“It’s not normally,” Ru Ping said. “But Elder Li has a mobile herb garden. That is where those plants are sent.”
Wu Ying’s jaw dropped. “A mobile garden? But doesn’t she still have to plant the herbs?”
Ru Ping shrugged, as uncertain about the peculiarities of the garden as Wu Ying. Rather than attempting to answer questions to which he had no answer, Ru Ping directed Wu Ying to finish his meal. “We have a long way to go.”
True to Ru Ping’s words, the expedition continued late into the day. Hours went by at a jog, punctuated by the occasional stops to deal with aggressive beasts. The first time it happened, Wu Ying did not even learn of the attack until he came across Tou He, bent over the corpse of their demon beast attackers, skinning and gutting the creatures.
By the time the group made camp that night, the expedition had had to deal with four fights, including one which involved all members of the expedition as they were attacked by giant flying ants. The creatures, arisen from a disturbed ant nest, had swarmed the expedition in search of biomass. Luckily, Elder Dong had launched a series of fire chi palm strikes, burning and destroying the ants’ delicate wings and allowing the hard-pressed expedition to deal with their attackers without significant injury.
Late that night, as Wu Ying returned from the temporary shower the group had created, Ru Ping intercepted the young cultivator. “There you are. Be ready in ten minutes. We should harvest additional herbs before the night grows too dark.”
“Are we going to do this every night?” Wu Ying said, frowning. Thus far, they had acquired some uncommon and rare herbs, but nothing of great value like their target.
“Of course. How do you think Elder Li intends to pay for this expedition?” Ru Ping said. “If you’re here, we might as well make full use of you.”
“Is this the reason you wanted me along? To harvest what we find as we travel?” Wu Ying said.
“Mostly,” Ru Ping said. “Elder Li will require a second pair of hands when she harvests the kurinji flowers. I will aid her, of course, but if there is an accident, it is best to have a spare.”
Wu Ying made a face he quickly hid from Ru Ping. To think, he had been threatened and abused because they needed a spare. Even after all this time, even to someone he thought was a friend, he was nothing more than an extra pair of convenient hands.
Ru Ping, either ignoring Wu Ying’s dissatisfaction or not seeing it, reiterated their timeline before walking off.
In short order, as Wu Ying sat near a fire, Li Yao arrived and sat beside him, offering Wu Ying a bowl of roasted peanuts.
“Thank you.” Wu Ying took the bowl and chewed on its contents.
“Why are you making such a sour face? Did you suck on something distasteful?”
Wu Ying flashed a smile at Li Yao before he sighed. “I’m just frustrated. It seems I’m here as nothing more than a mobile harvester.”
“And?” Li Yao said with a frown. “We’re being paid a princely sum in contribution points to be here.”
“It’s dangerous,” Wu Ying said, looking around.
“Bah. Big Winged Wood Ants are nothing,” Li Yao said, shaking her head. “And Senior Ge is here, as are the Elders. This is the safest expedition into these lands the sect has launched in years.”
“Still…”
“Cultivation—”
“Is not a safe activity,” Wu Ying finished the common saying. “I know. But this is the second year I’ve been in the sect, and the second year I’ve left it.”
“Don’t act as if you aren’t enjoying the run. Or the harvesting,” Li Yao said. “I saw your face on the journey. You were smiling and relaxed, more than I’ve ever seen you. Well, except when we’re not in the sect.”
“That’s because…” Wu Ying clamped his mouth shut. What he’d been about to say would be insulting to Li Yao. He was more relaxed because out here, there were no nobles. Or fewer. No random social constraints or rules he did not know. No snobby rich kids showing off the latest gift from their parents. Or jumping ahead in their cultivation because they had managed to buy the latest pill. No. Out here, even with the expedition, Wu Ying did not have to worry about those things.
“Because?”
“Nothing,” Wu Ying said.
Li Yao narrowed her eyes at Wu Ying, but he smiled back at her. She sniffed and stood, muttering something that sounded very much like a curse as she left Wu Ying alone with his nuts. Wu Ying rubbed his greasy fingers for a second, feeling the salt the peanuts had left, and watched Li Yao flounce away.
Still, Wu Ying had to admit, the snack and Li Yao’s reminder that he was out of the sect brightened his mood. Even if he was here, facing more danger than he would have liked, Wu Ying was still enjoying himself and earning a large number of contribution points.
Perhaps, as with all things, Wu Ying needed to adjust his mindset. And, he had to admit, probably get over himself. Even on the farm, there were often times he’d had to do things he disliked.
“Those are Purple Night Glow Mushrooms,” Ru Ping said as Wu Ying eyed the aptly-named fungus. Joined by Tou He and another pair of cultivators as guards, the harvesters were making their way through the surrounding forest. “Very poisonous if ingested. The frills under the cap are where the poison rest.”
“Are we harvesting it?” Wu Ying had never done so before, but he knew the basics and was already reaching for his gloves.
“In a way. Get a container, cut the mushrooms free, and scrape the frills completely. Be careful to not inhale any when you do so,” Ru Ping informed Wu Ying. “Leave the rest. The pill refiners have little use for the poison, but the physicians occasionally use it to burn off infections.”
Wu Ying bobbed his head before he pulled a cloth from his storage ring, wet it, and wrapped it around his face. As Ru Ping moved away to harvest other flora, Wu Ying eyed the mushrooms and gauged the size of container he would need.
“Dangerous work,” Tou He said, having stayed by Wu Ying’s side. The monk had exchanged his quarterstaff for a pair of tong fas, preferring the shorter weapons for use in the forest.
“It can be,” Wu Ying admitted. Not surprisingly, many spiritual herbs had defense mechanisms. Sometimes, it was as simple as large and aggressive thorns. Most had more elaborate and dangerous protections. “Please back off. You don’t want to breath this in accidentally.”
“Yes, sir.” Tou He chuckled and moved away, letting his gaze roam over the surroundings.
Under the new moon and a cloudless sky, their greatest source of illumination were the lamps the group had brought. Of course, the illumination reduced their ability to notice potential threats, but the light was necessary for the harvesters to undertake their delicate work.
Harvesting knife in hand, Wu Ying sliced the stems of the mushrooms, pulling them off the dead tree they had grown upon. Wu Ying’s movements were slow but assured, each mushroom plucked and placed on the brown wax paper he had arranged before him. Wu Ying took the time to clear all the mushrooms before he moved to the next step. With a small metallic oval wire tool, Wu Ying positioned the mushrooms on the wax paper and scraped the frills clean before discarding the cleaned fungi. In short order, Wu Ying had a pile of yellow-green remnants which he deposited in a clay bottle with the aid of a wax paper funnel. Once he had capped the bottle, Wu Ying breathed easily at last.
“Now what?” Tou He said.
“We find Ru Ping and see what else he wants us to harvest,” Wu Ying said. For now, he would store the harvested material outside of his storage ring.
Together, the pair headed in the direction the other harvester had left in, Wu Ying’s head turning as he searched for more spirit herbs to collect.
Chapter 18