荒墟牧神 - 第21章 靈藥催身力拔山 - 雲海書庫

The medicine garden outside the village was vast. It was filled with spirit medicines the Alchemist had gathered from the Ruins over the years, and the villagers had long watched them with envious eyes. Yet the Alchemist had raised so many dangerous little insects in the garden that no one dared sneak in and steal the medicine. The Ruins were rarely visited by human beings, and spirit medicines grew there in tremendous abundance, with rare treasures everywhere. Over the years, the Alchemist had gathered countless strange and precious herbs and transplanted them into the garden. He seldom made use of those spirit medicines, but now he had finally decided to spend them on Shen Mu. One had to understand that the Alchemist's standards were exceedingly high. Every spirit medicine he gathered was a rare treasure, and taking any one of them out into the world would cause a sensation. Clearly, the Alchemist had staked a great deal on this. The bonfire gradually died down. The villagers each returned to their homes to rest, and Shen Mu went back to his room as well. He slept in the outer room, and before long he had fallen into a deep sleep. Granny Zhu pulled his blanket up a little, gazed at the sleeping boy's face, and smiled with affection. "My Mu'er... Whether or not you have a Hegemonic Body, you are still the child I raised. I will not let anyone or anything hurt you!" She was clever enough to have seen much from the expressions of the Village Headman and the Alchemist during the bonfire celebration. She simply chose not to expose it. She rose onto her little feet and went into the inner room to sleep. The next day, the Blind Elder came bursting into the house, bamboo staff in hand, and shouted, "Mu'er, get up quickly! It's daylight already. The Alchemist..." "This old lady isn't out of bed yet, and you dare peep!" A deafening crash rang out. Shen Mu opened his bleary eyes just in time to see the Blind Elder fly out of Granny Zhu's room, trace an arc through the air, and soar out of the village. No one knew where he had landed. "Grandpa Blind is truly something!" Shen Mu exclaimed in amazement. Even as he flew through the air, the Blind Elder was sitting cross-legged with his bamboo staff propped beside him, wearing an innocent expression as he was kicked clear out of the village. Shen Mu rose, dressed, washed, and made breakfast. After eating with Granny Zhu, he washed the pots, bowls, ladles, and spoons. Just then, the Blind Elder came running back from outside the village, full of excitement. "You vicious old hag, that kick of yours was brutal! I nearly couldn't find my way back! Mu'er, come quickly. The Alchemist has made a medicinal concoction for you!" Granny Zhu gave the Blind Elder an unfriendly look, glared at him harshly, then rose and hobbled away. "I'm going to Jianglong City to trade. Blind Elder, Mu'er will be in your care for the next few days. If he comes back missing even a single hair, I will hold you responsible! Grandpa Ma, Grandpa Ma, is the ox cart harnessed? Lame Elder, is the bamboo raft tied?" Shen Mu hurried after the Blind Elder to the Alchemist's shop. Before he had even entered, a powerful medicinal fragrance reached his nose. Then he saw a huge vat suspended in midair, with several vermilion birds circling it. Flames roared between their feathers, burning the outside of the vat crimson-red, while a bubbling sound came from within. "Mu'er, this is your medicine." When the Alchemist saw Shen Mu arrive, he took out the final ingredient, a green leaf, and dropped it into the vat. The instant the leaf fell into the medicinal liquid, the boiling liquid suddenly became extraordinarily viscous. With a casual flick of his hand, the Alchemist sent the vat spinning rapidly. A series of tinkling clatters came from inside, and the medicine that had filled the vat transformed into half a vat of white pills. They rolled and tumbled, striking one another with crisp, metallic sounds. The Alchemist waved his hand, and