Chapter 6: Purple Lingzhi, A Bountiful Harvest, and Making Inquiries!
After leaving the town, Xia He quickly ventured back into the mountains.
Yesterday, he had only operated around the outskirts, where it was relatively safe.
Deeper within, the mountains were inhabited not only by numerous wild beasts but also filled with miasma in many areas, making it a perilous endeavor for ordinary people—death was almost certain.
His mission was clear: to find higher-grade, precious medicinal herbs.
These herbs possessed inherent spiritual energy, beneficial not only to humans but to beasts as well. Consuming enough of these spirit herbs could even awaken intelligence and evolve extraordinary abilities.
Xia He treaded cautiously along the rugged mountain paths, his eyes vigilantly scanning his surroundings. Throughout, he followed the thickest faint white line visible to him—an indicator from his skill of “Herb Identification.”
Suddenly, a breeze swept by, carrying a faint, elusive scent of blood and musk.
His heart tightened; he stopped and gripped his spear firmly.
Not far ahead, nestled in the grass, appeared an extraordinarily mystical Lingzhi mushroom.
[Second-tier Herb: Purple Lingzhi]
Its entire body shimmered with a translucent pale purple, as if carved from the purest gemstone in existence.
The mushroom emitted a subtle, faint fragrance that seemed to pierce the soul, invigorating anyone who inhaled it.
Nearby, a pair of ghostly green eyes flickered coldly. A huge wild wolf, massive and fanged, lay there, its gaze sharp and watchful.
Xia He took a deep breath.
Lingzhi was a tonic of great potency, renowned for calming the mind, nourishing the lungs and qi, promoting blood circulation, and strengthening the liver and spleen—truly worthy of its second-tier herb classification.
Without the guiding white line from his herb-identification skill, he would never have found it here.
“According to town prices, a Lingzhi of this age could sell for at least four or five taels of silver.”
Once harvested, he could clear his debts and still have surplus!
But the wolf was clearly no ordinary beast—it had sensed Xia He’s gaze.
It sprang to its feet swiftly, emitting a low growl.
“No more delay!”
Seizing the moment, Xia He hurled his spear with all his might.
The spear sliced through the air like lightning, striking the wolf’s vital spot with unerring precision.
With the aid of his skill, the throwing force surged to three hundred jin, and it never missed its mark.
The wolf howled in agony, collapsing to the ground and struggling a few times. It did not die instantly but showed signs of a desperate counterattack.
Xia He was startled but relieved he had crafted three spears. Without hesitation, he threw all at once.
The wolf was pierced like a sieve and soon ceased moving.
Exhaling deeply, Xia He hurried forward to confirm the wolf was dead. Then, picking up his spears, he discovered the obsidian tips were all damaged.
This wolf had clearly ingested numerous spirit herbs, its body transformed—its fur and hide much tougher than ordinary beasts.
“Obsidian has decent lethality but lacks sufficient durability. It breaks too easily and is only suitable for common beasts. I’ll have to find another solution for spearheads.”
Shaking his head, Xia He felt both alarmed and relieved.
He turned to the Lingzhi with joy, carefully harvesting it and placing it in his pack.
Using a sickle, he removed the wolf’s entrails to lighten the load before beginning the journey home.
Still, the combined weight was over sixty jin.
Currently, pork sold for thirty wen per jin in town; if wolf meat fetched a similar price, that would be 1,800 wen—nearly two taels of silver!
“Life is looking up!”
Just days ago, he had been a reckless gambler; now, he could hunt wolves alone. Who would have imagined?
Returning to town in the afternoon, he headed to the same herbal shop he had visited yesterday.
Carrying such a large wolf carcass drew much attention; many townsfolk were astonished.
“Caught such a big wolf? Impressive! Must weigh over a hundred jin.”
“Tsk tsk, a few days ago, several hunters went up the mountain together, and the three of them only managed to catch two rabbits!”
“Am I not mistaken? You’re the son-in-law of the Li family, Brother He? Have you stopped learning medicine from your father-in-law and taken up hunting instead?”
“Sigh, how much would that sell for? With that kind of money, you could buy medicine.”
The town was deeply affected by a blood disease that claimed many lives. For the common folk who contracted it, death was almost inevitable.
Even if families had some grain left, it was almost entirely consumed by the cost of illness.
The poor simply could not afford to fall ill.
Thus, they envied Xia He’s haul immensely.
“Uncle, why are you covered in blood? What are you carrying?”
“My mother just came looking for you, but you weren’t home.”
A group of children ran over wildly, among them Xia He’s nephew.
“Ah Wen, what did your mother want with me?”
He was surprised; hadn’t the debt been repaid already? Could it be that Ah Wen had been lost to him?
He wanted to ask more but knew this was no place.
“I don’t know either. Uncle, Uncle, what kind of meat is this? I want to eat meat!”
“Big Dog isn’t enough for you? Wait, Uncle will take you to eat meat later!”
Xia He smiled and entered the herbal shop. Wang Xing was startled to see the large wolf on his back.
“Nephew, what are you doing with this—”
Xia He waved him off and revealed the basket on his back. Wang Xing leaned in for a closer look, his eyes widening.
“Purple Lingzhi? So large, and of good age! Where did you get it?”
“From the mountains. I was lucky. Uncle Wang, will you buy it? Give me an estimate.”
“Of course I will!”
“Someone, bring tea!”
Tea service? That wasn’t offered yesterday.
Wang Xing quickly helped Xia He set down the basket and examined it carefully.
After a while, he expressed some regret.
“Such a pity. Judging by its condition, if it matures a few more years, it could reach fifty years in age, and its medicinal properties would improve even further.”
It seemed the wolf guarding it without eating was waiting for the herb’s potency to increase.
The beast was quite clever. Had it succeeded, it might have truly awakened intelligence and become a spirit beast. In the end, Xia He benefited.
“How about four taels of silver?”
Four taels equaled 4,000 wen.
Xia He glanced at Wang Xing and smiled.
“Uncle Wang, I don’t understand herb valuations well, so I’ll leave it to you. But I seek a long-term partnership. Any rare herbs I find in the future will come to you first.”
“I’m in urgent need of money now. Can the price be raised a bit?”
Hearing this, Wang Xing knew Xia He thought the offer too low. He was somewhat surprised; the rumors about Old Chen’s son-in-law had been unfavorable.
Old Chen had always been angry about marrying his daughter to a gambler, but now this young man seemed capable and smooth-talking, quite the opposite!
After some thought, Wang Xing gritted his teeth and reluctantly said with a pained expression,
“You rascal... fine, I’ll raise it by 500 wen. This is already the most generous price; Uncle Wang won’t cheat you.”
“But next time you get good stuff, you must bring it to me immediately!”
Xia He finally smiled, exchanging money for goods.
Four taels of silver plus 500 wen in hand!
“As you said, Uncle Wang.”
“By the way, I wanted to ask—do you know if the town guard has any discarded arrows? Used ones are fine, as long as the arrowheads are intact.”