Chapter 9: Seeking Medicine through Public Announcement

Offer a high price for medicine

On the entire sheet of rice paper, there are not many strokes of ink, only a few lines of text that are clear and eye-catching. However, each character is written with a very rich ink, the brushwork is extremely heavy and sharp, exuding an urgent and solemn atmosphere.

Du Feiyun was not one to seek out excitement, nor did he care to pay attention to trivial matters that had nothing to do with him. However, today he felt somewhat dejected over the issue of two ingredients, and inexplicably found himself at the end of the street, gazing at the bluestone wall.

However, he is in urgent need of enhancing his strength, whether to improve his family's financial situation, to treat his mother’s illness, or to guard against retaliation from the Qin family. In any case, he must quickly elevate his cultivation level. The fastest way to enhance his cultivation is through the consumption of elixirs, and the only known elixir that can currently be refined is the Shaoyang Pill.

The four bold characters at the top of the rice paper caught Du Feiyun's eye, causing his brows to furrow slightly, and he immediately felt a flicker of interest before looking down.

Fortunately, he finally found a recipe that was barely suitable for the current stage of alchemical refinement in the Classic of the Mountain Herbs, which is the Lesser Yang Pill

These two herbs are already sufficient to be classified among the rare treasures of heaven and earth, coveted by cultivators. In Baishi Town, the pharmacy of Xinglin Pavilion sells these two herbs, but the price, reaching as high as one hundred taels of silver, is truly astonishing. Even the wealthy Three Great Families would only spend lavishly to purchase such treasures for elite disciples or important figures.

At this moment, a slender young man wearing a blue hat shook the folding fan in his hand, glancing around with a furtive expression. He made a gesture for silence to the crowd and then lowered his voice, saying: "Shh, quiet, quiet"

Harboring such speculation in his heart, Du Feiyun, however, did not dare to be complacent. Placing hope in something so ethereal was still not as reassuring as quickly enhancing his own strength

As for whether cultivators in the Body Refinement Stage can consume it, there is only one word: danger

However, after walking for a short while, he noticed that today seemed somewhat different. The people around him appeared to be surging in one direction, whispering to one another. At the end of the street, near the corner where the green bricks and stones formed a wall, approximately one hundred people were gathered, discussing something.

Since childhood, he has lived under the cold eyes and disdain of others. The repeated insults of "bastard," the constant jibes of "little whore," and the whispers and pointed fingers have long taught him to remain indifferent.

The reason it is said to be barely suitable is that this Shaoyang Pill is intended for practitioners at the Qi Refinement and Innate stages. Among them, practitioners at the Innate stage benefit the most from this pill, while those at the Qi Refinement stage may waste some of its medicinal properties, and there is also a slight risk involved.

The people around seemed oblivious to Du Feiyun's arrival, showing no signs of change, and continued their intense discussions. Du Feiyun's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the brown rice paper posted on the wall.

The cliff is approximately one hundred zhang high, and if Qin Shouyi were to fall, he would undoubtedly be shattered to pieces. It is possible that he has long been devoured by ants, insects, and wild beasts, leaving not even a trace behind, and perhaps the Qin family will never be able to find Qin Shouyi's remains

This young man, with his deer-like eyebrows and rat-like eyes, happens to have a broad, flat mouth. He stretches out his finger in a gesture for silence, which looks quite comical, instantly provoking light laughter from the crowd. They are all neighbors from Baishi Town, and everyone knows that this "Li Dazui" is about to share some gossip with them.

After wandering around the Xinglin Pavilion and seeing the exorbitant prices, Du Feiyun could only exit the shop with a wry smile, secretly calculating how he could gather two hundred taels of silver.

From initial anger, to confusion, to bitterness, to resentment, and finally to indifference and disregard. He has learned to ignore those he does not care about, focusing only on those he truly values

Fortune favors the bold; opportunities always coexist with risks. Without attempting and facing dangers, how can one expect to reap substantial rewards

Forget it, even if he does not eat, drink, or spend any money, he must endure hardships and gather herbs for three years without interruption to save enough money to buy a century-old ginseng. To gather these two materials, at least six years of hard work is required

Even with the vast wealth of the Liu family, it would surely be quite painful to suddenly produce a thousand taels of silver. This also indicates that the illness afflicting the matriarch of the Liu family is indeed severe, beyond the capabilities of an ordinary physician, and even the renowned healer, Dr. Xue, is at a loss. It appears that the matriarch of the Liu family is truly in a critical condition, with no remedy available.

Seeing that Qin Er had finally left, and knowing that the Qin family was merely suspicious for the time being without any evidence to prove that Qin Shouyi was killed by him, Du Feiyun felt a sense of relief in his heart

Upon reaching this thought, Du Feiyun secretly resolved to quickly refine the newly discovered Shaoyang Pill. Only by advancing his strength could he confront any sudden dangers that might arise

The Transformation Pill can indeed be refined and consumed. However, it is clearly recorded in the Lianshan Pharmacopoeia that only one pill may be taken within a three-year period, and taking more is of no benefit

Yesterday, I heard from Xiaocui that when she was serving the old lady at the Liu residence, she saw the old lady covered in pus-filled sores, her entire body swollen and red, resembling a steamed shrimp, making her look completely unrecognizable

Moreover, if the Qin family still has no gains after half a month, it is possible that the overbearing and tyrannical Qin Wannian will truly unleash his anger on Du Wanquing

Since obtaining the jade tablet, Du Feiyun has dedicated time each day to carefully study and comprehend its contents, whether it be the Lushan Herbal Classics, the Lushan Secret Techniques, or the Lushan Travel Notes, he meticulously examines them on hetushu.com

One hundred taels of gold is equivalent to one thousand taels of silver

The outcome for a cultivator in the Body Refinement Stage who consumes the Lesser Yang Pill is that if the commentary in the Lushan Pharmacopoeia had simply noted the word "death," he might have abandoned the thought altogether. However, with the annotation of "danger," he deliberated repeatedly and ultimately decided to give it a try

Indeed, when one thinks about how virtuous Lady Liu is, how many poor families in Baishi Town have not received her benevolent assistance? Such a good elderly woman has now fallen victim to this strange illness; it truly seems that heaven is blind to her plight

Indeed, indeed... the surroundings were filled with echoes of agreement

Upon seeing matters related to the Liu family, Du Feiyun instinctively turned cold, intending to turn and leave. However, upon catching the murmurs of others around him, he could not help but stop in his tracks

In this way, one can not only comprehend the essence within the secret methods, but also gain insights into the study of elixirs and personal experiences, and further read travelogues to broaden one's horizons. Although those travel accounts seem too fantastical and exaggerated to him, he has always regarded them as myths.

However, he was unable to find the last two main ingredients, which left him quite helpless. These two main ingredients were, in fact, a hundred-year-old ginseng and a portion of over a hundred-year-old reishi mushroom

Du Feiyun walked home along the bluestone-paved street, lost in thought, completely oblivious to the gazes of the passersby and the surrounding noise.

With Du Feiyun's financial resources

Having firmly resolved to refine the Shaoyang Pill, Du Feiyun began to diligently gather the necessary herbs. Over the past few days, he had collected as many as sixteen types of herbs, many of which were rare and difficult to find, yet he persevered through hardships to acquire them

As expected, Li Dazui glanced around and then lowered his voice to speak to the crowd: "You may not know, but I heard from someone inside the Liu residence that the old matriarch Liu suddenly fell ill with this strange disease just the day before yesterday. It is said that that night, the lady of the Liu family personally made beef tripe soup for the matriarch. After drinking it, she suddenly fell ill in the dead of night, and by the next day, she had become like that. It is truly a sight too tragic to behold..." It is said that that night, the lady of the Liu family personally made beef tripe soup for the matriarch. After drinking it, she suddenly fell ill in the dead of night, and by the next day, she had become like that. It is truly a sight too tragic to behold...

The meaning is quite clear; if a practitioner in the Body Refinement stage forcibly consumes this Shaoyang Pill, there will undoubtedly be unpredictable dangers.

The content is quite simple. One of the three prominent families, the Liu family, is facing a dire situation as the matriarch, Old Lady Liu, suffers from a mysterious illness and is on the brink of death. Despite searching far and wide for renowned doctors, no one has been able to help, not even the esteemed Dr. Xue, who is famous throughout Qianjiang City. Therefore, as a dutiful son, Liu Xiangtian, the head of the Liu family, has issued this notice seeking medicine, declaring that anyone who can cure the matriarch will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold.

However, after searching high and low, apart from the Transformation Pill, this was the only type of pill he could find that was of the lowest grade; other pills required at least a cultivator at the Innate stage to consume.

Oh dear, how pitiful! How much suffering must Old Lady Liu have endured