Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: An Unexpected Incident

Cultivators who didn’t have a thorough understanding of alchemy and the properties of herbs weren’t suited to spend all their time at the pill furnace.

So, Bai Mo had Hou Cheng study with Wei An for four hours each day.

Given the chance to learn, Hou Cheng naturally wouldn’t refuse and was incredibly obedient.

Qin Wen had been waiting to tease Wei An, but to his surprise, Wei An was explaining things to Hou Cheng with impressive clarity and structure.

The younger man was listening intently.

He couldn’t stop his eyelid from twitching.

"You’re already this skilled in the Alchemy Dao?"

Wei An turned to look at him, a rare hint of smugness on his face.

"I didn’t think I was any good at it, either."

"It was only after chatting with some friends outside that I realized they didn’t even know a lot of the simple stuff."

Qin Wen drew in a sharp breath. ’So that’s why Xue Ning is always eyeing Wei An’s Pill Book.’

Hou Cheng greatly admired his young colleague, but Wei An dismissed the praise.

"I can still only refine Feeding Pills and can’t even get involved with proper Pills. How could I possibly deserve any praise?"

As a newcomer, Hou Cheng still felt a bit insecure, even though all his colleagues were very easy to get along with.

’It’s so rare to find a place this good. I wonder how Uncle found it.’ He was constantly worried he might lose this opportunity.

So, in addition to his usual alchemy studies, he also took on miscellaneous chores like moving and sorting medicinal herbs.

When Lanshan arrived at the shop, this was the diligent young man he saw.

Not recognizing the young man, Lanshan watched him for a moment longer.

Hou Cheng sensed something and turned around, only to see a burly man in tattered, blood-soaked clothes staring at him.

His pupils contracted, and the hair on his arms stood on end.

In his time searching for medicinal herbs up in the mountains and down by the rivers, he had often encountered Hunters, some of whom would try to prey on herb gatherers like himself.

But this man... he had probably just returned from the neighboring Celestial Barrier Mountain. His aura was terrifyingly fierce.

The Hunters he had met before paled in comparison.

Noticing Hou Cheng frozen stiff, Wei An sensed something was amiss and poked his head out to see.

"Ah! Lanshan, you’re here!"

"What happened to you? Hurry and come inside!"

Only then did Hou Cheng realize this was an acquaintance. He quickly brought over a stool and was about to prepare herbs and bandages.

"Don’t bother. It’s not my blood."

Lanshan waved a hand, stopping him.

"The new kid?"

Hou Cheng scratched his head.

"I just started a few days ago."

Bai Mo got word and hurried over. He was shocked to see Lanshan covered in blood and his clothes in tatters.

"What happened?"

Lanshan sighed. "Ai."

"Shopkeeper Bai, I’m going to need your help with this."

Customers coming in from the street were staring at Lanshan.

The two of them moved to the rear courtyard.

"I found that Liu Yaozi fellow and asked him what happened. Only then did I go to West Mountain Stream."

Lanshan recounted what happened next.

"The Spirit Medicines in the dense forest were really gone. We followed Liu Yaozi’s directions but still couldn’t find anything."

"Then, one of my brothers stumbled upon them. They were all gathered together in a low-lying part of the terrain."

Even for an experienced Demon Hunting Team, none of them had ever seen medicinal herbs that could move.

But the way the herbs were densely clustered together... anyone could tell it was deliberate.

"We were careful enough not to harvest them rashly. We just sent a few men to investigate."

Lanshan shook his head.

"Then, all hell broke loose. The forest erupted in chaos, and several Demon Beasts were driven toward us, crashing into our men."

"The few experts we sent to scout were attacked before they could even react. They suffered broken bones, torn ligaments, and severe injuries, both internal and external."

"Thankfully, we were prepared. With iron nets, chains, and hooked crossbows all at the ready, we barely managed to fend them off."

"We managed to withdraw from the West Mountain area, even bringing one of the Demon Beasts back with us."

"Even so, some of our brothers nearly died. They’re only hanging on by a thread now, thanks to taking Pills internally and applying herbs externally."

"Once they recover, they’ll probably have to make a living on the Azure Dragon River."

Bai Mo hadn’t expected West Mountain to be so treacherous.

"Did you find out what was behind it all?"

Lanshan’s face was grim.

"That’s the problem—we never saw it. I’m afraid it’s just as Liu Yaozi said. There’s an herb spirit behind all this."

"We knew the thing was tailing us the entire way back, so we didn’t dare split up."

"It even used the same trick again, driving more Demon Beasts at us. We could only group together to fight them off, not daring to give chase and get separated."

Lanshan looked at Bai Mo, his expression grave.

"I tested it later. As soon as I go into the mountain, it isn’t long before something starts watching me."

"I’m afraid we’ve been targeted, just like Liu Yaozi."

Bai Mo was horrified.

A Demon Hunting Team like his might not have the highest peak strength, but within Immortal Arrival City, they were still a force to be reckoned with.

’Something feels off, but there are no other clues. Could it really be an herb spirit?’

"So, how can I help you, Brother Lanshan?"

"I know that Pill Masters have a potent powder, one that can wipe out all vegetation. I’m begging you, Shopkeeper Bai, to give me some..."

"Absolutely not!"

Bai Mo shot to his feet.

"Such a destructive concoction goes against the very principles of the Alchemy Dao! How can you ask to use it so lightly!?"

Lanshan looked helpless. "But I’m out of options. I have so many mouths to feed."

With that, he stared intently at Bai Mo.

He knew Bai Mo’s ties to the Demon Hunting Team ran deep. He was confident Bai Mo would help in the end; there was no getting out of it.

Bai Mo’s expression was conflicted.

It was true that the Alchemy Dao possessed such a powder, one that could annihilate all plant life in an area. The exact formula varied, but it was generally made by mixing minerals with highly toxic materials.

When sprinkled over an area, it would cause all vegetation to die off shortly after.

However, such a powder went against the natural way of things, destroying the life force of the land.

Once used, the land wouldn’t recover for at least thirty years.

For this reason, the formula wasn’t passed down in detail. Only fragments and hints were left in Pill Books, for experienced Pill Masters to deduce on their own.

Bai Mo, of course, was one of those who had mastered it.

After a long moment, Bai Mo finally let out a breath.

"If I asked your Demon Hunting Team to escort me up the mountain, would that be possible?"

Lanshan was taken aback and sat up straight.

"Shopkeeper Bai, why would you put yourself in harm’s way?"

Bai Mo sighed.

"Even if we are to use it, I must see the situation for myself first."

"You have to understand, if this powder were used indiscriminately, herbs would cease to exist, and the Alchemy Dao itself would suffer greatly."

"Only a reckless fool just starting on the Alchemy Dao would think this is some powerful tool to be used at will."

Although Lanshan understood the principle, he didn’t grasp why Bai Mo was being so extremely cautious.

"If you insist on going up the mountain, Shopkeeper Bai, we can certainly protect you."

"After all, now that we’ve seen what it can do, we’re confident we can handle it."

Bai Mo nodded.

"In that case, you can set the date."

Lanshan left not long after.

Qin Wen came looking for Bai Mo and found him in the storeroom, selecting medicinal herbs.

"Did something happen?"

Bai Mo explained the situation.

Qin Wen laughed and said,

"West Mountain is a mountain in name only. It’s just a single ridge, not very large. Why are you so concerned, Shopkeeper?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

"Some things are better left unused if possible. This powder was originally created to clear treacherous lands of pests and make them habitable for people."

"If we use it for every minor obstacle, how many more wastelands would appear in the world? Besides, there are immense karmic consequences involved."

Even as he spoke, Bai Mo’s hands moved quickly. In no time, he had selected a basket full of medicinal herbs.

"Shopkeeper, are you..."

"I’m preparing a batch of the powder just in case. If something unexpected happens, I can’t very well leave my life behind in those mountains."

As he started walking out, Bai Mo added,

"It’s been a while since I’ve been up the mountain. Want to come along and see for yourself?"

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