A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"This black-scaled fruit is about eleven or twelve years old, and the leaves of the Epimedium have turned almost dark blue, a change that only occurs after fifteen years of medicinal use. Especially this earthworm's tendrils, with such plump roots that they're almost bursting the flowerpot, it must be at least thirty years old!"

Zhou Ping compared the three herbs back and forth, and based on his knowledge of herbal medicine learned over the years, he quickly made a judgment.

"I've really struck gold this time! If these herbs are no different from normally cultivated ones, I'll be rich!"

Several herb seedlings, after being watered with different amounts of water, grew from seedlings to the size of herbs that are over ten or even several decades old in just one night.

It seems that the amount of water in the mist directly affects the age of the herbs. If all the water were poured onto a single herb, wouldn't it give rise to a herb with an even more terrifying age?

Zhou Ping didn't know how to describe this exaggerated ability to induce childbirth. He picked up the agarwood on the table, looked at it from left to right, and his hands trembled with excitement.

Now, all that's left is the final step: once the safety and effectiveness of these herbs are confirmed, he can rest easy from now on.

Since this object is so extraordinary, it can no longer be placed openly in the porcelain vase. Previously, for the sake of easy observation, and because Zhou Ping knew nothing about agarwood, he had simply placed it there casually.

Now that he has witnessed the mysterious power of agarwood, he immediately regards it as his greatest secret.

This kind of unheard-of, heaven-defying treasure must never be known to anyone; not even the slightest clue can be revealed.

Such an extraordinary ability to stimulate life, if known to outsiders, would mean that even the powerful Green Bamboo Sect would not escape destruction, let alone a lone individual like him.

After figuring this out, Zhou Ping became clear-headed and realized the seriousness of the problem. This mysterious piece of agarwood was both a heaven-defying treasure and a deadly devil!

The slightest misstep could plunge him into an abyss of no return.

Zhou Ping frowned and pondered for a long time before finally coming up with a way to store the agarwood. Since this item was so important, he would definitely carry it with him to feel at ease.

He took out the identity token of the inner disciple of the Green Bamboo Sect, placed Chen Xiang on it for comparison, and then nodded in satisfaction.

Fortunately, the incense stick was only three inches long. Although it was slightly thicker than ordinary agarwood, the sandalwood identity plaque in Zhou Ping's hand was thick and wide enough to make a hole in the top and stuff the agarwood stick in.

After marking the correct position, Zhou Ping picked up the agarwood and used its serrated end to drill a hole in the identity tag.

Given the material and hardness of agarwood, coupled with the serrated fracture at its other end, it is exceptionally sharp when drilling.

After nearly half an hour of effort, Zhou Ping finally managed to stuff all the agarwood into the sandalwood plaque. To be on the safe side, he also cut a sealant out of bamboo and tightly plugged the holes in the plaque.

Feeling the heavy identity token in his hand, Zhou Ping's face showed a satisfied expression. Apart from being much heavier, it looked no different from before.

The bright green bamboo plug at the seal is a bit too conspicuous; we can just find some paint and paint it the same color as the ID tag.

Zhou Ping wasn't worried that sealing the agarwood inside would affect the production of smoke. It had been pressed under the bed before, and smoke was still produced as usual. He figured it would be the same if it were sealed inside the identity token.

When needed, he only needs to pry open the bamboo plug to reveal the incense stick and smoke inside, which is quite convenient.

Finally, Zhou Ping replaced the hemp rope on the sign with a longer and stronger cowhide rope, tied a tight knot, and happily put it around his neck.

After doing all this, Zhou Ping lay comfortably on the bed, covered the sandalwood plaque on his chest with both hands, and drifted off to sleep soundly.

The next morning, after Zhou Ping went through his routine roll call with Jin Jingtian, he hurriedly returned to Cuifeng Villa.

He had been thinking about the herbs that had helped him grow yesterday, and as soon as he got back to his lodgings, he couldn't wait to start working on them.

Zhou Ping crushed all the roots, stems, and leaves of the three herbs, mixed them together, and put them into his pocket.

He then pretended to be nonchalant and strolled slowly toward the cafeteria. His goal for the day was clear: those few brightly colored pheasants.

Upon arriving at the canteen, he first circled around to where Chef Wang kept his pheasants, furtively glancing around before pulling out a handful of crushed herbs and scattering them into the henhouse without hesitation.

"Coo coo coo~"

Zhou Ping gently called to the pheasants, and after seeing them swarm and fight over the herbs on the ground, he clapped the scraps off his hands and strolled into the canteen.

In the following days, every time Zhou Ping went to eat, he would first take a stroll around the chicken coop, and only after seeing those lively pheasants would he leave with a satisfied expression.

To avoid attracting attention, Zhou Ping would always pretend to be passing by, only glancing at the place from afar before leaving immediately. With his sharp eyesight, he could easily see what was going on inside.

Three or four days passed in this way, under Zhou Ping's close supervision.

Those brightly colored pheasants showed no signs of illness or poisoning; on the contrary, they looked even more energetic, their vibrant feathers appearing fresher and brighter.

Zhou Ping naturally knew why; the three herbs, the youngest of which was over ten years old, and the oldest of which was over thirty years old.

It contains pure medicinal power. Let alone a few pheasants, even an ordinary person who eats it will become vigorous and full of energy.

If the herbs used to induce growth were faulty, these pheasants should have died long ago. How could they still look so energetic and vibrant after so long?

This demonstrates that agarwood's ability to promote the growth of herbs has no side effects and can be used with confidence.

Only then did Zhou Ping finally feel completely relieved.

While feeling happy, I also gave myself a stern warning once again.

Everything about agarwood must never be revealed, not even to close relatives and friends.

It wasn't that Zhou Ping didn't trust them, but rather that the fewer people who knew about this incredible ability to generate offspring, the safer it was.

Even if only one more person knows, it will unnecessarily increase the risk of exposure.

Just before entering the canteen, Zhou Ping ran into Chef Wang, who was there to feed the animals.

When the other person saw him, they were stunned, as if they hadn't expected to meet this prominent figure of the Jin Clan here.

"Brother Zhou, what a coincidence!"

Chef Wang greeted Zhou Ping with a broad smile.

"What a coincidence! Brother Wang, where are you going?"

Zhou Ping quickly cupped his hands in greeting and asked, feigning curiosity.

When they ate in the cafeteria, the other person took good care of him because of his status, and would always save some of the good food and drinks for him.

Therefore, Zhou Ping had a very good impression of him and would always greet him politely whenever they met.

"Go feed those pheasants. I don't know what's wrong with them these past few days, they've been clucking like wild cats in heat, day and night. They're driving me crazy."

When Chef Wang saw Zhou Ping asking questions, he looked at the chicken coop with a face full of resentment.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something wonderful, he secretly peeked his head towards Zhou Ping.

"Brother Zhou, these pheasants are all fattened up. I plan to stew them in a few days to nourish the young masters."

"I'll save some for you later, so you can have a taste too!"

After hearing this, Zhou Ping was immediately dumbfounded...