Chapter 330: The Angry Ginseng and Changes in the Mountains

Chapter 330: The Angry Ginseng and Changes in the Mountains

2024-09-03

At the entrance of Nine Mile Village, a lively scene unfolded.

All the villagers who had heard the news of Lu Qing's return rushed out of their homes.

"It's really Lu Qing and the others who have returned!"

"After a few months, Lu Qing seems to have changed a bit."

"Xiao Yan has also changed; she's grown a little."

"What kind of horses are those, and why do they have horns on their heads?"

"Who is that young lady? She's so pretty and charming."

"In the surrounding villages, we've never seen such a beautiful young lady before!"

...

The villagers were abuzz with discussion. Some were observing Lu Qing's changes, while others were curious about the two Dragon Blood Steeds.

Many were also surprised by Hu Zezhi's appearance.

Amidst the chatter, Lu Qing approached Zhang Grandpa.

"Grandpa Zhang, I'm back."

"It's good that you've returned safely, very good."

Grandpa Zhang's eyes glistened with emotion, and his body trembled with excitement.

"Did you encounter any dangers during your journey?"

"No, everything was peaceful. With my master watching over us, and us not causing any trouble, how could there be any danger?" Lu Qing replied with a smile.

The old doctor, standing nearby, remained silent.

But Grandpa Zhang took it seriously and quickly bowed to the old doctor: "Thank you, Doctor, for taking care of Lu Qing and Xiao Yan during their journey. Otherwise, with Lu Qing's youthful impetuousness, who knows what trouble he might have caused."

The old doctor paused slightly, then smiled and said, "Grandpa Zhang, you're joking. Throughout the journey, it was Lu Qing and Xiao Yan who took care of my daily needs. This old man here didn't do much."

"That's what Lu Qing should do as a disciple."

"Grandpa Zhang, let's go into the village first."

Lu Qing spoke quickly, seeing that Grandpa Zhang seemed intent on expressing his gratitude further.

"Yes, you're right. I'm getting old and forgetful. You've been traveling for so long; you must be tired. Let's go back to the village to rest."

Grandpa Zhang patted his head.

"I'll go and remove the red rope first."

Lu Qing walked over to the Message Tree and carefully untied the three red ropes that had been tied there when they first set out.

After months of exposure to the wind and rain, the red ropes had faded a bit, but Lu Qing still placed them under the stone slab with reverence.

The villagers, witnessing this, smiled.

Upon returning home, Lu Qing found the courtyard spotlessly clean, free of any weeds.

The interior was also immaculate, showing no signs of having been uninhabited for months.

It was even cleaner than when Lu Qing and Xiao Yan had left.

Lu Qing knew that Grandpa Zhang and the others must have come daily to clean, ensuring the house remained dust-free.

"Lu Qing, you've just returned, and I'm afraid we didn't have time to prepare food and other necessities. I'll ask your Uncle Zhang and the others to come over."

Grandpa Zhang looked around and said.

Just as Lu Qing was about to speak, a commotion arose outside.

A voice called out, "Young Master Lu, I bring some items on behalf of Uncle Ma."

"Is that you, Xiao Tian?"

Lu Qing stepped out of the house and saw Xiao Tian, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, standing outside the courtyard with a few others, each carrying a load on their shoulders.

"Xiao Tian, did you come from the market?"

"Yes, I just received a message from Uncle Ma, informing me of your return."

"Uncle Ma asked me to bring some daily necessities for you and Doctor Chen."

Xiao Tian spoke respectfully.

"Uncle Ma is indeed thoughtful. Please bring the items in."

Xiao Tian led a few of his men, carrying the loads into the courtyard.

The items were diverse, including rice, flour, meat, vegetables, fruits, and even daily toiletries.

"Young Master Lu, please check if there's anything else you need, and I'll have it sent over immediately."

"No need, I see that everything is here. Thank you, Xiao Tian."

Lu Qing took a look and, finding nothing missing, nodded in gratitude.

"In that case, I won't disturb you further, Young Master Lu."

Xiao Tian bowed respectfully and then left with his men.

Seeing this, Lu Qing shook his head. Xiao Tian seemed more reserved on this trip.

He wondered what Uncle Ma had written in the message that made Xiao Tian act this way.

"Grandpa Zhang, look, I have everything I need, so there's no need to trouble you."

Lu Qing turned and smiled.

Grandpa Zhang looked at the items on the ground and also laughed, "Lu Qing, you have such a high status that people are already sending gifts upon your return."

That Xiao Tian supervisor had been seen by Grandpa Zhang several times over the past two years.

Every so often, he would personally deliver daily necessities to Lu Qing.

He just hadn't expected Xiao Tian to be so well-informed.

Lu Qing had just returned, and Xiao Tian was right behind him.

"By the way, Uncle Zhang, I just got back today and haven’t prepared anything, so I can’t invite everyone for a meal right now. Please let the people outside know that I’ll arrange a banquet with about ten tables in a day or two to celebrate with everyone."

"Alright, you have guests today, so I won’t disturb you. Take care of your guests first."

Uncle Zhang did not try to persuade him. He knew that a bit of money was nothing to Lu Qing.

After the villagers left, Lu Qing said to Hu Zezhi and his daughter, "The villagers have been very concerned about me and Xiao Yan, so they were a bit noisy. I hope you don’t think poorly of us."

"Not at all, the people here are simple and kind, which is truly rare. Xiao Lian and I are fortunate to be able to settle here," Hu Zezhi quickly replied.

"By the way, I mentioned to Senior Wei before I came back that Uncle Hu and your family can stay temporarily in the Wei Family’s secondary residence. There are many empty rooms there, and servants will take care of it, so it won’t be a problem," Lu Qing said.

"Thank you, Young Master Lu," Hu Zezhi expressed his gratitude.

Lu Qing then led Hu Zezhi and his daughter to the Wei Family’s secondary residence to settle in.

After ensuring they were settled, he came to the Halfway Mountain Cottage to help his master clean up the house.

However, when he arrived, he found the Halfway Mountain Cottage was already very tidy, though he wasn’t sure if the villagers had done it or if Wei Shanhai had sent someone to clean it while he was away.

"Ah Qing, come here for a moment."

At that moment, Doctor Chen’s voice came from behind the house.

"What is it, Master?"

Lu Qing walked to the back of the house, about to ask, but suddenly froze.

Beside Doctor Chen, a small garden enclosed by a green fence was radiating a vibrant aura of life. It was the medicine field they had cultivated earlier.

"This medicine field..."

Lu Qing walked closer and was surprised to see the various herbs growing vigorously. Despite only a few months having passed, the herbs looked like they had been growing for a decade, with full potency and ready for use.

More importantly, he sensed that the earth qi in this area was very dense, as if the earth qi from several miles around was continuously converging here. Beneath the surface, a strong, vibrant life force lay dormant.

"That thousand-year ginseng, it didn’t escape?"

Lu Qing immediately recognized the source of the life force and was astonished. It was the thousand-year ginseng that had developed intelligence, which he had caught and which Doctor Chen had placed in the medicine field to help manage the earth qi.

When they had left the village for the Central Province, Lu Qing had thought that the thousand-year ginseng would have long since escaped by the time they returned. But to his surprise, it was still in the medicine field, and it seemed to have been diligently managing the field.

Sensing the movement outside, the dormant life force below the ground began to stir. Slowly, a few leaves emerged.

Seeing this, Lu Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "You’re quite bold, aren’t you? Aren’t you afraid of being caught again?"

This remark made the leaves retract quickly back into the ground.

But soon, the thousand-year ginseng seemed to realize something was amiss. It suddenly emerged from the ground and came to Doctor Chen’s side, most of its plump body exposed, with its leaves moving like human arms, as if making a complaint.

"This little thing seems to have become more intelligent?" Lu Qing was surprised. Could it be due to the resurgence of spirit qi?

"Alright, alright, I know I broke my promise. I’ll make it up to you now."

Doctor Chen apologized repeatedly and took out a jade bottle from his robe, dripping a milky white medicinal liquid onto the ginseng. The liquid made the ginseng’s body stiffen, and then it quickly absorbed the liquid.

The leaves on its head trembled as if it was enjoying the sensation. Then, it vanished, burrowing back into the ground to absorb the medicinal liquid, no longer concerned with Doctor Chen’s broken promise.

"Master, you really went all out, giving it a whole drop of Earth Pulse Essence," Lu Qing laughed.

"Since it stayed, it must have recognized this place. The medicine field is well-managed, so it’s only fitting to compensate it."

When Doctor Chen first cultivated the medicine field, he had made an agreement with the ginseng. If it helped manage the earth qi daily, he would give it a drop of medicinal liquid, diluted from Earth Pulse Essence, every three days.

After that, they were to head to Zhongzhou, and this agreement couldn't continue.

I had thought the thousand-year-old ginseng would leave, never expecting it to stay here all this time.

"Since it's willing to stay, that's just perfect. This time I've returned, I want to study the path of array formations for a period of time."

"By then, let's see if I can gather earth energy and spirit qi with array formations, and create a true spirit herb garden."

Lu Qing spoke earnestly.

This idea had been on his mind for a long time.

With the transformation of heaven and earth, the spirit qi had revived, and all things in the world had entered a period of profound changes.

Under this gradual evolution, some ancient legends of spirit beasts and spirit herbs might also appear in the days to come.

But for Lu Qing, this was still a bit too slow.

So, he wanted to try and see if he could cultivate a batch of spirit herbs in advance with his knowledge, seizing the initiative.

"This is excellent. With the great changes in heaven and earth, plagues might also undergo unpredictable transformations."

"If we can cultivate spirit herbs, then in the future, when we encounter those stubborn illnesses, we won't be left without any options."

Upon hearing this, the old doctor was delighted.

As a doctor with a benevolent heart, he was already concerned about the changes in heaven and earth.

Lu Qing's idea could allow them to be well-prepared.

"Also, Master, tomorrow I want to make a trip into the mountains to see how things are there."

"As for Xiao Yan, I'll have to trouble you to take care of her for a while."

"Alright, you can go with peace of mind. Be careful."

The old doctor spoke solemnly.

He knew his disciple's worries.

This time, their journey to Zhongzhou, though immensely rewarding, had also brought them tremendous opportunities.

However, it had also sown many seeds of trouble, offending numerous people.

Needless to say, Xuankong Mountain had become their mortal enemy.

As for the Holy Mountain, although it had always stood in the world under the name of justice, people still had their own selfish desires.

That third Holy Master, in front of so many powerful individuals, had been defeated by Lu Qing.

No one could guarantee that he wouldn't hold any grudges.

Otherwise, when they left that day, the Holy Mountain wouldn't have ordered the Master of the Hall of Destiny to invite Lu Qing up the mountain.

Additionally, there was the mysterious demonic cultivator who had been severely injured by Lu Qing's strike, as well as the possible remnants of the Qi family, and so on.

These were all potential threats.

This time, when they returned, they had traveled back at an incredible speed that was difficult for ordinary people to match, riding the Wind Riding Cart.

But ultimately, there were still traces to follow.

For a while, others might not know their whereabouts, but if someone was determined, it would be hard to say if they wouldn't track them down to Nine Mile Village.

So, it was best to be cautious.

"I'll be careful," Lu Qing nodded.

The next day, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan to pay their respects at their parents' graves first, then brought her to the Halfway Mountain Cottage, leaving Xiao Li behind. He entered the Hundred Thousand Mile Mountain Range alone.

Along the way, Lu Qing carefully sensed and examined the changes in the mountains.

Then, under the dual investigation of Divine Soul Sensing and his extraordinary abilities, Lu Qing discovered that there were indeed significant changes in the mountains.

First were the plants.

The plants in the mountains were evidently growing more vigorously, especially the vitality of wood, which had become extremely dense.

If a cultivator of Wood-type True Qi or Spirit Power came to cultivate here, their cultivation progress would likely be much faster.

Next were the animals.

The animals in the mountains had also undergone considerable changes, especially the venomous insects and snakes, which had become much more aggressive.

The toxicity within their bodies had increased significantly.

If an ordinary person entered here and was bitten, they would likely die on the spot.

Even a Houtian Realm martial artist, if poisoned, would struggle to survive for long without timely detoxification.

"It seems we need to start the defensive work for the village earlier."

Sensing the changes in the mountains, Lu Qing's mood grew heavy.

The venomous insects and snakes in these deep mountains posed no threat to him.

But for the villagers, they were terrifying.

If someone were bitten, it would be a significant problem.

As he pondered, Lu Qing unknowingly arrived at a familiar place.

"The changes here aren't too significant."

Looking at the dazzling and enchanting valley ahead, filled with blooming flowers, Lu Qing smiled.

This time, besides wanting to check on the situation in the mountains, his primary purpose was to see if there were any changes in the Jade Transformation Cave.

Now it seemed that the changes weren't as significant as he had imagined.

As usual, Lu Qing paid his respects at Li Weitian's grave, crossed the waterfall, and entered the mountain's belly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end