Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 44 The Monk from the East
Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the weather has turned bone-chillingly cold; late autumn is drawing to a close.

The patch of white, ghostly illusory grass in the cold ground silently sprouted half a foot tall, each stalk standing upright.

Jiang Yi spent every day working around that place, from dawn till dusk, tending to it diligently, and he actually learned a thing or two about it.

This grass is strange; the stronger the sunlight, the more timid it becomes, and even in the height of summer, it hides underground to breathe.

Now that the wind is cool, they're all scrambling out, each one full of energy.

I was already making plans in my head: if it could grow like crazy again after this whole winter, that would be amazing...

Before the thought was even finished, there was a bang from the other side of the courtyard gate.

The visitors went straight into the courtyard. They were two servants from Liu Family Village. They had met a few times before and were quite familiar with each other.

Without exchanging pleasantries, the two of them squatted down by the edge of the cold ground to take a look.

After observing for a moment, one of them pointed to the glaringly white grass seedlings in the field before speaking:
"The farm needs it urgently, so we need to harvest two rows first."

The land totaled a little over half an acre, divided into ten rows, and two rows were harvested, which wasn't much.

There's no real rule about when this Illusionary Yin Grass will mature; it's usable as soon as it grows.

However, the longer it is aged, the stronger the medicinal properties become, and the price will rise accordingly.

Jiang Yi listened and simply nodded. Then he rolled up his sleeves and pulled out a pair of sweat-stained linen gloves from the corner of the room.

The three of them set off swiftly, starting to cut from the outermost end.

The grass stems are tender and fall over with a single swipe of the knife; as long as one is not afraid of the cold, they are easy to cut.

No need to replant after cutting; as long as the roots are not damaged, new seedlings will grow.

But when it grows back, it will be the beginning of the new year again, and the medicinal properties will have to be calculated from the beginning.

Jiang Yi gathered the last handful of grass, looked up at the white expanse deep in the cold land, his fingertips still feeling a little cold.

The two servants from the manor weren't afraid of the cold; they squatted down at the edge of the field and deftly tied bundles of straw, making sure each bundle was secure.

Finally, they weighed the weight together and exchanged a glance.

The tall man said, "These two rows, calculated based on half a year's worth of grass, would probably be worth fifty taels on the market."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi felt a shiver run down his spine.

Although he knew the herb was valuable, he still couldn't help but gasp when he heard the words "fifty taels".

In just over half a year, even grass grown on the ground can be sold for a whole tael of silver?
However, upon further reflection, he realized that in Liu Family Manor, a single tiger bone could easily cost several hundred taels of silver, not even including the auxiliary materials.

Fifty taels of grass, in other people's eyes, is nothing more than mud brushed off the ground.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, the tall servant reached for his waist, as if to take out some silver.

"and many more."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yi suddenly reached out and stopped him.

As he spoke, he pointed to the pile of neatly tied bundles of straw, a hint of a smile in his voice:
"Silver won't be necessary. Could we exchange it for something else? Like... medicinal herbs?"

He spoke casually, but his expression was quite serious.

Given the current state of the Jiang family, most of their money is spent on medicinal herbs.

Silver is good, but whether you go to the market or to Dr. Li's pharmacy, once it passes through your hands, someone will always skim off a layer of profit.

Besides, the goods from Liu Family Village are not something you can buy even if you have the money.

It would be better to just replace the materials on the spot; it would be much more cost-effective no matter how you look at it.

The tall servant, upon hearing this, didn't show any sign of embarrassment; he simply nodded slightly, his tone very gentle.
"Of course. As long as it's not something urgently needed in the manor, Patriarch Jiang, please feel free to ask."

Before the words were even finished, he followed up by asking:

"May I ask, Patriarch Jiang, what medicinal herbs would you like to exchange?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi was taken aback.

He knew the few medicines he used at home by heart, but when it came to actually figuring out the intricacies of them and making a list, he couldn't quite make sense of it.

After thinking for a moment, his brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing his expression, the taller man understood most of it and simply added:
"If it's convenient for Patriarch Jiang, you might as well come back to the estate with us. The storeroom is right behind us; you can take a look and pick out whatever suits you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression relaxed, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.

It's much easier to pick them out from the warehouse myself. Without further ado, I hurried back to the house, put down the sickle that still had grass juice on it, changed into a clean set of clothes, and then followed the two men toward the front of the mountain.

The three walked along the mountain path, the wind rustling through the branches and yellow leaves fluttering under their feet.

Jiang Yi had heard of Liu Family Village before and had glimpsed it from the treetops in the distance a few times, but he had never come this close before.

When I got closer today, I was quite surprised.

The village was surrounded by only a few rammed earth walls, with the roof tiles sticking out at an angle. The layout was not grand, and there was no sign of carved beams or painted rafters.

It wasn't as mysterious and imposing as I had imagined; instead, it resembled an honest and simple farmer's house, hidden at the foot of the mountain.

Before they even got close to the village wall, they could faintly hear a soft chanting sound.

The recitation was slow and deliberate, interspersed with the sound of a wooden fish being struck, making a "dong dong" sound.

Taking a few more steps closer, I could smell a certain aroma.

It was the scent of oil candles mixed with incense, ancient and heavy.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat, but before he could speak, the tall servant preemptively answered:
"Is the Jiang family head attracted by the scent of incense? The other day, the manor lord was patrolling the mountains when he bumped into a monk deep in the forest. The monk was being chased by a white tiger with piercing eyes, leaving him with nowhere to run or hide."

"The lord drew his arrow swiftly like the wind, and with one shot, he killed that beast."

He spoke of it casually.

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat as he listened.

This scene and these words sound somewhat familiar.

But then he thought about it again and his brows furrowed slightly.

No, the dates don't match.

He didn't show it on his face, but simply brushed the fallen leaves off his sleeve and listened quietly.

As the group passed through the gate and around the screen wall, the aroma of incense and the sound of chanting grew even stronger.

The servant walked briskly, but before he could finish speaking:
"The monk said he came from the east and was going west to seek scriptures."

Jiang Yi paused slightly, his eyelids twitching slightly.

Seeking scriptures in the West?
If you go west from the front of the mountain, wouldn't you have to pass right in front of your own house and then go around the back of the mountain?

"The monk was quite sensible. He rested for the night, ate a vegetarian meal, and said that he couldn't leave this favor unpaid, so he insisted on holding a Buddhist ceremony to express his gratitude."

The servant led Jiang Yi around a corner of the courtyard, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the Buddhist ceremony, and headed towards the storeroom, saying as he went:
"The master of the manor didn't care at first, but he couldn't resist his sincerity, so he let him go."

His tone was seven parts casual and three parts dismissive.

As Jiang Yi listened, several thoughts raced through his mind. He wanted to ask more questions but ultimately didn't. He pulled his clothes tighter, assuming it was just a strong wind.

As they spoke, the three of them had already reached the warehouse entrance.

The tall servant led the way and pushed the door open.

The door hinges creaked open, and a cloud of dust rushed out. The light inside was dim, but not suffocating.

Without saying much, he skillfully turned a corner and led Jiang Yi to the innermost part of the area.

Along the east wall, there was nothing but piles of various medicinal herbs.

Jiang Yi glanced at it and couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

There are piles and piles of them, and I don't know how many names they conceal.

Just look at that gleaming old ginseng, with its complete whiskers and hairs, shaped like a coiled dragon, it must be quite old;

There were also several palm-sized Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms on the side, all purplish-red in color, exuding a powerful medicinal aura that seemed to penetrate into the bones.

There were also some grass roots and tree bark that Jiang Yi couldn't name. They were all different colors and smelled different, as if they had just been dug up from the mountains.

But these precious things are just laid out and piled up so casually.

There was no cabinet, no receipt, and the burlap sack wasn't even tied tightly enough.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it wouldn't look like a priceless treasure.

It looked like the kitchen of an ordinary family, with piles of firewood waiting to be burned.

Thank you for the tip of treating me to a baguette.

May all my dear readers live forever and enjoy endless revelry!
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(End of this chapter)