Chapter Twelve: Gathering Medicine

ground was extremely hard. Even with Yin Xingge's cultivation, the speed of cutting was very slow. After digging a certain distance, besides finding a piece of sunstone quartz, nothing else was found...“I also have two older brothers at home, so my father doesn't have to worry about passing on the family line.”

Qin Sang fawned, "Daoist Master, you are so knowledgeable and your medical skills are so profound. Your previous identity must not have been ordinary. What did you do before"

"I've been a Taoist priest since I was a child, but..."

Mingyue swallowed the snack in her mouth and solemnly said, "Disciple understood."

"Master Dao, so you are from a prestigious lineage!"

Qin Sang, full of admiration, refilled Ji Xin Dao Ren's tea. "Master ancestor was the imperial physician, walking within the forbidden palace. He must surely know many secrets. Could it be he saw the immortal himself"

The old Taoist shook his head. “I’ve never seen one. However, when my master was a physician, he heard many rumors that there were immortals who came and went in the palace, befriending royalty and nobles. Wealth, sex, fame, and profit are alluring. In my humble opinion, even those so-called immortals would probably be unable to escape the seven emotions and six desires and couldn't truly transcend worldly affairs.”

Qin Sang was stunned.

His inherent impression of cultivators was that they drank morning dew and ate clouds, secluded themselves in famous mountains, rivers, caves, and blessed lands, living for a thousand years in a dream, unassociated with mundane affairs, and remaining unseen by the world.

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Oh no, I got it wrong!

Should I go to Beijing and try my luck

Ji Xin Dao Ren seemed to see through Qin Sang's thoughts and struck him: "Don't be naive, Master has been the Imperial physician for over thirty years, going in and out of the palace and noble residences every day, but he has never seen a fairy master with his own eyes. He has only heard a few stories. Besides, if there were truly fairies in the capital city, wouldn't those princes and grandsons fight to the death to meet them How could it be your turn"

Looking up at the bright moon and listening to the chanting of the master and apprentice, Qin Sang sat on the bed, silent for a long time, before finally letting out a wry smile.

If fairy fate were so easily encountered, wouldn't everyone in this world be able to become a fairy Regardless, I still have the Netherworld Scripture. There's still a glimmer of hope.

With this realization, Qin Sang temporarily put aside impractical delusions and focused on comprehending the Netherworld Scripture.

Unknowingly, it was already winter. The old Taoist priest took in several disaster victims, and the Daoist temple became much more lively.

Suddenly, it snowed on the mountain.

The mountains turned white overnight. Qin Sang followed the old Taoist master down the mountain to provide free medical treatment. Seeing the frozen disaster victims by the roadside, he felt heartbroken. The old Taoist sighed, "I am just a poor and impoverished Taoist priest. Qingyang Palace only has a few dilapidated houses. How many homeless people can it shelter"

They can only do what they can.

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Qin Sang crouched in a stone depression, building a fire. A large pot over the flames was filled with medicinal herbs simmering into a warming broth, which would be distributed to the disaster victims.

With his mind elsewhere, Qin Sang burned incense and silently recited the Netherworld Scripture in his heart.

Now he had memorized the Netherworld Sutra, reciting every verse countless times, and his translation hadn't been altered for days. He felt he had a deep understanding of the Netherworld Sutra, and decided to begin practicing tonight!

The snow hasn't melted, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the night is as bright as day.

A few households who resided in the Taoist temple were crammed into the front houses, but Qin Sang still lived alone, and didn't have to worry about being discovered.

He crossed his legs in meditation, following the instructions in the Netherworld Sutra, calming his mind and entering a state of deep concentration, attempting to cultivate.

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The scriptures were ingrained in his memory, yet he sat listlessly for hours, unable to enter the state of meditation. His mind wouldn't settle; instead, thoughts cluttered it. He grew anxious, desperate to eliminate these distracting thoughts, but then abruptly realized that this very thought was itself a distraction.

As dawn approached, Qin Sang still couldn't reach the state of mind described in the scriptures: a heart as still as water, with the divine hidden within the body. He had to go down the mountain for medical practice tomorrow, so he could only stop for now.

Qin Sang’s days were monotonous yet fulfilling. He went down the mountain to see patients during the day and cultivated his skills at night. He practiced martial arts both morning and evening.

At this point, he realized that regardless of whether the Netherworld Scripture was a martial arts technique or a cultivation method, it was definitely not something that could be easily cultivated. He needed enough patience.

After another day of providing free medical care, Qin Sang was pondering the Yin-Yang Classic in his room when he saw Ming Yue running up the stairs, panting and carrying two bowls of congee.

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“Brother, Master said the medicinal herbs in the herbal garden are running low. He is going up the mountain to collect them tomorrow and wants you to pack your bags and go with him.”

Qin Sang stopped and gazed at the distant mountains. It had snowed for seven days, but today the sky was clear. After today, the snow on the mountain should have melted.

When going down the mountain to dispense medicine, one needs to simmer several pots of herbal soup every day. The medicinal herbs are consumed at a rapid rate, which explains why they need to go and collect them.

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There was no snow on the mountain, but there might be ice on the road. Qin Sang didn't feel at ease leaving the old Taoist to go up the mountain alone to gather medicine, so she readily agreed. After finishing her porridge, she went back to her room to pack up.

Actually, apart from the ebony sword and other such things, he didn't have much else. He used the tools for gathering herbs and his food were all prepared by Mingyue. He bundled himself up in a cotton coat with a strip of cloth and put on a pair of thick cotton shoes, that was all his luggage.

The next day, before dawn, Qin Sang set off with the old Taoist priest.

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The trail down Cuiming Mountain was still passable, but once you ventured further in, it was pure wilderness. There were only animal paths to follow, weaving through waist-high weeds. Even during the day, Qin Sang couldn't tell where they were going, so he could only tread carefully behind the old Taoist priest.

After climbing from the valley to mid-mountain, then turning along a narrow path on the mountainside, going up and down several times, we finally reached the foot of the legendary Mount HuangHuang at noon.

Walking this path, Qin Sang slipped several times, his heart pounding with fear. The old Taoist, however, was as steady as Mount Tai. Qin Sang couldn't help but wonder who was the younger one.

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The itinerary was tight, and he had to return to the Taoist temple tomorrow night. So after climbing Huangliang Mountain, he set off without stopping to collect medicine.

Listening to the strange roars coming from the woods, Qin Sang felt a tightening in his chest. He secretly thought that perhaps he wouldn't succeed in seeking immortals and instead would die at the hands of a tiger. As he walked, he softly asked, "Daoist Master, you came so deep into these mountains to collect medicine, aren't you afraid of being eaten by tigers or wolves"

"As a matter of fact, I have met wolves in the mountains before. My master taught me a way to ward off beasts with some powder, which is somewhat effective."

The old Taoist was calm and collected, using a hoe to weed the overgrown grass. "All the medicinal herbs outside have already been picked. You'll have to go into the mountains. You have martial arts skills, so what are you afraid of"

Qin Sang held a stick in his hand, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy. "Daoist priest, please don't make fun of me. My clumsy skills aren't worth mentioning."

The old Taoist chuckled, "It seems that the boxing style you learned from Master Mingyue hasn't been fully mastered yet. Is it incomplete"

"Master Dao, your eyesight is excellent."

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Qin Sang said, "This Tiger-Subduing Fist was taught to me by my elder brother who saved me. He only had time to teach me three styles, but this martial art is quite common. After a while, I'll go to the鏢局 in the city to ask for instruction and be able to complete it."hen he would be able to fulfill his wish.Feiyou knew the situation was urgent and Qinsang couldn't let him choose slowly. He had to rely on his intuition and picked a sword and a shield.Two magic trea...