19: Chapter 19 Plague

The cultivation resources of this world can be roughly divided into two categories: medicinal supplements and food supplements.

Medicinal supplements are Medicinal Pills, while food supplements are medicinal cuisine.

Martial Artists of different Realms need to consume resources corresponding to their respective Realms.

For example, the Warm Sun Broth that Jiang Hanzhou first learned to make in secret was a medicinal cuisine suitable for the Qi Nurturing Realm.

Recently, as his fate ascended to the third rank, his senses became clear and his thoughts quickened, allowing him to build upon the existing Foundation to innovate and create a new medicinal cuisine—the Gold Bone Nourishing Broth.

However, this broth had not yet been verified through practice, and Jiang Hanzhou still needed to try it repeatedly.

At this moment, he was in the midst of such an experiment.

Jiang Hanzhou took out a strange fish covered in golden threads from the fish basket.

Although the fish had left the water, the golden radiance flowing over its scales had not dissipated, reflecting bits of shattered gold-like luster in the dim kitchen.

This fish was named "Golden-Thread Dragon-Bearded Carp," which was a rather precious Spirit Fish.

If it were not for Jiang Hanzhou's excellent swimming ability, which allowed him to move in the water as if on flat ground, it would have been absolutely impossible to capture it.

This Golden-Thread Carp was precisely the main ingredient for the "Gold Bone Nourishing Broth" he had conceived.

According to his deduction, this broth needed to use Metal-element Origin Qi as the skeleton, be seasoned with mild Earth-element medicinal herbs as the base, and then be supplemented with several auxiliary herbs to neutralize the sharpness in the Metal Qi, ultimately achieving the miraculous effect of "nourishing the Origin and solidifying the Foundation, tempering tendons and bones," which was especially suitable for Martial Artists who had just stepped into the "Iron Bone Realm."

He skillfully cleaned the fish, removed the best spine meat on both sides, and carefully took out the entire fish bone intact.

The fish bone was not waste; that was where the Metal-element Origin Qi was most concentrated.

Subsequently, he took out the "Earth Vein Yellow Essence" and "Warm Jade Poria," which he had prepared long ago, and threw them together with the fish bone into the bone broth base that had been simmered over low heat for six hours.

The Earth element was gentle and thick, best able to contain and transform the sharpness of the Metal Qi.

A strange fragrance gradually permeated the kitchen; at first, it was the steady, bitter fragrance of medicinal herbs, but upon closer inspection, there was a faint, elusive fragrance mixed within.

Jiang Hanzhou was fully focused, his eyes fixed on every subtle change in the color of the soup in the clay pot, occasionally stirring it lightly with a jade spoon, or tilting his head to listen to the sound of the soup rolling.

After waiting for a moment, he added the slices of Golden-Thread Carp spine meat, which were as thin as cicada wings.

The fish meat cooked as soon as it entered the soup, instantly dyeing a touch of brilliant gold into the thick white soup.

He did not dare to be negligent and quickly sprinkled in the last few auxiliary herbal powders for harmonization, and urged a trace of his own gentle internal breath to gently stroke the clay pot from a distance, allowing all the medicinal properties and Origin Qi within to thoroughly blend.

A moment later, the fire went out, and the fragrance condensed.

A bowl of soup, slightly flickering with pale golden light spots, appeared before his eyes.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath; whether this "Gold Bone Nourishing Broth" succeeded or not, and what its efficacy was, would depend on this first practice.

He scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth.

The soup entered his throat, scalding but not burning, like a warm stream of gold flowing straight down his throat.

Jiang Hanzhou closed his eyes and concentrated, carefully experiencing it.

At first, warmth rose in his abdomen, like drinking a cup of strong wine in winter, but that warmth quickly became different; it no longer spread, but turned into countless extremely fine "golden threads," drilling precisely towards his bones all over his body!

Hum—!

The bones in his body that had been cultivated to the "Gold Bone" level were like stubborn iron thrown into a furnace, emitting a slight resonance that only he could feel.

Those "golden threads" that drilled into the bones were like the most skillful craftsmen, starting to perform a deeper level of tempering on the already pale golden bones.

He could "see" that the color of his bones was slowly and firmly deepening.

From the original pale gold, it was shifting towards a more solid "ancient bronze gold" luster.

The texture of the bones seemed to be tighter, the warm current deep in the bone marrow intensified, and the feeling of vitality was stronger than when he had broken through before.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, this feeling of tempering from the inside out slowly subsided.

Jiang Hanzhou opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath; his breath faintly carried a trace of extremely pale golden light, which vanished in a flash.

"It worked!" he felt excited in his heart.

The effect of this "Gold Bone Nourishing Broth" far exceeded expectations; not only did it stabilize the Gold Bone Realm he had just broken through to, but it also pushed him a big step forward, saving him at least several months of grinding effort.

Combined with the cultivation of the "Layered Wave Bone Tempering Strength," his Foundation in the Iron Bone Realm would be made incomparably solid.

After the joy came the heartache.

Jiang Hanzhou looked at the empty clay pot, then at the scraps left over from processing the Golden-Thread Carp that had lost their Spiritual Qi, and couldn't help but grimace.

"This bowl of soup... just that Golden-Thread Dragon-Bearded Carp alone is worth nearly a hundred taels on the market! Earth Vein Yellow Essence, Warm Jade Poria... which one isn't a money-burning item?"

He silently estimated the cost, his heart bleeding.

"At least one hundred and fifty taels are gone..."

He suddenly remembered the Over-River Dragon whom he had killed with his own hands, a burst of anger surged up, and he couldn't help but curse in a low voice:

"Pah! And he called himself a leader; other than a pair of broken spikes, he didn't have a single penny on him! He really is the poorest of the poor! A waste of his cultivation in the Viscera Burning Realm!"

Cursing was one thing, but Jiang Hanzhou also knew clearly that most of the money of those River Bandits had been handed over or squandered, so it was normal for the big boss not to carry too much cash.

It just didn't stop him from blaming the dead ghost at this moment because of the huge "investment."

"It seems I have to find a way to open up new sources of income. Relying solely on the Apothecary's monthly pay and occasionally going to the black market to sell 'specialties' cannot keep up with the consumption of cultivation."

Jiang Hanzhou calculated secretly while cleaning the utensils.

"Capturing higher-value Spirit Fish, or... taking on some 'private jobs' outside the Medicinal Cuisine Hall?"

In the following days, Jiang Hanzhou's life entered a new rhythm.

During the day, he was still the steady, reticent, and increasingly skilled Third-Rank Apothecary at the Medicinal Cuisine Hall.

Guiding new apprentices to identify medicinal herbs, master the heat, and mix basic decoctions had already become quite professional.

He did not hide his secrets, but he was extremely strict when teaching, emphasizing details and principles, making those apprentices both respectful and fearful.

When evening rest or rotation days arrived, he changed into inconspicuous clothes and quietly left the Water Dock.

Relying on his increasingly proficient swimming skills, he dived into some more hidden and dangerous areas of the Three Rivers Estuary like a fish in water, searching for the traces of Spirit Fish.

The harvest was sometimes good and sometimes bad, but there was always some income, either for his own use or to take to the black market to exchange for the medicinal herbs he needed.

At night, it was time for immovable cultivation.

The Jade Slip given by Shen Hongxiu had become an invaluable treasure.

He did not covet too much, but selected the Yellow Rank Martial Skills related to swimming, movement techniques, and finger/palm skills, and practiced them one by one, focusing on his own existing system.

Every time he practiced one to Perfection, the progress of "Martial Arts Comprehension" in the [Late Bloomer] fate would jump forward a section; although it was still far from the huge number of "900 years," he had already seen the hope of continuous growth.

At the same time, the essence of these Martial Skills was also invisibly perfecting his "Tidal Shadow Thousand Hands."

The cultivation of the "Layered Wave Bone Tempering Strength" had not relaxed either; combined with the improved medicinal cuisine, the Gold Bone Realm was steadily consolidated, and the pale golden Qi and blood droplets in the Dantian were also slowly and firmly increasing.

The calm and fulfilling days were broken by a sudden call.

On this afternoon, Jiang Hanzhou was in the side hall of the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, instructing two apprentices to prepare a batch of "Qi and Blood Soup" for the River Patrol Squad.

His voice was not high, but it was clear and logical, pointing out that one person used too much force when putting in the "Panax Notoginseng root," causing the medicinal powder to fly and be wasted, and correcting the other person's stirring technique and direction.

"The Qi and Blood Soup values evenness and stability above all; when the heat is reached, the medicinal properties will naturally blend. Impatience and rashness will instead lose the original intention of gentle nourishment."

As soon as his voice fell, he heard familiar footsteps coming from the door.

Looking up, he saw Pharmacist Qu Fengchun walking in quickly, with a rare solemnity on his face.

His gaze swept over and landed directly on Jiang Hanzhou: "Han Zhou, put down what you are doing for a moment, take your medicine box, and come out with me."

Jiang Hanzhou's heart moved slightly, but he did not show it on his face. He replied "Yes," quickly instructed the two apprentices a few words, and turned to take down his own medicine box, which was neatly packed.

Inside, in addition to the standard configuration of Golden Sore Medicine, Hemostatic Powder, and Detoxification Pills, there were several other medicinal agents he had prepared himself that had better effects.

The two walked out of the Medicinal Cuisine Hall one after the other. Pharmacist Qu Fengchun walked very hurriedly, lowering his voice while walking:

"The situation is a bit troublesome. Some time ago, several prefectures and counties in the northwest suffered from famine, which subsequently triggered a plague. Refugees fled south, bringing the epidemic with them. The prefecture city and our Water Dock had originally set up checkpoints for prevention and control, and used medicine; it looked like it was being suppressed..."

He paused, his brows locked:

"But who would have thought that the plague would be like a living thing, and suddenly changed in the last few days! Many people who had originally improved or had not been infected suddenly developed new strange symptoms. High fever that doesn't subside, strange black spots on the skin, muddled consciousness, but surprisingly great strength, extremely aggressive... completely different from the previous plague symptoms!"

Listening to this, Jiang Hanzhou's heart sank as well.

Plague mutation often means it is more thorny and dangerous.

"Early this morning, Shahe Stockade sent people to rush here overnight to ask for help," Pharmacist Qu Fengchun continued, "Their stockade is located on the edge of Yunmeng Marsh and has always had dealings with our Canglang Water Dock; it is an alliance relationship. Now, dozens of people in the stockade have developed similar strange symptoms, and people are in a panic. Unfortunately, several apothecaries in the hall who are good at dealing with epidemics and trauma emergencies have been sent to other wharves or villages where the epidemic has occurred. Right now, the only ones who can be drawn out and have enough ability to deal with unknown diseases..."

He looked at Jiang Hanzhou, his gaze containing both scrutiny and decisiveness:

"...are you and me. Although you are young, I have seen your performance during this period. Your Foundation is solid, your thinking is meticulous, and you are steady when dealing with matters. This time, treat it as a training, and it is also the duty our Water Dock owes to our allies. Remember, be careful in everything, look more, ask more, do not easily touch the patients, and prioritize your own safety above all else."

While the two were talking, they had arrived at the wharf by the side gate of the Water Dock.

A fast shuttle boat was already waiting on the shore, and there were several capable guards on the boat, who had obviously received instructions.

Jiang Hanzhou carried the medicine box and followed Pharmacist Qu Fengchun onto the deck. The boat quickly left the shore, broke through the river water, and sped toward the direction of Yunmeng Marsh.