Chapter Twenty: The Life-Restoring Salve

Evening, inside the old tiled house of the Wu family.

“What kind of herb is this? Heaven help me, I’ve never seen it before!”

Bai Yanxi carefully touched the Meigui Grass, sniffed its scent, and pinched a petal from the Seven Red Flower to taste it.

“What potent medicinal properties! And these herbs are still alive, their roots perfectly intact despite being dug up. How did you extract them?”

Yet before Wu You could answer, Bai Yanxi was already caressing the Black Spirit Ginseng as if it were a treasure.

“Don’t tell me this is the legendary Ginseng Spirit!”

Whether these herbs were counterfeit or genuine, their efficacy was clear to Bai Yanxi with a glance, a sniff, and a taste. The three plants before him were true wonders—rare medicinal herbs born from the essence of heaven and earth.

Seeing the old master calm down, Wu You began to speak.

“Master Bai, with these herbs and a particularly potent musk, could you make a traditional ointment to restore consciousness, nourish energy, and reconnect bones and sinews?”

Bai Yanxi, unable to let go of the three herbs, replied, “With these, I won’t promise to revive the dead, but I can certainly create a miraculous medicine to heal flesh and bone.” Though his words were exaggerated, they revealed how deeply the herbs had shocked him and his confidence in his own medical skills.

Meigui Grass, Seven Red Flower, and Black Spirit Ginseng—all were alchemical products. Wu You didn’t want to waste three points of alchemical energy in one go, so he had already planted them and ordered their propagation. Now, each had dozens of seedlings growing in a medicinal garden on the back hill.

Plants had the advantage of easy reproduction, whether by stem cuttings or by seeds, and thanks to their rapid growth and fertile soil, they matured into medicinal herbs within two months. Their growth accelerated noticeably during clear nights and at sunrise.

With Bai Yanxi’s assurance, Wu You felt at ease—not only would his father’s health recover swiftly, but it would also become a stable source of income in the future. Since it was a holy medicine of traditional medicine with such powerful effects, wouldn’t selling it at a premium be justified? Wu You mused inwardly.

...

Old Bai was never one to sit idle. Though he spent years scavenging, his research into traditional medicine never ceased; he simply lacked patients and real medicinal materials. Now, with several potent herbs before him, he could not resist.

His only concern had been that using these herbs might cut off their rootstock, but Wu You’s mention of seedlings dispelled all worries, and he immediately set to work.

Bai Yanxi and Wu You had already settled on a resounding name for the medicine: Reviving Bone Ointment. More miraculous than Black Jade Bone-Paste from old tales, more effective than the Six-Spirit Resurrection Water from period dramas.

...

At that moment, Wang Dong was driving a small van back from southern Hunan. He and Xiang Biao had divided the tasks: one stayed at the hospital under the guise of a patient to secretly watch over Wu Jianguo, while the other traveled a long distance to purchase live musk deer from a breeding farm.

Three male musk deer were tied and blindfolded in the van, uneasy and whimpering softly. Wang Dong carried the breeding farm certificate with him; without it, he would be arrested if stopped on the highway, since wild musk deer were a top-tier protected species.

By 7 p.m., Wang Dong arrived at the Wu family’s door, honking twice. Wu You and Garuru came out to move the musk deer.

Grateful to Wang Dong, who hadn’t eaten dinner yet, Wu You cooked a plate of chicken for him and brought out leftovers and rice, urging him to make do.

Wang Dong was overwhelmed by the gesture, feeling that the arduous trip had been worth it.

Bai Yanxi watched with amazement. The young man from the Wu family seemed quite mysterious. Living in such an old rural house yet driving a luxury car, with a fierce, silent bodyguard always at his side. The scene of him smashing the car earlier was witnessed by Bai himself—the strength was such that it could tear a man apart.

And then there was Wang Dong, a tough-looking man with fierce eyebrows, tattooed shoulders, and a shaved head (still bald from the hospital shave). He was clearly not one to be trifled with. Yet, this man had traveled hundreds of miles overnight just to buy musk deer for Wu You, and was so grateful for a simple meal of leftovers, eating with tears of gratitude and full satisfaction.

But Bai Yanxi was soon to be even more astonished.

Around nine in the evening, Bai Yanxi was still downstairs, lights on, tinkering with herbs. To make the holy medicine he and Wu You envisioned required not only potent main herbs but a variety of ordinary ones, which Bai freely used.

Just as Bai finished blending several herbal powders, Wu You rushed downstairs and handed him a porcelain bowl filled with sparkling brown granules.

“Master Bai, this is musk from the Spirit Musk Deer. Rest well—I’m off to sleep.”

With that, Wu You dashed upstairs.

Bai Yanxi stared at the bowl in his hands. The rich and varied musk aroma wafted from it. He simply couldn’t fathom how Wu You had extracted such high-quality musk from those farmed deer, nor when he had done it.

Did Wu You say Spirit Musk Deer?

...

Wu You hurried upstairs not because he was tired, but because after successfully alchemizing the Spirit Musk Deer, his alchemical energy had reached exactly ten points.

Prompt: System upgrading, estimated remaining time: two minutes.

Wu You waited excitedly in his room for the upgrade to finish. Two minutes later—

Prompt: System upgrade complete.

System has reached Level Two. Congratulations on passing the novice trial. You are awarded 20 points of alchemical energy and one spin of the prize wheel.

Current alchemical energy total: 24 points.

Level Two alchemy function unlocked: three materials can be used per alchemical process, each consuming ten points of energy.

Map and survey functions unlocked.

Mount Beast Mountain biological navigation function unlocked.

Prompt: You may select any explored area on the map to arrive at Mount Beast Mountain. Targeting and navigation for required creatures available.

Alchemical energy extraction function unlocked.

Prompt: Pay attention to high-quality red and blue gemstones.

Damn it! Level one was just a trial phase? Wu You jumped out of bed.

Compared to the meager alchemy and cultivation features at level one, the system’s level two functions were far more powerful and comprehensive. Especially with material searching and arrival location options for Mount Beast Mountain, and most importantly, new sources of alchemical energy.

He immediately chose to spin the prize wheel.

A familiar question mark shimmered and spun, and after a second, turned into a crystal-like object.

Congratulations: You have obtained a one-time item—Dark Alchemy Crystal, rarity: Dark. Use to perform one Dark Alchemy.

Description: Consumes Dark Alchemy Crystal for one Dark Alchemy. No material limit, does not consume alchemical energy. Base success rate at level two: 20%.

Wu You was impressed by the item, but hesitated to use it. Level nine alchemy required astronomical amounts of energy, and Dark Alchemy was even more precious.

But he dared not use it yet. With such a low success rate, even if he optimized everything, he’d only reach 30%. Without a Lucky Alchemy Card, it would be foolish to waste it—it might be ages before he could win another.

While still digesting the surprises from the upgrade, the system continued with another prompt.

System quest: Alchemy Advancement

Quest: Enter Mount Beast Mountain, find three high-quality materials, and create a powerful life form.

Reward: 30 points of alchemical energy, two storage slots for alchemical creatures, must be accepted within seven days.

Wu You thought to himself: I’ll have to enter Mount Beast Mountain anyway—this time, I must make thorough preparations.