Lovesick Heartbreak Red Acknowledges Its Master

"Dean, I don't recognize most of the herbs here. We should play it safe and proceed carefully."

Dugu Bo watched Chen Ling inspect the unfamiliar medicinal herbs scattered across the ground with great interest and hurriedly warned him.

He was not worrying for no reason. In his early years, he had mistakenly consumed one and nearly died on the spot. That was why he reminded Chen Ling.

"It's fine." Chen Ling waved a hand. Although he could not identify them all either, he knew that consuming most of the Immortal Herbs here would not cause any problems.

Moreover, the characteristics of several top-grade Immortal Herbs were especially striking. Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, for instance, were easy to recognize at a glance from their appearance and where they grew.

And he could clearly sense that the types of Immortal Herbs naturally produced by this treasure ground were more numerous and complete than those recorded in the original work.

Chen Ling suddenly turned to Dugu Bo and casually asked, "Old Poison, you know how to refine Detoxification Pills, right?"

Dugu Bo was filled with confusion, unable to guess why Chen Ling had suddenly asked that, but he still answered truthfully and respectfully, "I do indeed know the method for refining Detoxification Pills."

"Then go back immediately and bring your granddaughter here." Chen Ling gave the order calmly. "I'll provide a full set of alchemy materials afterward and help you grandfather and granddaughter temporarily suppress the toxins that have been entrenched in your bodies for years."

"Yes, sir." Dugu Bo's face instantly lit up with delight upon hearing that.

Now this was a good boss. He had not even started working yet, and he was already getting paid.

Dugu Bo did not dare waste a second. His figure flashed, turning into a concentrated stream of emerald light as he rapidly flew back the way he had come.

Watching Dugu Bo's hurried, impatient retreating figure, Chen Ling could not help finding it amusing.

Old Poison appeared aloof and ruthless, but he was actually perceptive, adaptable, and exceptionally aware of the situation. He was especially easy to deal with.

That was good too. Chen Ling did not want to make a move himself, though killing Dugu Bo in seconds would probably take only one slash.

He was merely afraid of damaging him and affecting his work afterward. Most of Chen Ling's attacks ignored defenses, and some even struck directly at the heart. Those were the most insidious ones.

Chen Ling withdrew his gaze from the Immortal Herbs along the shore and turned toward Xiao Wu in the distance.

At that moment, Xiao Wu was crouching on the ground, carefully tending to the recently planted Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin.

The Blue Silver Emperor no longer looked as it had a few days ago. Compared with its previous half-dead state, it had at least grown considerably.

More precisely, not long after it had been planted, the Blue Silver Emperor had begun growing explosively. It had now reached half a person's height.

Chen Ling slowly walked over and crouched beside Xiao Wu. He studied the thriving Blue Silver plant with interest and murmured softly, "I wonder whether Ah Yin still has any lingering consciousness."

Tang Hao had been killed by him, Tang San stood against him, and he did not know what to do with Ah Yin.

He could not exactly turn into one of those people: "Madam, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your son, would you?"

"Probably not?" Xiao Wu scratched her head, sounding uncertain.

These days, Xiao Wu only placed Ah Yin on the windowsill or beside the bed when tending to the grass. If Ah Yin had consciousness, would that not mean she had seen all of Xiao Wu's daily movements?

At that thought, Xiao Wu's cheeks instantly burned. Her mind became a mess, and her pretty face flushed crimson.

She secretly glanced at Chen Ling beside her, then quickly lowered her head again, too shy to meet his eyes.

During the six years she had spent by Tang San's side, Xiao Wu had been throwing flirtatious looks at a blind man every day. There was nothing she could do about it; at that stage, Tang San truly treated her as a younger sister.

Only by Chen Ling's side was she treated as a woman.

The pleasure of this period had been far more interesting than being with Tang San. As for Tang San, the vague feelings Xiao Wu had once held for him had been replaced by hatred, leaving none of her former affection behind.

Six years spent together day and night had ultimately been nothing but a self-deceiving lie. That chill in her heart was enough to erase all the tenderness of the past.

Seeing the girl's bashful, soft appearance, Chen Ling's heart stirred slightly. He reached out, gently lifted her into his arms, and turned toward the other side of the valley.

There stood an ancient Black Severing Stone. Upon its surface, a pure white peony slowly unfurled its petals and bloomed serenely.

Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

The next instant, an invisible layer of spiritual power quietly spread out, firmly covering the entire area and cutting off all sounds and movement from the outside world.

Xiao Wu once again attained an epiphany regarding the Scabbard Code.

The second rule of the Scabbard Code: remain utterly faithful, or else there was already the ohohoho way.

To pluck Lovesick Heartbreak Red, one had to think of the person one loved, be utterly sincere and devoted, and spit a mouthful of blood onto its petals. With even the slightest divided heart, even vomiting blood to death would not allow one to pluck it.

Chen Ling did not know whether Xiao Wu loved him in her heart, but he knew that her body contained him. While her thoughts were completely immersed in it, Chen Ling guided Xiao Wu and gently let her essence blood fall upon the pure white petals.

Accompanied by Xiao Wu's soft, broken gasps, the white peony petals were gradually dyed with blood, turning a vivid scarlet all over. With a gentle sway, it detached from the Black Severing Stone and drifted down.

You were within me, and I was within you. Was that not also a form of utter sincerity and devotion? Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with Chen Ling, and Chen Ling's eyes were also filled with Chen Ling, leaving no room for anyone else.

Looking at the scarlet Immortal Herb lying quietly beside them, not only was Chen Ling surprised, but Xiao Wu herself was also stunned and found it hard to believe.

"Absorb it directly. This Immortal Herb can directly raise your Soul Power and allow you to reach maturity sooner." Chen Ling lowered his head, gently kissed away the fine beads of sweat from Xiao Wu's forehead, and spoke warmly.

Although the process by which Lovesick Heartbreak Red acknowledged its master had been somewhat strange, and this success had involved certain special factors, Xiao Wu being able to pluck it was enough to prove some things.

"But..." Xiao Wu frowned slightly, hesitation appearing on her face.

During the process just now, Chen Ling had naturally explained the conditions for this Immortal Herb to acknowledge its master. Even she had not expected it to truly succeed.

She had never been able to sort out her feelings for Chen Ling, from the disgust and hatred at the beginning to the dependence she felt now.

The change had come too quickly. To her, it was like a drowning person who had fallen into a bottomless abyss, surrounded on all sides by dead ends. At the instant before she was completely swallowed up, Chen Ling was the only piece of driftwood she could cling to with all her strength, the sole support that carried her through all darkness.

The beginning of her life had been rooted in hatred. Otherwise, Xiao Wu would still be that carefree Soft Bone Rabbit in the forest, protected by Tai Tan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python, able to continue living without a care in the world.

Tang San had once lit the first glimmer of light in her human world, but when that light went out, all it left her was bone-chilling cold and endless lies.

Her beginning with Chen Ling had likewise started with hatred. Now, all the old resentment had completely dissipated and shifted away, while the lingering feelings that remained left simple-minded Xiao Wu utterly unable to distinguish them.

Xiao Wu's single-threaded emotional brain could not figure it out. Perhaps this was love too.

Ohohoho--------