"What about the third one?" Yin Que also felt that the second method was too vague, so he asked directly.
"The third option? I'm quite skilled in alchemy. If Your Majesty can find herbs that are over 500 years old, one can be exchanged for a Marrow Cleansing Pill with transformative effects, and herbs over 1000 years old can be exchanged for a Life Extension Pill that adds a year to one's life. The more the better." Xu Le was becoming more and more adept at lying. The so-called Life Extension Pill was nothing more than a mixture of the life force of a dog talisman and the disease-curing power of a horse talisman, infused into chocolate.
Humans can live a long time, but due to external factors such as illness and mental state, their lifespan can be shortened. This elixir can remove diseases from the body, making it very easy to live a few more years. Besides... does this emperor even know how many years he can live?
Ultimately, Xu Le is a very cunning person. He's just trying to get something for nothing. The amount of power he extracts is just a drop in the ocean compared to the production of two talismans, and this bull is growing hair every day.
"Then let's set a year. I'll find the medicinal herbs for the Daoist, and the Daoist will give me the pills." Yin Que breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid that Xu Le would have requests, but rather that he would be indifferent. Now it seemed that Xu Le was very eager for the medicinal herbs, which was good news for Yin Que.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Le bid farewell to Yin Que and took off into the air.
Yin Que looked on with envy at Xu Le, who was riding the clouds, but thinking of the pills in his arms, he hurriedly rushed to the Imperial Hospital.
------------
Chapter 47: The Herb-Gathering Frenzy, Opening the Stone Tablet
Inside the Imperial Medical Academy, Yin Que looked at an old man with white hair and a youthful face with a worried expression. The old man was carefully studying a pill that emitted a faint green light. He would occasionally take out a small knife and carefully scrape off fine powder from it.
The old man picked up a little bit of the fine powder and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully. Apart from experiencing a sweet taste and a feeling of comfort throughout his body, he gained nothing else.
The old man shook his head and said to Yin Que, "Your Majesty, please forgive my incompetence. I really cannot identify the ingredients of this elixir. However, I can say with certainty that this medicine is non-toxic and has great benefits for the body, making it easy to prolong life. The immortal's alchemy skills are truly astounding."
After saying this, the old man reluctantly handed the pill to Yin Que.
Yin Que was somewhat disappointed. The old man in front of him was the most skilled doctor in the country. His name was Wang Yusheng, and his nickname was Wang Sanzhen, which meant that as long as he used three needles, all diseases could be cured.
Although it's somewhat exaggerated, it also indirectly demonstrates his medical skills. Since even he couldn't figure it out, it means it's a divine art that mortals cannot touch.
However, it wasn't without its benefits; at least it confirmed that the pill was harmless to the body. So, Yin Que didn't hesitate any longer and swallowed it in one gulp.
The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, while a ball of emerald green life energy continuously washed over Yin Que's body like a tide, constantly repairing the hidden ailments within him.
Although Yin Que was in his prime, his hair had begun to turn white. Now, under the gentle effect of this power, his white hair gradually turned black, the fine wrinkles on his face seemed to be smoothed out by a large hand, his skin became smooth, and he seemed to have returned to his twenties.
"So comfortable, I really like this feeling." Yin Que laughed twice, his punches and kicks swift and powerful.
As Yin Que walked towards the inner palace, the changes in his appearance along the way truly shocked the palace maids and guards who served him every day. However, thinking of the divine power of the immortals, they were relieved and thought it was only natural.
When Yin Que saw his beloved concubine watering the flowers, her graceful figure faintly visible beneath her gauze skirt, he felt a fire burning in his chest. He immediately picked her up, placed her on the bed, and began his conquest.
Three hours later, Yin Que was still full of energy, the physical and mental pleasure brought to him by his youthful body making him very happy. However, Yin Que did not forget his business and summoned the eunuch to deliver the order, saying:
"Issue the order: collect medicinal herbs that are over 500 years old throughout the country. Each herb will be rewarded with ten taels of gold. Herbs that are over 1,000 years old will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold. Herbs that are over 10,000 years old will be rewarded with promotions and titles."
Yin Que felt the power of youth and could not imagine what he would be like without it. With a wave of his hand, an imperial edict was issued from the palace.
……
Li Biao walked out of the clinic dejectedly, holding a red box in his hand containing a 600-year-old ginseng.
He spent half a month digging this out on the snowy mountain. He almost froze to death on the mountain because of this ginseng, but luckily he survived and made it down the mountain.
When he arrived at the clinic with great enthusiasm, the clinic surprisingly tried to lower the price, only offering one gold coin. Li Biao was unwilling to agree to this and could only take his things and prepare to go to another clinic.
On the street, the crowd began to stir. Li Biao vaguely heard words like "imperial edict" and "medicinal herbs," but he didn't know what was happening.
"Wait, Li Biao, wait." Suddenly a voice came from behind. Li Biao turned around and saw the owner of the clinic running over excitedly. He grabbed Li Biao's hand and said excitedly, "Five gold coins, I'll pay five gold coins for your ginseng."
"Really?" Li Biao was somewhat incredulous. Five gold coins was already considered a high price for a 500-year-old medicinal herb; the market price was usually around four gold coins and five taels.
"Everyone, hurry up and take the medicinal herbs to the government office to exchange them for money! A five-hundred-year-old medicinal herb can be exchanged for ten gold coins. This is an incredible opportunity!" A voice rang out from the crowd.
Li Biao suddenly realized what was going on. Seeing the awkward smile on the boss's face, he sneered and said, "Forget it, boss, I'll just go to the government office to exchange it."
"No, Seven Gold, hey, don't go, Eight Gold, you might not be able to get the money even if you go to the government, it's better to give it to me." The shopkeeper quickly grabbed Li Biao's hand and tried to persuade him.
Li Biao's smile grew increasingly sarcastic. This boss was still trying to swindle him at a time like this. He flung the boss's large hand away, picked up the mahogany box, and headed towards the government office.
When they arrived at the government office, a long queue had already formed, resembling a dragon. Some people were carrying gold and walking out with wary expressions, while others had been beaten up and thrown out. It seemed that some reckless individuals were trying to take advantage of the chaos.
Li Biao waited in line until the afternoon before finally seeing an old man sitting at a table identifying medicinal herbs. It was Wang Yusheng, who had volunteered to identify the herbs this time.
Normally, such a matter should be handled by a disciple or other physician, but Wang Yusheng personally took charge in order to obtain a celestial elixir from His Majesty. He wanted to ensure that there were no mistakes in the selection of medicinal materials, so as to satisfy the immortals and His Majesty and obtain a celestial elixir to study and improve his medical skills.
Wang Yusheng said calmly to Li Biao, "Don't waste time, quickly bring out the medicinal herbs."
Li Biao, an ordinary citizen, handed over the wooden box with some fear. Wang Yusheng took the box, opened it, and a unique ginseng aroma wafted into his nostrils.
Wang Yusheng was somewhat shocked, but out of caution, he cut off the tip of the tendril with his finger, put it in his mouth to taste it, and excitedly said, "Finally, I've found a thousand-year-old ginseng." It turned out that what Li Biao considered a six-hundred-year-old ginseng was actually a thousand-year-old ginseng.
However, its appearance seemed somewhat lacking, with roots that were almost as developed as those of a 600-year-old ginseng. If it weren't for the scent that piqued Wang Yusheng's interest, he would have almost missed it.
This is the first thousand-year-old ginseng we received today, a truly auspicious start. But this is more than just a ginseng; in Wang Yusheng's eyes, it's equivalent to a longevity elixir.
Thinking of this, Wang Yusheng's expression softened. He stroked his beard with a smile and said to Li Biao, "This is a thousand-year-old ginseng. You can go to the accounting office and collect one hundred taels of gold."
"Really! Thank you, sir!" Li Biao trembled with excitement, his steps unsteady. He was extremely grateful that he hadn't sold to that fat pig boss, or he would have suffered a huge loss.
Several such incidents occurred in just a few days, causing this medicinal herb collection frenzy to sweep across the country like a tornado, igniting a surge in medicinal herb gathering.
As for the mastermind behind this, he has now reached the edge of a cliff, his mind power protecting his body as he falls like a shooting star.
White mist reappeared before Xu Le's eyes. It was still the same white mist world. Having come here for the second time, Xu Le was already somewhat familiar with it. The rabbit talisman continued to accelerate, and with a whoosh, it splashed water like a pebble in a lake, creating ripples.
The excessive speed caused airflow to fluctuate in this white fog world, and the fog began to drift unnaturally, condensing into clumps.
With the speed increased considerably, they soon arrived at the underground world, a secluded paradise that no one had discovered.
Based on the faint connection of the mental imprint left behind, Xu Le determined the direction, burst out with a sonic boom, leaving a ripple of air in his wake, and flew straight away.