Chapter 24 Child, You Answer

At this moment, Xu Qing didn't let out a long sigh of relief until he returned to his residence. He felt that what he did was not quite right, but the desire for knowledge left him with no other choice. He also understood that his little tricks had likely already been seen through. "I will repay this in the future," the young man murmured to himself, remembering this matter in his heart. He didn’t know what he could repay, but he thought this way, perhaps there would be an opportunity later. Worried that he might forget, Xu Qing took out a bamboo slip from his pouch and carved the three characters 'Master Bai' onto it with an iron stylus. Upon closer inspection, besides Master Bai, the bamboo slip also had the name 'Team Lei,' along with three other names. Those three names were of the people who had helped him in the slums, even if just a little, they were all etched in his memory. After carving down the names, Xu Qing took out another bamboo slip and began to recall the content he had heard in class, recording it bit by bit. He also took out the bamboo slip from the last class, silently reciting it, confirming that he had memorized everything, revealing a look of satisfaction on his face. "I already know twenty-seven kinds of herbs," Xu Qing said happily, this feeling lasted throughout the day, and even during his cultivation, he was in good spirits. Therefore, the next day, he woke up early again, sold some Seven-Leaf Grass, and bought a herb similar to Destiny Grass, skillfully heading outside Master Bai's tent. He stood in the same spot as yesterday, quietly waiting and paying attention to the class inside. Just as before, when the class ended and Master Bai came out to inquire, Xu Qing nervously and apprehensively took out the herb to ask. Looking at the herb, Master Bai lightly coughed and shook his head while informing Xu Qing about the herb he had bought. This unknowingly gave Xu Qing more understanding of a type of herb, which deepened his satisfaction and gratitude. After bowing and leaving, he turned back from a distance, just like yesterday, to see Master Bai standing in place, nodding in acknowledgment. This scene was etched in Xu Qing's eyes and engraved in his mind. Thus, half a month passed. Xu Qing almost every day took various herbs outside Master Bai's tent to listen to the class before asking questions. He learned more and more about herbal knowledge, and even later heard a lot about herbal concoction methods. This brought Xu Qing immense gains, and the recorded bamboo slips had grown to dozens. Moreover, Master Bai never mentioned anything about Xu Qing stealing lessons, patiently answering his inquiries about herbs every day. By the end, not only had the guards here become accustomed to the appearance of this child in a leather coat every morning, but even the young men and women inside the tent had a very deep impression of him. Once, when it rained heavily outside, both Master Bai and the young men and women thought Xu Qing wouldn't come, but through the rain, Xu Qing walked over in a raincoat. He was studious and tireless, undeterred by wind and rain. This left a deep impression on Master Bai and his two disciples. So, on a day when it was time for class and Xu Qing rarely appeared on time, the young men and women frequently looked outside, seemingly surprised that the dirty little scavenger hadn't come today. It wasn't until Xu Qing's tired figure appeared at the tent that the young men and women withdrew their gazes. The reason for his lateness was that every day, besides attending Master Bai's classes, Xu Qing would enter the forbidden zone, searching for Destiny Grass and Scar Removal Stones while honing his skills in hunting exotic beasts. But the search process was not smooth. He had yet to find these two items, and the dangers of the forbidden zone were something Xu Qing deeply experienced once again. Even though he had reached the fourth level of the Sea Mountain Technique and possessed keen judgment and observation like an old scavenger, being cautious in the outskirts of the jungle could save his life or even allow him to hunt, yet he still occasionally faced crises. That time he was late was due to encountering an exotic beast that emerged from deep within, narrowly escaping with his life after running all night before returning in the morning. Upon returning, he didn't rest but silently listened to the class. Additionally, during these days, Xu Qing had another gain, which was the insurance that Bone Knife had proposed. Bone Knife was doing well. Ever since Xu Qing bought insurance from him last time, he would buy it every time he entered the forbidden zone. Although the mist had not reappeared, Xu Qing did not take action. Yet Bone Knife remained persistent, and somehow the news spread, gradually more people came to him to buy insurance. Xu Qing, being cautious, mostly ignored them, only agreeing to a few who had helped him before. This increased Xu Qing's income, and combined with his hunting gains in the forbidden zone, his life gradually improved. Although Team Lei could not continue undertaking tasks, Xu Qing paid a high rent. Even if Team Lei refused to accept it, Xu Qing insisted, ultimately leaving Team Lei no choice but to accept. This money was mostly spent on food, allowing Xu Qing to eat warm meals every time he returned from the forbidden zone. Team Lei even bought Xu Qing some clothes. These clothes were all brand new, and Xu Qing was reluctant to wear them, neatly folding each piece and placing them in the cupboard, occasionally taking them out to look at, which made him feel happy. And every meal time was also the warmest moment for Xu Qing. Not only was the food good, but Team Lei often behaved like an elder at home, sharing neighborhood gossip, telling him about trivial matters in the camp. During this time, Cross and Luan Ya also returned, accompanied Team Lei for a while, then left again. One could say this period was when Xu Qing felt the most satisfied in the past six years. He had hot meals, new clothes, the company of Team Lei, and he was also improving his cultivation, while his knowledge of herbs continued to grow. Therefore, amidst this satisfaction, he cherished everything he had now, taking the lessons outside the tent particularly seriously. Until one day, under the morning sunlight, standing outside the tent, Xu Qing heard Master Bai questioning that young man. "Chen Feiyuan, can you tell me about the Night Corpse Climbing Vine herb?" Chen Feiyuan was how Master Bai addressed that young man, and Xu Qing had already known this over the past month, also knowing that the young girl's name was Tingyu. Hearing Master Bai's question, the young man couldn't answer at first, stammering a bit before falling silent. Xu Qing couldn't see the tent but could imagine the expression of despair on the other side when the tent opened multiple times. "Lacking knowledge, Tingyu, you answer," Master Bai's voice was very stern, calling on the girl to respond. But this time, it was evident that the girl was also unprepared. "The Night Corpse Climbing Vine, also known as Poison Mountain Root Spotted... Teacher, I... I forgot," the girl said, falling silent. The tent immediately quieted down; clearly, Master Bai was brewing anger. Just then, Master Bai's voice, tinged with undeniable irritation, echoed. "Child, you answer." Xu Qing was taken aback outside the tent and instinctively spoke up. "The Night Corpse Climbing Vine, also known as Poison Mountain Root Spotted Daisy, is the vine stem and root of the herbaceous plant, Thin-vein Spotted Daisy of the Asteraceae family. It grows in the shadows of corpse hills, by cold creeks, or in forests. Its taste is astringent and spicy, slightly warm upon entry, with a feeling of decay. It has remarkable effects of dispelling wind and relieving exterior symptoms, but in excess, it is toxic and belongs to the typical dual-natured herbs." Xu Qing paused at this point. "What are the symptoms of overdose?" Inside the tent, amidst the slight discontent of the young man and woman, Master Bai asked again. "Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, dizziness, hallucinations. If not rescued, death occurs within a quarter of an hour," Xu Qing felt nervous inside but didn't pause for a moment, immediately replying. "How to detoxify?" "One can first induce vomiting and wash the stomach, supplemented by egg whites and red thorn buds, treated during noon when the sunlight is intense. The treatment time should not exceed half an hour and should be done for three consecutive days." As Xu Qing answered, although Master Bai inside the tent remained expressionless, the young men and women beside him widened their eyes in surprise. "What are dual-natured herbs?" Master Bai asked again. "Dual-natured means embodying both righteous and evil methods; the righteous yang is medicine, while the evil yin is poison," Xu Qing answered without hesitation, as these were all knowledge he had learned over this time and had memorized repeatedly, already familiar with it. "How does this herb perform?" Master Bai asked more rapidly. "Taking the Night Corpse Climbing Vine as an example, when combined with the Inch Leaf, its yang effects can be doubled, primarily benefiting soul injuries, and has some soothing effects on foreign substances. But when combined with Soft Hair, its yin effects greatly increase, and the toxicity is so high that ordinary people consuming it can die within thirty breaths." "How to process Soft Hair?" "What use do the roots of Inch Leaf have?" Master Bai's questions became faster, and Xu Qing's inner tension gradually lessened as he answered just as quickly. Thus, an old man and a young man engaged in a question and answer through the tent, and time surprisingly passed for about an incense stick's worth. Master Bai posed many questions, and many were answers only known when combining several days' worth of class content, yet Xu Qing answered fluently. The young man and woman went from shock to astonishment, staring blankly at the figures projected on the tent. Finally, under the dumbfounded gaze of the young man and woman, Master Bai asked the last question. "Three one-year-old Night Corpse Climbing Vines, combined with six three-year-old Overcloud Grasses, plus nine ten-year-old single-spike plants of the Cyperaceae family, what is the effect of the concocted potion?" As soon as this question was asked, the expressions of the boy and girl changed rapidly, and their breathing quickened, as this no longer involved simple herbs but concoction. This question was also the one Xu Qing pondered the longest during this examination, taking a full thirty breaths to think before taking a deep breath and speaking in a low voice. "Evil cannot suppress righteousness, with yang thriving and yin declining; combining with Overcloud Grass can enhance the positive effect, the detoxification effect of the single-spike Cyperaceae plant can reach an astonishing level." After Xu Qing finished speaking, his eyes widened, vaguely realizing something. "This is the seven-part base recipe for the Detoxification Pill in the Great Transformation Pill, and when combined with three other herbs and simmered for seven hours, it can be refined." Inside the tent, Master Bai's voice came out faintly. "Having tested you so much, do you have any inquiries in your heart?" Xu Qing's spirit jolted, breathing rapidly. Over this past month, he indeed had many questions unanswered, but he was just eavesdropping. Although Master Bai was kind and did not stop him, he felt it was inappropriate to disturb him during the lecture, so he had no way to ask. Hearing Master Bai's words now, Xu Qing quickly organized his thoughts and immediately asked. "Master Bai, both Flame-Silkworm Hemp and Yang-Seed Thorn share similarities in origin and effects; what are the differences between these two?" "Why can’t Stopping Spirit be harvested during the day?" "The juice of the Inch Leaf clearly has a function to dispel evil; why can't it be used together with the Destiny Eye Branch that also dispels evil?" ... Xu Qing asked one question after another, and Master Bai answered them one by one, each response being very detailed. Xu Qing seemed to have endless inquiries, and as time passed, far exceeding the class duration, it wasn't until the young man and woman looked at him as if he were a monster that Xu Qing reluctantly glanced at the sky and had to conclude his inquiry. He felt that this day had brought him gains beyond description; most of his doubts had been answered, and he even felt a sense of integration. This intensified his thirst for knowledge, preparing to return and carve everything down. Just as he was about to leave, a somewhat tired voice from Master Bai came from inside the tent. "From now on, you don't need to stand outside anymore, nor do you need to bring those miscellaneous herbs. Starting tomorrow, you can come inside the tent to attend the class."