228: Chapter 229: Nouveau Riche?

He wore simple, elegant robes, his expression calm and his demeanor steady, but just one look at him made people feel at ease.

He approached Zhou Yun, offered a greeting, and introduced himself.

His surname was Qu, his name Lingjun.

Afterward, he walked to the bedside and began to diagnose Lei Lie.

First, he observed his complexion, then listened to his breathing, and finally asked about the location of his injuries.

Finally, he extended three fingers and placed them on Lei Lie's wrist, which had shriveled like withered wood.

This incredibly professional and fluid method of "Looking, Listening, Asking, and Feeling the Pulse" caused Pharmacist Jiang, who was watching from the side, to have his eyelids twitch violently, and a flash of undisguised astonishment appeared in his eyes.

"This gentleman... could it be that you are also a Healer?" Pharmacist Jiang couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Qu Lingjun slowly withdrew his hand, smiled at Pharmacist Jiang, and shook his head.

"I only understand a little, I dare not call myself a Healer."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at Zhou Yun, his expression solemn:

"City Lord, do you have the blood sample that Minister Lei vomited earlier?"

"I do." Zhou Yun immediately ordered someone to retrieve it.

A moment later, a bowl of foul blood tinged with thick black Qi was brought before Qu Lingjun.

Qu Lingjun picked up the porcelain bowl without any hesitation, used his fingertip to dip a tiny amount, sniffed it under his nose, and then a wisp of milky white spiritual power rose from his fingertip, wrapping around and refining that drop of foul blood.

After finishing all this, a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes, and he pondered aloud:

"It is basically confirmed. However... to be safe, I need to collect a sample of Minister Lei's warm blood from his body right now for further verification."

Zhou Yun did not hesitate at all:

"Granted!"

Pharmacist Jiang hurriedly stepped forward and, with extreme precision, used a hollow silver needle to gently prick Minister Lei's fingertip, drawing out a drop of warm blood that was faintly tinged with a streak of black light.

Qu Lingjun took the blood and once again used his milky white spiritual power to slowly dissolve that half-drop of blood on his fingertip.

A moment later, he let out a long breath and nodded at Zhou Yun.

Wan'er and Xia Nuannuan, who had been holding their breath on the side, immediately perked up, their eyes fixed on him.

Zhou Yun asked:

"Mr. Qu, do you have the results?"

Qu Lingjun said slowly:

"Replying to the City Lord. In my early years, I flipped through an Incomplete Manual of poison techniques. There were a few lines recorded therein that are extremely similar to Minister Lei's current symptoms.

Based on the properties of this blood sample and the strange wind-breath remaining in the palm print on Minister Lei's chest, I judge that Minister Lei was injured by a Gold Rank palm technique called the 'Dark Nether Wind-Driving Palm'."

"Dark Nether Wind-Driving Palm?" Pharmacist Jiang muttered to himself.

Qu Lingjun nodded slightly and continued:

"This palm technique is exceptionally vicious. Those struck by it will find the freezing, bone-piercing Dark Nether wind-breath drilling into their Meridians like maggots on bones, flowing with their blood.

Once they try to resist by circulating their Qi, that wind-breath will treat the spiritual power as nourishment, rapidly swallowing and growing, eventually completely devouring the victim's heart pulse."

"Exactly! That is it!!"

Hearing this, Priest Leader Ye Songlin slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly:

"City Lord! This gentleman is absolutely correct! These past few days, whenever we used our healing arts, not only did the cold poison in Minister Lei's body not weaken, but it seemed to be gulping down our spiritual power; this is exactly what has been giving us the most headaches!"

Inside the large tent, the atmosphere, which had been oppressively stifling, finally saw a glimmer of light following Qu Lingjun's diagnosis.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Qu Lingjun sighed, looked at Minister Lei on the sickbed with some pity, and his voice lowered:

"Minister Lei has been able to hold on until now, firstly because he cultivated the Gold Rank wood-element Cultivation Technique 'Jianmu Heaven-Connecting Canon', making his vitality extremely long-lasting and resilient.

Secondly, it is also thanks to the Healer group's tireless efforts to keep him alive, which barely locked in his final breath."

"But... this is only temporary."

Qu Lingjun turned his head, meeting Zhou Yun's eager gaze, his expression somewhat pained, but he still spoke:

"City Lord, if we continue to keep him alive like this, that Dark Nether wind-breath will eventually break out completely. Given the current state of Minister Lei's heart pulse, even if we keep him alive without a moment's pause, the time left for him... is at most no more than four days."

"Four days?!"

Xia Nuannuan covered her small mouth, her face turning pale in an instant.

The others in the large tent also felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

The bit of spirit they had just regained was instantly crushed back down by this cruel deadline.

"Then... does Mr. Qu have a solution?" Zhou Yun pressed.

"I do." Qu Lingjun said clearly:

"However, we must find a special Spirit Medicine of at least Gold Rank that possesses extremely rigid and Yang medicinal properties.

This medicine cannot be used as a simple tonic for spiritual power; the key lies in using its intense Yang medicinal properties to first break the root of the Dark Nether wind-breath.

For example, a Gold Rank 'Nine-Burning Red Sun Ganoderma', or an 'earth-surging red flame golden lotus', or perhaps 'Heavenly Yang Golden Crow Grass'."

"After finding it, it cannot be consumed rashly. It still needs to be administered by a Healer who is skilled in this field, using acupuncture to guide the medicine into the heart pulse, treating it from the inside out, step by step."

"Only then is there a possibility of saving his life."

Qu Lingjun's words left everyone in the tent silent.

Zhou Yun's gaze fell back onto Minister Lei's face, which was already half-covered by black frost, and the sorrow in his heart surged again.

Four days.

At most, four days left.

Such a resolute man, after following him, had actually fallen to this point?

He took a deep breath, stood up, walked to the small desk outside the tent and sat down, picked up a brush, and copied the names of the three Spirit Medicines Qu Lingjun had just mentioned onto a slip of paper.

After writing it, he handed the slip to Wan'er, who had followed him out.

"Post this. Post it on every bulletin board in Flower City."

Wan'er took the slip, her gaze paused for a breath on Minister Lei lying quietly in the tent, and without asking more, she turned and left.

...

On the day the notice was posted, the area in front of the City Lord's Mansion and several bulletin boards in the city were crowded with people.

The three medicine names, 'Nine-Burning Red Sun Ganoderma', 'earth-surging red flame golden lotus', and 'Heavenly Yang Golden Crow Grass', were stamped with the City Lord's Mansion seal, and below it was written: A reward of ten thousand gold for anyone with clues.

Among the onlookers were local old herb farmers of Flower City, herb merchants who had migrated from the Ten Cities, and a few veterans among the old Yellow Turbans who knew a little about pharmacology.

But most people stared at the three medicine names for a long time, only looking at each other in dismay.

"Nine-Burning Red Sun Ganoderma? I've never even heard of this name."

"Not just never heard of it, I've been in the herb business for twenty years and have only handled Bronze Rank Yang-attribute Spirit Medicines twice. Gold Rank? What kind of concept is that?"

"Gold Rank Spirit Medicine... I'm afraid even the large medicine firms in lower-level cities might not have them..."

...

Although the reward was high, their ability was truly limited.

Therefore, although the crowd was buzzing with discussion, no one ever came forward to take the task.

...

On the other side, the Trade Department also turned the place upside down.

Minister Wang Fugui used all the channels of the Trade Department, from local herb shops in Flower City to merchants dealing in herbs among the migrants from the Ten Cities, and then to medicine firms in several familiar cities along the Hongdao Array, asking them one by one.

But the result was a return with nothing.

"City Lord, this is not a question of the price being high or low, it's that we can't even find a seller."

Minister Wang Fugui wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone unusually lacking his usual shrewdness and smoothness:

"Gold Rank Yang-attribute Spirit Medicines, let alone in Flower City, even looking at the circle of lower-level cities on the edge of the entire Xiaonan Region, I'm afraid you won't find a few. Even if someone is willing to pay ten times the price, they have to know who has the goods first."

Zhou Yun nodded and did not speak.

After Minister Wang Fugui retreated, Wan'er walked in.

She held a handwritten document in her hand.

"City Lord, I know a little about the three Spirit Medicines listed by Mr. Qu."

Wan'er's voice was still clear and logical, just a bit slower than usual.

"The Nine-Burning Red Sun Ganoderma needs to grow near a spring with intense fire veins. In my knowledge, the nearest place of origin is the Red Flame Mountain Range in the southern part of the Middle Region, at least a month's journey from Flower City.

The earth-surging red flame golden lotus grows in the depths of hot springs where earth fire leaks. The nearest record is in the Yan City area of the Western Region, which is even further away.

Heavenly Yang Golden Crow Grass needs to absorb Pure Yang Qi to survive. The known origin is only in the Heavenly Yang Valley of the Northern Region, and it was encircled by a large force years ago."

She stopped here.

"As far as I know, none of these origins can be reached and returned from within four days."

Zhou Yun's gaze rested on Wan'er's face for a moment.

She knew much more than he had imagined, plus the special profession of 'Royal Advisor' she had previously revealed...

Wan'er's background was probably not ordinary.

However, everyone has secrets, more or less.

If she didn't volunteer to speak, it basically meant it wasn't the right time yet.

Therefore, Zhou Yun just nodded slightly: "Thank you for your hard work."

...

Qu Lingjun's answer was similar to Wan'er's.

"What I know comes from the Incomplete Manuals and old records I flipped through in my early years, but knowledge from books is always shallow."

He sat in the side hall, his expression carrying some regret, "Those places of origin do exist, but the journey is long and there are many dangers. Within four days, it is absolutely impossible to go and return."

Although Zhou Yun was a bit disappointed by this answer, he still did not give up.

When the notice was posted, he had already sent a liaison officer via the Hongdao Array to Heyang to ask City Lord Qin Fang to help inquire about the whereabouts of these three Spirit Medicines.

City Lord Qin Fang was much older than him, had deep qualifications, and extensive connections; perhaps he could have news.

Now, the reply from Heyang City had also been sent back.

But the entire reply could be summarized in four words: Powerless to help.

Because even he, who had considerable qualifications, could only smile bitterly after hearing the words "Gold Rank Yang-attribute Spirit Medicine".

There were none in the Granary of Heyang City.

The herb merchants of the lower-level cities he had some friendship with didn't have them either.

Even high-level medicinal materials with Yang attributes were extremely scarce.

As of now, all conventional paths had hit a wall.

...

The night was deep.

The lamp beside the medical tent was still lit.

Zhou Yun sat alone at the temporary small desk, on which lay a Silver Rank Spirit Medicine that emitted a faint warm light, the Chiyang Ginseng.

This was the purest Yang-attribute Silver Rank Spirit Medicine in the Flower City Granary. Its grade was not the highest, but its medicinal properties were pure, carrying a warm fiery energy.

Zhou Yun took a deep breath and raised his hand to press on the Chiyang Ginseng.

City Lord Skill, Touch of Gold!

The cooldown time had actually long since passed, but he had never used it, just to be safe, keeping it for a critical moment.

Although logic and intuition told him that the possibility of this move working was not high.

But, currently, there was no other way, he could only try.

The next moment.

Golden characters boomed and appeared in the night sky!

[Flower City Lord's Order: Touch of Gold!]

The majestic handwriting spanned the firmament, and the golden light illuminated the entire Flower City.

Many people in the city who had already fallen asleep were awakened by this strange phenomenon, one after another, they put on their clothes, went out, and looked up at the sky.

"The City Lord has used the City Lord Skill again!"

"Touch of Gold? It's different from last time!"

"I don't know what it's for this time..."

...

Beside the medical tent.

Pale golden light gushed from Zhou Yun's palm and slowly seeped into the skin of the Chiyang Ginseng.

The patterns on the surface of the herb lit up bit by bit, the color changed from dark red to red gold, and the spiritual power contained within it climbed rapidly.

When the light faded, the Chiyang Ginseng on the desk had been reborn, its entire body red gold, emitting a rich Yang-attribute spiritual power fluctuation.

[Ding! Touch of Gold used successfully. Target item quality improved: Silver Rank → Gold Rank. Cooldown time: 72 hours.]

The quality had improved.

But...

Could it be used?

Or was it still not working?

He didn't know.

But at least, that more intense Yang-attribute spiritual power fluctuation was not fake.

Therefore, he picked up the Spirit Medicine and walked quickly back to the medical tent, hoping to get a positive result.

However, after Pharmacist Jiang took this Gold Rank Chiyang Ginseng and identified it carefully, he slowly shook his head.

"City Lord, the grade is indeed Gold Rank, and the medicinal property is indeed Yang. However..."

He weighed his words: "Its essence is still Chiyang Ginseng. Its medicinal properties are mild and long-lasting, good at replenishing Qi and warming Yang, rather than being extremely rigid and intense to break evil and remove poison."

Qu Lingjun also took it over to smell it, then nodded after putting it down: "Pharmacist Jiang is right.

The cold poison of the Dark Nether Wind-Driving Palm has been growing by feeding on spiritual power for days. To break its root, we need a flash of intense Yang medicinal property, like a knife directly splitting the root of the cold poison.

The medicinal properties of Chiyang Ginseng are too soft; even if the grade reaches Gold Rank, it is only equivalent to warm water with a higher temperature, not the boiling water we need."

After listening, Zhou Yun lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked up and squeezed out a faint smile,

"Thank you both, I will think of another way."

...

The night wind outside the tent was cool.

Zhou Yun sat down at the temporary small desk, and quickly stood up again.

It seems there was no way left within the scope of Flower City.

Four days.

Today, the first day had already passed.

Only three days left.

What else could be done?

What other path could be taken?

Zhou Yun closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze fell on the mobile phone at the corner of the desk.

The class group!

Most of the classmates in the group were City Lords of small cities, their levels were not high, and their resources were limited.

But many hands make light work, there might just be a glimmer of hope!

Thinking of this, he immediately picked up the phone and opened WeChat.

In the message list, City Lord Zhao Kun's avatar still had several unread red dots hanging on it.

Those were the voice and text messages sent by City Lord Zhao Kun when The Four Cities attacked Flower City.

After Zhou Yun finished reading, he felt very guilty.

He actually only knew about these now...