I Have Medicine

Chapter 614 - (Good Stuff) Enhancing…

‘Qingxue Tree?’

Lei Pengfei and the others looked at each other, realizing they had never heard of such a thing.

Duan Yunbeng asked, “Qingxue Tree… what is its use?”

Gu Zuo smiled. “Qingxue Tree is a type of Secret Medicine.”

Upon hearing those words, even the cold-tempered Feng Xueqin couldn’t help but fix her gaze upon him.

‘Secret Medicine?’

‘That is no ordinary herb!’

Any plant labeled as a “Secret Medicine” grows only in highly specific environments. The power contained within is usually meant for those with special attributes or abilities to increase the strength of said attribute. Furthermore, a key characteristic of Secret Medicine is its extreme rarity; if it weren’t scarce, it wouldn’t be called a Secret Medicine.

For instance, Lei Pengfei possessed a lightning attribute. While lightning is relatively common among special attributes—and the materials for it are somewhat easier to find—a drug capable of directly enhancing his lightning attribute, such as Striking-Thunder Bamboo Sap, would be a different story. It would need to grow within a Thunder Pool on a Heavenly Mountain where lightning rumbles year-round. It would take at least ten thousand years for the Striking-Thunder Bamboo to mature, and even then, it would only produce a single drop of liquid every century. To truly strengthen a lightning-attribute physique, one would need at least a hundred drops. Yet, the bamboo itself is difficult to form; out of ten thousand sprouts, perhaps only one or two survive being consumed by others, and out of those survivors, only one or two might actually reach maturity…

Other examples include medicines that cannot grow under normal conditions, such as those that thrive in the heart of violent gales, in semi-void environments, or in semi-chaotic environments.

In short, any attribute outside the primary Five Elements is a special attribute, and these are further ranked by grade.

Lei Pengfei and his companions had always considered themselves quite knowledgeable. To find resources, they had studied countless types of natural treasures. But while traveling with Gu Zuo, they realized that their knowledge truly paled in comparison to his. Everything they didn’t recognize… Gu Zuo recognized without exception.

Involuntarily, their confidence in this trip grew once more.

Gu Zuo continued: “The Qingxue Tree produces one Qingxue Fruit every ten thousand years. Initially, it is a pale green color; the older it gets, the deeper the green becomes, and a purple streak appears for every ten thousand years of age. This fruit absorbs the energy of the Qingxue Tree to form. If refined into a pill and swallowed, its greatest use is the ability to enhance bloodline power.”

The moment those words were spoken, all other thoughts vanished from the minds of Lei Pengfei and the others. Their entire focus was pinned on the phrase “enhance bloodline power.”

As mentioned before, innate bodies are divided into talent-based innate bodies and bloodline-based innate bodies. Bloodline innate bodies, naturally, rely on one’s lineage. When the bloodline concentration reaches a certain threshold, one awakens the innate body possessed by the family’s ancestors. Once awakened, a martial artist’s aptitude increases by several or even dozens of times. Their progress in family-specific techniques becomes lightning-fast—in fact, any martial technique or cultivation method with a matching attribute can be mastered at a speed far superior to before!

This bloodline power is innate, of course… However, it can be further stimulated through certain rare treasures in later stages, effectively increasing the bloodline concentration. Yet, such treasures are exceptionally rare. Without special encounters, even some major powers may struggle to find suitable and corresponding ones.

Lei Pengfei and the others were no fools. They quickly caught the key detail in Gu Zuo’s words—Junior Brother Gu said “enhance bloodline power” without specifying a particular type. This forced them to wonder: could this Qingxue Fruit enhance any type of bloodline power?

Perhaps sensing the burning light in their eyes, Gu Zuo gave them a smile. “Indeed. I happen to know a pill formula that uses the Qingxue Fruit as the primary ingredient. The resulting Qingxue Pill can fully utilize the fruit’s medicinal power. Depending on the grade of the pill, the maximum effect can enhance a martial artist’s bloodline power by thirty percent! And for those who possess strong bloodlines but have somehow failed to awaken their innate body, swallowing this pill increases the probability of awakening by twenty to thirty percent.”

The eyes of Lei Pengfei and his companions lit up with a visible flash.

If they were merely tempted before, they were now utterly fervent. How massive was a thirty-percent chance? How significant was a thirty-percent bloodline boost?

How many people, despite having thick bloodlines, were unable to break through the shackles and could only regret their fate in secret? How many others were trapped in an awkward middle-ground within their families because their bloodline concentration wasn’t high enough to awaken, no matter how high their comprehension?

For such people, the Qingxue Pill was no exaggeration to call a “divine medicine”!

At this moment, Lei Pengfei and the others looked at Gu Zuo with some hesitation. “Junior Brother Gu, this…”

Because they had agreed that all materials for pharmacists would go to him, they were now in a bind. They had discovered the potential existence of Qingxue Fruits and were bound to investigate, but if they missed out on the fruits and the pills they could become… their hearts would… yet they were all prestigious figures, and it would be unseemly to go back on their word now.

After hesitating for a moment, the group gritted their teeth, intending to offer other items in exchange.

However, Gu Zuo spoke up first: “If the yield of pills from the Qingxue Fruit is sufficient, I will give each of you a pill as a token of my appreciation.”

He was giving them face. In the past, he had indeed said he would share, but that was usually only if the medicinal materials were abundant. No one knew how many Qingxue Fruits there would be, and given their importance, it would have been perfectly reasonable if he hadn’t given them any at all. But he also knew these people couldn’t afford to miss out on such a pill. Rather than letting them propose an exchange, it was better to do them a favor here—after all, given their character, they certainly wouldn’t mistreat him after receiving such a gift. Why force them to “lose face” by begging?

Lei Pengfei and the others were delighted. They immediately understood Gu Zuo’s intentions and were very appreciative. Of course, they felt a single Qingxue Pill might not be enough, but they also knew it was hard to say how many fruits actually existed. At worst, if the yield was high, they could privately request a trade with Gu Zuo later. If the fruits were truly scarce, they wouldn’t force themselves upon him to take advantage.

Thus, having decided on the Qingxue Fruit, they quickly moved deep into the cogon grass—following the direction from which the Crimson Blood Bats had previously flown.

Lei Pengfei and the others fanned out to clear the path while Gongyi Tianheng protected Gu Zuo. Gu Zuo gripped his big brother’s sleeve as they walked, providing a steady stream of information: “Crimson Blood Bats live on the ground; usually, they only circle and fly at night unless disturbed. However, regardless of day or night, they are easily stimulated and forced to reveal themselves if they encounter the sap of Bai Yuan Branch. Furthermore, the sap has a weakening effect on their fire abilities; if they are coated in it, their movements become much more sluggish…”

As he spoke, Gu Zuo’s mind stirred, and a snow-white, branch-like object as thick as an arm appeared before him. It had a few small offshoots and looked like an ordinary branch carved from snow. Despite its appearance, it possessed a warm, jade-like luster, and its scent seemed locked away, revealing nothing.

This was the Bai Yuan Branch.

Even though Gu Zuo was well-prepared, he wasn’t clairvoyant enough to have the sap ready in advance. Even this branch was just one of many medicinal materials he had hoarded previously, and it happened to be useful now.

The sight of Gu Zuo taking out the Bai Yuan Branch made the expressions of Lei Pengfei’s group turn subtle once again.

‘Junior Brother Gu… truly has a rich collection.’

They hadn’t expected Gu Zuo to have a solution for every situation they encountered. Their initial plan to slowly grope their way through could now be completely discarded.

Next, Gu Zuo let go of Gongyi Tianheng’s sleeve and began to perform hand seals—his pace never faltering.

He skillfully tossed the Bai Yuan Branch into the air and pointed a finger. A tiny flame flickered at his fingertip—the Azure Silk Fire he had previously subdued. It landed on the wood, breaking the bark and refining the sap within. Through Gu Zuo’s simple refinement, impurities were purged, leaving a glob of pure liquid essence. To avoid alerting the Crimson Blood Bats prematurely, he shifted his hand seals again, locking in the liquid’s aura so not a trace escaped.

Before long, the sap was fully extracted, and the branch had vanished. With a stir of his mental power, Gu Zuo drew the liquid into a newly produced Bai Teng Bowl. Bai Teng and Bai Yuan Branch were symbiotic; the bowl was the best vessel for holding the sap.

This performance drew another round of amazed praise from Lei Pengfei and the others. The longer they spent with a pharmacist like Gu Zuo, the more their horizons expanded.

A few moments later, Gu Zuo finally came to a halt.

“Junior Brother Gu, what’s the status?” Lei Pengfei asked.

Gu Zuo replied, “Once I scatter this liquid, each wave will cover a radius of several li. I hope you will all strike with full force to eliminate every Crimson Blood Bat that is startled out!”

Trusting Gu Zuo completely, they all agreed.

Having received their promise, Gu Zuo hesitated no longer. He tapped the bowl, and a glob of liquid soared into the sky, quickly gathering like a dark cloud and expanding to cover an area of three li. Then, the “cloud” began to drizzle down like rain, coating the entire area!

In the next instant, a frantic rustling sound erupted. Suddenly, several hundred Crimson Blood Bats surged out of the cogon grass, pouncing toward the group with extreme speed!

Lei Pengfei and the others struck simultaneously. Their power was immense, sweeping through the area like a violent storm and wiping out every single bat! They felt clearly that this time was indeed much easier than the last.

Gu Zuo didn’t dally: “Everyone, prepare for the next wave!”

He then released another “dark cloud rain” over a different section of the grass, again covering several li. Lei Pengfei and the others moved to strike once more…