The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

"A ghost market?"

Ye Sheng had never heard of this unfamiliar and strange name before.

Shopkeeper Hu paced back and forth at the entrance of the shed, gazing at the dark river before him with a distant, somewhat dazed look, as if recalling the past.

After a long pause, he didn't turn around, his voice carried on the river breeze: "Back then, it was there that I owed your father my life."

Ye Sheng was taken aback.

"My father?" he pressed. "Wasn't he a down-on-his-luck scholar? What would he be doing in a place like that?"

In the original owner's memory, her father was indeed a scholar who spent half his life buried in books and papers, only wanting to pass the imperial examinations.

In the Great Yuan Dynasty, although the commoners were considered lowly and unregistered, they still had another narrow path to follow.

That meant being able to participate in the annual civil and military examinations of the imperial court, just like merchants and commoners. This was the only glimmer of hope for countless lowly people to rise above their station.

However, the registration fee for the examination was outrageously expensive, costing one ingot of gold, equivalent to one hundred taels of silver and ten thousand copper coins.

Although this path to success has been opened, it is far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

This is why Ye Sheng's father left no money, only a box of books.

For decades, the family had saved all their money to register for the civil service exams, but in the end, even a scholar failed.

However, if this exorbitant registration fee can truly bring fame and fortune, one can be freed from being unregistered, granted a license and registered, no longer a vagrant or a commoner, but directly enter the ranks of military or civil servants.

The wife and children can also be registered as citizens. Hence the saying: "If one person passes the imperial examination, the whole family becomes citizens."

Those who register as military households can take the military examination and accumulate merits through military service; those who register as civil households can take the imperial examination and enter officialdom.

However, the path of military careers is faster than that of civil careers. In Dayuan, where martial prowess is paramount, military generals hold higher positions than civil officials.

Therefore, within the territory of the Great Yuan Dynasty, the household registrations, from highest to lowest, were: military households, civil households, and commoner households.

The social classes were: royalty, officials, merchants and artisans, commoners, and the lowest social classes.

Of course, cultivators are not included; in the eyes of mortals, they are already immortals.

Upon hearing Ye Sheng's words "down-on-his-luck scholar," Manager Hu remained silent for a moment.

"Ha, you down-on-your-luck scholar, your father was quite the... "

His laughter trailed off as he finished speaking. Suddenly, he realized he had misspoke and quickly stopped himself.

Just then, a night wind blew from the river, making the two tattered curtains on the shed flap loudly.

"Your stone might only find buyers at the ghost market."

After saying that, Manager Hu lifted his foot and walked out.

"Where is the Ghost Market? Please tell me." Ye Sheng took half a step after him.

Manager Hu stopped by the pier, turning half his face to the side. The moonlight shone on his face, creating a striking contrast between light and shadow.

"Telling you won't help; you might not even be able to get in."

Manager Hu spoke in a cold tone.

"Why?" Ye Sheng pressed.

Manager Hu gave Ye Sheng a deep look and said in a deep voice, "Because that place is not for humans."

After saying that, he stepped onto the creaking pier and swayed towards the pharmacy in the direction of the ferry.

But just as his figure was about to disappear into the darkness, a voice drifted on the river breeze:

"If you really want to die, go find Liu the Cripple."

"Master Liu?"

Ye Sheng stood there, muttering to himself.

At this moment, the river was pitch black, and the sound of the waves was muffled.

The ghost market that Manager Hu had just mentioned, and the unfinished sentence, were like a thorn, deeply piercing Ye Sheng's heart, leaving him with many doubts.

What is Father hiding? And what exactly is the Ghost Market?

Back in the shed, Ye Sheng found that his younger brother had fallen into a deep sleep under the influence of Manager Hu's secret anesthetic herbs.

He tucked the quilt around his younger brother, then quietly sat down by the fire.

He opened his palm and looked at the bloody gash on his hand that had split open during his fight with Wang Laizi and his gang that afternoon.

The wound wasn't deep, but it hurt.

This is caused by gripping the knife too tightly, combined with a loose handle, resulting in wear.

Immediately, Ye Sheng rummaged through the broken wooden box and pulled out a strip of old cloth, tore off a piece, and used it to make a simple bandage.

Then, he took out the three pieces of paper and, by the firelight, examined them carefully once more.

The first picture shows the "Standing Posture Exercise". He has been practicing it for several days and his current progress is "29/100" (not yet a beginner).

The second one is [Basic Knife Techniques], which I just unlocked yesterday. My progress is "7/100" (not yet a beginner).

The third item is [Herbal Identification]. He hasn't looked at it closely or practiced it yet, so he hasn't unlocked this skill.

At that moment, Ye Sheng was not sleepy, so he unfolded the third piece of paper.

There are several plants drawn on it, with simple lines but distinctive features.

The side is covered with dense annotations, recording the medicinal properties, growing environment, and harvesting methods.

"Hedyotis diffusa, cold in nature, clears heat and detoxifies, mostly grows in wetlands along rivers, has slender leaves and white rhizomes..."

"Adiantum, neutral in nature, promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis, commonly found in piles of rocks, its leaves are like iron wire, extremely tough..."

"Gelsemium elegans, highly poisonous, fatal if ingested. It grows mostly in damp, shady places, with dark green leaves and serrated edges..."

Ye Sheng read very slowly, memorizing every word.

Some of these herbs can save lives, while others can be fatal.

If we can identify it, we can not only cure my younger brother's weakness, but also...

He suddenly remembered the battle that day.

If you could coat the blade with poison, even if it only paralyzes the opponent for a moment, the chances of winning would be much greater.

And so, Ye Sheng kept familiarizing himself with the contents of the [Herbal Identification] book until late at night before he finally went to sleep.

......

The next day, when Ye Sheng woke up, it was already broad daylight. He turned to look at Ye Kai beside him and found that his younger brother was breathing evenly and was still fast asleep.

So he quietly got up and walked out of the shed. At that moment, the mist on the river had dissipated, and the water was sparkling.

He walked along the riverbank, his gaze sweeping over every wetland and every pile of rocks.

His innate perception, granted by the skill of "Scavenging (Proficient)", makes him exceptionally perceptive of his environment.

He could tell at a glance where there might be something and where it was just ordinary junk.

After walking about half a mile, he stopped by a patch of reeds.

There, a few slender grasses swayed in the wind, their leaves emerald green and their roots peeking out, shining white.

It's... snake tongue grass!

Ye Sheng squatted down and carefully dug out a plant.

The rhizome is intact, and the leaves are undamaged.

The moment he held the herbs in his hand, the panel in front of him flickered.

[Unlock Skill: Herb Identification]

Current progress: 0/100 (Beginner)

[Effects: Identify common herbs and understand their basic medicinal properties]

Ye Sheng's lips curled up slightly. Success! Another skill unlocked.

He then continued his search along the river and found two more snake tongue grass plants and a small clump of maidenhair fern.

These herbs, if taken to the town's pharmacy, could fetch a few copper coins.

But Ye Sheng had no intention of selling it. He wanted to keep it for his younger brother.

He had previously heard Manager Hu mention that Ye Kai's illness required these kinds of heat-clearing and detoxifying medicinal herbs to slowly nourish his qi and blood.

When they returned to the shed, Ye Kai was already awake. He was lying on the mat, basking in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

Seeing Ye Sheng return, his slightly dim eyes lit up, and he asked weakly, "Brother, where...did you go?"

"I went for a walk along the river."

Ye Sheng handed over the herbs, saying, "This is snake tongue grass, which can clear heat. I'll boil some water for you to drink tonight."

Ye Kai took the herbs, looked at them, and then looked at the strip of cloth wrapped around Ye Sheng's hand.

"Brother, how's your hand?"

"It's nothing, just a small cut. But you, those beasts broke your leg."

At this point, Ye Sheng felt a little guilty. He paused for a moment, then continued, "But brother, I've already asked Manager Hu about your leg. It should heal in three months with rest."

"Brother, don't worry, I promise you, those damned bastards, Wang Laizi, I'll make them pay. What happened yesterday, I'll repay a hundredfold!"

Ye Sheng spoke with murderous intent, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.

Upon hearing Wang Laizi's name, Ye Kai seemed to remember something and asked worriedly, "Brother, what about the three hundred coins in three days?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng seemed to already have a plan, and he slowly uttered two words: "Boat Gang!"