Ye Lingling and her mother were settled in a small villa on the east side of Martial Soul Academy, and Ye Lingling enrolled there.
After leaving Ye Lingling's residence, Gu Qingshan walked back toward the dormitory, already planning his next move.
Aromatic Silk Beauty.
That Immortal Herb was the key to solving the flaw in Nine Heart Begonia, but finding it was a problem.
When he'd read the novel in his previous life, he'd only remembered that the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was deep in Sunset Forest, surrounded by Dugu Bo's poisonous miasma, and that it held many Immortal Herbs.
Dugu Bo.
Gu Qingshan chewed on a Blue Silver Leaf and slowed his pace.
In the original story, Dugu Bo was neither wholly good nor wholly evil. He wasn't exactly a good person, but the one he cared about most was his granddaughter, Dugu Yan. He would do anything for her.
So, was there a chance...
He could "persuade" Dugu Bo to join Spirit Hall?
If he went to seize the herbs outright, he'd be facing a Titled Douluo. Though Dugu Bo was suffering badly from the backlash of his own poison, a fight with him was no joke.
Even if Chrysanthemum Douluo could suppress him, Dugu Bo might go mad and destroy the Immortal Herbs. That would be a terrible loss.
What if he negotiated?
He could use a cure for Dugu Bo and his granddaughter as leverage, and get him to join Spirit Hall.
Dugu Bo had no particular loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire to begin with. He was only a guest retainer, more or less "without a home."
Spirit Hall could give him a place to belong and his granddaughter a future. What reason would he have to refuse?
Besides, Dugu Bo was a man who kept a clear account of favors and grudges. Treat him well, and he'd treat you well in return.
Save his granddaughter's life, and he'd owe you for the rest of his life.
A man like that was far more reliable than those fair-weather allies.
Early the next morning, Gu Qingshan returned to Spirit Hall.
"You brought Nine Heart Begonia back with you?"
"'Brought her back'? That's called cooperation!" Gu Qingshan entered the office, his expression righteous and indignant.
Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, her hands folded before her, and looked at him with an amused smile.
Gu Qingshan told her the whole story of Nine Heart Begonia from beginning to end.
After listening, Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the desktop, making a steady patter.
"You're saying you read in a book that there's a way to solve Nine Heart Begonia's flaw?"
"Mm."
"What book? Is it reliable?"
"I forgot the title. How would we know unless we try?"
Bibi Dong watched him for a while, then looked away.
She knew her disciple had plenty of secrets.
His cultivation methods, his Martial Soul, his wealth of knowledge—nothing about them was normal.
But she had no intention of pressing him for answers.
Everyone had their secrets. She did, too.
As long as this child was her disciple, and his heart was with Spirit Hall, that was enough.
Gu Qingshan continued, "I'm still not sure exactly where the Immortal Herb is. I only know it's somewhere in Sunset Forest. We'll have to search for the exact location. Teacher, I need you to send someone to take me there."
"Sunset Forest?" Bibi Dong's brows drew together slightly.
Sunset Forest was within the Heaven Dou Empire, not especially close to Spirit City. Even at a hard gallop, it would take two or three days.
And that forest was far more complicated than Star Dou Great Forest, because a Titled Douluo lived there.
"Sunset Forest is Dugu Bo's territory," Bibi Dong said.
"I know." Gu Qingshan nodded.
"Dugu Bo is a strange man, and he keeps everyone at arm's length. You may not find the Immortal Herb even if you go. And even if you do, he won't let you take it."
Gu Qingshan smiled.
"Teacher, I already have a plan. You only need to send someone to escort me to Sunset Forest. I'll handle the rest."
"Fine. There's no harm in trying." Bibi Dong finally nodded.
Gu Qingshan felt a weight lift from his heart.
"Who do you want me to send with you?" Bibi Dong asked.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, if you please. I heard he knows a lot about plants, so he'll make the search easier. Besides, Elder Chrysanthemum and I worked well together in Star Dou Great Forest last time." Gu Qingshan answered almost without hesitation.
"Good. Go get ready. I'll have Elder Chrysanthemum come for you tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Gu Qingshan stood, bowed to Bibi Dong, and turned to leave.
Just as he reached the door, Bibi Dong's voice came from behind him.
"Qingshan."
"Hmm?"
"You know what you're doing with the Immortal Herb, but remember: no matter what happens, your safety comes first."
Gu Qingshan paused.
He looked back at Bibi Dong. She had lowered her head and resumed reviewing the files, her expression once again stern and focused, as if she'd only said it in passing.
But Gu Qingshan knew Bibi Dong wasn't one to say things in passing.
"I understand."
Sunset Forest lay in the eastern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, about a hundred li from Heaven Dou City.
The carriage traveled for a whole day, changing horses twice along the way. They didn't reach a small town on the outskirts of Sunset Forest until dusk.
They spent the night in town, then entered Sunset Forest early the next morning.
The two proceeded at a steady pace. Chrysanthemum Douluo would stop now and then to crouch and inspect the plants on the ground, or pluck a leaf and hold it beneath his nose.
"Young Master Qingshan, what does the Immortal Herb you mentioned look like?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked.
"I can't quite remember exactly, but I remember it grew in a very unusual place. Beside a pool. The pool was strange: one half of the water was red, and the other half was blue."
Chrysanthemum Douluo stopped in his tracks.
"Extreme heat and cold existing side by side, yin and yang in balance—that's the rarest kind of place in the world for cultivating medicinal herbs. It would indeed be the perfect environment for Immortal Herbs to grow."
Gu Qingshan hesitated, then said, "Teacher said Poison Douluo might be somewhere deep in Sunset Forest."
"Old Poison." His voice carried a hint of complicated emotion. "When I pursued him back then, I noticed how familiar he was with this area of Sunset Forest. I lost track of him around here several times. Looks like he made this place his lair."
After walking for about another half hour, the vegetation around them began to change. A strange smell crept into the air, a pungent, sweetish, fishy stench.
Gu Qingshan stopped.
"It should be just ahead."
He looked toward the dark green poisonous miasma in the distance and knew they'd found the right place.
Chrysanthemum Douluo furrowed his brows. "Young Master Qingshan, are you saying the Immortal Herb is inside that miasma?"
"That's right."
Chrysanthemum Douluo crouched and dipped a finger into the soil. He held it beneath his nose, then lightly touched it with the tip of his tongue.
"The poison of Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower." His brows knitted tighter. "It's mixed with at least five kinds of snake venom and refined using a special method to form this poisonous miasma. An ordinary person would dissolve into a puddle of pus after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. A Soul Master wouldn't last even the time it takes to burn a stick of incense unless their Soul Power was strong enough."
"Is there a way through?" Gu Qingshan asked.
Chrysanthemum Douluo rose and brushed the dirt from his hands.
"I may not be an expert in poison, but I can keep these poisonous mists at bay with a Soul Power barrier."
He released his Martial Soul. The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum appeared behind him, and golden light gathered into a spherical barrier that enveloped both him and Gu Qingshan.
"Let's go."
They walked through the poisonous miasma for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea. The mist ahead suddenly began to thin.
Gu Qingshan quickened his pace. The instant they emerged from the miasma, the view before them opened up.
It was a mountain valley.
The air in the valley was so fresh it seemed impossible, a world apart from the poisonous miasma outside.
Then Gu Qingshan saw the pool.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The water was divided in two. One half was a blazing red, steam rising from its surface; the other half was a deep, icy blue, with a thin layer of ice crystals coating the surface.
The two halves met in the middle, red and blue sharply divided, each leaving the other untouched, like a Taiji symbol.
All around the pool grew countless strange flowers and herbs.
Every one of them brimmed with life. Some even seemed to glow faintly.
Gu Qingshan's heart began to race.
Immortal Herbs.
So many Immortal Herbs.
Before you continue