The evening sky stretched wide above as Luo Feng stepped beyond the academy's outer gates, his pace unhurried.
Ahead lay Songyang City.
The city has life but felt strangely quite
Luo Feng walked through,. One guard gave him a brief glance—just enough to mark him as a student from the academy—before letting his gaze drift elsewhere.
Inside, the streets opened up.
And this time, there was more… movement.
Not bustling like a great capital, but alive in its own restrained way.
Vendors lined both sides of the road, their stalls simple but well-kept. The scent of freshly cooked food drifted through the air—grilled meat skewers sizzling over open flames, steamed buns releasing soft clouds of heat, and a faint sweetness from candied fruits glistening under lantern light.
"Fresh skewers! Just caught this morning!"
"Medicinal herbs! Good for strengthening the body!"
The voices weren't loud, but they carried persistence—people who knew they had to try.
Luo Feng walked slowly, his gaze shifting from stall to stall.
A blacksmith's shop caught his attention.
This time, the rhythmic clang of hammer against metal rang steady and controlled. Sparks flew with each strike, briefly illuminating the focused expression of the smith. The weapons on display were still simple—but sharper, better balanced, with traces of care in their crafting.
Not masterpieces.
But dependable.
Luo Feng paused for a moment longer than before.
Then ,he moved on.
Further down, the streets grew slightly more crowded.
A small group of low-level cultivators gathered around a notice board, quietly discussing posted tasks. Their voices carried hints of caution—but also ambition.
"…escort job, short distance…"
"…low risk, but pay isn't great…"
"…better than nothing."
Luo Feng didn't join them, but he listened as he passed.
He turned into a side street.
Here, the atmosphere softened.
A modest apothecary stood with its doors open, warm light spilling out. Glass jars lined the shelves, filled with herbs that, while low-grade, were fresh and properly stored. The faint scent of medicinal roots lingered in the air.
An elderly shopkeeper carefully sorted ingredients behind the counter, his movements slow but precise.
Luo Feng stepped closer to the entrance, glancing inside.
Better than expected.
The shopkeeper noticed him this time.
"Are you here because of the job application ? "The shopkeeper asked.
I looked at him for a few moments more than what is comfortable then stammered
"Uh..yes that's correct..I totally came because of the job application"
"Then do you know anything about medicine or herbs?"
"Well.. not really , but I can learn if you teach me"
The old man stared at me for few good while then picked something from behind the counter
When I looked at it closely I saw that it was a book
Then the old man said "you have one month of time if you can master everything on this book then the job is yours "
Hearing that I picked the book in daze and got out of shop because I was holding a book , and the reason I was shocked because in this world book isn't something normal people can buy because paper is expensive and the knowledge is more so
I had a feeling that the old man isn't simple but something in my guts telling me that accepting this job will be good for me so I will make sure to learn everything in the book
With that I returned to the academy and went to sleep in the presence of hidden unseen eyes
After that my life fell into a rhythm training in the morning then class and afternoon and night dedicated to the book
The book while didn't contain miraculous herbs but still there were many simple ones
Like that one month passed in the blink of an eye