"The arrow pattern seems to last for a while." Xi Heng raised his palm and looked carefully: "The actual use of the spell is not as bad as imagined, but I don't know how long it can last." She first put down her left hand and walked to the tree that was hit by the blood arrow. A deep hole the size of a fist was drilled into the sturdy tree trunk. The lethality of the spell was obviously much greater than that of an ordinary arrow. Moreover, smoke was coming out of the blood holes on the tree, and the blood arrow seemed to have the ability to corrode. "Maybe it can be used as a hidden weapon in battle, but consumption is still a problem..." She was going to Jinshi City next. There would be no suitable flesh and blood delivered to her door in the city, so she would have to pay for it. A pig costs many taels of silver. Instead of using this kind of flesh and blood magic, it is better to buy some real hidden weapons. Hidden weapons can be practiced and used repeatedly, and are much cheaper. "Let's just let nature take its course." Xi Heng touched the pattern on the back of his hand, picked up the basket of Ganoderma lucidum again and returned to the foot of the mountain. There were no other accidents on the way. Late at night, she returned to the quiet and lonely village at the foot of the mountain and returned to her little hut. Xi Heng placed the basket safely on the bed, undressed himself, and lay down on the bed wearing only a single piece of clothing stained with blood.
The day was calm. He got up and washed during the day, trying to make himself look smooth and bright. Then he carried the wooden basket containing the Ganoderma lucidum and his few remaining taels of silver and went to the village entrance again. He saw the hunchbacked driver driving the donkey cart again. She repeated her previous actions and returned to Jinshi City after noon. Naturally, there was no need to go to a pawnshop to sell the Ganoderma lucidum this time. Xi Heng randomly grabbed someone on the road and asked where the largest pharmacy in the city was, and then followed the other person's instructions and went there. It took nearly half an hour to get from the outer city to the inner city. Most of the people walking here are dressed in gorgeous clothes, and horse-drawn carriages can often be seen passing by on the road. Various shops are gathered together, and you can see some rare and exquisite things with a casual glance. Although it is not as densely populated and prosperous as the capital, it is at least sparsely populated. On the way, Xi Heng saw many mansions with servants guarding them. The surnames and the inscriptions on the doors were written in large, flamboyant characters. Each mansion occupies a large area, and the facade alone is much more magnificent than that of an ordinary family. Along the way, you can see several famous martial arts schools in Jinshi City, and from time to time you can hear shouts or cries of pain. "Broken Jade Knife, Hongmen Fist, Golden Sand Palm..." The three famous martial arts halls in Jinshi City are several times larger than the Hongxian Sword Academy. The martial arts school is located close to the major families in the city, and it seems that the two have a close relationship. But this had nothing to do with Xi Heng. She just took a closer look and did not stop. Walk forward another hundred meters and you will see the Changchun Pharmacy, which has several floors and is tall and elegant. When they arrived at the place, Xi Heng walked straight in. The one who was getting the medicine was a child who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old. Noticing that Xi Heng's attire did not fit in with the others, he paused for a moment before asking what medicine he wanted. "I don't dispense medicine, I sell it." She put the basket on the counter. "Changchuntang does not accept external medicine--" The child shook his head and was interrupted before he could finish his words. "It's wild purple Ganoderma lucidum that I picked on the edge of the cliff." Xi Heng said, opening the sack that covered the Ganoderma lucidum. "It should be a hundred years old."
The dark purple color of the Ganoderma lucidum and the lines and veins on its surface then appeared in the eyes of the two. "Purple Ganoderma?" The medicine boy was stunned and stared at the pattern for a long time: "This big?" Xi Heng nodded and opened the sack, revealing the entire Ganoderma lucidum. "Sir, please wait a moment." The pharmacist immediately became respectful, quickly left the counter and trotted to the back of the attic, his tone becoming much more panicked. After a while, a gray-haired doctor holding a pair of glasses in his hand came into the hall, supported by a medicine boy. "Ganoderma lucidum?" The man looked at Xi Heng with cloudy eyes. "Yes, I picked it yesterday evening." "Where did you pick it, girl?" the other party asked. "On the cliff of Yaowang Mountain, next to a rotten wood under the steep cliff." Xi Heng felt that it was okay to just say it. "Yaowang Mountain... Is there still Ganoderma lucidum in that place?" The man's voice was hoarse and his eyes flickered as if he was recalling the past. He was supported by the pharmacist and walked forward to the counter, then reached out to touch the Ganoderma lucidum in the basket. He held the pair of glasses in his left hand in front of his eyes, looked at the outline of the Ganoderma lucidum inch by inch, and nodded repeatedly. "good." However, when he saw the dry cut at the bottom of the rhizome of Ganoderma lucidum, he frowned again, pointed and said: "This caused the entire flower's medicinal power to lose more than 20%." "On the cliffs, I can only rely on one hand to pick, it's already good enough." Xi Heng yawned, she didn't think it mattered: "Anyway, how much silver do you want to take?" "..." The old man glanced at Xi Heng through his small round glasses, with a hint of hostility in his eyes. He remained silent for a long time, then lowered his head and carefully observed the entire purple Ganoderma lucidum. After half an incense stick of time, he slowly uttered a number: "Forty taels." Xi Heng narrowed his eyes and said, "Give me a more normal number." After all, she had worked as an accountant in a pharmacy for almost two years. Although she had never touched such fine medicinal materials, she had a rough idea of how much a whole Ganoderma lucidum was worth. If the next number the other party mentions is less than two hundred taels, you can take the basket and leave. "Forty taels per catty." The old man stared at Xi Heng and shook his head, not hiding his disappointment: "If you were more careful when picking herbs, the whole plant could be worth a thousand taels, but now it's only five hundred and seventy taels." The black lines on Xi Heng's face disappeared immediately. He was not at all disappointed by what the other party said. He pushed the basket further into the counter and said: "Here you go, take the money." "You are not worthy of being in a refined place." The old man glanced at Xi Heng again, sighed softly, and waved his hand to the medicine boy beside him and said, "Go upstairs to get the banknotes." "Yes." The medicine boy came back and handed a stack of silver bills wrapped in mulberry paper to Xi Heng.
Xi Heng flipped through the notes for a few seconds and found five notes of one hundred taels and one note of seventy taels written on mulberry paper. When he stuffed it into his sleeve pocket and was about to leave, he was stopped by the old man. "When you go out, be sure not to show off your wealth." He finally reminded: "The city may appear stable on the surface, but there are undercurrents. Keep a low profile and don't let others stare at you." "Thank you for the reminder." Xi Heng said casually and turned away. The medicine boy in the hall put away the purple Ganoderma lucidum and said to the old doctor beside him: "Master, do you want to take action?" "This person's demeanor is not that of an ordinary person. Judging from his posture, he also has martial arts skills. He may be from Donghuangmei Mountain. Don't show off and don't cause trouble... Recently, foreign warriors have entered Jinshi City one after another. I'm afraid there will be chaos in the city." "Yes." …… Chapter 16: A Lifetime Vow At noon, Xi Heng arrived at the familiar gate of Hongxian Sword Academy. The yard was empty, with only a few fallen leaves under the two maple trees, and the dust showed signs of having just been swept. The plaque with the words "Hongxian Sword Academy" inscribed on it was slightly covered in dust, and the red paint on the facade was a bit dry and faded. Xi Heng approached and knocked with the back of his hand. Soon the courtyard door opened, and a familiar-looking senior sister stared at Xi Heng from the door. "What bring you here?" This person seemed a little wary and unfamiliar when facing Xi Heng. Xi Heng smiled bitterly in his heart. It was quite strange that these former acquaintances suddenly didn't recognize him. "I want to learn from you." She clasped her fists and said. "I see from your posture and demeanor that you don't seem to have learned martial arts before. It seems that you have already entered the state of strength. Our sword academy does not accept strong warriors." The other party first raised his palm flat towards Xi Heng, making a gesture of rejection. Xi Heng shook his head: "I learned the Red Line Sword, which was taught by one of my elders." "Elder?" The other party was puzzled: "May I ask your name?" "Zhao Qianqiu, she is my aunt." Xi Heng gave an excuse that he had prepared long ago: "She taught me some sword techniques when I was young, and I was able to master the Qi and Blood into Strength by chance when I was practicing recently." The other party showed doubt and confusion, wrote down what Xi Heng said, and said: "Please wait a moment, I will go back to the courtyard to ask my senior sister for instructions." "it is good." The courtyard door closed again, and Xi Heng leaned against the wall, watching the two maple trees rustling at the gate, with a mix of emotions in his mind. I have to get acquainted with the people in the Sword Academy again. Not being able to inherit things like favorability is probably a drawback of the ability to load saves... Looking at the sky, Xi Heng pondered for a long time.
squeak- The faded red door opened, and Senior Sister Hong Miao, with the temperament of a chivalrous man, walked out with interest, her hands behind her back, letting the breeze blow through her robe. She saw Xi Heng leaning against the wall, and when she saw him clasping his fists and about to salute, she interrupted him and said: "Zhao Qianqiu?" "..." Xi Heng took a deep breath and decided not to bother with the person who pronounced his name wrong. "My name is Xi Heng, and Zhao Qianqiu is my aunt." Hong Miao walked around Xi Heng without any sense of distance, looking left and right, and nodded: "Come here to learn martial arts from me?" "Yeah." Xi Heng still wanted to become a peerless master of Ming Jin, An Jin and even in the martial arts world. With her talent, it would be impossible for her to practice alone outside, so it would be better for her to stay in the Sword Academy. "Do you have money?" Businessman Hong Miao rubbed his fingers with a smile. “……”Is the senior sister a greedy person? Xi Heng really couldn't see through it. "I have it." She took out a silver note worth one hundred taels from her bosom. "Just kidding." Hong Miao smiled and waved her hand: "Since you have already entered the martial arts hall, you will be a formal disciple and you don't need to pay any more money." "Huh?" Xi Heng was stunned. Then all my hard work climbing the mountain to pick Ganoderma lucidum all day would be in vain. "I have a good impression of you, but I have no say on your joining the Sword Academy." Hong Miao turned around and said, "Follow me into the academy. This matter should be decided by the elders." Xi Heng followed. Walking along the familiar cobblestone road in the Sword Courtyard, crossing the flowerbed path, and then going around a few houses, we arrived in front of the cottage where the elder lived. The pale-haired, slightly hunched elder of the Red Line Sword Academy was walking leisurely outside the door, leaning on a crooked wooden cane. "The people are here, Elder." Hong Miao walked forward. The elder nodded slightly and looked at Xi Heng. She squinted her eyes and rubbed them with her hands, but she still couldn't see clearly, so she slowly walked to Xi Heng with her crutches. When he was five meters away, the elder stopped and stared at Xi Heng carefully for a long time, with a look of reminiscence lingering in his hazy eyes. "Yes, that's right." She whispered in a hoarse voice: "She is very similar to Senior Sister Zhao, her facial features, face shape, and her aura and temperament..." The elder nodded slowly and asked Xi Heng: "How is Senior Sister now?" Xi Heng shook his head and didn't say anything more specific. "Really?" But the other party had already made up some stories in his mind and sighed: "There were only a few descendants left in our Bloodline Sword Sect... Now, I am probably the only one left."
Her voice became deeper and deeper: "Those who use the sword of killing will never have a good ending." "Forget it..." The elder gradually didn't want to say more today, and stared at Xi Heng in silence for a while. Silence enveloped the sword academy, and after a long time, a voice was heard: "Did Senior Sister accept you as her disciple?" Xi Heng shook his head and lied without blinking: "He only taught me a few moves when I was young." "You come here today to learn from me, but are you sincere?"