Seeing Chu Qianze remain silent, the old doctor repeated, “I’ll exchange this Celestial Grass for a pharmaceutical book. How about that?”
The offer was quite generous. Compared to the Celestial Grass, the old doctor’s book was evidently more valuable. Moreover, the doctor liked to annotate his books, and the experiences written in it were priceless.
However…
Chu Qianze expressed a hint of apology, saying, “I’m sorry, Old Doc. I need some more time to consider this.”
The old doctor was surprised.
This offer was excellent—practically a doorstep bargain. According to his expectations, this young man should have readily accepted.
“You better think it through. Today, I’m in a good mood and considered giving you the book. This opportunity won’t come again,” the old doctor emphasized.
“I know that, but there are uncertainties. Selling it to you would leave me uneasy,” Chu Qianze said as he put away the Celestial Grass.
He can get a book at any time, but if it doesn’t sit well with him, he can’t buy back comfort with several books.
“It seems like something interesting happened on your trip,” the old doctor remarked, stroking his beard.
“Old Doc, how about we negotiate then?” Chu Qianze approached, acting like they had a good relationship.
“What are you up to, you little rascal?” The old doctor became wary. Over time, he had figured out that every time this young man wore such an expression, he was definitely plotting something.
“Old Doc, how about you give me the book first? Consider it a tab, and I’ll pay you back in full with interest later. What do you say?”
“You’re trying to get something for nothing, huh?” Even on credit, only this young man could come up with such an idea!
The old doctor’s eyebrows were twitching.
“If you’re willing to give me the book, you must think I have potential, right? But look at me now, I’m so weak. There’s not much I can do, practically useless. At best, I can help you gather some ordinary herbs from the mountains. Even this Celestial Grass, I only managed to get it through sheer luck.” Chu Qianze sighed, wearing a look of regret.
“So?” The old doctor chuckled, prompting him to continue.
“If you give me the book now, once I become stronger, I’ll be able to acquire even better things. It’s like investing in a potential stock for substantial returns later. It’s better to add flowers in the snow than to gild the lily—” Chu Qianze continued, smoothly stringing together similar expressions.
“Wait, wait, wait!”
Seeing the man talk non-stop, the old doctor raised his hand to stop him. “What are all these words you’re throwing around? Using terms randomly!”
Although the words were a bit all over the place, he felt there was some sense in it. The fact that he was willing to give the book to this young man was because he found him agreeable, with good talent and character. It was like going with the flow.
Compared to that, the Celestial Grass was secondary.
“You’re quite the talker, kid.”
The old doctor sighed and took out a book from his sleeve.
“Let me make it clear, this book isn’t free. You owe me in advance. When you bring back that Celestial Grass, it better be of higher quality than the one just now!”
“No problem.”
Chu Qianze took the book, and a prompt appeared on the interface.
[Obtained Skill Book: “Pharmacology”]
[The art of pharmaceuticals is vast and profound, requiring full patience and perseverance.]
This was a good start to things.
“Alright, let’s not talk in riddles. I’m giving you this book because I think you deserve it. If you bring shame to it, I won’t let you off!” The old doctor huffed, and his entire beard floated up.
“Of course, I learn things pretty quickly. Old Doc, be careful not to be surpassed by me.” Chu Qianze grinned.
“Hey, thinking of surpassing me? Quite ambitious!” The old doctor raised an eyebrow.
“If I don’t dare to even think about it, what could I achieve? Self-confidence is my defining trait,” Chu Qianze said, laying out the contents of the bamboo basket one by one. After a while, he spoke.
“Old Doc, I’m ready to leave the village.”
The old doctor’s beard-stroking paused for a moment, and the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, deepened by the passage of time, seemed to gain a few more lines. “At your level, it’s time to go out and see the world.”
“When do you plan to leave?”
“In about two days,” Chu Qianze replied.
He still had several special tasks to complete.
Nodding, the old doctor said, “The outside world is not as peaceful as the village. It’s full of danger, so don’t come back crying.”
Thinking of something, he added, “Well, you can come back crying. It would amuse this old man to see you in tears.”
“Thinking too much. I’m usually the one making people cry,” Chu Qianze rolled his eyes.
“Don’t speak too soon,” the old doctor showed the expression of someone who had been through a lot.
Uninterested in arguing, Chu Qianze changed the topic, “Is there anything you want me to bring?”
Rocking his chair back and forth, the old doctor pondered for a moment before saying, “Since you mentioned it, bring me back a few herbs.”
[New Mission: Search for Herbs]
Looking at the mission details, Chu Qianze was momentarily stunned and couldn’t help but say, “Old Doc, you’re not holding back, are you?”
It wasn’t just a few; it was a total of eighty-two kinds.
The task given by the old doctor was a series of missions, and the rating clearly indicated its difficulty. The distribution of herbs mentioned was widespread, and to complete it, one would probably have to travel the entire continent.
However, the higher the difficulty, the more abundant the rewards. That was an ironclad rule.
“Don’t mention politeness; this old man doesn’t have that.” The old doctor placed his hands on the armrest of the recliner, stretching out.
“If there’s nothing else, hurry up and leave. Don’t delay my rest here. This old man is old and needs his rest!” He began shooing Chu Qianze away.
“Got it—” Chu Qianze responded and walked outside.
Today marked the last day in the beginner’s village for Chu Qianze. Once he completed the tasks assigned by the old doctor, he would be ready to leave.
Approaching a giant rock, Chu Qianze plucked an herb.
At this moment, he caught a whiff of a familiar and subtle fragrance, something he had once smelled in the old doctor’s apothecary. According to the book, it was called “Qi You Grass.” While not as rare as Celestial Grass, it was still a rare find in the vicinity.
Standing up and scanning the surroundings, he walked towards a nearby cave.
The entrance of the cave looked unremarkable from the outside, but upon closer inspection, it revealed a hidden world.
Inside was a small pool, and surrounding it were Qi You Grass! The mystical herbs grew around the pool, forming rows of captivating beauty.
Success!
Chu Qianze activated the Mechanic’s skill, initiating the Crazy Harvest mode. Just as he was enjoying the process, the entire ground suddenly shook, and a few stones fell from above. One of them rolled for a bit and stopped at Chu Qianze’s feet.
Controlling the mechanical device to hover above him and block the falling rocks, he quickly rushed outside.
As Chu Qianze exited the cave, he ran straight into a wild monster. The creature flew towards him with a somewhat flattened face. Dodging to the side, the monster got stuck in the entrance of the cave.
What kind of situation was this again?
Chu Qianze was a bit bewildered. As he looked forward, the once spacious grassland was now scattered with wild monster corpses in various positions.
In the center of it all, a Shield Warrior was wielding his weapon, facing off against a boss.
Upon closer inspection, the Shield Warrior was a familiar face—Zong Xinjue.
On the other side, Zong Xinjue also noticed Chu Qianze. He didn’t say anything but silently increased his attack speed.
With a series of combos, the boss let out a mournful howl and unwillingly collapsed.
[Congratulations to player Zong Xinjue for reaching level 43!]
The next moment, the person who had been standing in the center of the clearing appeared in front of Chu Qianze.
He had actually used the teleportation skill directly.
Seeing Zong Xinjue staring at him, Chu Qianze couldn’t help but ask, “This herb… did you find it first?”
A notification popped up.
[Player Zong Xinjue requests to add you as a friend.]
Decline.
The notification popped up again.
[Player Zong Xinjue requests to add you as a friend.]
“Accept friend request.”
Zong Xinjue retracted his shield and stared intently at Chu Qianze. He was ready to intervene immediately if the other party used a skill.
Staring as if he wouldn’t give up until he achieved his goal, Chu Qianze accepted the friend request.
[You have added Zong Xinjue as a friend.]
Chu Qianze: “What are you doing here?”
“Come to find you,” Zong Xinjue said straightforwardly, arms crossed.
“Is there something?”
Chu Qianze glanced at the grassland behind him. Because the battle had ended, the monsters were disappearing.
Getting surrounded by wild monsters while trying to find someone, and after all that fighting, not even a single piece of equipment dropped. For a moment, he didn’t know which was more unfortunate.
“Come to the arena and have a match with me,” Zong Xinjue said with a serious expression.
“No time.”
As Chu Qianze spoke, he walked to the side, not expecting to simply step over.
Surprised by how easily he passed, he felt a moment of astonishment but quickly calmed down. He ventured deeper into the forest, continuing his herb-picking mission.
Meanwhile, Zong Xinjue followed behind, maintaining a moderate distance.
“Why are you following me?”
“To have a match with you when you’re ready,” Zong Xinjue replied nonchalantly.
Just as Chu Qianze was about to speak, a boar-like creature leaped out from the bushes, snorting angrily and charging directly toward him. Turning to prepare his mechanical companion for a block, he realized the creature had passed him, heading towards the back.
Huh?
Turning to look, Zong Xinjue was already engaged in a fight with the boar.
Seeing the two fighting fiercely and realizing he had nothing to do with it, Chu Qianze decided to continue on his way.
After a short while, Zong Xinjue caught up and followed, not far behind him.
Chu Qianze bent down to pick a herb nearby, and a small slime flew over him, attacking Zong Xinjue directly.
When Chu Qianze stood up, Zong Xinjue used his giant shield to flatten the slime.
Some herbs were guarded by monsters, and as soon as Zong Xinjue arrived, he became the target of their aggression. Surprisingly, even when Chu Qianze walked past and picked the herbs, it didn’t trigger the monsters’ hostility.
In summary, the process went like this:
Chu Qianze picked herbs, Zong Xinjue was attacked by monsters; Chu Qianze moved to another spot to pick herbs, Zong Xinjue defeated the monsters and caught up, only to be attacked by a different group of monsters.
The cycle continued.
“Your leveling method is simply efficient,” Chu Qianze remarked.
Seeing Zong Xinjue level up again, Chu Qianze sighed and speculated, “Did you trigger some special status?”
Zong Xinjue nodded, “Failed a mission yesterday, got cursed, automatically attracts aggro.”
“What kind of mission could stump even you?”
A silence settled in the air.
After a while, Zong Xinjue said, “As an NPC companion, I participated in a blind box event.”
“Hahaha!” Chu Qianze couldn’t help but mockingly laugh.
With all the herbs collected and Zong Xinjue still prepared to follow, Chu Qianze sighed, “Don’t you have anything else to do?”
“I leveled up three times.”
Implying he had been busy all along.
“Alright,” Chu Qianze stored the herbs and headed towards the novice village. “After I turn in the quest, we’ll have a match and then settle the score, okay?”
To be honest, he doesn’t have much opinion on Zong Xinjue now.
Although some things haven’t been confirmed with him personally, he knows a little bit.
After sensing that something was wrong, Chu Qianze specifically searched the forum and found a post. It mainly talked about a team trying to snatch the Shield Warrior’s boss monster, only to be counter-killed and wiped out.
Combined with the date and location, he instantly connected the dots. When Zong Xinjue was fighting the boss, a player intercepted him, causing the boss to escape. After finally taking down the troublesome player, the boss was unexpectedly killed by someone else.
Then, during the confrontation with Zoninjue and the monster, he managed to pick up the Celestial Grass.
Finally, during the special mission…
Putting myself in his shoes, if I encountered such a situation, I would definitely explode like fireworks. I wouldn’t rest until I drove that person to quit the game. However, this person managed to hide his emotions and chat with me calmly without seeking revenge. It’s truly terrifying.
“Is your mission done?” Zong Xinjue asked.
“More or less,” Chu Qianze replied.
Zong Xinjue expressed understanding, and they proceeded together to the novice village.
Chu Qianze had just entered the village when he was stopped by a little boy. The boy raised his small hand, holding something up. “Big brother, Mom made some food and asked me to bring it to you. She said thank you for delivering the medicine to Dad earlier.”
Taking the package, Chu Qianze patted the boy’s head. “It’s nothing. Remember to remind your dad to change the medicine in a few days.”
“Okay, I got it.”
The little boy nodded vigorously, indicating that he remembered.
[Received item: Rice Ball]
[Satiety +30, Stamina +30]
Zong Xinjue was astonished. “Is that an NPC?”
“Yeah, can’t you tell?”
“Why would he willingly give you a gift?!”
“The little kid said his mom asked him to bring it. Any other questions?” Chu Qianze remained calm.
“Nothing.” Zong Xinjue’s mouth twitched, unsure of what else to say.
Both of them walked for a while, turned a corner, entered the same narrow alley, and finally stopped in front of a pharmacy.
Chu Qianze: “I’m going in now, you wait here.”
“Okay.”
Zong Xinjue responded, leaning against a nearby pillar, indicating that he would wait right there.
Without further ado, Chu Qianze walked straight into the pharmacy.
“Old Doc, I brought everything over.” He said, laying out all the items.
The old doctor glanced, “Oh, there’s even Qi You Grass.”
“The quality looks good, and the medicinal effects should be quite effective,” Chu Qianze said.
“Have you found the section on Qi You Grass in the book?” the old doctor asked.
“Flip forward about thirty pages,” Chu Qianze said as he split open the Qi You Grass.
The old doctor became a bit interested. “Then let me test you.”
Chu Qianze paused, showing some confidence. “Feel free to test me.”
After pondering for a moment, the old doctor mentioned the name of another herb.
Chu Qianze described its characteristics and growing conditions.
“What does it react against in terms of medicinal properties?” the old doctor asked.
Chu Qianze paused. “Qi You Grass.”
“Correct. What effect would it produce if mixed together?” The old doctor stroked his little beard.
“Death within an hour,” Chu Qianze answered.
“Hahaha, it seems you’ve truly mastered it. Well done, well done. Since you’re leaving tomorrow, how about I give you a little something as a gift?” The old doctor said, tossing out a book.
[Acquired skill book: “Refining Myriad Poisons”]
[The old doctor, managing a tattered medicine shop, occasionally treats villagers and sells medicinal herbs. Unknown to many, the old doctor excels at poisons. After traveling the continent and experimenting with numerous toxins, he compiled this book.]
[Awakened profession: Poison Master]
“Now that we’ve spoken, I’ve given you the item. Hurry up and leave; don’t take up space here,” the old doctor waved his hand. In the next moment, Chu Qianze found himself standing outside the medicine shop.
Moving up a few steps, he noticed that the old doctor had even locked the door.
“This old man…”
Sighing, Chu Qianze approached and stood in front of Zong Xinjue. “The task is done, let’s go. We’ll head to the arena after the duel.”
After the duel, they would settle things once and for all.
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