From a country cook to a master chef

At the entrance of the Four Symbols Martial Arts School, Lin Jue stood quietly, his gaze moving upwards. The three-leaf ivy on the courtyard wall was in a mess, with many vines either bitten off or stripped of their leaves.

The alert white cat that I always see when I pass by is nowhere to be seen today.

There were no senior students practicing martial arts in the martial arts school's training ground.

Sensing something was wrong, Lin Jue quickly walked through the central hall corridor and arrived at the back courtyard room, where he indeed heard his fellow disciples making various noises.

"Master, our martial arts school has no conflicts with anyone. Who would be so ruthless as to injure our senior brother to such an extent?"

"Our senior brother is at the peak of the martial arts master level. Within the scope of Yucheng, there are only a handful of people who can hurt him."

"It must have been those bastards from the Green Mountain Martial Arts School. Senior Sister Ruyan injured Li Pitong and stole their food. If it wasn't them, who else could it be?"

The martial arts disciples were filled with righteous indignation and said they would go to the Qingshan Martial Arts School to demand an explanation.

Since the heavy snow, the Four Symbols Martial Arts School has been tolerant of the Green Mountain Martial Arts School. Last time, when several of their disciples were injured by the school's new disciples, Liu Yue, despite being furious, still held back.

But his disciples had long been fed up with this humiliation, and even if they couldn't defeat him today, they were determined to go and cause a scene.

"Junior Brother!"

When everyone opened the door, they were stunned to see Lin Jue standing outside.

Liu Ruyan carried a basin of hot water over to the bedside and tenderly wiped the bloodstains and dirt from the face of her unconscious senior brother, Wang Lingzhi.

The white cat was lying next to Wang Lingzhi's head, quietly guarding him.

"You're all so impatient, get back to practicing your skills right now!"

Liu Yue slammed his hand on the table and said in an icy voice, "Anyone who dares to cause trouble at the Qingshan Martial Arts School today, I'll skin them alive."

Watching his fellow disciples disperse in silence, Lin Jue took a deep breath, stepped into the room, and said, "Master."

"Um."

Liu Yue was furious at the moment, her head hanging low, and she didn't want to see anyone.

Liu Ruyan picked up the basin of water, pulled Lin Jue away, and looked worried.

"Senior Sister Ruyan, Senior Brother, he..."

"This morning, Junior Brother Sun Guo was the first to discover that Senior Brother was seriously injured and unconscious at the entrance of the martial arts school. His arms and legs were broken, and if he doesn't receive the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment, he may never be able to stand up again. Moreover, Senior Brother's whereabouts in Bingzhou are known only to us, and outsiders could never possibly know, unless..."

Lin Jue was shocked. He hadn't expected that his senior brother, Wang Lingzhi, would be injured to such an extent. Even the top disciple of the Four Symbols Martial Arts School was targeted. The assailant must be fearless and have an extraordinary background.

His hope of relying on a martial arts school for a stable martial arts training has now become unrealistic.

Lin Jue calmed his turmoil and asked worriedly, "Is it really as the other senior brothers said, that our eldest senior brother was injured by people from the Green Mountain Martial Arts School?"

Liu Ruyan sighed and shook her head, saying, "Even Father isn't sure about that. Although Senior Brother Wang's injuries were caused by his footwork, they are not entirely from the same lineage as the martial arts practiced by Li Dakang."

"Where can I buy Black Jade Broken Skin Ointment?"

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jue said, "If you're only worried about money, I happen to have some left over."

The martial arts school was deathly silent, clearly indicating that there was no Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment left in the school, otherwise it would have been used by Wang Lingzhi long ago.

The museum is operating at a loss, which suggests that it is facing financial difficulties.

Liu Ruyan shook her head repeatedly and said, "The museum has the prescription for the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment. As long as we find all the ingredients, Father can make the ointment to treat Senior Brother Wang."

"However, the martial arts school will handle these matters. Everyone knows about the rice and meat you bought for the school last time, and they all secretly remember it, especially my father."

"He is very concerned about his reputation. He took advantage of you last time and has been thinking about making it up to you. Now that your martial arts have progressed so rapidly, he wants me to take you to the medicine shop to buy some precious medicinal ingredients to take with the Breakthrough Pill, so that you can successfully break through to the Martial Master realm."

Liu Ruyan sighed and said, "But things happened so suddenly. Senior Brother Wang is seriously injured, so we have to put the matter of buying you medicine on hold for now, and we'll talk about it again after he recovers."

"..."

Lin Jue was taken aback. He hadn't expected his master, Liu Yue, to be so thoughtful. One Breakthrough Pill wasn't enough; he even had to spend money to prepare a precious medicine for him to take.

You treat me with sincerity, and I will repay you with my heart.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Jue took out his storage bag and piled a large number of jewelry pieces on the table.

"There's no time to lose, Senior Sister Ruyan, let's head to the Medicine Stone Workshop now."

Looking at the countless jewels on the table, Liu Ruyan was shocked. She had never seen so much cash in her life.

But thinking of Senior Brother Wang's injuries, she didn't bother to ask where the money came from, and set off with Lin Jue to the Medicine Stone Workshop.

Jing'anfang was the largest trading area in the southern part of the outer city. Yaoshifang was located in the northern part of Jing'anfang, facing the inner city of Yucheng across the river.

Heavy snow caused disasters, and the mountains and forests were buried in snow. Even experienced herb gatherers had difficulty picking fresh herbs. At present, most of what can be seen and bought in the entire Yaoshifang are old and outdated products.

Some unscrupulous merchants even dry used medicinal herbs and resell them, or cut off the moldy and rotten parts, leaving some scraps to pass off as superior ones.

Those unscrupulous middlemen have no conscience; they don't care about the lives and health of their customers at all.

The weather was bitterly cold, and the heavy snow continued to fall, causing many people in the city to fall ill. Those without money could only lie in bed and wait to die, while some did not even have a bed.

Those with money naturally go out to buy medicine and see a doctor.

They were also afraid of dying.

Yaoshifang is not as bustling as Jing'anfang. After all, you can endure illness, but you can die from hunger if you starve for too long.

Hunger can drive people mad; it is the most unbearable thing in the world.

Although there weren't many pedestrians on the street, it was still quite lively.

Lin Jue followed Liu Ruyan, stopping and starting, searching for the medicinal herbs they needed at various pharmacies and medicine stalls.

With the jewelry provided by Lin Jue, Liu Ruyan's worries vanished. The two of them started from one end of the street and planned to explore the entire Yaoshifang.

Lin Jue glanced around from time to time, searching for a medicinal herb called Purple Glazed Grass. As for the precious medicine, he didn't expect to be able to buy it in the market.

Rare medicinal herbs are hard to come by. If someone were to find a rare medicinal plant, it would be a rare find, and they probably wouldn't be openly displayed and sold like other medicinal herbs.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

Having experienced Pan Mang's situation, Lin Jue deeply understands this point.

The roadside stalls were piled high with all sorts of medicinal herbs and plants, including some rare and unusual ones, which dazzled him.

Suddenly, Lin Jue stopped in front of a neatly arranged stall, staring blankly at a book with a yellowed cover on the stall.

The label in front of this book reads:

"The Great Martial Arts Beast and Plant Compendium" is the most popular, best-selling, and hottest wilderness survival manual of the year.

Special price: only 2.5 taels of silver.

"I want this book!"

Lin Jue picked up the book intending to just glance at it, but he happened to find the precious medicine he needed, the Golden Lotus of Earth, and then calmly tossed a few pieces of silver to the stall owner.

"Here's five copper coins back!"

A clear and pleasant sound reached Lin Jue's ears.

He looked up and realized that the stall owner, who had been busy arranging herbs with her head down, was actually a sweet and adorable little girl.

"Are you looking for the golden lotus that springs from the ground up there?"

Seeing Lin Jue staring intently, the girl asked him curiously.

Lin Jue was slightly taken aback, then immediately asked, "Does the young lady know where this medicine can be found?"