Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 159 The Problem Has Been Found 1 (1/2)

Chapter 164: Chapter 159 The Problem Has Been Found 1

Translator: 549690339                         —

It was quite similar to the ordinary medicinal herb he had saved before, its top leaves had withered and blackened, while only the leaves and stems near the root still appeared to hold a trace of vitality.

The soil in which it was planted was black.

Qin Niu pinched some of the soil to smell it, then brought it close to his eyes for a careful examination.

This type of soil belonged to the clay variety, containing acidic humus.

Based on the scent, it wasn’t just the decay of plant leaves and dead branches that could produce such fertilizer. It’s likely that animal carcasses had been buried in the soil and, as they decomposed naturally, they enhanced its fertility. Moreover, this process must be quite slow, otherwise the soil’s fertility wouldn’t be so even.

The deeper the fertility seeped into the soil, the milder its nature became. Otherwise, if the composting was done too hastily, it would damage the roots. Clay soil generally has poor aeration, but after Fang Family’s special preparation, it became not only loose and fertile, with a gentle nature, but also had excellent permeability. What’s more remarkable was its water retention, which was also outstanding.

This allowed it to maintain an ideally optimal level of moisture.

Just from this small handful of soil, one could deduce that the Fang Family kept a top cultivation master.

Also, there was a water storage tank behind this medicinal herb, each about two meters in height, formed from carved black rock.

There was a slight leakage of water.

In the water, there was a plant that Qin Niu was familiar with, the very same rootless aquatic grass.

He had especially bought two plants of the rootless aquatic grass for the little crow, to ensure it had a good water environment. While practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique, he had often moved the broken water vat aside, so that the two rootless aquatic grasses could also benefit from the nourishment.

They were currently growing very well, with a very strong effect on water purification.

At this moment, planted in this black rock carved water storage tank was a rootless aquatic grass.

However, it looked much stronger than the one Qin Niu was cultivating; it spread its branches and leaves in the water, not only looking very robust but also dispersing its branches throughout the entire water tank. It was continuously purifying the water inside.

He had thought that setting up this water tank was meant for slow drip irrigation for this nearly dead medicinal herb.

But it turned out that two methods of watering were being employed. One waterway was for drip irrigation, while another waterway had a clever pipeline, with the outlet sealed and pricked with some fine holes to create a mist.

When turned on, this mist could cover the entire medicinal herb.

The Fang Family really went to great lengths to take good care of this herb.

Qin Niu closed his eyes and felt carefully; he discovered that although this medicinal herb was about to die, the energy contained within was extremely considerable.

It was like a bundle of hot, raging fires burning intensely.

The energy contained in medicinal herbs could be classified into four types: cold, cool, warm, and hot.

This medicinal herb belonged to the hot type and was close to scorching hot. His Medicine King Sutra currently could only sense this much, and to further sense other characteristics of the plant, he probably had to wait at least until the Medicine King Sutra’s power reached the Acquired Realm.

Beyond that, he also discovered that the rootless aquatic grass in the water tank contained a considerable amount of cool energy.

It was mixed with a hint of cold aura.

“It seems to be a bit different from the energy contained in my rootless aquatic grass!” Qin Niu exclaimed with surprise.

Cold pertains to ice, hot to fire, continuously watering the herb with energy that carries cold air, isn’t that like having both ice and fire?

In fact, he had already felt that the blazing energy of the medicinal herb was gradually being suppressed by the watering with cold water.

It was as if a great flame was being slowly extinguished.

He wondered whether the cultivation of this medicinal herb was originally supposed to be like this, or if there was a problem with the rootless aquatic grass?

Qin Niu’s Everlasting Spring Technique could help the medicinal herb to recover its vitality, but if the root cause was not identified, it would fall into trouble again.

The Fang Family’s reward of a thousand taels was not easily claimed.

Accepting someone’s money binds one to do their bidding faithfully.

He would never dare to take the money without doing the work or to deceive the Fang Family. That would be like courting death.

The five ancestors of the Fang Family were all terrifyingly formidable, able to kill him with just a flick of their finger.

Below them, there were many family experts and employed guards, not to be offended by the current Qin Niu.

Young Master Fang, may I ask how long this medicinal herb has had problems?” Qin Niu inquired.

“About forty days or so. At first, it was just some spotting on the top tender leaves. As time went on, it gradually worsened, and the spots kept spreading downwards. We thought of many ways to treat it, but none were effective. We could only watch helplessly as it withered away, inch by inch,” Young Master Fang replied, his tone filled with helplessness.

As Young Master Fang talked about the medicinal herb, he seemed very helpless.

Before the herb had issues, did its surrounding environment change in any way?” Qin Niu continued.

“No! Nothing in its facility has changed. Lighting, air, irrigation, soil, even the stones used to build the garden have remained the same. Normally, the soil should be changed every three years, but there’s still over a year left, so it hasn’t been touched,” Young Master Fang explained.

Hearing Young Master Fang’s description, Qin Niu’s eyebrows knitted slightly. “Has Master Qin found any anomalies?” Young Master Fang, perceptive to nuances, sensed something was amiss.

“I don’t know what the previous growth environment of this herb was like. When I inspected it just now, I indeed found something that defied common sense, which is why I asked whether the herb’s environment had changed. How long has this rootless aquatic grass been planted here?” Qin Niu asked.

“For at least two or three hundred years. Has it caused problems?” Young Master Fang asked tentatively.

“I can’t be sure,” Qin Niu replied cautiously, not daring to make a hasty conclusion.

“Can we find water grass of a similar age?”

“We can find ones that are over a hundred years old, but it’s hard to find older ones in a short time. However, just give the Fang Family a few days, and we will certainly be able to get them.”