Chapter Sixty-Six: A Genius Born of Heaven

Yesterday, after being battered by the wind, I suffered from a headache the whole day and spent all my time lying at home recovering. Even this morning, the pain lingered a little, though I’m almost back to normal now, so today, I’m resuming the three daily chapters. By the way, I, as a gentleman, either write properly or not at all; I would never pad my work with garbage just to meet a deadline. Because I couldn’t write yesterday due to the headache, I apologize for the missed update.

Dragged all over the mountain by his exceptionally energetic senior sister, Lu Zhe was left so exhausted that he could barely stand up straight. Strangely, his senior sister seemed entirely unaffected by fatigue, still squatting with a mischievous grin, busy with something unknown. Lu Zhe sat gasping for breath atop a rock, recalling how she had pulled him over several ridges in one go. If he hadn’t pleaded desperately, who knew how many more mountains she would have made him cross.

He glanced toward her; she wore white garments as pure as snow, squatting as she fiddled with something on the ground. The mountain breeze blew gently, and though it was already December, and no snow had fallen yet, the air was cold. The wind swept across Lu Zhe’s face, bringing a chill that ruffled his hair.

Smoothing back his hair, Lu Zhe stood and said, “Let’s go, senior sister. Master is waiting for us.”

She responded with a cheerful laugh, stood up, looked at him, and said, “Alright!” With that, they set off together toward the flat cliff where Master Ye and the old healer awaited.

Upon reaching the cliff, Lu Zhe saw the old healer sitting alone at the edge on a flat stone. He glanced around, but Master Ye was nowhere to be seen.

“Master,” Lu Zhe called.

The old healer turned around slowly. “What is it?”

Lu Zhe continued, “Where’s Master Ye?”

“He’s gone,” replied the old healer calmly.

Lu Zhe merely acknowledged with a simple “Oh,” and didn’t ask further.

His senior sister, standing beside him, looked at Lu Zhe in puzzlement and asked, “Aren’t you surprised your master left?”

Lu Zhe smiled wryly. “He’s always been like this—appearing and disappearing like a dragon. I’m used to it.”

Suddenly, the old healer interjected, “Before your master left, he instructed me to guide your training while he’s away.”

Lu Zhe nodded.

“Well then, let’s begin your training,” the old healer said, standing and dusting off his clothes. He turned his head to Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe was momentarily taken aback. “Begin what training?”

The old healer gave him a look. “Alchemy, of course.”

“But I don’t know anything about it,” Lu Zhe protested, spreading his hands in helplessness.

The old healer said, “That’s easily fixed,” and put his hand inside his robe. After a moment, he produced a book with yellowed pages. At first glance, it looked similar to a racy book he’d shown earlier, but this one was much thicker, more like a dictionary.

He glanced at the book, then handed it to Lu Zhe. “This ‘Catalogue of a Hundred Herbs’ was passed down to me by my master. It records all sorts of medicinal plants and herbs found on the Divine Xia Continent. Though not exhaustive, it covers most of them. Read it carefully.” With that, he handed the book to Lu Zhe.

Taking the book, Lu Zhe immediately noticed its weight. Inspecting the cover, he saw four bold, flowing characters written in calligraphy—Catalogue of a Hundred Herbs. The strokes were powerful and fluid, as if written in one continuous motion. An air of authority emanated from the characters, as though the writer stood above the world, gazing down upon all creation.

He opened the book. Inside were countless illustrations and text, each drawing accompanied by explanatory lines describing the depicted item, its uses, and miraculous effects when paired with other herbs. The explanations were thorough, leaving nothing out. The entire volume was concise, every word devoted to the essentials, making it a pleasure to read. It was clear the author possessed both keen insight and remarkable literary skill.

Lu Zhe found himself engrossed. The amount of information far exceeded his expectations. Even after reading only half, he had encountered descriptions of more than three hundred and ten herbs, many of which were rare.

The old healer watched him in silence. Seeing Lu Zhe’s rapt attention, utterly absorbed in the ‘Catalogue of a Hundred Herbs,’ he smiled and turned to the cliff's edge.

The mountain breeze fluttered his robe. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the undulating mountains as if surveying the world. Suddenly, he sighed softly, the sound weighted with the weariness of age, as if he’d seen through all the vicissitudes of life. He murmured, “Cultivating the spirit, pursuing refinement—in the end, what is it all for?”

The wind teased the hair at his temples, a few strands of gray interwoven, making him appear all the more aged. He breathed in the mountain air, tinged with a faint sweetness, then waved his hand. At the gesture, the beautiful young woman walked over.

He glanced at her, then turned back to the mountains, saying quietly, “Go back and tell those four old fellows that I won’t be returning for now.”

She nodded, glanced at Lu Zhe still absorbed in the book, smiled, and then, like a wisp of wind, vanished from sight.

The old healer did not look back, his gaze still fixed on the rolling mountains, hands clasped behind him, silent.

Time slipped by quietly, unnoticed until it was gone.

Lu Zhe kept reading, utterly absorbed, nearly forgetting to eat or sleep. The old healer made no attempt to interrupt him; as evening fell, he built a fire for Lu Zhe to read by.

Master Ye lay stretched out on the ground, unconcerned by the dirt on his white robes, legs crossed, hands folded behind his head, gazing at the stars. The sky above was ink-black and deep, the moon bright and the stars many, embellishing the night with exquisite beauty and a sense of serenity.

Lu Zhe shifted from standing to sitting cross-legged, his eyes never leaving the pages. By now, the thick volume was more than halfway finished, less than a third remaining—a truly astounding reading speed.

The mountain at night was far colder than the lowlands. Though no snow had fallen, the chill made one shiver. The wind felt like knives on the skin, the cold seeping into the very bones, making it impossible not to tremble.

The old healer continued to gaze at the moon and stars, legs crossed, while Lu Zhe kept his eyes on the tome. Thus, the old and the young spent a silent, cold night together in the mountains.

The darkness faded quietly. The silvery moon slowly sank to the west, and the stars seemed to close their weary eyes. A gentle, warming ray of sunlight from the dawn pierced the sky, and soon, the morning sun chased away the last traces of night, bringing warmth and vitality to the boundless earth.

Lu Zhe took a deep breath, stretched vigorously, and glanced at the thick book lying before him. Yesterday, he had spent the entire day and finally finished reading it.

The old healer slowly sat up, stretched, scratched his head, and looked over at Lu Zhe.

Seeing the old healer look his way, Lu Zhe grinned, picked up the book, and tossed it lightly to him. The old healer caught it, surprised, as Lu Zhe said with a smile, “I’ve finished reading it.”

This left the old healer momentarily speechless. He stared at Lu Zhe, incredulous. “You finished the whole thing?”

Lu Zhe nodded.

“Did you remember it all?” the old healer pressed.

“All of it,” Lu Zhe replied with a smile.

At this, the old healer opened the ancient book and began to test him. “What is the use of Green Orchid?”

“It clears heat and detoxifies, removes stasis, and reduces inflammation,” Lu Zhe answered without hesitation.

“And Purple Ink Grass?” the old healer’s eyes widened as he continued.

“Grind it into powder, mix with White Granny Leaf, and apply to wounds for remarkable healing effects,” Lu Zhe replied cheerfully.

The old healer drew a breath and, looking at Lu Zhe’s innocent, smiling face, murmured softly, “What a prodigy!”