Time flew by, and it had been more than ten days in the blink of an eye.
On this day, even before the time to get up in the morning, Lu Changsheng had already risen early.
He hurriedly made his way to the secluded corner where he practiced martial arts in the evenings.
Now, the sky was already dim, but there was a faint glimmer of light.
Lu Changsheng had risen so early to practice the Grand River Vitality Technique.
For over ten days, he had diligently practiced this technique, and almost every day, he could feel his blood flowing like a river within him.
He understood that the time for him to sense his vital energy was approaching. Perhaps it would happen in the next few days.
Therefore, he practiced martial arts even more diligently.
Lu Changsheng continued to practice the peculiar postures of the Grand River Vitality Technique, just as he had done in the past.
Suddenly, his blood surged through his body like a river, and the sound grew louder. Lu Changsheng's entire body turned red.
"Boom!"
The next moment, Lu Changsheng's mind rang out with a thunderous roar, and he saw an image in his mind.
He seemed to be able to "see" a bright red flow of blood coursing through his body in a specific manner.
"Vital energy, this is vital energy!"
Lu Changsheng was pleasantly surprised. He had finally sensed his vital energy, making a breakthrough in the Grand River Vitality Technique.
However, as he carefully sensed his vital energy, Lu Changsheng realized that he had misunderstood something before.
Vital energy was not blood.
What he had heard was not the sound of blood flowing but the sound of vital energy.
Vital energy was a special energy within the body that nourished it. The stronger the vital energy, the stronger the body.
Lu Changsheng immediately checked his attribute panel.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: 99 (average)
Basic Blade Technique: Minor Achievement
Basic Sword Technique: Minor Achievement
Basic Staff Technique: Minor Achievement
Pounce Technique: Major Achievement
Grand River Vitality Technique: First Layer
Sure enough, on the attribute panel, the Grand River Vitality Technique had already reached the first layer.
In Lu Changsheng's perception, his vital energy was currently only a small cluster. However, with time and continued practice of the Grand River Vitality Technique, he would gradually strengthen this vital energy cluster.
The Grand River Vitality Technique had a total of three layers, and Lu Changsheng had only just reached the first layer.
Reaching the first layer meant he had entered the door of the technique, and he no longer needed to practice the strange postures every day. He could now directly control his vital energy and "transport" it within his body.
Lu Changsheng tried it out and saw his vital energy moving repeatedly within his body.
However, after a few rounds of practice, he didn't notice significant growth in his vital energy. Instead, he began to feel extremely hungry and uncomfortable all over.
"Master Liu once said that vital energy needs nourishment to grow. That's why the martial artists in the guard unit have to consume medicinal cuisine every day to nourish their vital energy."
"But I haven't joined the guard unit, and I don't have access to medicinal cuisine. At this rate, the growth of my vital energy will be slower than a snail's pace."
"At this rate, I may not even reach the second layer of the Grand River Vitality Technique in a few years."
Lu Changsheng furrowed his brows. Despite finally sensing his vital energy, he had no way to join the guard unit. Taking this long to sense his vital energy was seen as low aptitude and not worth cultivating in the eyes of the guard unit.
There was another way: buying medicinal cuisine.
The guard unit's medicinal cuisine was quite ordinary and could be bought from outside medicinal shops. As long as he had silver, he could purchase medicinal cuisine for himself.
However, the problem was that Lu Changsheng didn't have any silver.
He didn't even have a single copper coin.
"I need to find a way to earn money."
Lu Changsheng thought for a few days but couldn't come up with a good solution. He could only put the issue aside for now and take it one step at a time.
"Get up, get up!"
On this day, as usual, the apprentices gathered in the square.
Zhang, the steward, wore a somewhat solemn expression and said in a deep voice, "The weather has been getting colder lately, and there are more patients suffering from cold-related illnesses. Moreover, a group of bandits has blocked the trade routes, and the supply of medicinal herbs is gradually running short."
"You have all learned about medicinal herbs for some time now and can identify them to some extent. Today, the doctors from the garden will take you into the mountains to gather herbs, with guards accompanying you. You don't have to worry about safety issues."
"If you gather enough medicinal herbs, there will be a reward in silver."
The apprentices' faces lit up at the mention of silver.
They were all menial apprentices and had no income. Their pockets were emptier than their faces.
They never expected to have a chance to earn some silver.
Though gathering herbs in the mountains might be laborious, they didn't mind at all.
"All right, let's set off."
Under the guidance of several doctors and with some guards accompanying them, the apprentices embarked on a journey into the mountains.
Ten miles outside of Nanyang City, they arrived at Woniushan.
Woniushan was vast, with dense forests and potentially dangerous venomous creatures and fierce beasts.
The deeper they ventured into the mountains, the more dangerous it became.
Gathering herbs in the mountains was actually quite challenging and perilous.
The apprentices were excited initially, but as soon as they entered the mountains, they began to complain bitterly.
However, they had no choice; since they were already in the mountains, they had to gather herbs.
Those who gathered more herbs would receive rewards, while those who gathered less would face punishment.
No one wanted to be punished, so they scattered to different areas to gather herbs.
The guard unit would disperse poisonous creatures and fierce beasts within a certain range, but they couldn't follow each apprentice individually.
Therefore, the apprentices spread out and soon disappeared into various parts of the mountain.
Lu Changsheng had no luck; after more than an hour in the mountains, he had only managed to collect a few common herbs.
With so few herbs, he was unlikely to receive any rewards and might even face punishment when he returned.
"I heard that some precious herbs grow deep within the mountains."
"I need silver, so I have to take the risk and go deeper into the mountains."
Lu Changsheng thought for a moment. The deeper parts of the mountain might have treacherous paths, but he could avoid the poisonous creatures and fierce beasts by being careful. After all, the guards were not just for show; they had ways to deal with such dangers.
So, Lu Changsheng made up his mind to head deeper into the mountains.
Along the way, he was scratched by thorns and had numerous wounds on his body.
But fortunately, they were all superficial wounds, and there were no major issues.
Finally, Lu Changsheng saw a valley.
The valley was filled with numerous precious herbs.
"Is that ginseng?"
"I can't believe there's ginseng deep in Woniushan."
Lu Changsheng had sharp eyes and spotted what appeared to be ginseng growing in the valley.
In fact, ginseng was cultivated, but wild ginseng was quite rare, especially aged wild ginseng, which was even more valuable.
Lu Changsheng immediately entered the valley and began digging for wild ginseng.
After digging up some wild ginseng, Lu Changsheng looked up and saw that the cliffs around the valley were covered with other valuable medicinal herbs.
Suddenly, he noticed a hidden cave in the middle of one of the cliffs.
The cave was well concealed, and if he hadn't looked closely, he might not have noticed it.
Lu Changsheng's heart raced.
This valley was unique and seemed suitable for the growth of medicinal herbs, which explained why so many precious herbs grew here.
However, precious herbs had to be processed immediately upon maturing; otherwise, they would spoil and go to waste.
With so many herbs, Lu Changsheng couldn't possibly dig them all up.
But if he reported this to the garden, he would at most receive a small reward.
Compared to all these herbs, what would that reward amount to?
Lu Changsheng was currently in dire need of silver. If he could turn these herbs into silver, he would undoubtedly gain a substantial amount.
"This cave can be temporarily used to store the mature herbs, and I can process and store them here. Later, I can figure out a way to take them out and exchange them for silver."
With this decision in mind, Lu Changsheng climbed into the cave.
The cave was dry, and to his surprise, he found some bedding and basic utensils for living inside.
"Someone lived here?"
Lu Changsheng was astonished. At the same time, he heard faint rustling sounds coming from outside the cave.
He looked around cautiously, then quickly hid in a quiet corner of the cave.