Waking up early, Han Yichen and Situ Ye took a stroll through the vegetable garden before returning to the Hua family's old house to dry the herbs. After breakfast, Han Yichen saw that his wife and eldest brother had not yet risen. After giving Situ Ye and Yu Xiaotian some instructions, he picked up his medicine basket and headed up Pinglan Mountain.
By this time, the sun was rising higher in the sky. Han Yichen walked up the winding mountain road, from the outskirts of Pinglan Mountain, gradually heading deeper into the mountains. The herbs he was going to collect this time were not ordinary, so he had to go deep into the mountains.
The sparsely populated mountains were filled with towering ancient trees, dense thorns, and overgrown weeds. Tracing the mottled shadows of the trees, Han Yichen, sickle in hand, cut through the thorns and bushes, carefully observing the herbs growing on the ground.
Han Yichen didn't want any ordinary herbs. He just picked some wild black wolfberry, wild angelica, cornus officinalis, and Ula grass, because his purpose of going up the mountain this time was to get cranesbill and yam grass.
Agrimony grows in wastelands, hillsides, roadsides, and meadows, making it relatively easy to find. Han Yichen had already collected half a basket of herbs by the time he reached the mountains. However, this herb, which grows on cliffs, is not easy to find.
When Han Yichen was about to leave the forest and continue climbing up the mountain, a wild boar suddenly ran out in front of him. Seeing that the wild boar was about to charge towards him, Han Yichen touched the ground with his toes, jumped lightly, and flew onto a big tree.
He came here to gather herbs, not to fight a wild boar, so he decided to save his energy if possible. The wild boar grunted and rammed the tree trunk several times in a frenzy. However, even with the wild boar's attack, only the leaves on the top of the tree trembled slightly. The tree was so thick that it took several people to hug it.
As a master of medicine, Han Yichen was naturally adept at striking the opponent's vital points. After the wild boar's reckless charge had consumed much of its energy, Han Yichen casually plucked some wild fruit from a tree, aimed it directly above the boar's eyes, and threw it. A moment later, the boar collapsed to the ground with a thud, dead on impact.
After finding some sturdy vines, Han Yichen tied up the wild boar and hung it on a tree. Han Yichen narrowed his charming almond-shaped eyes and glanced at the wild boar with a wicked look.
"I have something important to do, so I'll come back to deal with you later. You look so plump, just perfect for making braised pork for my young wife."
Han Yichen's smile curled up, alluring and captivating. He tapped the branches with his toes, then spun beautifully, swooping down. His movements were as light as a swallow's, his clothes fluttering, his posture graceful. In a moment, Han Yichen was back under the tree, looking incredibly handsome.
However, as he was falling, he accidentally kicked a hornet's nest on a branch. Immediately, a dense swarm of wasps flew out from the nest. The wasps, buzzing their wings, flared their pointed stingers, sharpened their blades, and rushed towards Han Yichen.
“I’ll go!”
Seeing that the first group of hornets approaching Han Yichen were about to sting his handsome face, Han Yichen covered his face with his sleeves, quickly took out a bag of medicine powder from his arms, and then sprinkled it at the hornets that were about to attack him. Dense black spots suddenly fell like raindrops.
However, the hornets continued to attack, but instead sped up, chasing Han Yichen with even greater ferocity. It took four packets of powder before Han Yichen finally defeated all the hornets. Looking at the dense mass of hornet carcasses covering the ground, Han Yichen secretly congratulated himself on his preparedness.
Seeing that all the hornets were dead, Han Yichen took out a piece of cloth from the medicine basket, packed up the hornet's nest directly, and threw it into the medicine basket.
Honey is both a good medicine and a fine drink, beautifying and prolonging life. It's perfect for his young wife and his pregnant brother. And the honeycomb contains not only honey, but also bee pollen, beeswax, propolis, and cocoons—all good things.
After dealing with the hornets and taking the hive, Han Yichen continued to head towards the top of the mountain.
The weather was hot, a time when snakes, insects, rats, and ants were most prevalent. On his way up the mountain, Han Yichen encountered several snakes of varying sizes. He immediately drew the soft sword hidden at his waist, and with a single blow, he slew them all in a flash. If he weren't in a hurry, he might have even taken a snake gallbladder or something.
Around 4:45 PM, Han Yichen finally reached the summit of Pinglan Mountain. Even with his impressive Qinggong skills, he was already quite fast.
"Yifucao!"
Seeing that there were indeed several lush green Yifu grass growing on the cliff ahead, Han Yichen's eyebrows curved and a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth.
Last night, when Han Yichen was taking Mu Lige's pulse, he discovered that his elder brother was actually pregnant in a male body. Although he had taken a medicine that could change his constitution, it was a forced change after birth. Once pregnant, the father's constitution would be weakened as the fetus grew, making it difficult for the fetus to stay in place.
Moreover, from the moment of conception to birth, the fetus, driven by its survival instinct, will plunder the father's body for nutrition and vitality. His elder brother's pregnancy and childbirth will be more difficult than that of an ordinary pregnant man, and he will also have to endure more pain and risks.
Although he didn't know why his elder brother wanted to forcibly change his physique and transform his male body into a female body that could get pregnant and give birth, all he could do was to help Mu Lige take care of her body, keep the fetus stable, and give birth smoothly.
Perhaps it was for his wife, a year younger than him, or perhaps it was for the black-robed man who had saved his life on that bleak night. Han Yichen believed his older brother probably had his own story. But if he didn't tell, he wouldn't ask, just as he himself had his own secrets.
Before, Han Yichen had simply respected this elder brother, but now he inexplicably felt a sense of mutual appreciation. Since Mu Lige wanted to be a man who could father and raise children for his wife, Han Yichen would help this elder brother. This was also the purpose of his trip up the mountain to collect herbs.
Seeing the Yifucao right in front of him, Han Yichen leaped to the edge of the cliff, holding onto the cliff with one hand while carefully reaching out with the other to pick it. To ensure the efficacy of the medicine, the Yifucao needed to be uprooted, so he could only slow down his movements and pull it out bit by bit.
The midday sun was very scorching. Han Yichen's back was already completely wet, and sweat kept coming out of his forehead, dripping down.
One, two, three... Han Yichen gathered ten yifu herbs from the cliff edge, placed them in his medicine basket, and began to climb. Suddenly, he heard a terrifying howl, accompanied by a violent tremor on the ground. When he reached the top, he saw a pack of sturdy wolves approaching, the leader in particular looking particularly large and ferocious.
Han Yichen's face was solemn, his brows slightly furrowed.
Is this... the Wolf King?
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