The morning sun spilled golden light across the rooftops, and the streets of the ancient Tang Dynasty marketplace were already bustling. Merchants called out their wares in melodic voices, silk banners fluttered in the breeze, and the air carried the rich scent of spices, roasted meats, and incense. Children ran between stalls, and robed cultivators walked calmly, some exuding quiet power.
Jack wandered among the crowd, taking in the vibrant energy. Everywhere he looked, there was something to catch the eye: lacquered boxes filled with dried mushrooms, jars of ginseng steeped in wine, racks of hand-painted scrolls.
He heard voices as he passed:
"Lady Zhang! These lotus roots—fresh from Baihe Lake, good for stomach and heart!"
"Bah, your lotus rot like politician's promise. I go to Elder Xu—he honest like monk!"
"Little one! Come try roasted sweet plum! Just one copper for taste that dance like crane in spring wind!"
Jack smiled at the chaotic harmony of it all.
Eventually, he stumbled upon a small wooden shop with a faded sign painted in brushstroke characters. Mystical Remedies and Alchemic Goods. Curiosity piqued, he stepped inside.
The interior was dimly lit, with the fragrance of dried herbs thick in the air. Shelves were crammed with jars, roots, dried leaves, and scrolls. There were only two people inside: a beautiful woman with elegant features, busy grinding herbs with a stone pestle, and an elderly man who was arranging vials behind a counter.
Jack approached the old man. "Good morning. This place looks amazing."
The man looked up slowly and nodded. His face was weathered like old leather, with a long beard streaked with silver.
"Ah... a foreign face, but bright eye and steady foot. What you seek, young one?"
"I'm interested in mystical plants. Things cultivators use for pill crafting. Low-level stuff, beginner-friendly."
The old man chuckled. "He wish to tread path of the immortal with foot still damp from birth. But so did we all once. Come, I show."
He led Jack to a display case filled with labeled clay pots.
"These be seeds of foundational herbs. For those who temper flesh and awaken meridians. You know of Body Tempering Stage?"
"A little. Muscles first, right? Then bones, then organs?"
"Ah! You study! Good. Like building temple: wood first, then stone, then fire in the altar."
The old man picked up a pot.
"For Muscle Tempering Pill, most simple—need Ironvein Grass. Grows in harsh soil, leaves like sword, smell of rust. Bring heat to blood, firm the flesh."
He picked another jar.
"Bone Tempering Pill, require Stonecore Root. Buried deep near mountains, slow to grow. Bark like cracked jade, root smell bitter. Strengthen marrow, harden frame."
Then a third.
"Organ Tempering Pill, made with Violet Heartleaf. Rare in wild. Leaf shimmer purple under moon. Brewed into tea, cleanse liver, calm heart, enrich essence."
Jack listened, impressed by the depth of detail.
"And for the second stage—Qi Gathering?"
"Ahh..." The old man's eyes gleamed. "Qi like wind—need not force it. Gather with patience. Simple pill suffice: Cloud Mist Flower. White blossom bloom at dawn, gather dew of sky. Gentle Qi, but steady. Good for building sea of energy in dantian."
He gestured to a brass alchemy cauldron behind him.
"We crush herb, distill in spirit water, cook with slow flame. Stir gently with jade spoon. Flames must never roar—alchemy is harmony. Too hot, pill turn to ash. Too cold, Qi not awaken."
He pointed to an elegant scroll hanging nearby.
"'One who tame fire, command stars. One who rush, drink ash of his dreams.'"
Jack nodded, fascinated.
"How much for ten seeds of each of those plants?"
"Hmmm... you polite, and interest true. Forty seeds total. I ask three silver taels. Fair for rare hope."
Jack handed over the coins without hesitation.
With four small sachets of seeds tied to his belt, Jack returned to his hut. In the privacy of his walled garden, he cleared patches of soil and knelt beside the earth.
He carefully planted each seed with precision—ten Ironvein Grass, ten Stonecore Root, ten Violet Heartleaf, and ten Cloud Mist Flower. Then, as before, he sprinkled a light dusting of bone meal over each.
The soil trembled faintly.
Green shoots burst from the ground. The Ironvein Grass grew in sharp, blade-like angles. The Stonecore Root cracked the dirt like tiny tectonic plates. The Heartleaf shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The Cloud Mist Flower exhaled a subtle mist into the air.
Jack sat back in awe. "This... this is going to change everything."
From within the city, the faint echo of a street musician's flute drifted through the air.
"'To plant a seed is to whisper to Heaven. To grow it, to be heard by the stars.'"