Chapter 3: Buying Medicine and Checking Relics
After Shi Xuan ate and drank his fill, he had time to observe a city that was completely different from modern society, with an ancient charm. As he walked through the streets, he noticed the bustling crowds, with vendors selling various goods that seemed to have been there for a long time. Most of the vegetable sellers were concentrated on a few streets, and beyond those streets, you could only sporadically see a few vendors at the street corners.
It was June, and there were indeed many people wearing traditional robes on the streets, some even carrying folding fans, looking out of place.
Shi Xuan arrived at Shuijing Street in the southern part of the city and headed towards the largest and busiest pharmacy he could find. On the sign above the door were three large characters in a style similar to ancient Wei script - "Tong Ren Tang." Shi Xuan was shocked, Tong Ren Tang was really something, even opening branches in different realms.
Upon entering, he went straight to the counter where the shopkeeper was greeting customers. Seizing the opportunity, Shi Xuan smiled at the apprentice behind the counter, greeted him, and listed the several valuable herbs in his prescription. The apprentice, seeing that two of the herbs were expensive but in good supply, did not ask Shi Xuan any questions and quickly wrapped them in paper, handing them to Shi Xuan, saying, "That will be four taels and three qian of silver coins, please."
Shi Xuan was amazed at the high price of the herbs in the prescription. This was just for a few of them; at this rate, he would only be able to afford the herbs for about fifty treatments. Each treatment would last him for about three days, six times a day. If his soul didn't enter the 'Soul Strengthening Period' within six months, he would be bankrupt. It seemed there was some truth in the saying that scholars are poor and warriors are rich. Of course, even martial artists didn't have such precious prescriptions - their medicines for body strengthening cost around tens of taels a year, and the more expensive ones cost around one or two hundred taels, which was also terrifying. Considering that Shi Xuan's small courtyard was worth only two to three hundred taels of silver.
Despite his surprise, Shi Xuan remained calm, paid the silver coins and left the shop. He then visited several other herb shops to gather all the ingredients from his prescription, spreading out his purchases to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the value of the prescription.
Afterwards, he went to a butcher's shop and told the shopkeeper that he was planning to host a dog meat feast for his relatives and friends, asking the shopkeeper to deliver four live dogs to his small courtyard in the western part of the city.
Back at the courtyard, Shi Xuan meditated for a while to calm himself, then went to the left wing of the house to retrieve three spare medicine jars. He recited an incantation, channeling the natural energies and performed a purification spell on the jars to remove any residual energies. Then, he divided the ingredients for the last herb into three portions, adding the required amounts of water as per the prescription. It was crucial to use clean jars for this final step, as even a slight residue of previous substances could ruin the concoction.
Shi Xuan carried the medicine jar into the kitchen where there was a row of small stoves used by the Old Taoist for refining medicine. After placing it down, he gathered some wood and lit a fire using his fire-starting skills. Shi Xuan started to feel tired. His soul was too weak, even though the Qi Strengthening Period could activate the five elements of the body to cast spells, it would eventually consume soul power. Of course, the reason why Shi Xuan could cast spells with the Qi Strengthening Period's five elements of the body was that he could nurture his soul at the Nurturing Soul Stage.
Shi Xuan lifted his spirits and carefully controlled the fire, using his spell to control the fire until half an hour passed. The most difficult part was over, and now all he needed to do was to maintain a low fire and simmer for another two hours.
Finally catching his breath, Shi Xuan felt dizzy and quickly sat down to regain his strength. It wasn't until the butcher shop owner Zheng Sunan sent over two black and two yellow dogs that Shi Xuan's complexion returned to normal.
After tying up the four dogs, Shi Xuan drank a bucket of well water from the well and then went inside to organize the Old Taoist's belongings.
Since the Old Taoist's passing, this was the first time Shi Xuan had entered his room. The room was tidy, and after searching around, aside from some clothing and common items, there was a grey package. These clothes were of little use to Shi Xuan, as they didn't fit him. It seemed like the Old Taoist had a premonition of his death, as he had packed everything into the bundle.
Upon opening the package, Shi Xuan found three items inside. One of them was an ancient book called "True Returning Book," which was the true transmission that the Old Taoist had received and the method of practice he had cultivated before inheriting this body. However, for Shi Xuan, having the fundamental method of practice named "Treasure Record of Yu Yu's True Transmission of Catastrophe Relief through Dao," the techniques in this book were of little use. However, the techniques in the "Treasure Record" were derived from the fundamental method, except for some spells that required external items, most could only be practiced after reaching the Golden Core Stage or beyond. The True Returning Book contained more usable techniques, although limited in power due to realm constraints.
Shi Xuan thought about the limited power of the techniques and remembered a Taoism spell from the "Treasure Record" that required an external item for practice: the Taiyin Lung Yang Geng Metal Qi. This technique involved finding a piece of Geng metal and absorbing its essence into the lungs using a secret method, cultivating it day and night until it took shape. Described as incredibly powerful, this technique was swift to use, unlike other spells that required lengthy recitations. Even a Divine Soul stage cultivator would find it hard to defend against its might, although the distance and usage were limited. With regular care and cultivation of the sword energy, both the power and range would increase.
However, these were just thoughts as the technique required at least the Astral Projection Stage to practice. Without precise control over one's soul, there was no way to control the Geng Metal Qi. Without a strong internal energy, the lungs couldn't withstand the sharpness of the Geng Metal. Moreover, Geng metal wasn't easy to come by. Yet, there were alternatives such as the Taiyi True Gold, Western Vital Gold, and White Spiritual Essence, all famous items for refining immortal swords, just renamed for the technique. Of course, these were equally hard to find.
Strangely, the Green Cloud Master in the "Treasure Record" mentioned that before reaching the Golden Core Stage, one must practice this technique and four others (Shaoyin, Xin Yang, Ju Yin, and Jue Yin). The benefits upon entering the Golden Core Stage were immense, but what they were, the Green Cloud Master kept as a secret.
To cut to the chase, the "True Returning Book" is a crucial part of true teachings. It's a pity that there's no foundation for crafting and alchemy.
Shi Xuan set aside the "True Returning Book" and suddenly thought about focusing on the "Treasure Record" in the future. This would mean the teachings of Old Taoist Xu would be lost. Even though Shi Xuan and Old Taoist Xu didn't have an official master-disciple relationship, Shi Xuan saw through his memories that Old Taoist Xu had taken care of Du Bai. Since Shi Xuan now inhabited his body, he felt a sense of gratitude towards Old Taoist Xu. It seemed like he would have to find another talented individual to pass on the teachings when he traveled in the future.
Shi Xuan looked at something else - a stack of talismans wrapped up, about a dozen of them. These were protective symbols prepared by Old Taoist Xu in his final year for his disciples. Even though one could use magic upon entering the 'Period of Strengthening the Qi and Soul,' the procedures at this stage were complex and time-consuming. Hence, talismans were prepared in advance. Old Taoist Xu, being a master of the Astral Projection Stage, had surely left behind talismans far superior to Shi Xuan's.
Shi Xuan meticulously inspected the talismans - a total of seventeen pieces, including four types with four each: Invisibility and Qi Concealment Talisman, Earth Armor Talisman, Thundercalling Breath Control Talisman, and Golden Light Soulbreaking Talisman. Another talisman was inscribed with the Taiyi Thunderbolt from the "Treasure Record." It displayed faint lightning patterns and ancient-looking inscriptions. It didn't seem like something Old Taoist Xu could create himself. It was either inherited from the true teachings or acquired during adventures.
The last item was a mirror with a piece of paper stuck on it, which Old Taoist Xu had obtained from an abandoned temple on Mount Lao in the west. The mirror had trapped a senior ghost for many decades. When Old Taoist Xu unknowingly passed by, he moved the mirror to free the ghost, resulting in a fierce battle where Old Taoist Xu almost perished. Eventually, he used one of the two Taiyi Thunderbolt Talismans obtained during a fateful encounter to destroy the ghost. The mirror was shattered as a result. Old Taoist Xu couldn't identify the material of the mirror but salvaged the largest shard to create a new mirror. However, it had lost its former power and could no longer be considered a magical item, only capable of trapping weaker spirits due to its inherent spiritual properties.
Due to its quality material, Old Taoist Xu intended to pass it to his disciples, allowing them to potentially refine it back into a magical item in the future. Before reaching the Golden Core Stage, spell casting involved various steps. Some practitioners found ways to expedite the process, utilizing talismans and magical items as substitutes, which were also described in the "Treasure Record."
A magical item is a powerful and convenient tool crafted using suitable materials and seals. It is highly valued by cultivators and comes in four levels: magical item, spiritual item, magical treasure, and divine treasure. Crafting a magical item requires corresponding seals; when combined perfectly, it advances to a spiritual item. The seals for magical treasure and divine treasure are known as Treasure Seal and Spirit Seal, respectively. In summary, magical items and spiritual items are associated with the Qi Refining stage, while magical treasures and divine treasures are linked to the Original Soul stage.
After examining the relics left by Old Taoist Xu, Shi Xuan kept the scriptures close to him, stored the talismans in hidden pouches on his belt and sleeves for easy access. He placed the mirror in his pack as he lacked suitable materials and techniques to craft a magical item at that moment.
Shi Xuan took a short break, and soon it was time for the medicinal herbs to finish brewing.
