Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 91 A Good Herb

Jiang Yi hurriedly went to greet them, and before he could even stand up straight, he burst out laughing: "Thank you both for your trouble."

The two servants from the village didn't exchange many pleasantries, just nodded, and as usual, carried their baskets and headed straight for the field next to the house.

Jiang Yi didn't dare to delay, so he went back to the house to get his hoe and followed. He walked briskly, his sleeves rolled up, and mud splattered everywhere as he swept his clothes.

These spiritual seedlings are different from ordinary herbs. Although their roots are covered with soil, they are ultimately unreliable.

It must be planted in the ground before its spiritual energy dissipates, buried in spiritual soil, and constantly warmed by spiritual energy, so that it can survive and thrive.

The three of them worked together, supporting the seedlings, adding soil, watering, and covering them with sand, one seedling per hole, their hands and feet moving swiftly.

Before long, the whole basket of fresh green seedlings had fallen to the ground.

As the seedlings took root in the soil, their leaves unfurled, as if they too were letting out a sigh of relief.

Even without closing his eyes and concentrating, Jiang Yi could sense that something was different about that piece of land.

It was warm and moist, like a light rain had just fallen, and life was slowly emerging from beneath the ground.

The two servants, having finished their work, did not linger. They carried their empty baskets, bowed, and took their leave, their steps quick as if they had other tasks to attend to at the manor.

Jiang Yi saw him off a few steps, returned the greeting with a cupped hand, but didn't put on any of the usual formalities.

These two are familiar faces; they've known each other for years and know each other's personalities inside and out.

Watching the two figures walk further and further away until they turned the corner at the end of the village road, Jiang Yi was momentarily stunned.

A slight stirring in her heart, and a hint of undisguised envy flashed in her eyes.

When will we be able to afford to support such retainers?

He has a solid foundation, is quick and efficient, can be called upon, is reliable, and knows how to advance and retreat appropriately, so no one has to worry about him at all.

If there were one or two people like that around to serve, there would be no need to ask the Li family for help with the matter of building a house in the county.

He stood at the edge of the field for a while before gathering his thoughts, casually adjusting his sleeves, and turning back to the other side of the sacred ground.

Besides the existing seedlings, the Liu family also left behind half a basket of spirit seeds, which were of various colors and strange shapes.

Although not as delicate as the Spirit Seedling, it's never a bad thing to plant it earlier.

Jiang Yi had made countless trips to the pharmacy and Liu Family Village for this sacred land.

The first time was to select medicinal herbs, the second time was to ask for a medicine book.

Having read more books over the years, learning is not difficult for me. I copied everything from the five elements of the root nature to the flow of the spiritual veins, chewing through each page.

Planting medicinal herbs now is no longer the rough work of blindly digging holes and scattering seeds.

How to dig the hole, how deep to bury the seedling, which side to leave the saliva line, which medicine to apply to which side—everything is clear in my mind.

With each shovelful of hoe and each handful of grain pressed down, each step was steady and deliberate, exuding a sense of accomplishment that only they themselves could understand.

The ground became quieter, but the courtyard became noisy.

Several loud "thump-thump" sounds, accompanied by the sound of wind breaking, indicated a fierce and aggressive attack.

Jiang Xi is at odds with that Liu family kid again.

This time, they skipped the fistfight and started fighting with weapons.

A long stick and a wooden fork, wood against wood, neither side would give in.

The stick in Jiang Xi's hand was half a head taller than her, and she immediately aimed for Liu Zi'an's forehead and nose, looking very fierce.

This girl was clearly holding her breath; she hadn't gotten the better of him with her fists, so she was determined to get her revenge with a stick today.

Her stick-fighting skills weren't just random, indiscriminate blows.

The move she's using right now was taught to her by her older brother.

It emphasizes "blocking, sweeping, forcing, and splitting," focusing on the central approach and avoiding fancy moves.

Coupled with her stubbornness and ruthlessness, her offensive forced Liu Zi'an to retreat repeatedly, barely managing to defend himself.

Jiang Yi took a breath, planted his hoe on the edge of the field, and stood watching the commotion, a smile in his eyes and a slight raise of his eyebrows.

It was indeed that old master from the back mountain; his foundation was solid, and his technique was correct.

Compared to those moves adapted from outside, these are ultimately more refined and have more experience.

Once that inner strength was revealed, even the difference in mindset was erased.

Jiang Yi had also studied it twice in a hurry back then, but later he had many things to do and gradually forgot them all.

He glanced down at the hoe, then looked up at the swirling shadow of the stick.

When I have some free time, I'll have to go through this set of staff techniques from the beginning.

With the herbs planted properly, the hoe finally had a rest.

The light was just beginning to fade, and dusk was falling. The evening breeze carried a faint smell of damp earth as it quietly crept into the courtyard.

A leisurely figure emerged from the other end of the village road, swaying with every step, making no sound—it was Jiang Ming.

Covered in dust, with two dry, yellow mud streaks clinging to his cuffs, he entered the house and, before even touching a drop of water, called his father out.

Jiang Yi stood by the sacred ground beside the house, pointing to the row of newly planted medicinal seedlings, and without mincing words, said only one sentence:
"We need to water it more frequently these next few days."

Jiang Ming didn't say anything more, just nodded, turned around, picked up the empty bucket, and headed towards the back mountain along the familiar path.

With a slight slump and a wobbling bucket, he nimbly followed the path, moving steadily along the way.

Jiang Yi stared at the retreating figure, his gaze lingering on the posture of someone carrying a water load on their shoulder, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

Ever since the cultivation of spiritual fruits expanded on the back mountain, that kid has had to carry spring water back and forth two or three times a day.

With this extra patch of medicinal herbs today, I'm afraid I'll have to make four or five trips just to have enough.

Looking down, he caught sight of the foot-tall wooden bucket and couldn't help but frown slightly.

"If this thing were a size bigger, it would save us the trouble of going back and forth."

But then I thought about it again, and realized that the mountain path wasn't flat; it was so narrow that people could fight with straw sandals.

If we really switch to a bigger bucket, we might just fall halfway down the mountain.

He began to have doubts and couldn't come up with a solution for the time being.

Taking advantage of the break, Jiang Yi went back into the house, rolled up his sleeves, and casually placed the wooden box that the Li family had sent on the table.

The box was sealed very tightly, and there was a layer of soft cotton padding underneath. When it was opened, not a sound was made.

However, the faint medicinal fragrance wafted out first.

It doesn't have that pungent, strong smell, nor does it have the irritating medicinal odor often found in commercially available remedies.

Instead, it's like a rare, magical creature that grows occasionally in the dampness of a mountain stream, carrying a hint of coolness and a touch of sweetness, as if the wind has taken a turn in the forest and quietly slipped into your nose.

Jiang Yi twitched his nostrils slightly and raised his eyebrows: "Good medicine."

A medicinal herb lay quietly inside the box.

It resembles a lingzhi mushroom, but its body is neither red nor purple; instead, it radiates a warm, jade-like glow.
Upon closer inspection, the textures are lifelike, and the light and shadow flow, as if it could come to life with every breath.

Even after being removed from the soil, this thing still carries an astonishing vitality.

Jiang Yi stared at it for a long time, his brows gradually relaxing, but a sense of surprise also arose in his heart.

He couldn't recognize the herbs, but this energy, this spirit that seeped from the very marrow of his bones, was something that couldn't be found in ordinary herbs.

Even in the medicine storehouses of Liu Family Village, I've never seen anything with such a divine charm.

Thinking about the background of the Li family, I felt a mix of emotion and understanding.

Although he came from a merchant family, he had deep roots and knew the ins and outs of medicinal herbs in the Liangqiang area.

It's not uncommon to find something like this.

Not long after, Jiang Ming returned.

Still feeling the heat of the spring and the coolness of the mountain spring clinging to her shoulders, she stepped through the door and her eyes fell on the wooden box on the table.

The fragrance of the medicine hadn't yet dissipated when it hit his face, causing his eyelids to twitch; he clearly knew its value.

Jiang Yi raised his hand and closed the box, his tone neither too loud nor too soft:

"This medicine is good, but our family members are not in good health enough to enjoy it. Let's keep it for now and make it a family heirloom."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow, but his tone remained firm:
"Medicine isn't meant to be ingested. Whether you can handle it or not, pinch off a piece and taste it first."

Jiang Yi glanced at him, but there was no real anger in his eyes. He just sighed and shook his head.

He is, after all, my own son. He may be a bit mischievous, but he never causes me too much trouble.

So he loosened his grip and pushed the box toward him.

Jiang Ming chuckled and moved closer without hesitation.

With a flick of his fingers, as if kneading dough, he carefully broke off a piece of medicinal herb, about the size of his palm, its edges gleaming with a warm, soft light.

His eyes lit up, and his words became even brighter: "Leave this to me, and you'll be eating until your eyebrows are twitching."

Before he could finish speaking, he had already dashed down the mountain.

The stove in the new house hasn't been lit yet; we still have to go back to the old house to use the spatula.

Jiang Yi watched his retreating figure without stopping him, but simply shook his head and smiled before turning around to collect the remaining medicinal herb.

The lid was closed, and a layer of cotton was used to wrap it tightly, sealing it securely, as if afraid that any spiritual energy might escape.

Just as I had placed the box down, I heard a rooster crow from down the mountain.

The voice was high-pitched, soaring straight to the sky, without a trace of vulgarity.

It's obvious from the sound that this is no ordinary domestic chicken.

(End of this chapter)