Chapter 22
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As Meng Li and Ye Jin were gathering herbs on the cliff face, the sun was slowly moving across the sky. While previously the light was shining directly on the cliff face, after a few hours of work, all of a sudden, they realized that there were far more shadows on the cliff than places where light hit. The sun had already stopped shining at the cliff. Meng Li calmly finished gathering the last few stalks of a herb and quickly came down to put them in the basket. Due to Ye Jin's repeated insistence, he left the basket at the bottom of the cliff every time he was climbing to get herbs.
"Brother, we should head somewhere else. The sun has moved past and the cliff is too dark. It's too dangerous!" Meng Li shouted at Ye Jin, who was up on the cliff face. Ye Jin heard him and looked down. With the basket on his back, he had climbed quite far up - he was at least forty meters high. He didn't reply, but Meng Li could se that he nodded and started heading down.
Because of how high he was, the descent took him a bit, but he made it down in one piece. Glancing at Meng Li's half-filled basket, he laughed and complimented him.
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"Brother, this is a good haul. Especially since you left it on the ground and had to go back down every time. This will definitely be more than a silver coin." he grinned.
"I don't know how much exactly it will be but it'll be enough for me to live." Meng Li responded jokingly. The herbs filling the basket weren't actually all of the herbs he collected - he stored portions of them in his bag of holding for experimentation, as well as all the herbs containing Qi. They were all hidden within dark corners, deep cracks and crevices, but with his Spiritual Sense, he was able to easily find them.
As Ye Jin was finally standing on flat ground again, he sat to rest, and took off the basket from his back. It wasn't full - it barely had more herbs than his basket. Meng Li looked at the basket with a conflicted expression. Finally, he made up his mind and quietly summoned a low level spiritual herb from his bag of holding.
"Brother Ye, take this." He said and handed the herb to Ye Jin. It was practically useless to him, but for Ye Jin, it could be the difference between life and death. As Meng Li didn't quite know the value of spiritual herbs, he wasn't sure how much Ye Jin would receive for it, but it would surely help him in the coming months, with the appearance of a small child.
For a second, Ye Jin looked at the spiritual herb confusedly before his face showed an expression of extreme surprise.
"Brother, this... Are you joking? Keep it! This is enough for you to live for a month, why are you giving it to me?!" he practically shouted out the last few words. He was stunned - it was simply too expensive.
"Brother Ye, I know of your situation. You're about to have a child. Take this, it will definitely help. I already have enough to feed me, I have no need for this." Meng Li insisted while shoving the spiritual herb into Ye Jin's hands.
After a few minutes of persuasion, Ye Jin finally accepted it.
"This... Brother Meng, you're my best brother. Thank you." Ye Jin said, clasping Meng Li's shoulders. Meng Li could see his eyes tearing up slightly.
"Brother Ye, don't mention it. I'm sure you would've done the same." Meng Li replied. He turned around and grabbed his own herb basket and put it on his back.
"Since we already have enough, let's return early today." Meng Li suggested. He wanted to return and use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud to help the reincarnator, and he was sure that Ye Jin would also be happy to have more time to spend with his wife.
"Okay." Ye Jin replied. He stood up and placed the herb basket on his back. He didn't put the spiritual herb in the herb basket though - he put it in a small pouch he hid within his robe. After they were all done, they started heading towards the city along the same way they came. Meng Li had to admit that if he didn't have Spiritual Sense, he would definitely get lost in such a forest, but he noticed that Ye Jin always knew which way to go. It was probably the experience from a lifetime of living within the forest, Meng Li mused.
The journey back took less time than going to the cliff in the first place. It was due to the fact that while they were going to the cliff face, Ye Jin took every opportunity to teach Meng Li something. Show some herbs, point out landmarks, give some advice on navigating and so on. However, while going back, he practically ran. Meng Li was not surprised - Ye Jin was excited to trade in the spiritual herb and share the good news with his wife.
After a few hours, they arrived at the road paved by herb gatherers. There were some people heading back, but the traffic was significantly less than it was in the morning. The people coming back all looked tired and their baskets weren't particularly full - at most half full, like Meng Li. After all, the sun was still in the sky - who would head back at such a time if they could still carry on gathering?
When they were on the dirt road, Meng Li knew that they were close. Indeed, after merely a few minutes he could already see the town walls. In what seemed like an instant, they were already near the Zu Family's shop, returning the herbs and receiving pay. The queue wasn't long, but it moved much more slowly. After all, even with several people, counting herbs was still a time consuming activity. However, Meng Li got to the front in merely a few minutes. He could see that on the desk to the left, Ye Jin was laying out the herbs from his basket.
"Name?" asked the middle aged man behind the desk.
"Meng Li." Meng Li answered.
"Alright. Lay out your herbs and pass them to me. I will record the total, and you will receive your pay at the end." the clerk commanded.
Meng Li started laying out the herbs. The herbs in his basket were of all shapes and sizes. From stalks, flowers, to leaves and roots. Different plants had specific parts which were useful.
The clerk could recognize all the herbs laid out with a single glance. He recorded the amount, some by counting, some by weighing. The procedure took quite a long amount of time, and in the end, Meng Li received a silver coin and thirteen copper coins. Upon receiving the money, Meng Li glanced to the left at Ye Jin, right on time to see him lean in to the clerk and whisper something. With his superior hearing, Meng Li was able to hear what he was saying clearly.
"I have a precious herb with me. Bring me to see mister Zu Guanyu."
Zu Guanyu seemed to be the manager of the shop, as the clerk hurried and walked towards the back. In a few moments, the same clerk came out, and gestured for Ye Jin to follow. He led Ye Jin towards the back, before returning to counting herbs in a few minutes.
As this took place, Meng Li gathered all the herbs back into the basket and placed the full basket in the corner, which was already full of baskets, which were full of various herbs. There were workers gathering the baskets and carrying them towards the back. Meng Li also returned the small knife and walked out of the Zu Family's shop.
He waited for Ye Jin to come out near the entrance. It took half an hour for Ye Jin to exit. He was beaming, and his feet seemed to have springs with how energetically he walked. He practically ran towards his house. At some point, Meng Li slowed down a bit and watched Ye Jin break out in a sprint towards his house. The love the man had for his wife was heart warming...
Meng Li returned to his small house. The sun was still in the sky, but it was already quite late. The fire in the fireplace was still going, but it was on the verge of dying out. Meng Li cleaned out excess ash with a wave of his hand and threw some dry wood into the fire. With a few blows, the fire was roaring once again, and the house was warming up.
Meng Li prepared himself a small cup of green tea before casting the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique. Ye Jin's house was full of warmth and familial love - he could see them excitedly talking, while a small pouch with a few gold coins within it was laying on the table next to them. Meng Li didn't listen in on their conversation since it wasn't any of his business.
The next day came by quickly. Meng Li came out of the house after a brief preparation and once again visited the cliff face with Ye Jin. Ye Jin was full of energy that day - probably from the excitement of having so much money, as well as having a full night of sleep. Meng Li found more spiritual herbs, but he didn't give any to Ye Jin - he already had enough money to spare, and being able to find two spiritual herbs consecutively would be extremely suspicious.
That day, Meng Li was able to gather quite a lot of herbs, with his basket filled up two thirds of the way. However, Ye Jin once again surpassed him, with his basket practically full. While going back, he had to watch his step or some herbs would fall out of his basket. After they got back, they once again returned the herbs and received their pay.
The next days, Meng Li gradually settled into a routine. He would use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique for the entire night, and would gather herbs during the day with Ye Jin. Their friendship grew stronger, and eventually, Meng Li would visit the couple in the evening. He also got familiar with Xie Ju during his visits. He could see her large belly was practically on the verge of bursting... She was going to give birth soon.
Finally, after three weeks, it happened. Meng Li, who was using the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique at the moment, was woken up by the system.
[The wandering soul has completely fused with his new body - the innate Qi will no longer deplete.]
As Meng Li heard it, he couldn't help but sigh. Despite the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique seeming similar to cultivation, it wasn't as relaxing for him as cultivation was. After all, it required his full focus to work, while cultivation was practically a dream-like state. The past few weeks were taking their toll on him, and he was finally beginning to feel tired. However, he could finally stop.
<So does that mean that the soul has woken up now?>
[No, it will only wake up after being born.]
Meng Li was relieved to hear that. Regaining consciousness in the womb would've been quite the horrifying experience even for an adult.
<How much longer until birth?>
[It should happen within the next five days.]
Meng Li relaxed. For now, he had a few days to rest. He wanted to go to sleep immediately, but instead, he visited Ye Jin.
"Brother, I will not be going gathering tomorrow. I seem to have caught a fever, I will stay at home for the coming few days." Meng Li explained. With his control over his body, it was not at all hard to fake the symptoms of a fever. Red face, hot forehead, shaking, etc... Ye Jin didn't doubt him at all.
"Take care brother. I will visit you tomorrow to see how you're doing." Ye Jin promised with a worried face.
"Thank you. Good night brother. And you too, sister." Meng Li bid farewell to Ye Jin as well as Xie Ju who peeked from behind Ye Jin and returned home. When he closed the door to his home, all the symptoms of a fever disappeared, and he let out a small sigh.
"It's time to sleep."
Despite being able to function without sleep for much longer than normal people, Meng Li still required some sleep. It might just be once a month, but it was still a requirement. He was only able to cultivate for fifteen years straight because for him, cultivation was extremely similar to sleep and was not tiring at all. Thus, he could cultivate instead - however, he chose not to.
Meng Li missed simple sleep. Thus, he added some wood to the dwindling fire in the fireplace and summoned a mattress. He didn't need it previously, so he left the small bedroom completely empty. With the mattress, he summoned a blanket and dug himself into it. He also took off the simple robes he was constantly wearing. Although they were comfortable, every sensation got old after some time. In just a few minutes, he was asleep.
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As Meng Li and Ye Jin were gathering herbs on the cliff face, the sun was slowly moving across the sky. While previously the light was shining directly on the cliff face, after a few hours of work, all of a sudden, they realized that there were far more shadows on the cliff than places where light hit. The sun had already stopped shining at the cliff. Meng Li calmly finished gathering the last few stalks of a herb and quickly came down to put them in the basket. Due to Ye Jin's repeated insistence, he left the basket at the bottom of the cliff every time he was climbing to get herbs.
"Brother, we should head somewhere else. The sun has moved past and the cliff is too dark. It's too dangerous!" Meng Li shouted at Ye Jin, who was up on the cliff face. Ye Jin heard him and looked down. With the basket on his back, he had climbed quite far up - he was at least forty meters high. He didn't reply, but Meng Li could se that he nodded and started heading down.
Because of how high he was, the descent took him a bit, but he made it down in one piece. Glancing at Meng Li's half-filled basket, he laughed and complimented him.
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"Brother, this is a good haul. Especially since you left it on the ground and had to go back down every time. This will definitely be more than a silver coin." he grinned.
"I don't know how much exactly it will be but it'll be enough for me to live." Meng Li responded jokingly. The herbs filling the basket weren't actually all of the herbs he collected - he stored portions of them in his bag of holding for experimentation, as well as all the herbs containing Qi. They were all hidden within dark corners, deep cracks and crevices, but with his Spiritual Sense, he was able to easily find them.
As Ye Jin was finally standing on flat ground again, he sat to rest, and took off the basket from his back. It wasn't full - it barely had more herbs than his basket. Meng Li looked at the basket with a conflicted expression. Finally, he made up his mind and quietly summoned a low level spiritual herb from his bag of holding.
"Brother Ye, take this." He said and handed the herb to Ye Jin. It was practically useless to him, but for Ye Jin, it could be the difference between life and death. As Meng Li didn't quite know the value of spiritual herbs, he wasn't sure how much Ye Jin would receive for it, but it would surely help him in the coming months, with the appearance of a small child.
For a second, Ye Jin looked at the spiritual herb confusedly before his face showed an expression of extreme surprise.
"Brother, this... Are you joking? Keep it! This is enough for you to live for a month, why are you giving it to me?!" he practically shouted out the last few words. He was stunned - it was simply too expensive.
"Brother Ye, I know of your situation. You're about to have a child. Take this, it will definitely help. I already have enough to feed me, I have no need for this." Meng Li insisted while shoving the spiritual herb into Ye Jin's hands.
After a few minutes of persuasion, Ye Jin finally accepted it.
"This... Brother Meng, you're my best brother. Thank you." Ye Jin said, clasping Meng Li's shoulders. Meng Li could see his eyes tearing up slightly.
"Brother Ye, don't mention it. I'm sure you would've done the same." Meng Li replied. He turned around and grabbed his own herb basket and put it on his back.
"Since we already have enough, let's return early today." Meng Li suggested. He wanted to return and use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud to help the reincarnator, and he was sure that Ye Jin would also be happy to have more time to spend with his wife.
"Okay." Ye Jin replied. He stood up and placed the herb basket on his back. He didn't put the spiritual herb in the herb basket though - he put it in a small pouch he hid within his robe. After they were all done, they started heading towards the city along the same way they came. Meng Li had to admit that if he didn't have Spiritual Sense, he would definitely get lost in such a forest, but he noticed that Ye Jin always knew which way to go. It was probably the experience from a lifetime of living within the forest, Meng Li mused.
The journey back took less time than going to the cliff in the first place. It was due to the fact that while they were going to the cliff face, Ye Jin took every opportunity to teach Meng Li something. Show some herbs, point out landmarks, give some advice on navigating and so on. However, while going back, he practically ran. Meng Li was not surprised - Ye Jin was excited to trade in the spiritual herb and share the good news with his wife.
After a few hours, they arrived at the road paved by herb gatherers. There were some people heading back, but the traffic was significantly less than it was in the morning. The people coming back all looked tired and their baskets weren't particularly full - at most half full, like Meng Li. After all, the sun was still in the sky - who would head back at such a time if they could still carry on gathering?
When they were on the dirt road, Meng Li knew that they were close. Indeed, after merely a few minutes he could already see the town walls. In what seemed like an instant, they were already near the Zu Family's shop, returning the herbs and receiving pay. The queue wasn't long, but it moved much more slowly. After all, even with several people, counting herbs was still a time consuming activity. However, Meng Li got to the front in merely a few minutes. He could see that on the desk to the left, Ye Jin was laying out the herbs from his basket.
"Name?" asked the middle aged man behind the desk.
"Meng Li." Meng Li answered.
"Alright. Lay out your herbs and pass them to me. I will record the total, and you will receive your pay at the end." the clerk commanded.
Meng Li started laying out the herbs. The herbs in his basket were of all shapes and sizes. From stalks, flowers, to leaves and roots. Different plants had specific parts which were useful.
The clerk could recognize all the herbs laid out with a single glance. He recorded the amount, some by counting, some by weighing. The procedure took quite a long amount of time, and in the end, Meng Li received a silver coin and thirteen copper coins. Upon receiving the money, Meng Li glanced to the left at Ye Jin, right on time to see him lean in to the clerk and whisper something. With his superior hearing, Meng Li was able to hear what he was saying clearly.
"I have a precious herb with me. Bring me to see mister Zu Guanyu."
Zu Guanyu seemed to be the manager of the shop, as the clerk hurried and walked towards the back. In a few moments, the same clerk came out, and gestured for Ye Jin to follow. He led Ye Jin towards the back, before returning to counting herbs in a few minutes.
As this took place, Meng Li gathered all the herbs back into the basket and placed the full basket in the corner, which was already full of baskets, which were full of various herbs. There were workers gathering the baskets and carrying them towards the back. Meng Li also returned the small knife and walked out of the Zu Family's shop.
He waited for Ye Jin to come out near the entrance. It took half an hour for Ye Jin to exit. He was beaming, and his feet seemed to have springs with how energetically he walked. He practically ran towards his house. At some point, Meng Li slowed down a bit and watched Ye Jin break out in a sprint towards his house. The love the man had for his wife was heart warming...
Meng Li returned to his small house. The sun was still in the sky, but it was already quite late. The fire in the fireplace was still going, but it was on the verge of dying out. Meng Li cleaned out excess ash with a wave of his hand and threw some dry wood into the fire. With a few blows, the fire was roaring once again, and the house was warming up.
Meng Li prepared himself a small cup of green tea before casting the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique. Ye Jin's house was full of warmth and familial love - he could see them excitedly talking, while a small pouch with a few gold coins within it was laying on the table next to them. Meng Li didn't listen in on their conversation since it wasn't any of his business.
The next day came by quickly. Meng Li came out of the house after a brief preparation and once again visited the cliff face with Ye Jin. Ye Jin was full of energy that day - probably from the excitement of having so much money, as well as having a full night of sleep. Meng Li found more spiritual herbs, but he didn't give any to Ye Jin - he already had enough money to spare, and being able to find two spiritual herbs consecutively would be extremely suspicious.
That day, Meng Li was able to gather quite a lot of herbs, with his basket filled up two thirds of the way. However, Ye Jin once again surpassed him, with his basket practically full. While going back, he had to watch his step or some herbs would fall out of his basket. After they got back, they once again returned the herbs and received their pay.
The next days, Meng Li gradually settled into a routine. He would use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique for the entire night, and would gather herbs during the day with Ye Jin. Their friendship grew stronger, and eventually, Meng Li would visit the couple in the evening. He also got familiar with Xie Ju during his visits. He could see her large belly was practically on the verge of bursting... She was going to give birth soon.
Finally, after three weeks, it happened. Meng Li, who was using the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique at the moment, was woken up by the system.
[The wandering soul has completely fused with his new body - the innate Qi will no longer deplete.]
As Meng Li heard it, he couldn't help but sigh. Despite the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique seeming similar to cultivation, it wasn't as relaxing for him as cultivation was. After all, it required his full focus to work, while cultivation was practically a dream-like state. The past few weeks were taking their toll on him, and he was finally beginning to feel tired. However, he could finally stop.
<So does that mean that the soul has woken up now?>
[No, it will only wake up after being born.]
Meng Li was relieved to hear that. Regaining consciousness in the womb would've been quite the horrifying experience even for an adult.
<How much longer until birth?>
[It should happen within the next five days.]
Meng Li relaxed. For now, he had a few days to rest. He wanted to go to sleep immediately, but instead, he visited Ye Jin.
"Brother, I will not be going gathering tomorrow. I seem to have caught a fever, I will stay at home for the coming few days." Meng Li explained. With his control over his body, it was not at all hard to fake the symptoms of a fever. Red face, hot forehead, shaking, etc... Ye Jin didn't doubt him at all.
"Take care brother. I will visit you tomorrow to see how you're doing." Ye Jin promised with a worried face.
"Thank you. Good night brother. And you too, sister." Meng Li bid farewell to Ye Jin as well as Xie Ju who peeked from behind Ye Jin and returned home. When he closed the door to his home, all the symptoms of a fever disappeared, and he let out a small sigh.
"It's time to sleep."
Despite being able to function without sleep for much longer than normal people, Meng Li still required some sleep. It might just be once a month, but it was still a requirement. He was only able to cultivate for fifteen years straight because for him, cultivation was extremely similar to sleep and was not tiring at all. Thus, he could cultivate instead - however, he chose not to.
Meng Li missed simple sleep. Thus, he added some wood to the dwindling fire in the fireplace and summoned a mattress. He didn't need it previously, so he left the small bedroom completely empty. With the mattress, he summoned a blanket and dug himself into it. He also took off the simple robes he was constantly wearing. Although they were comfortable, every sensation got old after some time. In just a few minutes, he was asleep.
As Meng Li and Ye Jin were gathering herbs on the cliff face, the sun was slowly moving across the sky. While previously the light was shining directly on the cliff face, after a few hours of work, all of a sudden, they realized that there were far more shadows on the cliff than places where light hit. The sun had already stopped shining at the cliff. Meng Li calmly finished gathering the last few stalks of a herb and quickly came down to put them in the basket. Due to Ye Jin's repeated insistence, he left the basket at the bottom of the cliff every time he was climbing to get herbs."Brother, we should head somewhere else. The sun has moved past and the cliff is too dark. It's too dangerous!" Meng Li shouted at Ye Jin, who was up on the cliff face. Ye Jin heard him and looked down. With the basket on his back, he had climbed quite far up - he was at least forty meters high. He didn't reply, but Meng Li could se that he nodded and started heading down.Because of how high he was, the descent took him a bit, but he made it down in one piece. Glancing at Meng Li's half-filled basket, he laughed and complimented him. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Brother, this is a good haul. Especially since you left it on the ground and had to go back down every time. This will definitely be more than a silver coin." he grinned."I don't know how much exactly it will be but it'll be enough for me to live." Meng Li responded jokingly. The herbs filling the basket weren't actually all of the herbs he collected - he stored portions of them in his bag of holding for experimentation, as well as all the herbs containing Qi. They were all hidden within dark corners, deep cracks and crevices, but with his Spiritual Sense, he was able to easily find them.As Ye Jin was finally standing on flat ground again, he sat to rest, and took off the basket from his back. It wasn't full - it barely had more herbs than his basket. Meng Li looked at the basket with a conflicted expression. Finally, he made up his mind and quietly summoned a low level spiritual herb from his bag of holding."Brother Ye, take this." He said and handed the herb to Ye Jin. It was practically useless to him, but for Ye Jin, it could be the difference between life and death. As Meng Li didn't quite know the value of spiritual herbs, he wasn't sure how much Ye Jin would receive for it, but it would surely help him in the coming months, with the appearance of a small child.For a second, Ye Jin looked at the spiritual herb confusedly before his face showed an expression of extreme surprise."Brother, this... Are you joking? Keep it! This is enough for you to live for a month, why are you giving it to me?!" he practically shouted out the last few words. He was stunned - it was simply too expensive."Brother Ye, I know of your situation. You're about to have a child. Take this, it will definitely help. I already have enough to feed me, I have no need for this." Meng Li insisted while shoving the spiritual herb into Ye Jin's hands.After a few minutes of persuasion, Ye Jin finally accepted it."This... Brother Meng, you're my best brother. Thank you." Ye Jin said, clasping Meng Li's shoulders. Meng Li could see his eyes tearing up slightly."Brother Ye, don't mention it. I'm sure you would've done the same." Meng Li replied. He turned around and grabbed his own herb basket and put it on his back."Since we already have enough, let's return early today." Meng Li suggested. He wanted to return and use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud to help the reincarnator, and he was sure that Ye Jin would also be happy to have more time to spend with his wife."Okay." Ye Jin replied. He stood up and placed the herb basket on his back. He didn't put the spiritual herb in the herb basket though - he put it in a small pouch he hid within his robe. After they were all done, they started heading towards the city along the same way they came. Meng Li had to admit that if he didn't have Spiritual Sense, he would definitely get lost in such a forest, but he noticed that Ye Jin always knew which way to go. It was probably the experience from a lifetime of living within the forest, Meng Li mused.The journey back took less time than going to the cliff in the first place. It was due to the fact that while they were going to the cliff face, Ye Jin took every opportunity to teach Meng Li something. Show some herbs, point out landmarks, give some advice on navigating and so on. However, while going back, he practically ran. Meng Li was not surprised - Ye Jin was excited to trade in the spiritual herb and share the good news with his wife.After a few hours, they arrived at the road paved by herb gatherers. There were some people heading back, but the traffic was significantly less than it was in the morning. The people coming back all looked tired and their baskets weren't particularly full - at most half full, like Meng Li. After all, the sun was still in the sky - who would head back at such a time if they could still carry on gathering?When they were on the dirt road, Meng Li knew that they were close. Indeed, after merely a few minutes he could already see the town walls. In what seemed like an instant, they were already near the Zu Family's shop, returning the herbs and receiving pay. The queue wasn't long, but it moved much more slowly. After all, even with several people, counting herbs was still a time consuming activity. However, Meng Li got to the front in merely a few minutes. He could see that on the desk to the left, Ye Jin was laying out the herbs from his basket."Name?" asked the middle aged man behind the desk."Meng Li." Meng Li answered."Alright. Lay out your herbs and pass them to me. I will record the total, and you will receive your pay at the end." the clerk commanded.Meng Li started laying out the herbs. The herbs in his basket were of all shapes and sizes. From stalks, flowers, to leaves and roots. Different plants had specific parts which were useful.The clerk could recognize all the herbs laid out with a single glance. He recorded the amount, some by counting, some by weighing. The procedure took quite a long amount of time, and in the end, Meng Li received a silver coin and thirteen copper coins. Upon receiving the money, Meng Li glanced to the left at Ye Jin, right on time to see him lean in to the clerk and whisper something. With his superior hearing, Meng Li was able to hear what he was saying clearly."I have a precious herb with me. Bring me to see mister Zu Guanyu."Zu Guanyu seemed to be the manager of the shop, as the clerk hurried and walked towards the back. In a few moments, the same clerk came out, and gestured for Ye Jin to follow. He led Ye Jin towards the back, before returning to counting herbs in a few minutes.As this took place, Meng Li gathered all the herbs back into the basket and placed the full basket in the corner, which was already full of baskets, which were full of various herbs. There were workers gathering the baskets and carrying them towards the back. Meng Li also returned the small knife and walked out of the Zu Family's shop.He waited for Ye Jin to come out near the entrance. It took half an hour for Ye Jin to exit. He was beaming, and his feet seemed to have springs with how energetically he walked. He practically ran towards his house. At some point, Meng Li slowed down a bit and watched Ye Jin break out in a sprint towards his house. The love the man had for his wife was heart warming...Meng Li returned to his small house. The sun was still in the sky, but it was already quite late. The fire in the fireplace was still going, but it was on the verge of dying out. Meng Li cleaned out excess ash with a wave of his hand and threw some dry wood into the fire. With a few blows, the fire was roaring once again, and the house was warming up.Meng Li prepared himself a small cup of green tea before casting the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique. Ye Jin's house was full of warmth and familial love - he could see them excitedly talking, while a small pouch with a few gold coins within it was laying on the table next to them. Meng Li didn't listen in on their conversation since it wasn't any of his business.The next day came by quickly. Meng Li came out of the house after a brief preparation and once again visited the cliff face with Ye Jin. Ye Jin was full of energy that day - probably from the excitement of having so much money, as well as having a full night of sleep. Meng Li found more spiritual herbs, but he didn't give any to Ye Jin - he already had enough money to spare, and being able to find two spiritual herbs consecutively would be extremely suspicious.That day, Meng Li was able to gather quite a lot of herbs, with his basket filled up two thirds of the way. However, Ye Jin once again surpassed him, with his basket practically full. While going back, he had to watch his step or some herbs would fall out of his basket. After they got back, they once again returned the herbs and received their pay.The next days, Meng Li gradually settled into a routine. He would use the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique for the entire night, and would gather herbs during the day with Ye Jin. Their friendship grew stronger, and eventually, Meng Li would visit the couple in the evening. He also got familiar with Xie Ju during his visits. He could see her large belly was practically on the verge of bursting... She was going to give birth soon.Finally, after three weeks, it happened. Meng Li, who was using the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique at the moment, was woken up by the system.The wandering soul has completely fused with his new body - the innate Qi will no longer deplete.As Meng Li heard it, he couldn't help but sigh. Despite the Heavenly Yin Yang Shroud technique seeming similar to cultivation, it wasn't as relaxing for him as cultivation was. After all, it required his full focus to work, while cultivation was practically a dream-like state. The past few weeks were taking their toll on him, and he was finally beginning to feel tired. However, he could finally stop.So does that mean that the soul has woken up now?No, it will only wake up after being born.Meng Li was relieved to hear that. Regaining consciousness in the womb would've been quite the horrifying experience even for an adult.How much longer until birth?It should happen within the next five days.Meng Li relaxed. For now, he had a few days to rest. He wanted to go to sleep immediately, but instead, he visited Ye Jin."Brother, I will not be going gathering tomorrow. I seem to have caught a fever, I will stay at home for the coming few days." Meng Li explained. With his control over his body, it was not at all hard to fake the symptoms of a fever. Red face, hot forehead, shaking, etc... Ye Jin didn't doubt him at all."Take care brother. I will visit you tomorrow to see how you're doing." Ye Jin promised with a worried face."Thank you. Good night brother. And you too, sister." Meng Li bid farewell to Ye Jin as well as Xie Ju who peeked from behind Ye Jin and returned home. When he closed the door to his home, all the symptoms of a fever disappeared, and he let out a small sigh."It's time to sleep."Despite being able to function without sleep for much longer than normal people, Meng Li still required some sleep. It might just be once a month, but it was still a requirement. He was only able to cultivate for fifteen years straight because for him, cultivation was extremely similar to sleep and was not tiring at all. Thus, he could cultivate instead - however, he chose not to.Meng Li missed simple sleep. Thus, he added some wood to the dwindling fire in the fireplace and summoned a mattress. He didn't need it previously, so he left the small bedroom completely empty. With the mattress, he summoned a blanket and dug himself into it. He also took off the simple robes he was constantly wearing. Although they were comfortable, every sensation got old after some time. In just a few minutes, he was asleep.
