Free Web NovelChapter 58: Chapter 58: Countermeasure
Lanshan had subtly taken a hit.
The leaders of the three Demon Hunting Teams hadn’t fared well either.
"First thing in the morning, too. I almost couldn’t take it!"
Bai Mo helped Lanshan over to the side.
Lanshan sat down, grunted, and then coughed forcefully, spitting a glob of bloody phlegm onto the dirt ground.
Qin Ying, who had been about to walk over, paused mid-step. She turned and went to find a broom and dustpan.
Lanshan looked a little embarrassed and whispered to Bai Mo:
"Qin Ying’s personality... she’s really not the easy-going type."
Bai Mo just smiled and asked, "What did those people say?"
At the mention of this, Lanshan’s expression turned a bit grave. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"They’re really trying to pull a fast one. They want to follow the route on the Mountain Entrance Map once."
They’re the type who won’t lift a finger without seeing a reward.
"It’s something we were prepared for, so it shouldn’t have been a big deal."
As Lanshan spoke, he looked at Bai Mo.
Bai Mo felt a little helpless.
"But was there some kind of accident?"
Lanshan rubbed his hands together. "Shopkeeper Bai, would it be possible for you to accompany us up Celestial Barrier Mountain?"
The moment he said this, Bai Mo’s eyelid twitched violently.
Everyone in Immortal Arrival City knew what Celestial Barrier Mountain represented.
Death, riches, slaughter, struggle...
It was like a massive furnace, smelting the fates of Cultivators before spitting them back out.
The dregs sank, and the true gold floated to the top.
Seeing the change in Bai Mo’s expression, Lanshan quickly added:
"We’ll just be following the Mountain Entrance Map. Compared to usual, it’s not that dangerous."
"Besides, this time we’ll have extra manpower from the other three Demon Hunting Teams..."
He didn’t finish his sentence. Mentioning this was enough.
Bai Mo thought for a moment. He wasn’t too opposed to the idea, and just asked:
"Why do I have to go with you?"
Lanshan lowered his voice. "At the end of the route on the Mountain Entrance Map, the Li family made some arrangements." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"It’s a karst cave connected to an underground river where they cultivated quite a few medicinal herbs. But there are a lot of poisonous creatures in there."
"Thirty percent of the Mountain Entrance Map’s value lies in that place. Without someone familiar with the properties of medicinal herbs, going inside could easily ruin their setup..."
Hearing this, Bai Mo’s interest was piqued.
Alchemy was a technical skill; simply burying one’s head and firing up the furnace was not the way.
In-depth study of the properties of medicinal herbs was also a crucial part of it.
Therefore, Pill Masters often cultivated their own herbs, not only to observe their growth but also to better guide changes in the herbs’ properties.
Bai Mo nodded. "Alright!"
Lanshan was overjoyed. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Bai Mo ask a question.
"What kind of setup is in that cave?"
Lanshan scratched his head.
"It’s hard to say, but the last time we ventured in, we did cause over a dozen herbs on the periphery to wither and die."
"After asking around, we learned it was due to some deliberate arrangement from when they were planted—a unique method for laying out medicinal fields."
Lanshan couldn’t explain it clearly, so he just gave a rough summary before adding:
"There are also some noises inside the cave. I imagine something is moving around in there."
"If Shopkeeper Bai comes with us to investigate, maybe we can solve the mystery."
Bai Mo understood most of it. He hadn’t expected a prominent family in the city to have such methods.
According to the records in the Pill Book, these kinds of medicinal field techniques used the properties of the land itself to accelerate the growth of herbs, which was quite profound.
"When did you agree to enter the mountain?"
Lanshan held up three fingers. "In three days."
"Alright."
Three days wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t short, either.
It was certainly enough time to prepare the necessary supplies for the mountain trip.
As soon as Lanshan explained the situation, his men immediately dispersed to make their respective purchases.
Seeing everyone busy with their tasks, Bai Mo did some quick thinking and remembered that today was the day his landlord, Elder Tao, collected rent.
So he took his Spirit Stones, said goodbye to Lanshan, and hurried back toward his own shop.
In less than an hour, Bai Mo returned to his shop, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
Master Feng and Master Wang were busy inside the shop.
The two men were squatting in a corner, doing something or other.
Bai Mo walked closer and greeted them.
"Masters, how is it going?"
Master Feng and Master Wang stood up straight, wiping away their sweat.
They were dressed in thick clothing and wore masks.
"Not bad. It should be all fixed in a couple of days."
Bai Mo looked over at the corner.
The wood in the corner of the wall had been gouged out, leaving it hollow inside.
Over a dozen fat grubs writhed on the ground, arching their bodies and bending their abdomens as they tried to flip over.
"These are..."
Master Feng explained, "Elephant grubs. They’ve eaten a lot of Pill Qi, so they’re fat and big."
"For people like us, they’re very nutritious. Would Shopkeeper Bai like to try some?"
"How do you cook them?" Bai Mo asked curiously.
"There’s a whole technique to it. The skin of the Elephant grub is tough. To make it flavorful and easy to chew, it has to be triple-boiled and double-fried..."
Master Feng began explaining all the ins and outs.
Bai Mo shook his head as he listened.
"Never mind. I don’t have the energy for that lately. Maybe next time."
Master Feng nodded. "Then I’ll just split them with Old Brother Wang."
After speaking, he seemed to remember something and led Bai Mo outside.
"It’s not suitable for people to be inside right now. Alchemist Bai, you’d better not stay in there for long."
Master Wang picked up a wooden plank, measured it out, and prepared to install it.
"This kind of tedious work is better left to the two of us."
"We’re used to hardship. We’re thick-skinned, haha!"
Standing outside the shop, Bai Mo asked about the reason he had returned.
"Did an old gentleman come by today? His surname is Tao."
Master Feng answered, "No. Aside from a few people wanting to buy pills early this morning, no one else came by."
"Who is he?"
"The landlord of this place."
Not knowing when Elder Tao would arrive, Bai Mo sat by the shop entrance, chatting with the two masters while watching them work.
"Alchemist Bai, have you ever seen a type of gray moth? They’re about the size of your palm, not very conspicuous."
Master Feng asked casually as he applied some treatment to the wood.
Bai Mo had indeed seen such a thing.
"I’ve seen one occasionally. What is it?"
Although the moth was inconspicuous, one the size of a palm was still quite startling.
Moreover, when the moth took flight, a lot of powder fell from its body.
Whenever Bai Mo saw one, he would always keep his distance.
After all, no one knew if the creature was poisonous.
"The moth is what the Elephant grub transforms into. It’s non-toxic and harmless, so don’t worry, Shopkeeper Bai."
Master Feng said with a smile.
"It’s just that when the Elephant grub metamorphoses, pretty much all of its essence is consumed, so the moth isn’t very useful."
"The Elephant grubs here are so plump. When they turn into moths, I bet they’ll be even bigger than your palm."
Bai Mo recalled the direction those moths flew from. It seemed they mostly came from the back door, and they really were about the size of a palm.
They probably came from the residences in that direction.
’Are there other pill apprentices around here?’ Bai Mo wondered. Just then, he saw a thin, lanky figure walking toward him from a distance with his hands behind his back.
"Elder Tao!" Bai Mo called out with a smile.
When the man got closer, he immediately noticed the two masters at work.
"What’s all this?"
Bai Mo explained, "A lot of Elephant grubs appeared in the woodwork, so I hired some people to get rid of them."
As he spoke, he handed over a bag containing exactly thirty-five Spirit Stones, no more, no less.
"Elder Tao, do you have any intention of selling this place?"
Bai Mo asked as he watched him count the Spirit Stones.
Elder Tao paused and looked at Bai Mo.
"I heard that Brother Bai has become a Pill Master. Is it true?"
Only a Pill Master would have the confidence to make such an offer.
Seeing Bai Mo nod, Elder Tao sighed with emotion.
"A young genius, plain and simple. Not many disciples from the Marvelous Dharma Sect can compare to you at this age."
And that was without even considering the vast difference in resources available to them.
Bai Mo was purely a Loose Cultivator, completely self-taught.
"This place was a dream of mine when I was young, after all," Elder Tao said, a nostalgic look on his face.
"For now, I have no plans to sell. However, if Brother Bai wants to continue renting, another thirty or fifty years is no problem."
