Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Mutated Tiger Fang Grass
Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue walked shoulder to shoulder, their heads leaning close together as they chatted and laughed, intimate and at ease.

Fang Cheng Lang watched this scene in silence, a sharp, needling pain spreading from the tip of his heart.

[Little Six, just don’t want him anymore.]

Lan Zi Yu had been talking with Ye Cong Xin. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Fang Cheng Lang’s expression was strange. He subconsciously followed Fang Cheng Lang’s line of sight, and his gaze suddenly darkened.

During this whole stretch of travel, Yu Zhao had not taken the initiative to say a single word to them. Anyone with eyes could see that their relationship was icy cold. Some people even tried to probe for news, both openly and in secret.

Lan Zi Yu felt both embarrassed and angry.

It was Quan Ye who had injured Yu Zhao, and it was Su Ming who had borrowed money and refused to pay it back. The Purple Cloud Bamboo Flute had also been something Yu Zhao gave to someone else first. From beginning to end, he had never done anything to hurt Yu Zhao. What right did Yu Zhao have to give him that cold face?

It was clearly Yu Zhao who had wronged him.

After Ye Cong Xin finished speaking, she waited a long time without hearing Lan Zi Yu respond. Puzzled, she looked over at him, only to see him and Fang Cheng Lang staring at Yu Zhao without even blinking. Displeasure rose in her heart at once.

She propped her chin in both hands and said in an envious tone: “Sixth Senior Sister and Senior Sister Zhou really have such a good relationship. Compared to me, they even look more like fellow disciples, like real sisters.”

“Some people think too highly of themselves, always stepping on the low and flattering the high. They look down on their fellow disciples and only want to curry favor with the Sect Master’s disciples,” Lan Zi Yu said coldly.

Fang Cheng Lang gave him a glance and then shook his head in disappointment.

What Lan Zi Yu said was sharp and mean, and had no basis at all.

Within the Five Elements Dao Sect, the only lineage that could be compared with the Main Peak was their Lone Moon Peak.

Yu Zhao did not need to curry favor with anyone. For her to be chatting so happily with Zhou Jin Yue, there was only one possibility.

They simply got along.

Because Ye Cong Xin did not hear Fang Cheng Lang refute Lan Zi Yu, she mistakenly thought that what Lan Zi Yu said was exactly what Fang Cheng Lang was thinking. Her eyes curved into little crescents.

She had thought that after going into the Black Prison once, Yu Zhao had become smarter. It seemed she had overestimated Yu Zhao.

This trick of playing hard to get, if used for too long, would only backfire.

The closer Yu Zhao acted with Zhou Jin Yue now, the farther she would only push Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu away.

Looked at this way, Yu Zhao joining this trip was not a bad thing. Yu Zhao’s affected attitude only made Ye Cong Xin seem more considerate and sensible.

She was not far from winning Lan Zi Yu over.

After a night’s rest, the group, each with their own thoughts, had recovered their strength to the peak.

Before setting out, Zhou Jin Yue once again stressed the importance of following orders, then led the team forward.

Today’s target was Dragon Roar Valley.

Dragon Roar Valley lay at the border between two mountains. It got its name because when the wind blew through the valley, a unique wailing sound would echo through it.

The spiritual energy in the valley was plentiful, the vegetation was lush, and everything looked full of life.

Yu Zhao, Zhou Jin Yue, and Zhang Jun moved in a triangle formation as they searched through a patch of forest.

After entering the valley, Zhou Jin Yue did not insist that everyone act together. Instead, she split everyone into several small teams. The distance between them was far enough not to affect their actions, yet close enough for them to support each other in a short time.

“Be careful. Don’t let the snakes, insects, rats, and ants in the forest bite you.”

Zhou Jin Yue stood at the tip of the triangle, probing the way ahead while reminding Yu Zhao and Zhang Jun.

Normally, the snakes, insects, rats, and ants hidden in the forest were not too poisonous, but getting bitten would definitely not feel good.

Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue nodded silently without making a sound.

Soon, the three of them passed through the forest and came to a wide, open meadow.

At a glance, Yu Zhao saw a plant in the middle of the meadow that was different from the others.

Based on her many years of experience tending the Herb Garden, it should be a second-grade spirit herb.

Yu Zhao quietly tugged at Zhou Jin Yue’s sleeve, then pointed toward the spirit herb’s spot: “Senior Sister Zhou, there is a spirit herb up ahead.”

Zhou Jin Yue’s eyes lit up.

Ever since they had entered Dragon Roar Valley, they had not gained a single thing. This was the first time they had found anything.

“Come on, let’s go take a look.”

The three of them quickly went forward to the spot Yu Zhao had pointed at.

Then Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun stared at the grass for quite a while, looked up at each other, and finally turned to look at Yu Zhao in perfect tacit understanding.

Zhou Jin Yue said: “Junior Sister Yu, where is the spirit herb you were talking about?”

She was not doubting Yu Zhao. It was just that she and her junior brother really could not see the difference between a spirit herb and ordinary spiritual grass. They all looked exactly the same.

Yu Zhao did not know whether to laugh or cry.

She bent down slightly, plucked a small plant from among the spiritual grass, and handed it to Zhou Jin Yue: “Senior Sister Zhou, it’s this one.”

“Ah?”

Zhou Jin Yue took the spirit herb, studied it carefully, then compared it with the spiritual grass under her feet, still completely baffled.

Yu Zhao patiently explained to the two of them: “This kind of spiritual grass is called Tiger Fang Grass. Look, the edges of its leaves are as sharp as a tiger’s teeth. It is a common spiritual grass in the cultivation world and has no medicinal value. But there is a certain chance it will mutate. After it mutates, the medicinal properties of Tiger Fang Grass increase greatly. Together with Ginseng Wood, Golden Autumn Berry, and Shattered Star Sand, it becomes the main ingredient for the third-rank spirit pill Breaking Body Pill.”

To help them fully tell the difference, Yu Zhao casually picked another stalk of ordinary Tiger Fang Grass and said: “The leaves of mutated Tiger Fang Grass are a bit thicker, the toothed edges are even sharper, and the color is more yellow.”

With Yu Zhao’s patient guidance, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun finally spotted the subtle differences between the two.

Zhou Jin Yue praised her: “Junior Sister Yu, I did not expect you to have such deep knowledge about spirit herbs too.”

The difference between ordinary Tiger Fang Grass and mutated Tiger Fang Grass was extremely small. Otherwise, the cultivators who had come to Dragon Roar Valley would not have trampled almost the entire meadow flat without discovering that there was a second-grade spirit herb hidden among it.

Those people from Lone Moon Peak really were blind, mistaking a pearl for fish eyes.

Yu Zhao smiled.

Zhou Jin Yue put the mutated Tiger Fang Grass into her storage pouch and was just about to lead the team onward when her expression suddenly hardened.

She said quietly: “Stay on guard, someone is coming.”

Shortly after she spoke, a string of messy footsteps came from the forest ahead.

Then seven or eight men in their thirties emerged from the forest.

The two sides exchanged a glance and secretly began to evaluate each other’s strength.

Those men felt that they had the advantage in numbers and that the three people opposite them were young, so their chances of winning were great.

As for Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun, they saw through the strength of every person opposite them at a glance, and not a single one could fight. They also felt that the advantage was firmly on their side.

As a result, both sides’ gazes became more unrestrained.

Finally, one of the men on the other side, a burly, thickset man, could not wait any longer. He jumped out and glared fiercely at Zhang Jun. “Brat, what are you looking at?”

Zhang Jun glared back without showing weakness and said: “What, you’re so ugly and people are not even allowed to look?”

“You little punk, you are tired of living, huh! Come, I’ll grant your wish!”

The man rolled up his sleeves and strode toward the three of them, a sly light flashing in his eyes.

This was their usual trick.

They would first send one person out to provoke. If the other party swallowed the insult, they would all rush up together and completely deal with them.

If the other party fought back, they would decide whether to pretend to be weak or keep attacking based on how strong the counterattack was.

The man’s steps were long. In just a few strides he reached the three of them, then swung his arm and slapped out viciously.

His hand was wide and thick. As it swung, it sliced through the air with a roar. If this slap landed solidly on someone’s face, it would knock out at least three teeth.