Little San, You're Quite the Professional Salesman

"I've already taken two."

At Ling Yun's words, Tang San froze. Then his gaze dropped instinctively to Ling Yun's soaked clothes.

Rare medicinal herbs grew everywhere, and Ling Yun had clearly just climbed out of that red-and-blue spring. Knowing him, Tang San would sooner believe Dugu Bo had suddenly gone into the tea business than believe Ling Yun had woken up, done nothing, and merely gone in for a bath.

"What did you take?"

Rather than rush to inspect the Medicine Garden, Tang San asked him first.

Ling Yun pointed casually to either side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. "The two plants that used to grow over there. One was cold as hell, the other hot as hell. The taste was nothing special, but they worked well enough, so I ate them both."

Tang San followed the direction of his finger.

One glance was enough to change his expression. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot!

Taking either Immortal Herb alone would leave an ordinary Soul Master with only a slim chance of survival. Taken together, however, their two extreme medicinal properties would counteract each other. Entering this spring, where bitter cold and scorching heat converged, to temper the body would then allow the medicine to truly fuse with it.

Tang San finally understood why Ling Yun was soaked.

And because he understood, he was all the more shaken.

"You knew how to take those two herbs?"

Ling Yun glanced at him and smiled naturally. "If I hadn't, I'd probably be cooked by now. What's with that look, Little San? Are those two plants worth a lot?"

Tang San fell silent for a moment.

Worth a lot didn't begin to cover it.

Immortal Herbs like those couldn't be measured in ordinary money.

What baffled him even more was how unusual the properties of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot were. He recognized them only because the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record described them in detail. Ling Yun had spent all these years at Blue Tyrant Academy. Where had he learned about them?

Tang San suddenly realized he might never have truly understood this boy from his village.

Ling Yun had no intention of giving him time to ponder his life. He slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders and steered him toward the Medicine Garden. "Don't think so hard. Senior Dugu agreed to let me pick five plants. I've used two slots, so I've got three left. Since you know herbs, help me pick the best ones. It'd be awkward if I took one home and found out it was for boosting virility."

Behind them, Dugu Bo's face twitched.

Tang San was speechless too. "The rarer an herb is, the more suitable it isn't necessarily for you. Taking one improperly could harm you. You've already taken two Immortal Herbs with overpowering properties at once. You'd best avoid any more potent tonics for a while."

"Fair point."

Ling Yun nodded, then asked with a perfectly straight face, "So which three cost the most?"

Tang San looked at him.

Ling Yun looked back.

In the end, Tang San was the first to look away. He understood now: Ling Yun had never said he planned to eat the other three himself.

Tang San was intensely curious about the Medicine Garden himself, so he began slowly examining its outer edge. The farther he went, the more astonished he became. Many of these herbs would be rare treasures in the outside world, yet here they grew everywhere like ordinary flowers and grass.

Before they had gone far, Tang San stopped in front of a huge chrysanthemum.

"This should be the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, an Immortal Herb. After taking it, energy flows through the four limbs and blood courses through the eight meridians. It greatly improves the body. Some even say it can forge a body impervious to harm."

Ling Yun immediately leaned in. "Sounds good. Put it on the list."

"Didn't I say you shouldn't eat any more?"

"When did I say it was for me?"

Tang San had no answer. The two continued on.

Soon, Tang San stopped before a fiery-red herb. "This should be the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, a powerful pure-yang tonic. It's especially suited to fire-type Martial Souls, but its medicinal properties are extremely strong. An ordinary Soul Master might not withstand it."

Ling Yun rubbed his chin as he studied it. Ma Hongjun was the first person who came to mind.

If Fatty knew he had once been this close to something that could solve his Evil Fire problem, he would probably cling to Tang San and cry for half the night.

But with only three slots, Ling Yun decided to look at the others first.

As Tang San continued identifying herbs, he soon found the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, the Aromatic Silk Beauty, and other Immortal Herbs. When he said the Aromatic Silk Beauty could absorb the essence of heaven and earth and was tremendously beneficial to gem- and pagoda-type Martial Souls, Ling Yun's eyes lit up.

"I'm taking this one."

Tang San frowned. "Your Martial Soul is Greninja. This herb shouldn't do much for you."

Ling Yun carefully put away the Aromatic Silk Beauty, looking as though the answer were obvious. "I know. But I know someone whose Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. If I can't use it, can't I take it back as a gift?"

Tang San paused.

He knew, of course, what the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda meant.

Ning Rongrong.

At the thought of her, Tang San's expression grew complicated.

Ling Yun clearly wasn't picking at random. From the beginning, he had been thinking of more than himself.

"Two left."

Ling Yun urged him on. "Keep it up, Little San. Your service has been pretty good today. I'll give you a five-star review when we get back."

Tang San couldn't be bothered to ask what five stars meant. After they walked a little farther, his steps suddenly slowed.

Before them stood an herb that hardly looked remarkable. A few crystalline drops of dew clung to its leaves, while the leaves at its center had an unusual shape. At first glance, it was nowhere near as striking as the Immortal Herbs they had seen earlier.

But Tang San's gaze lingered on it noticeably longer.

Ling Yun had been looking elsewhere.

Noticing Tang San's reaction, he turned to look too.

"What about this one?"

After a brief pause, Tang San said, "Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. It's an Immortal Herb too. Its effect on the body isn't as obvious as that of the earlier plants. Its greatest benefits are to the mind and eyes. Taking it can sharpen eyesight, especially for someone cultivating certain eye-related abilities."

Ling Yun said nothing. He looked at the herb, then turned to study Tang San's eyes.

Tang San suddenly had a bad feeling.

The next moment, Ling Yun made his decision. "This is the second one."

Tang San: "..."

Dugu Bo had been watching from behind for some time. At last, he couldn't hold back a laugh.

He didn't recognize these herbs, but one thing was plain to see.

Tang San badly wanted this one.

And Ling Yun had decided to take it precisely because he had noticed.

Tang San had realized it too. He couldn't help saying, "You didn't even know what it did a moment ago."

"That's right."

Ling Yun had already begun carefully collecting the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. Without looking up, he replied, "But you've introduced so many herbs along the way, and your eyes lit up most when you saw this one. I figured anything you care about that much must be good, even if it isn't the most expensive."

Tang San opened his mouth but couldn't find a rebuttal. For the first time, he felt that diligently identifying herbs might not be an entirely good thing.

Ling Yun put away the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, feeling thoroughly pleased.

That was what he called a professional salesman. The customer didn't even need to read the product descriptions. He just had to see which item the salesman was most reluctant to part with and buy it.

Ling Yun didn't agonize long over the final slot. The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum went into his possession.

Ice and Fire Body Tempering had already greatly strengthened his body's foundation. The Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew could sharpen his mind and eyesight, while the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum would be immensely valuable whether he used it later himself or gave it to someone else.

Five plants. Exactly right.

Only after watching Ling Yun finish collecting them did Dugu Bo speak. "You've taken what you wanted. Can we get back to Yanyan's situation now?"

"Don't worry. You've paid, and I'll do the job. Once she gets here, I'll check how much poison has built up in her body before deciding on the dosage. We caught her problem early, so it'll be much easier to handle than yours."

At that, Tang San finally caught the important point.

"Poison?"

He turned toward Dugu Bo. His nostrils flared slightly, and, combining Dugu Bo's scent with his aura and Martial Soul, he quickly formed a suspicion.

"Senior Dugu, has the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison already turned against you?"

Dugu Bo gave him a surprised look. The boy did have some skill.

Tang San pondered for a moment, then continued. "If your poison cultivation has completely fused with your Soul Power, directly removing the poison truly isn't feasible. But there are other ways. If you could find somewhere that wouldn't damage your meridians and could hold the poison long-term..."

He suddenly stopped. A plan was taking shape in his mind.

"A Soul Bone."

Tang San looked up. "You could store the poison in a Soul Bone."

Dugu Bo flexed his right arm, sounding almost pleased. "We already tried it. It works. If I gradually force the poison into the Soul Bone each day, as Ling Yun suggested, it should resolve most of the backlash."

Tang San slowly turned his head.

Ling Yun was leaning nearby, smiling at him with remarkable friendliness.

"Little San. Who would've guessed? You and I think pretty much alike when it comes to treatment."

Tang San stared at him and, for the first time, fell silent for a long while. How did this guy know so much?

But Ling Yun was thinking about something else.

He had used all five slots, yet plenty of good things clearly remained in the Medicine Garden. Worse, Tang San had already identified nearly all these Immortal Herbs.

If Ling Yun simply dusted off his hands and left now, who knew whether Tang San's uncanny luck would bring the rest into his hands eventually?

Ling Yun narrowed his eyes at Dugu Bo. The five-plant limit was dealt with. Next, he needed to find a way to settle who this Medicine Garden belonged to.