Chapter 149: Herb Garden

Han Li was unaware of the conversation between Uncle Ye and the old man surnamed Wu after he left, but he still felt incredibly stifled.

This was the first time Han Li had encountered a situation like this since the incident with Dr. Mo – knowing he was walking into a trap but having no choice but to proceed. It frustrated him immensely, yet it also solidified his conviction that the cultivation world was indeed a place where the strong preyed on the weak.

"I'll go get it from him if I ever need anything again!" Han Li sneered at the thought. He vowed to make sure Uncle Ye knew that his belongings weren't so easily taken.

Standing on the ground, he gazed into the distance. Deacon Yu had already returned to the Hundred Mechanisms Hall, as the Hundred Medicines Garden was just ahead. It was a small basin nestled between two hills, protected by minor restrictions set up by the garden's owner to prevent intruders.

After walking a short distance, Han Li encountered the nearby restriction, which blocked his path with a flash of white light.

He remained calm, however. Raising a jade token, he shone it forward, and a green beam immediately shot from it, penetrating the restriction. Han Li then waited patiently.

"Come in!" a dry voice echoed from within, as if whispering directly into Han Li's ear. Immediately, the restriction before him vanished completely, like melting ice and snow.

Witnessing this, Han Li wasted no time and quickly stepped inside.

Following the small path, Han Li stopped in front of a courtyard displaying a "Hundred Medicines Garden" plaque. The courtyard was vast, spanning several acres. Even before he stepped inside, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly invigorating him.

"Why are you standing foolishly out there? Come in quickly, I have to go out!" Han Li was taken aback, but immediately complied and entered.

Once inside, Han Li finally got a clear view of the garden's layout.

Several thatched huts, constructed from dry grass and bamboo, stood at the garden's center. Around them were neatly arranged square plots of land, divided by irrigation channels. Each plot teemed with lush growth, featuring numerous herbs both familiar and unfamiliar to Han Li, as well as some peculiar-looking plants. The entire garden radiated spiritual energy, and even a cultivator like Han Li felt incredibly refreshed after taking a deep breath.

"Come into the house!" The voice's owner grew impatient, seeing Han Li dawdle.

Han Li smiled faintly and walked nonchalantly into the thatched hut.

Inside the hut stood a withered, short old man, glaring disapprovingly at Han Li. The old man appeared to be in his fifties, with two scraggly yellowish mustaches and a pair of cloudy, darting eyes. At first glance, he truly resembled a human-shaped rat that had somehow gained sentience.

"Are you the garden manager disciple sent by the Hundred Mechanisms Hall? You're too young, and your cultivation is so poor! Is that Ye fellow just trying to placate me? Why do the people they send keep getting worse?" The thin old man's face darkened the moment he saw Han Li, and he burst into a fit of temper.

"Disciple Han Li greets Senior Martial Uncle Ma!" Han Li had already learned about the old man's eccentric temper from the records, so he wasn't surprised. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Hmph! Do you have any idea how severe the punishment will be if you fail to complete the task? Go back now and tell my Junior Martial Brother Ye to send someone else; there's still time!" The old man rolled his eyes and said impatiently.

"Is it that the size of the herb garden must be maintained, no herbs can be allowed to wither, and a certain quantity of herbs must be submitted monthly? If so, this junior is quite confident!" Han Li stated calmly.

Han Li's words surprised the old man. It seemed this was his first encounter with a garden manager disciple who exuded such confidence from the very beginning. He couldn't help but re-examine Han Li, though the suspicion in his eyes remained undiminished.

"Come with me!" the old man said suddenly and coldly, then walked out of the thatched hut. Han Li followed without hesitation.

"How many of these herbs can you recognize?" The old man asked, pointing at the plants throughout the garden and peering at Han Li.

"One-tenth," Han Li replied softly after a quick glance.

The old man paused after hearing Han Li's reply, then sneered:

"Little fellow, if you can truly recognize one-tenth of these herbs, I'll hand the garden over to you without another word!"

With that assurance, Han Li smiled faintly and moved away from the old man.

"Midnight Flower, Yellow Ball Grass, White Crane Ganoderma, Moon-gazing Grass..." Han Li strolled through the garden, casually naming the herbs he recognized.

The old man's expression was initially one of mockery, but as he listened, surprise began to show on his face. Han Li was naming many extremely obscure herbs, some whose properties even the old man himself had only deciphered with great effort. This left him utterly astonished.

"That's enough!" The old man interrupted Han Li's demonstration after he had named only a small fraction of the plants he recognized.

"Very good, it seems you weren't completely bragging! This herb garden is temporarily entrusted to your care. This is the restriction token for this place; catch it carefully!" A satisfied expression appeared on the old man's face as he swiftly pulled out a dark green wooden token and tossed it to Han Li.

"Inside the hut, you'll find my insights and experiences from cultivating herbs over the years. You should study them thoroughly, as you're still unfamiliar with most of these plants. Don't let them wither and die on me!" the old man instructed, stroking his small mustache.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Martial Uncle. This disciple will remember it!" Han Li replied respectfully.

"Hmph! I hope your capabilities are as impressive as your words, so I can truly be free from this herb garden and no longer delay my cultivation. This garden is my personal medicinal land, so if you genuinely prove capable, I assure you I won't treat you unfairly. However, let me be frank: if you can't handle it, then get out quickly, and we'll find someone else, understand?" The old man spoke, employing both encouragement and warning.

Han Li, instead of being offended by the old man's blunt words, felt a surge of goodwill. He thought this old man was far better than Uncle Ye; at least he wasn't a hypocritical villain. Consequently, he quickly nodded in agreement.

After relaying a few more instructions on managing the garden, the old man returned to the thatched hut, quickly packed his belongings, and then departed the herb garden without a backward glance, soaring into the sky.

After watching Senior Martial Uncle Ma depart, Han Li casually selected one of the thatched huts, tidied it up, and made it his living quarters.

Having been busy all day without rest, even a cultivator like Han Li felt a wave of exhaustion. He climbed onto the bed and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

For him, no matter how pressing the matters outside, it was never too late to address them once he felt fully refreshed. By then, night had already fallen.

Han Li's first day as a new disciple of Yellow Maple Valley passed with its share of complications. When he awoke refreshed the next day, his cultivation journey truly began.

In the days that followed, Han Li spent his mornings studying the old man's experiences and notes. At night, he secretly buried the mysterious small bottle in a corner of the herb field, covering it with the expensive magical artifact fragment to conceal its astonishing signs of absorbing spiritual energy.

With this precaution, the spiritual energy in that corner, apart from being slightly denser than elsewhere, showed no other unusual signs. This finally put Han Li's secretly anxious mind at ease.

A few days later, Uncle Ye found Han Li, bringing the supposed exchange items for the Foundation Establishment Pill. He handed over spirit stones and magical artifacts that amounted to less than one-fifth of what was originally promised. As for the elixirs that should have been included, Hall Master Ye seemed to have conveniently forgotten, and Han Li likewise pretended not to notice.

Nevertheless, Han Li still became rich overnight. He received two mid-grade spirit stones, dozens of low-grade spirit stones, three well-crafted magical artifacts, and some talismans.