Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 3 Entering the Mountain
"Ling'er, before winter comes, your father and I will make another trip to the barren mountains."

Zhou Ling knew the dangers of the desolate region and didn't want to go, but he had no say in the matter.

Although he can walk independently, he cannot survive without his parents.

"Sigh, it's too dangerous to bring a child along!" Zhou Shan frowned.

Li Ru glanced at Zhou Shan gently and said softly, "Winter is just a month away. Going into the mountains now would be too risky and too low-yield."

"This winter we have had limited other gains, but the children's appetites are growing, and our daily expenses are increasing."

"Right now, I just want to earn more spirit stones so that I can support Ling'er's cultivation in the future, and watch him grow up, get married, and have children."

"I don't want my husband to be too overworked!"

Zhou Shan felt terrible and said with self-reproach, "It's all my fault for having such low cultivation level, which is why Ru'er and Ling'er have to suffer so much!"

Li Ru looked at Zhou Shan, who seemed somewhat remorseful, and shook her head. "My husband has done very well!"

Zhou Shan is a mid-stage first-order body cultivator. Over the years, except for the cold winter, he has spent about twenty days a month in the desolate mountains.

They frequently encountered monsters, making their situation extremely dangerous.

Even with her help, the family still couldn't make ends meet.

The reason for this is that life is too difficult for those who cultivate at the bottom. Without any special skills, it is already quite good if they can make a living and continue their cultivation.

Saving up spirit stones is simply a pipe dream.

Zhou Shan knew his wife was comforting him, so he didn't say anything more, but he felt bitter inside. Looking at his child, he was filled with guilt. "It's cold in the mountains, I hope the child doesn't get cold!"

At this moment, the Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, and on the mountain path, the faint sunlight shines down, and Black Cloud Mountain is faintly shrouded in a layer of morning light.

A gentle mountain breeze rustled the leaves, and occasionally the howls of unknown monsters could be heard.

Zhou Ling was wrapped in a fur blanket and held in Li Ru's arms.

Zhou Ling could also feel the hardships and mutual support between her parents.

In this environment, a woman holding her child and following her husband like a mountain would attract the unexpected glances of other wandering cultivators passing by.

"Mother, what kind of grass is this?"

Zhou Ling poked her little head out from under the blanket and asked in a childish voice.

"Ink Essence Grass can be processed into Spirit Ink, but this plant is less than a year old! It cannot be harvested yet!"

With a face full of doting affection, Li Ru seemed to have noticed that her child had become particularly interested in herbs these past two days.

When Zhou Ling asked, she gave a serious and detailed explanation.

Although the profession of medicine seeker has a low barrier to entry, knowing a certain number of commonly used medicinal herbs is a basic skill.

"This is Qingyang grass, which can dispel cold. There are three leaf rings on the leaves, which means that it has been growing for three years."

"However, this herb is not expensive; five of them cost only one piece of spirit essence."

After walking for a while, Li Ru bent down and picked a spiritual herb from the grass, then introduced it to Zhou Ling with a smile.

Although the price wasn't high, it was worth it to get something, which is already pretty good.

Zhou Ling, held in Li Ru's arms, wiggled her little bottom, trying to get down from her arms.

He wanted his mother to understand that he was now able to walk independently.

Moreover, with Zhou Shan exploring ahead, there shouldn't be any danger.

But Li Ru's hands tightened even more, and she hugged him even tighter.

[Identify the Ink Essence Grass, Search the Mountains for Treasure +1]

[Identify Qingyang Grass, Search the Mountains for Treasure +1]

As they continued their journey, the number of medicinal herbs they encountered gradually increased; previously, they hadn't found a single medicinal herb after traveling dozens of feet.

However, in this area, you can find one every ten or so feet.

Li Ru felt that carrying Zhou Ling limited her vision in search of medicinal herbs, so she simply put Zhou Ling in the medicine basket on her back.

Next, Zhou Ling could only sit obediently in the medicine basket, staring blankly at the sky filled with the faint mist of the desolate region, like a frog at the bottom of a well.

"This is a first-grade low-level treasure herb. When weapon refiners add it to their weapons, it can improve the quality of the lower-grade magical artifacts."

"This one is worth a spirit stone!"

Li Ru carefully placed a spiritual herb with pale golden leaves into the medicine basket, and then smiled as she spoke, worried that the child might be bored.

[Identify the rare herbs, search the mountains for treasure +1]

Seeing Li Ru's cautious yet delighted expression, Zhou Ling sighed. He didn't want to stay in the medicine basket.

But there was no other way; this was a desolate area, and threats could arise at any time. Li Ru naturally couldn't let him walk on the mountainside.

Moreover, his parents already work very hard to earn spirit stones so that they can buy him more spiritual food.

Zhou Ling also complained that she couldn't be of much help.

She could only sit obediently in the medicine basket, not wanting to cause her mother any trouble.

······.

As night gradually fell, Black Cloud Mountain was shrouded in a hazy mist.

The Zhou couple also returned to the temporary camp set up by the medicine seekers.

As night fell, the mountain wind picked up, bringing a damp chill. The grass and trees rustled, and the howls of monsters grew more frequent.

Zhou Shan and his men entered their own tents and put down the medicine baskets behind them.

Li Ru lit a flint lamp, then took out a fur blanket, spread it on the ground, and then took Zhou Ling out of the medicine basket.

"Ling'er, are you hungry? Mother will prepare something delicious for you right away!"

As Li Ru spoke, she gently rubbed Zhou Ling's small hands, afraid that he would get cold.

"Mom, I'm not hungry!"

Zhou Ling said sensibly.

After a long day of hard work, my parents only ate two hard meat buns for lunch.

He was, on the other hand, a bowl of warm spiritual porridge wrapped in a blanket.

Hearing his wife and child's conversation, Zhou Shan shook his head helplessly, "Ling'er is so sensible!"

Li Ru put Zhou Ling down and walked on the blanket.

Then she took out beef jerky, dry food, and a hot water bottle and handed them to Zhou Shan.

He started a fire and cooked the spirit rice porridge himself.

While cooking the spirit rice porridge, he took stock of today's harvest.

The couple collected more than twenty spiritual herbs in one day.

I was quite lucky; there was even a low-grade first-tier treasure herb among them.

All things considered, I can earn two spirit stones today.

Li Ru's face was beaming with joy, showing no sign of fatigue from hard work.

After cooking the spiritual porridge, Li Ru scooped a small bowlful with a spoon and gently blew on it.

Then they began feeding Zhou Ling.

······.

"Old Chu found a mid-grade first-tier Xuanling Grass in the south today. Why don't we go there tomorrow and give it a try!"

That night, after dinner, Zhou Shan pondered for a moment and then spoke to Li Ru.

“We don’t usually go to the south, and we’re not familiar with the route. Plus, we have a child with us. Isn’t it too dangerous?”

Li Ru put down the spiritual herbs she had just arranged and said with some concern.

Zhou Shan nodded. "You stay at the camp and rest tomorrow. I'll go!"

A mid-grade first-tier Xuanling Grass, if in good condition, is worth seven or eight low-grade ones. Finding just one is equivalent to a month's hard work.

Despite the risks, Zhou Shan couldn't resist the temptation.

Moreover, after this trip into the mountains, the next time we can go back will have to wait until spring.

Earn as much as you can.

"I'll go with you! I'm worried about you going alone."

Li Ru thought for a moment and said softly.

Zhou Shan had no choice but to agree.

With Li Ru's introduction, Zhou Ling finally came to know thirty kinds of spiritual herbs.

[You have identified the thirtieth medicinal herb, Red Crow Grass!]

[Effect: Identified a total of thirty kinds of elixirs]

[Treasure Hunting Talent Achieved!]

(End of this chapter)