340 Welcome Back, Zero (1/2)
After Zero's return, the teen busied himself with settling some administrative matters. Zoe did a good job relaying the message and the projects were coming together. Zenobia was doing a good job of creating awareness about Half Moon village's worth with Schaf overseeing the business expansion. Coux was working hard in Hell and the medicine farm was a huge success.
Zero made a list of things that he would require to bring with him for his travels. As a wandering doctor, the one thing that the teen was afraid of would be the shortage of medicine or resources required to treat his patients. Hua Tuo mentioned that a doctor's worst nightmare is knowing how a patient can be saved but not having the resources or ability to do so. Of course, his teacher said this in reference to the plague that was spreading across a rural village in one of his past travels. Back then, Hua Tuo wasn't a Sage God yet and he could only carry herbs in his portable wooden medicine chest. Even after many years, that was still one of Hua Tuo's lingering regrets from his mortal days.
”We have a few medicine farms going at the same time,” Zero called all his mindscape assistants for a strategy meeting.
Mii presented a list of medicinal herbs that are growing in the various farms that Zero owned and co-owned. Some of them were unique to the environment they were grown in while others were magically infused.
The doctor currently had four farms and three regions where his herbs were growing. The first was Hua Tuo's tiny medicine garden where his teacher cross-bred certain poisonous plants to create a more potent medicine that can be used to save thousands of lives in one concoction. It was currently being maintained by the invisible helpers and Zoe was in charge of bringing the honey cake offerings. Cleo would help to harvest the herbs for processing when it was ready.
The second farm was in Half Moon Village. The small farm that the agricultural team worked with was divided into half for growing vegetables and the other half for Zero's unique herbs that required the water from the Spring of Vitality. Zero was considering expanding this particular farm. He did want to try re-routing the water from Trigression Falls to another part of the garden just so that he could study the difference between magical plants and qi nourished plants.
”Master,” Wii frowned. ”I don't think we can do that. Half Moon village doesn't have that much space for garden expansion.”
”I still really want to test it out. Does anyone have any suggestions?” Zero asked his small team and Lily raised her hand.
”Why don't we ask permission from Hua Tuo to expand his farm and redirect the water from Trigression Falls to his hut?”
Zero thought about it. There was a portal leading from Hua Tuo's hut to the Trigression Falls. Zero was actually glad that he didn't remove that portal even though his training was complete. The current medicinal farm at Hua Tuo's hut was actually rather small. They didn't need to do much to tend to it on a daily basis. There was also plenty of fertile soil good for planting.
”Good idea, Lily. I will ask shifu if I can expand his plot of land and garden to test it out. Might as well do up an array and have the agricultural team rotate their duties to monitor shifu's hut and garden as well.”
The third garden that Zero had shares in was the one in the abyss. Beelzebub had a massive farm outside of his domain and Zero asked the Lord of Gluttony to help him grow some specific plants that can only grow on the abyss soils. The territory outside of Roth garden was still undeveloped so if he required it in future, Zero could ask Ruth to help him manage the farm that can be developed outside of Garden of Roth. For now, Zero wasn't in urgent need of too many herbs although the same cannot be said about Hope Hospital.
”Did my shifu say anything about his medicinal supplies in the abyss?” Zero asked.
Mii shook her head. ”I only hear reports from Coux about the increase in the number of patients. Hua Tuo's new students are doing well so they are thinking of expanding the hospital operations but that's still undergoing discussions. Mammon doesn't know if every domain would require a clinic because travelling to and fro from domains have become so convenient with Ten-Path Crossway. Beelzebub's herbs must be sufficient.”
Knowing that the current situation was still looking good with back up plans for future expansion, Zero moved down the list. His fourth garden was the newly acquired pasture in Heaven that he was co-owning with Merlin. Currently, there was nothing grown in that pasture but that will soon change. He hasn't told the agricultural team about it because Zero didn't know what to grow on it yet. Merlin will be using about half of the pasture to cultivate magical plants for potions and pills. That alone will fetch a high price. With his teacher's aid, getting a few gardening golems wouldn't be difficult. The real question was what kind of herbs did Zero want to grow in that pasture?
”Do we have a list of medicinal plants unique to Heaven?” he asked Mii.
Wii smiled and helped her sister retrieve a scroll. While Zero busied himself with preparing Medusa and Poseidon's wedding gift, the sisters collected all the information that they thought Zero would require. Zero was very pleased with the efficiency and praised them for it.
The doctor wasn't surprised by the effects of the unique herbs. In fact, he was expecting it. Herbs grown in Heaven possessed a very unique blessing and healing status. They often give positive buffs for a short period of time and the most important part is how it can exorcise evil and erase sins. Zero didn't know what kind of situations would require such a unique type of herb but he was more than happy to stock up on a few heavenly medicines.
”For now, please tell Cleo and the agricultural team to grow these four herbs in the pasture to test it out. I don't need a lot, just two satchels full of each herb is enough. When they are ready, tell them to inform me. I will personally process them and experiment on them in the lab. Speaking of the lab, did anyone inform Raj and his team about the specialised medical tools I need?”
Zoe left to relay the message to the dryad while Lily looked over the drafted design by Zero. She heard Mii and Wii talking about it before but it was her first time seeing her master's special medical tool designs.