CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: CULTIVATION!

"We are villagers from the nearby village, originally went up the mountain to gather herbs, but as we passed by Caisan Town, we thought to take a look if there was anything valuable left. In the confusion, we might have offended you, sir. We hope you can forgive us."

A man dressed in short attire spoke nervously.

"Yes, indeed, sir, we truly are from the nearby village. If you don’t believe us, you can come back with us to see."

Another man quickly added.

"Is that so?"

Jiang Shi carefully observed them, seeing they held things like steel forks and firewood sabers, with bamboo baskets on their backs; they indeed seemed like herb gatherers entering the mountains.

"What happened in Caisan Town?"

Jiang Shi inquired.

"Five days ago, a group of bandits from Cyan Dragon Mountain descended, and within a night, swept through Caisan Town, wiping it out completely."

The man in short attire spoke.

Jiang Shi frowned secretly.

Just as expected.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at the group of men and said, "You just said you are herb gatherers? So that means you are all Medicine People."

"Yes, sir."

A man responded.

"In that case, does your village also have herbs?"

Jiang Shi asked.

"This...

The men exchanged glances, feeling uneasy.

"Don’t worry, I won’t harm you. I plan to buy some herbs from you. I wonder if you would be willing to sell?"

Jiang Shi said, directly pulling out some pieces of silver from his bosom, tossing them down as a deposit.

"May I ask what types of herbs the knight needs?"

A man picked up the silver pieces, carefully inquiring.

Jiang Shi immediately listed several names.

Undoubtedly, these were all used for cultivating the Red Sun Body Refining Technique.

The faces of the men changed rapidly, seemingly hesitant.

But upon seeing the silver in their hands, they quickly relented.

"To be honest, sir, we do have these herbs in our village."

The man in short attire said.

"That’s good. Please lead the way. Rest assured, I won’t treat you unfairly."

Jiang Shi smiled.

The men slowly nodded.

Along the way, Jiang Shi directly asked them about the general situation nearby.

"You may not know this, sir, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult for us Medicine People. In the past, we could still make a living by gathering herbs in the mountains and exchanging them for some money to make ends meet. But now all the procured herbs must be handed over to the military, and only after the military has selected, can we keep the leftovers. The key issue is that the price the military offers for the herbs they take is extremely low, making it difficult for us to make ends meet."

The man in short attire sighed, pausing before continuing, "Later, I found out that the herbs taken by the military are incredibly important and are used for martial arts practice. It seems they do not intend to let these herbs circulate among the common people."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Shi spoke expressionlessly.

"I noticed the herbs you are buying are also restricted items. Fortunately, our village has been living off gathering herbs for generations, and each household has stashed quite a few, enabling us to provide for you."

The man said.

"Don’t worry, as long as you can get me the herbs, money will not be an issue."

Jiang Shi replied.

He quickly pondered in his mind.

Military monopoly on herbs is likely just the first step.

If chaos continues for a long time, other commodities will likely be monopolized by them in succession.

Poverty and distress among the people are just beginning...

Half an hour later.

Under the guidance of the two, Jiang Shi finally arrived at a small mountain village at the foot of a hill.

The village was not large, about a hundred households.

As soon as they returned, many people gathered in the village.

"Er Hu is back?"

"Did you get anything good this time?"

"Damn it, the military is getting stricter. We don’t dare to speak out externally, yet internally they exploit us to death!"

"Who wouldn’t agree? Both bandits and rebel armies are everywhere inside Feng City, yet they don’t suppress them; instead, they fixate on what little we have?"

Many villagers started complaining.

But they quickly saw Jiang Shi riding on a warhorse holding a Wolf Fang Club, their expressions freezing slightly.

Good heavens!

This is...

"Village Chief, this young brother is named..."

The man in short attire ran to an elderly leader aged fifty or so, just about to introduce but suddenly paused, quickly looking towards Jiang Shi.

"I’m Jiang Shi, merely an unknown figure here to purchase some herbs. Rest assured, I absolutely won’t speak of this outside."

Jiang Shi spoke.

The old man’s heart pounded, tightly staring at the Wolf Fang Club in Jiang Shi’s hands.

This hefty Wolf Fang Club, it’s not light...

And it’s covered in bloodstains...

This man has surely killed.

He felt a sense of reproach towards Er Hu and others for bringing someone with an unclear identity into the village.

But now that the person was here, directly refusing or driving him away might only anger the man, likely bringing a bloodbath.

"Alright, then, what kind of herbs does the knight require?"

The old man inquired.

"Could we have a word elsewhere?"

Jiang Shi smiled.

With so many people around, it’s better to be cautious.

The village chief nodded slowly, eventually leading Jiang Shi to his residence.

Jiang Shi dismounted, holding a Wolf Fang Club, walked into the main hall, and directly stated the medicinal herbs he needed.

The village chief immediately frowned, feeling heavy-hearted, and gave Jiang Shi a deep look.

Indeed, all for martial arts practice!

And...

Still for cultivating Hard Skill!

"Hero, we do have the herbs, but about the price..."

He didn’t dare to refuse because Er Hu and the others had probably already informed him along the way.

"Don’t worry, the price is negotiable."

Jiang Shi took out a silver note worth a thousand taels and placed it on the table.

The village chief’s eyelids twitched, taking a deep breath, and said, "Allow this old man to go out and gather them for you."

"Chief, the more the better, also, I might be staying here for a while, please arrange a place for me."

Jiang Shi spoke.

"Staying here?"

The village chief was surprised.

"Yes, not for free!"

Jiang Shi replied.

The village chief nodded again, pocketed the silver note, and walked out.

No incidents followed.

Jiang Shi was quickly assigned accommodation by the village chief, settling into a room with a courtyard.

By the evening, the village chief brought two parcels into Jiang Shi’s dwelling.

"Hero, would this be enough?"

The village chief smiled.

Jiang Shi’s eyes lit up, stepping forward to inspect them closely, soon frowning slightly.

The herbs weren’t abundant, enough for about three or four uses.

Is the village chief still holding back?

"Alright, let me try these first, and please continue gathering for me."

Jiang Shi requested.

"This old man will try his best."

The village chief replied with a smile.

"By the way, don’t call me hero in the future, just use my name."

Jiang Shi spoke.

"Well... how about I call you Brother Jiang?"

The village chief hesitated.

Jiang Shi nodded lightly.

The village chief soon took his leave.

Jiang Shi immediately started boiling water in the courtyard, preparing for refining.

In no time, a large barrel of medicinal bath was ready.

He took off his clothes, sat cross-legged in the bath barrel, and began cultivating the Red Sun Body Refining Technique.

···

In another direction.

With the escort of two brawny men, Lu Chengtian finally returned to the Yi Ming Army’s stronghold and met his father.

"What did you say? You encountered the Green Forest Army midway, and they targeted you specifically?"

Lu Chengtian’s father, a sixty-year-old elder in a purple robe, full of authority, frowned tightly, asking.

"Yes, father, someone must have leaked my whereabouts, we have a spy in our base."

Lu Chengtian whispered through gritted teeth.

"Hmm?"

Lu Zhongshan narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam in them, and said, "A spy? They’re even plotting against me, are you alright?"

He looked at Lu Chengtian again.

"Reporting to father, I’m fine, thanks to a knight’s assistance. Oh, that knight was peculiar, possessing Innate Divine Power, overwhelmingly strong, and capable of killing a Tenth Stage Entering Strength expert with sheer physical power."

Lu Chengtian’s eyes gleamed with excitement, "Such a talent, I have never seen before. If we could recruit him under your command, in front of grandpa, we could be proud, and with his help, we could secure the world!"

"What did you say? Killing a Tenth Stage Entering Strength expert with pure physical strength?"

Lu Zhongshan’s heart jumped in shock.

Is this a joke?

"I swear it’s true, Fan Hu and Liu Long beside me witnessed it first-hand."

Lu Chengtian said excitedly.

"Yes, Grand Governor!"

"Unfortunately, he didn’t yield to our recruitment efforts."

The two brawny men clasped their fists and said.

"Innate Vajra, could this be a second Meng Fang?"

Lu Zhongshan murmured.

In Youzhou, the Grand Governor Meng Fang was known for his Innate Vajra, wielding a Phoenix Wing Golden Halberd to subdue the world, pulling down the major rebel armies and Jianghu sects.

He was considered invincible!

And now another one has appeared?

"Where did he go?"

"He went to Caisan Town, father, this person must not be approached with force, you should personally invite him with genuine sincerity."

Lu Chengtian quickly spoke.

···

Transitional Chapter~