Chapter 96
"Brother, you're back!"
As soon as Lu Qing arrived at the Halfway House, a small figure ran out from inside and jumped into his arms.
Gently catching the little one and holding her up, Lu Qing felt a sense of relief seeing Xiao Yan's happy face.
Thankfully, the little one didn't cry.
"Yes, I'm back. Did Xiao Yan behave at home?" Lu Qing asked lovingly while holding his sister.
"Of course, I did. This time, even though Brother didn't come back at night, Xiao Yan didn't cry," the little one boasted.
"Xiao Yan is amazing!" Lu Qing praised without hesitation.
It was quite surprising that the little one didn't cry.
"Because Grandpa Chen said that Brother is very powerful now and would be fine. Knowing that Brother would come back, Xiao Yan didn't cry," the little one explained seriously.
"Yes, Brother is very powerful now," Lu Qing said, rubbing the little one's head."You're back. Why did you stay in the mountains for so long this time?"
Old Doctor Chen walked out of the courtyard at this moment.
"Master," Lu Qing put Xiao Yan down, his expression turning serious, "there were some unexpected situations that caused concern."
"There's no need to worry. It's not easy to gather herbs in the mountains, so it's normal not to return on time," the old doctor waved his hand.
The old doctor often went into the mountains to gather herbs himself, so he knew what it was like in the mountains.
Sometimes, even if it was sunny outside the mountains, there could be a sudden mountain rain inside.
Not to mention the mountain fog that could spread at any time.
With a little carelessness, it was normal to be trapped inside for several days.
If Lu Qing hadn't already reached a minor achievement in the Qi and Blood Realm and had the strange Spirit Beast, Xiao Li, the old doctor wouldn't have agreed to let him go into the mountains alone to gather herbs.
"By the way, where's your Black Beast? Why didn't it come back with you?" the old doctor asked curiously.
These days, the old doctor had seen Xiao Li and seemed to sense the natural kindness in the old doctor's aura, so Xiao Li didn't reject him.
"Yes, Brother, where's Xiao Li? Did it come home?" Xiao Yan also asked.
"Aw~"
Before Lu Qing could answer, a sound was heard, immediately attracting Xiao Yan's attention.
"It's Xiao Li!"
The little one played with Xiao Li every day, even sleeping together, so she was very familiar with its sound.
Hearing this sound, she immediately looked around, "Xiao Li, where are you?"
But no matter how she looked, she couldn't find Xiao Li's figure, which puzzled her little head.
She clearly heard the sound right beside her, but where was Xiao Li hiding?
On the contrary, the old doctor was now looking at Lu Qing with some uncertainty.
He could tell that the sound came from Lu Qing's side.
But he didn't see Xiao Li's figure, and Lu Qing didn't seem to be hiding the Black Beast.
Could it be hidden in the medicine basket?
The old doctor looked at the medicine basket on Lu Qing's back.
"Xiao Li, stop playing around. Come out."
Seeing that his master and Xiao Yan were confused, Lu Qing smiled and patted his shoulder.
Then, under the watchful eyes of the old doctor and Xiao Yan, Xiao Li released its invisibility.
Seeing Xiao Li suddenly appear on Lu Qing's shoulder with a proud look, both the old doctor and Xiao Yan were stunned.
Especially Xiao Yan, whose eyes and mouth were wide open in shock.
Seeing this, Xiao Li became even more proud, raising its tail high.
"A Qing, this is..."
The old doctor was very surprised. He could confirm that he really hadn't noticed Xiao Li staying on Lu Qing's shoulder just now.
At such a close distance, for even someone like him in the Internal Organs Realm not to notice, when did Xiao Li's hiding ability become so powerful?
"This little thing had some lucky encounters in the mountains this time and awakened a very good talent. It's showing off to you," Lu Qing said with a smile.
With a swish, Xiao Li jumped in front of Xiao Yan, looking proud, as if waiting for her praise.
Xiao Yan didn't disappoint it and immediately picked it up, her face full of disbelief.
"Xiao Li, you're amazing! How did you do that?"
"Aw~"
Being praised, Xiao Li was even happier.
It jumped down from Xiao Yan's arms, ran around her in circles, and, like performing magic, drilled through the air, making Xiao Yan exclaim repeatedly.
The old doctor, watching Xiao Li's display as if it was traversing through space, couldn't help but feel a bit shaken.
Even though he wasn't skilled in combat, he could see how terrifying Xiao Li's ability was.
"A Qing, what did you encounter in the mountains that caused such a big change in Xiao Li?" the old doctor couldn't help but ask.
"Let's talk inside, Master," Lu Qing said, tightening the medicine basket on his back.
In the courtyard, Xiao Li and Xiao Yan were playing hide-and-seek.
Lu Qing and his master went into the house.
"Master, this time in the mountains, Xiao Li and I had quite a harvest. First, these herbs."
Lu Qing put down the medicine basket on his back and took out the herbs one by one.
"Tian Qi, Angelica, Tian Qi, Ginseng... Wait, this ginseng?!"
The old doctor looked at the herbs Lu Qing took out, each one surprising him.
Not to mention the quality of the herbs, which were exceptionally good, just the Tian Qi alone was enough to surprise him.
When did this mountain behind Jiuli Village start producing Tian Qi?
When he saw the ginseng that Lu Qing took out, the old doctor almost jumped up.
Because he saw that the ginseng's roots and hairs were complete, almost forming a human shape!
Based on his experience, ginseng of this quality had to be at least four or five hundred years old, a true treasure, priceless and rare.
But that wasn't all. Even after taking out that treasure ginseng, Lu Qing continued to take out herbs from the medicine basket.
And all of them were ginseng, each at least a hundred years old, with two or three even surpassing that.
"Master, this time in the mountains, I gathered these herbs."
After taking out the last ginseng and placing it on the ground, Lu Qing said.
"Just these?"
The old doctor looked at the long row of hundred-year-old ginsengs on the ground and was somewhat speechless at his disciple.
"With just these ginsengs, I've gathered only a few in my lifetime. You went into the mountains once and dug up a whole lot. Did you find a ginseng nest?"
"More or less," Lu Qing laughed, "the place Xiao Li led me to had a lot of ginseng. I only picked the ones with enough years."
"You really found a ginseng nest?" the old doctor exclaimed. "Xiao Li is indeed amazing to find such a treasure trove."
He finally understood why Lu Qing had been delayed in the mountains for so long.
So many precious herbs, if it were him, he would also be reluctant to leave the mountains quickly.
As a healer, seeing good herbs made it hard to move away.
"Master, I would like to ask you to help refine these ginsengs into Blood Replenishing and Qi-boosting Pills."
"All of these ginsengs into Blood Replenishing and Qi-boosting Pills?" the old doctor was puzzled, "You are already at a minor achievement in the Qi and Blood Realm. With at most four or five hundred-year-old ginsengs, it would be enough for you to cultivate to the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm. Why refine so many Blood Replenishing and Qi-boosting Pills?"
"This is another fortunate encounter I had in the mountains."
Lu Qing took out a small jade bottle from his pocket.
"Master, in the mountains, I discovered a miraculous spirit liquid in a cave."