Chapter 93: Chapter 93
“Herbs?”
The Sect Leader looked at Cheon-hwi, who had suddenly come to visit, with a flustered gaze.
“Why are you suddenly looking for that?”
“I was thinking of making some elixirs.”
For a moment, the Sect Leader’s mind went blank.
‘Making elixirs?’
Where could elixirs be easily made?
Each sect had spent a long time putting in effort just to make one elixir.
Even so, there were many sects that couldn’t make them.
‘But if it’s Cheon-hwi…….’
The Sect Leader, who had a complicated expression, changed into an expression harboring expectation.
It was Cheon-hwi, and no one else.
Possessing medical skills coveted by divine physicians.
“Do you know how to make elixirs?”
“I can probably make them roughly.”
Cheon-hwi spoke unconcernedly.
What was the big deal about making elixirs.
‘Don’t I just need to roughly put herbs in and extract the energy contained within them?’
Meanwhile, the Sect Leader felt despondent at the answer that was different from what he expected.
“That means you don’t know how to make them right now.”
“Technically, that’s true.”
“……Are you confident?”
“Yes.”
The Sect Leader gazed at Cheon-hwi.
Most of the expectation had almost disappeared, but a handful still remained.
‘Right. I might not know if it’s Cheon-hwi.’
That alone made him expectant.
If it was Cheon-hwi, who had made Hyeon-do reach his current realm.
Who had changed the Mount Hua Sect that was walking the path of downfall.
“Understood.”
The Sect Leader, with a face full of firm resolve, nodded his head and spoke quietly.
“Things like spirit grass (靈) or spirit items (靈) would be hard to get, but I will talk to the herb gatherers and try to obtain herbs.”
“Tch. Understood.”
It was a slightly disappointing result.
If possible, he wanted to obtain spirit grass.
‘Can’t be helped, I guess.’
What was needed right now was a massive amount of elixirs.
To make elixirs with spirit grass or spirit items, the financial situation of the Mount Hua Sect was endlessly poor.
‘Shall I be satisfied with this for now.’
That evening.
“We brought a whole lot here.”
“Will this be enough?”
The main gate of the Mount Hua Sect was bustling.
It was because the Sect Leader had spoken to the Hall Lord of the Hall of Medicine and called the herb gatherers together.
“Immeasurable Life Buddha. Thank you very much.”
At the Sect Leader’s beaming expression and words of gratitude, the herb gatherers, who were putting down their woven bags, were startled and waved their hands.
“Oh my, no.”
“Recently, the Taoists have taken care of the wild beasts, so herbs are abundant.”
“Thanks to that, my wife and children are now at ease when picking herbs.”
The speaking herb gatherers smiled brightly.
“Haha. Is that so.”
On the contrary, the Sect Leader smiled bitterly.
‘To think that matter would turn out like that.’
In truth, the reason the wild beasts were dealt with was because Cheon-hwi wanted to eat meat.
But to have such a good result.
‘If I had known they were suffering from wild beasts, I should have acted first.’
To them, who had learned martial arts, wild beasts were beings they could take care of at any time, but it wasn’t the case for the herb gatherers.
‘……It is my fault.’
Dealing with wild beasts was something that could be done anytime.
But he didn’t do it.
No, he hadn’t even paid attention.
‘I only cared too much about our own sect.’
The Sect Leader blamed himself while looking at the herb gatherers who couldn’t hide their joy.
He had been so focused on making the Mount Hua Sect strong that he hadn’t looked around his surroundings.
‘Hyeon-sang, Hyeon-sang. No matter how strong we become, if we don’t help the weak, how can we be called the Mount Hua Sect.’
The self-blaming Sect Leader ruminated on the teachings he had received from his master in the past.
‘The strong are supposed to help the weak, how could I have forgotten.’
The Sect Leader closed his eyes gently.
After that, he politely bowed.
“Immeasurable Life Buddha. If there are any inconveniences when gathering herbs, please visit our sect anytime and tell us.”
“Really?”
The expressions of the herb gatherers brightened.
There was no immediate help needed right now, but just hearing those words made them thankful.
It was felt even stronger because it was none other than the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.
“Hahaha. Then we will visit and ask for favors later.”
“Thank you just for your words.”
As the Sect Leader was smiling softly.
“Looks like they’re already here.”
Right then, Cheon-hwi appeared.
“Oh my!”
“G-Ghost!”
Seeing Cheon-hwi pop out abruptly as if a ghost had popped out, the herb gatherers were terrified and jumped in place.
Cheon-hwi passed by the shocked herb gatherers and stared at the woven bags.
“Can I look at this?”
As the surprised herb gatherers flinched.
“He is a disciple of our sect.”
At the Sect Leader’s words, the herb gatherers came to their senses one by one, and after checking the Taoist robe Cheon-hwi was wearing, they swept their chests in relief.
“Haha. You were a little Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Look if you want to. Even so, we only brought the highest grade among what we currently have.”
Hearing the words, Cheon-hwi picked up a herb.
And then.
Crunch…
He immediately bit into the herb.
A bitter taste traveled down his tongue.
‘Hmm. This is not good.’
He immediately left the herb he was chewing to one side and picked up another herb to chew.
“……What is he doing?”
“Isn’t he trying to figure out the efficacy?”
“Just by chewing?”
“Isn’t he a Taoist.”
As the fussing herb gatherers watched Cheon-hwi’s sudden action for a moment.
“Huh?!”
“W-Wait!”
“W-Why is that in the bag?!”
Seeing the grass Cheon-hwi was holding, the herb gatherers shouted in panic.
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi looked at the grass.
‘This is a bit different from the others?’
The grass in his hand was different from the herbs.
But if asked what it was, it was ambiguous to pinpoint.
‘Well, I’ll know once I eat it.’
As Cheon-hwi was about to put the grass in his mouth.
“N-No! Do not eat that!”
“That is a poisonous plant!”
The herb gatherers hurriedly tried to stop Cheon-hwi, but it had already entered his mouth.
“Hmm?”
A stinging pain was felt on his tongue.
The poison flowed out from the swallowed poisonous plant and slowly flowed into his body.
Cheon-hwi’s face turned purple.
“Cheon-hwi!”
At his seemingly poisoned appearance, the Sect Leader approached Cheon-hwi in a panic.
Right then.
Hwaaak…
Cheon-hwi drew up his internal energy.
The Plum Blossom Divine Art flowed out from his whole body while emitting a faint scent of plum blossoms and drove the remaining poison in his body into one place.
Then he stretched his index finger straight forward.
A drop of black poisonous liquid formed a lump at the tip of his index finger, then plopped onto the ground.
Chijijik…
As the poisonous smoke that tickled the tip of the nose spread, the herb gatherers who came to their senses covered their noses.
“Heup!”
Meanwhile, the Sect Leader approached Cheon-hwi.
“A-Are you alright?”
Huuu…
Instead of answering, Cheon-hwi spat out the poison from his mouth.
Along with a terrible stench, the poison scattered in the air and was swept away by the wind.
Soon after, Cheon-hwi opened his mouth.
“Yes. I am perfectly fine.”
Cheon-hwi smacked his lips.
It was a toxicity strong enough to paralyze the tongue, but it contained far more energy than the herbs he had swallowed so far.
‘If done well, it will be useful.’
Cheon-hwi’s eyes flashed.
Even during the days of the Heavenly Demon Cult, there was an elixir made using poisonous plants.
It was the elixir Return to the Spring Pill, which was famous even in the Central Plains at the time.
‘If you eat it, you suffer from pain for a few days, but internal energy certainly built up.’
He recalled the demonic practitioners who writhed while vomiting and having diarrhea after taking the Return to the Spring Pill.
‘Still, no one died.’
Meanwhile, the herb gatherers were astonished looking at Cheon-hwi, who was perfectly fine despite eating the poisonous plant.
What was the poisonous plant from just before.
It was a poisonous plant called Mountain Arsenic, and just chewing it would rot your insides, making you unable to even spit out words.
It was a grass that no one bought unless they aimed to assassinate someone.
To think he was perfectly fine like that!
Soon, they all trembled at the same time without anyone being first.
“Ah! You were a Little Immortal!”
“We mistakenly gave the Little Immortal a poisonous plant!”
Right then, Cheon-hwi approached them.
“Heup!”
“Heok!”
“……!”
As the herb gatherers were terrified in advance, afraid that the Little Immortal would inflict a heavenly punishment.
“What was the poisonous plant I just ate?”
An unexpected question came in.
“Hmm, do you not know?”
At Cheon-hwi’s subsequent question, one of the herb gatherers flashed to his senses.
“M-Mountain Arsenic!”
“Do you have a lot of this?”
The herb gatherers panicked.
“W-We have a little, but…….”
“I-I don’t have any.”
“Hmm, I need this.”
Hearing Cheon-hwi’s whisper, the herb gatherers stealthily looked at each other, exchanged glances, and shouted while nodding simultaneously.
“I-I will try to get it!”
“If the Little Immortal wants it, we can give it anytime!”
“We will gather it somehow!”
“If you do that, it would be great for me.”
At their words, Cheon-hwi held a satisfied smile on his lips.
“Huuu.”
“He is not angry.”
The moment the herb gatherers sighed in relief and swept their chests.
“Then next is…….”
After throwing the Mountain Arsenic into the woven bag on the left, Cheon-hwi took out another herb and chewed it.
This might be useful?
Hmm. This is a pass.
I need this.
How many times did he chew and swallow like that.
Gulp…
Cheon-hwi, who chewed and swallowed the last herb, spoke while looking at the herbs divided to the left and right.
“I’ll buy everything here on the left.”
The Sect Leader took a step forward.
“Do you not need the right side?”
Cheon-hwi answered without even glancing at the herbs thrown to the right.
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
The Sect Leader approached the herb gatherers who were looking at Cheon-hwi with blank eyes.
“We would like to buy the herbs on the left, how much would it be?”
The herb gatherers were startled and waved their hands.
“O-Oh my! Money is fine.”
“W-What money.”
“Didn’t we lack ability and bring a poisonous plant among the herbs?”
As they said, it was the herb gatherers’ mistake.
If other disciples instead of Cheon-hwi had eaten it, a huge incident would have occurred.
‘But that didn’t happen.’
The Sect Leader smiled softly.
“Haha, wasn’t that a mistake?”
“Even if it’s a mistake, a sin is a sin, isn’t it?”
“Please receive the herbs and forgive the sin we committed against the Little Immortal.”
“But saving face is…….”
As the Sect Leader spoke with an awkward expression.
“We beg you!”
The herb gatherers spoke earnestly.
They almost killed a Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
It was something they should repay with death, but taking money for it?
Even beasts wouldn’t do such a thing.
“P-Please just accept it.”
“We want to be of help to the Little Immortal.”
“H-Haven’t you taken care of the wild beasts from the Mount Hua Sect since the past? How about accepting these herbs as repayment for that?”
At the herb gatherers’ repeatedly earnest words, the Sect Leader smiled awkwardly and accepted.
“……H-Haha. I shall understand it as such.”
“Thank you!”
“Oh my! Thank you!”
“You may stop bowing your heads.”
As the herb gatherers repeatedly gave thanks and the Sect Leader smiled awkwardly and tried to stop them.
“This is still severely lacking.”
Cheon-hwi looked at the piled up herbs.
The herbs and poisonous plants that barely reached his waist were far too lacking in quantity to make a massive amount of elixirs, no matter how he looked at it.
‘I’ll have to ask the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.’
* * *
Upon returning to the thatched cottage with the herbs, Seol Ran and Jeok-geom were just waiting.
“Are you back?”
Seol Ran smiled and spoke, and Jeok-geom, who was next to her, forced a smile.
“Ha. Haha. I have prepared it.”
Jeok-geom, who was speaking, hurriedly placed the roasted wild boar onto a plate.
“Put it away.”
As he placed the woven bags on the floor along with his words, Seol Ran, who saw that, asked.
“What is that?”
“Herbs.”
“Herbs?”
At the sudden words, including Jeok-geom, Seol Ran, who had no interest, also harbored doubts.
“What are you going to use the herbs for?”
“To make elixirs.”
Seol Ran’s eyes widened.
Even as a layman, she knew that making elixirs was a difficult task.
But.
‘If it’s Martial Uncle, he might really make them.’
She was also the same as the Sect Leader.
“Do you also know how to make elixirs?”
“No. I’m going to try making them now.”
“Pardon?”
While Seol Ran had a blank face, Cheon-hwi took out the herbs contained in the woven bag.
When Seol Ran was looking at the herbs as if it was strange, Cheon-hwi looked at Jeok-geom.
“Jeok-geom-a.”
“Yes? Y-Yes, yes!”
At the call, Jeok-geom squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Damn it! Today as well. I should have trained hard even if Martial Uncle left.’
He recalled suffering a one-sided beating under the guise of training for the past few days.
“Light a fire over there.”
“Are you talking about a fire?”
At the subsequent command, Jeok-geom was bewildered.
“Not going to light it?”
“U-Understood!”
“And Seol Ran, you fill a cauldron with water and bring it over.”
“Understood.”
When the two were carrying out his orders.
“The ingredients are sufficient for now, but making the elixirs is the problem.”
Cheon-hwi recalled a book he had read a very long time ago.
Elixir Manufacturing Method.
It was a secret book containing the methods to manufacture several elixirs within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
“Let’s see. First, what was there that I could make with this.”
As he fell into thought looking at the herbs.
“I lit the fire.”
Jeok-geom, who had become covered in soot, ran over.
Turning his head, the flames were wildly soaring on dry firewood.
“I brought it too.”
Cheon-hwi gently placed the cauldron Seol Ran brought over the fire.
“For now, that would be good, right?”
He recalled one elixir.
Following that, he dipped the herbs into the cauldron one by one.
And lastly, he grabbed a handful of Mountain Arsenic and dumped it in.
“Did I make the Mad Demon Sky Shaking Pill like this?”
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