Yue Guan's Reaction

Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong exchanged a glance.

Yue Guan had known all along, but they hadn't.

After all those years together, they would have remembered if Yue Guan had ever mentioned it.

Yet when they searched their memories, neither recalled a thing.

"You didn't know?" Lin Fan asked in surprise.

"We really didn't," Bibi Dong replied.

"Maybe I forgot to tell you. I've told you so much, I thought I'd mentioned it." Lin Fan slapped his forehead.

"Then let me tell you about Yue Guan's Martial Soul. You know what it is, right?" Lin Fan asked.

"We do," Qian Xunji said. "You told us before. It's a plant Martial Soul, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."

"Right." Lin Fan nodded. "His Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum is the Martial Soul of an Immortal Herb by the same name. In terms of quality, it's a grade above even the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul."

"That's why, as I remember it, Yue Guan spent his whole life searching for the Immortal Herb known as the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. If he absorbed it, he would certainly become a level 98 Super Douluo. He might even have a chance to reach level 99 and become a Peerless Douluo."

"Later, he did find it. Unfortunately, someone had already eaten it."

"At the time, Yue Guan was acting on Bibi Dong's orders to ambush Tang San and his group. But when he learned what had happened, he tried to take the Soul Ancestor who'd eaten the herb as his disciple, right in front of everyone. The man was Tang San's friend, though, so he refused."

"In the end, the ambush failed because of it."

After listening, Qian Xunji nodded. "I understand. That means no one's eaten the Immortal Herb yet, and it's still in the Sunset Forest you mentioned."

Lin Fan nodded. "If you mean during Qian Xunji's time, then no one's eaten it yet. But herbs are like fruit—they need time to ripen. I don't know whether it's mature at this point."

"Besides, that place is shrouded year-round in poisonous mist released by toxic plants. Ordinary Soul Masters and Soul Beasts who enter are certain to die. Even a Soul King who knows nothing about poison might not make it through. It's a deadly place."

"Most Immortal Herbs are highly poisonous themselves. You need to understand each one's properties before picking it. Touch the wrong one directly, and even a Titled Douluo could die."

"If Yue Guan did the picking, there'd be little to worry about."

Qian Xunji smiled. "I see. I'll tell the village doctor about the Immortal Herbs. Maybe she'll find some old medicinal plants deep in the mountains."

"If that's clear, should I continue with Tang San's story?" Lin Fan asked.

"No need, Lin Fan. You've told us plenty," Qian Xunji said. "We wouldn't want the village doctor and the cook to miss such a wonderful story."

"Besides, I need to see how they're getting on with the path."

Lin Fan nodded. "Village chief, be straight with me. How long until the path is passable? I've been eating and staying here for free, and I feel bad about it."

"And I'm seeing threads like a net in front of my eyes. I don't know what's happening, and it worries me. I'd feel better if I could get a thorough examination at a major hospital as soon as possible."

Qian Xunji thought for a moment. "Lin Fan, you've seen how it rains every few days. Without the rain, the path would've been passable in ten days to two weeks. But today's downpour has undone the last several days' work."

"You know how little we have here. We don't even have proper tools."

Bibi Dong spoke up too. "Lin Fan, sorry to ask you to bear with it a little longer. We'll do everything we can. And you should trust the village doctor. If she says you'll recover after a while, you will."

Lin Fan nodded. "I understand. I just don't know why these threads have appeared in the murky darkness I see while I'm blind. They're even different colors."

"Maybe your eyes are starting to recover," Qian Xunji said. "Once the village doctor is free, I'll have her take a look."

"All right. Sorry for the trouble," Lin Fan said.

Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong went out, closing the door behind them.

Alone in the room, Lin Fan raised a hand and waved it before his eyes. The threads he had mentioned did not move.

"Strange. Does everyone see these before their sight comes back?"

"And the village chief and the others are a little strange. Whenever I mention Spirit Hall, they ask careful questions and seem so eager to hear more. But when I talk about Tang San's story, they don't seem nearly as interested as I expected."

"Do they just dislike Tang San?"

Unable to make sense of it, Lin Fan lay down. "Forget it. Why think so much about it? Once my eyes recover, I'll know."

Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong hadn't gone far from Lin Fan's quarters when Yue Guan and Gui Mei came to meet them. "Your Holiness, Your Highness. We were just looking for you."

"I was looking for you too," Qian Xunji said. "Come with me."

Qian Xunji led them to the study at the rear of the Pope's Palace.

He got straight to the point. "Yue Guan, Gui Mei, how is it going?"

Yue Guan reported, "Your Holiness, I've passed down the orders and had someone draw a rough likeness. With our intelligence network, we should find the Blue Silver Emperor within days."

"Good." Qian Xunji nodded, then looked at Yue Guan. "Yue Guan, do you know about Immortal Herbs?"

"I do," Yue Guan said, puzzled. "Have I never mentioned them to Your Holiness?"

"My Martial Soul is the Immortal Herb known as the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."

"You really haven't mentioned that, Elder Chrysanthemum," Bibi Dong said.

Gui Mei spoke up for his friend. "I remember Yue Guan mentioning it."

Qian Xunji glanced at Gui Mei without a word, but his look made his meaning clear: It doesn't matter if he did. If I don't remember it, he might as well not have.

Yue Guan caught on and gave a dry cough. "I thought Your Holiness might not be interested in such a minor matter..."

"Lin Fan said that if you found and absorbed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—the Immortal Herb that shares your Martial Soul's name—you might have a chance to reach level 99," Qian Xunji said evenly. "You call that minor?"

Yue Guan gave an awkward smile. "Your Holiness, you misunderstand. I've lived for so many years without ever encountering an herb like it. Only the Nine-Hearted Begonia Martial Soul comes close to the level of an Immortal Herb, so I..."

"Wait!" Something clicked, and Yue Guan changed course. "Your Holiness, did you just say Lin Fan told you I could find the herb that shares my Martial Soul's name?"

"Your Holiness, did Lin Fan say something about Immortal Herbs today? Does he know where the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum grows? Please tell me!"

Seeing the fervor in Yue Guan's eyes, Qian Xunji recalled Lin Fan saying that Yue Guan had spent his whole life searching for that Immortal Herb.

Qian Xunji even suspected that if someone offered Yue Guan a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in exchange for betraying Spirit Hall, he would agree without hesitation.

Seeing his reaction, Bibi Dong asked, "Elder Chrysanthemum, does that Immortal Herb really mean so much to you? You're beside yourself."

"Your Highness, you don't understand. It's my lifelong pursuit—my dream. If I had to choose right now between that Immortal Herb and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast..."

"I would choose the Immortal Herb without a moment's hesitation."

"To me, there's no comparison."