Chapter 9

When he returned to the Flying Flower Palace, it was still the hour of the Snake.

The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain, and Zhong Wen dismissed Uncle Zhao. He then put all the large and small packages into his storage ring and, feeling light, stepped up the mountain using the 'Cloud Walking' technique.

When he reached the palace gate, a sudden curiosity overcame him, and instead of entering directly, he went around to the side of the Flying Flower Palace, intending to investigate the medicinal herbs in the field and compare them with the herbs he had bought.

Turning the corner, a large field of medicinal herbs came into view, and a slender figure was squatting in the field, apparently tending to the plants.

As he approached, it turned out to be the aloof girl, Yin Ning'er.

Yin Ning'er was dressed in white, wearing a sun hat. In the sunlight, her delicate profile was revealed, and since she was squatting, Zhong Wen could clearly see that her figure was much better developed than Liu Qiqi's, with a well-proportioned and fiery body that contrasted sharply with her cold demeanor, making his heart race.

Aware of someone behind her, Yin Ning'er turned to look. Seeing it was Zhong Wen, she ignored him and continued tending to the plants.

Zhong Wen moved a bit closer, but said nothing, just quietly admiring the beautiful scene before him.

After thoroughly studying the medicinal herb books of the Medicine King Valley, Zhong Wen had a deep understanding of the quality and cultivation methods of medicinal herbs. He could see at a glance that Yin Ning'er's planting techniques were not professional, clearly lacking formal training. However, this girl was meticulous and talented, and the quality of the medicinal herbs she cultivated was even better than those Zhong Wen had purchased from the 'Shengyu Trading Company.'

"The Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass prefers a cool and shady environment; it would grow better under the shade of that tree," Zhong Wen said after a while, noticing several errors in Yin Ning'er's understanding of the herbs. "Also, the extra branch below the spirit grass should be pruned; otherwise, it will absorb a significant portion of the medicinal power."

Hearing this, Yin Ning'er turned to look at Zhong Wen, her expression unchanged, but her eyes showed a hint of surprise, as if to say, "You, the illiterate amnesiac, actually recognize the Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass?"

Zhong Wen realized his tone was inappropriate and did not fit his character, so he awkwardly smiled and quickly turned to leave.

Yin Ning'er watched Zhong Wen turn the corner and pondered for a long time...

Back in his room, Zhong Wen did not immediately start researching the Dan Fire Spirit Patterns. Instead, he took out a clay pot and began to produce the second batch of salt.

This time, the amount of lake water was much more, and the amount of salt produced was almost double the previous batch.

Just as Zhong Wen was happily admiring his creation, the door creaked open, and the little girl entered with a tray.

"Hey, Zhong Wen, is this 'Sai Sheng Xian'?" The little girl exclaimed excitedly, seeing the white crystals in Lu Li's hand.

"Of course, didn't we agree to make some more for you yesterday?" Zhong Wen smiled. "Are we having chicken soup again today?"

He then remembered that he had bought 25 old hens from Old Li with spirit crystals.

For the next few days, it seemed they would be inseparable from chicken soup!

A plump old hen stewed with some vegetable leaves and a sprinkle of salt was incredibly delicious. The two of them, big and small, ate until their bellies were round and they could barely move, lying on the table.

After a short nap, Zhong Wen sat up and noticed that Liu Qiqi and Zheng Yueting had appeared in the room, with the little girl sitting on Liu Qiqi's lap, all three pairs of eyes staring at him.

"Zhong Wen, you're awake!" The little girl jumped off Liu Qiqi's lap and ran to Zhong Wen, her big eyes looking at him and her little mouth pouting, "Journey to the West!"

Zhong Wen had intended to study how to make Dan Fire, but he couldn't bear to refuse the request of his little savior, especially since the audience included two beautiful women. So he gathered his energy and said, "Alright, last time we talked about how the Great Sage was taken to the Execution Platform and tied to the Demon Subduing Pillar..."

The story of the Monkey King's havoc in Heaven was a highlight of the early part of "Journey to the West." The three women were completely engrossed, and when the Monkey King displayed his might, the little girl's face lit up. When he was toyed with by the Buddha, her brows furrowed in worry. When the Monkey King was finally pressed under the Five Elements Mountain, Zhong Wen said, "To be continued," leaving the three listeners both eager and frustrated.

When Liu Qiqi left, Zhong Wen could see a hint of worry on her face, as if she was troubled by something.

Zheng Yueting, however, did not leave with her. Instead, she came to Zhong Wen and bowed deeply.

"Big Brother Zhong, thanks to your 'Sai Sheng Xian,' my mother's condition has improved. I don't know how to thank you."

At the moment Zheng Yueting bent down, Zhong Wen could see a patch of white skin from her neckline, extending down her neck...

Hmm... not as developed as Wang's wife, but better than Liu Qiqi.

Zhong Wen couldn't help but measure with his eyes.

"Miss Zheng, you're too polite. It's just a small thing, and it didn't take much effort. It's good to be able to help Auntie."

"No, 'Sai Sheng Xian' is not a small thing. If sold, it could fetch a sky-high price," Zheng Yueting said sincerely, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to him. "Your life-saving grace to my mother cannot be repaid with just 100 spirit crystals. Unfortunately, our Golden Saber Sect is just a third-rate small sect and can't offer more at the moment. I will remember your kindness and if there's ever a need for the Golden Saber Sect, just let me know."

"No, no, it's not worth that much," Zhong Wen waved his hands, having seen the value of spirit crystals during the day. He couldn't bring himself to exchange half a bag of salt for 100 spirit crystals.

"Big Brother Zhong, my mother suffers from anorexia and can only eat with your 'Sai Sheng Xian.' Until she recovers, I will need more 'Sai Sheng Xian.' If you don't accept these spirit crystals, I won't have the face to ask you for more," Zheng Yueting said, somewhat embarrassed.

Over the past two days, Zhong Wen had seen that she was a person who repaid kindness, so he no longer refused.

"Alright, I'll take the spirit crystals. Here's the 'Sai Sheng Xian' I made today. Take it to help Auntie. If you need more in the future, just let me know. It's not difficult to make."

"Thank you, Big Brother Zhong." Zheng Yueting's eyes were full of gratitude.

"Zhong Wen, it's time for class!"

The little girl, seeing the good atmosphere between the two, felt a sudden sense of her own things being taken away and quickly spoke up.

"Alright, Little Master!" Zhong Wen laughed.

After Zheng Yueting left, the little girl began her "lesson" with a serious face, and Zhong Wen, lying on the table, studied several more characters with a bitter expression. Suddenly, he had an idea:

"Xiao Die, can you teach me numbers first?"

"Why?" The little girl asked, puzzled.

She was not good at math and didn't particularly like numbers.

"Think about it, I don't recognize the numbers on the spirit crystal bills. What if I get cheated when I go out?" Zhong Wen pulled out the spirit crystal bill Zheng Yueting gave him and pointed to the numbers.

"Oh, okay." The little girl thought it made sense and started listing the numbers from "ONE" on a piece of paper.

Zhong Wen, with the understanding of a middle-aged person and a talent for math from his previous life, quickly learned the numbers of the Great Dry Empire.

"Zhong Wen, you're so smart." Xiao Die felt a bit defeated. "It took me two months to learn these numbers. Am I very stupid?"

"Xiao Die is not stupid at all." Zhong Wen smiled and patted the little girl's head. "I have amnesia, and I used to know these characters, so I learn faster."

"That's true." The little girl nodded and then said, "100 spirit crystals is a lot of money. What do you plan to do with it?"

"Hmm... I don't need anything right now, so I'll save it for now."

"If you're not in a hurry to spend it, can I borrow some?" The little girl asked shyly.

"Xiao Die, do you want to buy something?" Zhong Wen was surprised.

The little girl quickly shook her head.

"My master borrowed a lot of spirit crystals from Mr. Jin to treat my illness. I only found out by eavesdropping on my senior sisters. The repayment date is coming soon, and my master is still out trying to raise money." The little girl's eyes welled up. "It's all my fault, making my master work so hard. Zhong Wen, can you lend me some spirit crystals? I want to help my master. I'll work hard to earn spirit crystals and pay you back."

Such a considerate child, he wondered how she was raised.

Zhong Wen was deeply moved.

"No need to borrow. Not only did you save my life, but you've also been teaching me to read without any payment." Zhong Wen handed the 100 spirit crystal bill directly to Xiao Die. "This is a gift for your teaching. Please accept it."

"I, I'm not a good teacher, I can't accept so much." Xiao Die blushed and waved her hands.

"In my heart, Xiao Die is the best teacher in the world. These spirit crystals are far from enough." Zhong Wen smiled and patted the little girl's head. "This is a gift for your teaching. Accept it and take responsibility to teach me well."

"Okay, okay." The little girl seemed to have made a big decision. "I'll teach you well. Today, we'll learn 100 more characters!"

Zhong Wen: "…"

Suffering the consequences, Zhong Wen continued to study with a bitter face.

...

An hour later, Zhong Wen, with a sore back and waist, finally saw off the little master and had some free time.

He took out the 'White Cloud Wood,' 'Spirit Ink Carbon,' 'Spirit Pen Mold,' and other materials he had bought in the morning from his ring and began to make a spirit pattern pen. Having read the reward from the lottery, the 'Spirit Pattern Pen Making Guide,' he was already familiar with the process and easily made a high-quality spirit pattern pen.

It was still a bit short of being an excellent spirit pattern pen.

Zhong Wen was a bit disappointed. The quality of the materials he bought from Fufeng City was still too ordinary.

He took out the 'Spirit Pattern Plate' and tried to draw a Dan Fire Spirit Pattern.

The spirit pattern skills of the Medicine King Valley were not outstanding in ancient times, but their research on fire-type spirit patterns was top-notch, as the more advanced the alchemy, the higher the requirements for fire.

Zhong Wen could now be considered a 'Fire Spirit Pattern Master,' with a lot of knowledge and experience in fire-type spirit patterns in his head.

However, when it came to drawing the spirit pattern by hand, he was still a bit unaccustomed. He was drawing a spirit pattern when his hand suddenly trembled, and a stroke went wrong.

Fortunately, the 'Spirit Pattern Plate' was made of special material that could be reused. Zhong Wen took out a special clay and gently dabbed it on the plate to erase the wrong stroke, then stretched his wrist and continued drawing.

Soon, a complete 'Advanced Dan Fire Spirit Pattern' appeared on the spirit pattern plate.

Due to the limitations of the materials, the Dan Fire Spirit Pattern he drew could only reach the advanced level, still falling short of being excellent.

He placed a spirit crystal in the groove on the side of the spirit pattern plate, and a blue flame immediately shot up, with a faint green glow at the core, indicating that this fire was of high quality among advanced Dan Fire and had a hint of excellent Dan Fire.

He took out the alchemy furnace used by the Medicine King Valley's master and placed it over the Dan Fire. Zhong Wen began to add the 'Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass,' 'Fusion Spirit Leaf,' 'Red Fruit,' and other ingredients to the furnace.

What he was about to refine was a very common alchemy pill in ancient times, used to restore vital energy, called the 'Vitality Restoring Pill.'

In the eyes of ancient alchemists, this was one of the easiest pills to refine.

Refining such a basic pill, Zhong Wen used a top-tier alchemy furnace, advanced Dan Fire, and the alchemy techniques of the Medicine King Valley, which were unparalleled in ancient times. It was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

In no time, the furnace began to show the outlines of dozens of white pills, each of the same size, and the room was filled with a strong medicinal aroma.

Zhong Wen continuously adjusted the angle of the furnace with his hands. After a while, the fragrance in the air gradually dissipated, and 49 white pills lay quietly in the alchemy furnace.

Zhong Wen picked up one and examined it closely. The pill was crystal clear and spotless. When he brought it close to his nose, a faint medicinal fragrance entered his nostrils, and he felt a sudden surge of energy, as if his pores were opening to breathe.

He put it in his mouth and swallowed it. He felt a powerful medicinal force flow from his abdomen to his head and limbs, and the fatigue of the day quickly disappeared, leaving him feeling extremely refreshed. Even the 'One Qi Longevity Technique' that automatically cultivated in his body seemed to run faster.

What a good thing!

Zhong Wen happily took out a small medicine bottle he had looted from the Medicine King Valley and put the remaining 48 pills into it.

Looking at the sky, it was still a while before dinner, so he continued to refine another basic pill to restore spirit energy, the 'Spirit Restoring Pill.'

...

By the time it was close to the hour of the Pig, Zhong Wen, with several newly refined basic pills, was once again on his way to the Medicine King Valley, feeling very satisfied.

On his third trip down this mountain path, Zhong Wen felt as if he was returning home, familiar with the route and without any psychological burden.

His pace was even faster, and he estimated that from now on, it would take him only a short time to travel from the Flying Flower Palace to the Medicine King Valley. In his previous life, so-called "subway沿线房" (subway沿线房) was no better than this.

Suddenly, a figure flashed before his eyes.

"Who!"

Zhong Wen thought he had encountered a thief in the middle of the night and panicked.

The black figure also noticed Zhong Wen and, seemingly startled, darted into the depths of the forest.

Zhong Wen hesitated for a moment and then followed.

He was not the type to meddle in other people's affairs,