Lin Taigong: "He was just lying on a very thin branch, and when the wind blew, his body would sway with it. I thought he was a scarecrow at first, but he wasn't, he was a living person."
Ye Tian: "And then, did he talk to you?"
Lin Taigong: "He turned his head to look at me, then floated lightly in front of me, and asked if I wanted to learn cultivation from him. At that time, my mind was full of how to get rich, who would cultivate? So I refused on the spot."
Ye Tian smiled and said, "It seems your aptitude must have been good when you were young."
Lin Taigong sighed softly, "Thinking back now, if I had gone with him then, I might have become a Human Immortal too."
Ye Tian: "Did he say anything else to you?"
Lin Taigong: "He said it was okay if I didn't cultivate, but I could live in Shou Xian Town in the future, which would be good for me. He also said that he was a Human Immortal and was encountering trouble in his cultivation, seeking a solution."
Ye Tian's eyes lit up: "Did he mention Shou Xian Town?"
Lin Taigong: "Yes. After that, I didn't listen to him and wandered around. It wasn't until the last few decades that I settled in Shou Xian Town, and then I discovered Huang Jing. That Human Immortal didn't lie to me; Shou Xian Town has given me longevity and benefited me."
Ye Tian: "So, that Human Immortal knew the secret of Shou Xian Town."
Lin Taigong: "He probably did. By the way, before he left, he said something."
Ye Tian pricked up his ears: "What did he say?"
Lin Taigong: "I remember, he said there were spiritual veins in the mountains, which were once blessed lands, but unfortunately, he might not be able to go there again."
Ye Tian: "Why can't he go again?"
Lin Taigong shook his head, "I don't know about that."
The car drove to Shou Xian Town and arrived at the Lin family's residence.
Lin Taigong wanted Ye Tian to stay for a meal, but Ye Tian refused. He only asked for a guide and then headed up the mountain.
Near Shou Xian Town, there is Shou Xian Mountain, where those Huang Jing were found. The guide, called Old Bao, is sixty years old but in good health. He started running errands for Lin Taigong in his twenties and is very familiar with the area.
At the foot of the mountain, Old Bao said, "Young Master Ye, to avoid damaging the environment here, Taigong has never built roads on the mountain. There are only a few small paths worn by people, so we have to climb up."
Ye Tian didn't mind and said, "Alright."
After walking up a few hundred meters, Ye Tian saw many plants tied with red ribbons, which were indeed Huang Jing. Old Bao explained, "The quantity of Huang Jing is limited. To maintain production, Taigong requires that only those over five years old are harvested. This way, the annual output of Huang Jing is relatively stable."
He plucked a leaf and chewed it a few times, carefully sensing the medicinal properties. He found that the leaves of this Huang Jing also contained those three medicinal properties, albeit weaker.
He then picked a handful of weeds and chewed them. The grass did not contain these medicinal properties. He couldn't help but wonder and asked, "Old Bao, how deep do the roots of Huang Jing go?"
Old Bao: "The local Huang Jing are different from those elsewhere. Their root systems are developed and can go down more than ten meters. So sometimes, after Huang Jing is dug up, new sprouts will emerge again soon."
Ye Tian was thoughtful. He approached a tree and plucked a leaf to taste. This time, he indeed found the medicinal properties, but they were extremely scarce, less than a tenth of the content in the Huang Jing leaves.
He asked Old Bao to continue leading the way. Whenever he saw Huang Jing, he would pick a leaf to taste and note its location in his mind.
He spent half a day, traversing almost the entire mountain, tasting the leaves of many Huang Jing. Based on the medicinal property content in the Huang Jing leaves, he continuously narrowed down his search area.
At dusk, he arrived at a Huang Jing plant and tasted its leaf, feeling that its medicinal properties were the strongest. And centered around it, the Huang Jing nearby had weaker properties.
He said to Old Bao, "Go and call a few people. Dig down from here."
Lin Taigong had instructed Old Bao to obey Ye Tian in everything, so he immediately went to call people.
A group of strong laborers from the town were summoned. They brought tools and began to dig downwards.
Ye Tian found a stone to wait on. They dug until past three in the morning when a worker shouted, "We've hit spring water!"