Gou Zai Sect Beast Taming Longevity

Chapter 284 Herb Gatherers

Nothing happened that night. Inside the spirit boat, although it sped through the clouds and high in the sky, there was no sense of turbulence. Thanks to the relevant formations, the journey was quite comfortable.

Even when cultivators occasionally flew by, they only observed from afar and nothing else happened.

Five days passed in a row. When the first rays of the morning sun shone through the skylight into the room, Yu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, gently exhaled, and looked out the window.

Within the sea of ​​clouds, a fiery red sun rises from the horizon, its radiant glow poised to burst forth, transforming the surrounding clouds into a crimson haze—a truly beautiful sight.

The rosy clouds pierced through the sea of ​​clouds and fell on Yu Changsheng's face, casting a shadow on the wall behind him. Yu Changsheng squinted, sensing the scene before him, and stretched out his palm, seemingly lost in thought.

"The meaning of dawn breaking with the rising sun... I see."

With a single thought, all his other thoughts dissipated, and his many insights into the Dawnbreaker Fist ultimately coalesced into a single point in Yu Changsheng's mind.

Yu Changsheng himself was quite comprehension-oriented; he just relied on his cheat system most of the time, which doesn't mean he didn't think for himself.

"That's true. The system only improved my proficiency. I still need to put some key warnings and insights into practice myself."

Yu Changsheng muttered to himself, took a slow breath, stretched his muscles and bones, and walked out of the room to the outside.

One by one, Li Minghan, Shen Xingchen and others came out of the room from the deck.

"The Huishui Mountains are just ahead. Now I'll control the flying boat to land." Zhang Tianwen glanced at the four people, and with a hand seal, the flying boat slowly descended.

Looking down through the clouds, Yu Changsheng saw undulating mountains and towering trees that obscured the view. But what was most breathtaking was that eight mighty rivers from all directions converged here, like eight long dragons flowing away from each other.

The very center of this confluence is Huishui Mountain, which, like a dragon's pearl, adorns the landscape, stretching for eight hundred miles, majestic and magnificent. Anyone who sees it at a glance will recognize the extraordinary nature of this place.

"The place where eight dragons converge, this Huishui Mountain, is no ordinary place; it is both a treasure trove and a deadly trap."

Seeing this scene, Wang Dingsheng, one of the five, couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, Huishui Mountain has a unique terrain, with many underground currents flowing between it. Once inside, we should try to stick together and not separate. With our cultivation levels, as long as we don't go too deep, everything else should be fine."

Zhang Tianwen nodded, and soon the flying boat landed. After Zhang Tianwen carefully stored it away, it found its direction and flew forward.

"In Huishui Mountain, there are many spirit beasts and abundant resources, including a number of spirit herbs and medicines. Where there is profit, there will naturally be people. Therefore, over time, some cultivators have settled down at the foot of this mountain, forming a special profession: herb gatherers."

"Since this is our first time here, let's go check out the herb-gathering town ahead first. It would be best to find an experienced guide to take us in and show us around, which will save us some trouble."

It was clear that Zhang Tianwen had done his homework beforehand, speaking in an orderly manner. The others nodded in agreement without any objection.

Just an incense stick later, not far from Huishui Mountain, a small town came into view. The five people were invigorated and quickened their pace to get there.

The town was small, but it was bustling with activity, with people coming and going and vendors calling out their wares. Yu Changsheng frowned and carefully sensed the crowd for a while. Most of the people there were Qi Refining cultivators, a small number were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he couldn't sense anyone above that level yet.

"Come on in, take a look. This is a top-quality medicinal herb, Blood Ganoderma Seven-Leaf Flower... on sale at a low price."

……

"The carcass of a second-tier demonic beast, the Crimson Flame Lion, freshly hunted. Take a look, grab it while you can if you need it."

……

Upon entering the town, one finds numerous shops, and on the streets outside, many monks still set up stalls, greeting passersby.

Yu Changsheng looked around and had a general understanding of the situation. He looked at the items for sale with a hint of curiosity, but unfortunately, most of them were unnecessary for him.

The appearance of the five naturally attracted some attention. After all, judging from their clothes and demeanor, Yu Changsheng and the others, without making any deliberate attempts to conceal their identities, were quite different from the group of rogue cultivators who were disciples of a sect.

"Gentlemen, is this your first time visiting Huishui Mountain?"

So, before the group could even search for them, one of them immediately jumped out and asked with a smile.

The man was dressed in a plain yellow robe, appeared to be middle-aged, and was somewhat short in stature. His cultivation level was only at the peak of Qi Refining, but a shrewdness naturally emanated from his brows.

Zhang Tianwen pondered for a moment, looked at the man, nodded slightly, and said, "That's right, it is indeed the first time."

"Oh dear," the man clapped his hands upon hearing this, smiling broadly, and continued, "My name is Yang Caizai. Huishui Mountain is a rare treasure land, but for outsiders, if they are unfamiliar with the mountain's conditions and rashly go there for the first time, they are extremely likely to stumble into a dangerous place, which is extremely perilous."

"If you take a look and need anything, contact our Guchen Herb Gathering Team. We have the most experienced herb gatherers in the area. With their guidance, you can rest assured that we will avoid many detours, ensuring your safety and not delaying your journey."

"Most importantly, the price is absolutely the fairest."

Yang Caizai finished speaking in one breath, paused slightly, and a look of struggle and reluctance appeared on his face: "Well then, since this is the first time for you gentlemen, if you need anything, I'll give you a 20% discount. Is that alright?"

Zhang Tianwen, slow to react, glanced back at the crowd. After receiving nods of approval from everyone, Zhang Tianwen nodded to the man and said:

"Okay, then take us to see it."

"Very well, gentlemen, this way please." Yang Caizai was overjoyed, clearly recognizing Zhang Tianwen as the core of the group. He led the group forward, introducing them as he went:

"Our Guchen Herb Gathering Team has been operating at the foot of Huishui Mountain for nearly a hundred years. You gentlemen, you don't need to worry about our reputation. Within our team, we also have masters at different price points to provide different services according to the client's requirements."

As Yang Caizai spoke, a smile naturally appeared on his face.

"Different services?" Li Minghan was taken aback, muttering to himself, "Is this service legitimate?"

Yu Changsheng turned his head and gave Li Minghan a disdainful look.

Li Minghan scratched his head, gave an awkward smile, and chuckled.

"Cough cough..." Upon hearing this, Yang Caizai looked at Li Minghan strangely, shook his head, and gave a wry smile.

"Well, if you gentlemen have any requests, that's certainly possible."

After saying that, Yang Caizai showed a slightly awkward expression and raised his eyebrows at Li Minghan.

Li Minghan: "..."

"Alright, forget about him, take us there." Zhang Tianwen smiled helplessly. Before long, led by Yang Caizai, they arrived at the edge of the town, at a pavilion.

Above the pavilion, the words "Ancient Chen Herb Gathering Team" hung in large, shining brightly.

"This is our herb-gathering team. Our Guchen herb-gathering team consists of nine people. Although there aren't many of us, each of us is an expert. We've been in Huishui Mountain for at least ten years, and we know the ins and outs of this place very well."

"Gentlemen, you can rest assured that we will definitely satisfy you."

Yang Caizai chuckled as he introduced the group, a smug look on his face. After leading the five people into the pavilion, he clapped his hands, and immediately, three people slowly emerged from the backyard.

"Six members of my herb-gathering team have already gone out on missions, leaving three remaining. However, these three are all among the top three in my Gu Chen herb-gathering team. Gentlemen, you may consider this."

Upon hearing this, Yu Changsheng's gaze fell upon the three men, scrutinizing them closely. He observed that all three were men, middle-aged, exuding the aura of Foundation Establishment cultivators, with calm expressions.

Upon seeing Yu Changsheng and his group of five, the three stepped forward one by one, clasped their hands in a fist and bowed to them, introducing themselves as "Bai Zichen, the number one herb gatherer of the Gu Chen Herb Gathering Team."

"Tang Mohan, the second herb gatherer of the Ancient Chen Herb Gathering Team."

"Guo Feng, the third herb gatherer of the Ancient Chen Herb Gathering Team."

The three were dressed simply, and spoke with calm and composed expressions, with a faint aura of bloodlust rising naturally from their bodies.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

They were clearly seasoned fighters, their hands stained with blood.

Zhang Tianwen pondered for a moment, observing the three of them, and nodded thoughtfully.

Of the three, Bai Zichen had the highest cultivation level, at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. The other two were at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment and the fourth level, respectively.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Tianwen turned around, exchanged glances with the others, thought for a moment, and pointed at Bai Zichen, saying:

"Let's go with him. How much does it cost?"

"This one?" Yang Caizai was taken aback, but after recognizing who he was pointing at, he immediately beamed and said, "You gentlemen have excellent taste. Master Bai is the best in our herb-gathering group, and his cultivation has reached the sixth level of Foundation Establishment."

"With his help, whatever the young masters want to do at Huishui Mountain will be much easier. It's just that the price might be a bit expensive."

Yang Caizai's eyes darted around, he hesitated slightly, then changed the subject and continued:

"However, there's a reason for the high price. In the entire herb-gathering town, there's probably no one more experienced than Master Bai. And with his Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivation, he can also protect the young masters very well, ensuring their safety, isn't that right?"

"Speak, how much?" Zhang Tianwen frowned, too lazy to listen to Yang Caizai's ramblings, so he waved his hand to interrupt him and asked again.

"One hundred thousand spirit stones." Yang Caizai took a deep breath. "As I just said, we'll give these young masters a 20% discount, which is eighty thousand spirit stones."

"Eighty thousand spirit stones?" Zhang Tianwen raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

Eighty thousand spirit stones is no small sum. Some Foundation Establishment cultivators might only have a net worth of around one hundred thousand spirit stones.

"Eighty thousand spirit stones is indeed expensive, but it's worth it." Yang Caizai chuckled, revealing a hint of flattery.

"This 80,000 spirit stones also covers the safety of you gentlemen on your way up the mountain. It's worth it to exchange 80,000 spirit stones for a bodyguard at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment."

"Alright," Zhang Tianwen thought for a moment, and without much hesitation, he took out eight 10,000 spirit notes and handed them to Yang Caizai.

"Here are 80,000 spirit stones. When shall we depart?"

Yang Caizai was overjoyed. After taking the spirit ticket and examining it carefully, he put it away with an even wider smile. He turned back to Bai Zichen, nodded, and said:

"Then, Master Bai, I'm leaving these young masters in your care. Make sure you treat them well. You can explain the details to them."

"Alright." Bai Zichen nodded, took a deep breath, restrained his bloodthirsty aura, and calmly glanced at the five people before saying:

"If you gentlemen have no objections, let's set off tomorrow morning. Rest today and prepare properly before departing tomorrow."

"Okay, let's leave it at that."

Zhang Tianwen turned around, exchanged glances with the others, and after no one objected, nodded in agreement.

"Alright, gentlemen, please follow me. There are lodgings for you in the backyard. Please rest here for a day. Of course, you can also take a stroll around this town during this day. Just let me know if you need anything."

Yang Caizai chuckled, a warm smile on his face, and left after arranging accommodations for the five people.

"Alright, everyone, use this remaining day to rest and prepare. We're going into the mountains tomorrow. If you need anything, just let me know."

Zhang Tianwen gave a few words of advice and then returned to his room.

Yu Changsheng thought for a moment, but didn't rush back. It was only early morning, so he turned around, left the Gu Chen Herb Gathering Group, and wandered around the town at his leisure.

The town was bustling with activity. Yu Changsheng wasn't in a hurry, so he wandered around and stopped to observe anything that caught his eye.

How much is this Huishui Mountain map?

A moment later, Yu Changsheng entered a shop and looked at a scroll-like map, asking a question.

"Simplified version: 10 spirit stones; Standard version: 100 spirit stones; Deluxe version: 1000 spirit stones. Which one do you want?"

The waiter smiled and spoke.

"Of course, this may be your first time visiting Huishui Mountain. I suggest you get this deluxe standard edition, which contains the accumulated experience of Huishui Mountain gathered by generations of herb gatherers. It can be a lifesaver for newcomers in critical moments."

"Then let's go for 1000 spirit stones." Yu Changsheng thought for a moment and then chose the most detailed one without hesitation. For him, 1000 spirit stones was not much these days.

"Okay."

The waiter smiled, respectfully took the map, and handed it to Yu Changsheng: "The map can only be opened once; use your divine sense to perceive it."

It will then be automatically destroyed, so please be careful, sir/madam.

"Okay." Yu Changsheng nodded, handed over the spirit stones, took the map, sensed it briefly with his divine sense, and after a moment, the map turned into light spots and slowly dissipated.

(End of this chapter)