[NR] The Needed Herbs - Chapter 711

Jason gets back into NeoRealm, and because of the time difference, Rosha is already asleep.

Courtney, on the other hand, is waiting for him. “So, what are we looking for first?”

Jason settles down on the log across the fire from her. “There are technically herbs to help with the base meridian clearing, but they leave flaws. If you can manage it on your own, the better. The eight extraordinary meridians, on the other hand can not be opened on their own.

“Either they are already open or you need an outside force to open them for you. Now, technically, this outside force could be a powerful enough cultivator or some high-intensity power. However, using those methods suck.”

Courtney nods, “I assume they’re similar to the stuff to help with the regular meridian clearing?”

Jason shrugs, “Forcefully unlocking anything can leave damage. The reason the herbs we will need are so low level and capable of being farmed is because they’re gentle enough. Oh sure, a skilled enough practitioner can use their massive amount of power in a gentle manner, but it is so much easier to just use something with little power to begin with.”

Courtney, “So, what are the details of what we’re looking for?”

Jason holds up his hands with the thumbs folded. “Eight herbs, though chances are we might find some duplicates and near misses.

“The eight extraordinary meridians help connect the other meridians, circulate power, and act as reservoirs. Those meridians are as follows. The Governing, Conception, Penetrating, Belt, Heels yin and yang, and Linking yin and yang.

“A seed will unlock the Governing vessel as the vessel is yang aligned and can represent breaking away from the ‘mother’. The seed will have a thicker shell than natural and power will be fully contained within said shell. Processed by grinding the shell. The energy itself will be related to movement and dust or sand in the form of a storm.”

Courtney looks up from her notes, “If they’re all like this, I could figure it out myself. You’re basically just taking the generic description of the meridians and generalizing it to natural elements. Travel? Well, movement. Transformation? Since it isn’t water, a storm of particles. Grounded? Those particles are dust or sand.”

Jason shrugs, “Eh, there is some of that. Conception is bonding and birth. So a plant after it has released its seeds. The energy focused on vitality and maintaining the self. This one is most common in my last life as it also did wonders for mothers to take while pregnant, and especially during childbirth.”

Courtney nods, “Yep, pretty direct, though much vaguer. That herb is likely to have a bunch of false positives.”

Jason shrugs again, “Eh, the false positives will also be useful for mothers and if easily farmable, worth money.

“Anyway, the Penetrating vessel will be a root vegetable with a single root that goes directly down quite far. Think of a carrot, but three times as long. Oh, and it will have a main stalk that grows straight up. As for energy? Well, this one is self explanatory. We’re looking for power focused on piercing. Out in the wild, these tend to be found in rocky ground because they can penetrate said rocks and reach the earth below, thus out competing the other plants.

“Now the Belt vessel. The herb will radiate energetic emotions. Which technically isn’t important, but it is better to find a herb radiating happiness. Though this tends to be a matter of how they’re raised and what emotions they’re around. So in farming you’ll have to figure out how to make sure those in charge of them are always expressing a specific energetic emotion.”

Courtney sighs, “So, basically we might even have samples of it right now, but because they were raised by machines or scientists with at most a muted curiosity, they aren’t sticking out?”

Jason laughs, “And those found out in the wild will be quite savage. I will admit, the raising of herbs for this vessel tended to involve slaves either on drugs or mind controlled. Called a necessary evil. Hopefully, we can figure out a better method.”

Courtney nods, “Well-paid employees. Though depending, we might still end up using drugs, but by volunteers who want it. More than enough people who’d be happy to get paid to be high.”

Jason grimaces, “I’m not sure how I feel about that? But we’ll have to see how things go.

“Anyway, the Yang Heel needs a herb that stands up to the world. So, you’re looking for a herb that doesn’t bend. Other plants around it might be blown into it, but the herb itself won’t budge. To bend is to break. This makes it easy to find, but also hard to find. Easy because the outward signs are obvious, but hard because they tend to break and die before mature.

“On the other side, the Yin Heel takes a herb that stands up to itself. A really strange one. Just look for a plant that doesn’t restrain itself when growing. It won’t be symmetrical, it will grow what is needed, and they are easy to grow because as long as you can get the seed to germinate? They will grow. Caveat is that since this is related to the herbs nature and not energy, best results will require you to find or grow one that has energies that aren’t hostile to your own cultivation.

“The last two extraordinary meridians are the Yin and Yang Linking vessels. 

“The herb needed for the Yang side of things is often mistaken for a healing herb, though it won’t work for that and so is often seen as a weed and false herb. This is because the herb will heal any past damage up to and including the regeneration of lost parts. Not regrowing additional parts, but the old parts being grown exactly as they were.

“On the Yin side you are looking for a herb that when you observe it doesn’t seem important, but when you remember it or think of its future? It always seems important. The plant never grows to actually seem important when viewed and most will easily ignore the sense of importance.”