novelraw Chapter 44: Stupid Bird Eats the Peach Wood Core
Chapter 44: Stupid Bird Eats the Peach Wood Core
As long as he knew what Soul-Nourishing Grass looked like, things were easy.
In the past when he gathered medicine in the mountains, the biggest problem he faced wasn't being unable to find medicine, but rather that besides the herbs on those few family-transmitted prescriptions, he fundamentally didn't know what other herbs looked like.
After planting the Soul-Nourishing Grass, Li Qiuchen reached out to press the leaves and began inputting life energy.
With this stimulation, he discovered something was wrong.
On the surface, this spiritual grass looked quite ordinary, just with slightly odd leaves. But when he began inputting life energy, he discovered this thing was simply like a black hole.
He sent in enough life energy for one person, yet it didn't cause the slightest ripple, not even growing a single new leaf.
Li Qiuchen was greatly surprised, even once suspecting this thing was made of plastic but thinking about it made sense. Anything Jiang Tingyue could offer was of an uncommonly high grade.
Whether that jade pendant or the two bottles of Spirit Gathering Pills, none were treasures a small Qi Refining realm novice could enjoy.
This spiritual grass was presumably the same. Outwardly it seemed ordinary, but in reality, Li Qiuchen's eyesight fundamentally couldn't judge its true age. Right off the bat, he'd been embarrassed.
Well, I really don't believe in this evil!He injected almost all the life energy stored in his body, but there was still no reaction. Feeling his body emptied and his vision darkening, Li Qiuchen gritted his teeth, stood up, returned home, and took out the peach wood core he'd hidden away.
Who doesn't have some treasures at the bottom of the box?
The value of this peach wood core went without saying. Just the old peach tree's roots could make those Medicine Master followers flock to it. If they really saw this thing in his hands, who knows how crazy they'd go.
Li Qiuchen had originally planned to wait until his cultivation improved in the future, after reading a few more books and gaining more knowledge, before coming back to properly handle this great treasure.
At least not waste the life essence accumulated within it but today he was in a bad mood.
Although he always thought about waiting until winter to pluck this stupid bird bare, drain its blood, and cure it into emergency rations.
After living together for so long, feelings had accumulated at least a tiny bit.
"Want it or not?"
Li Qiuchen gritted his teeth and forcefully broke off a thumb-sized piece of peach wood core. He placed it at the Soul-Nourishing Grass's stem, gripped it with his hand, and said coldly, "You'd better give me some reaction."
Medicine Master's blessing, activate again!
The peach wood core, white and tender like bamboo shoots, melted in his hand into a cool, viscous liquid. It flowed out through his finger gaps and was instantly absorbed completely by the Soul-Nourishing Grass.
The originally sickly Soul-Nourishing Grass instantly straightened up, growing taller and taller at a speed visible to the naked eye, from its original height of one chi to over three chi, constantly sprouting new leaves.
The effect was immediate.
But just having it grow wildly by itself was far from enough. Li Qiuchen took advantage of its wild growth to pluck branches and leaves and replant them in the soil. He consumed two more small pieces of peach wood core to stimulate two new plants.
Only then was it stable.
After everything was properly prepared, Li Qiuchen finally began brewing the medicinal soup.
After he finished brewing the medicine and pinched the white crane's neck to forcibly pour the soup down, he himself was also exhausted and immediately fell asleep.
Waking from his sleep, Li Qiuchen abruptly sat up and looked at the white crane beside him. Still motionless.
He reached out to touch it. Still had body temperature.
That's not right. Why didn't the medicine work?
"Wake up!"
Li Qiuchen grabbed the white crane's neck and vigorously shook it a few times.
One dose of medicinal soup not taking effect was within his expectations but even if it didn't wake up, there should be some reaction.
If all three Soul-Nourishing Grass stalks were used up and the stupid bird still didn't wake up, he'd start cursing.
"Ga—"
Under Li Qiuchen's violent shaking, the white crane finally struggled to open its eyes, looked at him, and weakly let out a gaga.
Good.
Li Qiuchen immediately felt relieved.
The stupid bird's life was saved.
"Still sleeping! Do you know you were wrong? I told you how many times not to provoke those soldiers! You didn't take it to heart at all, did you?"
Li Qiuchen harshly scolded it a few times. The stupid bird didn't even have the strength to retort and remained silent.
This time it was indeed severely injured.
For Medicine Master followers, no matter how severe bodily injuries were, they could recover. Even if the head was cut off, it could be reattached or grow a new one but the stupid bird clearly didn't have such abilities. Healing bodily injuries didn't mean the essence blood it had lost could be replenished and recovered in a short time.
Over the next few days, Li Qiuchen brewed several more pots of medicinal soup for it.
He tasted a mouthful himself and became so bitter he doubted life.
The stupid bird was extremely resistant to this, even displaying an unyielding spirit willing to die, but helplessly, its spirit was listless and it had no strength to resist. Every day Li Qiuchen pinched its neck and forcibly administered medicine.
By the third day of drinking, the stupid bird refused to drink no matter what. It hid its beak under its belly, adopting a posture of "if you dare pour medicine in me again, I'll die right in front of you."
You think I want to feed you? If you don't drink medicine, then get better for me!
Li Qiuchen had no choice but to break off another piece of peach wood core and bring it to its beak, "Taste it. This one is sweet."
The white crane looked at him skeptically. Its eyeballs rolled. Unable to resist the temptation, it opened its mouth.
Li Qiuchen grabbed its neck in one motion and began pouring medicine.
"Gaga gaga gaga—"
Feathers flew wildly, cries were miserable.
The next day, Li Qiuchen used the same trick again. However, the white crane was no longer willing to believe his lies.
"This is the last pot of medicine. Even if you want to drink more, there won't be any."
Li Qiuchen held the peach wood core in his hand and kindly persuaded, "The medicine was given by Senior Jiang. If you want to resent someone, resent him. If it weren't for running errands for him, why would you suffer this crime? Don't give me that look. I'm your lifesaver, and twice at that."
"Think about it. If I gave it to you yesterday, would I give it today? Do I look like I have vast wealth that lets you squander like this? Today this is the last bowl of medicine. After drinking it, you eat this, drawing a perfect conclusion to the suffering experienced these days. Isn't that good?"
The white crane hesitated.
"Ga!"
You give it to me first!
Li Qiuchen grabbed its neck in one motion and began pouring medicine.
"Gaga gaga gaga—"
Who says people won't fall for the same trick? Birds are the same.
Of course, in the end, Li Qiuchen still stuffed this piece of peach wood core into the bird's beak, blocking its hope of spitting out the medicinal soup.
He hadn't deceived the bird.
The aged Soul-Nourishing Grass Jiang Tingyue gave had indeed been used up. The newly planted stalks didn't have sufficient age, so naturally the medicinal power wasn't enough either.
The medicine had been finished. The white crane still looked sickly, lying in its nest unable to get up.
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