Chapter 185: Thousand-Year Ginseng, Two Years of Change

"My spirit soul感应 ability has greatly improved," Lu Qing thought within the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber, where the formation shielded him from external perception. But once he stepped outside, the difference became undeniable. With the加持 of Spirit Soul Power, his spiritual感应 had expanded dramatically.

Where before he could sense within a radius of just one hundred meters, now it stretched to two li—ten times farther. The precision of his soul sensing ability had also sharpened immensely. Within that range, nearly every living being was detectable.

"Since refining Spirit Soul Power, my spiritual感应 now bears a faint resemblance to Xiao Li’s peculiar ability," Lu Qing realized.

Xiao Li’s unique sense was truly extraordinary. To date, Lu Qing had yet to encounter anything that could evade it. Even Master, a Xian Tian Jing cultivator who had glimpsed the Yi realm, could not hide his presence when nearing Xiao Li too closely—despite concealing his aura.

The only exception had been the Cloth-Clothed Youth from Tian Ji Lou. But that was because the man carried a Unique Treasure that completely masked his spiritual signature, allowing him to slip past Xiao Li’s perception.

"The fluctuations in Heavenly and Earthly Qi are growing stronger," Lu Qing mused. With his spirit soul now far more attuned, he could feel the subtle shifts in the surrounding energy with greater clarity.

In truth, he’d already sensed this change over the past two years. The flow of primordial energy in the world had become increasingly lively—like the breath before a great event, as if something of immense significance was on the verge of emerging from deeper layers of space.

Yet the timing wasn’t right. It hadn’t fully manifested.

Still, Lu Qing had a strong premonition: when that thing finally awakened, the entire world would undergo a profound transformation.

"Is it spiritual energy?" Lu Qing pondered, carefully analyzing the shifts in the surrounding qi.

"Hmm… what’s this?"

Suddenly, his expression shifted. Something had caught his attention. In an instant, he vanished from his spot.

A few swift leaps brought him to a small hill overlooking the valley. As he landed, a plant on the ground trembled—its leaves recoiled inward, attempting to burrow into the earth.

Too late.

Before it could fully retreat, Lu Qing seized its stem with a delicate twist of force, yanking it free from the soil.

"Indeed, it’s Ginseng."

A look of delight spread across his face as he stared at the root in his hand—a massive, fully formed Ginseng. Its roots were complete, its five limbs distinct, and it had clearly taken on a humanoid shape.

He immediately activated his Abilities to examine it.

A deep crimson glow, threaded with a hint of golden light, pulsed from the root.

[Ginseng: A rare medicinal herb, non-toxic, edible.]

[This Ginseng has grown for over 1,800 years and has developed a faint innate spirit awareness.]

[Legends say that when Ginseng awakens spirit, it gains a fragment of its innate divine ability—capable of instantly fleeing underground to protect itself in danger.]

"Thousand-Year Ginseng!"

Lu Qing’s eyes widened with excitement. This was no ordinary Ginseng—it had not only surpassed 1,800 years of growth, but had already developed a trace of spirit awareness.

Once a ginseng surpasses the thousand-year mark and awakens spirit, its medicinal potency undergoes a fundamental transformation—elevating it to true spiritual medicine status. Such a treasure was nearly impossible to find, truly priceless.

"Sure enough, after all this time, the mountain forest has been nourished for years by the condensed qi drawn from the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber. It’s only natural that a Ginseng of this age would emerge."

But Thousand-Year Ginsengs, now possessing even a faint spirit, had developed the ability to flee. That was why they remained hidden—undetected by ordinary people.

"Buzz!"

A subtle, invisible ripple emanated from the Ginseng in his hand. Its roots trembled, trembling with fear.

Lu Qing remained unmoved.

Though the Ginseng had awakened a hint of spirit, it was still utterly primitive—acting purely on instinct. Its true awareness was barely superior to that of a common chicken or duck.

He ignored its trembling and retrieved Red Rope and other tools from his Qiankun Yiqi Dai, binding the Ginseng tightly. The plant ceased struggling.

But since it now qualified as a sentient being, Lu Qing couldn’t store it directly in his Qiankun Yiqi Dai. Instead, he wrapped it in Moist Moss and placed it inside a medicine box, tucking it into his robe.

Once secured, he searched the surrounding area again—but found no other Ginsengs of such age.

Whether this was the only one, or the others had sensed danger and retreated underground, he couldn’t tell.

His spiritual sensing range could reach two li across the surface, but underground detection was far weaker—limited to about twenty to thirty meters, and even then, the sensation was hazy. Below that, it was just a blur.

If the remaining Ginsengs had retreated beneath the earth, finding them would be nearly impossible.

The earth was thick, shielded by layers of protective qi. Penetrating it with spiritual power was no easy task.

Still, though he found no more Thousand-Year Ginsengs, Lu Qing did uncover several Century-Old Ginsengs.

He dug up the oldest one—over four hundred years old—and left the rest untouched.

At his current cultivation level, even Century-Old Ginsengs offered little benefit.

He’d only taken one to bring back for Master, to replenish the medicine stockpile for future needs.

After finishing, Lu Qing set off toward the outside of the mountain with Xiao Li at his side.

With his current strength, moving in and out of the forest was effortless. Within a short time, Jiu Li Village came into view.

As he entered the village, he heard the cheerful sound of children reading aloud from nearby. A smile tugged at his lips.

The past two years had brought remarkable changes to Jiu Li Village.

The roads were now smooth and well-paved. Houses had been repaired and upgraded. Even a new schoolhouse had been built.

All of this had been made possible by the Wei Family.

Two years ago, Ma Gu had fled the County Town to escape his family’s nagging, returning to the Big Market for a carefree life.

Lu Qing had been curious then—what about Wei Zian?

But the next day, Wei Zian arrived in Jiu Li Village, accompanied by Wei Da Zong Guan and many servants from the Wei Family.

Later, they purchased a large plot of land beside the village and built a private estate—Wei Zian’s residence.

Occasionally, Wei Fu Ren and Wei Xinghe themselves would visit for a few days. Even the Wei Family Ancestor appeared now and then, coming to tea with Master.

Because the estate housed so many people, daily needs like vegetables, meat, and eggs were substantial.

So the Wei Family began buying directly from the villagers, giving them extra income.

Slowly, the family also helped repair the roads and, citing Young Master An’s need for education, established the schoolhouse—hiring two teachers to instruct the children.

They declared openly: any child of school age from the village could attend, tuition-free. Only the cost of meals needed to be covered.

At first, the villagers were skeptical. But after repeated assurances from the Wei Family—and after confirming with Lu Qing—they were overjoyed.

Families, even those struggling, made great sacrifices to send their children to school.

They’d rather endure hardship themselves than let their children fall behind.

Lu Qing and Old Doctor had not opposed these efforts. In fact, they welcomed them wholeheartedly.

After all, what the Wei Family did was beneficial—no harm, only good.

They genuinely wanted the village to thrive.

Lu Qing even secretly helped some of the poorest families.

And so, two years later, Jiu Li Village had become what it was today.

With Xiao Li at his side, Lu Qing headed toward the Half Mountain Small Courtyard.

As he stepped through the gate, he saw the Wei Family Ancestor sitting with Master beneath a plum tree, sipping tea leisurely.

Xiao Yan sat nearby, quietly writing.

"Brother, Xiao Li! You’re back!"

Xiao Yan, facing the entrance, spotted them immediately. She set down her brush with a joyful gasp and rushed over.

Old Doctor and Wei Shanhai, however, turned in surprise.

They hadn’t sensed Lu Qing’s arrival at all.

"Yeah, just got back," Lu Qing said, ruffling his little sister’s hair. Two years had made her taller, but she was still, unmistakably, a little kid.

Xiao Li leapt onto Xiao Yan’s shoulder, pawed at her hair, then pointed toward the house.

"Alright, I’ll go get the chess set!" Xiao Yan grinned, darting inside.

Lu Qing chuckled, letting the two play.

Then he walked over to the plum tree, bowing respectfully.

"Respectfully, I greet Wei Lao Qian Bei."

Only then did he turn to Old Doctor. "Master, I’ve returned."

Old Doctor’s expression had settled into calm. "Your cultivation retreat is over?"

"Just finished this morning. Xiao Li missed Xiao Yan, so we came back quickly."

"More likely," Old Doctor chuckled, "it’s the chess addiction. He just wanted to play against Xiao Yan again."

He knew Lu Qing had recently invented a new kind of beast chess that both children had become utterly obsessed with.

"Looks like Lu Xiao Langjun’s retreat yielded significant results!" Wei Shanhai said, marveling.

His mind was still reeling.

Even as a Xian Tian Jing cultivator, he hadn’t sensed Lu Qing’s return. And even now, standing before him, he could not discern his cultivation level.

If he closed his eyes, his spirit soul detected only emptiness—no presence at all.

This eerie phenomenon left Wei Shanhai stunned.

Had Lu Qing broken through to Xian Tian Jing?

But upon closer inspection, he detected no unique aura characteristic of a Xian Tian Jing cultivator.

"Just a minor breakthrough. Not worth such praise from Wei Lao Qian Bei," Lu Qing replied humbly.

Wei Shanhai, realizing Lu Qing wasn’t going to reveal his progress, gave a slightly embarrassed smile and lifted his teacup.

"Xiao Li, hurry up!"

At that moment, Xiao Yan burst out of the house, holding the chess board tightly.

"Awooo!" Xiao Li shot onto the stone table, eager.

Xiao Yan tidied her writing tools, then began setting up the board.

Soon, the two were locked in a lively game.

Wei Shanhai watched, utterly fascinated.

He knew Xiao Li was highly intelligent—on par with a human child.

But seeing it play a complex game with such focus was still astonishing.

Curious, he stepped closer to observe.

After a few glances, he was even more surprised.

"What kind of game is this? I’ve never seen anything like it."

"Wei Grandpa, Brother says it’s called Beast Battle Chess. It’s really fun!" Xiao Yan answered sweetly.

"Beast Battle Chess?"

Wei Shanhai turned to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing smiled. "Let the elder laugh at my folly. I made this up in my spare time—nothing worthy of serious attention."

"Oh? You invented this yourself? How does it work?"

Wei Shanhai’s interest only grew.

"Wei Grandpa, let me teach you!" Xiao Yan eagerly began. "The beasts are ranked—ancient elephants are the biggest and strongest, little mice the smallest. But the little mouse can crawl into the elephant’s trunk and defeat it!"

Lu Qing’s Beast Battle Chess differed slightly from the version of his past life—some creatures were replaced with familiar beasts from this world. But the core rules remained unchanged: the big eats the small, and the smallest can defeat the largest.

Wei Shanhai listened, and his amazement deepened.

Though the rules were simple, they formed a coherent logic—no flaws, highly engaging, perfect for teaching children. And beneath the surface, there was a subtle balance of mutual generation and destruction.

Lu Qing had crafted something truly clever. No wonder he was a prodigy, blessed with great Qi Yun.

If Lu Qing had known what Wei Shanhai was thinking, he’d have been speechless.

It was just a simple game—why did it have to mean so much?

Seeing Wei Shanhai deeply engrossed in watching the children play, Lu Qing suddenly remembered the medicine box in his pocket.

He pulled it out. "Master, during my recent mountain expedition, I discovered a Thousand-Year Ginseng. It seems to have developed spirit. I’m not sure how best to handle it—please advise."

"A Thousand-Year Ginseng with spirit?"

Old Doctor’s eyes widened in shock. Even Wei Shanhai turned sharply.

"Indeed. It can flee on its own. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, it would’ve escaped underground."

Lu Qing opened the box, removed the Moist Moss, revealing the Ginseng bound tightly in red rope.

"Facial features almost formed, limbs complete—it’s definitely over a thousand years old!" Old Doctor declared, his knowledge of ancient medical texts undeniable.

"Master, look—the Ginseng shows clear signs of spirit. It already possesses traits of a living being," Lu Qing said, loosening the rope and gently holding the main stem.

As the restraints fell away, the roots twitched again, trembling violently.

"Indeed, its spirit has awakened!" Old Doctor beamed. "A Qing, this Ginseng must be carefully nurtured. It will have great use in the future!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end