...
====
Thank you to "开心珞巴", "zhenglj", and "我是小小蛇" for the generous donations!
For the latest and fastest chapters, please visit <NieShu Novel Network www.NieS>. Reading is a pleasure, and we suggest you bookmark it.
Chapter 128 Yi Potian's Request
Please remember our website domain name <www.NieS>, or search for "NieShu Novel Network" on Baidu.
The Yi family had no shortage of medicinal herbs. Having monopolized the medicinal herb trade in Jilin, their reserves of ginseng, deer antler, and other special Changbai Mountain herbs were enough to overwhelm Lin Yao. Looking at the herbs piled up in the room, Lin Yao could only sigh, "They're rich..."
In today's society, money doesn't necessarily buy good things. The truly good things are collected by those who know their value. The increasingly scarce resources make these natural treasures even more precious. Many times, money can't solve the problem.
I've searched online and found that many wild ginseng sold online are actually cultivated ginseng. The so-called "provincial inspection" certificates can often be easily obtained for just a few dozen yuan. The numbers and pictures attached to these certificates can also be "verified" on relevant websites. Because of this few dozen yuan appraisal fee, a cultivated ginseng that costs only ten or twenty yuan can be transformed into a "wild ginseng" that costs hundreds or thousands of yuan.
The medicinal herbs in front of Lin Yao were all genuine. Wild ginseng was indeed wild ginseng, and deer antler was indeed deer antler from sika deer. They were all authentic specialties of Changbai Mountain. The medicinal aroma alone was enough to prove it.
Without being notified, the little grass extended its tentacles, protruding from all around Lin Yao's body and directly enveloping the medicinal herbs in the room. In less than five minutes, it absorbed all the medicinal energy from the herbs. The speed was so fast that Lin Yao only had time to check the changes in the little grass inside his body. The only impression he had left was that countless other dense roots extended from the cloud of roots of the little grass, extending out from various acupoints on his body, weaving a dense net in the room. The medicinal energy was quickly and orderly absorbed into the cloud of roots of the little grass within this net, and finally, all the roots instantly retracted, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Yao sighed, disassembled the packaging of the medicinal herbs in the room one by one, gathered the powdered herbs together, poured them into the toilet, and flushed them away to destroy the evidence.
"Little Grass, why do the herbs turn into powder every time you absorb medicinal energy?" Lin Yao finally voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind.
"I can prevent the herbs from turning into powder, but I'm lacking nutrition." Little Grass's voice was beautiful and melodious, but the content made Lin Yao roll his eyes. With that small body, how much could she eat? And she's lacking nutrition? Couldn't she use a different word? Saying she's lacking nutrients would be fine too.
"By the way, Xiaocao, can that patient we diagnosed before be cured? Provided that the damage to you isn't too severe." Lin Yao immediately asked the question he was most concerned about.
“Sure, no problem. Just drain his true energy and heal his meridians and bones, and he’ll be fully recovered.” Lin Yao was already numb to Xiao Cao’s wisdom. “Don’t worry about his skill level. He can recover immediately after being healed. I can even help him improve.”
"Huh?!" Lin Yao's already somewhat oblivious mind was shocked once again. He couldn't imagine that Xiao Cao was also skilled in internal martial arts and could even help people improve their skills.
“Don’t be surprised. The cultivation method he practices is very damaging to his muscles and bones. The damage to his meridians is the result of his internal energy going awry, but the damage to his muscles and bones comes from the cultivation method itself. Logically speaking, this kind of cultivation method should be supplemented with medicine to regulate the muscles and bones, otherwise it will severely damage a person’s health and lifespan.” Xiao Cao’s matter-of-fact tone made Lin Yao understand the key point. It seems that the Yi family’s cultivation method focuses on the cultivation of muscles and bones, supplemented by internal energy cultivation.
"Although I can help you save people, it's always detrimental to me. Try to let me absorb as much medicinal energy as possible, and don't make me give it up, because that greatly affects my growth." The little grass made its request, its tone rather serious, but it still sounded pleasant to Lin Yao. "Yao Yao, the cultivation method you practice is very peaceful, suitable for helping people heal. You should quickly open up the twelve meridians, and then you can heal people on your own without me having to help."
"Oh, my cultivation progress is very slow. I don't know when I'll be able to open up all twelve meridians." Lin Yao replied somewhat dejectedly. After leaving the neutral medicinal energy released by the small grass, his cultivation progress was very slow. It seemed that it would take several more years to reach the sixth level of Qi.
“Cultivating in areas where the essence of heaven and earth is concentrated can help you improve rapidly. I can help you control the essence entering your body so as not to harm your body. You find the place yourself. Timo can issue a warning when you approach such a place.” Xiaocao pointed out the way for Lin Yao.
Lin Yao knew that the "Timu" Xiaocao mentioned was "Earth Mother," and the clouds gathered around Xiaocao's roots were its form. The Yi family's ancestral explanation of the Earth Mother might just be a phonetic transcription from a time of transmission. When Xiaocao mentioned Timu, she explained that it was related to Bodhi, though she wasn't entirely clear on its specific origin. But Lin Yao immediately thought of the legendary Bodhi tree, a sacred tree representing wisdom and enlightenment, closely connected to the earth. Perhaps "the wisdom of the earth" would be a more fitting description, as it had completely awakened Xiaocao's sentience.
Without saying anything more, Lin Yao packed up the wooden box and jade box containing the medicinal herbs and left the room. He was in a hurry to help Yi Potian treat his illness so that he could complete this commission.
Having awakened its intelligence and absorbed the Earth Mother's power, the little grass's abilities have greatly improved. The root network enveloping Yi Potian's entire body rapidly absorbs the chaotic true energy within him. The vast majority is digested by the little grass itself, with only a very small portion secreted at the tender buds. This small amount of true energy is quickly gathered into Lin Yao's meridians. This tiny portion of true energy has an effect almost comparable to the energy absorbed from heaven and earth, greatly aiding Lin Yao's cultivation and making him feel that he is one step closer to entering the sixth level of Qi Rank.
Having lost his true energy, Yi Potian's rosy glow disappeared, and he now looked like a grumpy old man with an ordinary complexion, no different from any other elderly person on the street. His once bright eyes were now tightly closed, as he had been knocked unconscious by Lin Yao during the treatment.
"Your father's qi deviation has been cured. I'll prepare some more pills later. Take them regularly every day, and his damaged meridians will be fully restored in a month. He can then resume his martial arts practice." Lin Yao summoned Yi Yang and solemnly instructed him, "Remember, you must wait a month before you can start practicing."
Yi Yang bowed deeply to Lin Yao, then straightened his back and respectfully replied, "Yes, thank you, sir!"
"Can you recover your strength?" A broken voice sounded from behind, hoarse and weak. Yi Potian, who hadn't spoken for many years, asked this question as soon as he woke up.
Yi Yang was taken aback, his eyes filled with hope as he stared intently at Lin Yao.
Lin Yao turned around, a smile on his face. "Old sir, you can start cultivating in a month. However, you must control the intensity of your practice. In my opinion, your meridians can hold a lot of true qi after they recover. However, your true qi is too violent and aggressive, which will seriously damage your body. Therefore, you must control your progress and not exceed the previous level. Otherwise, you will suffer the same qi deviation again, or even lose your life."
"Ah!" Yi Yang behind him couldn't help but exclaim, his tone filled with deep disappointment.
The sharp gaze in the old man Yi Potian's eyes suddenly dimmed, and he lowered his eyelids. Then he quickly opened his eyes wide and looked at Lin Yao earnestly, "Sir, do you have any way to solve my bone and tendon injury problem?"
Lin Yao was startled, but remained outwardly calm. It turned out that the other party already knew about the bone and tendon injury. "Sir, this... I'm afraid it will be very difficult."
"Sir." Yi Potian struggled to sit up straight on the bed, no longer relying on the pillow for support, and his tone became urgent, "Please do my part, the Yi family will certainly repay you handsomely."
"You know about the bone and muscle injury? Do you know the reason?" Lin Yao neither agreed nor refused, but instead raised the question that had been on his mind.
The old man's musculoskeletal condition puzzled Lin Yao. On the one hand, his bones and muscles were surprisingly strong and resilient, yet on the other hand, they appeared so fragile that they seemed ready to break at the slightest touch. The simultaneous appearance of these two contradictory traits left Lin Yao quite perplexed.
“I know, this is due to the Yi family’s martial arts.” The old man quickly adapted to the control of his throat muscles and spoke fluently. “Our Yi family mainly cultivates the ‘Yi Jin Jue’, which is the most powerful attack technique in the world. It allows for rapid progress, but while it strengthens the muscles and bones, it also causes great damage to them. This is why people who practice Yi family martial arts cannot live long lives.”
Lin Yao's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. He realized that this was the result of the cultivation technique, which he believed aimed to improve one's cultivation level by strengthening one's muscles and bones.
"No." Little Grass spoke in her mind with a pleasant voice. The beautiful female voice made Lin Yao momentarily lose his mind. "This vital energy, oh, what you call true energy, is very active. It can help the muscles and bones become stronger and more resilient. It's just that the cultivator's physique is too poor to withstand it, which is why the muscles and bones are damaged. If some medicine is used to help, there will be no worries and it will not shorten lifespan."
Seeing that Lin Yao remained silent, Yi Potian had no choice but to continue. Lin Yao caught the fleeting glint in his eyes, "Sir, could you prepare a medicine to protect your bones and muscles?"
At this moment, Lin Yao already regarded the old man on the bed as a very shrewd person. The glint of light he had just seen made him wary. When he heard the other party's question, he certainly could not admit it directly. "Mr. Yi, I see that your meridians are perfectly unobstructed. You will make great progress in your cultivation after a month. If you control your realm well, you will not suffer from qi deviation again."
Yi Potian lowered his eyelids and stared straight at the silk quilt covering his legs. His face was immediately filled with frustration and dejection, and there was also a hint of sadness. Lin Yao felt a sense of sympathy for him, as if he were seeing a lonely old man begging on the street.
"Old sir, hehe." Yi Potian spoke self-deprecatingly, his voice so low that those around him could barely hear him. "Actually, I'm only forty-seven years old. I look old, don't I? I don't have many years left to live. People in the Yi family who practice martial arts cannot live past fifty. If I calculate it, I only have three years left."
Lin Yao was startled. Forty-seven years old? By the latest international standards, forty-seven years old is only considered middle-aged. How could he look so old? Suppressing his doubts, Lin Yao remained silent and quietly looked at the old man.
“Father, you will definitely live past fifty.” Yi Yang walked to the bedside, his voice loud, with excitement and a hint of sadness in his tone.
"After the decline of the Fan family, how could the Yi family members live past fifty? Yang'er, you don't need to comfort your father. I won't blame you for using the ancestral holy medicine this time. In a month, I will fight my way to the peak of the Earth level to meet some old friends and help the Yi family recover some of the lost benefits. That will be enough to make up for these sacrifices."
"The Fan family? What's with this lifespan limit?" Lin Yao couldn't help but ask his question.
“Mr. Gu, it’s like this.” Yi Yang turned to face Lin Yao, bowing respectfully. “The Fan family is a family that coexists with our Yi family. Although the Fan family is not large, they are a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. They can concoct medicines to protect the bones and muscles from damage, allowing the Yi family to cultivate the ‘Yi Jin Jue’ without any worries. This was also the basis for the Yi family’s status as the number one ancient martial arts family in the world. However, during the turmoil more than 30 years ago, the Fan family went out to find medicine but died. Their medical skills were not passed down, which is why the Yi family and the Fan family are in a very passive position now.”
“Without the Fan family’s conditioning medicine, none of the Yi family’s practitioners have lived past fifty. They all died in agony with their bones and muscles broken. The reason I mentioned online last time that I couldn’t provide funds temporarily was because I was suppressed by rival families and couldn’t raise funds for the time being.” Yi Yang’s words and additions allowed Lin Yao to quickly understand the general situation.
Lin Yao nodded and said "Oh," indicating that he understood, without offering any further opinion, and his expression remained unchanged. He thought to himself that he should just avoid practicing this life-shortening technique. According to Xiao Cao's investigation, this technique would cause great pain to the practitioner in daily life, clearly a case of asking for trouble.