Chapter Thirteen: Brewing Medicine (Part One)

Ye Mo returned to the rocky cave on the cliff, their temporary camp.

Mo Ling was sitting cross-legged in meditation, channeling her inner energy to heal her wounds.

Not wanting to disturb her as she cultivated, Ye Mo tiptoed over the spiritual wood fence and entered the cave, quietly setting down the few remaining wild fruits and several healing herbs he had gathered.

He had no intention of telling Mo Ling about his recent encounter with Young Marquis Zheng Yiqing’s gang and their attempted robbery. The fight and subsequent escape had cost him quite a few wild fruits, which pained him greatly. Though the fruits themselves weren’t valuable, food on this isolated island was scarce—every morsel lost was a tangible setback.

Time felt especially pressing to Ye Mo now. Not only did he need to keep foraging for herbs to heal wounds and temper the body, but he also had to continually strengthen and repair the spiritual wood fence. All this was to better withstand the coming tides of sea monsters and to prepare for possible conflict with other warriors on the island, increasing his odds of survival.

But most crucial of all was the need to improve his own cultivation!

At least, he had gathered a decent supply of tempering herbs—enough to last several days, perhaps even enough to break through to the late stage of martial training. If he succeeded, both his vitality and physical strength, as well as his speed, would see considerable improvement.

He even dared hope to master the third and most advanced move of the "Wave-Slicing Technique": "Cascade of Waves," which would instantly double his destructive power.

Martial skills were his greatest reliance for survival on this isolated island.

Of course, all of this required time—he had to make every moment count.

Ye Mo carefully recalled his earlier battle with the two attendant martial artists. He had rarely sparred with other warriors before; this experience was thus invaluable.

"Our strengths were fairly evenly matched—they too were mid-tier practitioners. My easy victory came down to two things. First, although the ‘Wave-Slicing Technique’ has only a few sword moves, I’ve trained the first and second to a level of near perfection, far beyond their own skills. Second, the wiry man placed too much faith in his Eagle Claw technique, foolishly daring to grab my Qingfeng Sword bare-handed. If I’d already mastered the third move, ‘Cascade of Waves,’ he might not have escaped with his life!"

Ye Mo found his understanding of the "Wave-Slicing Technique" growing ever deeper.

Its three forms: "Wave-Slicing Strike," "Whirlpool Slash," and "Cascade of Waves."

The "Wave-Slicing Strike" was always delivered from high to low, with blinding speed, forcing opponents to guard their most vital points.

The "Whirlpool Slash" swept horizontally, ideal for facing multiple foes at once.

The "Cascade of Waves" was an advanced version of the Wave-Slicing Strike, unleashing two or even three slashes in rapid succession, multiplying the sword’s power and quickly breaking through an enemy’s defense.

In truth, this third move was just a chain of two or three first strikes, so the "Wave-Slicing Technique" really only had two unique forms. Compared to other martial manuals, which often contained dozens or even hundreds of moves, the "Wave-Slicing Strike" was distilled to a degree of utter simplicity.

Yet simplicity did not mean weakness.

Mastery was the true measure of a technique’s strength. Any move, honed a million, five million, or ten million times, would undergo incredible transformation—reaching the pinnacle, perhaps even the miraculous.

Ye Mo remembered hearing storytellers in teahouses as a child, recounting a tale from the Nine Provinces: a legendary general named Cheng, who wielded an axe and knew only three moves. Yet with just those three, he could stand against all the mighty warriors of the empire, his name resounding through the ages.

Ye Mo had once doubted such stories—how could one fight wars with only three moves? But now, he was beginning to understand. Even three moves, mastered to the highest realm, could make one a peerless expert, beyond the reach of ordinary warriors.

"Even a basic martial manual like the ‘Wave-Slicing Technique’ can lead to greatness if mastered to perfection!" Ye Mo thought, clenching his fists in silent resolve.

He sorted through the herbs he had gathered that day.

Taken alone, the Bloodvine was exceedingly hot and invigorating, making the body feverish. But paired with the mild, tempering Sevenleaf Lotus, the effect was much more balanced.

Ye Mo recalled from "Herbs of Martial Kingdom" that Sevenleaf Lotus should not be eaten raw, but gently simmered with other herbs such as Bloodvine to unlock its full effect.

"I have fire and herbs now—what I lack is a vessel for brewing. Where will I find a pot for decoction? Looks like I’ll have to make do with a stone bowl!"

Ye Mo glanced around but found nothing suitable for brewing. He left the cave, searching the nearby hills for a rock roughly shaped like a bowl. Afterward, he used the Qingfeng Sword to grind and refine it, fashioning a crude vessel for boiling his herbal concoction.

Mo Ling finished her meditation, opened her eyes, and saw Ye Mo placing the stone on the ground and preparing a fire. With a puzzled look, she asked, "What are you doing?"

"This… is a stone bowl, for brewing medicinal herbs!" Ye Mo replied. Glancing at the ugly, makeshift "bowl" he’d just shaped, he felt a little embarrassed at the cave’s meager conditions.

In truth, it was nothing but a rock with a sizable hollow ground into its surface, smoothed further to hold herbs.

"A stone bowl?" Mo Ling couldn’t help but chuckle, struggling to stifle her laughter lest she lose her composure.

Ye Mo shrugged off her amusement, ignoring her teasing as he left the cave again, returning with two flat stones, which he propped up with branches to form a stand.

Now, he had all the tools needed for decocting the medicine.

He plucked a leaf from the Sevenleaf Lotus and cut an inch-long piece of the Bloodvine—one with a cooling, gentle property, the other hot and invigorating. Both were excellent for tempering the body.

He placed them together in the stone bowl, crushed them with a stone pestle, added water, and mixed well before setting the bowl between the flat stones and branches. Lighting a fire beneath, he began to brew the tempering medicine.

Slowly, steam rose from the stone bowl, bubbles forming in the thick, blood-red liquid.

Ye Mo took a few healing herbs from the pile, planning to brew another medicinal soup for Mo Ling after finishing his own, to help her recover her strength as quickly as possible.

As for the cost of the healing herbs this time, he decided to be generous and not charge Mo Ling.

The night before, he had traded a packet of healing herbs for four inches of Mo Ling’s Bloodvine, as he hadn’t yet known about the tidal surges at the end of each month, when sea monsters would crawl ashore on these eastern islands.

Now that he understood, he had to plan further ahead.

Having another mid-tier martial artist at his side would greatly increase their chances of withstanding the sea monsters. He didn’t believe he alone could defend their camp against such threats.

Half an hour later, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted from the stone bowl, wafting through the wooden planks and filling the entire cave, even flowing outside.

"The medicine is nearly ready! As expected from the combination of seventh- and eighth-grade tempering herbs—just the aroma is enough to refresh the mind! According to ‘Herbs of Martial Kingdom,’ this blend is three or four times more effective than taking the Bloodvine alone!"

Ye Mo was delighted; the very scent of the medicine filled him with new energy.