Li Mu used his Wind Chasing Step to rush home and tiptoed into the study.

Now that I'm at the fourth level of Qi Refining, whether I sleep or not is no longer important. It will probably take some time for the spiritual energy around the Dragon County Villa to be replenished, so it's better to do something else than cultivate at home.

If it weren't for the fortuitous encounter that led me to the fourth level of Qi Refining at Guojiao Lake, I might have been eager to use the old ginseng to enhance my cultivation. Now, although there's no rush, having these medicinal herbs and not using them always feels like something's missing.

I've already mentally rehearsed how to compose the prescription several times. Now that I have nothing else to do, I might as well turn on the computer and search for a few medicinal herbs.

After searching on the computer for a long time, I could find similar medicinal materials online by piecing them together according to their pharmacology and properties. However, there was one herb, Sipingcao, that I couldn't find at all, no matter how I searched.

Siping grass, a common medicinal herb in the cultivation world, is surprisingly absent here. This herb is similar to licorice, but its effects in prescriptions are far greater. It's a balancing herb, growing to a height of only half a foot when mature, without flowers or fruit, and bearing four leaves, hence the name Siping grass—the Siping meaning "stable and balanced."

No matter how potent a prescription is, adding the appropriate amount of Sipingcao (a type of herb) can at least halve its potency, or even completely neutralize it, without losing its medicinal properties.

Li Mu wanted the Siping herb because he was terrified by that modified version of the Qi-nourishing soup he had just tried. Of course, if he wanted to make the prescription milder, he could omit the bitter thorn fruit, but having experienced the powerful boost it provided, how could he give it up?

It's like eating sashimi with wasabi. Although it's spicy and stimulating, and you feel terrible if you eat too much, the next time you eat it, even though you have it, you don't add it. You always feel like something is missing and it's not as good to eat.

Furthermore, this time he was going to refine a Qi-replenishing soup or pills, not only for his own use, but also for his second uncle, to see if Old Li had the aptitude for cultivation.

After dealing with Chen Jiaxiong, Li Mu realized a serious problem: relying on others for protection is not enough to ensure safety; only self-strengthening is the best protection.

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As dawn broke, Aunt Xia got up very early. Seeing Li Mu in the study, she greeted him and then went to prepare breakfast.

After breakfast, Li Mu hitched a ride with Li Hongjun to the city. He urgently needed to buy some books on medicinal herbs, such as the Compendium of Materia Medica and Shennong's Herbal Classic.

The car radio was broadcasting news, reporting on a serious car accident on the highway.

Li Mu originally wanted to tell Li Hongjun that the person who died in the car accident was that little bastard from the Chen family whom he had previously asked to kill. But after thinking about it, he decided against it. The Chen family of Yanjing was too powerful in his mind, and to avoid worrying his second uncle too much, he should keep his achievements hidden.

Meanwhile, in a hospital morgue in Yanjing, a group of people stood around a severely burned corpse. A middle-aged man roared in anger, "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Investigate everyone Xiong'er has been in contact with these past few days!"

After getting off the bus halfway, Li Mu looked for a bookstore based on his memory. However, the original bookstore had been demolished long ago. What was even more frustrating was that after finally finding two bookstores, they were all selling textbooks and supplementary books. There wasn't a single book on medicine that he wanted.

This is understandable. Li Mu's predecessor was an ignorant and incompetent guy who didn't even have enough time to show off, let alone read books. His only memory was going to a bookstore with his parents when he was young, and he never cared about bookstores after he grew up.

Unable to find the books he wanted, Li Mu decided to buy some medicinal herbs first. To his disappointment, while pharmacies were everywhere, those selling Chinese medicinal herbs were few and far between. He finally managed to gather the herbs from two slightly larger pharmacies and also bought a set of silver needles.

This shopping trip was the first time Li Mu truly faced the world. He came full of expectations, but the result was not so pleasant.

Carrying a large bag of medicinal herbs, Li Mu left the pharmacy, filled with emotion.

The memories of my past life have gradually faded and blurred in my present self. I've lived a completely different life in the same body. If I were to continue living according to the same trajectory as my past self, then my rebirth would be meaningless. This world won't change because of me; I can only adapt to it.

Before he knew it, Li Mu had already walked quite a distance on the street.

I was just thinking about adapting to this world when a bustling, down-to-earth atmosphere suddenly came to me. What came into view was a narrow street, rows of small shops, and crowds of people, with various sounds of hawking, bargaining, and greetings that sounded noisy and real.

Li Mu entered from the street, blended into the crowd, and began to stroll around the flea market.

.

"Boss, how much is this little tripod?"

"Young man, you have a good eye! This is a treasure from the Great Zhou Dynasty. One price, 500,000 for you."

"Boss, you're really good at fooling people. This isn't from the Zhou Dynasty at all. It must be from last week. To be honest, I'm just taking it home as a decoration, something to show off."

"Hey buddy, name your price."

"Are you afraid you'll hit me if I try to negotiate the price?!"

"Young man, it's alright. Listen to me, listen to what you have to say. Just name your price, and I'll sell it if it's right."

"Fifty!"

"Sell! Hehe!"

"Well..."

Listening to the conversation between the buyer and seller on the street, and seeing the rapid changes in their facial expressions, Li Mu almost burst out laughing. He'd never experienced anything like this in his two lifetimes; it seemed this was life after all.

After watching the spectacle and listening to a few stories that weren't exactly jokes, Li Mu's mood brightened, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

Upon arriving at the center of the street, an incense burner on a street stall caught Li Mu's attention.

This palm-sized incense burner has no lid, has a simple and ancient shape, and is supported by three legs. The burner walls are decorated with simple cloud patterns. The inside of the burner is covered with a thick layer of ash due to long-term smoke and fire, making it impossible to see its original appearance.

.

Li Mu stepped forward and took the incense burner in his hand. He immediately felt that it was different from ordinary incense burners.

"Ouch!"

Wang Yue was engrossed in reading an ancient medical book when someone stepped on her foot.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry!"

Li Mu was also in a hurry and accidentally stepped on a beautiful woman, so he quickly apologized!

After she apologized, I looked at her again. She was a tall girl with short, choppy hair, delicate eyebrows, and bright, clear eyes. She was a rare beauty, and she exuded youthful vitality and spirit.

Wang Yue saw that it was a boy who had stepped on her, and assumed it was one of those arrogant guys trying to strike up a conversation. Then she saw Li Mu's sincere and attractive smile as he apologized. His eyes were clear and bright, without any hint of flattery or lewdness. He was also good-looking, giving off a feeling that made her want to get to know him. She wondered if this guy would ask for her number later; if so, she'd give it to him.

"You, sigh! Never mind, just be careful next time."

Before Li Mu could speak, Wang Yue closed the book in her hand and asked the shopkeeper, "How much is this book?"

After listening to the beautiful woman's explanation, Li Mu was about to say a few words of apology or politeness, but then he saw the book in her hand and his heart stirred. The title was "The Extended Meaning of Materia Medica"—wasn't this exactly what he was looking for?

The vendor was a small, elderly man with a receding hairline. He seemed kind, but his shrewdness was unmistakable in his small eyes.

"This is an old book, a rare and valuable ancient book. If you want it, I'll charge you ten thousand yuan. I'm only offering such a low price because you like these kinds of old things. It wouldn't be this price for other people."

"Wow! It's so expensive! I can't afford it!"

After hearing the shopkeeper's words, Wang Yue's heart sank. She couldn't afford it! How could a used book be so expensive? Even a new book would only cost a few dozen yuan. The shopkeeper had set such a high price that she didn't even dare to haggle.

She is preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination recently, but her roommates told her that there are some old books in this secondhand market that are worth studying, as they can be helpful for her graduation thesis and the postgraduate entrance examination.

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