Chapter 205: Chapter 127: Chief (Part 1)

He paused for a moment before continuing, “The third ingredient is called Three-leaf Fire Heart Grass. This herb is as fierce as fire, its leaves like flames, and it only reaches maturity when all three leaves grow together. As far as I know, this herb is only reliably found near the Lava Poison Valley, deep within the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp. It’s extremely difficult to find elsewhere. Even when it occasionally appears at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, it’s always sold for a sky-high price.”

Yin Condensing Flower, Earth Dragon Blood Ginseng, Three-leaf Fire Heart Grass!

And they all had to be fifteen years old!

Chen Qing’s heart sank completely.

Fifteen-year-old Treasure Medicines were already worth a fortune, easily fetching tens of thousands of taels of silver. The Three-leaf Fire Heart Grass, in particular, which only grew in the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, was so rare it was nearly impossible to buy.

Just gathering these three main ingredients would probably cost tens of thousands of taels of silver, and that wasn’t even counting the supplementary herbs or Jiang Bohong’s high fee for the alchemy itself.

And on top of all that, there was a seventy percent failure rate…

’The path to obtaining the Bone Transformation Pill is far more difficult than I imagined!’

“Thank you for the information, Senior.”

Chen Qing’s expression remained impassive, his tone calm. “The Treasure Medicines required are indeed rare treasures. That Three-leaf Fire Heart Grass, in particular, is something one can only find by chance, not by searching. As for this matter… please allow me some time to consider it. I’ll also need time to gather the resources.”

He didn’t refuse immediately, but he clearly expressed the difficulty of the task.

Having navigated the Jianghu for many years, Jiang Bohong naturally saw Chen Qing’s predicament.

He didn’t press the matter and chuckled. “It’s no problem. Such opportunities can’t be forced. Chen Xiaoyou, if you manage to gather the materials in the future, you can find me at any time. This offer stands.”

He picked up his teacup and took a light sip, appearing quite unconcerned.

Seeing the matter of alchemy temporarily set aside, Wu Tieshan smoothly changed the subject to prevent any awkwardness. “Brother Jiang, you stayed in Linping Prefecture for several months on your way back? How are things over there? I hear the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp has been far from peaceful lately. Is the trouble really that serious?”

At the mention of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, the relaxed look on Jiang Bohong’s face vanished, replaced by a grave expression. “Far from peaceful? The danger has practically doubled! For the past six months, some kind of ferocious beast has appeared deep in the swamp. It’s absolutely terrifying!”

He set down his teacup, his voice growing low. “In the past, though the swamp teemed with poisonous creatures and roaming Exotic Beasts, the danger wasn’t too great as long as you were experienced. But it’s different now. Two old partners of mine, both highly experienced Assassins, ventured to the edge of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp’s core region. Neither of them came back.”

A flicker of lingering fear crossed Jiang Bohong’s eyes. “I was lucky this time. I took a job escorting a merchant caravan to Linping Prefecture, so I didn’t stay long in the swamp’s depths. When I heard the terrible news on my way back, I certainly wasn’t about to risk it. I came back from Linping Prefecture by taking a long detour. I’d much rather waste the extra time than take that shortcut through the heart of the swamp.”

“Oh? It’s that dangerous? Even you are this wary of it, Brother Jiang?” Wu Tieshan’s face filled with shock.

If it could make a veteran of the Jianghu like Jiang Bohong take a detour, the threat of that creature was plain to see.

“It is.”

Jiang Bohong sighed. “No one can say for sure what kind of Exotic Beast it is. On top of that, the swarms of poisonous insects within the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp have been acting up… I stayed at the Haisa Sect’s base in Linping Prefecture for a full three months, partly to handle some personal business, and partly to wait and see if the talk about that beast would die down. Besides, things in Lin’an Prefecture aren’t peaceful lately either. I’ve heard experts from the Infinite Demon Sect are active in the shadows, stirring up storms.”

’Haisa Sect?’

Chen Qing’s heart stirred.

’Isn’t that Zhou Yu’s Sect?’

“Haisa Sect?”

Chen Qing asked, feigning casualness, “I have an old acquaintance who seems to be with them. I wonder, Senior, during your time there, did you happen to hear of a Steward named Li Yuan?”

“Li Yuan?”

Jiang Bohong frowned slightly, trying to recall. “That name… I do remember hearing it mentioned at the Haisa Sect. He seems to be a Steward assigned to an external post. His strength is likely at the Embracing Pill Force realm. Not a top-tier expert, but he has some fame. I heard that a while back, he led a team into the outer area of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp for a mission. I believe he even sustained minor injuries.”

He shook his head. “The Haisa Sect has many members and its territory is vast. I was only resting at one of their outposts and had no dealings with this Steward Li, so I know very little. As for his specific standing Within the Sect, I’m afraid I don’t know.”

Chen Qing nodded.

’Since Li Yuan can serve as a Steward, he must be considered a mid-tier figure in the Haisa Sect.’

’I wanted to ask if he knew anything about Zhou Yu, but on second thought, rashly asking about an ordinary disciple would seem abrupt and could easily expose my connection to her. Given the recent activity of the Demon Sect, that might not be a good thing.’

“Thank you for the information about Steward Li, Senior.” Chen Qing pushed his thoughts aside and cupped his hands in thanks.

The three of them then made small talk, discussing recent events in Yunlin Prefecture and other Jianghu anecdotes.

Jiang Bohong recounted some of the local customs of Lin’an Prefecture and his observations of the Haisa Sect, while Wu Tieshan spoke of the power shifts in the Prefecture City following the Zheng Family’s demise.

Chen Qing was mostly a listener, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

After a few more rounds of tea, Jiang Bohong rose to take his leave. “Younger Brother Wu, Chen Xiaoyou, I have some other matters to attend to, so I must be going. Chen Xiaoyou, regarding the matter of the Bone Transformation Pill, if you decide to go forward, you can find me anytime at the Old Blade Master Inn in the west of the city.”

He emphasized it again.

“Of course. Take care, Senior.” Chen Qing and Wu Tieshan stood up to see him off.

After seeing Jiang Bohong off, Chen Qing chatted for a few more moments with Wu Tieshan, expressing his gratitude for the introduction.

Wu Tieshan slapped his chest proudly. “If you need any other connections or help in the future, just say the word!”

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