Chen Mu always admired Jie Jia's mindset for making money.
But you can't just shear me, the only sheep you caught, right?
What if you shear me bald?!
"Want it?" Jie Jia's eyes were still half-closed, his face expressionless, utterly calm.
"I want it!" Chen Mu said through gritted teeth.
He needed to increase his proficiency in the Pharmaceutical Technique and that meant he could not do without buying medicinal herbs.
In Qingshan County, resources were scarce, and anything slightly rare was difficult to purchase.
"In a few days, I'll organize a list and then buy," Chen Mu decided to finish reading the medical books he had on hand first and start buying when there was nothing left to read.
...
Night had fallen, dinner eaten, and washing up finished.Dressed in a loose robe, Chen Mu sat at a wooden table beneath the window of the wooden hut.
He lit an oil lamp and neatly arranged the medical books that Jie Jia had brought on the corner of the table.
There were quite a few books, a stack as high as a forearm, and there were three such stacks.
If there hadn't been duplicate books, the little hemp sack would have contained even more.
With a thought, he called up the grey wall to check the Pharmaceutical Technique column.
Pharmaceutical Technique: 4852/10000/Second Rank;
Chen Mu had a plan in mind for how to increase his proficiency in the Pharmaceutical Technique.
The three stacks of books before him were the best tools.
Pulling out a book called "Herbal Medicine Preparation," Chen Mu turned up the oil lamp and concentrated.
As he read, wisps of understanding flowed into his mind like a stream of water.
Technical terms that were difficult for ordinary people to understand held no secrets for Chen Mu.
His proficiency improved rapidly as he read.
Half an hour passed, and a third of the thick medical book had already been read.
He checked his proficiency.
The Pharmaceutical Technique had gone from 4852 to 4873, an increase of twenty-one points.
"Not bad, keep going!"
...
An hour later, Chen Mu had finished the last page of the book.
His proficiency had reached 4913.
It wasn't just the numbers that had improved; upon closing his eyes and recalling what he had just read, the content of the medical book appeared in his mind like photographs.
There was even additional information about the growing environments of the herbs in his head.
"Worthy of being a cheat!"
If he had this cheat in his previous life,
All those top students would have had to stand aside!
Chen Mu got up to stretch and prepare for bed.
It was a quiet night outside the window. Only his oil lamp was still lit.
This otherworldly night lacked entertainment activities.
Most of those who lived here were laborers.
They were hewing rocks and mining during the day, and as soon as it got dark, they were so tired that they would fall into a deep sleep.
Chen Mu blew out the oil lamp and prepared to rest.
Just as he turned around, he couldn't help but look outside through the window.
A silhouette flitted across the moonlit mountain trail and disappeared.
Chen Mu turned back.
He only saw a shadow slip into Qingfeng Observatory and vanish.
"Forget it, better not to meddle in others' affairs."
He had no interest in chasing after it to see.
Right now, his main goal was to heal his injuries.
Once he was healed, he would leave; whatever secrets Qingfeng Observatory held, they were none of his concern.
...
Chen Mu's wooden hut was located on the western slope of Xiaodong Mountain, on the edge of the settlement area and closer to the forest.
He lived a secluded life, hardly interacting with the people in the settlement.
Chen Mu himself enjoyed the peace, staying in his hut to heal at his own leisurely pace, reading books, and getting caught up in improving his proficiency every day.
His experience in the Pharmaceutical Technique soared.
Half a month later, in the evening, Chen Mu lay back in a bamboo chair.
In his left hand was a book titled "Lei Gong's Processing of Medicinal Properties," which he read intently, while his right hand absentmindedly played with a peanut-sized pebble.
Putting down the book in his hand, Chen Mu called up the grey wall.
Pharmaceutical Technique: 7726/10000/Second Rank;
Taking out a duck egg-sized porcelain bottle, he poured out a Three Yang Six Lords Pill.
He brought it close to his nose to carefully distinguish the scent of the medicine.
"Sixteen kinds, still incomplete."
Smelling the scent, tasting the flavor, splitting it, and then testing the components with other medicines.
Every day he would use his Alchemical Technique to discern the composition of the Six Lords Pill.
"I need to keep increasing my proficiency."
Chen Mu couldn't help but put down the medical book. It was the last one he had on hand.
Qingshan County was a small, fringe city with limited heritage; it was difficult to find new books there.
"I have to try it myself," aside from reading books, practicing pharmaceutical technique could also improve proficiency. "There's no avoiding these expenses."
Chen Mu hesitated a bit. Research and development was a money pit without a bottom.
"I just can't operate at a loss."
Chen Mu pondered over the Six Lords Pills a while longer, sensing he was only two or three ingredients short.
"First, get pharmaceutical technique up to Third Rank, and if that doesn't work, I'll call it quits!" Chen Mu set a clear line for himself.
With proficiency in his grasp, he couldn't bear not to try.
As he pondered which herbs to practice with, a grey shadow flashed by in the thicket.
Chen Mu flicked his wrist.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The pebble tore through the air, hitting the grey shadow with lightning speed.
Chen Mu approached with curiosity.
A large, glossy-furred grey rabbit lay there, its head shattered from the stone's impact.
"An unexpected treat, time for an extra meal!"
Living at the base of the mountains, wild game was abundant.
Chen Mu had visited the market in the gathering areas a few times.
Every time, he saw people selling freshly killed wild game such as rabbits and pheasants.
Once, he even saw someone selling half of a wild boar; the fresh, red flesh looked somewhat daunting.
...
Carrying the wild rabbit to a creek not far from the cabin, where the water flowed.
The grass and trees along the way were lush; what used to be regarded as weeds, Chen Mu could now identify as many being medicinal plants.
After cleaning it, he dug a hole, arranged some stones around it, and set up two wooden poles to create a simple spit.
He lit the charcoal prepared for decocting medicine.
Chen Mu was ready to roast the plump rabbit.
"A pity I don't have any roast meat sauce."
The mere thought triggered a flood of information about various herbs in his mind.
"That works?" Chen Mu was astonished.
With a little contemplation, a recipe for roast meat seasoning appeared in his head.
Many of the needed ingredients grew in the nearby woods, which could be described as making the best of the local resources.
"This won't work, too bitter."
"That's no good either, tasty but causes diarrhea if you eat too much of it."
"This combination is good, removes gaminess, stimulates appetite and enhances gastrointestinal motility, and improves absorption."
"With a little more adjustment, yes, adds a good amount of trace elements..."
As someone who practiced martial arts and needed to heal from injuries, he always kept various medicines on hand. After another round in the nearby forest collecting natural plants, he quickly came up with a seasoning for the meat.
...
"Let's get started!"
After sprinkling the seasoning, the sizzling of the fat spread a rich fragrance.
Before the meat was fully cooked, a figure appeared in front of the cabin.
Chen Mu glanced at Jie Jia, fixated on the roasting rabbit, unfazed.
He showed up for dinner the day after Chen Mu moved in.
If it weren't for the distance, he'd be around for all three meals a day.
What a cheapskate old man!
"It smells great!" Chen Mu slowly savored a leg of rabbit.
Jie Jia usually ate slowly and elegantly, but today he sped up the process by threefold.
Chen Mu was also surprised.
His pharmaceutical technique and cooking skills seemed to have undergone a chemical reaction.
"Perhaps I could make some medicinal dishes."
Chen Mu subconsciously looked toward the grey wall.
To his surprise, his proficiency in alchemical technique had increased by more than ten points?
"This is the real unexpected treat!"
Just from working out a roast meat seasoning recipe, his proficiency improved!
He had been wondering what prescription to practice with.
And now he had it.
Meat tenderizing and flavor enhancing recipe, medicinal food formulas, preservatives for dried fruits or meats—the opportunities to practice were plenty!
And they required no especially precious medicinal ingredients.
Chen Mu looked over at Jie Jia with a smiling face.
This time, he most likely wouldn't need the old geezer's help to buy medicine.
Thinking of swindling me for another sum?
Just you wait and see, haha...
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