another paper package, and then unwrapped it to reveal a white crystalline substance. "This is an exclusive seasoning called 'Miracle Elixir'..."

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Compared to Cangyun City, the fourth-largest city in the Southern Frontier Province, Fufeng City could only be considered an insignificant place.

The small city was surrounded by mountains, rich in spiritual energy, and had fertile land. Whether it was for growing crops or medicinal herbs, the quality was exceptionally high. As a result, most of the merchants traveling to and from Fufeng City were dealers in spiritual herbs and grains. Their business was closely tied to the seasons, and most of them did not permanently reside in the city.

There were only three significant local forces in the area: the "Shengyu Trading Company," the "Golden Knife Sect," and the "Bliss Gang."

The "Shengyu Trading Company" was the most influential force in Fufeng City. It had a strong background and its operations spanned from grains, medicinal herbs, livestock, ironware, and farming tools to jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, martial arts techniques, and elixirs. Its status was unassailable and unshakable.

The other two were the "Golden Knife Sect" and the "Bliss Gang." The former one was a martial arts sect and the latter was a criminal organization. On the surface, they maintained peaceful relations, but behind the scenes, competition between them was ongoing.

However, in the past few days, the leader of the Golden Knife Sect, Zheng Gongming, had completely lost interest in competing with the Bliss Gang. It was all because his beloved wife, Mrs. Xiao-Zheng, had recently developed an eating disorder. Initially, she could barely manage to consume some liquid diet like soups and congee, but these days, she would vomit even if she forced herself to consume.

In this era of extreme male dominance and female subordination, most powerful men had several wives or even a dozen. Zheng Gongming, as the head of a martial sect, was exceptionally faithful and had only married Mrs. Xiao-Zheng. This showcased the depth of their love.

Watching her wife, who was bedridden and looked emaciated, Zheng Gongming felt deeply pained but also helpless. After all, there were quite a few cases of eating disorders among the nobility in the Great Qian Empire, and there were no effective treatments available. Patients often had to rely on self-recovery, and many nobles succumbed to this disorder every year.

"My lord, I can't go on like this," Mrs. Xiao-Zheng's cheeks were sunken, and her spirits were low. "I just hope that after I pass away, you can marry Miss Li as a concubine. I can't rest in peace without a woman to take care of you."

"Madam, please focus on your recovery. In a few days, your health will improve naturally. Don't worry about such matters," Zheng Gongming consoled her verbally, but his heart was heavy.

"For so many years, you've never taken another woman because of me, and you've even been ridiculed behind your back. I truly appreciate your kindness," Mrs. Xiao-Zheng's breath was extremely weak. "However, you must promise me this. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest in peace. Miss Li is a good woman, and with her taking care of you and the two children, I can be at ease."

"Madam, apart from you, I can't accommodate anyone else in my heart," Zheng Gongming finally couldn't hold back his tears, and they flowed freely. "Please focus on your recovery. Think about Yueting and Qi'er; they can't be without their mother."

"Yueting has grown up and is capable. I don't worry about her. It's just that Qi'er has such a delicate personality..." Mentioning their younger son, Mrs. Xiao-Zheng's face showed concern.

"Mom! Dad!" A voice from outside the door interrupted their conversation.

Zheng Gongming was feeling sentimental and was about to rebuke his daughter when Mrs. Xiao-Zheng shook her head and gestured with her eyes.

Zheng Gongming forced a bitter smile and remained silent.

"Yueting, did you win during your visit to the Drifting Petal Palace this time?" Mrs. Xiao-Zheng made an effort to perk up.

"Let's not talk about that," Zheng Yueting curled her lips. "Mom, how's your appetite? Can you eat anything now?"

"I'm feeling a bit better. I had a bowl of congee just now," Mrs. Xiao-Zheng said, glancing at her husband standing behind their daughter.

Zheng Gongming could only force a smile and nod in agreement.

Zheng Yueting was intelligent and, with a single look at their expressions, she understood what was happening. Without exposing them, she smiled and said, "This time, while on the mountain, I encountered a remarkable person who gave me a precious item. It might be able to cure Mom's eating disorder."

"Really?" Zheng Gongming's eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "What kind of item is it?"

"Please fetch a bowl of chicken soup," Zheng Yueting didn't reveal anything, only instructing the maidservant. "I'll conduct a live test of the 'Miracle Elixir's' effectiveness right now."

In no time, the maidservant brought in a large bowl of chicken soup. Zheng Yueting wasted no time. She took out a packet of salt from her bosom, gently broke off a small piece, and tossed it into the soup. She then instructed the maidservant to stir it well and brought it to Mrs. Xiao-Zheng's bedside.

"Mom, please take try it." Zheng Yueting scooped a spoonful, blew on it gently, and brought it to Mrs. Xiao-Zheng's lips.

Despite having no appetite, Mrs. Xiao-Zheng didn't want to disappoint her daughter. She suppressed her nausea and took a small sip of the chicken soup...