Zhang Bin carried the Mingqing Tree back to Sanchahe Village, arousing the curiosity of many villagers along the way.
"Xiao Bin, what kind of tree is that you've dug up? How come I've never seen it before?"
"Xiao Bin, have you been off to the mountains for cultivation again?"
"Xiao Bin, when are you going to invite your master back for us to meet?"
Liu Xin, carrying an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance, approached Zhang Bin. She grasped the tree on his shoulder and examined it from all angles, reluctant to let go. In truth, she was looking at Zhang Bin.
A faint blush crept across Zhang Bin's face. Liu Xin was dressed too beautifully today, wearing a purple spaghetti strap dress that revealed a section of her snowy-white peaks, an incredibly tempting sight.
"Do I look good?" Liu Xin asked with a coquettish chuckle, her voice low.
"Beautiful," Zhang Bin said involuntarily. He then came to his senses and awkwardly rushed into his house.
Now he understood. Liu Xin had been trying to seduce him. He couldn't help but recall the wonderful sight of secretly watching her bathe in the creek.
"Hmph... Fox Spirit," Cheng Fang muttered, having just stepped out of her home. Seeing the exchange made her unhappy, and she marched into Zhang Bin's house as if to make a point.
Liu Xin's expression dimmed. It's a pity I'm a widow. Otherwise, with my looks, I could definitely make Xiao Bin fall for me and truly compete with Cheng Fang. But she quickly cheered herself up. Cheng Fang has a crass mother, so her marrying Xiao Bin will be fraught with obstacles. I still have a chance.
"Xiao Bin, what are you going to do with the tree you dug up?" Xiao Fang asked, following Zhang Bin into the vegetable garden in the backyard.
Zhang Bin placed the Mingqing Tree on the ground. He turned to look at Xiao Fang and noticed that she too was very pretty today. While not in a spaghetti strap dress, she wore a pristine white one. Her cloud-like black hair fluttered wildly in the evening breeze, making her look like a fairy descended from the Immortal Realm.
He took a deep breath of the refreshing, youthful fragrance before saying mysteriously, "This tree is a real cash cow. With it, I'll be able to marry you soon."
"Really?" A vibrant blush bloomed on Xiao Fang's pretty face. She wanted to disbelieve him, but she knew Zhang Bin had a miraculous master, so perhaps there really was something special about the tree.
"Of course, it's true." Zhang Bin found a hoe, dug a hole in the ground, and planted the Mingqing Tree in it.
Then he watered it with Spiritual Water.
It was truly miraculous. The Mingqing Tree immediately perked up, and a bud sprouted from its branches, slowly growing larger.
"My goodness, what's happening?" Xiao Fang asked in astonishment, pointing at the colorful bud.
Zhang Bin beamed. "This tree is very special. It will flower and bear fruit when the time is right, just like a night-blooming cereus."
Of course, this wasn't the case. The Mingqing Tree was a miraculous medicinal plant that would only flower and fruit in a place abundant with Spiritual Energy. Otherwise, it would never bloom. It only flowered just now because he had watered it with Spiritual Water.
Zhang Bin poured a little more Spiritual Water on it. The flower bloomed rapidly, then began to wither, replaced by a small, blue-coloured fruit that was slowly growing larger.
This was the miraculous Mingjing Fruit. Once mature, it would resemble a coconut and secrete a liquid from within—the miraculous Bright Eye Liquid. When dripped into the eyes, it could cure myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and other eye ailments.
"What is this tree for?" Xiao Fang asked curiously, her face flushing as she batted away Zhang Bin's hand, which was trying to wrap around her waist.
A roguish smile appeared on Zhang Bin's face. "Xiao Fang, are you asking how I'm going to make money with this tree?"
"Of course not," Xiao Fang said, flustered. "I have to go back now, or my mom will scold me again."
With that, she ran off, leaving only a lingering fragrance behind.
Xiao Fang can't wait to marry me. It feels like I'm dreaming, Zhang Bin mused to himself.
That night, after meditating, he didn't sleep. Instead, he studied the books Gao Si had sent over. It wasn't out of diligence but sheer fascination. The books were filled with too many miraculous formulas, amazing medicinal herbs, and incredible methods for curing diseases.
In the early morning, he went into the dense forests of Great Green Mountain to practice his cultivation by gathering Spiritual Energy. Since reaching the second realm of the Qingmu Longevity Technique, the Lianqi Realm, his ability for qi gathering had greatly improved. Before, he could only gather the Spiritual Energy from plants within a two-meter radius, but now he could do so from three meters away. This meant his spiritual power had grown slightly stronger. Gathering qi this way was also a method of training his spiritual power.
He brought a large amount of Spiritual Water back home and immediately went to the backyard, his gaze fixed on the Mingqing Tree. To his delight, he discovered the fruit had grown to the size of two fists and was still blue-coloured.
"Xiao Bin, what kind of tree is this? How did it grow such a big fruit overnight?" Mother Zhang and Father Zhang had also come into the backyard, and his mother asked with curiosity.
"It's a very precious medicinal herb." Zhang Bin wasn't certain that the "eye grass" on Earth possessed the same power to treat eye diseases, so he couldn't make any guarantees and could only give a vague explanation.
He fetched a clean, small mineral water bottle and a needle. He poked a hole in the bottom of the Mingjing Fruit, and a liquid with a strange fragrance immediately began to flow out. Zhang Bin collected it in the mineral water bottle. There wasn't much, only about two small wine cups' worth. Once the liquid was drained, the hole healed itself as if it had never been there.
This must be the Mingjing Fruit. Healing its own wounds is its most significant characteristic! Zhang Bin was excited and full of anticipation. However, he needed to experiment to be sure. He started by dripping two drops into his own eyes.
The sensation was very refreshing, without making his eyes water at all. The liquid seemed to have miraculous abilities, as it was absorbed directly by his eyes. After a moment, he felt his eyes become extremely comfortable. He opened them wide and looked into the distance, and things seemed clearer. Could his vision have actually improved?
However, since he'd never had any problems with his eyes, he had to continue experimenting. Where could he find a test subject?
His gaze gradually fell upon his mother's face. "Mom, this liquid has the miraculous ability to cure presbyopia. Want to give it a try?"
"Pfft... You must be dreaming, child," Mother Zhang couldn't help but laugh.
"Xiao Bin, are you teasing your mom again?" Father Zhang was just as disbelieving.
"It's true! It can cure not only presbyopia but also nearsightedness and farsightedness," Zhang Bin insisted.
"Son, you're being naughty again. We're not fools. Why would we believe something so preposterous?" Mother Zhang scoffed.