CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 104: ZHENG QI

After Ye Lan married into the Chu Family, she planted many rare flowers and plants in the private garden.

Later, she fell ill, and since there was no one else with a high-level Wood Attribute Elemental Spirit in the Chu Family to take care of these precious plants, they had to hire professionals to manage them. The gardening company had to send a gardener every month.

Chu Yunyi was reading when the butler quietly came in and whispered, "Young master, the people from the gardening company have arrived. Do you wish to move to the study?"

There were several pots of Dragon Solanum in Chu Yunyi’s room, which were originally planted in Ye Lan’s small garden. Because their secreted oils have a calming effect when evaporated, Chu Yunyi had them transplanted into the study.

Potted plants require more than just watering and sunlight. They need regular infusions of Wood Element Spirit to ensure lush and vibrant leaves, which is why the Chu Family spends money to hire professionals to maintain them.

Chu Yunyi didn’t lift his head and said flatly, "No need, I’ll stay here; just tell him to be quiet."

"Yes."

With the butler’s permission, a man in the gardening company’s uniform walked in and began tending to the plants beside the pots.

The butler quietly instructed him not to make any noise to disturb the young master while reading, then closed the door and left.

After the butler left, Chu Yunyi put down the book and carved an anti-spying talisman on the door with his bare hands. Only then did the gardener approach Chu Yunyi and bow deeply.

"Zheng Qi greets the young master!"

Chu Yunyi nodded and gestured for him to sit and talk.

"How is your injury?"

Zheng Qi was a handsome and sunny young man, about the same age as Chu Yunyi.

"Young master, don’t worry. Thanks to the advanced healing agent you gave me, I have long been cured."

"Hmm, that’s good." Taking out an ornate box, Chu Yunyi pushed it towards Zheng Qi and continued, "The matter at the Red Hall was well-handled, here is your reward."

Zheng Qi opened the box; inside was a transparent Crystal Stone about the size of a fist.

"Young... young master, is this the Heaven Rank Wind Crystal Stone?"

Chu Yunyi exhibited a faint smile, his eyes carrying a hint of teasing: "Yes, it is the one you relentlessly bid against me for."

Zheng Qi quickly defended himself: "Young master, it was all an act. How could you take it seriously?"

He pushed the box back and continued, "I don’t want it; you keep it for yourself." The Wind Crystal Stone, worth over 35 million star coins, was too hot to handle.

"Keep it. Without your cooperation in that act, I wouldn’t have been able to openly acquire the Divine Return Drink. You are due for a promotion, and you need to supplement your Wind Element. This stone is just right for you."

"Advancement isn’t an easy feat, but you shouldn’t pressure yourself too much. If it doesn’t work the first time, try a second. When Heaven Rank Crystal Stones aren’t enough, ask anytime. If I have them, you have them. No need to feel awkward, I value your potential. When you become stronger, the benefits you bring to me will far exceed 35 million."

Having said this much, Zheng Qi couldn’t refuse any longer and accepted the box.

"Young master, Zhao Yi sent a message from Star Shining City; our people have destroyed another slave factory and rescued over 1,400 slaves. Of these, 900 can be identified and are from the lower city and Small Satellite Town. The rest, with no information, are second or third-generation slaves with untraceable origins."

Zheng Qi paused and continued, "Zhao Yi said... they didn’t find any information on the Second Miss; the trail in Star Shining City has gone cold again."

Chu Yunyi maintained a stoic expression and only responded with a faint "Hmm" after a long pause.

Zheng Qi: "Young master, rest assured. Those slave traders are still in our hands. Zhao Yi and Zhou Wu will continue to extract information from them, ensuring they’re squeezed dry. We might find other clues, so don’t lose hope."

"I won’t. You must be extra cautious. The forces behind the slave factories are immense and can’t be uprooted overnight. My identity is sensitive; if you encounter danger, I cannot guarantee a timely rescue."

Zheng Qi smiled generously: "We are slaves to begin with. If not for your rescue, we’d still be fighting in some Beast Fighting Arena, perhaps already buried in the wild. Our lives are yours, young master. We are willing to work for you, unafraid of death!"

Chu Yunyi: "From the moment I saved you, your lives were yours. I need partners; only by staying alive can you assist me. Tell Zhao Yi and Zhou Wu that if no new clues are found, return soon. I have a premonition that the forces behind the slave factories are planning a major move, and we must prepare in advance."

"Yes!"

"Young master, our people have been tracking Wei Chen for over three months. Besides work, she has virtually no social interactions. Her neural link contains only work-related information and transaction notifications from various accounts. She has no friends and seldom goes out during her free time. When she does, it’s either to buy essentials or to visit her grandmother in the nursing home."

Chu Yunyi listened quietly, rubbing his fingers on the book, his expression calm.

"There are no discrepancies in the identity information of both grandmother and Wei Chen. The grandmother’s admission to the nursing home matches the time Wei Chen arrived in Tianyi City. Nothing was found at her home, except..."

Zheng Qi scratched his head, unsure if it counted as unusual but spoke up under Chu Yunyi’s inquisitive gaze.

"It’s just... the mirror in her home is a bit large and luxurious, which doesn’t quite match the simple décor."

Wei Chen also kept a large mirror in her rest area at the Chu Family. Perhaps girls have a certain obsession with appearance, even if they’re not notably attractive.

"Young master, do you think we should continue tracking her?"

"No need, withdraw."

"Yes!"

——————

There are three days left until the official competition, and Harssas’s intensive training was supposed to come to an end. It isn’t right to apply pressure continuously; students need time to adjust their states.

On this day, Li Xing was in a shop preparing the necessary elixirs and talisman for the competition when Yang Dawei came up to report that a student from the Healing Master Department was looking for her. Li Xing went to the reception room and discovered the visitor was Ning Zhun.

Seeing Li Xing appear, Ning Zhun stood up to greet her, looking a bit awkward: "Hello, Li Xing fellow student."

Smiling as she invited Ning Zhun to sit and poured him tea, Li Xing said, "Ning Zhun, what brings you here?"

"The shop has gained quite a reputation lately, and I came after hearing about it."

Healing Masters are few in number and low in combat power. Hence, not all Healing Department students are willing to take the risk of injury by participating in team competitions.

Ning Zhun, also a spectator in the live broadcasts, had his perception of Li Xing completely overturned after watching the "Rebels Unyielding" team matches.

Recalling the conversation with Li Xing outside the Alchemy Room, Ning Zhun couldn’t help but blush. Though mainstream Healing Masters rarely have furnace explosions, no one among them can concoct the medicine to drive away low-level Water Beasts within a few hours either.

Though Li Xing’s Wood Element Spirit had been buried, she built up her strength and now moved ahead of mainstream colleagues.

"Ah, right, this is for you!" Li Xing took out a small box shaped like a five-petal plum blossom and pushed it towards Ning Zhun. "These are some new medicines I concocted. I promised to give you a few to try out. Don’t mind."

"Ah? This—!"

Ning Zhun, flattered, picked up the Plum Blossom Box and opened it. Each flower petal contained a pill, and the lid detailed the names and effects of the pills. The shop’s current top-sellers, the Heavenly Essence Pill, Heavenly Spirit Pill, and Beauty Pill, were all inside.