Chapter 134

Chapter 134: Black Beetle
Hundred Flowers Valley’s female cultivators were a little too enthusiastic. Yu Zhao could hardly handle it and had no choice but to use searching for the Heavenly Immortal Herb as an excuse, hoping to politely turn them down.

But as soon as Mo Ci and the other three heard that, the corners of their lips lifted and they all laughed together. Mo Ci said: “Fellow Daoist Yu, it seems fate really tied us together. We know where there is Heavenly Immortal Herb.”

Yu Zhao was overjoyed: “Really? I hope Fellow Daoist Mo will be willing to tell me.”

Mo Ci smiled and said: “Fellow Daoist Yu, you may not know this, but Hundred Flowers Valley has a tradition of collecting Yin Flower honey to brew wine. So every year, Hundred Flowers Valley disciples come to Marsh Forest. A few years ago, one of my Senior Sisters found Heavenly Immortal Herb in Marsh Forest and marked the location, then warned the disciples to stay away. Because of our sect rules, we cannot hand the map to you, Fellow Daoist Yu, but we can lead you there so you can pick it yourself.”

After she finished, Mo Ci and her Sister Disciples all looked at Yu Zhao with anticipation.

With their warm invitation, and the Heavenly Immortal Herb as bait, Yu Zhao really could not bring herself to refuse. In the end, she still agreed to travel with them.

The two-person party of Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou suddenly expanded into a six-person team.

Yu Zhao walked in the middle of the group, flanked on both sides by Hundred Flowers Valley’s female cultivators, while Ji Han Zhou trailed at the very back.

Ji Han Zhou’s face drooped, his usually sharp eyes lowered. When he looked at Yu Zhao, his gaze was full of grievance.

One girl laughed and tugged Yu Zhao’s sleeve as she said: “Senior Sister Yu, when you have time in the future, you must come visit Hundred Flowers Orchard. I’ll let you try the Hundred Flowers Wine I brewed.”

Another girl leaned closer and asked: “Sister Yu, what do you usually do in the Five Elements Dao Sect? I have some questions about cultivation. Can I ask you about them? Please, please?”

Someone else called softly: “Fellow Daoist Yu…”

Hearing the laughter and cheerful voices up ahead, Ji Han Zhou only felt more bitter. People’s joys and sorrows never truly matched.

Yu Zhao turned around and called: “Junior Brother Ji, keep up.”

“Coming!” Ji Han Zhou perked up at once, his brows and eyes lively again.

On the way to look for Heavenly Immortal Herb, Mo Ci and the others also took the chance to collect some Yin Flower honey.

They were very experienced at gathering honey. As soon as they found a hive, they lit a special incense to drive away the Giant Bees that loved Yin Flowers, then went up and took half of the honey before quickly leaving.

The whole process took less than half a stick of incense.

“Senior Sister Mo, Senior Sister Yu, did you notice there is a black beetle behind us that seems to have been following us?”

Suddenly, Yang Xi stopped and asked the others uncertainly.

“Black beetle?” Mo Ci looked behind them in confusion.

Yu Zhao also turned to look. With a sweep of her divine sense, she indeed found a fist-sized black beetle clinging to a tree trunk in the distance.

She thought back and found she had no deep impression of it. After all, Marsh Forest was full of all kinds of snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

But for some reason, the moment she saw this black beetle, a strong wave of disgust surged up in her chest. The feeling came suddenly and violently. Yu Zhao could not ignore it.

A brilliant light gathered at her fingertips. She flicked her finger, and the streak of light shot toward the black beetle, swelling larger as it flew.

The black beetle seemed to sense the danger. Its hard forewings rose like a shield, and its hind wings beat fast as it shot several zhang away in an instant.

It was fast, but the streak of light was even faster.

Boom.

The light exploded. A flash of white swept out, and the surging spirit power instantly swallowed the area. The black beetle seemed to vanish in the blast without a trace.

Mo Ci and the others did not understand why Yu Zhao had gone to such lengths over a mere beetle, but they did not ask. No one mentioned the beetle again, and the six of them hurried on.

…

Yao Wu Ji looked down from above at the deathly pale Cui Jue and clicked her tongue, eyes shining with the curiosity of a child who had just found a new toy: “Tsk, tsk. Are all alchemists as stubbornly alive as you?”

Cui Jue acted as if he had heard nothing. He lay rigid on the ground, his chest barely moving, like a corpse.

This was his fifth day serving as Yao Wu Ji’s poison tester.

His lower body had completely lost feeling. His eyes were blurry and could no longer see people clearly, and even his hearing had weakened. He was not dead, but living was worse than death.

Yao Wu Ji said lazily: “All right. Since you’ve been so obedient, I’ll do my best to let you live a bit longer.”

She then looked to the other side at Fang Cheng Lang and kicked him lightly with the tip of her foot: “Your Junior Brother’s legs can’t move anymore. From now on, you’re going to carry him.”

Fang Cheng Lang’s face was dark, his gaze vicious. The way he looked at Yao Wu Ji made it seem like he wanted to tear her apart.

Yao Wu Ji gave a soft laugh: “Why are you looking at me like that? Your Junior Brother chose to make a deal with me to save you. Really, you should be thanking me for leaving you alive.”

Fang Cheng Lang almost ground his teeth to pieces.

He had only learned after waking up that Cui Jue had willingly become Yao Wu Ji’s poison tester to save him. Even more hateful, when Yao Wu Ji detoxified him, she had still held back. There were still traces of poison in his body.

If the spirit power in his body circulated too fast, the hidden poison would be triggered at once, and he would die from poison in less than three breaths.

In other words, both his and his Junior Brother’s lives were now in this woman’s hands.

As the Gentleman Sword, always open and upright like clear wind and bright moon, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? If not for worrying about Cui Jue, he would rather self-detonate than live like this.

“Hurry up. Carry him.”

Yao Wu Ji kicked Fang Cheng Lang again.

Fang Cheng Lang gritted his teeth, got up, and hoisted Cui Jue onto his back.

“First Senior Brother, it hurts.”

Cui Jue’s voice was as weak as a mosquito’s, but in Fang Cheng Lang’s ears it sounded like thunder.

Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes turned red. He bent forward slightly and said: “A’Jue, don’t be afraid. First Senior Brother is here. First Senior Brother will definitely take you home safely.”

Yao Wu Ji watched this touching scene between senior and junior brothers and frowned in impatience, clicking her tongue. Just as she was about to urge them to move, a pillar of light suddenly shot up in the distance, its gentle glow covering nearly half of Marsh Forest.

Yao Wu Ji froze for a moment, then wild joy spread across her face: “A Spirit Herb has appeared!”

Without another word, she wove her spirit power into a rope, wrapped it around Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue, and sped toward the pillar of light.

At the same time, almost every cultivator in Marsh Forest saw that huge pillar of light rising in the darkness and rushed toward it.

The six people with Yu Zhao were no exception.

Mo Ci’s face was full of joy as she said: “Senior Sister Yu, our luck is so good. Marsh Forest hasn’t had a Spirit Herb appear in a long time. I think the last time was about a hundred years ago.”

The female cultivators of Hundred Flowers Valley often came to Marsh Forest and knew the conditions here like the back of their hand.

Yu Zhao was also very pleased. Even if this Spirit Herb did not end up in her hands, just being able to take part and witness it in person meant this trip was not in vain.

But she did not lower her guard. She reminded Mo Ci, Ji Han Zhou, and the others to pay extra attention to any unfamiliar cultivators around them later.

Some people, knowing they were not strong enough, would not fight for the Spirit Herb directly, but would take advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters and rob or kill other cultivators.

She could easily imagine the fierce battle that was about to erupt. Even she had no confidence she could retreat unscathed. But so what? She no longer feared death. She only feared dying as insignificant as a blade of grass.

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