On the way, Lin Taichu asked the Man in Black, "Did those black-clothed men leave behind any clues?"
The Man in Black thought for a moment. "They all covered their faces, so I couldn't see what they looked like. Their weapons were ordinary steel blades, but I picked this up from the ground."
He took a small metal token from his robe and handed it to Lin Taichu.
Lin Taichu accepted the token and saw the character "shadow" engraved on it. It was exquisitely crafted, unlike anything from an ordinary Jianghu sect. "Have you seen this token before?" he asked.
The Man in Black shook his head. "No, but it doesn't feel like something from our imperial court. It may belong to a secret Jianghu organization."
Lin Taichu put away the token, already forming some suspicions. He mounted his horse and galloped south toward South Mountain.
Upon arriving at the South Mountain Medicine Garden, Lin Taichu quickly followed the Man in Black toward a crevice halfway up the cliff.
Sure enough, the crevice where the Purple Flame Grass had grown now contained only a few bare stalks. The dirt beside it had clearly been turned over.
"They must have climbed up using ropes. There are rope marks here as well." The Man in Black pointed at the scratches on the cliff face.
Lin Taichu examined them closely. There were indeed fresh scratches, and they were neatly arranged. It seemed the other side had come prepared. He checked the spiritual herbs in the other crevices as well. Fortunately, the Dragon Saliva Fruits and ten-thousand-year ginseng were still there. Only the Purple Flame Grass was missing.
"Why steal only the Purple Flame Grass?"
Lin Taichu muttered to himself. Though Purple Flame Grass was precious, there were many spiritual herbs in the garden