pertwk Chapter 90 Secret Medicine
Chapter 90 Secret Medicine
"statistics?"
Shen Xinyi leaned back in her chair, frowned slightly, and asked in confusion:
"In all these years of running a shop, this is the first time I've heard of selling books and then collecting buyer information. What exactly are they trying to do?"
"To tell you the truth, the publisher said there were some problems with this batch of books, and they need the customer information so they can replace these people with new books."
The young man looked around cautiously and said...
"Oh, I see."
"Oh, I see."
Shen Xinyi didn't suspect anything. She pulled out a blue notebook from under the counter, opened it, and pushed it in front of the young man.
That's her sales register, where she keeps accounts and such.
The young man took the notebook and turned the pages one by one.
He turned to the pages with the sales records for "The Castle of Strange Tales," paused, took out a pencil from his pocket, and wrote down the sales information in his notebook.
After the young man finished writing, he closed the notebook, pushed it back in front of Shen Xinyi, and grinned.
"Ms. Shen, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll deliver it again next month when the goods arrive."
Shen Xinyi nodded, said nothing, and stuffed the notebook back under the counter.
The young man shouldered the empty sack, pushed open the door, and went out.
The door hinges creaked slightly before closing, and the bookstore fell silent again.
Shen Xinyi picked up her teacup, took a sip, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the doorway, lost in thought.
Fang Shuwen closed the book, put it back on the shelf, and walked to the counter.
"Boss lady, the tea money is on the table."
"Um."
Shen Xinyi responded with a sound of agreement, without looking at him.
Fang Shuwen was preoccupied and didn't say anything more.
Pushing open the door, a cool night breeze rushed towards me.
As he pushed the cart, he wondered why this person would collect information about the book's buyers.
Is the book really printed incorrectly and needs to be replaced?
He recalled the few copies of "Tales of the Old Castle" that he had read.
The first batch of goods contained exotic energy, which he absorbed and turned into ordinary books.
The books that came later no longer possessed that alien energy.
Someone is now collecting buyer information because they've discovered something's wrong with the book and want to quietly replace it.
Or is it because of something else?
Published by Commercial Press, Shenghai Bookstore, and printing factory...
These events, when put together, don't seem like a typical publishing accident at all.
Fang Shuwen rode his bicycle along East Street toward Xingshu Avenue.
The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.
He went over this matter in his mind several times.
The story behind this book is more complex than he imagined.
Someone is now investigating the buyer's information, claiming they want to exchange the book, but that reason is too far-fetched.
If you want to exchange a book, you can just notify the bookstore directly. Why do you need to register each buyer's name individually?
Unless they are looking for people who have been influenced by books, not "people who buy books".
Fang Shuwen felt a chill run down his spine.
He didn't know if he was being targeted, but in this world there are all sorts of monsters and strange creatures, so it's always good to be cautious.
........
The next morning, when Fang Shuwen arrived at school, the preparatory bell had not yet rung.
The classroom for the elite class was already mostly full, with a constant buzz of voices filling the air.
He walked to his seat, sat down, and stuffed his schoolbag into the desk drawer.
Zheng Shulan hadn't arrived yet; her seat was empty.
quickly,
The preparatory bell rang.
Zheng Shulan ran in as the bell rang, her bangs blowing in the wind, her cheeks flushed.
She put her schoolbag on the table and turned to look at Fang Shuwen.
Why are you here so early today?
"I'll come when I wake up."
Zheng Shulan pursed her lips and took a package out of her schoolbag.
"Here, this is from my grandfather."
Zheng Shulan pursed her lips, took out a package from her schoolbag. It was wrapped in brown paper, square in shape, and tied with several hemp ropes.
She placed the package on Fang Shuwen's desk and dusted off her hands.
"Here, this is from my grandfather. He said he's done what you asked him to do, and he wants you to check if it's right."
Fang Shuwen was stunned for a moment.
What was entrusted to Zheng Gong?
His mind raced for a moment, and then he suddenly remembered—the medicinal herbs needed for the "Copper Extreme Skill".
Light gold, red copper, asparagus...
These things can't be bought in Xikou, so Zheng Gong said he would ask around in Shenghai for directions.
He originally planned to buy it himself at Shenghai on the weekend, but he didn't expect Zheng Gong to act so quickly.
Fang Shuwen took the package; it was quite heavy, weighing at least four or five pounds.
He untied the hemp rope, tore open the kraft paper, and inside was a black lacquered wooden box, about the same size as the one that contained the Xuan Bone last time, but thicker.
Upon opening the lid, a strange smell wafted out.
It wasn't a medicinal smell, but rather a fishy smell from a mixture of minerals and herbs, with a hint of sulfur, which was a bit pungent.
The box was divided into three compartments.
The left compartment contains a piece of grayish-white metal, about the size of a palm, with a rough surface. It feels cold to the touch and is much heavier than an ordinary iron block.
The middle section contains crimson fragments, resembling some kind of mineral, which gleam with a dark red luster under the light.
The rightmost compartment contains dark, dry grass, twisted into a ball, and it smells bitter.
Fang Shuwen went through these things in his mind.
Light gold, red copper, and worry-free grass.
match.
Light gold is grayish-white, extremely dense, and although it doesn't look like a big piece, it feels very heavy in your hand.
Copper is a dark red ore that needs to be ground into powder before use. Ashoka is dried and must be steeped before use.
He looked down and saw a piece of paper under the box. He pulled it out and unfolded it. It was Zheng Gong's handwriting, written in tiny, neat characters.
"One pound of light gold, three ounces of red copper, and five mace of Ashoka herb. Also, two ounces of cinnabar and one ounce of realgar are auxiliary ingredients. This formula must be used in conjunction with a secret ritual and must not be taken alone. Please remember this."
Below that were a few lines of smaller print, detailing the operating procedures of the secret ritual.
Fang Shuwen read through the words on the paper from beginning to end and got a general idea of what was going on.
The ritual is simple: light an incense burner, place the medicinal herbs into the burner in order, and simultaneously practice the breathing technique of the Copper Extreme Gong to allow the medicinal properties to penetrate the skin.
The first fumigation session requires two hours, followed by one hour each time, with a course of treatment lasting seven days.
He folded the note and stuffed it into his pocket, closed the box, and put it into his schoolbag.
"Please thank Master Zheng for me." Fang Shuwen turned to look at Zheng Shulan.
Zheng Shulan waved her hand: "No need to thank me. My grandfather said you saved me twice, what's this little thing?"
She paused, leaned closer, and lowered her voice: "What kind of medicine is this? My grandfather had it brought back from Shanghai; he said it took a lot of effort. Have you learned some new kung fu?"
"Yes, it's a body-strengthening technique." Fang Shuwen didn't hide it from her, but he didn't go into details either.
Zheng Shulan nodded, didn't ask any more questions, turned around, opened her textbook, and began to preview today's lessons.
Fang Shuwen sat down next to him, reached into his schoolbag and touched the wooden box, feeling a warmth in his heart.
The medicinal materials needed for the Copper Extreme Skill are all ready; now it's just a matter of finding a time to start practicing.
He flipped through the booklet on Tongjigong.
This technique has six levels. The first level is called "Copper Skin". After mastering it, the skin becomes as hard as copper, making it difficult to be injured by ordinary swords and even small-caliber firearms.
He has now achieved mastery of the Ming Jin (a type of internal strength) technique, with a single arm strength exceeding 2,500 jin (approximately 1,250 kg), but his defensive capabilities are still far from sufficient.
Although he won the fight with Wang Yue last time, he estimated that if Wang Yue's palm had landed solidly, he would have collapsed on the spot.
Defense is indeed a weakness.
Fang Shuwen closed the booklet and stuffed it back into his schoolbag.
I'll start practicing as soon as I get home from school, and try to master the copper plate technique as soon as possible.