荒墟牧神 - 第21章 靈藥催身力拔山 - 星閱書城

The herb garden outside the village was vast, and what grew within it were the spirit medicines the Alchemist had found in the Desolate Ruins over the years, long since the envy of the villagers. But the Alchemist kept many vicious little insects in that garden, and no one dared slip in to steal the herbs.

The Desolate Ruins were rarely trodden by human feet, and spirit medicines grew there in enormous numbers, rare treasures among them. Over the years, as the Alchemist gathered herbs, he had transplanted no one knew how many wondrous plants into his garden. He seldom used these spirit medicines, and now, at last, he had decided to use them on Shen Mu!

One had to understand: his standards were high, and every spirit medicine he had collected was a rare treasure; any single stalk taken out would cause a sensation. The Alchemist had truly paid in blood.

The bonfire gradually died, the villagers went back to their houses to rest, and Shen Mu returned to his room as well, sleeping in the outer chamber. Before long he had sunk into deep sleep. Granny Zhu drew up his blanket, looked at the boy's sleeping face, and smiled with fond affection.

"My Shen-er... whether or not you have an Overlord Body, you are the child I raised, and I will not let anyone or anything harm you!"

She was clever still, and from the expressions of the Village Head and the Alchemist during the bonfire celebration she had read a great deal; she simply had not spoken of it.

She padded away on her tiny bound feet to sleep in the inner room.

The next day, the Blind Elder came charging into the house with his bamboo staff, shouting, "Shen-er, get up at once, it's daylight, the Alchemist..."

"This old woman hasn't risen yet, Blind Elder, how dare you peep!"

There was a thunderous crash, and Shen Mu opened his bleary eyes just in time to see the Blind Elder fly out of Granny Zhu's room, arc through the air, sail out of the village, and land somewhere no one knew.

"Blind Grandpa is really something!"

Shen Mu marveled: even in midair the Blind Elder still clutched his bamboo staff, sitting cross-legged, an utterly innocent look on his face, kicked away just like that.

Shen Mu rose, dressed, washed, made breakfast, ate with Granny Zhu, and washed the pots and bowls and ladles. Then he saw the Blind Elder come running back from outside the village, all excitement, crying, "Dead old hag, that kick of yours was vicious, I nearly couldn't feel my way back! Shen-er, come quick, the Alchemist has made you a medicine!"

Granny Zhu's face darkened; she shot the Blind Elder a glare, rose, and hobbled off, saying, "I'm going to Crimson Dragon City to trade. Blind Elder, I leave Shen-er to you these days. If he comes back missing so much as a fine hair, I'll hold you to account! Grandpa Huo, Grandpa Huo, is the ox cart hitched? Lame Elder, is the bamboo raft tied?"

Shen Mu hurried after the Blind Elder to the Alchemist's shop. Before he even stepped inside, a thick, rich medicinal fragrance struck him. Then he saw a great vat suspended in the air, with several vermilion birds circling it, flames blazing among their feathers, scorching the vat's surface red, while from within came a bubbling, gurgling sound.

"Shen-er, this is your medicine."

Seeing Shen Mu arrive, the Alchemist took out the last ingredient, a single green leaf, and cast it into the vat. The instant the leaf touched the liquid, the boiling brew turned incomparably viscous.

The Alchemist flicked his hand; the vat spun rapidly, and then a clinking, jingling sound came from inside. The full vat of medicine had become half a vat of white pills, rolling and tumbling, striking one another with a crisp, metallic ring.

The Alchemist waved his hand, and the vermilion birds flew out through the window lattice and vanished.

The vat settled to the ground. Shen Mu clicked his tongue. "Grandpa Alchemist, am I to eat this many elixirs today?"

"If you ate them all, you'd die."