Divine Retrieval Herb
Zhuge Xiaosheng and Daoist Yuan De’s groups sat facing each other in a cavern located in a remote location. Nobody dared to ask why Mu Yu brought them to the cavern as opposed to waiting where they fought as reinforcements were bound to come. Nonetheless, they were not convinced Mu Yu would harm them after saving them.
The two sides kept their distance from each other, one for fear of exacerbating the situation and the other to keep a safe distance from people they could not trust. Had it not been for Mu Yu’s presence, they would have had thrown hands already.
Yao Wuji walked over and apologetically offered a few vials. “Greater Heaven Caster Lu, these are level seven pills from myself and Daoist Yuan De for Patriarch Zhuge.”
“For us to poison him with this time?” raged Lu Deyi.
“I mean no ill will.”
“We don’t need it nor do we want it. Stay three hundred metres away from our patriarch, or we’ll have to bite!”
Yao Wuji had no other option but to back down, praying Daoist Yuan De could come to as soon as possible and clear the air.
Mu Yu, sitting on a rock, opened his eyes and cast a formation to soundproof the cavern. “What did you learn? Who owns the second bloodlust energy?”
Xiaoshuai replied, “I didn’t see who it was as both signals vanished by the time I arrived. I don’t know who prevailed, either. That said, I think you recognise the qi fired at Jin Xiyun.”
“Celestial Swords Nine Catalysts.”
“Would it be Lie Shang?”
“No. Lie Shang’s qi is flamboyant, while that was an aloof qi. I’d say his bloodlust energy surpasses mine.”
“Xiang Nan?”
“No. Xiang Nan’s qi is the same as how he used to be, heavy and solid.”
“Cheng Yan? Why would he have bloodlust energy? Knowing him, he’d stay away from it like the plague.”
“I also want to know. He’d have to commit murder to obtain the energy; it goes against his goal of protecting the world in Shifu’s place.”
“Hmm, Mu Yu, don’t you think Cheng Yan and Dong Zhi’s timing is rather too coincidental?”
“Are you insinuating Cheng Yan hired Dong Zhi?”
“I’m not sure if it is or not. I’ve never heard of a shadow assassin asking for a job and asking for just three herbs no less.”
Rumble.
“What was that?”
“Dong Zhi’s snow eagle,” Mu Yu muttered under his breath, squinting. “Everyone stay here. Nobody is to fight anybody before I come back.”
“Wait, Elder! Wait…” Yao Wuji called out after Mu Yu, worried about Formation-Talisman Sect’s team.
“Save your breath,” asserted Lu Deyi, blue lightning crackling on his fist ripping apart the air.
Yao Wuji pulled Daoist Yun Dan behind him right away.
***
The snow eagle landed atop a rock in a rocky forest, where shadows were abnormally long, and started tweeting. Mu Yu trained his eyes on Dong Zhi, who stood in the shadow of the rock, and stated, “I can’t supply you with three divine will restoration herbs yet.”
“I know,” Dong Zhi responded in a deep voice.
“Who hired you?” Realising he shouldn’t have even tried, Mu Yu then asked, “Did you complete your mission.”
“Jin Xiyun is dead.”
“You didn’t kill her.”
“The mission was to ensure her death. Now that she’s dead, I completed my mission.”
Since the goal was achieved one way or another and was semantically sound, Mu Yu moved on. “How do I deliver the herbs?”
“I’ll pick them up.”
“How are you going to find me?”
“I have my ways. I came here to put in a note: I need them naturally grown, not spawned using your ability. Most importantly, they must be golden, not blue,” answered Dong Zhi, soaring off in the shadow of his snow eagle.
“Why do you have so many demands when you didn’t even finish the job yourself?!” Xiaoshuai shouted. “Mu Yu, is he sick in the head? What’s with all the airs? Screw him. The next time he comes” – Xiaoshuai huffed onto his fist – “Mu Yu… Mu Yu? Mu Yu? Earth to Mu Yu.”
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“What are the herbs even used for? Why does he need it? Where do we find it?”
“Golden divine will retrieval herbs… Blue and gold…” mumbled Mu Yu, recalling when he first arrived at Mount Dustfallen.
“Shifu, what do you grow these herbs for?” Mu Yu inquired, oblivious to the value of the plants he often helped Feng Haochen with.
Whilst loosening a dozen grey herbs’ soil, Feng Haochen enlightened, “These are called divine will retrieval herbs. They come in three colours: grey, golden and blue.”
“When do their colours change?” Mu Yu tapped a grey herb with his finger tip, instantly turning it golden. “Do they turn golden as soon as you touch them?”
Feng Haochen smiled. “They’re grey if nobody touches them and don’t stand out. If they touch it when they are still themselves, it will turn golden just as the sun is a symbol for brightness. When they are no longer themselves, their touch will turn it blue.”
“I can use my wood control ability to turn it blue.” Try as he may, Mu Yu could not actually achieve the feat. “Why won’t it change colours?”
“Hahaha, stop being naughty. You can’t manipulate its colour even with our ability because you’re still yourself. You’ll know you’re lost when your touch turns it blue.”
“You mean I can’t change its colour because I am born with a poor sense of direction?”
“Not quite. The herb helps remind those who’ve lost their way that they’re lost. People always lose themselves in their selections to live up to some standard; they change themselves, hide behind facades and wear masks until they forget who they are. It’s akin to losing the way home. Once you’ve retrieved yourself, you will find your way home. Home is only a thought away. That’s the reason for the herb’s name.”
“I still don’t understand, Shifu.”
“You will one day.”
Returning to reality, Mu Yu tried as hard as he could to turn divine will retrieval herbs golden to no avail. Every time he tried, they turned blue. “Have I lost my way? They used to always turn golden when I touched them in the past. It’s you, isn’t it, First Brother?”
Mu Yu knew where to find naturally growing divine will retrieval herbs. Cheng Yan, who was the only one to know about the herbs and Mu Yu, wanted Mu Yu to come home…
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