Unstoppable Martial Arts: Starting from Fist Technique Deduction Chapter 32 - 23 Drying Medicinal Herbs

"Hoo!"

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of the pill hall, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air from his chest and abdon.

The gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of herbs softly brushed by, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes and take a deep breath.

The scent of the pill hall, still deeply attracted him.

After the breeze passed, the aroma slowly dispersed.

"This ti, the task is to go to the drying grounds to dry and select herbs." He opened his eyes and looked at the token in his hand.

The task duration was quite long, roughly six months.

"Where is the opportunity?"

A thought flashed across Lin Yuan's mind.

Then he followed the instructions on the wooden sign and headed to drying ground number fifty-six.

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Drying ground number fifty-six, attic.

Lin Yuan stood in front of an elderly hunchbacked man of considerable age.

"Follow ."

Looking at the wooden sign Lin Yuan handed over, the elder verified it, confird it was correct, and then led him toward the drying grounds where the chores disciples worked.

After descending from the attic, Lin Yuan looked around. The bluestone field was unusually large, stretching several hundred ters in all directions. A group of chores disciples in vests were working, their exposed limbs glistening in the scorching sun. Many of them were continuously turning the yellowish-green wormwood.

So of the disciples who were nearer noticed the elder leading Lin Yuan over, their gaze resting on Lin Yuan.

"There's a newcor!" One of the disciples in a vest stopped his work, leaned on his rake, and spoke to two other chores disciples nearby.

The elder ignored the three and continued to lead Lin Yuan straight to another building.

Passing through rows of long shed-like houses, the elder finally stopped at one of the houses and walked in.

"You Xiaozhong." After the elder's vigorous shout, a round-faced young man hurriedly ca out.

"Elder Feng." His round face covered in dust, he responded with a smile upon hearing the call.

In Lin Yuan's eyes, this person was also clad in a gray vest, his two bare arms showing clear muscular lines.

"A newcor is here." The hunchbacked elder glanced at the newcor and nodded, "His na is Lin Yuan, show him around."

The hunchbacked elder gave a few instructions, then turned around and left.

"Greetings, Senior Brother You. Please instruct ." Once the elder's figure disappeared, Lin Yuan turned his head and cupped his hands.

"No need to be so formal, Junior Brother Lin." You Xiaozhong, seeing his humble deanor, smiled approvingly.

He had seen many new chores disciples enter with airs of being heaven's favored, only to have their edges worn away after a couple of years at the academy, learning just how high the heavens were.

Seeing Lin Yuan's modest attitude, he couldn't help but develop a bit of goodwill.

With this goodwill rising in his heart, coupled with Lin Yuan's handso face, You Xiaozhong naturally felt a sense of kinship with him.

Then You Xiaozhong led Lin Yuan around the room, roughly explaining the work that needed to be done.

There wasn't much work, mainly selecting the dried herbs, picking out so slightly inferior ones. Once selected, they needed to be dried again and delivered to the disciples receiving the herbs.

After leading Lin Yuan around, You Xiaozhong suddenly stopped and lowered his voice to say to Lin Yuan, "Although our herb room's sorting work is tiring, it has its benefits."

"Please enlighten , Senior Brother." Lin Yuan was intrigued and promptly inquired.

"Heh heh." You Xiaozhong's eyes glead with a smile, "You know this selection process, good herbs have to be handed over. But the inferior herbs, they also have so uses, don't they?"

"Moreover, the alchemists and pill refiners in the pill hall wouldn't care about the loss of these inferior herbs. So, whatever remains, heh heh."

"So of these herbs are ingredients for making Qi-Blood dispersals." You Xiaozhong whispered again and winked at Lin Yuan.

"Ingredients for Qi-Blood dispersals."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan's heart leaped.

Ever since he last consud a Qi-Blood dispersal, Lin Yuan's accumulation of Qi-Blood had slowed down considerably. What he lacked was the precious dicine to boost Qi and Blood accumulation.

Now there was a chance to obtain it without any effort, how could he not be excited?

eting You Xiaozhong for the first ti, he had already revealed such a benefit to him. He truly was open and honest, which greatly increased Lin Yuan's favor towards him.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Lin Yuan gave a deep bow to You Xiaozhong.

"Hahaha, no need to be so polite, Junior Brother Lin." You Xiaozhong was sowhat surprised to see Lin Yuan express such a big gesture. He didn't realize how crucial these things were to Lin Yuan's Qi and Blood accumulation, so he casually lifted Lin Yuan back up.

"In fact, even when consud daily, so of the dicinal effects aren't completely absorbed. The extra herbs are more than enough for us."

"Co on, let's see what good stuff there is today."

Then You Xiaozhong led Lin Yuan toward the piles of herbs.

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The tea room used for rest.

Lin Yuan and You Xiaozhong's hair was dust-colored white. Sweat had left circles of black mud on their necks.

Neither of them cared much for this at the mont, both their eyes were fixed on the charcoal stove in front of them. But unlike You Xiaozhong's delight, Lin Yuan's eyes held an additional hint of excitent.

Gurgle, gurgle!

The fiery coals burned vigorously in the stove, causing the dicinal water in the pot to boil and churn.

"Another cup of tea's ti and it should almost be ready."

As ti passed, the two remained still, watching as the clear boiling water transford into a black viscous liquid.

"It's done!"

You Xiaozhong poured the blackish-brown liquid from the pot into two pre-prepared porcelain bowls, not more, not less, exactly two bowls.

After waiting a mont for the heat to dissipate from the herbal liquid, he handed a bowl to Lin Yuan.

"Junior Brother, give it a try!" You Xiaozhong said as Lin Yuan took it, he then tilted his own head back and swallowed the herb-infused liquid in one go.

Upon receiving it, Lin Yuan couldn't help feeling a surge of excitent, causing ripples to form on the smooth surface of the liquid in the bowl.

Seeing You Xiaozhong down it in one gulp, he no longer hesitated and drank it in one go as well.

The herbal soup was extrely bitter, but Lin Yuan didn't mind, continuing to finish the rest of the herbal soup.

"It's effective!"

The warmth in his abdon, and the fullness it gave to his body, invigorated Lin Yuan.

The sowhat hot liquid kept entering his abdon. Lin Yuan felt his body was like a sponge, absorbing and extracting the dicinal power, compressing it in the Dantian and converting it into Qi-Blood.

"Senior Brother, your great kindness cannot be repaid with words. If there is ever anything you need, I, Lin Yuan, will plunge through fire and water without hesitation."

Lin Yuan stood up once more, his face solemn with gratitude.

Although the inferior version of a Qi-Blood dispersal made from these herbs didn't offer much enhancent, it was extrely important. Especially for Lin Yuan, who was currently in desperate need of Qi-Blood accumulation, it was the most original and effective item.

"Junior Brother Lin, we may have just t today, but I feel you are genuine. Besides, this isn't so closely guarded secret, if you stay long enough you'll naturally find out. There's no need for such gratitude, haha."

****

That night, in his room.

Lin Yuan's face flickered in the firelight, his eyes fixed on the furnace, a glint seemingly shooting forth.

Fiery red charcoal raged in the stove; the pot's hot broth endlessly churned and evaporated, gradually turning blackish-brown as it boiled.

After drinking that bowl of herbal soup during the day, You Xiaozhong had given Lin Yuan more herbs, encouraging him to make his own at ho.

He also warned him not to consu too much; dicine is three-tenths toxic, and one should not have more than three bowls a day, taking them at intervals. Drinking too much could lead to the accumulation of excess in the body, clogging the ridians and ultimately causing harm.

Soon after, he blew on the soup to cool it faster.

He tried a sip, finding the temperature just right.

Lin Yuan didn't wait any longer, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one shot.

The surging dicinal power seed to transform into spring rain, nourishing his body's dry ridians.

Two bowls, three bowls.

Until all the herbs he had brought back were cooked into bowls of black liquid and swallowed by Lin Yuan.

After a session of cultivation, the sweat-drenched Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile.

The issue of absorbing the dicine posed no challenge for Lin Yuan. His body had long been starved for this kind of dicinal power, preventing any ridian blockages.

"Now having finished ten bowls of dicine, my Qi-Blood growth has filled one-tenth of a ridian's capacity."

Before today, he had fifteen more ridians to fill with Qi-Blood to reach the Red Spirit State. Now, ten bowls of herbal dicine were enough to fill one-tenth of a single ridian.

At this rate, he could achieve the Red Spirit State in roughly half a year, not counting the additional support from two or three rounds of Qi-Blood dispersals.

The seemingly distant progress suddenly accelerated, giving Lin Yuan a sense of unexpected ease.

Carrying this excitent, Lin Yuan cald himself for a while before falling into a deep sleep.

On the second day, at the transmission hall's martial field.

"Brother Lin, over here." As usual, Xie Wanxin called Lin Yuan over to start sparring.

However, today he brought soone else with him.

"Let introduce you, Hu Junnan." As Lin Yuan approached, Xie Wanxin gestured, introducing Lin Yuan, "After sparring with you last ti, I felt your movent technique needed improvent. Junior Brother Hu excels at movent technique but has weaker Qi-Blood. This way, you both can enhance each other."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Lin," Hu Junnan spoke first. Despite his na aning 'handso man,' his appearance was quite ordinary and left no lasting impression.

"No formalities, please!" Lin Yuan also cupped his hands.

Then the three began to spar on the field.

Hu Junnan's movent technique was indeed outstanding, during their bout Lin Yuan struggled to defend against his attacks.

At tis, he knew the opponent was attacking from below or from the left, with clear intent. Yet his own movent technique was crude, his steps chaotic, and unable to adjust his balance in ti, he was unable to match the opponent's shifts and was thus defeated.

However, Lin Yuan's strong Qi-Blood also earned Hu Junnan's respect. Before long, their morning practice ended, and they beca acquainted.

After the day's training and rituals, Lin Yuan returned to the drying ground to continue herb sorting, then brewing dicine and accumulating Qi-Blood.

Day by day, Lin Yuan's movent technique improved with regular training, yet he was far from reaching a transformative stage.

The good news was, he had accumulated enough Qi-Blood to fill another ridian.

"I need to speed this up."

Yet he wasn't satisfied with this pace. After drinking fifteen bowls of the soup today, instead of resting, he prepared to head out.

That night, under a moonless, windy sky.

Lin Yuan walked briskly, heading towards his destination.