Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 65 The Wonderful Recipe for Soaking Jujubes and Tiger Balm

Just like last time, Fang Shu quickly went to several shops and took out all the money from the three black bills in one go.

Then he efficiently disposed of all the valuables and temporarily stored them in a new shop, exchanging them for a brand new black bill.

Although this process is a bit troublesome, it can prevent the goods from being tampered with, which could lead to him being tracked down and brought to justice.

Until evening that day, Fang Shu did not find anything unusual about the place where the valuables were stored.

He then concealed himself and stepped back into the shop where he had stored his belongings.

When he opened the box in the shop, he paid special attention to the strands of hair stuck in the box and other small traces of his own hands, to make sure that no one else had opened the box except himself.

Thus, Fang Shu left the shop with his satchel and went to another familiar old shop. He rented a quiet room there and began to organize his valuables.

In the hazy smoke, a jingling sound of talisman coins rang out.

Fang Shu, through his examination of the goods deposited with the black tickets, discovered that one of them was indeed from Su Qingao.

This one contained the most talisman coins, a full thirty or forty thousand coins, which filled a huge box. It must have been all the old man's possessions.

Fortunately, Fang Shu always chose to take out or put away valuables at night; otherwise, carrying such a large box back and forth would have attracted a lot of attention.

Besides the talisman coins, the old man's belongings also contained some strange and miscellaneous items. Fang Shu didn't understand these things, and after recognizing that they had no spiritual energy and were not made of rare materials, he glanced at them.

However, it was a handwritten copy inside the box that caught his attention.

After checking the notebook and finding no poison powder, Fang Shu unfolded it and immediately raised his eyebrows slightly.

The handwritten copy had the words "Luo's Secret Method for Cultivating Jujubes" written on it.

However, the book does not describe how to plant jujube trees, but rather a recipe for processing jujubes. It consists of three methods: soaking, simmering, and pickling, all of which require a furnace or cauldron as a tool.

Well-cultivated jujubes can nourish yin and yang, strengthen the body, and according to the book, this recipe was passed down from the ancient immortals who ate jujubes to achieve longevity, and it has miraculous effects.

Daily consumption can turn gray hair black, restore new teeth, and add several years to one's lifespan, thus achieving longevity.

Believe it or not, although it was a handwritten copy, it actually contained three cryptic characters.

Judging from the secret text, this method is a secret recipe rather than a folk remedy, and it may actually have some effect.

However, Fang Shu simply recorded this secret technique silently in his Daoist talisman to enrich his spell repertoire for future inspiration, and then paid little attention to it.

The reason is simple: the three methods of cultivating jujubes all require surprisingly different furnaces, involving men, women, and children respectively.

For example, the secret method for pickling dates involves taking the urine of a seven-year-old boy and three catties of white sugar, then peeling the skin off a donkey's root to make donkey-hide gelatin, which is then mixed and used.

Dates preserved in this sugar are soaked in children's urine three times a day. Once the dates are preserved, those without teeth who consume them will grow new teeth.

This method of preparation is the most feasible and refreshing of the three secret methods for cultivating jujubes.

The other two methods involving men and women are even more appalling.

After taking stock of the old man's belongings, Fang Shu turned his attention to the other two items of wealth.

After another round of inventory, his eyes lit up with excitement.

The three black tickets, including the spirit stones, brought him a total income of over 100,000 talisman coins, which can be described as a huge windfall, making him rich overnight.

Even though Fang Shu had been somewhat prepared, he still murmured to himself:
"It would take thirty years of selling blood to accumulate more than 100,000 coins without eating or drinking."

Killing thieves and robbing them is indeed a great way to get rich!

Fang Shu instantly understood why, despite the perilous nature of the wilderness, people continued to venture out.

After all, even if they don't find any medicinal herbs or treasures in the wild, as long as they kill a few people and come back, they might still be able to turn their lives around and get out of their predicament.

Of course, if more people go out and are not vigilant, do not form groups, and do not restrain each other, their fate will often be to be eaten, rather than to "eat people".

The wealth is tempting.

Looking at the pile of valuables in front of him, Fang Shu pondered repeatedly, his eyes narrowing slightly. For the first time, he gained a fundamental understanding of the dangers of the wilderness.

Fortunately, this time, he wasn't the one being eaten.

After pondering silently for a while, Fang Shu's gaze suddenly became bright again, landing on another object in front of him.

The factor that determines whether a deity is "eaten" or "eaten" is the level of their magical power.

It could even be said to be the only factor.
Fang Shu discovered a well-sealed ointment in the homes of two Black Tiger Pavilion disciples. It appeared to be a precious medicine that could increase a person's magical power!

This ointment is the color of amber and the color of gold. It comes in a box and is sealed with wax inside. Just by opening the outer box, a strong medicinal aroma wafts out, making Fang Shu's body restless and even his bones itch.

When he first examined the object, he almost mistook it for a potent poison.

Fortunately, after a careful examination, he realized that what he had in his possession might be a precious medicine, or at least a spiritual ointment like the Ant Spirit Ointment in the Solitary Poison Pavilion.

With anticipation in his heart, Fang Shu burned all the useless clutter, carefully stored away a large sum of talisman money and spirit stones, and quietly left the shop carrying only the medicine box.

Before leaving the shop, he carefully affixed a cleansing talisman to his body to prevent the strong smell of the ointment from giving him away unintentionally.

After visiting several pawnshops and pharmacies, and paying people to examine the medicines carefully, Fang Shu finally learned what the medicines in the box were.

Its name is "Tiger Bone Nourishing Ointment".

Although the name of this medicine is ordinary, it is a spiritual ointment made by capturing tiger demons of the first level or above and using leopard fetuses and other ingredients as auxiliary materials. It can be used externally or internally to strengthen qi and blood, especially to strengthen bones.

According to an old shaman's hint, this ointment is a secret recipe of a certain Taoist temple, rarely leaked. It helps the temple's members develop a strong, muscular physique, facilitating their cultivation of a unique immortal technique. Due to its limited production, only disciples nearing enlightenment or about to undergo tribulation receive some as a reward. It is a rare and precious medicine, and the one Fang Shu possesses is potent and relatively fresh.

As for the martial arts school that the old magistrate mentioned, there's no need to think too much; it's naturally the Black Tiger School.

Fang Shu remained calm despite Chao Feng's almost explicit words. Instead, he carefully inquired about methods of preservation and use before leaving with composure.

It should be noted that Guling Town is so large and has so many immortals. Even if this old strategist doesn't follow the rules, he will reveal everything in the next moment.

As long as Fang Shu doesn't reveal his true face, isn't being followed, and hasn't told anyone who knows him, he'll be fine.

Therefore, after leaving the shop, he patted a cleansing talisman on his body and went to a secluded place to quickly change his clothes.

After going around in circles again, Fang Shu cautiously returned to the Dugu Pavilion.

Upon returning to the Dugu Pavilion, he took Bigu pills and hung a sign outside the door indicating that he was in seclusion for cultivation.

Tiger Bone Nourishing Ointment, a precious medicine that can only be produced by the Black Tiger Pavilion and can nourish bones and assist in the cultivation of a first-stage human immortal, should naturally be used up as soon as possible to avoid causing trouble if left on the body.

Furthermore, even with corroboration from multiple connoisseurs, Fang Shu still used his limited pharmacological knowledge to test the secret medicine before taking it, just to avoid any possibility that it was poisonous.

However, the biggest reason why he was able to take the medicine so readily was...

He tested the ointment on himself and, through the monitoring function of the Taoist talisman, confirmed that it was beneficial and harmless to his body.

And so, relying on the newly acquired tiger bone health-preserving ointment, Fang Shu secluded himself in his room, diligently training his muscles and bones.

After taking this medicine, his skin turned amber for a time. Every time he took it internally, he felt his bones were itchy all over, as if they were being replaced by new bones.

The intense itching made Fang Shu want to bang his head against the wall.

But he endured the itching and pain, and instead replaced banging his head against the wall with punching, so that he could pour all the burning energy in his body into his boxing skills.

Bang bang bang!
In just a few days, his cultivation progressed faster than ever before.

Fang Shu then immersed himself in cultivation.

Even after he finished consuming the tiger bone ointment, he continued his cultivation without interruption.

He only emerged from his seclusion when Li Hou'er came looking for him again.

At this very moment, a line of text appeared on the talisman in his mind:
[Realm Level: First Tribulation Refining Human Immortal (86% complete)]

One dose of ointment allowed Fang Shu's cultivation progress to increase by more than 40% in just half a month.

This gain is nearly three times greater than the result of his accumulated strength after defeating Xiao Hu last time!
Fang Shu murmured to himself, "So this is the use of the precious medicine? It's truly delightful."

The tiger bone ointment he used was only a first-level treasure medicine, not a second-level or third-level treasure medicine.

In an instant, Fang Shu tasted the sweetness of the precious medicine, and a yearning arose in his heart.

However, he didn't dwell on these emotions for long. After swallowing hard, he quickly composed himself and calmly stepped out the door.

"Let's go! Brother Fang, we should go draw lots to buy land and select merchants to build that big tiled house."

Seeing Fang Shu walk out, Li Hou'er excitedly announced, "Your uncle and my dad, they've already gone over and are waiting for us."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu suddenly realized that his family also had such trivial matters as buying a house.

He did not resist, and it was a good opportunity for him to relax and unwind from his arduous seclusion.

Fang Shu readily agreed and followed Li Hou'er to the paper mill to join in the fun once again.

Upon arriving at the paper mill, he found his second uncle, Yu Le, and the talisman master, Li Yuan. He also spotted the manager, Xiao Hu, in the crowd.

The Tiger I saw today had a completely different demeanor from the one who was so spirited and smug last time.

The other person was bowing low, with a humble and kind expression, clutching a room ticket in their hand, and calling out to the crowd:
"These are top-quality tickets for the main house. There are also two young, highly skilled students from the dojo next door. Their future is limitless. Don't miss out!"

Xiao Hu was actually selling the housing voucher he had managed to snatch with great difficulty, which he had bought for his daughter. Moreover, the other party had the audacity to use Fang Shu and Li Hou'er as excuses for his boasting.

Upon hearing this, someone approached Xiao Hu to inquire, and Xiao Hu immediately and warmly negotiated the price with the other party.

Fang Shu walked closer.

He listened for a while and discovered that Xiao Hu was now arguing with the other party for a long time over a hundred talismans, even arguing until his face turned red.

Some acquaintances at the scene also noticed Xiao Hu's disheveled appearance, and they immediately clicked their tongues in disapproval:

"Hey! Isn't this Master Xiao, the head manager of the Shaowei Restaurant? Why don't you build your own house and instead take on such a lowly job as a middleman?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hu's face flushed red, and he tried to argue, but in the end, he could only weakly whisper:

"They're all immortals, why are you calling them middlemen..."

Someone retorted, "Oh right, what you're doing should be considered speculation and profiteering, pshaw!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hu simply turned his back and went to discuss the price with the next person.

Fang Shu stood aside and watched.

He seemed to be deep in thought, feeling that Xiao Hu's drastic change must mean that something big had happened to him.

(End of this chapter)