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Chapter 45: Centennial Old Mountain Ginseng
Centennial Ginseng!
When Lu Qing finished reading the information about the root he held in his hand, he was stunned.
This was none other than a rare and precious herb recorded in the Hundred Herbs Scripture—Ginseng! And not just any Ginseng—its age had already surpassed a century.
“Little guy,” Lu Qing looked down at the Ginseng in his palm, then at the black little beast, unable to hide his awe. “You really gave me a gift worth its weight in gold!”
After all, among the hundreds of herbs listed in the Hundred Herbs Scripture, Ginseng ranked among the most valuable. And its worth only increased with age. Ginseng that was just a few decades old already carried tremendous medicinal power and high value. But this—this was a centennial Ginseng, an extraordinary rarity.
In most apothecaries, such a root would be considered a treasure, a centerpiece to draw customers.
“Didn’t waste all those fish I caught for you,” Lu Qing chuckled, genuinely delighted.
Though he wasn’t certain of the exact market value of this centennial Ginseng, one thing was clear—it was far more valuable than the Red Moon Carp.
Sure, the Red Moon Carp had nourishing properties, but the wealthy bought it mainly for its exquisite taste. This Ginseng, however, was different. It was genuine life-saving medicine.
Rare and powerful, such herbs were often priceless—once discovered, they’d be fought over fiercely. And the fact that this Ginseng glowed faintly with a red aura, hinting at latent spiritual qualities, only increased its value even further.
This wasn’t just a rare Ginseng—it was a true treasure.
Compared to that, the fish he’d been feeding the black little beast seemed utterly insignificant.
He glanced over at the Nighttime Spirit Fox, already lounging beside the fence, casually licking its paws and grooming its fur.
Lu Qing crouched down, smiling warmly, almost pleadingly:
“Little one, how about we make a deal? If you ever find something like this again, bring it to me. I’ll catch whatever fish you want—no problem, okay?”
If someone had seen him then, they’d have seen a man grinning like a rogue uncle trying to sweet-talk a child with candy.
The black little beast didn’t seem to understand. After finishing its grooming, it gave Lu Qing a sideways glance—then, with effortless grace, leapt lightly over the fence and vanished into the night.
This time, Lu Qing saw its eyes clearly.
He felt it—the unmistakable look of disdain from a small creature.
He froze for a second, then chuckled to himself.
Even if he’d been looked down upon by a fox, his mood remained light and joyful.
Back in the kitchen, Lu Qing retrieved the wooden basin and, for the first time in a while, lit an oil lamp. He grabbed a damp cloth and sat in the hall, carefully cleaning the dirt from the Ginseng under the soft glow.
As he worked, slowly and gently, the root began to reveal its true form.
The main root was plump and dense, resembling a small radish. The long, branching roots stretched out like limbs, and from a distance, the whole thing already bore a vague resemblance to a human figure. If it kept growing, it might one day truly look like a little person.
Unfortunately, some of the roots were broken—obviously snapped off when the black little beast had dug it up.
The appearance wasn’t flawless.
Still, Lu Qing felt no real regret. He knew he couldn’t expect perfection. That the beast had even found a centennial Ginseng was astonishing in itself.
Could he really expect it to behave like a seasoned herbalist, carefully extracting the root without damage?
After admiring the Ginseng for a few moments, he wrapped it gently in cloth and tucked it away.
He decided to take it to his master the next day and ask how best to preserve and utilize its power.
After all, though he had memorized the Hundred Herbs Scripture, his knowledge still fell far short of his master—the legendary physician.
The next morning, Lu Qing woke early. First, he practiced the Nourish Body Fist twice in the courtyard, feeling refreshed and invigorated. Only then did he prepare breakfast.
After eating, he brought Xiao Yan to the half-mountain cottage.
Seeing the master, he immediately pulled out the Ginseng, wrapped in cloth.
“Master,” he said, “last night, I accidentally came across a herb. I’d like you to take a look—how should we best handle it?”
“Oh? What kind of herb?” the master asked, surprised.
“Did you go out collecting herbs in the middle of the night?”
“Just this one,” Lu Qing replied, unwrapping the cloth to reveal the Ginseng.
“…This is…” The master’s eyes widened instantly.
“Ginseng?!”
Startled, he snatched the cloth from Lu Qing’s hands and took the root, examining it closely.
“By the heavens… It is Ginseng. And an exceptional one at that—fresh, well-preserved, a centennial old mountain ginseng of the finest quality!”
After a long, careful inspection, the master exhaled slowly and murmured in awe.
“A Qing, where did you get this? Did you go into the mountains last night?”
The master stared at Lu Qing, genuinely bewildered.
Centennial Ginsengs like this were typically found only in remote, untouched deep forests—places even seasoned herbalists rarely dared to tread.
Even after decades of experience, he had only encountered a handful in his lifetime.
And judging by its freshness, this root had been dug up just hours ago.
How had Lu Qing obtained it?
Surely he hadn’t braved the wilds of the deep mountains?
But that was impossible.
Lu Qing smiled. “You’ll never guess, Master. This Ginseng… was given to me.”
“Given? By whom?”
The master leaned in, intrigued.
Who in their right mind would hand over such a priceless treasure?
“By the black little beast I told you about,” Lu Qing said. “After I fed it the fish last night, it brought this Ginseng and dropped it at my feet.”
“…The black little beast?” The master was stunned.
Then, Lu Qing recounted the entire story.
The master listened in amazement. Even Xiao Yan, standing by, stared wide-eyed.
“It seems that little creature truly has extraordinary spirit,” the master mused. “It’s reached the point where it can understand human intent.”
“I’ve felt the same,” Lu Qing said. “I think it might even understand what we’re saying.”
He remembered the fox’s disdainful glance before vanishing into the night.
“See?” the master nodded, stroking his beard. “This is the reward of kindness. If you hadn’t shown mercy that night, hadn’t fed it when others would have driven it away, how could you have earned such a blessing?”
More like I was too scared to drive it away, Lu Qing thought, sweating slightly.
That little creature was no ordinary beast—anyone who dared provoke it would regret it.
“Master,” Lu Qing asked, “if this Ginseng is truly over a hundred years old, what’s its worth?”
(End of Chapter)
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