Another night passed. Early in the morning, Han Li headed toward the medicine garden as soon as he got up, wanting to check if there had been any changes in those herbs.
Before he even stepped into the garden, he suddenly caught a whiff of several rich medicinal fragrances.
Han Li was momentarily stunned, but then a thought struck him: Could it be…?
He couldn’t help but quicken his pace and finally arrived in front of the herbs emitting such intense aromas.
Were these the same herbs from yesterday? Han Li couldn’t believe his eyes. He slapped his still slightly sleepy face several times, stopping only when it began to sting.
“The leaves of this Yellow Dragon Grass have turned somewhat purple, the Bitter Lotus Flower actually has nine petals, and the skin of the Forget Worry Fruit has turned black! Haha! Haha!” Han Li could no longer contain himself. Even though he was usually calm and composed, he couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh heartily.
“I’ve hit the jackpot! Overnight, these herbs, which should only have one or two years of medicinal potency, have all matured to over a decade. Look at the color of the leaves, the shape of the fruit, the fragrance of the petals—they’re completely identical to rare herbs that have been mature for many years.” Han Li carefully examined the herbs again, confirming they matched exactly what was described in the medicine books. They were truly precious herbs with over a decade of maturity.
“If I can accelerate the growth of herbs like this, I’ll have as many rare medicinal plants as I want! And I can sell any extras I don’t need. That way, I’ll be able to earn as much silver as I want.” Han Li could no longer suppress his excitement and began to let his imagination run wild.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and the grander his visions grew. He felt he had truly stumbled upon a treasure. Suddenly, he flipped several times on the ground, completely shedding his usual calm demeanor and acting just like any excited fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy.
It took a long while for Han Li to calm down. Once his mind regained its usual sharpness, he began to consider the challenges that came with this windfall.
First, while these herbs appeared fine on the surface, their actual medicinal properties still needed to be tested. After all, they had transformed by absorbing that strange liquid—who knew if they contained any mutated components? He had witnessed the tragic fate of those rabbits yesterday, so it was better to be cautious.
Second, the green liquid in the mysterious small bottle had been used up. He didn’t know if any unusual phenomena would occur again to produce more droplets. What if it was a one-time use? He needed to check again that night.
If both of these aspects turned out to be fine, he would still need to fully understand the details and steps of this herb-accelerating method and gain complete control over this incredible process.
After deep thought, Han Li identified these unresolved issues. Without solving these problems, this windfall would remain nothing more than an illusion—like flowers in the mist or the moon reflected in water.
Once he had considered everything, Han Li sprang into action.
He first went to the large kitchen outside the valley and bought two gray-haired rabbits from the manager. This action left the kitchen manager both pleased and puzzled. Why did this young man keep buying live rabbits? Was he planning to slaughter them himself to practice his cooking skills?
Han Li paid no attention to others’ opinions. This time, he didn’t tie the rabbits in the medicine garden but instead secured them outside his door so he could observe them closely at all times.
Then, he went to the medicine garden, carefully harvested the accelerated herbs, and prepared several batches of medicine that could strengthen tendons and bones. He mixed the prepared medicine into the rabbits’ favorite food and fed it to them three times a day to test if the herbs were toxic.
After completing all this, Han Li anxiously waited for nightfall. Time seemed to drag on endlessly until, finally, the night he had been anticipating arrived.
As soon as it grew dark, Han Li rushed outside, took the small bottle from his bag, and placed it on the ground. He then focused all his attention, eagerly anticipating any changes in the bottle.
Fifteen minutes passed, and the bottle showed no movement.
Thirty minutes passed, and still, the bottle remained unchanged.
Forty-five minutes…
As time dragged on, Han Li’s heart sank lower and lower. He waited until almost dawn, but the bottle showed no unusual activity.
He was utterly disheartened. Was the bottle really a one-time consumable? Or had he done something wrong?
Summoning his resolve, Han Li glanced around at his surroundings.
“Nothing seems suspicious, aside from how dark it is,” he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, he froze, then abruptly looked up at the sky. It was pitch black, with nothing visible. The phrase “how dark it is” had suddenly sparked a realization in him.
“Could it be because it’s overcast, with no stars or moon?” Han Li recalled that the bottle’s previous transformations had occurred on clear nights when the sky was unobstructed, and the stars and moon were visible. But today was overcast, with thick clouds covering the sky.
Han Li felt a glimmer of understanding and his spirits lifted slightly. Seeing the sky begin to lighten, he knew nothing would happen that night, so he put the bottle away, planning to try again once the weather cleared.
But contrary to Han Li’s expectations, the sky not only failed to clear over the next half month but also began to drizzle continuously. This weather persisted right up to the present.
Han Li gazed at the soft, drizzling rain outside, feeling extremely frustrated. The more urgently he waited for clear weather, the more it seemed to rain incessantly, with no sign of stopping.
He glanced back at the two rabbits sheltering from the rain inside his room. Their lively, energetic state only deepened his frustration. Since eating the medicine-laced food, the rabbits had not only shown no issues but had become even more spirited. Over the past ten days, Han Li had observed them carefully each day, confirming that they showed no signs of poisoning. Instead, they had grown stronger from consuming the tendon- and bone-strengthening medicine.
This positive outcome, however, did not bring Han Li joy. Instead, it made him anxious and unsettled, unable to find any peace of mind. For him, whether the bottle could produce more green liquid had become the key to everything. Yet, this prolonged, miserable weather prevented him from uncovering the truth, leaving him utterly exasperated.
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