Precious Herbs

Translator: CinderTL

Madam Wu lowered her eyes and said, "Fifteen thousand taels of silver."

"Fifteen thousand taels?!" Big Yellow Tooth was once again shocked.

"Let's go inside," Xu Sanyan had no interest in such mundane matters; he only wanted the precious herbs that Wu Jue had accumulated.

He quickened his pace and knocked on the door.

Creak—

The door slowly opened, and an old man peeked out, "Who is it…"

Upon seeing Madam Wu, he quickly opened the door wide, "Madam, you're back."

Xu Sanyan glanced up and down, frowning slightly. This old man had some martial skills.

Although his stance seemed casual, his body leaned slightly forward, his heels not fully grounded, ready to exert force at any moment. His martial arts must be quite formidable.

"And these two are…" the old man looked at Madam Wu.

Madam Wu appeared slightly uncomfortable, "This is Fourth Master from the village."

"So, it's the master's adopted son," the old man clearly had heard of him.

The group entered the courtyard. Xu Sanyan tilted his head and gave Madam Wu a look, signaling her to dismiss the old man, but she seemed to ignore it and walked straight toward the inner residence.

Xu Sanyan followed closely, his fingers subtly pressing against her lower back. With just a bit of force, he could ensure she would never walk again.

Madam Wu seemed to sense the danger and finally spoke, "Uncle Liu, you may leave now. I have some matters to discuss with Fourth Master."

The old man bowed his head respectfully, "Yes."

After he left, Xu Sanyan asked, "Who is that old man?"

"He's my husband's sworn brother. He has been here since the house was bought, looking after it and taking care of my son," Madam Wu explained.

Xu Sanyan nodded. She had mentioned her son's illness on the way here. "Let's go. Take me to where Wu Jue hid his things."

"Alright, but don't forget what you promised me," Madam Wu's eyes were pleading.

"Don't worry, I only want the precious herbs," Xu Sanyan assured her, promising not to harm her or her son, only to take the herbs.

"This way, please."

Madam Wu led Xu Sanyan to the study, instructing Big Yellow Tooth to wait outside. She pulled a book from the shelf, reached inside, and triggered a mechanism. Slowly, a hidden underground room was revealed.

"You go first," Xu Sanyan pushed her slightly.

Madam Wu obediently walked ahead.

Xu Sanyan remained vigilant as they descended about a dozen steps into the secret room. The room was not very spacious, roughly ten square meters, with wooden crates stacked against the walls.

The most eye-catching item was a wooden stand in the center, holding three boxes.

Xu Sanyan quickly stepped forward and opened each box. Inside were precious herbs—three in total!

Xu Sanyan's face lit up with surprise. He hadn't expected Wu Jue to have collected so many precious herbs.

"Do you know where he got these?" Xu Sanyan turned and asked.

"I only know that two of them were bought, and the third was likely obtained through business," she replied.

By "business," she meant illicit activities.

"Bought?" Xu Sanyan was stunned. He had never imagined that such items could be purchased.

Xu Sanyan had always believed that worldly gold and silver couldn't buy spiritual treasures.

"Where did he buy them?"

"I heard it was from Jingzhai Hall."

"How much did they cost?" A glimmer of light appeared in Xu Sanyan's eyes.

"About ten thousand taels of silver per herb. The price varies depending on the herb, some are cheaper, some more expensive."

Madam Wu seemed to notice his keen interest in the herbs and after a moment of thought, added, "Although these herbs are precious, they aren't that rare. They're just very scarce. They're difficult to cultivate and rely on ginseng hunters venturing into the mountains to find them, which is why the prices remain high."

She paused and then continued, "They have some health benefits and can aid in martial arts cultivation. Many noble ladies enjoy consuming them regularly. If you're interested, I can help you buy another one."

Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, "Are they easy to buy?"

Madam Wu shook her head, "Not easy. They're too scarce. It's mostly a matter of luck, but I know someone who has one. I could help you buy it at a high price."

Xu Sanyan nodded, never one to decline such offers. "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Madam. Have you bought them often before?"

Madam Wu replied, "My son's condition improved slightly after consuming the herbs, so I prepared these for him."

So that was it. Xu Sanyan had been stuck in a mental block, never realizing the significant role that worldly wealth could play.

The herbs contained only a trace of spiritual energy, which made them of little use to cultivators, but they were highly beneficial to him because he had a cheat!

Each herb could increase his "Vitality" by one point. With just a few herbs, he could enhance his strength once more.

Xu Sanyan fell into deep thought. Perhaps he could establish a force dedicated to searching for these precious herbs.

However, his own strength was still somewhat lacking. He was only at the Peak Stage of Qi Refinement. He wasn't sure if these herbs would be enough to elevate him to the Initial Stage of the Inner Qi Realm.

Each enhancement required an increasing amount of "Vitality." The first enhancement needed one point, the second two, and recently three. He didn't know how many points the next one would require.

But he wasn't in a hurry. After all, he had found a way to actively increase his "Vitality," rather than waiting for it to grow naturally.

Leaving the Northwest Desert had indeed been the right decision. In a poor town like Dafeng Town, even a prominent family like the Ma family only possessed one precious herb.

There might be more, but Liu Hong hadn't found them.

Xu Sanyan tucked the herbs into his robe and rummaged through the other crates, finding only gold, silver, and treasures. In the corner, there were a few martial arts manuals.

Xu Sanyan took a look. They were all mundane martial arts—fist, palm, sword, and saber techniques. He already had a saber technique, so learning others wouldn't be of much use. He needed to save his "Vitality" for advancing his realm.

After careful consideration, he took a stance training manual.

"Let's go."

Xu Sanyan turned and walked out, with Madam Wu following closely behind, sealing the secret room.

Once outside, Xu Sanyan tossed the manual to Big Yellow Tooth, "Study this well."

Big Yellow Tooth was immediately excited, "Fourth Master, is this a martial arts manual?"

"Can't you tell…"

Halfway through his sentence, Xu Sanyan remembered that the old man was illiterate.

"Figure it out yourself."

Xu Sanyan left him with those words and turned to Madam Wu, "Earlier, you mentioned ginseng hunters. Tell me more."

Madam Wu explained, "The ginseng hunters belong to the Ginseng Gang. Most of the precious herbs in the city are found by them. If you're interested in the herbs, Fourth Master, you could try contacting them. I'm sure they still have some in stock."

Xu Sanyan stroked his chin, "Ginseng Gang? What other guilds are there in the city?"

Madam Wu instinctively licked her lips, her throat dry as she replied,

"There are four major guilds in Taian City: the Ginseng Gang, the White Horse Guild, the Moon Gazing Pavilion, and the Guanshan Association. These are the largest, and there are smaller ones beneath them, like the Firewood Gang and the Yelang Society."

(End of the Chapter)

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