chsdbacks Chapter 97 Seeking Progress in Leisure
Chapter 97 Seeking Progress in Leisure
The next morning, Lin Yan changed into casual clothes, took a short knife and a bamboo basket, and went out with Lin Xiu.
Two soldiers followed at a distance as always. Lin Yan noticed that the third-rank expert who had been hiding in the canopy of the old locust tree had also quietly followed.
Lin Yan ignored him and went straight out of the city.
There is a Cuifeng Mountain outside the south gate of the capital. The mountain is not high. The reason for choosing this place is that the mountain is covered with lush vegetation and there should be a lot of medicinal herbs.
Lin Yan hadn't gone far up the mountain when he spotted a plantain in the grass.
[The herbs] have reacted.
[Feedback: Plantain has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving phlegm and cooling blood. When picking, the roots must be retained for two inches, otherwise at least 30% of the medicinal effect will be lost.]
Lin Yan squatted down, first clearing away the surrounding weeds, then pinching the connection between the root and the stem with one hand, and using the other hand to insert a short knife diagonally into the soil along the edge of the root, prying the entire plantain plant out along with the soil.
He shook off the soil from the roots and threw the plantain into the bamboo basket on his back.
[Skill: Herbalism (Beginner) (2/200)]
Sure enough, the panel reacted. Although plantain is not valuable, it is still a medicinal herb and can help improve proficiency.
Lin Yan began to walk along the mountain path, picking herbs as he went: dandelions, honeysuckle, houttuynia cordata, mugwort... He methodically repeated the steps of identifying, cutting, and cleaning. Although they were all very common herbs, the abundance of them made up for it. With each herb he picked, his proficiency in herb gathering increased by one point.
Lin Xiu followed him and squatted down to help. She didn't know which was grass and which was medicine, so she picked whatever she saw. She picked a foxtail grass and held it up to Lin Yan. "Brother! I recognize this. Is this a medicinal herb? Can I sell it to buy sugar figurines?"
That's grass, not medicine.
"Oh." The little girl's mood instantly plummeted. She put the foxtail grass in her mouth and continued to follow Lin Yan into the depths of the forest.
Deeper into the forest, there were more medicinal herbs, and the variety of them had increased. He found a Bupleurum plant with a straight stem, growing in the shade of a large tree. Lin Yan squatted down and used his fingers to probe along the rootstock into the soil, carefully removing the surrounding soil bit by bit until the entire rootstock was exposed before gently lifting it up.
[Skill: Herbalism (Beginner) (28/200)]
This time, the proficiency level actually jumped two points, so it seems to be in good condition.
He continued picking herbs until evening, and had already filled a full basket with them, his skill level exceeding one hundred.
As it was getting dark, he packed his things and carried the exhausted Lin Xiu down the mountain back to his residence.
……
From that day on, Lin Yan began to live a very regular life.
Every morning at Chenshi (7-9 AM), he would go to the Beijing Defense Bureau to report for duty.
He Jin would always politely pour tea for Lin Yan and then tell him that there was still no work to do that day, and that the general should come another day. Lin Yan didn't mind, and after drinking a few cups of tea, he would turn around and leave.
After leaving the Defense Department, Lin Yan would stop by Gulou Street to browse a few bone ornament shops.
There are several bone ornament shops in the capital, and they are all very particular. Some specialize in bone carvings, others in dominoes and bone tokens, and still others in cups and dishes, which are said to be a three-generation family craft.
Lin Yan visited each shop one by one, spending half an hour at each one she visited each day, admiring the bone ornaments on display.
Because he was wearing the uniform of a military officer, the shopkeepers didn't urge him to buy anything, seeing him just touching things without doing so. Instead, they sat behind the counter with smiles, chatting with Lin Yan about interesting things in the capital.
In the afternoon, Lin Yan would take Lin Xiu to gather herbs outside the city. After gathering herbs all over Cuifeng Mountain, they would go to Qingping Mountain, and after gathering herbs all over Qingping Mountain, they would go to Xishan Mountain.
The types of herbs on each mountain are not quite the same. Cuifeng Mountain is mostly covered with herbs that clear heat and detoxify. Qingping Mountain has a humid and shady environment, and herbs such as Coptis chinensis and Gastrodia elata are everywhere. Xishan Mountain has a high altitude and grows herbs that are less common, such as Artemisia capillaris.
With each new mountain, Lin Yan encountered more new medicinal herbs, and his proficiency in herb gathering increased rapidly. In just a few days, he had reached the basic level. After advancing his skills, he knew when to gather these herbs and how to gather them without damaging their roots.
Lin Xiu always followed along, running around on the mountain, catching grasshoppers, picking wildflowers, chasing butterflies, having a great time. She became much stronger and her complexion became rosy.
Chen watched her son go out early and return late every day, bringing back a pile of herbs. She didn't say anything, but silently washed and dried the herbs, then sorted them and put them in the storeroom. When a neighbor's wife passed by and saw a pile of herbs drying in the Lin family every day, she thought the Lin family was about to open a pharmacy.
At night, Lin Yan would close the door and meditate quietly.
After circulating the "Qi Condensation Technique" several times, the spiritual energy in Lin Yan's body became smoother and smoother. The crystal in his dantian also slowly grew from the size of a sesame seed to the size of a soybean, and its rotation speed was nearly 20% faster than before, absorbing and exhaling more spiritual energy.
Lin Yan didn't neglect the breathing exercises either. He discovered that cultivating true qi and spiritual qi didn't conflict; on the contrary, they complemented each other. Cultivating true qi could strengthen the foundation and broaden the meridians, while cultivating spiritual qi could repair the damage caused by the collision of true qi in the meridians. He first practiced the breathing exercises to regulate his breathing and relax his meridians, and then practiced the qi condensation exercises to guide the spiritual qi to circulate in his body. This method was much more efficient than simply practicing one of the two.
And so, Lin Yan's life remained as calm as a still pond.
But someone has been watching this pool of water all along.
The Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince's Study.
Manager Feng stood before Li Zhengxin with his hands at his sides, reporting on Lin Yan's recent whereabouts.
"Your Highness, these past few days General Lin has been going to the Defense Department to report for duty every morning at 7:00 AM. He sits in his duty room for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before leaving. Afterwards, he usually goes to the bone ornament shops in the market area or goes out of the city to collect herbs in the surrounding mountains. He returns to his residence before sunset every day and then stays inside. The secret guards have not reported anything unusual, saying that General Lin only meditates and cultivates every night."
Li Zhengxin remained silent for a few moments after listening.
"A bone ornament shop? Gathering herbs in the mountains?"
"Yes," Steward Feng said cautiously. "I sent people to inquire. He just touches things in those shops without buying anything, sometimes for half an hour at a time. The same goes for gathering herbs. He takes his sister with him, digging for herbs all over the mountains. He just keeps the herbs he brings back and doesn't sell them. I think General Lin... seems to be... practicing some kind of martial arts?"
"Practicing kung fu?" Li Zhengxin frowned. "What kind of kung fu requires visiting bone jewelry shops and gathering herbs in the mountains?"
"This subordinate is unaware. This subordinate has never heard of any cultivation techniques related to bones, and General Lin does not seem to know alchemy. This is merely this subordinate's guess."
Li Zhengxin put down the official document and lowered his head to think.
To be honest, he didn't understand Lin Yan either.
What kind of person is a sixth-rank military officer who doesn't cultivate relationships with powerful figures or pull strings, and instead spends his days dealing with bone ornaments and herbs? This is simply not something someone who wants to make a name for himself in the capital should be doing.
Li Zhengxin also knew that Lin Yan was no ordinary person. A person who could escape Qing Fengxiang's relentless pursuit and break through to the level of a martial artist, and who could also establish merits amidst the dead in the northern border, could not possibly be a fool.
So what exactly is he doing?