For the next few days, Zhong Shenxiu's routine consisted solely of two things: venturing out to gather various precious herbs, or sequestering himself in the stone cave to practice his cultivation. He would first run through several repetitions of the Xuanwu Jue, followed by drilling the techniques from his various martial arts manuals.

It is worth noting that in addition to the Yi Jin Jing and Tian Long Ba Bu, Zhong Shenxiu had newly added two more disciplines to his regimen: the Tie Bu Shan and the Tan Zhi Shen Tong.

One of these martial arts was dedicated to enhancing Zhong Shenxiu's resistance to blows—a crucial asset for mere survival! The other provided him with offensive capability, as retreating had never suited Zhong Shenxiu's nature.

Under the hands of a perverse genius like him, these two techniques had reached a state of flawless perfection. With his current level of durability, it was likely that even bullets would struggle to leave a mark. His One-Finger Zen was even more terrifying; it could pierce solid marble from ten li away.

Although Zhong Shenxiu had mastered all four secret manuals within these few days, he harbored no immediate plans to study others. Instead, he focused on constantly refining and comprehending the latent mysteries hidden within these four texts, striving to achieve a realm of supernatural mastery. Having spent years studying martial arts previously, Zhong Shenxiu had arrived at a singular conclusion: the Way of the Martial Arts, if one could unlock its deepest secrets, was no different from the path of true cultivation—perhaps even surpassing it!

One day, Zhong Shenxiu was out gathering herbs as usual. Suddenly, he detected the faint sound of voices speaking in the distance.

This discovery electrified Zhong Shenxiu. He had been deeply concerned about a language barrier existing in this world, so hearing voices speaking Chinese was excellent news for him.

Filled with excitement, Zhong Shenxiu abandoned his herb-gathering, carefully and stealthily creeping toward the sound. He harbored no ill intent; he was simply curious whether the inhabitants of this world possessed the standard human configuration—one nose, two eyes.

Only upon drawing near did he realize these speakers were not monstrous figures with three heads and six arms, but ordinary men dressed as hunters, seemingly lacking any discernible power.

Zhong Shenxiu trailed them, listening for a good half-hour before finally piecing together their purpose: they were here for sustenance—hunting game and collecting herbs to sell. What puzzled Zhong Shenxiu greatly was that these men ignored the rare, valuable medicinal herbs, choosing instead to gather the weeds Zhong Shenxiu considered useless trash.

What was going on?

The hunters' bizarre behavior ignited Zhong Shenxiu's intense curiosity. After tailing them for an entire day, he finally understood. It turned out they only recognized a handful of specific herbs; everything else they collectively classified as poison. One couldn't entirely blame them for labeling spirit herbs as toxins, as those herbs were far too potent; an average person taking them risked immediate, explosive death.

Having grasped the situation, Zhong Shenxiu chuckled. It seemed this world was filled with simpletons. Did this mean he had no real competition? Furthermore, Zhong Shenxiu picked up a rather valuable piece of information: the currency used in this world was something called bi (coins/currency).

Watching the hunters toil all day to gather such a paltry amount of what they called herbs, Zhong Shenxiu felt a fresh surge of the urge to laugh. The herbs these hunters collected were precisely the kind Zhong Shenxiu had been using as firewood for the past few days.

Fate played strange tricks. If he had known these weeds could be sold, he certainly wouldn't have burned them! Zhong Shenxiu mused to himself.

At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu's spirits were soaring, the gloom that had accompanied his transmigration entirely dissipated.

The hunters did not appear disheartened despite their meager haul; on the contrary, each wore an expression of profound satisfaction. This alone suggested that the herbs they held were worth enough to sustain them for a while...

As the hunters left the forest, Zhong Shenxiu did not stop his pursuit but continued to track them from a distance.

He maintained this distance because Zhong Shenxiu needed to ascertain the location of the human settlements. Once he knew that, he too could sell some herbs for coinage to purchase necessities. If nothing else, he needed to acquire a couple of sets of clothing. Constantly wearing rags did not suit a man of his stature.

Time slowly passed, and the sky began to darken. The moon in this world appeared exceptionally bright, so even though the night was deep, it did not impede the hunters' steady march homeward.

After walking for an indeterminate time, just as the sky began to show the pale grey-white of dawn, they finally sighted an enormous city gate.

The gate stood open, guarded by not a single soldier.

Shadowing the hunters, Zhong Shenxiu slipped into the city as well. After several twists and turns through various streets, he finally saw the group of hunters enter a shop.

This must be the place where they sold their medicinal materials, Zhong Shenxiu noted silently before stepping inside himself.

As Zhong Shenxiu entered, the hunters were just exiting. They glanced at him briefly, gave him no further thought, and stepped out.

The shop was not large, but it displayed an array of medicinal ingredients—some finished products, others raw materials. To his surprise, Zhong Shenxiu even spotted several iron cages tucked into a corner, inside which were various live venomous snakes.

"Young one, what can I get for you today?" a plump old man with a protruding belly asked kindly.

Damn, he was taken for a child. Though thoroughly vexed, Zhong Shenxiu offered no rebuttal.

"Excuse me, do you purchase wild herbs?" Zhong Shenxiu inquired, though he already knew the answer.

"Heh heh, so young master is also in the herb trade. What sort of herbs do you have to sell?" the plump shopkeeper asked cheerily.

"Just this. See if you'll take it?" Saying this, Zhong Shenxiu retrieved the worn sack slung across his back and pulled out herbs identical to those the hunters had gathered.

To be honest, Zhong Shenxiu had collected these herbs during his tedious tailing of the hunters purely on a whim, just to see if they could actually fetch a price. He wasn't entirely clear on what these common weeds were called here or what purpose they served, leaving him somewhat anxious.

Seeing the sheer volume of herbs Zhong Shenxiu produced at once, the shopkeeper seemed taken aback. After a momentary pause, he quickly asked, "Are you planning to sell all of this?"

"If you want it, I'll sell it all!" Zhong Shenxiu replied immediately. These weeds held little value to him other than fuel.

"Just wait a moment, I'll get the money for you right away," the shopkeeper said, clearly delighted.

He had every reason to be happy. The herbs Zhong Shenxiu brought were not only plentiful but of superior quality. For a small shop like his, this was a massive transaction; no owner would be unhappy in such a scenario. It was evident in the fact that the shopkeeper’s address to Zhong Shenxiu had shifted to the respectful "Sir" (Nin).

In a short while, the shopkeeper retrieved a small pouch of money from beneath the counter, counted it meticulously, and respectfully placed it in Zhong Shenxiu's hand.

Taking the money pouch, Zhong Shenxiu pulled out a silver coin and examined it closely, thinking, So this is their money! How much can this little bit buy?

Zhong Shenxiu had drastically underestimated the value of the thirty-odd silver coins in his hand. This small pouch alone was enough to support an ordinary family of four for half a year.

After fiddling with the coins for a long time, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly presented one silver coin to the owner and asked, "Boss, could you sell me a few bags to hold herbs?"

The sack Zhong Shenxiu was currently using was one he'd fished out of refuse; it was definitely time for an upgrade.

The plump boss paused, then broke into a smile. He turned and retrieved a bundle of bags—about twenty of them—from a shelf behind him, respectfully offering them to Zhong Shenxiu without accepting the silver coin he held out.

"You are a major client of this establishment, sir. These bags are complimentary."

Was there such a good deal? They were being given away for free?

"Then thank you very much!" Zhong Shenxiu, not one to be polite in such matters, tucked away the silver coin, took the bundle of bags, and continued, "Will you be purchasing this kind of herb again next time?"

"However much you have, we will buy it all!" the fat shopkeeper quickly responded. After all, each bag cost only three copper coins; securing a major client by giving away a few bags was an excellent investment.

"Then I will bring more next time," Zhong Shenxiu said, turning to leave. He stopped abruptly, as if a sudden thought had struck him, and pointed at the snakes in the iron cages by the corner. "Boss, do you buy snakes here too?"