Chapter 40: Eat Well, Drink Well, and Fare Well on Your Final Journey

Chapter 40: Eat Well, Drink Well, Farewell on Your Journey

"Strange mushroom, sky-reaching chrysanthemum, strange mushroom, sky-reaching chrysanthemum, ha ha ha..."

"You old chrysanthemum! Hey, how come I never realized your martial soul looked so much like you? If I had known earlier, I would’ve stomped it flat." Dugu Bo’s words were as caustic as ever, perfectly matching his title.

Zhong Yan watched from a short distance the chrysanthemum Douluo, who appeared no different from a madman, and beside him, the concerned Dugu Bo.

This was his own medicinal garden, and having a madman like chrysanthemum Douluo, who couldn’t move past seeing immortal herbs, wander in so freely truly made him feel uneasy.

Zhong Yan stepped forward and patted chrysanthemum Douluo on the shoulder. "Ahem, Uncle Ju, don’t you think it’s time to get down to business?"

The reminder brought chrysanthemum Douluo back to reason.

[Since the Strange Mushroom Sky-reaching Chrysanthemum is already here, no one can snatch it away. It belongs to me!]

He then glanced at Bibi Dong, whom he had just left aside, and hurried forward, dropping to one knee with one hand over his heart.

"Please forgive me, Your Holiness. Yue Guan actually left you standing aside."

"No matter. Immortal herbs are the lifelong pursuit of the chrysanthemum Douluo. It’s only natural to be joyful upon seeing such a treasure trove. But now, it is time to attend to serious matters."

"Yes!"

"Uncle Ju, first we’ll find a herb for the teacher, then one each for the Poison Douluo and his granddaughter. As for me, just give me the Longing Dew and the Lovesick Heartbreaker."

"Lovesick Heartbreaker! Your Highness, are you referring to the King among herbs—the Lovesick Heartbreaker!" Chrysanthemum Douluo’s breathing quickened, and his whole being visibly stirred with excitement.

Dugu Bo expressed his gratitude to Zhong Yan, "Thank you, Your Highness, for remembering my granddaughter."

He had thought that the prince would only help cure the poison afflicting him and his granddaughter, and that the medicinal garden would no longer concern him. Yet, this newly appointed prince of the Martial Soul Hall still thought of him.

Whereas before, he had joined the Martial Soul Hall out of compulsion, now he felt genuine sincerity. After all, having such a superior handling matters on his behalf was never a loss.

He himself didn’t care much, but he had a precious granddaughter.

He bowed respectfully toward Zhong Yan, signifying his sincere allegiance to the Martial Soul Hall.

Bibi Dong, seeing Dugu Bo bow to Zhong Yan, was quite satisfied—not with Dugu Bo, but with Zhong Yan’s ability to command subordinates.

Then Dugu Bo teased chrysanthemum Douluo, "Old Ju, look at you, so agitated, as if you’re not even human. It’s just one herb, what’s the big deal?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo retorted with a scowl, "You don’t know a damn thing."

After cursing Dugu Bo, he cleared his throat and spoke solemnly, "This herb is called Lovesick Heartbreaker. It is a divine treasure among immortal herbs. There’s a legend about it: long ago, a young man of calm nature loved to tend to plants. His garden bloomed with lotus and myriad flowers. He often recited poetry and invited the moon for drinks. Yet whenever the fallen crimson petals fell, he would feel endless sorrow, gathering and burying them with tears. It is said that love moves heaven and earth; his deep affection stirred the celestial beings. A fairy secretly descended to marry him, and their bliss was beyond words. But happiness was short-lived. When the gods learned of this union, they were furious, decreeing that immortals and mortals must not wed, recalling the fairy to the divine realm. Since losing his beloved, the youth sighed endlessly, sinking into gloom, neglecting his affairs. The garden fell into ruin. One day, an old man with white hair came and told him that the white peony in the garden was his wife’s incarnation. If he destroyed it, the fairy would lose her immortality and be banished to mortal life to reunite with him. But he must never abandon his duties. After speaking, the old man vanished like a breeze. The young man suddenly realized his folly, regretted mistreating the garden, and cared for the plants with devotion. Though he loved his wife dearly, he could not bear to burn the peony, instead cherishing it more, drinking and weeping day and night until his heart broke and he died. With his last breath, he spilled blood on the petals. That crimson stain is said to be his heart’s blood."

Listening quietly to chrysanthemum Douluo’s tale, both Dugu Bo and Bibi Dong were entranced. Even Xiao Wu, standing nearby and thinking of Tang San, was moved, her heart trembling.

Chrysanthemum Douluo gravely declared, "This extraordinary herb must be chosen by the right master. When picking it, one must think of their beloved with sincere intent, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the petals. If there is the slightest hesitation, even if one bleeds to death, the herb will not be harvested. Once taken, as long as it stays near its master, it will never wither. Its stone name is Wujue. If forcibly destroyed, the herb will lose all potency. Consuming this herb grants immortality akin to heaven and earth. If the prince desires it, it suits him well. But why does the prince want the Longing Dew? Such a treasure, only one can consume it effectively; eating more yields no further benefit."

Zhong Yan replied calmly, "It’s a gift."

In the original story, Tang San himself said that the Fire Apricot Blossom and Octagonal Ice Grass were not the most suitable for him; the Longing Dew was better because he cultivated the Purple Extreme Demon Eye.

Suddenly remembering something, Zhong Yan called out to chrysanthemum Douluo, who was about to leave, "Also keep the Qiluo Tulip!"

"Very well, Your Highness. Is this one also a gift?"

"This is for the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect. The Qiluo Tulip is noble and magnificent. Consuming it allows one to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, sunlight and moonlight. The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda is itself a treasure-type martial soul. With this tulip’s help, it can achieve a complementary effect."

"If Ning Fengzhi takes the Qiluo Tulip, his Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda should ascend to the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda. The Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda is the lifelong pursuit of the sect. We can use this to win their alliance. Even if we fail to subdue them, we can at least form an alliance."

Bibi Dong’s eyes blazed with approval, exclaiming, "Good! Let’s proceed as Zhong Yan says. You and Na’er will go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect."

"Me?" Zhong Yan considered, then agreed. "Fine. I want to meet the Sword Douluo. I want to understand how his Sword God realm was forged. Through this, I might find a way to advance my own Spear God realm."

...This marks the transition of Zhong Yan and chrysanthemum Douluo’s quest for herbs... (No more filler.)

"Teacher," Zhong Yan approached Bibi Dong with a herb, "this ninth-grade purple fungus strengthens your foundation and boosts your energy. At your realm, few immortal herbs can enhance your power, but this one solidifies your base. After consuming it, you can absorb soul power from hunting soul beasts using your second martial soul, allowing you to reach level 99 soul rings without worrying about your foundation."

"Hmm, good," Bibi Dong nodded, accepting the herb. As Zhong Yan said, its effect on consolidating her foundation was indeed fitting.

Zhong Yan turned and took out another herb, approaching Dugu Bo. "Senior Dugu, this herb is called Blood-red Swan Kiss. It’s non-toxic itself but can catalyze any poison it touches, amplifying it a hundredfold!"

"Actually, the poison in your body is easy to deal with. You just need to condense all the poison into a single soul bone. Remember, before you have resolved the poison within, never touch this herb directly with your body. Otherwise, the sudden poison explosion will kill you."

Startled, Dugu Bo hastily covered his hands with soul power and took the Blood-red Swan Kiss, placing it in his soul conduit.

Zhong Yan then presented another herb. "This is Cold Dragon Grass. It has a cold nature, suitable for your granddaughter’s martial soul. Moreover, it’s a dragon-type immortal herb that can help her martial soul evolve."

Dugu Bo cupped the herb carefully. This was the treasure for his granddaughter’s future title as a Douluo; he could not be too cautious.

"As for your granddaughter’s soul bone, if you can’t find it, you can negotiate with the Martial Soul Hall."

"Very well. I, on behalf of Yan Yan, thank Your Highness."

After finishing, Zhong Yan approached Xiao Wu, taking out a jade box containing Longing Dew. "Give this to Tang San. He knows what to do."

"Also," Zhong Yan pulled out another herb, "this is Hidden Dragon Grass. It can mask the aura of your ten-thousand-year soul beast. Eat this."

Xiao Wu’s heart was complicated. The Martial Soul Hall had killed her mother, yet Zhong Yan had a bond with her for over six years. Now that she had joined the Martial Soul Hall, and after her identity was discovered, Zhong Yan had stood up for her and even sent Tang San an immortal herb—of which she had witnessed the power firsthand.

She didn’t know what to do but silently nodded and whispered, "Alright."

"I will send you out of the Sunset Forest..." Zhong Yan suddenly made a decision. "Wait, I’m going with you to Shrek."

"?"

"I can't stand that tiger and chicken brat. I want to go and teach them a lesson."

"!"

P.S. Let me explain:

1. Why is the protagonist still sending treasures to Tang San? Because he just recently gained power and is still inflated with pride. He doesn’t care whether Tang San is strong—he’s stronger anyway.

2. Both the Emperor and the protagonist are deeply sentimental people. The protagonist and Tang San share over a decade of feelings, and he is still trying to find a way to benefit both the Martial Soul Hall and the Tang family.

3. I don’t want to attack Tang San as a person. Put yourself in Tang San’s shoes from the first Martial Soul series. You’ll find he actually did quite well.

4. I don’t want to depict Tang San as a low-IQ villain. I want to show the clash between a feudal-era soul and a soul from the twenty-first century under the red flag—in terms of stance, ideology, and values.

5. Adding filler here (dog head jpg). There will be another update tonight. I aim to keep up double updates daily. Let’s go!

(End of chapter)