Chapter 39 - Origin of Lanxin Grass
More than a week had flown by and in the blink of an eye, it was already June 28.
In an empty room on the fourth floor of Jessica Apartment.
The air was filled with the pervasive pungent smell of steaming medicinal water. A light yellow wooden barrel filled with hot water and a packet of herbs was nestled in the corner of the room. The herb packet continually released black substances into the hot water, making the water darker and murkier as time went on.
Creak.
A naked Cassius walked in. Although the curtains were drawn shut and the room was dim, his strong, bronze body was still visible.
He took a quick whiff of the pungent medicinal water, picked up the ointment from the nearby cabinet, and smeared a black layer of it all over his face. Then, he stepped into the wooden barrel and sat cross-legged with everything below his neck immersed in the medicinal water. Only his ointment-covered head remained above the water so he could breathe.
Cassius emptied his mind, allowing himself to feel the burning sensation on his skin, and adopted the special posture of Elephant Soul. It was designed to complement the medicinal bath. The cross-legged position, the curve of the waist, and the placement of the arms all had specific requirements. Moreover, he had to stay in this position for at least half an hour. There was also a corresponding breathing method.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo… hiss… hoo, hoo… hiss… hoo… hiss…"
With the special posture, breathing method, and medicinal water all in place, it only took five minutes of Cassius sitting cross-legged for him to feel a liquid-like substance seeping into his muscles. A burning sensation and a increasingly strong prickling feeling quickly followed.
It felt like every part of his body was being lightly pricked by steel needles. It started off as a gentle poke at first before progressing to a light jab. It was stimulating but not painful, similar to a needle merely breaking the skin's surface and not going any deeper.
His Elephant Soul was still far from perfect. Completing the first level, Prickling, should feel like a thousand needles piercing all over his body.
Cassius speculated that this sensation was due to the large amount of medicinal nutrients penetrating the skin and being absorbed by the muscles. In other words, the greater the stimulation, the more intense the prickling. The higher the level of training, the better results of Elephant Soul he was going to see.
In this way, Elephant Soul was essentially a form of extreme hardship training where perseverance and willpower held the primary advantage. Talent and constitution were obviously still important, but they were not the sole determinants. Cassius felt a bit of clarity rising within him.
Half an hour later, the medicinal liquid in the barrel had cooled, and the prickling sensation had all but disappeared. Cassius ended his training and took a quick shower in the bathroom. Then he emptied the medicinal water, cleaned the barrel, and got dressed.
He pulled the curtains from the living room window aside, letting in the morning sunlight and fresh air. Cassius glanced at the text in the upper right corner.
[Elephant Soul Incomplete: Prickling 32.7% (Stage Three)]
[Wind Elephant Fist Incomplete: Gale 14.8% (Stage Three)]
He was making good progress; Elephant Soul had surpassed 30%. Progress had slowed for Wind Elephant Fist, but that was understandable. The best way to train martial arts was through real combat, but Baichuan City didn't have many combat experts. If he wanted to improve quickly, he'd have to train using his time-travel ability.
"Hmm?"
Cassius peered down at the street below the apartment. A black car with a silver bottom had just parked in an empty spot by the road, and a woman with fringed blond hair got out. She was holding something and walking toward Jessica Apartments.
That's Matthew's car… Is there news?
Cassius raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. That day, he had thought to test his luck with Matthew and made two requests. It seemed like there was already a response.
A few days ago, Cassius had asked Matthew for two favors over drinks. One of them was to find Crown Stars.
Each of these antiques only provided about 0.2 lingering attachment, but the upside was that they were relatively easy to find. Any coin stained with the real blood of that unfortunate beheaded emperor contained lingering attachment, making it a reliable and traceable source.
Cassius's second favor was about herbs. Specifically, the Lanxin Grass.
Cassius obviously wanted to take full advantage of the fact that he was currently living seventy years after Li Wei’s era. If things went according to plan, the rewards he'd reap would be enormous. Naturally, he set his sights on the precious Lanxin Grass.
Seventy years ago, due to the climate and production environment, there were only two places in the entire Beiliu County that Lanxin Grass grew in. It was available only in specific seasons, and with supply being so scarce, this made the Wind Elephant Sect's training medicine all the more precious. Ordinary disciples wouldn't even have the right to a single soak. Many of the core members and elders even had to scrimp and save.
But things were different for Cassius. He soaked once a day and used a whole barrel each time.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock on the door interrupted Cassius's thoughts.
"Is Mr. Li Wei there?"
"Coming."
Ten minutes later, Cassius sat on a soft sofa near the balcony, his back facing the sunlight as he flipped through the documents in his hand. There was bad news and good news.
The bad news was that the Crown Stars Coins' popularity had dwindled in recent years. All of the major antique stores and companies didn't seem to have many, making them difficult to find. It would take quite some time for them to reach Cassius’s hands, but once Matthew had collected a sizable amount, he would get them delivered.
And now the good news.
Using the information Cassius gave him, Matthew had asked a friend in the herbal business to get data on Lanxin Grass cultivation fields in Beiliu County and two nearby counties over the past seventy years.
Luckily, the documents stated that the third Lanxin Grass cultivation field was in Beiliu County! It had flourished sixty-five years ago. Prior to it turning into an artificial cultivation field, wild Lanxin Grass clusters had grown there, but no one had ever discovered it.
And then someone had stumbled across this cultivation field hidden deep in a remote mountain forest. Beginning as early as sixty years ago, the Lanxin Grass from this field had taken over the market because they were able to produce good quality Lanxin Grass in large quantities. To this day, it still produced and sold affordable Lanxin Grass.
Phew… I wonder if the era I time travel to replicates the entire world? If that's the case, then my plan is possible. Cassius placed the documents on the coffee table, knowing that once he revealed this Lanxin Grass cultivation field's information, it would likely shake the entire Wind Elephant Sect.
More Lanxin Grass meant more training potion, which meant faster martial progress, which meant a prospering sect!
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