The ink grass is as black as ink, growing under trees, not very conspicuous, and often mistaken for debris. As long as it is ground into powder and sprinkled on a wound, it can stop bleeding. This is somewhat similar to the common method of using incense ash or charcoal ash to stop bleeding, but ink grass is clearly more beneficial and can also speed up the healing of wounds.

“It’s blooming?” Henry Carter approached and saw the ink grass in bloom, feeling very pleased. He thought to himself, “In just a few days, it’s actually bloomed. If another ten days or so pass, these flowers will fall, become seeds, take root and sprout. After many years, there will be six or seven ink grass plants.”

He walked around these two ink grass plants, feeling quite glad that he hadn’t dug them up last time.

Henry Carter went to another spot and found more than twenty medicinal herbs. Although they were only worth a few silver coins, the quantity was considerable. These kinds of herbs are very common and even poor families can afford them at the pharmacy.

Coming to these herbs, Henry Carter squatted down and used a small hoe to loosen the soil around them. When it was almost done, to avoid damaging the roots with the hoe, he put it down and used his hands to gently clear away the dirt.

He gently pulled out the herb, but then broke off half the roots, placed them in the shallow pit, and covered them with soil again.

“This kind of herb is quite common and grows quickly. This half of the root will probably sprout and break through the soil in about half a month.”

Henry Carter dug them up one by one. After finishing with these twenty-some herbs, he calculated in his mind, thinking it would be good to dig up one more type of herb. He walked a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped. Not far away, under a tree, he saw a green vine climbing up the trunk.

He had never seen this green vine before, but he had heard of it.

Henry Carter had studied medicine and learned to identify herbs from an old Taoist since childhood, but his father had rarely taught him. He still remembered the first time his father taught him to recognize herbs—the medical book had a drawing of this very green vine.

The vine is called Ascension Grass, a poisonous plant.

There was once a Taoist who used it to refine elixirs. After taking it, he was immediately poisoned. His descendants were deeply grieved, believing that the Taoist had ascended to immortality after death, so they called it Ascension Grass, meaning that after taking it, one could ascend to immortality. In reality, it is highly toxic.

As for the antidote, it is found on the tree trunk, in the moss where the vine coils.

Henry Carter glanced at it, remained silent, and felt a bit downcast. After a long while, he walked away.

This young Taoist knew how to identify herbs and often made a living by gathering them. In his spare time, he read medical books and Taoist texts, especially stories of immortals, which fascinated him. He had a calm and peaceful nature, without much ambition or lofty aspirations. If he had any regrets, it would be the illnesses of his parents and master.

That illness had never been recorded in medical texts. Even after reading all the books he could find and borrowing from others, he could not find any mention of such a disease. Sometimes Henry Carter wondered if it was some unknown malady, but why had only his three elders contracted it?

Even though the young Taoist didn’t want to think about it, those thoughts would still cross his mind.

Poisoned?

But who poisoned them? And with what?

Even if he knew who did it, what could he do?

He was just a youth, with no power or connections. How could he investigate? Even if he found out, he knew nothing of martial arts, nor did he know anyone skilled in it. How could he take revenge?

This delicate-looking youth had no clues and nowhere to start, so he could only keep these thoughts to himself.

He usually made a living by gathering herbs and reading books, forcing himself to suppress other thoughts and living a peaceful life. Only occasionally, in his free time, would he think of that marriage contract.

Since his parents passed away, Henry Carter had not seen anyone from the other family. He had never cared about it, for he had never met the girl, didn’t know what she looked like, whether she was beautiful or ugly, round or flat.

He vaguely remembered that her surname was Bennett.

Henry Carter had long regarded the marriage contract as nothing. If the other party didn’t come, so be it. If they did, he would destroy the contract in front of them, so that the girl would not be bound by it.

Once the engagement was dissolved, everyone would be happy.

Henry Carter chuckled softly.

As he laughed, Henry Carter suddenly realized he had been walking for an unknown amount of time and had wandered into an area he had never been before. Fortunately, it was still the outskirts of Yinghuang Mountain, and he could see some traps and marks left by hunters. Although he no longer recognized the way, with the celestial bird around, he wasn’t afraid.

Henry Carter noticed a medicinal herb ahead, roughly equivalent in value to silverleaf grass, and felt a bit pleased. He went forward, dug up the herb, and covered the soil back. Thinking he had gathered enough for the day, he decided to head back. With a wave of his hand, the celestial bird circling in the sky let out a joyful cry and flew down.

Suddenly, the celestial bird let out a shrill, piercing cry.

Henry Carter was startled and saw the white-headed, blue-bodied celestial bird shudder in the air and then fall.

Although he couldn’t see clearly, Henry Carter knew that the celestial bird had clearly been struck down by a stone.

He was shocked and hurried toward where the bird had fallen.

He had just taken a step when he felt a sharp pain in his back.

Henry Carter stumbled forward and fell to the ground.

Just as he was about to get up,

The foot that had just kicked him pressed down on his back, pinning him to the ground.

A proud voice said, “A herb gatherer?”

The voice sounded young, probably not even twenty.