Ch 8: Treasure Tower
Today has put a very different feeling in Su Wen's heart after saying goodbyes to his teachers.
He hasn't felt like this even in his previous life of 27 years.
Although he had many colleagues and professors in his lifetime, he never had anyone who cared for him like the teachers of the Sunrise Academy.
He put his hands in the pocket of his pants and then started walking towards the Treasure Tower.
He has already got most of the spiritual herbs he needed from the Master Physician Qin and the Assistant Physician Lu, he just needed a few more and it will be enough for his breakthrough.
After half an hour of walking, he arrived in front of a huge tower-like building.
Dragon statues flanked both sides, and a board with a blue background displayed the words Treasure Tower in beautiful white calligraphy.
As he entered the main hall, he was greeted by a staff lady who was dressed in blue clothes with white embroidery.
Su Wen nodded in greeting as he took out jade slip with a list of all the herbs and pills he needed and gave it to her for collection.
The lady took a few more glances at his pale face and went to take out the items mentioned in the list.
While the lady was doing her task, he started looking at the displayed items. It is said that the Treasure Tower has branches in most of the towns and cities all around the world.
You can buy almost anything from them like spirit herbs, artifacts and treasures, cultivation manuals and mantras, formations, information about a place or a person and many more, of course for the right price.
It is unknown who owns this huge beast of an organisation which has its roots spread all around the world, but Su Wen thought that person must be of a significant background and cultivation.
This branch has three floors, the first floor deals with cultivation techniques and resources, second floor contains weapons, artifacts & treasures and the third floor deals with miscellaneous affairs.
There is also a branch in Yellow Town, but it only has two floors.
As Su Wen was exploring the first floor, he suddenly saw a special herb on the display, the Sevenfold Spiritvine.
A Grade 3 medicinal plant famous for its ability to repair and strengthen damaged meridians.
Its slender green leaves carry a light, refreshing fragrance, and tiny white blossoms appear briefly before falling away.
What makes the Spiritvine extraordinary is its seed, once harvested and replanted, it can grow back fully within seven days under normal room temperature and moderate moisture.
Because of its fast growth and powerful healing properties, it is often called the "Heaven's Gift for Healing and Abundance." Physicians prized it for treating internal injuries, restoring circulation, and aiding recovery from meridian strain.
This herb is different from other herbs, as not only can it heal other internal injuries but also has the notorious rare ability to heal the meridians.
When injured, cultivators can take a recovery pill to heal their wounds. They just need to refine the spiritual power in the pill around the injury, and it will heal automatically.
Meridians, however, are different.
They are basically the spiritual pipeline system in the body, spreading from the Dantian located at the centre of the belly to all parts of the body.
If damaged, they can prevent proper circulation of spiritual qi, which may cause a cultivator to be unable to practice their cultivation technique, suffer qi deviation, or in the worst cases, become crippled.
Specific herbs are needed to heal the meridians.
If you are a cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage, you will need the help of a skilled physician to manually apply the medicine and support the meridians.
The physician has to be very careful, as a single small mistake can cause more damage to the cultivator.
Above Nascent Soul, cultivators can use their Primordial Soul for applying the medicine, but that's a story for another day…
Coming back to the topic, the Spiritvine herb was not without risk, every part of the plant, especially its roots, contained a toxin.
If not processed correctly, the same medicine that could heal meridians might instead cause severe numbness or paralysis.
For this reason, only skilled physicians dared to handle it, knowing that a single mistake in preparation could turn a cure into poison.
Su Wen thought for a moment, then decided to ask the price from one of the attendants wearing the Treasure Tower's formal uniform.
"Brother, what's the price for this Sevenfold Spiritvine?" Su Wen asked, pointing at the neatly sealed jade box on the counter.
He made sure to state the herb's full name, a subtle way to show he wasn't some clueless young master who could be easily tricked.
The attendant glanced at the young man, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes, though his professional smile didn't waver.
"Sir, this spirit herb is a Grade 3 Sevenfold Spiritvine, freshly harvested from the Southern Hills. Its quality is top-tier.
The listed price is seven hundred low-grade spirit stones, or..." he paused briefly to assess Su Wen's expression, "seven medium-grade spirit stones if you prefer an even exchange."
He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, "However, if you're looking to purchase more than one, I could request the manager to offer a small discount."
Su Wen didn't change his expression after hearing the price. He silently studied the herb for a few breaths, then seemed to make up his mind. Reaching into his storage ring, he took out a thin jade slip and placed it gently on the counter.
The attendant blinked in surprise. "Sir… this is?"
Su Wen spoke calmly, his tone steady and confident. "A complete recipe for a Stamina Pill. It's simple to refine and completely safe, no side effects except a little fatigue, which disappears after some rest.
Once verified, the formula should easily be worth around fifteen medium-grade spirit stones in trade."
The attendant's eyes widened slightly. He wasn't an alchemist, but even he knew that a stamina pill without backlash or side effects was rare.
Before Su Wen could say more, a calm, deep voice came from the next counter.
"Did you just say… a stamina pill without side effects?"
Turning his head, Su Wen saw an elderly man dressed in blue robes with a white insignia against a black background, the formal attire of a certified Treasure Tower alchemist.
The man had been inspecting a cauldron earlier, but now his gaze was fixed squarely on Su Wen, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Su Wen clasped his hands politely. "Yes, senior. It's my own creation. I'm willing to let the Treasure Tower verify its legitimacy. Your establishment's reputation for fairness and confidentiality is unmatched."
The alchemist stroked his short grey beard, clearly intrigued. "Hmm. Confidence suits the young, but let's see if your words carry truth."