Chapter 28: Strange Noises

The sudden noise startled Lu Qing at first, but he quickly became alert.

What was that sound?

A person, a beast, or a rat?

He thought of the mysterious little beast that had stolen two large pieces of fish last night.

Could that fellow have come back?

But he had already moved the fish inside the house; surely the creature wouldn't be bold enough to break in?

Recalling the information his supernatural ability had detected this morning—that the mysterious little beast seemed to possess sharp claws—Lu Qing couldn't help but tighten his grip on the stick resting by his bed.

At this moment, he missed the electricity of his previous life immensely.

If this were a house in his former life, no matter what kind of little beast it was, a single flick of a light switch would likely scare it away.

Unfortunately, he could barely afford an oil lamp now, let alone use bright light to drive away wild animals.

The noise outside continued, sounding like something was scratching at the door.

Even for someone as bold as Lu Qing, his heart began to race.

Gripping his stick, he stepped quietly out of the room and into the hall.

Suddenly, he slammed the stick against the door, creating a loud bang.

The noise outside vanished instantly.

Lu Qing stood in the hall, gripping his stick, forcing himself to remain calm.

A long time passed, and he heard no further sound.

However, he didn't dare open the door to investigate recklessly.

After a long while, once he was certain there was no movement outside, Lu Qing finally returned to his room.

It had to be said that the calming effects of the Green-Armored Fish Stone were quite effective.

Despite such a loud noise, Xiao Yan had not been startled awake.

Otherwise, Lu Qing would have had to coax her back to sleep for a long time.

That night, however, Lu Qing failed to sleep well.

Fearing the creature might return, he barely slept the entire night, only managing to catch a few winks just before dawn.

As a result, when he arrived at Old Doctor Chen's the next day, Lu Qing had large dark circles under his eyes and looked completely listless.

Seeing him in this state, the old doctor immediately frowned.

"Lu Qing, I know you want to master the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* as soon as possible, but learning requires a balance of work and rest. Sometimes, burying your head in books blindly can actually result in half the effort for half the reward."

"Furthermore, if you wish to become a physician in the future, you must cherish your body even more. If you cannot even take care of yourself, how can you maintain a clear mind to treat and save people?"

The old doctor assumed Lu Qing's listlessness was due to staying up late reading.

"Grandpa Chen, it's not what you think," Lu Qing said with a bitter smile. "I didn't sleep well last night for another reason."

He then recounted what had happened the previous night.

"You mean a wild beast tried to enter your house last night, and that's why you couldn't sleep?" the old doctor asked in surprise.

"Yes. Because I was worried it might sneak in and hurt Xiao Yan, I didn't dare sleep," Lu Qing said, rubbing his eyes.

"Brother, how come Xiao Yan didn't know?"

The little girl, completely unaware that such an event had occurred, widened her eyes.

"You slept like a little pig last night, of course you didn't know."

Lu Qing reached out and tapped his sister's small nose.

"But this isn't a solution. You can't stay awake every night to keep watch."

The old doctor thought for a moment, turned to go into his room, and soon returned with a packet, handing it to Lu Qing.

"Take this medicinal powder."

"Grandpa Chen, what is this?" Lu Qing asked, holding the packet.

"This is a powder I formulated myself. It contains various herbs used to repel insects and beasts. When I walk in the mountains, I often use it for protection."

"From what you've said, the beast should not be very large."

"After you go back, sprinkle the powder around your house. The beast will likely be wary and won't bother you again."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qing was overjoyed. "Thank you, Grandpa Chen!"

The old doctor's powder had come at just the right time.

Otherwise, Lu Qing would have been considering setting traps to catch that mysterious little beast.

However, the information his ability had detected earlier made him hesitant to act rashly.

After all, the footprint of that mysterious little beast alone was already at the White Light level.

Who knew how powerful the creature itself actually was?

After putting the powder away, Lu Qing took out the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* and continued to seek guidance from the old doctor.

This time, Old Doctor Chen was even more pleasantly surprised.

He discovered that Lu Qing's learning speed with the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* was incredibly fast.

Not only did he remember everything taught yesterday, but he had also reviewed the remaining content and was able to apply what he learned to new situations.

At this rate, he would likely finish the entire book before long.

"Very good. It is clear that you were indeed diligent when you went home yesterday."

The old doctor stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.

"I wouldn't dare forget your instructions, Grandpa Chen," Lu Qing said respectfully.

"Alright, let's stop here for today. You are becoming familiar with the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs*, but being familiar with a book alone is not enough."

"Whether as a physician or a herbalist, one must know how to identify and select actual medicinal plants."

"I remember there are many common herbs growing near the village. In your spare time, observe them more closely and compare them with the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* to see if the real herbs match the descriptions in the book," the old doctor instructed.

"Yes, Lu Qing will remember," Lu Qing replied.

"By the way, you and Xiao Yan don't need to come up tomorrow. I need to go into town, and I'll take the opportunity to help you sell that Red Moon Carp. You can just stay home and review your studies," the old doctor added.

"Grandpa Chen, you're going into town?" Lu Qing asked excitedly.

"Yes, some pharmacies in town have placed orders with me for certain herbs, and I need to deliver them," the old doctor said. "Why, is there something you need me to buy for you? Once the Red Moon Carp is sold, you will have a decent amount of money."

"Yes!" Lu Qing replied immediately.

He did indeed have something he wanted the old doctor to help him buy.

"Oh? What do you want to buy?"

"I want to buy an iron pot!" Lu Qing said. "As you know, Grandpa Chen, after our family's misfortune, many of our belongings were sold off. Even our only iron pot was sold, so I want to get a new one."

"An iron pot... that shouldn't be a problem," the old doctor mused before agreeing. "Anything else?"

"Salt. We are almost out of salt at home, and I want to stock up on some."

"Do you need anything else?"

"Nothing else for now. Just those two things," Lu Qing said, shaking his head.

In truth, there were many other things he wanted to buy.

Oil, grain, clothes, shoes—there were many things on his list.

But he knew he had to be reasonable.

The old doctor was an elder, and it was already a great kindness for him to offer to bring things back. If he were to push his luck and ask for everything, it would be impolite.

If it weren't for the fact that iron pots and salt could only be bought in town, he wouldn't have troubled the old doctor with them at all.

As for the rest, he could buy them at the large market later.

Upon returning from Old Doctor Chen's, Lu Qing's first priority was to sprinkle the medicinal powder around the house.

He thought that with this, everything would be settled and he could finally get a good night's sleep.

However, when night fell and Xiao Yan fell asleep, he heard that sound once again.