Chapter 30: Mutated Tiger Fang Grass
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue walked shoulder to shoulder, their heads close together, chatting with ease and laughter. Their closeness radiated warmth and harmony.
Fang Cheng Lang watched the scene in silence, a sharp, needle-like pain twisting in his chest.
Little Six, leave him.
Lan Zi Yu, who had been speaking with Ye Cong Xin, noticed the change in Fang Cheng Lang’s expression. Following his gaze, Lan Zi Yu’s own mood darkened.
Throughout their journey, Yu Zhao had not initiated a single conversation with them. Anyone with eyes could see the tension; some even subtly pried for more details.
Lan Zi Yu felt a mix of embarrassment and anger.
It wasn’t him who hurt Yu Zhao—that was Quan Ye. It wasn’t him who borrowed money and didn’t return it—that was Su Ming. As for the Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute, Yu Zhao had gifted it to someone else first. From start to finish, he hadn’t done anything to harm her! So why was she giving him the cold shoulder?
Clearly, she was the one at fault!
After Ye Cong Xin finished speaking and received no reply from Lan Zi Yu, she turned to him in confusion. Noticing his and Fang Cheng Lang’s unwavering gaze on Yu Zhao, her irritation grew.
Resting her chin in her hands, she remarked with a tinge of envy, “Senior Sister Zhou and Senior Sister Yu have such a great relationship. They seem more like real sisters than fellow disciples.”
“Some people are just pretentious, sucking up to those above them while looking down on their peers. All they want is to curry favor with the Sect Master’s disciples,” Lan Zi Yu muttered coldly.
Fang Cheng Lang glanced at him, then shook his head in disappointment.
Lan Zi Yu’s words were sharp and baseless.
Within the Five Elements Dao Sect, the only lineage that could rival the Main Peak was their own, Lone Moon Peak. Yu Zhao didn’t need to curry favor with anyone. If she was getting along so well with Zhou Jin Yue, there was only one explanation.
Compatibility.
Ye Cong Xin, mistaking Fang Cheng Lang’s silence as agreement, couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
She had initially thought Yu Zhao had grown wiser after her time in the Black Prison, but it seemed she had overestimated her.
Using the tactic of playing hard-to-get too much would only backfire.
Yu Zhao’s growing closeness with Zhou Jin Yue would only push Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu further away.
In this way, Yu Zhao’s presence wasn’t a bad thing. Her pretense only served to highlight Ye Cong Xin’s own warmth and understanding.
She was getting closer to winning over Lan Zi Yu.
…
After a night of rest, the group’s energy was fully restored. Before setting out, Zhou Jin Yue once again emphasized the importance of discipline before leading them forward.
Their destination for the day: Dragon Roar Valley.
…
Dragon Roar Valley lay at the intersection of two mountains. The unique howling sound produced by the wind gave the valley its name.
The valley was lush with spiritual energy, vibrant greenery, and flourishing life.
Yu Zhao, Zhou Jin Yue, and Zhang Jun formed a triangular search pattern through the forest.
After entering the valley, Zhou Jin Yue had opted to split the group into smaller teams. Each team maintained a distance that allowed for independent movement while still enabling quick support if needed.
“Be careful. Watch out for snakes, insects, and other pests lurking in the forest,” Zhou Jin Yue advised from the lead, scouting the path ahead.
Though the creatures in the forest weren’t overly venomous, their bites could still be quite unpleasant.
Yu Zhao and Zhang Jun nodded silently, their movements soundless.
Soon, the trio emerged from the forest into a grassy clearing.
Yu Zhao immediately noticed an unusual plant in the center of the clearing.
Drawing from her years of tending to the Medicine Garden, she recognized it as a second-grade spiritual herb.
Quietly, she tugged on Zhou Jin Yue’s sleeve and pointed towards the plant. “Senior Sister Zhou, there’s a spiritual herb up ahead.”
Zhou Jin Yue’s eyes lit up.
Since entering Dragon Roar Valley, they hadn’t found anything. This was their first discovery.
“Let’s go check it out.”
The three of them hurried to the spot Yu Zhao had indicated.
After a long moment of staring at the grass, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun exchanged a puzzled glance before turning to Yu Zhao.
“Junior Sister Yu, where’s the herb you mentioned?” Zhou Jin Yue asked.
It wasn’t that she doubted Yu Zhao, but to her untrained eye, all the plants looked the same.
Yu Zhao chuckled. Bending down slightly, she plucked a small plant from among the grass and handed it to Zhou Jin Yue. “Here, Senior Sister Zhou. This is it.”
“Huh?”
Zhou Jin Yue scrutinized the plant closely, then compared it to the grass beneath her feet. She remained utterly baffled.
Patiently, Yu Zhao explained, “This is called Tiger Fang Grass. Notice how its leaf edges resemble sharp tiger fangs. Normally, it has no medicinal value, but there’s a chance it can mutate. Mutated Tiger Fang Grass has greatly enhanced properties and, when combined with Ginseng Wood, Golden Autumn Seeds, and Crushed Star Sand, serves as the main ingredient for the third-grade elixir Body Breaking Pill.”
To clarify further, Yu Zhao picked a normal Tiger Fang Grass and demonstrated, “The mutated variety has thicker leaves, sharper edges, and a yellowish tint.”
With Yu Zhao’s guidance, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun finally discerned the subtle differences between the two types of grass.
“Junior Sister Yu, your knowledge of spiritual herbs is truly impressive,” Zhou Jin Yue praised.
The differences between regular and mutated Tiger Fang Grass were so minute that even seasoned cultivators visiting Dragon Roar Valley often overlooked it.
The disciples of Lone Moon Peak must have been blind to disregard such a gem, mistaking a pearl for a pebble.
Yu Zhao smiled modestly.
Zhou Jin Yue stored the mutated Tiger Fang Grass in her storage pouch and prepared to lead the group onward when her expression suddenly hardened.
“Be alert. Someone’s coming,” she warned in a low voice.
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps rustled through the forest.
Seven or eight men emerged from the undergrowth.
Both groups sized each other up, silently assessing their respective strengths.
The men, confident in their numerical advantage and noting the youth of Zhou Jin Yue’s group, believed they had the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun quickly judged the intruders’ lack of notable strength. They were confident the odds favored them.
Both sides’ gazes grew increasingly audacious.
“What are you looking at, brat?” one of the burly men finally snarled, stepping forward and glaring at Zhang Jun.
Unfazed, Zhang Jun shot back, “What, is being ugly an excuse to stop people from looking?”
“You’ve got a death wish, kid! Let me help you out!” the man roared, rolling up his sleeves and striding towards the trio, a sly gleam in his eyes.
It was a familiar tactic.
One man would provoke the target to test their reaction. If the target backed down, the group would overwhelm them. If the target retaliated, they would decide whether to retreat or press their attack based on the response.
The man’s strides were large, and he reached them in just a few steps. Swinging his arm, he aimed a heavy slap at them.
His thick, meaty palm sliced through the air with force, enough to knock out three teeth if it landed squarely.