16: Chapter 16 The Opportunity in the Herb Garden

The morning light was faint, mist like gauze, and the night dew that had not yet dissipated hung on the leaves of the spiritual plants in the Qinglin Valley Herb Garden, refracting faint, fragmented light.

Lin Xuan stepped onto the damp bluestone path and arrived at the herb garden entrance on time.

The air was filled with the fresh medicinal fragrance of hundreds of mixed spiritual plants, occasionally interspersed with the fishy smell of soil, the slight rot of decaying leaves, and a faint, elusive, strange sweet fragrance belonging to certain special plants.

Several people were already standing at the herb garden entrance: an old man with a hunched figure wearing washed-out grey clothes, and three youths of similar age to Lin Xuan, two men and one woman, all wearing the light cyan attire of Outer Sect Disciples, their faces carrying the caution and curiosity of new arrivals.

"Everyone is here." Old Qin's voice was aged and flat, his gaze sweeping over the four. "Lin Xuan, Zhao Ming, Qian Xiaohu, Sun Yun. My name is Old Qin, and from now on in this Qinglin Valley Herb Garden Zone C, you will listen to my arrangements for the time being."

Lin Xuan and the other three nodded to each other.

Zhao Ming was a Thin Tall Man, his eyes nimble, looking around the herb garden environment;

Qian Xiaohu was short and sturdy, with dark skin, looking very solid;

Sun Yun was a delicate-looking girl, standing to the side somewhat shyly.

"Qinglin Valley Herb Garden Zone C mainly grows some Low Grade common spiritual plants," Old Qin said with his hands behind his back as he walked. "soul-calming flower, Solomon's seal, hemostatic herb, silver thread grass, and a small patch of beast-luring vine. The work isn't heavy, but there are many rules. You must be diligent with your hands and feet, and keep your eyes sharp. If you ruin one plant, contribution points will be deducted at the end of the month, no negotiation."

Qian Xiaohu couldn't help but ask: "Old Qin, I heard that working in the herb garden allows you to learn a bit of Alchemy?"

Old Qin glanced at him: "Alchemy? First, learn all the herbs and understand how to tend the land. You aren't qualified to be near the Pill Furnace yet."

Qian Xiaohu shut his mouth embarrassedly.

Zhao Ming was more concerned about the pay: "Old Qin, are contribution points really only issued at the end of the month? Can't they be advanced? My Cultivation Technique is at a critical juncture, and I urgently need Spirit Stones..."

"Rules are rules." Old Qin interrupted him. "Sect contribution points are issued naturally after working for a full month and passing the assessment. If you want to earn quick money, go take those tasks to clear out Yao Beasts."

Zhao Ming curled his lips and didn't speak.

Sun Yun asked in a low voice: "Old Qin, what do we need to do?"

"Follow, watch, and learn." Old Qin walked to a seedbed of soul-calming flower and squatted down to demonstrate planting techniques. The four hurriedly gathered around.

Lin Xuan watched with extra care.

Old Qin's technique was plain and unadorned yet precise and efficient, with every movement just right, clearly having been immersed in this path for decades.

He silently compared the key points Old Qin explained with the records in the "introduction to hundreds of herbs", discovering many practical details not found in the book.

For the next few days, the four were busy with Old Qin in Zone C.

The work was indeed trivial: patrolling, weeding, loosening soil, and watering according to the habits of different spiritual plants.

Zhao Ming seemed somewhat restless, always wanting to find opportunities to sneak away to other parts of the herb garden;

Qian Xiaohu was steady and willing to work, but his hands and feet were slightly clumsy; once he almost stepped on a Solomon's seal and was scolded by Old Qin a few times;

Sun Yun was careful and gentle, taking care of the spiritual plants with patience, but her physical fitness was the weakest among the four, often needing a rest after working for a long time.

Lin Xuan was as steady as always.

His movements were not fast but extremely secure, and the area assigned to him was always kept in perfect order. When encountering problems, he would first observe and think, then ask Old Qin for advice.

His familiarity with spiritual plant knowledge gradually made Old Qin take notice.

"Lin Xuan, the leaf tips of this silver thread grass are yellowing, take a look." Once, Old Qin pointedly asked him.

Lin Xuan went over to squat and inspect, combining the soil moisture and recent weather, judging that the light was slightly too strong, and suggested using a thin reed curtain for brief shading in the afternoon.

Old Qin nodded and didn't say anything, but the next day, a reed curtain was indeed set up next to that patch of silver thread grass.

Sun Yun saw this and privately said to Lin Xuan: "Senior Brother Lin, you are truly amazing. I have read that "introduction to hundreds of herbs", but I can't distinguish them when I get to the field."

Lin Xuan just smiled: "Look more, think more, and you will get familiar with it slowly."

While working in the herb garden, Lin Xuan also noticed some special areas and items.

For example, the "beast-luring vine" in the corner; Old Qin warned them not to get close, saying that the smell could bring unnecessary trouble if inhaled for too long.

There was also the "waste material area" at the edge of the herb garden, piled full of Alchemy waste slag and rotten branches and leaves; Old Qin would have people clear it every few days.

Lin Xuan took an interest in the waste material area. Those dark, chaotic, and mixed Spiritual Qi slag—others avoided them, but he thought of the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

Since the thunder-attracting vine could absorb the residual thunder aura of the lightning-struck stone, could it "digest" the meager and chaotic Spiritual Qi in these waste slags?

He dared not take too much at once. One evening after finishing work, taking advantage of Zhao Ming having slipped away early, Qian Xiaohu and Sun Yun being in front, and Old Qin counting tools, he quickly wrapped a small pinch of the darkest-colored waste slag—which seemed to have been from refining some kind of fire-attribute Medicinal Pill—in oil paper, stuffed it into his bosom, and then put it into the Spirit-Taming Tower Space. His movements were extremely fast, his heart beating like a drum.

Returning to his Quiet Room in the courtyard, he carefully observed the space.

At first there was no change, just when Lin Xuan thought it was useless and was preparing to clear it away next time, the next day, he noticed that the pile of waste slag seemed to have "collapsed" a little, and the Spiritual Qi in the space, which was originally extremely thin, seemed to... have mixed with a tiny bit of other attributes that were almost impossible to perceive. At the same time, the growth of the tender buds at the top of the thunder-attracting vine was almost imperceptibly faster by a tiny bit.

"It really works!" Lin Xuan felt excited.

Although the conversion efficiency was low, it confirmed that the space had the potential to absorb and convert "waste materials"!

This provided him with a secret and lasting way to improve the space environment.

He decided to "collect" these ignored waste materials cautiously and in small amounts in the future.

After some more time passed, the four became familiar with each other. This day, Old Qin took them to inspect the "silver-leaf chrysanthemum" in Zone C5.

This kind of spiritual plant had silver fluff on the back of its leaves and was an auxiliary herb for refining several detoxifying powders.

Old Qin suddenly stopped in front of a silver-leaf chrysanthemum and frowned.

That silver-leaf chrysanthemum's leaves were withered, with scorched yellow spots on the edges, and the base of the stem was dark in color.

"It looks like a pest infestation..." Old Qin pondered, using his fingers to pick up the soil at the roots to take a close look.

Zhao Ming leaned over: "Could it be root rot from too much watering?"

Qian Xiaohu scratched his head: "Doesn't look like it, with root rot the leaves would soften first."

Sun Yun whispered: "The book says silver-leaf chrysanthemum sometimes gets 'leaf spot disease'."

Lin Xuan didn't speak immediately. He secretly communicated with the Herb-Seeking Mouse inside the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

After living in the Spirit-Taming Tower Space for a long time, the Herb-Seeking Mouse's perception of vitality and abnormal aura had become increasingly keen.

Through the contract, Lin Xuan vaguely "felt" that in the soil at the roots of the diseased plant, there was a trace of cold, uncomfortable, and weak aura, which was different from ordinary diseases.

Combining his observation with Old Qin's doubts, Lin Xuan remembered a niche pest recorded in the appendix of the "introduction to hundreds of herbs".

"Old Qin," Lin Xuan began, "This Disciple once read in a miscellaneous record that in a damp environment, if the previous stubble roots are not cleared, 'yin-eating insects' might breed. These insects like to eat rotting roots and the vitality of weak plants, and they fear the sun and dryness. The symptoms are that the roots decay first, and the leaves wither and yellow from bottom to top, which is somewhat similar to this plant."

Old Qin's eyes flashed: "Yin-eating insects? I have heard of them. If it really is them, usually you have to use 'insect-repelling spirit liquid', but that liquid is potent, easily damages the silver-leaf chrysanthemum, and is not cheap."

Zhao Ming interrupted: "Then just try it, anyway this plant doesn't look very good."

Lin Xuan shook his head: "The miscellaneous record mentioned that if the pest infestation is not severe, you can try the 'sunlight exposure method': dig out the diseased plant, shake off the root soil, and expose it to the scorching sun for half an hour. The yin-eating insects fear light and heat and can be eliminated. Afterward, use a small amount of lime powder mixed with new soil to disinfect and replant. The method is gentle, just troublesome."

Old Qin looked at Lin Xuan, then at the diseased plant: "It sounds plausible. Whether it's true or false, trying it won't hurt."

He did it himself, carefully digging out the diseased plant and handling it according to the method Lin Xuan said.

All of this was seen by Deacon Wu, who had strolled over at some point.

This stern-faced old deacon had been standing on the ridge with his hands behind his back, and only slowly walked over after Lin Xuan finished speaking and Old Qin began to act.

"Deacon Wu." Everyone hurriedly saluted.

Deacon Wu waved his hand, his gaze falling on Lin Xuan, sharp as a knife: "The appendix of the "introduction to hundreds of herbs", page seventy-three?"

Lin Xuan's heart felt a slight chill, and he respectfully replied: "Reporting to the Deacon, exactly. But the book only mentioned the symptoms and the idea of 'sunlight exposure'; the lime powder disinfection and specific operation were deduced by this Disciple based on other spiritual plant pest treatment methods."

"Deduce?" Deacon Wu was noncommittal and looked at Old Qin.

Old Qin had already finished handling it: "Whether the method is right or not, we will see in two days. However, the situation of this plant does indeed match the description of 'yin-eating insects'. Even if it is not, this method won't damage the roots, and it is safer than rashly using medicine."

Deacon Wu nodded, said nothing more, and walked away with his hands behind his back. But Lin Xuan caught a flash of scrutiny and a tiny, imperceptible recognition in his eyes before he turned around.

Two days later, the scorched yellow spots on the silver-leaf chrysanthemum did not spread, and the withered leaves even stood up a little, with its vitality recovering.

Old Qin nodded at Lin Xuan. Zhao Ming looked at Lin Xuan with some envy, Qian Xiaohu laughed honestly and said "Senior Brother Lin is truly capable", and Sun Yun cast an admiring look.

Since then, Lin Xuan found that Old Qin no longer blocked him from entering the small hut in the corner of the herb garden where old books and notes were stored, only instructing him "don't mess it up or get it dirty".

Lin Xuan understood that this was a reward tacitly approved by Deacon Wu.

It was also while browsing those scribbled old notes that he saw scattered records about the abandoned "warm cellar" deep in Qinglin Valley, as well as descriptions of the habits of a certain heat-and-moisture-loving "moonlight moss".

He silently kept the two words "warm cellar" in his heart.

After finishing work this day, the four walked out of the herb garden together.

Zhao Ming complained that the contribution points were issued too slowly, Qian Xiaohu said honestly that working steadily would eventually yield results, and Sun Yun whispered to Lin Xuan about a new herbal medicine they identified today.

In the twilight, Lin Xuan returned to his small courtyard. He had no contribution points in his hand—those would only come after the end-of-month assessment.

But in his bosom were two "mind-calming herb" rewarded privately by Deacon Wu, which had much better efficacy than the dew-condensing grass and were an affirmation of his solving the pest infestation.

In the Quiet Room, Lin Xuan introspected the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

On the barren sandy ground, the thunder-attracting vine had sprouted another half-leaf, with light purple leaf veins flowing with spiritual light.

The pile of Alchemy waste slag in the corner had shrunk by another circle, and the chaotic Spiritual Qi in the space had become a bit more "enriched".

The Herb-Seeking Mouse lay near the thunder-attracting vine, and the purple color at the base of its fur had become increasingly obvious.

Lin Xuan exited introspection and looked at the heavy night outside the window.

The mountain wind passed through the bamboo forest, bringing the damp breath from afar.

The regular life in the herb garden brought new insights and interpersonal relationships, the Spirit-Taming Tower Space was undergoing positive changes in an extremely slow but stable way, and Deacon Wu's recognition opened a side door to obtain more knowledge.

Everything was like bamboo shoots after spring rain, quietly accumulating strength beneath the soil.